2019 World Cruise - Day 5

Monday 01.07.19 - Another Exciting Day at Sea

Last night during dinner, our new friend Gail told us that we can get made to order omelettes on the breakfast buffet. This was fantastic news. I had to get up to the buffet & see for myself. Sure enough, there was not one but two omelette stations, plus another egg station where you can order fried eggs or poached.

GLORIOUS!

Look at all these options - jalapenos, 2 different cheeses, bacon, sausage, ham, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, & onions.

We both had an omelette. These are far superior than the main dining room, where the only options are: plain, mushroom, or ham & cheese.  Plus, you order and wait only a few minutes while he makes it in-front of you.  You can request a two or three egg omelet depending on how fluffy you want it.

toast & apricot jam; there is a toasting station where you select your bread type, bagel, or english muffin and place into a rotating toaster

From the buffet we had sausage, ham, roasted potatoes, sliced cheese, hash brown patty (reminded me of the fast food type), pineapple, & toast with apricot jam.

After breakfast, we went back to the room to rest & charge our phones before 11am Morning Trivia. The passengers take trivia very seriously! We stayed to listen to the choir practice. 

Then it was 12pm lunch in the main dining room.

We both started with the fried calamari, that I thought had nice flavor and tender. I would have liked it better if the breading would have stayed on. 

Crisp-Fried Calamari
with marinara dipping sauce and lemon

Next it was the Mexican albondigas soup. We both look forward to this soup on every Princess cruise. Nice rich broth, loaded with veggies, & meatballs. I always think there should be more meat! I added a few drops of Bravado Spice Co's Crimson Special Reserve hot sauce to make mine taste even better.

Mexican Albondigas Soup
beef broth with vegetables and meatballs

For our entrees, we both ordered the tortellini. We joke that they were filled with “mystery meat”, as there was no real description on the menu. I actually enjoyed this dish, while Shelly found it dry and monotonous.

Meat Tortellini with Veal Jus & Sage Butter
grated Parmesan sprinkle

For dessert, we shared a piece of cake and ice cream. The cake was a little dry, but adding some ice cream fixed that. This fudge cake is one of their best, the frosting is rich, creamy, and so chocolate-y.

Double Chocolate Fudge Cake
with mocha sauce

Pistachio & Mint-Chocolate Ice Cream

We sat & visited with a fellow passenger, Jennifer for a while, before attending the 2pm trivia. We didn't compete due to it being a cruise long event and we already missed the first day. Instead, we returned back to the room to watch the replay lecture on tomorrow’s port of Cartagena, Colombia. Then it was time for the 4pm Afternoon Daily Trivia Challenge.

Followed by the daily Exclusive Elite hors d'oeuvres & cocktails both of the events in the Pacific Lounge on deck 10. Tonight was authentic Mexican salsa with tortilla chips.

Afterwards we went back to the room to change into our formal dinner clothes. Then it was time for the Captain's Party, champagne pour & formal portraits.

Photo Credit: Steven Rogers

Photo Credit: Steven Rogers

Next was the first formal night / Captain's welcome dinner, in the main dining room.

I started with the quiche. The last time I ordered this, it was served as a much larger piece. Either way it's still an A+ dish. Yummy!

Crabmeat and Monterey Jack Cheese Quiche
baked in a savory pie crust and served with charred red pepper salsa

Next I chose the asparagus soup. I’m trying to branch out & try new things. This was different lol. I'm not sure I'll be ordering it again soon. The first few bites were alright, but it became monotonous very quickly. 

Creamy Asparagus Soup
a recipe from Master Chef Alfredo with poached salmon dumplings

For my entree, I ordered the duck - Duck is one of my favorite meats. I almost always order it. In my opinion, duck à l'orange is one of the best ways that is prepared. This one was cooked perfectly. 

Home-Style Cuisine: Duck à l'Orange
on natural pan juice with string beans, provençale tomato and chateau potatoes

Shelly also started with the quiche. "This was a good quiche with vague notes of crab."

Crabmeat and Monterey Jack Cheese Quiche
baked in a savory pie crust and served with charred red pepper salsa

Next she had the French onion soup. "This is my favorite soup. This one is served super hot in a large ramekin with a big crouton covered in cheese. I enjoy the beef broth flavor and soft onions mixed with cheese."

French Onion Soup
gratinated with Gruyère cheese crouton

For her entree, Shelly had the steak medallions medium rare. The vegetables were bland, but the steak was tender and the gravy was a great addition.

Grilled Medallions of Beef Tenderloin, Cognac & Black Peppercorn Demi-Glace
roasted carrots and squash, parmesan potato beignet

Next up was dessert.

I had the bananas foster. The sorbet machine was broken, so this was my second choice. It was pretty good. 

Bananas Foster Flambé
à la mode

Shelly got the chocolate journeys "this is so rich and decadent, the prized bite is the center raspberry giving a refreshing tang after the rich chocolate."

Chocolate Journeys: Moist Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Crème Brûlée and Bittersweet Chocolate Mouse
Chef Love is a firm believer that dark chocolate and raspberry is one of the most popular dessert flavor combinations. This dessert was the first he made when Norman Love Confections opened and continues to be one of the most popular desserts served. It is a light chocolate cake featuring exquisite chocolate, a bittersweet chocolate mousse and raspberry crème brûlée, glazed in a dark chocolate glaçage with fresh raspberries and raspberry coulis.

And since it's formal night, the photographer visits each table and takes a few shots of us.

After dinner we went to the 9:30pm Production Show: Do You Want To Dance? Starring Krystal Washington, Darrel Dexter and the Pacific Princess Dancers. Cabaret Lounge, Deck 5 Fwd.  The shows are enjoyable and a great end to the night.

After the show, it was time to for bed. We have a fun day ashore in Cartagena, Colombia tomorrow morning at 10am.  We plan on exploring the port and old town so stay tuned!