2019 World Cruise - Day 16

Friday 01.18.19 - Sea Day

Once again, we started the day off with breakfast up on the buffet. I had an omelette with ham, bell pepper, onions, Swiss cheese & cheddar cheese. Along with that, was some wonderful luganega sausage. This was the 2nd time they served this. It was pretty damn good, but I like most sausages. The standard breakfast sausage links were alright, but I prefer patties. A few pieces of bacon, some deli meat & couple of slices of toast with yummy orange marmalade, completed my tasty first meal of the day.

Shelly had her usual omelette with bacon, asparagus, jalapenos, and peppers, that she topped with salsa.  She also had an awesome chocolate danish.

We finished eating, then went back to the room to charge our phones & work on the blog. While we were eating at the buffet’s outdoor dining room, there were several whale & dolphin sightings, but the sun was too bright to actually enjoy it. I stepped out on our balcony & immediately saw a dolphin do a back flip. I went back in to grab my camera, but all I was able to get was a few blurry pics of some birds.

Then we attended another interesting enrichment lecture with Gary Koverman. The topic this time was DNA Discovery. This is one of the things I like most about Princess Cruises. They always have some kind of engaging event going on that lets you learn more about history or culture.

After the lecture, we went back to the room. I was in the process of writing a blog post covering Day 6 of our 2018 road trip where we had fish & chips at Prosperity Social Club in Cleveland, Ohio. When I ask Shelly to proof read, she reminded me that today at 11:30am was the British-Style Pub Lunch.

Upon arriving, we ran into Betty who asked us to share a table with her & Steve. Shelly & I both had the Fisherman’s Basket. This was way better than I was expecting. The fish was flaky delicious, not greasy. The “prawns” were actually tasty shrimp. The fries were finally cooked correctly and crispy. Most of the time on this ship they don’t cook them long enough to get them crispy, the way I prefer.

Fisherman’s Basket
deep fried fish fillet in batter with prawns, chips, mushy peas & tartar sauce

close up on the flaky fish

At 1pm, we went to the ice carving demonstration, where we shared a lounger with Gail. We all had fun guessing what the finished sculpture was going to be. It was fascinating to watch him as he carved out a puffer fish.

With so many sea days, I thought it would be a good idea to get the premium internet package & use the time to work online. So after the carving, we once again went back to the room to charge our phones & continue working on the blog.

Later we went to have a few photos taken before going upstairs to 5pm Nibbles, where we had freshly made guacamole with tortilla chips.

We were a few minutes late for the third formal dinner, because we were watching the movie Hitch. 

I started with a plate of excellent escargot. I look forward to these on every cruise. They only include one piece of toast, so I like to use rolls from the bread basket to sop up all the buttery goodness.

Escargots Bourguignon
glazed with shallots, parsley and garlic butter

After the richness of the escargot, the crisp Caesar salad was nice palate cleanser.

Classic Caesar Salad
crisp romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese and herb croutons

Shelly started her meal with a lovely creamy and rich tomato soup.

Roasted Tomato Cream Soup
brioche croutons and basil pesto swirl

For our entrees, we both created our own surf & turf combo. First was the broiled lobster tail. Tonight's was perfectly cooked. After everyone at the table is served, the waiter comes back around & removes the shells from the lobster. This is a nice touch that helps make the meal more elegant. 
The lobster was made even more delicious with clarified butter drizzled on top.  I'm not usually a fan of risotto, but this serving was excellent. The risotto was perfectly smooth and added an earthy note to the dish. Can I have seconds please?

Broiled Lobster Tail
lemon-arugula risotto, butter sauce

That was followed by the the turf portion. A boring Beef Wellington. The steak itself was decent, but the mushroom stuffing was not a pleasant flavor. I would probably skip this next time. 

Beef Wellington, Truffle-Madeira Demi-Glace
dill scented vegetables, butter-confit potato tart

Shelly thought it was good, but was too full to really enjoy it. 

Beef Wellington, Truffle-Madeira Demi-Glace
dill scented vegetables, butter-confit potato tart

Now for the best part of every meal, dessert!

I loves me some ice cream. I chose the "Create Your Own Sundae" with vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries. 

Create Your Own Sundae
vanilla or chocolate ice cream
strawberry, chocolate, butterscotch, caramel or pineapple toppings, whipped cream

Shelly was felling a little bit extra & went with the Chocolate Journeys. She says, "This is terrific for those that love pistachios.  The chocolate is rich and over powers the pistachio flavor, so I ate around the chocolate."

Chocolate Journeys: Chocolate Pistachio Dome with Almond and Pistachio Nougatine
The world's finest pistachios are found in the Bonte Valley in Sicily and this special dessert reminds Chef Love of family in Italy. Featuring a moist almond cake, the rich Sicilian pistachio crème brûlée is encased in a light bittersweet chocolate mousse that sits atop an almond pistachio crunchy nougatine, and glazed in a milk chocolate glacage.

With that exquisite dinner finished, we made our way to the Cabaret Lounge to see an impressionist, Greg London. He put on a great show but because where we sat I wasn't able to get any decent photos. 

Once we were back in the cabin, we watched The Martian as we laid down for bed. We were not worried about getting up early, because tomorrow is another sea day before we reach Los Angeles.