Recent BTB Med Cruise

Chairsin,

We're on the 21 day Med one leaving Monte Carlo on July 14th but are leaving home the week before so panic has now set in. We do enjoy sometimes the added bonus of a show after dinner as it's something you don't do at home, rounds the evening off nicely. I've only done SS cruises so am still finding my feet with SB.

MM

Thank you for answering my questions. We usually attend evening shows so

I am happy to learn that these were enjoyable.

Paula and Miss Merry,

While Seabourn does not put on the big shows I understand big ships present I think you will still find enough variety to keep you entertained.

Next subject -- TK and food in general

I was very interested in trying TK on Seabourn even though I will have to wait until my December Quest cruise to try the Grill. So right off the bat, first night in the MDR DH and I ordered the specially sourced TK pork loin. Never in all my years have I sent a dish back but that night we both did. It is so hard now to describe but the texture and flavor were unappealing. Not a good start!

Undaunted the next day I asked Alice who handles seating and bookings about the TK nights in the Colonnade. We never have dinner in the Colonnade so this alone was going to be a big deal. Turned out the TK dinner was that night, our formal night so we took s pass and asked when the next one was scheduled and booked that. In the meantime we continued to try TK dishes in the MDR -- there was a lovely chocolate dessert filled with passion fruit one night and an unmemorable gnocchi a Parisienne another. We did very much like the herb roasted saddle of Elysian Fields Farm lamb. All in all I probably tried half a dozen TK dishes. I would have tried more but Jes's menu was often more tempting and we very much enjoyed everything we ordered from the regular menu. One night I preordered escargot as my main course and on another terrific steak tartare. One of the highlight of this cruise is there were many lovely dessert soufflés. The soups, as usual, were also outstanding. And of course the high quality of the meat turned me into a two week carnivore. Added to that we're all of the fresh goodies we brought on board from shopping with Jes in Bodrum and Corfu -- sea grass that complimented the baked cod, fresh tuna tartare on avocado, mounds of fresh cherries and strawberries. And the dining service complimented this great food -- we like to take our time and enjoy dinner over and hour and a half or more and we were never rushed nor were things ever dragged out.

Back to TK, I noticed the night before our TK dinner that the dining guide no longer referred to TK but simply stated "Steakhouse." When I asked Alice about that the next morning I was told they had run out of certain TK ingredients and had to cancel the dinner. So it was not until the second leg of our trip that we finally had a TK dinner. This was the Rib Steak dinner. First off -- the riff on a Waldorf salad was so tasty I frankly could have just had that for my dinner. The rib steak surprising was served in thick slices off the bone. It was very good if not outstanding. Then came a lovely cheese (drunken goat) course followed by dessert -- a nice chocolate silk pie. . We were allowed to have stemmed wine glasses (we asked nicely) but the sever was not allowed to provide fresh pepper (not that it was needed but it did become a running joke with our waiter in the MDR when we ordered TK dishes). And contrary to some comments posted here we (and the couple with whom we dined) thought the portions were very generous. Spurred by this success we signed up for the last TK dinner, the last night of the cruise, for the spareribs dinner. It was even more outstanding. First there was again a lovely salad -- this time a gem salad with green goddess dressing on the side, the corn pone, very good beans ( not too sweet as they are often served) and fall off the bone ribs with just the right amount of spice. This was followed by another special cheese .Dessert was a nice blueberry cheesecake. So there you have my take on our first experience with Seabourn TK .Gold star to the Colannade dinners barely passing grade in the MDR.

So no finger-lickin' fried chicken served in a big basket family-style?

Sadly I shall have to wait until December for the fried chicken -- but given the presentation of the food in the Colonnade it likely will not be served in a bucket (which perhaps you meant instead of basket?) And thank you for reminding me of fried chicken in my post Seabourn diet phase -- I might just have to go off the wagon this Fourth of July weekend.[emoji490]

In the UK we used to have chicken in the basket but that was in the 1970s

Chairsin I am very much enjoying your review - it is taking my mind off worrying over whether the airport for our flights home will be changed. :(

Nice even-handed review of the TK fare, thank you. Several people have mentioned the lamb now so I'll be looking out for that on our Istanbul-or-Athens-to-Venice cruise. I'm still not entirely sold on the family-style TK dinners in the Colonnade but perhaps we'll try one if we're feeling particularly chill that day.

I shall be adding a small shaker of black pepper to the bottle of prik nam pla we usually carry with us. I hope I don't get keelhauled for illegally peppering my steak.

Now if Seabourn would be kind enough to tell us where we're gettin' on the boat, I can get to the gym and start pre-working-off the pounds ready for the trip.

...I shall be adding a small shaker of black pepper.../QUOTE]

 

Likewise - already sitting on spare room bed with other items awaiting packing! Thanks Chairsin for the heads up.

I shall clarify the pepper issue -- in the MDR of course there are salt and pepper shakers on the table and thru will not prevent from using them. I was referring to fresh ground pepper which I prefer as I don't like the stake stuff in the shakes. I can't remember if there were s&p shakes on the table in the Colonnade -- perhaps someone else can recall?

Thank you Techno and Rols for your feedback on my review. I have tried to provide s balanced review -- especially as pertains to TK as that has been the hot topic subject to so much discussion and misinformation. Rols, I would encourage you to give the Colonnade TK dinner a try and not be put off by phrases like family style. Remember there will be a separate platter of the salad and main course just for those as your table delivered on a course by course basis -- whether it is 2,4 or 6 people dining. And it's not as though melamine platters are dropped on the table to be ladled onto paper plates. The service is still very much proper, warm Seabourn style with a slightly more casual twist.

And Nigela, if you are out there, no Humboldt Fog!!! I was so bummed when I came home I went out and bought some.

I shall clarify the pepper issue -- in the MDR of course there are salt and pepper shakers on the table and thru will not prevent from using them. I was referring to fresh ground pepper which I prefer as I don't like the stake stuff in the shakes.

Having dined at my table you will of course know that I would never permit ready ground pepper to be served. The item to which I referred is a small, pocket-sized, black pepper grinder we normally use as part of the condiment set when picnicking at Royal Ascot or Henley.

Chairsin - I was disappointed to read that the MDR was never open for breakfast or lunch on your B-2-B, as I had been lulled into a clearly incorrect complacency regarding that issue by recent reports that the MDR was open on most days on most cruises. Is it your impression that it is at the discretion/whim of the Hotel Manager whether such amenities as MDR breakfast and lunch which are advertised as SB offerings are in fact offered on any particular cruise?

I cannot find anything on the SB website that indicates (even with a tiny asterisk) that the MDR openings may be limited on some sailings.

As for the pepper issue for TK dishes, "dead pepper" (aka, ground pepper) is not present in this house; and I will bring along on our next cruise my little brass pepper grinder to sneak into the MDR or Colonnade to be sure that I, as a pepper addict, will not be deprived of that flavoring element, irrespective of what TK prefers.

When I lived in Manhattan I found a brass pepper mill (in its own red velvet pouch) many more years ago than I will admit. It does makes airplane "food" slightly more palatable. I will discreetly smuggle it into Colonnade and, if necessary. the MDR. I do love TK menus but I adore fresh ground pepper even more!!!

Chairsin, we really must sail together some time.

So let's all declare a TK rebellion -- down with fresh pepper deprivation. Winnie -- when are you next cruising? I also would love to cruise with you.

This silly no pepper thing became a joke between us and our wonderful section waiter -- whenever I would order a TK dish he would smile and say "Remember - no pepper!" with a wink and a nod. By the end of the cruise we were calling him "Dr. No Pepper." So yes, do bring your heirloom pepper mills and let them know who is boss.

Freddie,

Sorry forgot to respond to your question. I honestly don't know who makes the decision on the hours of the MDR, I just know that on our cruise with beautiful weather and no sea days it was a non issue and I never heard a single fellow passenger raise the matter.

Rols, I would encourage you to give the Colonnade TK dinner a try and not be put off by phrases like family style.

We shall try it - possibly rib night if they have one as it sounds good and that's probably enough meat to satisfy us, the only really dedicated carnivore in our house is the cat, and she's not coming.

I have mixed feelings about the MDR not being open for breakfast and lunch. Every cruise we've ever taken we've promised to go to the MDR for breakfast one day and I don't think we've done it once yet. I do think Seabourn should open it for lunch at least, I don't always want to scrum in the colonnade or eat off my lap by the pool.

And of course we'll have to get a couple of R2s in before that venue goes forever. We've had all the menus there bar one multiple times, but we still really like the place.

Rols, please try to smuggle your cat aboard. Miss Martha always threatened to do so and, for all I know, she may have. She never divulged all her secrets, but we never saw any rat-tailed critters when she was on Pride.

Charsin, I fear we shall be ships passing (bad metaphor) in BA--you ending your Christmas and I beginning my January--Antarctic bucket list Quests. BUT: some day!!!

Winnie