CGTNORMANDIE

RK, the Amerikanis was a Chandris vessel with the big X on the blue funnel. Chandris morphed into Celebrity still sporting the big X. I had crepes Suzette made table side on the SS France. I believe I saw them again on Celebrity…but no recent sightings.

RK, you should have cruised on the Amerikanis! One night we had to suffer through a vanilla birthday cake while the rest of the dining room was gorging on baklava. I commented to the waiter that I really missed the baklava. After an exhaustive night of partying we returned to our spacious cabin, with a full marble bath, only to find a plate, covered by a linen napkin, of delicious baklava! The Amerikanis had a Greek specialty at lunch every day and they were fantastic!

Interesting comments on the Polish food. I grew up in a town with a large Polish population so all the famous dishes were available to us. After a long night of partying we would often go to “The Kapusta Man” a food truck selling kapusta (cabbage and kielbasa stew) and home made kielbasa in a roll. Polish Easter was the best. I would go to my best friend’s home for all sorts of wonderful Polish treats. The baby back ribs in kapusta was one of my favorites.

Another factor when sailing the southern Atlantic. The ship can be steered away from storms.

I love a PB&J made with chunky PB and strawberry jam…makes me happy too.

Precisely my point!

I find EB a bit bland with Canadian bacon. Now EB made with a good smoked pit ham…yummmmmm!

I don’t recall ever seeing a PB&J onboard? Now this makes me wonder…lol.

We’ve always had good luck in October/November.

You are correct BB. I knew I would incur a reaction from the pizza experts but that is what keeps this thread alive. Round pies are natural…gravity does the work. In New England we have “bar pizzas” and these are made in round pans then flipped out and sliced…very good. Most professional pizzerias use the stone. We also have a lot of Sicilian pizza around Boston. Most bakeries offer it and a lot of pizzerias too. Any way you slice it…pizza is wonderful around Boston.

Bakeries bake their pizzas in square sheet pans. Pizza joints use round pans. I’ll take it any way I can!

Not just the oven…you need at least 600* heat. Another requirement is a well seasoned dough. Preferably a dough that is made from a starter and cured overnight then finished with flour and hand molded into balls and stored in the refer for another 12 hours. Great pizza needs a great dough.

The YC had the “phone your order into your butler or the concierge”. You simply ordered by phone and then there would be a knock at your door about 20 minutes later. The next time I sail I’m going to have a pizza party at night on the pool deck in place of going to dinner. The pizza is that good! It’s worth skipping dinner for.

That is such good news Lois! Please check in here with us from time to time to give us a glimpse of the Hi Life…for those of us who are unable to book at this time.😪

You can order great pizza on MSC. The regular pizza at the buffet is very good but the “special order pizza” is even better. It isn’t available until after 6:00 PM. And they deliver! I’m an American traditionalist…sausage mushrooms and onions…sometimes roasted peppers.

Great to hear Lois. Now get out there and book a cruise! (I’m sure you already have…lol)

And RCL’s Mulligatawny Soup as well!

Hi Lois! How are you feeling?

Me too…just add gin!

Barring any unforeseen storms…you should have smooth sailing. The Med and the southern route should be pretty calm at that time of year. Don’t forget the Bonine just in case.

Boston is a great city to cruise from. We love the Black Falcon cruise terminal…so easy to get to. It’s a fun city to visit…easy to fly into…great hotels and restaurants. If you like history you’ll love Boston.

The best feeling in the world, for me, is having my feet planted on the deck of a moving ship out in the middle of the ocean. Those lazy days at sea are some of the best. When you are at sea the ship is doing what it was built for. The ship gets into a certain rhythm when it’s at sea…it’s magic.

On sea days, during a transatlantic crossing, we always start the day early, around 7:00 AM…with coffee and croissants from room service. We are usually on deck by 8:00 AM getting in a good walk. By 9:00 we will have breakfast…just a little nosh to tide us over until lunch…lol. Gotta love those dramatic sunrises…simply breathtaking!

Cindyast, your husband is right…go with HAL and the freebies!

A very good question for a transat newbie. When DW and I were young we wanted to see everything at every port. This is the natural inclination of most cruisers. As time went on we were much less disposed to commercial tourism…seen it, done it and been there. Now we rarely leave the ship. We now prefer the larger ships because there is more to do onboard. Our sea days are organized around meals, exercise, afternoon activities and evening entertainment. I usually frequent the casino in the late hours when my wife likes to read and sleep. We spend a lot of time together and sometimes we just find a quiet spot to sit back and watch the sea go by. You will find your own schedule on a transatlantic crossing and you will not be bored. There is something to do every minute of the day or night. So much so that sometimes I need an afternoon nap…lol. You I’ll have lots of activities to do…you will not be able to do them all.