CGTNORMANDIE

22 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Different ships, different Chief Bakers, different experiences:  MSC Meraviglia's croissants and danish were very good.  They were in second place as to some that I have enjoyed on a HAL ship.  

 

I  wish I could have sailed on French Line ship.  No time available to do so; no money to do so either at the time.  

Way back in the late 1960’s Craig Claiborne wrote  an article called “The Greatest Restaurant In The World “.   That restaurant was the First Class Chambord onboard the SS France.  Claiborne pointed out that not only was the food fantastic but the fact that they fed 400 people 3 meals a day made it incredible.  The level of culinary expertise was superb.  The wine cellar was beyond imagining.  The level of service was stellar.  My ocean liner collection had more than 100 First Class menus from the French Line...they were mind boggling.  

58 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

Does anyone of us need to be reminded of the events of April 14-15, 1912 tonight?  

 

May the souls of those who lost their lives rest in peace.  

 

What they endured helped to make sailing on the seven seas safer for the rest of us.  

Definitely “a night to remember”...109 years ago.  

1 hour ago, markeb said:

Blazing Saddles. Harrumph. If you don’t remember it, look it up on YouTube. 
 

And yes. If CLIA needs a consultant I can figure out an hourly rate...

“Gentlemen...we have to protect our phony balony jobs”...Mel Brooks

1 minute ago, KWW88 said:

Do you mean that they cruise lines can ask all who board for proof of vaccine, other than FL residents?

I mean that cruise lines can make proof of vaccination a requirement when booking a cruise...Florida residents included.

5 hours ago, morechances said:

And, according to the governor, the ship docking in Florida could not ask for proof of vaccination. So it can never happen.

The Governor was speaking about those citizens in Florida.  Cruise lines can and will demand that all passengers be vaccinated.

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The croissants that come out of the bakery is a measure that I use as to the recipes used and the skills of the bakers.  It is always an enjoyable "investigation" for me those first days on board to sample the croissants (as well as the danish) during breakfast.

 

I have also found that the soups that are prepared are an indication of how pleased I will be with the cuisine on that ship.  

 

 

Great points...croissants are a gauge of the quality of baking onboard.  The best I ever encountered were on the SS France.  A close second and I mean close were the croissants onboard the MDC Divina.  
 

Soups are only as good as the stock they are made from.  The measure of a great kitchen/galley is the quality of the stocks they prepare.  

7 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

If A then B and not C.  You connections are not logical.

You will notice I said...”I ALMOST wish”.  

11 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I had forgotten that.  The best?  Well, my memory isn't that good.  But, Howard Johnson's did have some "good stuff".  

 

When the brand morphed into motels:  well, that's another story that isn't so positive in my memory.  

Most people do not realize just how good Howard Johnson’s used to be.  At one point HoJo had Jacques Pepin and Pierre Franey, two of the greatest French chefs working in America, running their commissary in New York City.  Howard Johnson, himself, hired them out of La Pavillon in NY.  Jacques Pepin often jokes that he learned to cook in America at the Howard Johnson’s at Concord Ave. in Cambridge, Mass. which was true!  HoJo was top quality.  

34 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

I don’t think you can jump to the conclusion the government simply thinks vaccines are ineffective. There are a number of questions that there are no answers to yet. The vaccine conversation seems to be going hand in hand with eliminating the CSO which I think is very unlikely. You could say NCL has done the closest thing to taking a stance, but as far as I’m aware they only did it through an open letter rather than an actual proposal as requested by the CDC. There’s zero chance of them telling the CDC they will do 100% vaccinated cruises then being able to change their mind at the last minute. 

My proposition was purely hypothetical.  My point is at some point the CDC has to stand behind the efficacy of the vaccines.  Once that is affirmed then cruising should commence.  Even the CDC does not have the right to shut down cruising indefinitely.  It seems apparent that the CDC needs to come up with a plan as well.  This is turning into an old fashioned standoff. One side is waiting for the other to blink.

I have sat and read all the above.  Basically it comes down to the big question...if the cruise lines declare that all passengers must be vaccinated and the CDC continues to deny cruising.  Does this mean that the government does not believe the vaccines are effective???  I almost wish just one cruise ship would step up to bat and dock in Florida to take on passengers who have received the vaccines.  The CDC could halt the cruise and a court would have to decide if the vaccine really works.  If the vaccines are judged to be effective then cruising should commence.  Those pax who want to cruise may do so at their own risk and those who want iron clad guarantees can stay home.  

14 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

I think you’d be hard pressed to find any ship that would grill a bun in butter.  Oh yes, I forgot the kraut but that’s still for sausages, not dogs, for me.

Believe it or not...the good folks who man the cafe on the pool deck of the MSC Yacht Club will grill a dog and a bun in butter upon request.  In fact...there isn’t much they won’t do for you upon request!  I even had them cook my bacon and eggs in the same pan and cook my toast in a fry pan with butter!  

9 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Oh, yes!  Some sausages are a wholly different cuisine than a hot dog.  Give me an Italian Sausage Sandwich dripping with sauce of onions, tomatoes, etc. on a warm bun!  Delicious!  Probably in your Provence, you have festivals/fairs/outdoor events that attract food vendors.  One of my delights when I attend something like that in Ohio is to find a vendor serving Italian Sausage Sandwiches.  I can't resist and 99% of the time, I return home with the front of my shirt showing the effects of the sauce on the sandwich.  

 

You mentioned sliced olives.  I love olives.  Never thought about adding that to either a hot dog or a sausage sandwich.  Adding olives to a dog that has pickle relish might be an interesting taste combination:  one salty, the other sweet.  

Now an Italian sausage sandwich...that’s a whole other matter.  If you’ve ever been to Boston and Fenway Park you’ll know what I’m talking about.  The Boston area is chock full of Italian sausage joints.  You need to have a fennel sausage grilled with onions and peppers on a sub roll..maybe with mustard.  

When I was a child the best hot dog was Howard Johnson’s.  It was a mild dog grilled with a bun that was grilled in butter.  I have to admit that I’m a traditionalist...mustard, relish and minced onion...never ketchup.  This is the way they were done in the area where I grew up.  I could never get used to a steamed hotdog with a steamed bun.  All that being said...a good chili dog or a dog with sauerkraut is always allowed.  
 

Now...what ship or line would serve me such a dog??

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

Nothing better than a good red hot.   

 

 

The proverbial “Tube Steak” is certainly a universal treat.  The arguments about the proper preparation rage on.  The question here would be...which line serves the best hot dog??  And how do they prepare it???  

7 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

One of the amenities offered to HAL guests in the past has been to order room service breakfast on disembarkation day and to remain in one's stateroom until your disembarkation group is called.

 

I take advantage of that more often than not.  
 

Nice perk!  I think I would probably opt for that too.

 

Quote

 

On MSC Meraviglia, as a YC guest, I went to the Restaurant that last morning for a light breakfast.  When I told my Steward what I wanted, a quizzical look appeared on his face and he said something like "that's all, are you sure"?  I would have used the YC Pool Grill venue for that morning's breakfast, but it was not open.  
 

Well after all...it’s the Yacht Club.😁

 

 

2 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

As most of you know, my experience is British tonnage for the 70's, particularly the P&O ships.

 

The SS Canberra website has recently been updated, so thought I would pass on the link if anyone is interested.

 

http://www.sscanberra.com/index.html

 

Thank you Heidi.  I came really close to sailing Transatlantic from NY on Canberra.  She was a great ship.

On Disembarkation Day: The last thing I have on my mind is food.  Just a roll or croissant with coffee is fine.  After days of eating I need to wind down.  I never request room service on that day...the personnel have enough to worry about with turning the ship around.  Disembarkation Day is the worst day of the week!

On 4/8/2021 at 1:42 PM, shipgeeks said:

I still chuckle when I look at our photo of one of the displays on a buffet on Regal Empress.  Two roast chickens were propped up, with hard cooked eggs for heads, hats on the heads, one holding "cymbals" made of cucumber slices and one playing a guitar.  So clever and so well done.

Lest we forget...the ice sculptures!  

Hi Lowiepete,

There were a lot of draconian measures taken during and after WW II.  I believe you ran into some of them in the early 60’s.  My my my how things have changed.  Now all you have to do is walk in and you qualify for all sorts of benefits and goodies.  Finger prints are about the last thing you’ll need.

1 hour ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Blue Hawaiian

3/4 oz Vodka

3/4 oz Bacardi Light P.R. Rum

1/2 oz Senior & Co. (original) Blue Curacao Liq. (alt - Hiram Walker)

3 oz Pineapple Juice (use commercial juice - homemade would cloudy the drink)

1/2 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/2 oz Simple Syrup (Homemade)

 

Fill a Shaker with Ice.

Add all the ingredients into the Shaker and Shake till Well Chill to the touch

Strain into a 10oz tall glass w chipped ice on the bottle to keep chilled.

Place a small wedge of Pineapple on rim of Glass.

Best ever tasted.

 

BTW... after the last time on the QM2 I like Fever Tree Tonic Water in G&T...Was told to avoid the Soda Gun generic Tonic Water used by the BT.

Sounds great BB thanks!!

1 hour ago, phissy said:

No bottled water or soda. Absolutely, no liquor or wine.

But,

when embarking on Meraviglia in Barcelona, mentioned to YC concierge, we had bottles of wine purchased during our week prior to boarding cruise. 
asked if they could just “hold” it until disembarkation . 

We were in holding area prior to boarding. Went through embarkation, with wine in case, and nothing was said. Prepared for someone to come to cabin etc. nothing happened. We just put it in corner, as we had plenty to drink onboard.😋

It always makes me laugh when I think of MSC refusing someone to bring in wine or spirits.  They’d save a ton of money by allowing YC pax to bring their own booze aboard.  LOL.  

On 4/1/2021 at 11:11 AM, BklynBoy8 said:

I like Blue Hawaiian's with homemade Pineapple Juice.

 

Soon G&T season is around the corner in the "Good Olde Summertime".

Sooooooo...BB...what’s your recipe for the Blue Hawaiian???  

16 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have noticed that as well and have never quite understood it.  For me, as a solo cruiser, the effort to get formally dressed with a tux, formal shirt with studs, and a bow tie that often is reluctant to cooperate in getting the hook into the clasp--and I have no one around to help me do this--well, it's a lot of effort.  To then after dinner to return to one's stateroom and re-dress before the evening's entertainment, that's not for me.  

 

I have been perfectly comfortable in my tux while dancing to the music of ABBA or Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, or etc.  

Even I relax after dinner.  Sure I’ll stay in uniform while attending a performance or meeting friends for a drink but the jacket and tie come off when I start playing in the casino.  To every rule there is an exception.  

11 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That is what I observed in YC on Meraviglia in January, 2020.  There were many gentlemen wearing jackets with or without ties.  On a 7 day Caribbean cruise, I wore my tux once and did not feel over dressed; there were others so attired.  The other formal night, I wore blue blazer/gray slacks and did not feel under dressed.  

 

Walking around outside YC during those evenings, I saw no one that was inappropriately dressed in my opinion.  

 

The most concerning view I have had was a couple of guests being under dressed on a formal night was on Star Princess.  A couple arrived at the ship's theater wearing basically bathing attire and flip-flops:  t-shirts/shorts.  They sat next to me, dressed in my tux.  They seemed not to care.  But, I did!  

These days one never knows what to expect.  We (DW and I) have always enjoyed formal nights.  I have always believed that when the waiters and stewards put on their formal wear it’s time for the pax to do likewise.  This being said does not mean that everyone should be dressed in tuxes and ball gowns.  It means making an effort to look presentable at the very least.  For some that could be country club casual...totally acceptable on formal nights.  Not everyone has a tux, etc.  Some people even shed their more formal attire after dinner to relax.  A lot of it has to do with the amount of luggage one can carry.  On our last cruise we had some next door neighbors in a cabin near ours who were from Mexico.  On formal night the gentleman donned his best dungarees with fancy suspenders and a button up shirt.  The two kids were in pressed pants and shirts while wife had on a nice dress.  They were all spiffed up, hair combed, and they looked adorable.  I was humbled.  I realized that it was not what they were wearing.  It was a matter of making the effort.  We enjoyed MSC because of the range of dress on formal nights.  Not everyone was dressed to the nines but most, if not all, made an effort and this added to the festive atmosphere.  

6 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Norway was one of our earliest cruises.  Late one night, wandering through the ship (so many beautiful spaces to see!), we heard piano music.  Walked into the empty dining room, and found a waiter playing, after all the tables had been set up for breakfast service.  A nice moment.

Thank you SG.  The SS France/Norway was a very special ship.  I had the good fortune to have sailed on her as both the France and Norway.  Both dining rooms were beautiful.  How nice that you have a treasured memory of that great ship.