CGTNORMANDIE

Thank you so much for you quick response. Does the luggage space get better in Prima Class??

You are saying that Genoa is a 45 minute train ride from Malpensa Airport? We would be traveling with 3 suitcases and 2 carry-ons…would that be a problem on the train?

I recognized her immediately. She was originally laid down for Norwegian Caribbean Line but later sold to P&O as The Spirit Of London. Around 1974 P&O bought Princess Cruises and renamed the ship Sun Princess. Then eventually she was sold to Premier Cruises and renamed Majestic. Interestingly Sun Princess was the original “Love Boat”!!

It all depends on how the dish is prepared. A good chef makes all the difference.

Good question…let me think. My father was a pilot in the Air Force. During WW II he flew “The Hump” over the Himalayas between India and China. He developed a real fondness for Chinese food. He was again called to active duty during the Korean War and we had to move to Washington, DC. I was only 3 years old. On Saturdays, if he wasn’t flying, he would take me to Chinatown in DC to get Chinese takeout. I’ll never forget the smells of the food being prepared. By the time I was 4 years old I was addicted to shrimp fried rice, egg foo yung, shrimp egg roll and chop suey.

Thank you one and all. My best advice…keep moving…one foot in front of the other keep your head down…and don’t look back. The battle continues!

I believe the Summit had Normandie and Infinity was SS United States.

Yes, thank you, I have heard of dialysis at sea. The logistics of getting down to Florida and pacing my treatments is just too much for me to worry about. I’ve had other medical problems on top of this. This is the first summer in 6 years that I haven’t been in surgery. I’ve survived heart failure, colon cancer, 9 inches of my colon removed, kidney failure, dialysis 4 hour sessions 3 times per week, triple bypass, 6 trips to OR for vascular surgery, upper GI bleeding and now I will undergo a kidney transplant. The transplant will be my 15th trip to the OR in 6 years. Good grief…I haven’t had enough spare time to take a cruise even if I was able…LOL. Hopefully I’ll get the kidney in 2023 and 2024 will be my year to cruise once again. To all of you out there…count your blessings!

Most first time Europe cruisers prefer to see all the tourist sights. On the Celebrity cruise you are going to spend a lot of money on a port intensive cruise. You’ll be spending as much time on land s you will at sea. Is it worth that much if you are spending so much time onshore? Will you be fully utilizing all the suite class benefits with a port intensive cruise? The MSC Yacht Club makes sense. You get to spend the extra money on more tourist destinations and you’ll be well cared for in the MSC YC.

I also love grilled asparagus as above. When I want to do it fast I cut the bundle of stalks, spread them out in a bowl, give them a quick rinse and then zap them in the microwave for five minutes. Then they get sautéed, in butter, pepper with garlic salt and EVOO with a few shakes of grated Romano, cooked until tender.

And neither do I…LOL. Looks like auto spell got you.🤭 Seriously, I haven’t used Tobasco Sauce in thirty years…ever since I discovered Louisiana Hot Sauce.

Just a dribble of hot sauce and Louisiana Hot Sauce is much milder than say Siracha. It has more of a tangy flavor…much better than Tobasco. Sometimes it is a bit too spicy so I have to water it down with white vinegar to get the right taste.

Yes…you usually find it at Mexican restaurants.

Funny you said that. Guess what I made about an hour ago? Yup…homemade blue cheese dressing. I just got a new block of blue cheese yesterday and it was crumbly. So out came the leftover sour cream, mayo, Worcestershire, Louisiana hot sauce, salt and pepper with a touch of white vinegar…just perfect. Of course it will have to sit in the fridge overnight before it gets really good.

Good grief! The barbarians are at the gate! I am surprised that Oceania would make such a transgression.

I always prefer the French version of omelette. Sadly a lot of restaurants use the shortened term.

When I was a kid my parents would take our family camping for a week on Cape Cod. The Cape was a different place back in the post war era. It was basically undeveloped. There were fields and fields of low blueberry bushes. In late July you could literally go out with a gallon bucket and fill it within an hour. Those low bush berries were the sweetest. The Cape was loaded with local berries so finding homemade ice cream with blueberries or blueberry sauce was very common. Those days of berry picking are long gone but the tradition of blueberries in ice cream on Cape Cod remain.

Fresh basil leafs with EVOO!!

I was shopping this morning and came upon Tillamook Ice Cream Coffee Fudge With Toasted Almonds. Would you believe…I forgot to go back and put it in my cart!

Big beefsteak tomatoes in season fresh from the garden with mayo s+p served as a side dish…delish!

I think the term FOODIE as used here on CC deserves a wider tolerance than is the norm since it pertains to cruising and the inordinate fascination with food at sea. Ships live or die based upon their reputation for good cuisine served onboard. Although this forum frequently digresses to onshore establishments and condiments the main theme is still food at sea.

A good question. The history of diners originated with the US railroads. Dining cars were being built by the end of the 1800’s. They were called dining parlors or “diners” for short. Then there were the lunch wagons of the 1800’s. As the horse drawn lunch wagons morphed into more permanent dining establishments the prebuilt diner came into being…an inexpensive way to break into the restaurant business. Among these was the Worcester Dining Car Company In Worcester, Massachusetts. They built complete restaurants with a full kitchen counter service and booths. These were delivered all over the New York and New England region. They resembled a railroad dining car. A lot of them were built with the same gleaming stainless steel that you found on the railroad cars. Hence the concept of the diner. We have a couple of outstanding examples right here in Somerville, Massachusetts…Google…The Rosebud Cafe and Kelly’s Diner and you’ll get the idea.

Great review…thanks so much for making the effort. I’m sitting here in “dry dock”waiting for a kidney transplant…5 years+ in dialysis and will hopefully return to cruising shortly. Reading reviews like yours lets me live vicariously, keeps me informed and hopeful for a future on the sea! Thanks again.

Thank you Uktog and Riocca. I’m so glad Uktog explained the pointless waste of time by taxing a TA for impractical scenarios that waste time. It is important to approach your TA with a sound plan. Having a good TA is like having a good marriage…you need to respect the boundaries. I have used and maintained relationships with TA’s since 1971. I had one outstanding TA for more than 30 years. I count him as a close friend he has since retired. I can’t begin to tell you how many great benefits he got for me over the years.