From the cow kings to an Empress, Norton goes on a little Sojourn

[SKP946]

Really? Even the coffee service in Seabourn Square can't produce a good cup of coffee? That's distressing...

Robisan, I live in Melbourne sometimes known as "The Coffee Capital of the World" while taste is subjective, I find the coffee in Seabourn Square excellent, (especially on Encore where they have their own roaster ).

(Although I do not like the normal coffee served onboard.)

 

"Melbourne is Australia's coffee capital, and we suspect it's vying for the world title as well. It may be a long way to travel for a cup of coffee, but with more and more people calling Melbourne's coffee the best, it's also an unbeatable way to fight jet lag.Nov 1, 2012

World's 10 best cities for coffee - USA Today

 

https://www.usatoday.com › 2012/11/01"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ab21au]

Robisan, I live in Melbourne sometimes known as "The Coffee Capital of the World" while taste is subjective, I find the coffee in Seabourn Square excellent, (especially on Encore where they have their own roaster ).

(Although I do not like the normal coffee served onboard.)

 

"Melbourne is Australia's coffee capital, and we suspect it's vying for the world title as well. It may be a long way to travel for a cup of coffee, but with more and more people calling Melbourne's coffee the best, it's also an unbeatable way to fight jet lag.Nov 1, 2012

World's 10 best cities for coffee - USA Today

https://www.usatoday.com › 2012/11/01"

 

 

We also found the cappuccinos Julio and Dahlia made for us each morning on the Encore to be very good.

[Robisan]

SKP946, Melbourne just moved up my list of places I'd like to go live in for a while. Now that I'm finally winding down my business life and can start to travel at length, one of my goals is to rent flats or homes in other cities for several weeks or a month. I want to experience what it's like to actually live there - not just drop in for a day or two. Cities are sort of like organisms - they have unique daily/weekly cultural rhythms. The people make the city and the city makes the people. Stay someplace for a while and you'll see it very differently than the 'tourist' view of the place. Obviously, this doesn't make me a prime cruise customer...

[Emperor Norton]

Not necessarily. You could use a cruise as a quick and dirty litmus test for a location.:cool:

[Emperor Norton]

Just a little reminder that everyone has different tastes and that even the same dish served to the same table can vary wildly (Hi Regent!).

[Isklaar]

Great photos as usual, Emperor Norton. Looking forward to the next gallery.

[Emperor Norton]

Days two and three of the cruise were sea days. I usually start the day in the Restaurant for breakfast. The first sea day was no different. Service was on the sluggish side and the kitchen appeared to be running in slow motion. It took ~45 minutes to receive an omelet. There were two other occupied tables and I saw only three room service orders go out. Maybe hundreds went out a different way, but for me 45 minutes combined with slow refills (I need my OJ on vacation!:evilsmile:) is too long to wait. The rest of the cruise I would be up in the Colonnade for breakfast (assuming I wasn't sleeping in:D ).

[Emperor Norton]

Great photos as usual, Emperor Norton. Looking forward to the next gallery.

 

Thank you. A bit later today I should have some more up.

[Robisan]

Not necessarily. You could use a cruise as a quick and dirty litmus test for a location.

Yes and there are some places where it's preferable (or required) to explore by sea. Inland passage Alaska and Greece come immediately to mind. Of course there are others where a day or less would do.

 

 

Just a little reminder that everyone has different tastes and that even the same dish served to the same table can vary wildly (Hi Regent!).

True that.

 

Curious what camera you travel with. Just your phone? Other?

[Emperor Norton]

Yes and there are some places where it's preferable (or required) to explore by sea. Inland passage Alaska and Greece come immediately to mind. Of course there are others where a day or less would do.

 

 

 

True that.

 

Curious what camera you travel with. Just your phone? Other?

 

iPhone7+

Nikon D800E / 24-70 f/2.8

Sony A7R2 / 35 f/2

[Emperor Norton]

Just a walk through of the Restaurant

 

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[Emperor Norton]

While I'm not a fan of the coffee the espresso drinks are a slightly different matter.

 

Off to Seabourn square for some liquid energy.

[YOUTUBE]dstXg4Hy10s[/YOUTUBE]

 

After leaving the square I went down to the Club and took a short walk on the quasi promenade deck.

[YOUTUBE]c_2fNySDDzI[/YOUTUBE]

[Emperor Norton]

I returned to the pool deck to see the damage the wonderful letter in my room warned me about.

 

 

 

I don't recall these signs being so prominent (or were these a relatively new addition?)

 

The Bloody Marys were always interesting. I don't think any two were the same.

 

Even though it was long past sunrise I went for the tequila flavored version.

 

While these were out daily I don't recall seeing them taken around (nor do I recall the last time I saw an on deck massage).

[Emperor Norton]

Outdoor bar tour

 

ooY-ZVUA6_s

[Emperor Norton]

We were still in sight of land

 

 

 

There's something in this picture that would disappear long before the end of the cruise (before the end of the cruise the ship would be out of swizzle/stir sticks).

 

Dinner tonight was in the Restaurant. Service was polite but slow. The food was fit for the Shady Acres Retirement Home. Things like flavor, salt, seasoning (and spice/heat) were all missing. Sadly this would be my experience in the Restaurant for the rest of the cruise (save a few dishes).

 

The patio grill didn't appear to have any takers this evening.

 

 

The next sea day was the same only I went to the Colonnade for breakfast. The server I had brought the wrong food and the exchange went something like:

Me: I think there was a mix up in the kitchen, this isn't what I ordered (it was something I've never ordered and have zero interest in ordering)

 

Server: No, this is what you ordered.

 

Me: No, I ordered (recites order).

 

Server: No, stop trying to change your mind this is what you ordered.

 

Me: I ordered X and that's what I'd like.

 

Server: Stop trying to trick me, you ordered Y and this is what I brought.

 

Me: I ordered X.

 

Server: Fine, I'll get what you changed your mind to.

 

Me: :mad:

 

Unfortunately this was not a unique experience. Other people complained of this server doing the same thing to them. The most egregious was when an order of Eggs Benedict turned into Eggs Florentine. The passenger said that wasn't what they'd ordered and after a brief discussion the server took away the Florentine. He returned a short while later with a plate of Eggs Benedict with strands of spinach swirled around the plate.

 

Gallery for Sea Days on the 16th and 17th

Edited June 12, 2018 by Emperor Norton

[RustyRollock]

We seldom used the Restaurant on this cruise because of slow service and the usually bland, uninspired (often cold) food. We also dislike having to repeatedly ask for wine refills. I’ll say it again, standards are slipping.

 

However, one standout dinner was the Indian Market in the Colonnade. It was superb. Needless to say there were complaints that the food was “too spicy”. Umm, it’s an Indian menu. It wasn’t overly spicy actually but it was certainly more authentic than some of the other very bland “ethnic” themed offerings.

 

We congratulated the head chef (Indian) who said most of the recipes were tried and tested favourites from his grandmother and we could certainly tell. We like to think we are curry connoisseurs and this was the real deal. Well done sir!

[stamfordian]

 

 

Unfortunately this was not a unique experience. Other people complained of this server doing the same thing to them.

 

Did you or nobody else not complain to his Maitre d' or the HD?

[Emperor Norton]

Did you or nobody else not complain to his Maitre d' or the HD?

 

It was mentioned to an assistant Maitre d'. I don't recall ever seeing the HD. I heard he was visible at the formal events however.

[Covepointcruiser]

Days two and three of the cruise were sea days. I usually start the day in the Restaurant for breakfast. The first sea day was no different. Service was on the sluggish side and the kitchen appeared to be running in slow motion. It took ~45 minutes to receive an omelet. There were two other occupied tables and I saw only three room service orders go out. Maybe hundreds went out a different way, but for me 45 minutes combined with slow refills (I need my OJ on vacation!:evilsmile:) is too long to wait. The rest of the cruise I would be up in the Colonnade for breakfast (assuming I wasn't sleeping in:D ).

 

I am sure you now know that the Colonnade filled most room service orders. We also found the Restaurant sluggish and had most meals in the Colonnade with never a bad server. However, we also ate in the same section, starboard toward the aft in the real not bar height tables.

[Emperor Norton]

If the Colonnade really is responsible for the lions share of room service orders then the Restaurant kitchen really was dragging.:eek:

[RustyRollock]

We had a room service supper a couple of times and were surprised to see how meagre the Caesar salad was compared to last time and the club sandwich wasn’t much better. We don’t have large appetites so it didn’t really matter, but it was yet another indication of cost cutting which they hope we won’t notice. This is also reflected in the wine selection. If you want even a run of the mill French chablis you have to pay for it now.

[Joc123]

We have never had a good room service experience - we have sailed on all ships starting on Pride in ‘09!

It is always cold and never very appealing. That’s why we only ever use it when absolutely necessary

[Emperor Norton]

Apparently the third try was the charm for my attempts at a good breakfast that wasn't at a snails pace or served with a side of surly server.

 

Into the Colonnade again for breakfast. I didn't see the server from yesterday so things are looking up. I seated myself and shortly thereafter I had placed my drink order (OJ - I always ask for a large glass - I don't understand the little shot sized glasses for this beverage), coffee order and food order. I was now free to roam along the buffet and see what was on offer today.

 

In the past I've found the doughnuts to have a less than pleasant texture as well as lacking in the flavor department. Taking a chance I took a doughnut. Both texture and flavor were vastly improved from previous cruises. Good to know, yet bad to know as they were now to me good to eat.

 

It always amuses me to see the sugar bomb cereals on cruise ships that don't cater to the family crowd. I wonder how many boxes of Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes they go through on a cruise.:confused:

 

The food arrived quickly and was what I'd actually ordered. It was also cooked correctly.(y)

 

For the rest of the cruise whenever I took breakfast in the Colonnade I sought out that seat. The only quibble I had for the remainder of the cruise for breakfast was with the American style breakfast sausage. I'm not sure how they were cooked but they seemed to be lacking any visible sign of having undergone the Maillard reaction. They were these pale grey limp things. Ah well - everything else was good. The specials of the morning were interesting I think my favorite was the goat cheese omelet.

[Emperor Norton]

The morning of our first port dawned grey and wet. Not ideal tour weather, but on a cruise you don't have the option to wait out the weather (for a tour).

 

While we were docked in Aomori my tour today took us to Hirosaki. It was about a one hour drive each way.

 

This is the towns interestingly shaped tourist building with an interesting name: ASPAM. It sounds more like something you don't want in your email than a place you'd want to visit.

 

The view on the other side of the ship was a little more industrial and run down looking.

 

The view from outside Seabourn Square (excuse the stitching - I'm terrible with hand held panos)

 

Along the way to the sites we were visiting we passed through a lot of rice paddies and heard about the apple production of the area. We were given apple juice and an apple pastry. I ended up giving the pastry away but kept the juice for a later date.

 

Depending upon whether or not you like a lot of information the drive went either very slowly or at a decent pace. The weather didn't let up during the trip.

[Emperor Norton]

All the on site photos in Hirosaki were done with my iPhone 7+ - I wasn't about to take my "real" cameras out in this rain. There's something to be said about the best camera being the one you have with you.

 

Welcome to Hirosaki castle

 

The phone in the camera liked to use low ISOs with really slow shutter speeds. Hence images like this:

 

The scenery was nice in spite of the rain.