What are the things you ''ALWAYS'' do on a cruise that other people dont.

[ilikeanswers]

20 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

I am curious about caviar. Never had it.

 

Caviar is a bit like wine different varieties different flavours. Did once a caviar taste testing experience, had a couple from Iran, France and Russia (pre war obviously now I hear they use Uruguayan or Greek). Some were jet black, some olive green one Iranian variety was yellow😯. The flavours ranged from light salty refreshing, what they call taste of the sea to a more heavy meaty umami flavour, something to do with iodine levels. Eating caviar you can't use a metal spoon, apparently reacts with the flavour so they gave us these tiny mother of pearl spoons to scoop the caviar on blinis or they said you can eat it off the back of your hand for a more a more authentic experience. Who knew luxury food could be hand food😂. If you ever get the chance I recommend a taste testing experience, it is really interesting. 

Edited February 15 by ilikeanswers

[nickysmom]

On 2/4/2024 at 5:32 AM, ontheweb said:

We always bring I think it is called a bathroom caddy. You hang it up and put in toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, etc.  (It was a very practical gift from one of our nephews a long time ago.)

 

[nickysmom]

Great idea--it would also hold a duck

[lahlah57]

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Think fish jello.

🤢

[clo]

22 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

I am curious about caviar. Never had it.

One of my favorite foods.
 

[lahlah57]

3 minutes ago, clo said:

One of my favorite foods.
 

Can I just try an eensy weensy corner?

Looks like tiny boba.

[clo]

1 minute ago, lahlah57 said:

Can I just try an eensy weensy corner?

Looks like tiny boba.

So good. And our caviar shop (yes, we have a caviar shop) recommended to try it on Tom'Original chips. Really outstanding. 

[*Miss G*]

35 minutes ago, clo said:

One of my favorite foods.
 

 

👆 fish jello

[clo]

32 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

👆 fish jello

BTW these are "farm raised" in Idaho.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

👆 fish jello

 

Here's some fish jello

[MacMadame]

4 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

Can I just try an eensy weensy corner?

Looks like tiny boba.

Only saltier and the eggs pop in your mouth when you crunch down on them.

 

If you've had sushi with eel eggs on top, that's a form of caviar.

[lahlah57]

7 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Here's some fish jello

Far to early in the morning for this visual 🤢

[*Miss G*]

6 hours ago, MacMadame said:

Only saltier and the eggs pop in your mouth when you crunch down on them.

 

 

Yum.

 

🤮

 

 

7 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Here's some fish jello

 

What is that?

 

Wait.

 

On second thought… Don’t tell me.  I’m feeling very green at the moment.  🤢

 

Oh!  It’s round nuggets!  Is it jellied eel?

 

Oh, and… 🤮

[KBS1607]

If my husband has the chance, he always does laundry. I don’t get it as I do it at home. He was appalled Royal did not have it. 

[KBS1607]

On 4/9/2023 at 12:19 AM, cruisemom42 said:

I always look for ways to do my own thing at ports and avoid ship tours as much as I possibly can. I enjoy getting around on my own and seeing and doing exactly what I want to do.

 

Currently I am on a cruise around Japan where a few shore excursions were included my my package. On the first one I remembered why I dislike them so much. Instead of sticking to the program, several entitled passengers started haranguing the guide to “take us to a place we can shop without needing local currency!!!” The guide demurred, saying our cruise line told her no shopping but they continued to heckle and monopolize her attention:  “Tell me where the ATM is while everyone else goes in the temple!” “I need a Western toilet, can’t use these!” “Take me to a convenience store, I need something to eat!”  
 

Honestly, it was a half day tour — there was a facility to change money at the port and they had time enough to shop on their own!!!!  But those 3 entitleds ruined it for the rest as the guide had to repeatedly give them special attention.

This is so true!  I tried to get the other three members of my family to do an independent tour in St Petersburg. They would not agree so I picked a ‘small’ Princess tour of 25. It was awful. One guy had us waiting at the Summer Palace and we couldn’t leave the group even though there were all sorts of tantalizing places around. 
 

They said I was correct later. 

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, KBS1607 said:

This is so true!  I tried to get the other three members of my family to do an independent tour in St Petersburg. They would not agree so I picked a ‘small’ Princess tour of 25. It was awful. One guy had us waiting at the Summer Palace and we couldn’t leave the group even though there were all sorts of tantalizing places around. 
 

They said I was correct later. 

Too bad you and your family will not get to go to St. Petersburg again and do it right.😒

[clo]

51 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Too bad you and your family will not get to go to St. Petersburg again and do it right.😒

Curious why they can't go back.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, clo said:

Curious why they can't go back.

 

It is generally not recommended to travel to Russia due to its government's invasion of Ukraine. Technically you can travel to Russia and people have been doing so but the government is known to arbitrarily detain foreigners if they are having a dispute with their country which at the moment is pretty much every country west of their border😂. Though (not trying to get political but kind of relevant in this case) from what I hear America has at least one Russia friendly presidential candidate so if they get voted in and stay consistent in their views along with Russia not having another coup then relations might thaw between the two countries and travel to Russia at least for Americans may become safe and viable sooner than expected🤷‍♀️. 

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, clo said:

Curious why they can't go back.

I was specifically responding to taking a private tour there as opposed to a cruise line excursion. And no Baltic cruise is going anywhere near St. Petersburg at present and I would think the near future.

[lahlah57]

17 hours ago, KBS1607 said:

If my husband has the chance, he always does laundry. I don’t get it as I do it at home. He was appalled Royal did not have it. 

I looked up princess royal on a website of their amenities and said they had self service laundry.

[Hlitner]

On 2/13/2024 at 10:16 PM, lahlah57 said:

I know what I will never reach for is and kind of seafood or shellfish that has its head with the eyes staring up at me or if it has legs or antennas sitting on ice.....🤮. My food must be totally unrecognizable from its original form. 

Veal is another item not on my bucket list.....cannot get past what it actually was. 🥺

But I will do escargot buried in garlic butter and covered in a puff pastry.

I am curious about caviar. Never had it.

You might want to take a cruise on Seabourn.  Unlimited caviar (you can order double portions you desire) from room service at a bar,etc.  And their caviar is quite good.  In fact, if you are on the right itinerary you can experience Seabourn's famous "Caviar in the Surf" when senior staff serve caviar and French Champagne in the water on a private beach day/party.

 

Hank

[clo]

22 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

You might want to take a cruise on Seabourn.  Unlimited caviar (you can order double portions you desire) from room service at a bar,etc.  And their caviar is quite good.  In fact, if you are on the right itinerary you can experience Seabourn's famous "Caviar in the Surf" when senior staff serve caviar and French Champagne in the water on a private beach day/party.

 

Hank

You, sir, have convinced me that Seaborn is going to be a must-do. I wonder if I would get tired of it. And I hope they have potato chips, that have become quite popular.

 

[Hlitner]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

You, sir, have convinced me that Seaborn is going to be a must-do. I wonder if I would get tired of it. And I hope they have potato chips, that have become quite popular.

 

When you say "potato chips" you are talking DWs language.  Seabourn has a popular lounge called the Observation Bar.  Every evening, around 6pm. the staff sets up a small pre-dinner snack buffet.  Most nights they do have potato chips :).  If you do order cavair it comes on a large round platter with caviar in the center, the blinis (actually like thin pieces of crisp toast, and lots of various fixens such as crumbled egg whites, chopped onion, sour cream, etc.  We caviar lovers all have our own opinion about what, if anything, should be added to those lovely little eggs on a blini or thin toast.

 

On many evenings, I will grab a seat at the bar (pre-dinner) and ask the bar tender to please get me a double order of caviar.  They call it in and it is usually delivered to my seat by one of the bar waiters.  As a caviar lover I have sometimes joked that I make up for the cost of Seabourn with my caviar consumption.  Consider that caviar, on most mass market ships, will sell for over $100 for a single portion.

 

Hank

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

actually like thin pieces of crisp toast,

 

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

should be added to those lovely little eggs on a blini or thin toast.

Hank, I am thinking that "the thin pieces of toast" are actually what we folks over the pond call Melba toast, which is also a popular accompaniment when serving fois gras, or pate or similar, (named after Dame Nellie Melba, as is Peach Melba). Blinis are of course the more traditional accompaniment.

[MacMadame]

9 hours ago, lahlah57 said:

I looked up princess royal on a website of their amenities and said they had self service laundry.

They have it on every (residential) floor and so do all their ships.