Solstice B2B - April 15-29 - Mex Riviera & Pac Coastal

[aring75]

Started with the antipasti board to share. Okay, I say “to share,” but I end up eating about 75% of this. I could totally make a meal out of this and the wine. 
 

 

 

Mark had the crab cake and said it was probably the best he’s had on a ship in a long time.

 

 

 

I had the 10 oz ribeye and a side of broccolini. Mark had the branzino, but the picture kept coming out blurry. 
 

[aring75]

Dessert. 
 

 

 

 

Mark had the limoncello cheesecake. It’s a favorite of his. 
 

 

 

I tried the pistachio crème brûlée for the first time and it was great. 
 

 

 

There was a thin layer of dark chocolate on the bottom which helped cut the sweetness. I intended to eat just a few bites since I was so full. But, yeah, I finished this. 
 

[aring75]

Got a reminder about the Veuve dinner tomorrow night. We will definitely make sure we are hungry for that!

 

[aring75]

Also, for anyone interested in laundry/ pressing/ dry cleaning charges…

 

[aring75]

When you dock in Mazatlán, the port area is very industrial/commercial. They don’t want hordes of cruise ship passengers wandering around the working port, so they use these “trolleys” to get you from the ship to the cruise terminal building. 
 

 

It’s a very quick drive and they run back and forth all day. The drivers work for tips so try to remember to bring a few small bills to say thanks. 
 

 

The area at the port has an interior space with around 15-20 small shops. A few of them sell similar items, a lot of touristy stuff. 
 

When you exit the terminal building, there are more shops outdoors, and also a bar and restaurant right in the center of the courtyard. 
 

 

 

 

If you walk a little farther (but still inside the cruise terminal complex) there’s an arts and crafts mercado. Here they have stalls with handmade goods and also a few generic shops with the usual t-shirts, hats, silver jewelry, etc.

 

I left my belt at home, so I found a stall with nice looking leather goods. I bought a very nice looking leather belt for $15.

 

A little further on, there were a couple of booths with coffee, chocolate, Mexican vanilla, hot sauce, and such. We bought two kinds of chocolate - dark chocolate and milk chocolate with almonds. These bars are 500 grams each. That’s more than two pounds of chocolate! Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry guys!

 

 

 

The return to the ship is clearly marked and the same trolleys will take you back. 
 

 

 

We were still a little tired from yesterday, so we didn’t walk into the Old Town area. Plus, we were afraid if we ate somewhere in town, we’d totally overdo it again! (My self-control is definitely lacking.)

 

Our Veuve dinner is tonight and we need to make sure we are good and hungry!!

[aring75]

Celebrity Today - Day 4 - Mazatlán 

 

 

 

 

[aring75]

Spa special for today. 
 

[aring75]

On 4/17/2023 at 11:42 AM, 39august said:

Please tell us if you see any whales. They've been very visable the last couple of months. People seeing them from the beach and from the ship. I have a friend sailing this week who hopes to see whales!

Shared a table with a couple during lunch today in the OVC. They said they took a sailing in Cabo (luxury day sailing, not even a whale watching tour). They saw a mama and baby whale and said they came very close to their boat!
 

I’ll admit I was definitely a little jealous!

[OUBaylor1]

On 4/16/2023 at 12:31 PM, DaKahuna said:

 

Not on the menu but if you like gin martini's see if you can get a Cucumber Martini made with Hendricks.  I love those things. 

 

If you have never had one, the Fresca Martini comes highly recommended. 

 

Love gin and tonic.  Took a holiday in Wales and discovered Hendricks.  Best gin ever!

[aring75]

Pre-dinner drinks in the Sky Lounge. A Scorpio (very light, but not really flavorful - probably won’t get this again) and a Blue Moon for Mark. $11 for a single bottle of Blue Moon is kinda absurd, but then again, so is $14 for a glass of Decoy Cab. 
 

 

 

All aboard is in 10 minutes. 

[TinyG]

Great reporting! Do you know any of the bartender's names in the World Class Bar? We have spent many weeks on the the Solstice. We always seem to migrate to it. Can't wait to join you on Saturday!

[aring75]

1 hour ago, TinyG said:

Great reporting! Do you know any of the bartender's names in the World Class Bar? We have spent many weeks on the the Solstice. We always seem to migrate to it. Can't wait to join you on Saturday!

We haven’t made it to WCB yet. I know! I know! What are we waiting for??? Lol. We will try to get there soon and I’ll on the bartenders for you.

Saturday is getting so close! 🛳️🥂

[aring75]

Ohmahgosh. Why. Why have we never done the Veuve Cliquot dinner before??

 

This was spectacular. 
 

 

 

 

 

This dinner is limited to eight guests, but our sommelier told us that so many people were interested this cruise, that they opened up another night. If you miss out during first sign-up, ask to be put on a waiting list. If they have enough people interested, they will extend the dinner to a second night. 

[aring75]

Internet is not cooperating. I will finish my VC dinner review tomorrow!

[aring75]

Internet is much better today. Also, just a note. For us, the internet service is okay in the stateroom, somewhat better on the balcony, but a LOT better in most public areas. It’s great in the Sky Lounge and Café al Bacio.

[westcoastsue]

14 hours ago, aring75 said:

We haven’t made it to WCB yet. I know! I know! What are we waiting for??? Lol. We will try to get there soon and I’ll on the bartenders for you.

Saturday is getting so close! 🛳️🥂

Aren’t you glad you’re on for 2 weeks? I’m packing tomorrow!

[aring75]

Picking up where I left off…

 

The Veuve Cliquot wine pairing dinner. 
 

 

 

We started with a short presentation from the sommelier with some info about the Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin wine history. 
 

 

Then the fun began. Our first tasting was the VC Rich Rosé. This champagne is designed to be served over ice and with fruit (the rosé pairs well with strawberries).

 

 

 

The chef started us off with an amuse bouche of a watermelon cube, basil, poached lobster and a citrus slice. Intended to be eaten as “one perfect bite,” this was a delicious combination of flavors. 
 

[aring75]

We moved on to the regular Veuve Rosé with our salad course. It was a rosé-poached pear salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. A nice, light way to begin the meal. 
 

 

 

[aring75]

Ok. 
 

So I knew it would happen. I forgot to take a photo of the Crudo of Sea Bass with citrus and caviar. 
 

😩

 

This was topped with super-thin and crispy banana chips. I absolutely loved this course, but Mark is not a fan a cold seafood. 
 

We both love the original VC yellow label though. 

[aring75]

A pan-seared scallop followed and was paired with a Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. Both were excellent. The crisp acidity of the Sauv Blanc perfectly cut through the creaminess of the parsnip purée.

 

[aring75]

Next was a beautifully prepared filet with Catena Zapata, an Argentinian Malbec. 
 

The Malbec was decanted for around ten minutes or so. And was poured just as our steaks began to arrive. 
 

 

 

[aring75]

Finally, we enjoyed a glass of Moët & Chandon Nectar Imperial which paired beautifully with the apricot soufflé. 
 

 

 

 

And just in case you have ANY kind of room left over, they also bring assorted profiteroles to enjoy with coffee, tea, another glass of champagne…

 

 

This was an amazing experience. It took very nearly three hours, but it never felt like it dragged. We were shocked when we saw it was 10:00 pm as we left. 

 

We both really enjoyed every moment of this. We had great table mates, great food, and generous champagne pours. 
 

I recommend this dinner for anyone who is interested. We would do it again!

[aring75]

24 minutes ago, westcoastsue said:

Aren’t you glad you’re on for 2 weeks? I’m packing tomorrow!

So So So glad!! There’s so much more to do! 

[aring75]

Celebrity Today - Day 5 - At Sea

 

 

 

 

[aring75]

A few special advertisements from today’s paperwork. 
 

 

 

 

Spa special for today.