On the Encore in the Med - through Oct 20

[shark b8]

We’ve done a couple of cruises on the Sojourn in the last 1-2 years, and Ross was CD.   Guess who’s the CD here on the Encore?   He’s a lot of fun of course, but I’m sure previous cruisers will agree that he really needs to come out of his shell, try not to be so introverted.   😅

 

[galeforce9]

22 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

 

That very last part.  “ay, there’s the rub!”

I’m not 😃

[SLSD]

22 minutes ago, shark b8 said:

Several kind words from folks, thank you very large.

 

Although, as Mrs Sharkbait says, “don't offer compliments, it only encourages him”.  😎

  Tell Mrs. Sharkbait that you are well known for your cruise commentary and we all wait for it.  We think SB should just hire you and let you stay onboard writing about your experiences.  

[labonnevie]

15 hours ago, shark b8 said:

Next flight, from London to Athens…..not so fun.  They advertise the first 10-12 rows as 2-and-2, as opposed to the 3-3 configuration further back.  One might think, surely more comfortable.  Wrong.  ALL rows are 3-3, they just put people in only the aisle and window seats in the front area.  Legroom nearly less than zero.

 

 

BA is notorious for this. At 6 ft 3, I learned my lesson once. No more BA in Europe for me. 
Actually after other poor BA business class flights from LA to LHR, they are on the permanent “no fly” list. 
YMMV

[johng75370]

8 hours ago, shark b8 said:

We’ve done a couple of cruises on the Sojourn in the last 1-2 years, and Ross was CD.   Guess who’s the CD here on the Encore?

His book is a good read and I’m a bit surprised not sold onboard.  And don’t get me started on his wardrobe!

https://a.co/d/3lbSH76

 

Edited October 1 by johng75370

[shark b8]

8 hours ago, SLSD said:

We think SB should just hire you and let you stay onboard

 

I’m think I’m in favor of this too.  

[shark b8]

We’ve docked in Limassol, Cyprus.  First shore excursion of the trip coming up - Greco-Roman ruins.  Pretty sure we can expect a lot of Greco-Roman ruins on this one.

[shark b8]

……and just glanced at Google Maps & reminded myself that Cyprus is only about 150 miles from Lebanon.  😳

[SLSD]

4 hours ago, shark b8 said:

……and just glanced at Google Maps & reminded myself that Cyprus is only about 150 miles from Lebanon.  😳

Wow.  I had not realized that.  

[lincslady]

And currently quite  few of the British forces out there incase of needed escape for Brits living there, by plane or even by sea.

[shark b8]

Temple of Apollo.

 

 

 

 

[shark b8]

Theater at Kourion.

 

 

 

[shark b8]

We’re berthed next to Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam.   She’s a big ‘un, 3,000+ pax.  Actually more like a long ‘un.   And in Piraeus we were parked next to their Oosterdam.

 

 

[whogo]

Thanks for another great live thread, shark b8. I agree with SLSD that Seabourn should hire you to do this.

2 hours ago, shark b8 said:

We’re berthed next to Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam.   She’s a big ‘un, 3,000+ pax.

2,666 passengers with all lower booths full only qualifies as mid-sized these days, might be considered small in another few years. Oosterdam's capacity is 1964 pax.

Edited October 1 by whogo
Couldn't spell SLSD

[shark b8]

1 hour ago, whogo said:

2,666 passengers………might be considered small in another few years.

 

Not by me.   😜

[shark b8]

2 hours ago, whogo said:

Thanks for another great live thread, shark b8. I agree with SLSD that Seabourn should hire you to do this.

 

Gosharootie, thanks for all the flattering phantasmal employment wishes, but somehow my reaction might be sorta like Groucho’s, when he received an acceptance at a club.  He supposedly said (something akin to):  “I really don't think I’d want to join any organization that would actually accept me as a member.”

 

On the other hand, if the compensation was into 6 figures…..

 

oh and by the way - I kinda like those Penthouse suites….

 

And……..Sunny would like the sea life, you know….

 

and also….

 

 

[shark b8]

ok. Back to the matter at hand.  We did a “Signature Dinner” and “Wine Pairing” meal at The Restaurant tonight.  Some great stuff, some just ok.  Details tomorrow when I have more time and…..am marginally more sober.   (note third pic header:  “desert wine”.  Made out of cactus juice?)

 

 

 

[shark b8]

Turkey tomorrow.  Not for dinner, for visiting.

 

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Edited October 1 by shark b8

[galeforce9]

1 hour ago, shark b8 said:

ok. Back to the matter at hand.  We did a “Signature Dinner” and “Wine Pairing” meal at The Restaurant tonight.  Some great stuff, some just ok.  Details tomorrow when I have more time and…..am marginally more sober.   (note third pic header:  “desert wine”.  Made out of cactus juice?)

 

 

 

Yes, that dinner was our first and last in the restaurant for us on Encore a couple of weeks ago.  Sounded ok but….  We had a fantastic cruise. That wasn’t the highlight.  Look forward to your comments …

[Astride]

On 9/30/2024 at 6:24 AM, shark b8 said:

As is their habit, Butch and Sundance (our critters at home) gifted us a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot for the first night.  But champagne cried out for something else…what could it be?

 

Hello, old friend.  Have missed you.

 

 

[Astride]

On 9/30/2024 at 6:24 AM, shark b8 said:

As is their habit, Butch and Sundance (our critters at home) gifted us a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot for the first night.  But champagne cried out for something else…what could it be?

 

Hello, old friend.  Have missed you.

 

 

[Astride]

On 9/30/2024 at 6:24 AM, shark b8 said:

As is their habit, Butch and Sundance (our critters at home) gifted us a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot for the first night.  But champagne cried out for something else…what could it be?

 

Hello, old friend.  Have missed you.

 

 

[Astride]

On 9/30/2024 at 6:24 AM, shark b8 said:

As is their habit, Butch and Sundance (our critters at home) gifted us a nice bottle of Veuve Clicquot for the first night.  But champagne cried out for something else…what could it be?

 

Hello, old friend.  Have missed you.

 

 

[shark b8]

OK, the wine-paired dinner last night.  Every few cruises, I decide not to do any of the wine-paired dinners onboard any more.  They're not cheap (last night: $195/pp) and I mostly think, after the fact, that they weren’t particularly satisfying, at least not at that price.  Then one will come along that makes me think “well, maybe this one will be a winner”.  That’s what I thought last night.  Ancient history:  we started to get more serious about wine back during the “boom” of the 1980’s.  I could drive to Vendome Liquors in West L.A. and get absolute powerhouse white burgundies (Chassagne-Montrachets, Meursaults, etc, and big oaky buttery Calif chardonnays: Chalone, etc, as well as first growth Bordeaux’s - Lafite, Margaux, Latour, etc) for what back then was a comparative pittance. I look back on that now with wistful melancholy.  Anyway, powerhouse whites seem to be wildly out of fashion these days, restrained Sauvignon Blancs and the like seem much more favored.  Just not our preference.  So when I saw the Latour Puligny-Montrachet, and the trockenbeerenauslese, I thought hmmmm.  (I’ve become a dessert-wine aficionado, Sauternes & port are my favorite desserts).  Well, the wines (mostly) just didn’t measure up to my expectations - in fairness I’m perfectly willing to believe that the problem might lie more with those expectations, rather than the wines themselves.  Some pix of the food, in order:  lobster thing, mushroom cappuccino, veal cannelloni, Tournedos, halibut, dessert.  I guess I liked the lobster starter and the “mushroom cappuccino” best, the latter was a clever presentation and quite tasty.  Beef was perfectly fine if not remarkable - although a sautéed foie gras topping will always make me smile.  The wines just seemed restrained to me yet again, as most everything these days does. We tend to like BIG flavors, in both food or drink.  Oh well.  The trockenbeerenauslese was actually quite tasty and a noticeably stunning dark amber color.  So that’s my James-Joycean-stream-of-consciousness judgment.  I guess you had the same thing galeforce9 - what did *you* think?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[English Tim]

With reference to British Airways, there is an argument to book an economy seat in the exit row, which gives plenty of legroom but then there are three people in the row. On our last flight, they booted us out of the exit row and put us at the back. I wrote to them but they don’t seem to care. The problem with the Athens flight is that it’s relatively long and the food and beverage offering in economy is not very good, so best to stick in business and hope you can get the front seat, which we did in the relatively brief time that we were gold members, at least they give you nice champagne, which we will enjoy on our fourth coming flight to Athens. We board the ship the day you get off.