Grand Pacific II

Valparaíso, the “Vale of Paradise,” has a population of almost 300,000 and is Chile’s principal seaport and home to Chile’s Congress. It climbs a crescent of 45 hills creating a maze of alleys, winding streets, connecting stairs and funicular railways. The port and business center lie at the foot of the hills, in a narrow belt of flatland. Having experienced the rich culture and history of this popular port city, you will realize how ingenuity has transformed this abrupt stretch of coastline into one of the world’s most picturesque and famous port cities.

Nearby lies flower-bedecked Viña del Mar, where the wealthy and powerful come to play in the sun and at the casino. And just two hours from Valparaíso, this beach resort city, also popularly known as the “Garden City,” boasts white-sand beaches, notable museums and a variety of carefully designed parks and beautiful public spaces.

Farther afield, the churches, colonial grandeur and sophistication of Santiago beckon for exploration and discovery.

At first, we thought it had rained, but it turned out that they had simply washed down the verandah before we awoke. Duh! Well, it was cloudy and foggy, so it wasn’t completely implausible.

We start off this segment with a Shipboard Credit remaining of about $6,400.00. We will continue to accrue credits at the beginning of each remaining segment, so we have a ways to go before we use it up.

The selection on the Crystal Dining Room luncheon menu sounded good to us, so that’s where we went.

Appetizers
Potato Cheese Cake with Marinated Summer Greens
Stuffed Eggs with Seafood Salad and Caviar
Asparagus Wrapped in Thinly Sliced Roast Beef with Sauce Rémoulade
Fresh Fruit Chunks with Cottage Cheese

From the Soup Kettle
Potato and Herb Chowder
Beef Consommé with Bread-Bacon Dumpling
Chilled Apple and Mint Soup

Pasta Special
Spinach Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes, White Beans, Vegetable Sauce, and Cheese

Salad Entrees
Greek Farmer’s Salad with Marinated Sliced Beef Tenderloin
Farmer’s Goat Cheese Salad

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Freshly Grilled Chicken Breast
Marinated, Local Fresh Fish Fillet
Chili Con Carne
Pan Fried Port Steak in a Walnut Crust
Grilled Chicken Breast

Desserts
Macadamia Nut Pie à la Mode
Zucchini-Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Frozen Cappuccino Soufflé
Sugar-Free Ice Coupe with Fresh Fruits
Refreshing Mai Tai Sherbet

Food review: The chilled soup was very good. The sandwich was acceptable, but the bread was on the dry side and the meat fairly tasteless. It was edible, but that’s about it. The Mai Tai Sherbet tasted just like the drink!

Departing guests had left before we even woke up. Crystal really has disembarkation down to a science. It’s about time a cruise line figured out how to do this without requiring an announcement every fifteen minutes. No announcements are made at all unless there is some sort of problem. Guests do not have to vacate their cabin until fifteen minutes before they depart, so there is no big rush for breakfast or in the public rooms.

After lunch we took the shuttle bus to the gate of the port to see what there was to see. Answer: Not much. There is a huge monument to seafarers of some sort and a few big government buildings around a smallish square. Walking around there took about ten minutes.

From the square it was a short walk to the waterfront where the locals were out in force enjoying the sunshine and watching the big cargo ships unload. There is a small craft market we wanted to check out, but we found nothing very interesting. We would have purchased a small item, but we couldn’t find anyone to take our money. This is South America, right? No grabby vendors here, that’s for sure.

We rode the shuttle with a few workers back to the ship where embarkation was about to begin. We were looking at some items in a very small gift shop that had been set up today, but when the busses of new guests arrived we hightailed it back on board.

As were many other intransit guests, we sat in the Crystal Cove to watch the new arrivals. The entire embarkation process took exactly one hour. Crystal sure knows how to put on a classy show for the arrivals. The Champagne Strings played in the lobby while a line of white-gloved waiters carried hand luggage to the cabins. Beyond these formalities, they also add greeters dressed in classy hats and subtle floral dresses just to welcome guests and stand around looking attractive.

Our estimate for new arrivals would be around 150. The ship does seem significantly busier than it did last cruise, but by no means crowded.

While we were sitting in the Cove, one of the musicians came over and asked us if we had ever been on Holland America. He remembered us from the Maasdam! That was about ten years ago. He recalled that we had enjoyed chatting with his wife in the Ocean Bar. We had wondered why he kept staring at us. He was probably trying to figure out why we looked so familiar.

Dave gave a credit card to Renato at Shore Excursions so he could book the Sydney Bridge Climb for us over the Internet. He’s doing this as a favor to us; the ship isn’t getting a commission for it.

We went back to the cabin to wait for our afternoon snack and then go out on deck to watch the sail away at 6:00pm. Ural brought the usual guacamole and chips, a plate of vegetables and dip, and then went to get the day’s regular selection of tomato and mozzarella on French bread, topped with pesto. We didn’t have time to finish it before we had to get outside to watch the sailing.

Outside it was extremely windy, but it wasn’t too cold with a light jacket on. We watched the sailing along with many of the new arrivals on the Sun Deck. Once we were outside the breakwater, we went back to the cabin to finish off our snacks. Our Bridge Climb confirmation was waiting for us along with our tickets for the tour in Easter Island.

We don’t know what to do with ourselves now that we don’t have to be at dinner until 8:30pm. With an hour to kill, we went down to the Crystal Cove for drinks. The bar began to fill up and we were thinking of moving before we were joined by anyone. Unfortunately, we didn’t move fast enough and an old man we had been making fun of (to ourselves, we’re not rude you know!) came and joined us. He said he’s 83 and then carried on how he doesn’t look it. He didn’t, so he was right about that. Other than asking us first if we were married (not to one another), then if we were related, then if we were just friends, he gave up trying to guess.

At long last, dinnertime arrived and we wandered off. On the way, Bill stopped to ask Scott if we had been diplomatic enough during the conversation. He rolled his eyes.

There was no rush to get into the Dining Room, as usual. It didn’t seem particularly empty, although the entire back section was unused. The waiters were just standing around most of the time, but it seemed as though they had the regular amount of tables.

Appetizers
Sautéed Jumbo Prawns with Slow Roasted Vegetable Salad
Burgundy Ham with Arugala and Toasted Baguette with Dijon Mustard Rémoulade
Forest Mushroom Terrine with Tomato Coulis
Tropical Fruit Cocktail with Grand Marnier

From the Soup Kettle
Alaskan Crab Soup with Brie Cheese
Beef Consommé with Truffle Célestine
Cream of Summer Vegetables with Croutons
Chilled Lingonberry Soup with Sour Cream

Salads
Traditional Caesar Salad with Parmesan Shavings and Homemade Garlic Croutons
Sliced Tomatoes and Mozzarella Cheese with Basil and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Main Fares
Roasted Rack of Wisconsin Veal
Broiled Filet of Fresh Chilean Sea Bass
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak
Lemon Herb Marinated Game Hen

Dessert
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Soufflé with Fudge Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream
French Style Lemon Cheese Cake
Exotic Fruit Ratatouille with Banana Semifreddo
Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Puff
Sugar-Free Blueberry Turnover with Diet Vanilla Ice Cream
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: Both salads were outstanding and very fresh. The entrees were also exceptional. The chocolate dessert was excellent, but Bill didn’t heed Dave’s warning about the cheesecake. It was ghastly.

Our new Headwaiter is Augusto whom we have known for many years. Let’s hope we get some juicy gossip in the weeks to come.

By the time dinner was over, the sea had become very rough and the ship was pitching quite a bit. Nobody seemed bothered by it and it wasn’t all that bad, but certainly more than we have experienced since we left Los Angeles.

Tonight’s show was just an introduction to the staff followed by a session of “Celebrity Liar’s Club.” We skipped it to catch up on some computer things that needed to be done by tomorrow. It is still very rough, so taking a shower was certainly a balancing act requiring skill in wedging oneself into the corner to avoid sliding out into the bathroom.

It’s lifeboat drill day again. Rise and shine at 10:00am! There are so many announcements ahead of time, it’s impossible to sleep anyway, so why not just participate, right? We were surprised that most World Cruise guests actually did show up. Many said they wouldn’t do it again though. It was so rough this morning we thought maybe they wouldn’t have the drill, but they somehow managed to maneuver the ship to smooth things out long enough to have it.

Susanna and Rosalina ran in to clean our room the minute we left, but were still working on it when we returned. So, we sat and watched them, much to their dismay. They sure do work well together. It only takes them about fifteen minutes to do everything, including the bathroom and vacuuming.

There was a lot of time to kill before lunch, but we weren’t motivated enough to go out early. Dave received birthday cards from the Captain (which everyone gets); a personal card from David, the Cruise Director; a personal card from Josef Matt, the Hotel Director; and a handwritten card from Artie, the World Cruise Host. As always, his name was shown on TV and in the Reflections program. Mind you, we have never asked for any of this. The staff figures it out on their own for everyone’s birthday.

Appetizers
Steamed Black Mussels in Light White Wine Sauce, Served with Garlic Bread
Assorted Seafood Garnished with an Avocado Fan, Served with Cajun Aioli
Freshly Roasted Chicken Breast with Grapefruit Segments and Watercress
Chilled Supreme of Tropical Fruits with Tequila

From the Soup Kettle
Navy Bean Soup with Garlic Croutons and Crisp Bacon
Chicken Broth with Vegetable Pearls
Chilled Yogurt and Mango Soup

Pasta Special
Tortellini Pasta with Green Peas, Cream, and Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Salad Entrees
Chicken Caesar Salad
Chopped Spring Vegetable and Bulgur Wheat Salad

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – The French Dip
Fritto Misto – Golden Fried Jumbo Prawns, Calamari, Fish Fingers and Scallops
Roasted Herb Crusted Turkey Breast
Chilean Empanadas

Desserts
Apple Empanadas with Vanilla Sauce
Chocolate Fudge Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream
Strawberry Cream Roulade
Sugar-Free ice Cream Cake

Food review: Do not pour tequila over fresh fruit! Remember that and you’ll be glad. Both soups were outstanding. The Chicken Caesar Salad was good, but a bit too heavy on the anchovy taste. The French Dip was very good, but the waiter never brought the dipping sauce. No loss because last time it was basically Worcestershire sauce watered down, not au jus. The Apple Empanadas were outstanding, light and fluffy. But, they were turnovers, not empanadas if you want to get technical about it. The Fudge Cake was too fudgy, but still acceptable.

People around us were whining that they couldn’t look out the window or they would be sick. It’s not that rough, OK? Get over it.

We stopped at Josef’s table stationed outside the Dining Room to give him Beverly’s advice about bananas and broccoli having lots of potassium. He found that amusing and said he would try it for lunch. Then he had Dave bend down so he could whisper to him.

Uh oh, here we go. The Executive Chef wants to meet with us because we complained about the food in the QAP questionnaire. Neither of us remembers actually complaining, which is exactly what we told Josef.

We said we have absolutely no complaints about the dining room at all, which is the truth. We did say that the Lido was serving food inappropriate for that kind of service, so maybe that’s what he’s worried about. Josef is paranoid that we don’t like something in the dining room, but we assured him that absolutely is not the case. Dave said he would be glad to meet with the chef and discuss anything he wants to talk about. This might be a better way to actually express what we want rather than the esoteric comment here and there on a form.

We wandered past Apropos and Jan ran out and offered a birthday greeting so enthusiastic that anyone within viewing range might have been shocked. Use your imagination. Now, now, it wasn't that bad! We stood and talked to him until too many shoppers came in and he actually had to work. Since we had to get up earlier than we wanted to, it was time to return to the cabin for a nap.

At the usual hour, Ural knocked on the door and delivered a plate decorated with chocolate icing and flowers wishing Dave a Happy Birthday from himself, Susanna and Rosalina. Peter was with him at the door attempting to sing, but they were trying to be quiet at the same time, so it didn’t work out very well. Peter brought a National Enquirer as a gift since we had given him a magazine. He said he had racier things, but didn’t know if we would appreciate that or not. Are these people nice, or what?

Today’s snacks were guacamole and chips, plus a plate of shrimp. He also had a plate of crudités and dip, but we turned it down.

We decided to attend the Captain’s Gala Reception this time since we had nothing better to do and we missed the first one. There was a line with a photo op at the door with the Captain. Lara started singing Happy Birthday as we came up to her in line. When she introduced us (for the millionth time) to the Captain, she told him it was Dave’s birthday. He said he should have done his homework and known that without prompting, but we think he has more important things to do than that.

We only ran through part of the reception line. David and Josef chatted at us before he went to the back row to hide out. Barbara came over and was later joined by Mel. When they found out it was Dave’s birthday they wanted to sing to him right then, but we convinced them to just come over during dinner and do it with the dining room staff. They thought that was a good idea.

The only point of these parties is to get free cocktails, otherwise there’s no real reason to go. In our case, it was a good way to kill a half hour before dinner.

On the way into the Dining Room, Mario, who is now at the front of the room as Senior Headwaiter, came over to wish Dave a Happy Birthday. He told Jerry to be sure to let him know so he can come over and join the singing. The redeeming factor of all of this is that these people are really sincere about all of it, for us in particular. This is really the only way they have to do anything nice that’s out of the ordinary and they seem to really mean it.

Appetizers
Truffled Chicken Liver Parfait with Warm Brioche
Iced Malossol Caviar with Sour Cream, Chopped Eggs, and Onions
Fresh Oysters Served on Ice with Red Wine Shallot Vinegar or Horseradish Sauce
Exotic Fruit in a Pineapple Basket with Orange Curacao

From the Soup Kettle
Wild Forest Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino Style”
Clear Oxtail Soup with Wild Rice and Chester Sesame Sticks

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Maine Lobster
Grilled Fresh Halibut Fillet
Chateaubriand
Grilled Farmland Chicken Breast with Cheese Crust

Dessert
Caramelized Apple Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream
White Chocolate Truffle Cake with Strawberry Sauce
Passion Fruit Mille Feuille with Chocolate Rum Sauce
Sugar-Free Tiramisu
Sugar-Free Coconut Snowball
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Truffles and Petit Fours

Food review: The fruit selection had several rather exotic items, two of which we have never seen before. That might be for good reason since they looked better than they tasted. The salad was very good with wonderful balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The sherbet was a good choice. The Chicken Ravioli were awful, but rather than make a scene we ate them anyway. They weren’t inedible, but pretty close to it. We both had a main course, plus a side of different meat just to try everything. The chateaubriand was very good, but the portion was microscopic. The halibut was outstanding, as usual. The chicken tasted good, but it wasn’t cooked in the center. We would have mentioned it, but the birthday festivities got in the way.

By the way, Josef made Augusto bring Dave a huge bowl of broccoli due to the advice he gave earlier today. Gee, thanks Beverly, now we’ll have enough broccoli for an army at every meal! Augusto wanted to know if we wanted it as a standing order, but we told him it wasn’t our idea in the first place, so no.

As soon as they took away the entrée plates, they began to assemble the Champagne Strings and a bunch of waiters. Normally, a birthday song gets the band, the headwaiter for that section, and the person’s waiter and assistant. We had the whole back half of the room’s waiters and assistants, plus Mario, Augusto, a photographer, and Barbara and Mel, who had come over earlier when the band played for someone else.

We dragged chairs over to the table and they joined in singing and cake. There was also a photo taken during all of this, but he took too long to snap the photo so it’s probably terrible. Josef had stopped by just before the singing. Dave received a bottle of wine at the table from Adair with birthday wishes, as well.

Miracle of miracles! The birthday cake was outstanding. It was sort of a chocolate mousse cake with fresh raspberries on the top. It couldn’t have been better. A huge improvement over the fresh from the freezer version they used to serve. Augusto said they are making them fresh for each birthday now because there are only one or two per day.

We had Eiswein with dessert that was outstanding and very reasonably priced. Crystal really doesn't gouge on the price of wine or drinks. The prices are certainly higher than you could buy it for in a store, but half what they would cost in an upscale hotel at home.

Augusto tricked Ger into going to the kitchen to look for the leftover cake (there wasn’t any). We didn’t think that was very nice considering how hard Ger tries. Augusto did apologize to him and promised to buy him a beer. We insisted he buy him a real drink and told Ger to tell us if he doesn’t, which amused him.

Tonight’s production show is “Spirit of America.” This is a show so old it had come and gone before our first Crystal cruise. They dredged it up after Sept. 11^th. Bill thought it was ghastly, Dave thought it wasn’t too bad. They had updated the video portion at the end with scenes post Sept. 11^th. It got a lukewarm reception from the audience, but better than some of the newer shows.

With an hour back on the clock last night, we were up earlier than usual. Well, at least early enough that we had some time to kill before the dining room opened for lunch. Lara was at her desk looking bored, so we chatted with her about her dog and ours. She wants to see photos of Jake later today. We told her about Dave’s previously defective pin, which she deemed as “dysfunctional.”

We asked Ger if he got his promised drink from Augusto. He said he had...more than one, in fact.

Appetizers
Matjes Terrine with Beet Roots and Apple Sauce
Spicy Chicken Wings with Celery Sticks and Blue Cheese
Aubergine and Sprout Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
Iced Supreme of Tropical Fruit

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Broth with Vegetable Strudel
Three-Pepper Pot with Whole Wheat Croutons
Cold Cream of Bananas with Dark Rum

Main Fares
Broiled Fillet of Fresh Grouper
Sandwich of the Day – The Pacific Tuna Melt
Mixed Grill – Lamb Chop, Filet Mignon, Chicken Breast and Chipolata Sausage
Grilled Turkey Paillard

Desserts
Churros – Cinnamon Fritters on Rhubarb Compote
Banana Chocolate Cream Cake
Ice Bomb Nelusco with Sauce Cardinale
Sugar-Free Mango Tartlet

The Churros were exactly the same as the French crullers from the last segment. Even the waiter commented that we had been at his station when the menu was the same. Calling an item by a different name doesn’t actually make it different you know. We’re not that stupid! They do seem to be making a slight effort to change at least a few items on the menu. We can still tell the day of the week by the main offerings, but there are always a couple of new items. Better than being exactly the same as it has been in the past.

Josef asked if Dave ate his entire serving of broccoli last night. Mario seems obsessed with our satisfaction now. We will find out from Augusto later if he has orders to watch our entrees. When we were on the nightmare cruise, the waiter had orders to tell the chef which was our order so it would get special attention. We told the waiter then to ignore that, which he did unless the headwaiter was watching.

After lunch we went up to the Trident Ice Cream Bar for a cone and some frozen yogurt. Then we went outside to watch the band for a half hour. The usual Y.M.C.A. number garnered a response from the same Japanese woman who always gets up and leads the routine. Only one other person joined her this time.

Artie stopped to try to be friendly. He has no idea how to connect with us and we can tell it’s driving him crazy. We’re not mean to him or anything, we just haven’t found any common ground yet.

The weather is overcast, but the temperature is a very pleasant 74 or thereabouts. The rough seas of yesterday are gone and it’s back to smooth sailing for the time being. Apparently, there is some concern that it might be too rough for us to tender to shore on Easter Island. We can just imagine the uproar that would cause with people demanding their money back.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with laundry and computer stuff in the room. Ural brought a plate of cheese and crackers, plus our usual guacamole and chips. He offered crudités and dip again, but we turned it down. The dip is usually bleu cheese, which neither of us care for.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. We went up to Palm Court to wait for dinnertime. The Starlite Orchestra plays up there before dinner, but their repertoire is completely different than the poolside version. The view is nice since it doesn’t get dark until around 9:00pm or so these days.

Appetizers
Snow Crab Tower with Salmon and Malossol Caviar
Combination of Potstickers and Dim Sum with Soy Dipping Sauce
Fresh Artichoke with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
Assorted Supreme of Fruit with Maraschino

From the Soup Kettle
Roman Soup with Pasta and Vegetables
Beef Consommé with Butter Quenelles
Chilled Beet Root Soup with Sour Cream

Salads
Boston Lettuce Leaves with Boiled Eggs, Sliced Mushrooms and Crisp Bacon Bits
Heart of Iceberg Lettuce with Tomatoes and Potato Slices

Main Fares
Grilled Fresh Swordfish Steak
Pink Roasted Duck Breast
Sautéed Sea Scallops and Shrimp
Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak

Dessert
Caramel Hazelnut Chocolate Tart à la Mode
Lilikoi Cheesecake
”Bombe au Praline” Frozen Praline Cream Cake
Sugar-Free Vanilla Custard
Sugar-Free Lemon Strawberry Cake
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fresh Fruit in Season
Banana Yogurt

This menu may look a bit familiar since it is exactly the same one that was served just a few days ago. Food review: The potsticker assortment ranged from average to very good. Augusto made Fettuccine Alfredo tableside for our entrée. It was one of, if not the best things we have eaten so far. He was delighted that we thought so. The cheesecake was very good.

Josef stopped to reiterate the fact that the chef wants to meet with us. We asked him to find out what it is he wants to talk about since we still have no clue what could have been construed as a complaint. Josef tried to sell Dave on broccoli again, but he didn’t want it with the pasta entrée. Josef said to order it “Josef style” and we’ll get his personal version sautéed with garlic and butter. Sounds pretty good, so we will probably try it if we can remember.

There was much giggling and poking among the waiters tonight. Augusto seems to be a bit more easy going than Mario is, but it might be more that they all have less to attend to. We were appalled when some bellmen pushed a huge pile of boxes through the middle of the dining room into the kitchen, followed by a new trashcan. We can’t imagine that happening in a “6-star” restaurant at home, but nobody here seemed to find it unacceptable.

We asked Augusto when they started hiring women as waiters. He said they have been experimenting with them on the Crystal Harmony for two years, but just started on this ship. They are doing so well that they have been promoted from assistant to waiter during one contract, bypassing some of the men who have been here longer. Augusto said they are wonderful and work harder than most of the men.

This ship seems to be in dire need of a tune up in the engine room. Our whole floor has a vibrating fit every now and then. It isn’t continuous, but it’s fairly severe when it’s happening. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the weather or speed. It’s quite smooth at the moment and the vibrating is worse than ever. It’s not bothersome, just unusual.

Tonight’s entertainment in the Galaxy Lounge is “A unique evening of music, memories, and fun with International Entertainer and concert Pianist,” Brooks Aehron. We skipped it, so can’t give you a rating.

Today’s weather could not be more perfect…74, sunny, smooth seas. Too bad there was a crew fire drill at 10:00am this morning. God forbid they should just make the announcements in the hallway, but noooooooooooo. They have to make an announcement in the cabin at 9:30am to tell us not to be alarmed by the alarms at 10:00am. Then, during the entire drill, that takes around 20 minutes, they make continuous announcements (aimed at only crew members) in the cabins, along with the fire alarms. Who needs an alarm clock?

There is an Italian Buffet this afternoon around the Neptune Pool. Generally, these theme buffets are outstanding and this one was no exception. For once, the selection of food wasn’t so bizarre you wouldn’t recognize it. There was a large selection of baked Italian dishes and pasta, a reasonable variety of salads that weren’t particularly inspired, and the usual fruit, bread and dessert tables.

We sat outside where the weather was perfect. The moment finally came when we had to discuss our comments on the QAP questionnaire with Josef, the Food and Beverage Manager (This is not the same Josef from the dining room, by the way. Seems that every Austrian here is named either Josef or Harald.) From the first words, we knew there was no point in discussing this at all.

No matter what we said, all he did was give us the reason they do it that way. We know why they do it. The point is they should change the way they do it. Not gonna happen, not now, not ever. We know that and always have. So, we will continue to aggravate them with negative ratings and they will continue to think their way is the only way. We know lots of people complain about the Lido, but we assume they get the same explanations without results.

We were talking to Renato later and he suggested that it’s mostly that their egos get in the way. This is the way they did it at Royal Viking and this is how they are doing it now at Crystal. Apparently, everyone conveniently forgets that Royal Viking went out of business. If they are trying to court a younger audience, they’d better wake up to the fact that everything can’t be fancy all of the time. A buffet is a buffet, not the Ritz Carlton dining room. Josef blamed the Lido on “the wrong hardware.” But, what he meant was they want it to be even fancier! Obviously, we’re on a totally different wavelength here and there’s no point in discussing it. There is nothing wrong with the set up except maybe it is too small. He even agreed that Holland America has a “wonderful” Lido. How hard can this be? Don’t answer that.

We finally gave up trying to talk about the food and focused on our biggest issue; that of tray grabbing before we’re finished selecting our food. Again, we got an explanation that “lots of people want someone to carry their tray through the whole line.” OK, we understand a very small percentage (we’ve never seen it happen, just FYI) might want that, but that’s not the problem. The problem is that when they ask if they can take your tray and you say, “No thanks,” that should be the end of it.

Dave had to fight off two waiters and a deck steward just to get to the fruit display this afternoon. That’s way too much effort. The point was lost on Josef except he said that he would tell them to “lay off us.” That isn’t the solution. We know it, you know it, but obviously nobody here knows it. In case you are keeping score, the deck steward won and got to carry the tray, but only after Dave got to the fruit. Oh, and he insisted on holding the tray for Dave while he was selecting the fruit.

The whole conversation with Josef was pointless, but he probably thinks it went just fine. He’s very nice and he wants to have drinks with us sometime. As always, we'll believe it when we see it. Apparently if you kiss up to people enough they are supposed to forget their complaints. Actually, we didn’t really complain. We made suggestions where the form asked for them. If they know their way is the only way, why waste time asking us in the first place? You’ve got the idea by now, right?

Back to the original subject. The food from the buffet was mostly very good. Nothing was outstanding, but it was better than one would expect from a buffet. We did notice that there wasn’t a big line of waiters blocking the food this time, so just maybe someone took one of our suggestions to heart. We don’t mind at all if the waiters are there to assist, but wait until we are actually going somewhere before “helping” us. Sorry, we digress…again.

It was the usual Starlite Band by the pool afternoon. The big thrill was watching the water slosh out of the pool and startle people on the lounges. We have no idea why it was so active because the ocean was smooth as glass. Apparently it doesn’t take much to get the water going and then it builds and builds. At one point the water went all the way up onto the stage. The afternoon ended with a bunch of people doing the moves to Y.M.C.A.

Sorry we don’t have any menus for you today. Our stewardess took them away before we got back from dinner. We’ll have to be careful how we retrieve them so heads don’t roll. They’ve been ordered before to leave them for us.

After lunch we went down to Shore Excursions to ask Renato about where best to make arrangements for a private car. He said there was no need for it in Auckland, New Zealand or Australia. Japan is really the only upcoming country where he thinks it will be to our advantage to go that route. He also said it will use up our credit so fast it will make our head spin. The regular tour prices in Japan are ridiculous to begin with. He wants to sit down with us later to make all of our arrangements at once.

After the official business was over with, we stood at the desk talking to him about just general things, hotels and such. We were there for over an hour talking. He’s very nice and fun to talk to. Crystal was doing really well until September 11^th, now it’s back where it was before the days of making a profit.

The total World Cruise guests this cruise is about 180. That’s a record, but before September 11^th, there were 250 booked, which would have been an incredible number for Crystal. They can’t quite figure out how Holland America always tops 500 World Cruise guests. Maybe they are doing something better? Gee, ya think? As best as we can figure, there are 520 guests, including full World Cruise guests, on this particular segment. That means there are more crew members on board than guests.

Anyway, Crystal was doing 800 people per cruise on average and selling out many during 2000 and 2001. Now they are back down to the numbers when we first started with them, 500 – 600 per cruise. Renato said the cancellations for the individual segments of the World Cruise were shocking. They are hoping that since Crystal will be one of the only lines still sailing in Europe this summer that it will bring the numbers up again.

We stopped by the Computer University to email the photos of Laszlo and Susanna. Dave was appalled to find them using way outdated email software. He couldn’t even figure out how to send the photos as an attachment. It wouldn’t be so bad except they are teaching people how to send email with software that isn’t remotely similar to what comes with recent versions of Windows. As far as he could tell, they are using the email software from Windows 95.

The rest of the afternoon was spent resting in the cabin. Remember, we had to get up early today to not participate in the crew fire drill.

Ural brought the usual guacamole and chips, plus some smoked salmon on French bread. Bill got all of that to himself. We decided that the three of us would take our stash of free alcohol ashore and sell it on a street corner. We didn’t know it, but he was supposed to restock our supply midway through the last segment. We get a whole new supply every 10 days or something like that. It’s all piled up in Ural’s pantry because we never drink anything. Bill gave most of the alcohol to Jan last week. Don’t be surprised if you get tiny bottles of gin for Christmas.

We went up to Palm Court for the forty-five minutes we had to kill before dinner. On the way up we picked up our photos from the Photo Shop. We were afraid the camera wasn’t working right, but they came out just fine.

It’s really nice up in Palm Court when it is light outside so we can see the view. The ship navigated around a big rainstorm in the middle of nowhere. We thought the ship should have gone through it so the windows could be rinsed off. By the way, they really have gone upscale with the bowls of snacks on the tables at cocktail time. It used to be goldfish crackers and Chex mix. Now there is always a bowl of whole cashews or almonds, plus pretzels or something normal.

The Dining Room was practically empty. Jerry only had two tables of two, including us. This resulted in much giggling and poking in the background. We didn’t want any of the entrees on the menu, so Augusto ordered swordfish steaks for us. Jerry was hysterical because it caused somewhat of a delay when they had to go down to the freezer and get an entire swordfish to cut our pieces from. We didn’t care. It was probably fifteen or twenty minutes at the most. Where were we going to go anyway?

We asked Augusto when they stopped cooking entrees at tableside. This caused him to think we wanted something like that. We don’t, just asking. He didn’t believe us and started to suggest all sorts of things like Steak Diane. No, we don’t actually want him to cook anything we were just curious. Finally he said they had to stop suggesting it because it got out of control. They can only cook something like that for a table of two, but the bigger tables for 8 and 10 would ask for it. Sounds reasonable to us. We thought for years that the special order thing was out of control. They seem to have gotten it down to a minimum now because they don’t push it all the time.

Our special-order swordfish was outstanding, by the way. We had a milk chocolate cheesecake smothered with fudge sauce for dessert. It was outstanding as well.

After dinner we had a lengthy conversation with Augusto, Jerry and Ger about life in general. It’s about time we broke the ice with Jerry. All of us stood there talking until the rest of the dining room, including all of the other waiters, had gone. One of the nicest things about Crystal is that you can have an intelligent conversation with the staff and they usually have something interesting to say. Some are more difficult to break the ice with than others, but once you do it is well worth it.

Tonight’s main entertainment is a “Variety Hour” featuring the dance team and a magician. We’ve seen quite enough of the dance team they use as filler for these things and we don’t like magicians. Good thing because we didn’t finish our dining room conversation with the staff until 11:00pm!

Thanks to all who sent Birthday emails and other messages. We read them all, but unfortunately the system here makes it cumbersome to respond from the cabin. So, rest assured we get your messages even if you don't get a response!

There was just enough rocking motion all night to make for a good night’s sleep. The pools are drained today because it is too rough for them, but it’s not all that bad. It’s overcast and about 76 outside. Quite humid, too. This is nothing though. It will be ridiculous from now on.

Nothing on the Dining Room lunch menu thrilled us. You be the judge. Marinated octopus anyone?

Appetizers
Cheese Potato Cakes with Tomato Salsa and Greens
Marinated Octopus and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad with Olives
Palm Hearts, Tomato and Endive Cocktail with Yogurt-Lime Dressing
Chilled Tropical Fruit Cup with Grenadine

From the Soup Kettle
Chicken Consommé Dubarry
Caldo Largo – Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Peeled Tomatoes and Cream
Chilled Apple Soup with Calvados

Main Fares
Fresh Flounder Fillet Parisienne
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Brochette
Sandwich of the Day – Grilled Chicken Breast
Veal Zürichoise

Desserts
Chocolate Cake Marsala with Sabayon
Lemon Roulade with Fudge Sauce
Ice Coupe Peach Melba
Sugar-Free Raspberry Cream Tartlet

If the menus are starting to look familiar, they should. They are serving the same ones, in reverse order from last cruise.

The Lido didn’t offer anything particularly edible either, so we ended up with the Asian selection of Spicy Shrimp, and the carved chicken. Both were very good. Thank God for fruit or we’d probably starve today. Well, maybe not quite, but you get the idea. Dave got some chocolate frozen yogurt on the way out to the Seahorse Pool after lunch. By the way, nobody grabbed our tray today although there was a big line of waiters staring at us the entire time.

Although the weather is very pleasant, nobody is outside because the sun isn’t out and the pools are empty. Too bad because it’s one of the most pleasant days so far. We stayed out until the band was finished. Sorry, no rendition of Y.M.C.A. for you today.

We have haircut appointments at 2:00pm today, so we had just enough time to prepare for that after resting outside. Dave’s stylist asked if we were brothers and the man who made our appointments practically choked. She caught on quickly enough.

A haircut is a haircut, but it’s a very pleasant salon with a great sea view. Crystal touts the new Feng Shui look of the salon. The makeover consists of putting little trays of grass all over the place, bamboo bundles and tiny Buddha figures on the workstations. We sort of doubt the ancient Chinese would have found the wallpaper leftover from the previous décor featuring a Grecian motif acceptable. Maybe it helps Steiner’s sell more hot rock massages or something?

The stylist is from Australia, so she gave us advice on things to do in Sydney. She laughed when told we were doing the bridge climb. It must be the biggest tourist trap there, but it still sounds like fun. She suggested taking the ferry across the bay to the zoo. She is the second person who has said there is no need to take a tour because, “there isn’t much history in Sydney.” We weren’t planning to tour there anyway, but it’s nice to know we made the right decision. She said walking around the city is just fine.

After our haircuts, which took all of twenty minutes, we went down to show Lara the photo of Jake we found on our first roll of film. He’s sitting among our luggage looking perplexed. We also stopped to chat with Jan who was looking bored out of his mind. He said there might be problems tendering to shore on Easter Island, which we have heard several times before.

Enough time had passed that Bill needed a snack, so we went back up to the Trident Grill for grilled cheese and pizza. Both items were acceptable, but not great. Crystal’s version of a grilled cheese is really broiled cheese, but it sort of works. We went back outside by the empty pool. No water sloshing for our entertainment today.

We wanted to get a Website address from Renato that he had told us about yesterday, so we went down to Shore Excursions to see him. He said last time the ship was at Easter Island they had to stop tender service after an hour. They almost thought they’d be stranded overnight, but suddenly the weather improved as quickly as it had deteriorated. There is no protection for the pier, so it’s somewhat risky to begin with. Renato said the people on Easter Island told him it is 85 and very humid.

Laszlo was thrilled with the photos we emailed to him, so it must have worked. We made fun of Daniel not doing anything, which prompted Antonio to come over and shake our hand. After this it was back to the cabin to prepare for tonight.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. We had drinks in the Palm Court while waiting for dinnertime. The view is nice with a few clouds and storms in the distance. It stays light until 9:00pm or so.

Appetizers
Avocado Terrine with Tomato Confit and Prawn Salad
Spinach and Dungeness Crab Tart
Minced Chicken Salad with Water Chestnuts, Snow Peas, Carrots, Shitake Mushrooms, and Sprouts
Hawaiian Pineapple and Papaya Cup with Armagnac

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Zucchini Soup with Whole Wheat Croutons
Chicken Broth with Vegetable Balls and Truffles
Chilled Tomato-Beet Soup with Herb Sour Cream

Salads
Panache of Garden Greens with Fried Onion Rings
Las Vegas-Style Red and Green Caesar Salad

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh Pacific Salmon Fillet
Sautéed Veal Medallions
Honey and Dark Beer Glazed Chicken Breast
Grilled New York Cut Sirloin Steak

Dessert
White Chocolate Chip Brioche Pudding with Coffee Caramel Sauce and Rocky Road Ice Cream
”La Tart Bourdalone” – Pear Almond Tart with Poire Williams Cream
Passion Fruit Cassis Ice Parfait with Soft Raspberry Jell-O
Sugar-Free Vanilla Cinnamon Pudding
Sugar-Free Sour Orange Timbale
Tropical Fruit in Season
Homemade Cookies

Food review: The crab tart wasn’t really a tart, but a sort of spinach quiche in a filo cup. It was acceptable, but we wouldn’t order it again. Honestly, we didn’t expect to like it. It was ordered more as just something to talk about since neither of us is hungry anyway. The salad was satisfactory, but the Thousand Island dressing didn’t complement it very well. Augusto made pasta with chicken in a light tomato basil sauce. It was excellent. The dessert was outstanding except the Rocky Road ice cream really should have been vanilla to blend better with the strong flavor of the sauce.

We spend more time each night talking to Augusto than eating. It’s mainly because he and the waiters have so little to do that they stand around talking to us. Daniel came by doing various things to appear to be working. His antics were fairly amusing. Augusto’s cooking by our table attracted a multitude of waiters and headwaiters shocked that he was putting chicken in pasta. It was our idea, not his.

Tonight’s main entertainment is classical concert pianist Julie Cheek. We know from previous experience that we don’t particularly enjoy her style, so it will be an early evening for us. Since we have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow that’s probably a good thing.

The Galaxy Orchestra was in the Crystal Cove giving a sort of jazz concert after dinner. By the crowd watching them, we doubt many people went to Julie’s concert. The movie theater was full also.

Augusto was standing outside the dining room, in the middle of the floor, watching the concert. When there was a break, he started to back up without looking behind him and ran directly into Dave. We thought he was going to have a heart attack. He didn’t do any damage because Dave saw him coming, but he was afraid he had run over an old lady or something. The look on his face was priceless.

It is still somewhat rocky tonight, but it doesn’t seem rough enough to keep us from tendering to shore tomorrow. Of course, the view from a little tender may be somewhat more dramatic than from the ship itself.

Easter Island is a triangular-shaped speck of volcanic rock in the center of the South Pacific, covering a mere 45 square miles in area. It lies over 2,000 miles from the nearest population center (Tahiti to the west and Chile to the east), making it one of the most isolated places on Earth. Although called Rapa Nui by the Polynesians, it was later renamed Easter Island by the Dutch explorer Admiral Jacob Roggeveen, who discovered the island on Easter day in 1722.

This remote island is an archaeological treasure, which for generations has puzzled scientists and historians alike. Why did the island’s inhabitants sculpt hundreds of colossal stone “moai” from volcanic stone, transport them from quarry to the coast, and raise them on stone “ahu” (platforms)? How did the Polynesians first come to this tiny volcanic outpost, the most remote inhabited island on earth, and what lessons can we learn from their legacy? To this day, there are still no proven answers to these and many other haunting and unexplained mysteries.

Crystal Cruises is pleased to offer this unique look at one of the Pacific’s most remote and rarely visited destinations.

Here we are, in the pre-dawn hours (7:00am here and still dark) awake to find ourselves in the Navel of the World. Yes, that’s what the natives called it. We’re still wondering if we will be able to tender ashore today. It pours rain occasionally and the ship is rocking from side to side even though it is at anchor.

The Captain made an announcement at 8:00am saying the local authorities wouldn’t come on board in the dark, but they were at last on their way now. That means the ship can’t find out if we can tender for another half hour or so and the tours are supposed to start at 8:30am. Oh well.

Our breakfast was delivered promptly and we made our way to the Starlite Club at our designated meeting time of 8:45am. The earlier tours were still there, so we knew it would be a while.

It was about another half hour before we were called to go to the tenders. The line down the stairs and to the tender took another hour. Once in the tender, which was a trick in itself, the ride to shore only took about five minutes.

You can’t really call this a harbor. It is more of an inlet and the tenders sort of body surfed into it. There is a small beach and a concrete landing, which is where we were dropped off. There are a few vendors selling souvenirs, but we will look when we get back. It was 10:30am before we actually got underway in an 8-person van. A guide went with groups of four vans and everyone gathers to listen to her if they are interested. Otherwise, you can roam around until the designated time to return.

The first stop, which was about a half hour drive away, was at the quarry where the Moai were sculpted. The vast majority of them are still there in various stages of completion or transport down the hillside. They carved them out of the volcanic cliffs and then slowly moved them down the hill and eventually to the shoreline. There they were lined up on platforms facing inland to protect the village that was there. The natives used up all of the trees on the island doing this and eventually that caused the downfall of the civilization. Or so scientists think. Read more about the details in the description box above.

We had a half hour at the quarry, which wasn’t nearly long enough. This is a place one could explore for days. It is possible to climb to the top to look into the crater, but we didn’t have time to do that. Whatever pictures show you, being there in person tops it. There is sort of a mysterious aura to it and we’re glad we experienced it before tourists overrun the place and the statues are behind fences. As it is now, you can just walk right up to them anywhere you want to. There are barely even trails to get to them.

We ran into Renato climbing around taking pictures. He said he’s glad he went through this last year because he would have been tearing his hair out if this had been his first trip. He’s the Shore Excursion Manager in case you have forgotten.

We bought a key chain to turn into a Christmas ornament for our travel collection that was carved by the vendor’s brother. That’s what she said anyway. The truth might be in there somewhere. The vendors here don’t grab at you or anything. It’s no worse than any tourist area.

The island sort of resembles the dry side of Maui fifty years ago before it was developed. We expected it to be dry and desolate, but it is covered with grass and introduced trees such as eucalyptus. There is no native vegetation left at all. Most of the land is used for grazing horses and cattle.

Being a part of Chile, the town, although modest, is clean and tidy. It really looks like backwoods Hawaii long ago. The people are very friendly. Sort of a mix of Spanish and Polynesian for the most part. They speak Spanish, but many speak some English so it isn’t too difficult to complete a transaction.

Next stop, after a drive through the modest downtown area, was a restored village of stone chicken coops, houses, a canoe landing, a line of Moai, and two large solitary Moai, one of which is completely restored with the staring eyes in place. When the people destroyed them during their civil war, they removed the eyes first because they believed that’s where the magic came from, so there are very few examples left.

Exactly two hours after we started, we were returned to the tiny port area where the ship’s crew and the afternoon groups were waiting for their tours. We stood around looking at the vendor’s wares to wait for the throngs to leave on the tenders back to the ship. Then, we took some time to shop around to find a souvenir or two.

Everyone was selling pretty much the same things. Carved wood or stone replica Moai, some with their anatomy complete. This isn’t how the real things are, by the way. There were some interesting shell jewelry items and the usual Polynesian-type trinkets. We wanted one of the stone Moai, but had been warned on the ship that they were often made elsewhere. Most looked mass produced so we were losing interest.

Finally, across the street, we found a man actually making them by hand on the spot. His were far superior to the others and were only $10.00, so we bought one. Bill picked up a couple of T-shirts, too. Prices were good without bothering to haggle, although there were some large statues that warranted it. We were vaguely interested in one item, but didn’t have enough money with us. The price dropped to nearly half the opening quote of $100 before she gave up.

We walked around to get a few photos of the tiny bay and around the other side to see the view from there. We got a good shot of the ship looking as though it was beached on the rocks. We also ran into Jeff, the video guy, hauling his camera around. He didn’t look very thrilled, but then he never does.

The mob was gone from the tender landing, so we boarded for the short trip back to the ship. We were the only guests on board; the few others were crewmembers. Boarding the ship was just as thrilling as leaving. The ship was swaying one way and the tender was bobbing up and down at the same time. You just had to jump when they told you to and hope for the best.

Next stop was the cabin to wash up and then go find some food. To say we were filthy would be an understatement! When we just wiped our face with a wet cloth, it became completely dirty. Dirt everywhere…nose, ears, eyes…you name it. In case you haven’t guessed by now, most of the roads we traveled were unpaved and very dusty. Still, it was well worth it.

We are glad the weather is nice again today. It didn’t rain once we started the tour and the temperature is pleasant, in the high 70’s or low 80’s. There is a constant breeze that makes it perfectly bearable. If we came here again we would probably hire a cab to take us to the quarry and leave us there for a few hours. If you aren’t interested in the Moai, don’t come here. There is only one little village and nothing else.

Although we returned too late for a Dining Room lunch, here is the menu so you don’t miss anything.

Appetizers
Assorted Smoked Fish with Lingonberry Horseradish and Whole Wheat Toast
Roasted Turkey Breast with Apple-Celery Salad
Broccoli Flan with Seafood Dill Ragout
Chilled Watermelon and Orange Cup with Plums

From the Soup Kettle
Carrot Ginger Cream Soup with Cabbage
Chicken Broth with Won Ton and Scallions
Chilled Cream of Raspberries

Main Fares
Baked Local Fish Fillet
Chile Rubbed Flank Steak
Sandwich of the Day – Hot Pastrami
Grilled Paillard of Veal

Desserts
Coconut Meringue Pie à la Mode
Marble Raspberry-Vanilla Cake
Chocolate Pecan Roulade with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Jell-O with Fruit

We saw Josef on the landing when we boarded the ship and he said the Dining Room and Lido were still open. Apparently, that meant for five more minutes because they were both closed by the time we tidied up. That’s not a big deal on this ship because the Trident Grill is always open until 6:00pm for burgers, pizza, and such.

Dave got two hot dogs from the grill, but they ignored Bill for a while. Apparently they thought the two hot dogs were for both of us. They didn’t realize Dave is just a pig. Nobody grabbed the plate away, but Benjamin did come over right away with ice water after we sat down. Bill showed up eventually with a cheeseburger that was cooked properly for once. He asked that it be cooked well done, which they are always supposed to do. Usually, they are raw in the center anyway.

We both had to make a trip to the Trident Ice Cream Bar to finish our “snack.” By the time we finished, the surrounding conversations had become so annoying we decided it was time to retire and shower for the sailing at 5:30pm.

At some point after the sailing, we both fell asleep in various uncomfortable positions. That didn’t last long because Susanna’s system of putting a matchstick on the door handle to tell if we have left didn’t work. The stick had fallen off, but we hadn’t opened the door. So, she knocked and we were still here. She was mortified, but we didn’t care. It was 7:30pm by now, so it was reasonable for her to expect us to be gone.

On the way to dinner we dropped off some film to be developed and ran into Artie. We’ve never seen anyone try so desperately to find a common ground with us. He’s very nice, but he just doesn’t get it. We had a pleasant conversation with him, so maybe there is some hope. He invited us to dinner at Jade Garden tomorrow, but we pointed out that it is a formal night when he will likely have duties to perform. So, it looks like it will be postponed for a few days. He told us that he couldn't get any of the Chinese people who do the laundry to participate in the Chinese New Year party. Get this, Crystal has what everyone calls a Chinese Laundry and it's actually staffed exclusively with Chinese people.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual/50’s. Guests are encouraged to join the fun by dressing in 50’s outfits, but almost no one ever participates. The crew is fun to see in their outfits though.

Appetizers
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Creole Rémoulade Sauce
Polenta con Funghi – Sautéed Forest Mushrooms with Creamy Polenta
Barbecued Quail on Kernel Corn Tomato Salad
Iced Apple, Grape and Pear Cup with Yogurt Calvados Topping

From the Soup Kettle
Midwest Baby Corn Bisque with Bell Pepper Confit and Crisp Leek
Chicken Broth with Matzo Balls
Chilled Banana Coconut Soup

Salads
Medley of Selected Crunchy Field Greens with Celery Chips and Shredded Carrots
Tossed Iceberg Lettuce with Lorenzo Dressing on a Bed of Tomatoes and Zucchini

Main Fares
Whole Roasted Tom Turkey
Broiled Halibut Fillet
Chilean King Crab Cake

Dessert
Creole Sour Cream Cheese Cake with Homemade Caramel Sauce
Devil’s Food Cake à la Mode
Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae
Sugar-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Compote with Diet Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Napoleon Slice
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Nonfat Peach Yogurt

This is the first time ever that the Blue Plate Special isn’t meatloaf! Wow, an effort to add variety. Even Artie was shocked.

Food review: Both appetizers were as expected. The Corn Bisque is outstanding, although this time it wasn’t quite as good. There’s a long way to fall before it wouldn’t be good though. Dave asked for his halibut without the caviar sauce and both of them came that way. It was a very odd presentation with the herb sprinkled fish on top of beets. The herbs didn’t complement the fish at all and actually made it taste sort of metallic. The beets were very good, strangely enough. The Twice Baked Potatoes were overcooked, but they tasted fine. Dessert was outstanding. Augusto brought us some pasta with artichokes on top, but it was nothing special.

We had been tipped off by Ural that there would be a big surprise celebration for the Captain’s birthday tonight in the Dining Room. He certainly knew the waiters would sing and such, but many other crewmembers came in as well carrying balloons and noisemakers. It was quite festive.

Augusto regaled us with stories again. Nothing worth repeating here, but he’s usually fairly amusing. We finally got his photo after talking about him for days. We also got a photo of Jerry and Ger in their 50’s outfits. The entire dining room, wine stewards, and bar staff have similar outfits.

Tonight’s production show is “Rock Around the Clock.” The show is followed by a 50’s midnight buffet featuring hot dogs, hamburgers, shakes and popcorn. Plus, of course, fancy Crystal-esque things like crab, shrimp and pate that nobody touches. We didn’t partake in any of it because we’re just too tired to stay up that late.

Today is another easy sea day. We’re up a bit earlier than usual due to the time change, but there is a Sunday brunch scheduled in the Crystal Dining Room from 11:30am – 1:30pm. We thought maybe we could get some breakfast-type food for once. We did go up and see if the Lido had basically the same things so we could avoid the crowds, but it was the usual menu.

Gravlax, Marinated On Board, Served with Delicate Mustard-Dill Sauce
Smoked Norwegian Salmon
Smoked Baby Eel
Mountain River Trout and Mackerel

Jumbo Prawns on Ice
Poached Alaskan Salmon
Pacific Lobster Medallions
Roasted Young Turkey
Roasted Chicken
Roast Sirloin of Black Angus Beef
French Pate
Italian Prosciutto

Assorted Raw & Marinated Salads
Assorted Marinated Norwegian Herrings
Hungarian Goulash Soup
Chilled Cream of Mixed Berries

Whole Roasted Strip Loin with Natural Gravy
Szechwan Shrimp in Chile Pepper Sauce with Steamed White Rice
Chicken Pot au Feu with Morels and Fresh Garlic Bread
Poached Eggs Benedict
Broiled Plaice Fillet on Sautéed Cucumber with Beurre Blanc
Assorted Steamed Vegetables
Roasted Potatoes
Cocktail Sauce, Sauce Rémoulade, Cranberries

By looking at the menu, you might think there wasn’t much in the way of breakfast items, but there was much more than the menu suggests. There were several stations making omelets to order, a fresh pancake and waffle cart, a huge selection of desserts, etc. We didn’t even look at the “regular” food and we had plenty to eat. All of it was excellent.

They had cleared out the center of the Dining Room and replaced the tables with buffet lines. God forbid they should save themselves the trouble and have this in the Lido, but after our discussion the other day, they obviously have an image problem with that option.

Appetizers
Vegetable Antipasto – Marinated Artichokes, Eggplant, Zucchini, Cauliflower, and Cherry Tomato
Yogurt-Cucumber Dip with Vegetable Sticks
Fresh Fruit Cup with Citrus Fruit and Cassis

From the Soup Kettle
Consommé Double with Ham Biscuits
Chilled Cream of Mixed Berries

Salad
Heart of Iceberg Lettuce with Crunchy Sprouts, Melon Balls and Pineapple Chunks

Main Fares
Deep Fried Plaice Fillet
Sliced Roast Beef
Sandwich of the Day – Roast Beef with Blue Cheese Dressing

Desserts
Poppy Seed Cake à la Mode
Chocolate Flan with Fresh Fruits
Sugar-Free Mocha Cream Swan
Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, or Mocha Ice Cream
Nonfat Orange or German Chocolate Yogurt
Refreshing Cranberry Apple Sherbet

We took the opportunity to go back after eating to get photos of Josef and Remy. Remy is a headwaiter we had a few years ago. He can barely talk now due to polyps in his throat. He was quite pathetic the other day when he was telling us how much he loves to talk to people and now he can’t.

Jeff tackled us in the lobby to make us go up and watch the video of Easter Island. We are featured in several scenes and he wanted to be sure we knew it. We didn’t even realize he was filming when we were at the quarry, but he caught us in three scenes. These videos are a great idea because they are actually shot during the cruise you are on and delivered to your room the night before departure. So, the people and places you see are most likely familiar, which is much better than the generic tapes they used to sell.

We stopped by Shore Excursions to ask about the details of the World Cruise luncheon in Bora Bora. Basically, we want to find out if it will waste so much time that we will miss something important. They were preparing letters that will describe the details, but she said that the most important thing to do there is to look at the scenery. The lunch is on a private island in the middle of the bay, so it’s probably a highlight in itself. You can book tours that leave directly from the island after lunch, but we weren’t planning on touring anyway. We did find out there will be about two hours after lunch for independent exploring which is plenty for us to walk around the village.

They are building a huge platform in the middle of the lobby that is about twelve feet wide and four feet high. David came by and said he had asked them to build a “little” platform for the harpist tonight and they got carried away. He doesn’t have the heart to tell them to change it because they were so proud of it. He has no idea how he’s going to get the harpist up there, but he’ll figure it out later.

In the Captain’s announcement this morning he said that Crystal Harmony had to rescue some stranded crewmembers from a burning freighter yesterday.

We went out to get smoothies from the Trident Bar and ran into Ural in the hallway. He wanted to know when to bring our snacks and said he would bring Paco, too. Paco was our waiter on the last cruise who is now a butler. We told him to come back at 5:30pm.

At 5:30pm, Ural arrived with Paco, who was thrilled to talk to us. We asked him to sit down, which he did, much to Ural’s horror. We chatted for a while and got some odd photos of him to update the files. They stayed looking at photos and talking until Paco’s beeper went off. He ignored the first call, but ran when the same person called again.

Dave went in to shower. When Bill opened the door to put the sign out so Susanna would know we hadn’t left yet, a lengthy party in the hallway began. Peter came by to show off the huge gold chain he’s been trying to sell. Of course, that meant he had to practically take off his shirt, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Much giggling and poking ensued with Ural, Susanna and Rosalina also in the hallway.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal. There are five, count ‘em five, formal nights in this segment. Does anyone else think this is a bit too many? We were delayed a bit because of all the merriment earlier, so we didn’t get down to dinner until about fifteen minutes before the Dining Room opens.

We were appalled to arrive in the lobby to find it full of chairs facing the huge stage constructed earlier. Atop the stage was the harpist giving a concert. No offense, but this woman is barely good enough to provide background music. She certainly should not be giving a concert. The staff did a nice job lighting the statue and the pillar by the fountain. It did look nice, but we heard more than a few sour notes, as usual.

Peter came by to help us ridicule the performance and to provide Dave with a repeat of the chain show. Being practically in public view, it was a bit less dramatic than the hallway version. We all agree it looks like a gold bicycle chain. He’s hoping one of the Filipino’s will buy it after payday.

Josef was standing in the doorway of the Dining Room and thought we were looking at him strangely. He thought perhaps something was stuck on his face or his hair was messed up. We weren’t really even looking at him, but we started talking anyway. He asked about how we liked the brunch. We told him it was much better than the Gala Buffet. Right in the middle of the conversation, a woman came up and told him exactly the same thing we had just said. Point made.

Appetizers
Crisp Soft-shell Crab on Three Bean Salad
Blacked Scallops with Fruit Salsa and Crisp Greens
Green Asparagus on Fête
Chilled Melon Balls Marinated in Port Wine

From the Soup Kettle
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Essence of Beef with Fois Gras Croutons
Chilled Sparkling Melon Flip

Salads
Chopped Iceberg Lettuce with Tomato, Cucumber and Celery
Spring Garden Lettuce with Grilled Bell Peppers

Main Fares
Surf and Turf – Grilled Filet Mignon and Broiled Lobster Tail
Grilled Tuna Steak in Pepper Crust
Sautéed Tiger Prawns
Golden Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu

Dessert
Viennese Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce
Chocolate Terrine “Harlequin”
Sunset Cake
Sugar-Free Citrus Salad with Diet Ice Cream
Sugar-Free Chocolate Éclair
Petit Fours and Chocolate Truffles
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review: The chilled soup was acceptable, but not great. Salads were satisfactory. The Surf and Turf included lobster this time and it was fine. The Tuna Steak was crusted with rock-hard peppercorns and was too dry. The Chicken Cordon Bleu was very good, but since when does this recipe include mushrooms in the stuffing? Both desserts were good, but nothing special.

When we ordered the chilled soup, Jerry asked if we knew what a “flip” was. He didn’t know and several guests on first seating had asked him. We didn’t know either except that it is one of the speeds on a blender. Apparently it means that there are still some chunks in the puree if we go by what we got when we ordered it.

Once again we spent more time talking to Augusto, Josef, Mario, Jerry and Ger than we did eating. Augusto wants to make Steak Diane for us tomorrow, but we want to see the menu first. No problem, he doesn’t care. At least he actually wants to make things for us. We rarely ask for anything, he always suggests them. We told Augusto that we were going to start throwing dishes we don’t like onto the floor, which he thought was pretty funny.

Jerry has lightened up considerably. He finally seems comfortable talking to us about non-food topics. Ger thought it was hysterical when he brought the petit four tray around and there was a weird sort of jelly thing on it. Dave said, “Give me that one because it’s probably disgusting and I won’t have to eat it.” He doesn’t usually understand what we mean right away, but he got that statement immediately and ran away laughing. By the way, the weird jelly thing was quite good!

Tonight’s main entertainment in the Galaxy Lounge is “The United Kingdom’s Vocalist Extraordinaire,” Brenda Cochrane. We sort of intended to attend the show, but we were stopped at the last minute talking to Josef about nothing in particular. Since Augusto came back, we barely make it out of the Dining Room in time for the shows. We used to finish eating in less than an hour, but talking to everyone throughout the evening doubles the time it takes to finish dinner. We would rather talk to the staff anytime, so we don’t mind.

Susanna was flabbergasted when we emerged from the room at 10:30am. So were we as a matter of fact. Going backward on the clock an hour every day is going to turn us into early birds. It’s too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so we made our first appearance in the Bistro for pastries and fruit. Laszlo and Paulo were shocked.

After our snack, we picked up some photos from the Photo Shop and went back to the room to wait for lunchtime. It’s hot and humid outside. Not great deck weather unless you are into sweating.

Appetizers
Papaya Boat with Jumbo Prawns and Lemon Herb Sauce
Cornets of Cajun Ham Stuffed with Vegetable Salad
Paprika, Eggplant, and Mozzarella Brioche with Spring Greens
Fresh Fruit Cup with Pineapple and Campari

From the Soup Kettle
Chicken Coconut Soup
Beef Consommé with Rice, Okra, and Tomato Concassé
Chilled Cream of Strawberries

Pasta Special
Elbow Macaroni with Ham, Leeks, Mushrooms and Creamy White Wine Sauce

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Open Face Turkey Breast
Grilled Cod Fish Fillet
Quiche Lorraine
Beef Stroganoff

Desserts
White Chocolate Yogurt Cake
Almond Slice with Vanilla Ice Cream
Black Walnut Ice Parfait with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Pear Strudel

Hysteria ensued when we arrived at the Dining Room and there were no clean tables for two. We didn’t say anything, but it must be a rule that we get our own table. One was quickly re-set for us by the window. All of the food was very good, except Campari isn’t the best choice to pour over fresh fruit.

We dropped off our RSVP form for the upcoming World Cruise lunch in Bora Bora. We accepted the invitation. Jessica, a Front Desk Clerk, carried on about all of us being awake too early today due to the time change. There are seven more of these to come. We’ll be getting up before we go to bed pretty soon. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting in the cabin.

There is a Chinese New Year party for World Cruise guests tonight at 7:30pm in the Starlite Club. We weren’t dressed and ready in time to attend, so we just went to Palm Court to watch the sunset and kill a half hour before dinner.

This cruise is the first time ever that the cocktail servers have known our cabin number and what we like. Our gut feeling is that they either have to memorize everyone on the Penthouse Deck or Full World Cruise guests, or both. All of the Filipinos on board know our name now. The singer from the Starlite Orchestra called us by name in the hallway and we have never spoken to her before.

Appetizers
Lemon-Herb Smoked Salmon with Baked Potato Stuffed with Chive Cream & Caviar
Crabmeat Enchiladas with Corn and Tomato Salsa
Pressed Tomato and Basil Terrine on a Niçoise Salad
Iced Fruit Cup with Hazelnut Liqueur

From the Soup Kettle
Duck Consommé Flavored with Star Anis and Romaine Chiffonade
Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup
Watermelon Gazpacho with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Salads
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Marinated Zucchini and Daikon Root
Tossed Mixed Greens in Blue Cheese Dressing Topped with Fried Oysters

Main Fares
Macadamia Nut-Wasabi Crusted Pink Roasted Lamb Loin
Grilled Red Snapper Fillet
Crisp Lemon-Herb Marinated Rotisserie Chicken
Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Steak

Dessert
Hawaiian Chocolate Macadamia Nut Tart with Espresso Ice Cream
Bianco Mangier with Orange Verbena Sauce
Pistachio Ice Cream on Meringue with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Blueberry Pie
Sugar-Free Orange Parfait
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fresh Fruit in Season
Nonfat Strawberry Yogurt

Food review: The Watermelon Gazpacho was a nice try, but cilantro and watermelon just don’t mix. Too weird. Bill ordered a large serving of the Commander’s Salad from the kitchen, which was perfect this time. Dave never got the salad he ordered from the menu, but since neither of us was at all hungry to begin with, this was a blessing. The dessert was odd with a fluffy milk chocolate layer over a gooey caramel layer filled with toasted macadamia nuts. It was almost good.

Augusto made Pepper Steak Flambé at tableside for us. This was his idea, not ours. There was enough meat to feed six people. Needless to say, we ate all of it. Are we full tonight or what?

Ger was thrilled to get the disk we gave him this afternoon with his pictures to send home by email. He was especially amazed because Dave had altered the picture to fix his lapel that was askew. He said, “Now if you can just make me more attractive and give me more hair, I’ll be happy.”

The waiters had little to do throughout the room tonight. At least two-thirds of the tables were empty. Therefore, there was much laughing and joking around. Jerry is ridiculously sunburned. These pasty white Eastern Europeans should learn better than to lay out in the tropical sun for hours.

Tonight’s entertainment was another concert by pianist Brooks Aehron. We weren’t interested in that, so we just sat in the Crystal Cove and listened to Scott play for a while. Unfortunately, guests were continuously talking to him, so he never really did anything except vamp on the piano. It wasn’t his fault, but it was annoying.

We stopped by the Front Desk to ask Jeff how many Deck Stewards there are so we can figure out how much to add to our account for tips. We figured it out better than he did and he was surprised we actually knew most of their names. Jessica, who always seems overjoyed to see us, came out and joined in the hilarity. Well, it wasn’t exactly hilarity, but it was amusing.

Tomorrow should be an odd day. There was a documentary on the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island and it’s just a bit creepy. These people are actually the direct descendents of Fletcher Christian from Mutiny on the Bounty fame. We’re talking inbreeding to the extreme here. There are only five family names on the island if that tells you anything.

Pitcairn Island is inhabited by the descendents of Fletcher Christian, his band of British sailors and their Tahitian wives who mutinied on the Bounty in 1789.

After arriving at this unknown “safe” island, the mutineers burned the Bounty so that no one could escape to tell of their whereabouts. Their isolation was so complete, that their closest neighbor was the island of Mangareva, some 300 miles away.

Ever since it was settled, this hideaway has remained unaffected by the outside world. Handicrafts are a mainstay of the economy, as woodworking or weaving are common occupations for most families. The island prides itself on its limited-issue stamps, which are much sought after by collectors.

Crystal Symphony will lie off Bounty Bay and the descendants of Fletcher Christian and his crew will come out to the ship with their carvings, weaving and other local craft items. No organized shore excursions are planned on Pitcairn Island, as guests will not proceed ashore.

We were out of the room this morning by 9:00am. Due to both the time change and the announcements regarding today’s arrival at Pitcairn Island. The ship was anchored off of Bounty Bay, but had to move to the other side of the island because the waves were too rough.

For the first time, we had breakfast in the Lido. The selection there never changes, but we go so seldom it doesn’t really matter. We both had made-to-order waffles, which were satisfactory, but nothing special. It was almost too hot to sit outside, but whenever the wind was blowing, it was bearable. It is about 80, but the humidity isn’t as high as it has been.

Pitcairn Island is tiny! The population is only 53 and 50 of them came on board to set up an Island Marketplace by the Seahorse Pool. Passengers were requested not to rush them while they set up. At 10:00am, an announcement was made that the shopping could commence.

We wandered up to Sun Deck to look down on the proceedings. The whole area was jam packed, so we just figured we would wait until things died down a bit. In the meantime we took a few photos of the island and the crowd below.

Artie stopped to admonish us for not showing up at the Chinese New Year Party for World Cruisers last night. Not to be petty, but since when does he get to keep track of who is there or not and then follow up on it? If we don't want to go, that's our choice not his. He tried to heap on the guilt by saying that only four people didn't show up. We find that hard to believe, but even if it is true, he shouldn't have said it. For those of you who don't know us very well, trying to coerce us into doing something pretty much means there is no way in hell we'll do it.

Back to the subject at hand. The merchandise on offer consists of a good variety of woodcarvings, T-shirts, postcards, and a few other island-type items. All of the handmade items are of very high quality with prices to match. Since we were told that this is the islanders’ only source of income, the guests are doing their best to support the cause by buying everything in sight.

After a while, we went back to the cabin to get some money and make our way to the tables of goodies. The ship’s photographer took a photo of us with one of the many Mr. Christians. The islanders are very nice and friendly. Only a few appear to be Polynesian. The rest look like Englishmen. They seemed to speak American English for the most part, with little accent. We purchased a couple of carved wooden turtles and some T-shirts and went back to the cabin to regroup and cool off.

Appetizers
Potato Pancake with Smoked Salmon and Dill Mayonnaise
Marinated Artichoke Salad with Parma Ham
Vegetable Samosas on Pickled Radish and Curry Mayonnaise
Chilled Peach, Cherries, and Pineapple Cup

From the Soup Kettle
Black Bean Soup with Cilantro
Beef Consommé with Vegetables
Cold Cream of Blood Oranges

Main Fares
Herb Marinated Spare Ribs
Grilled Swordfish Steak
Grilled Chicken Legs
Sandwich of the Day – The Reuben

Desserts
Chocolate Whiskey Tart à la Mode
Esterhazy Cake
Frozen Lemon Soufflé
Sugar-Free Baked Apple in Puff Pastry

All of the food we had at lunch was very good. After that, we went back up by the Neptune Pool to sit and watch the goings on.

There were only a few children and they were making the most of the opportunity to use the swimming pool. Only the adults were interested in the ice cream and hamburger bars. Several of the women were helping the ship’s economy by doing some shopping on board. Our shops remained open the entire time, rather than closing as they do in every other port. We spoke with a young woman in the elevator who said she has to take advantage of every chance she gets to shop because they are so few and far between.

We didn’t go to the lecture/reception because the Starlite Club was already filling up an hour before the scheduled time. So, we waited around the upper level of the Crystal Plaza for the farewell songs. It looked as though most every passenger was there by the time the islanders finished packing and came out to sing their two songs.

The Captain made a thank you speech. He got to go ashore along with a couple of other people form the ship. Only three people were still on shore, so it was an odd experience. He said he looked at the calendar in the schoolhouse and the only thing on today’s date was a big red, “Crystal Symphony Arrives!”

The spokesman for the island made a brief speech to thank everyone for being so supportive and nice to them today. The people seemed really touched by the fact that this ship stops every year. He said that they spend the entire year making things just for this day because freighters rarely stop anymore. Other cruise ships never stop here.

Once the farewells were over, everyone went out on deck to watch them load into the longboat for the trip back to their village. The only means of transportation is this old longboat. The “bay” is so small that they have to time it just right to get back into the landing.

Crystal Symphony followed them back around to the village and did the usual three blasts of the horn salute as we sailed off. It was odd knowing that the entire population of the island was in that one small boat.

Once the excitement was over, we went up to get snacks of grilled cheese from the Trident Grill. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the coolness of the cabin. We’re skipping the cocktail snacks today.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual. And it’s about time, too! We made a slight detour on the way to cocktail hour to give a box of truffles we got from American Express to the shop people. We have three boxes now and they are all reaching their expiration dates, so we figured someone should enjoy them before it’s too late.

We stopped by Palm Court for an hour before dinner. Felix wanted to know where we had been for the last three days. We were there, but he wasn’t. He was proud of himself because he remembered our cabin number and what we want to drink.

We ran into Barbara and Mel on the way to dinner. They thought we had fallen overboard or something because they hadn’t seen us in days. We haven’t been hiding, so we have no idea why all these people have been looking for us.

Appetizers
Caviar Napoleon – Layers of Chopped Boiled Eggs, Onion, and Sevruga Caviar
Fresh Oven Baked Lobster Strudel on Crayfish Sauce
Ricotta-Pear Carpaccio with Pecans and Chervil Vinaigrette
Fresh Assorted Fruit Cup with Crème de Banana

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Fresh Pumpkin with Orange Mousse
Chicken Broth with Spinach Strudel
Chilled Hazelnut and Fresh Raspberry Soup

Salads
Spring Lettuce with Belgian Endive, Red Oak Leaf, and Marinated Green Beans
Chopped Garden Greens with Cauliflower, Broccoli, Tomatoes and Cucumbers

Pasta Special
Penne Rigate with Chicken, Spinach, Fresh Tomato, White Wine Cream and Thyme

Main Fares
Broiled Fillet of Dover Sole
Roasted Veal Chops with Forest Mushrooms
Grilled Venison Medallions
Oven Baked Quail
Chicken Scaloppini

Dessert
Chocolate Soufflé with Kahlua Sauce
Honey Macadamia Nut Mousse with Caramel Sauce and Meringue
Tart au Citron à la Mode
Sugar-Free Chocolate and Vanilla Cream Puff
Sugar-Free Rich Pear Custard
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Nonfat Banana Yogurt

We decided to try to eat lighter for a few days. We’ve reached that full from top to bottom feeling, so it’s time for a break from tableside cooking.

Food review: Both soups were very good. The pasta dish was very good, as well. The Chicken Scaloppini, which was the “Lighter Side” selection, was outstanding. The Chocolate Soufflé was exceptional.

Ger said he has to buy us a drink because he saw us three times today and it’s a Dutch “rule” that you have to do that on the third sighting. We took his picture out on deck for him with Pitcairn Island in the background. He was wandering all alone up on Deck 12. Then we saw him at lunch and again at dinner.

As usual, so many people stopped to talk to us during dinner that it was difficult to finish eating. But, because we ate lighter tonight, we were able to get out of the Dining Room at 10:15pm.

Tonight’s entertainment is another “Repertory Theater at Sea” presentation. We’re sure glad we don’t require much entertainment or we’d really be going nuts by now. This is not a ship for those who need a lot of stimulation.

Grand Pacific II - February 4 - February 12

Monday, February 4 – Valparaíso, Chile – Depart 6 PM

Tuesday, February 5 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean – Dave’s Birthday

Wednesday, February 6 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Thursday, February 7 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Friday, February 8 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Saturday, February 9 – Easter Island, Chile – 8 AM-4:30 PM

Sunday, February 10 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Monday, February 11 – Cruising the Pacific Ocean

Tuesday, February 12 – Pitcairn Island, UK – 9 AM-1 PM