Grand Pacific II - February 23 - March 1

Saturday, February 23 – Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

Sunday, February 24 – Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

Monday, February 25 – Auckland, New Zealand – 8 AM-Midnight

Tuesday, February 26 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

Wednesday, February 27 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

Thursday, February 28 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

Friday, March 1 – Arrive Sydney, Australia – 9:30 AM 

Saturday, February 23 – Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

Today is very windy, so the ship is rocking and rolling.  The temperature is quite moderate, so it is pleasant outside in sheltered areas.  Skies are partly cloudy, but there are rain clouds in the distance.

We were up early enough to require a stop by the Bistro for a snack before the World Cruise German Party this afternoon.  Astrid, Laszlo and Paulo all tried to bring us drinks.  Paulo catches us before we even get into the room, so the others have no chance.

The World Cruise event was supposed to be held on Deck 6 Aft, which is the crew deck.  We were only interested in the party so we could see this area, but it was not to be.  The party was moved up to the Palm Court due to the weather.  It isn’t raining, but Artie said the women were complaining that it would mess up their hair by being outside.  Oh well.

Palm Court was nearly full.  Most of the Austrian, German, and Swiss crew members and officers were there serving the buffet.  A few of them were dressed in native costumes in a receiving line at the door.

The buffet offered German potato salad, cole slaw, several kinds of grilled or boiled sausages, sauerkraut, spaetzel, goulash, and some coffee cakes for dessert.  The room was decorated with balloons everywhere.

During the balancing act of eating lunch at cocktail tables, Artie introduced some of the German crew who attempted to sing some appropriate songs, badly.  Still it was entertaining enough.  Felix, who is from Germany, was appalled.

It was amusing when noon loomed and Artie basically said, "Party over, get out".  He didn’t use those words, but it was close.

We didn’t need lunch today because of the buffet, so we just went up to Lido deck to get ice cream and sit outside to listen to the band.  The Deck Stewards received the tips we charged to our account, so they were fawning all over us and making an effort to come over to thank us.  Generally, they are the only crew who ever acknowledge their tips and take time to thank guests for them.  In our opinion, any crewmember who receives a tip from a guests account should say something if only so the guest knows they received it.

We took some maps we brought of some upcoming ports to see if Shore Excursions wanted to copy them.  Marco was thrilled to get them.

We were shocked to see the Dining Room jam-packed with people.  Everyone at the World Cruise party had full plates, but here they are less than 30 minutes later eating lunch again.

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Chicken Curry Salad with Kiwi Slices
Assorted Marinated Herrings with Parsley Potatoes
Vegetable Quiche with Garden Greens
Assorted Fresh Fruit Cup with Mango and Mint

From the Soup Kettle
German-Style Lentil Soup with Frankfurter Slices
Beef Consommé with Diced Bell Peppers and Crisp Tortilla Strips
Cold Buttermilk and Lime Soup

Salad
Mixed Garden Greens with Tomatoes, Cucumber, and Red Cabbage

Pasta Special
Bucati Corte alla Calabrese – Pasta with Anchovies, Olives, Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Salad Entrees
Tuna Salad
Marinated Zucchini, Green Bean and Mushroom Salad

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Grilled Ciabotta Sandwich
Seafood Gratin
Viennese Veal Goulash
Eggplant and Lamp Al Forno
Pan Fried Fish Fillet

Vegetarian Selection
Root Vegetable Stew

Desserts
Malakoff Cake
Sour Cherry Streusel Pie à la Mode
Coconut Custard with Caramelized Pineapple
Sugar-Free Banana Cream Tartlet

The remainder of the afternoon was spent napping and resting the cabin.  Bill tried to do laundry, but two of the three dryers weren’t working properly.  In order to find out about this, one has to come back an hour later and find the wash still soaking wet.  This process was repeated three times until finally the clothes dried.  Susanna offered to wait for them and bring them to the room, but the third time was the charm.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal.  We had invited Jan and Rudolf to join us for dinner tonight.  Unfortunately, their request for permission to enter the Dining Room was denied by the Hotel Director at the last minute.  We don’t know the precise details, so we haven’t screamed at anyone…yet.  We certainly realize that there are reasons for not allowing certain staff members in the Dining Room on their own, but we feel it is up to us to decide who is suitable to join us.  If we want to invite someone from the Chinese laundry, that’s our prerogative.  This instance is particularly annoying because Augusto had made all sorts of special arrangements and everything was all set.  Obviously, it wasn’t a problem for the Dining Room staff.  By the way, this isn’t the first time we have done this.  It has never been a problem before.

Of course, someone from Shore Excursions was there with his wife, who just happens to be the Captain’s secretary.  Why either of them should have a higher status than someone from the shops is beyond us.  As far as we know, none of them paid for their passage.   On top of that, the show lounge was filled with stewardesses, bar waiters, waiters and others of a “lowly” level.  Why is that any different than dining with a guest who invites you to do so?

DINNER

Appetizers
Macadamia Scallops with Broccoli Puree and Citrus Beurre Blanc
Smoked Sturgeon with Baby Baked Potato Salad Stuffed with Sevruga Caviar
Salad of Palm Hearts with Parma Ham and Tomato Vinaigrette
Iced Supreme of Melon, Pineapple, and Papaya, Flavored with Midori

From the Soup Kettle
Lobster Bisque with Puff Pastry Fleuron
Consommé Double Royale
Chilled Strawberry Peach Soup with Low Fat Yogurt

Salads
Boston and Red Leaf Lettuce Leaves with Marinated Tomatoes, Onions and Chives
Marinated Potato-Cucumber Salad on Crunchy Greens

Pasta Special
Spaghetti with Fresh Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, and Pine Nuts in Olive Oil

Salad Entrée
Pesto-Crusted Chicken Breast

Main Fares
Broiled Fresh New Zealand Salmon Fillet
Marinated Grilled Jumbo Prawns
Lamb Duet
Grilled Black Angus American T-Bone Steak

Vegetarian Selection
Tofu-Spinach Vegetable Cannelloni

Dessert
White Chocolate Caramel Cheese Cake with Sticky Caramel Sauce
Vanilla Strawberry Mille Feuille
Cinnamon Ice Parfait on Caramelized Apple Ragout
Sugar-Free Citrus Mousse
Sugar-Free Baked Pear in Puff Pastry
Petit Fours and Chocolate Truffles
Assortment of Fresh Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen, Nonfat German Chocolate Yogurt

Food review:  Augusto made pasta for an appetizer.  It was very good, but not the best thing he has ever made for us.  Both entrees were above average, but nothing special.  We had raspberry soufflés for dessert that Augusto had intended for our “party.”  If we didn’t know beforehand that they had a specific flavor, we would never have guessed.  Jerry tried to serve us two each again, but we refused.

Augusto seemed flabbergasted that the Hotel Director denied permission for our guests.  Another table distracted him before he was able to finish getting the details as we know them.  Obviously, it is unusual for a request to be denied when a guest instigates the invitation.

Tonight’s production show is “Million Dollar Musicals.”  This is an outstanding show and it was better than usual due to a couple of new dancers.  Most of the singing, with the exception of the leads, is pre-recorded so the show works with the current cast just fine.  We have noticed, however, that some of the costumes are quite worn with threads hanging and hems ripped.  We have never seen as much on this ship before.

One of the cocktail waitresses viewing the show knows us fairly well.  She told us that the new show coming on the last segment is based on Gershwin music.  It is replacing “Cole” for that segment.  She also said they all wish the Medieval show would go, but they spent so much money on the whole thing it will be around forever.  The guests don’t like it either and Crystal has gotten continuous poor feedback about it.  But, money talks and they’re determined to convince us that we like it, no matter what.

Sunday, February 24 – Cruising the South Pacific Ocean

It was another early wake up call this morning due to another crew fire drill.  At least this one was short and the announcements were minimal.  Still, it means we are wide awake at 9:30am whether we like it or not.

Today’s weather is absolutely perfect.  Crystal clear skies, temperature in the mid 70’s, no noticeable humidity, and calm seas.  It was too early for lunch and too late for breakfast by the time we made it out of the room.  Susanna had her own infuriating stories about wasting an hour trying to do laundry last night with a broken machine.  At least we know the crew laundry room doesn’t get any more attention than ours does.

We ended up sitting in the Crystal Cove just waiting for noon to come around.  Susanne, our new cocktail waitress buddy, came over to chat.  She seems to have decided we are reasonable to get advice on life from.  How she came to that conclusion is anyone’s guess.  She is going skydiving tomorrow in spite of her fear of flying and, in her words, she is “shitting her pants” at the thought of it.

Today’s lunch offers the option of the usual Dining Room fare or the American Classic Buffet around the Neptune Pool.  Since the weather is so nice we chose the buffet even though we know the food at this particular version isn’t the best.  Needless to say, most of it bears no resemblance to anything an American would recognize as “American Classic,” but it’s a valiant effort.

Here is the Dining Room menu for this afternoon:

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Vitello Tonnato – Roasted Veal Loin with Tuna Cream Sauce
Breaded Chicken Wings with Cajun Tartar
Smoked Salmon Carpaccio with Onions, Capers, and Herb Vinaigrette
Iced Fruit Cup with Kiwis and Mango

From the Soup Kettle
Seafood Gumbo
Chicken Consommé with Semolina Quenelles
Chilled Cream of Cucumbers with Herb Croutons

Salad
Marinated Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Herbs

Pasta Special
Pappardelle – Broad Noodles with White Wine Sauce and Gorgonzola

Salad Entrees
The Chef’s Salad
Potato Artichoke Salad

Main Fares
Boiled Beef Brisket
Cod Fish Cakes
Sandwich of the Day – The Famous “Sloppy Joe”
Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Vegetarian Selection
Cabbage Strudel

Desserts
Black Forest Cake
Passion Fruit Chiffon Pie
Brownie and Coffee Ice Cream Sandwich
Sugar-Free Crème Royal

Some of the fine American items on the buffet are:  German potato salad, tempura fried shrimp, grilled fish, and a pasta salad with peanut sauce and whole cranberries.  Everything else was pretty much recognizable as American from an Austrian point of view.  There is prime rib, beef and pork ribs, t-bone steak, baked beans, sweet potato casserole with marshmallow topping, jambalaya, fried chicken, chicken pies and carved turkey.  All of it was edible, but not outstanding.  We didn’t sample the desserts, but the only thing remotely American was pumpkin pie.  We know from past experience that it is ghastly.  

The program states, “Vegetarians will be delighted by the All-American choices including Okra Fritters, Roasted Autumn Vegetables, and of course, good-old Corn on the Cob.”  That’s enough to make you eat meat, isn’t it?

The waiters and Deck Stewards always ask if they can carry our tray now.  This is a vast improvement over the grab-away technique. So, maybe someone actually listened to one of our suggestions.

We sat outside listening to the Starlite Orchestra.  It seems to thrill them when we show up, although we have no idea why. We saw about forty dolphins jumping and swimming in two big circles.  They do this to corral fish so they are easier to catch.

Strangely, most guests stayed inside for lunch.  This is the first day the weather has been absolutely perfect and yet the majority went to the Dining Room for lunch.  Of course, the food might be part of the problem, although most of it is acceptable. 

There is even water in the pools today!  We forgot to mention yesterday that all of the brand new carpeting installed last week on the landing outside of the Palm Court was pulled up with a fan blowing to dry it.  Apparently, they had filled the Seahorse Pool prematurely yesterday and it sloshed all the way across the deck, through the doors and into the elevator lobby.  Oops!  So much for the new carpet.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal.  We spent so much time talking to Ural that we didn’t make it out of the cabin until just before dinnertime.  We had forgotten that the “Tender Notables” guest choir was performing tonight.  They were getting ready to sing when we arrived in the lobby.  We chatted briefly with Jan who is on a multitude of muscle relaxants and painkillers for his back today.  He said it was feeling better.

The choir sang three songs.  They were much better than one would expect.  Very good in fact.  After they got some very enthusiastic applause when they finished, they did an encore.  Too bad they hadn’t prepared another song.  They just re-sang one of the previous ones.  We snuck down the stairs to the Dining Room while everyone else was going down the main staircase in the Crystal Plaza.

Assistant Waiters line up at the doors every night to escort the women by the arm to their table.  Do you know where we’re going with this?  Anyway, Ger was there, so when Dave went by he grabbed him and said, “C’mon, let’s go!” and pulled him out of the lineup.  He didn’t take him by the arm, there is some discretion left.  Ger thought it was hysterical.

DINNER

Appetizers
Dungeness Crab, Cabbage, And Apple Salad with Spring Greens
Shrimp and Taro Cake with Banana Salsa, Mesclun of Greens and Passion Fruit Vinaigrette
Roasted Marinated Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella with Italian Flat Bread
Selected Fruit in an Iced Cup with Lychee Nuts

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Consommé with Cheese Biscuits
Kansas City Beef Soup
Sparkling Pineapple Soup with Lemon and Mint

Salads
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Cherry Tomatoes and Belgian Endive
Tossed Green Leaf Lettuce with Tangy Dressing, Mushrooms and Croutons

Pasta Special
Fettuccine with Garlic

Salad Entrée
Creole Chicken Salad

Main Fares
Broiled Seabass Fillet
Seafood Paella
Piccata Milanese
Grilled Black Angus New York Cut Sirloin Steak

Vegetarian Selection
Three Cheese Filo Pastry Pockets

Dessert
Pumpkin Layered Cheese Cake with Fudge Sauce
Crunchy Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Torta with Vanilla Ice Cream
Banana Walnut Mousse with Fresh Fruits
Sugar-Free Strawberry Passion Fruit Tart
Sugar-Free Pineapple Turnover
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Frozen Cappuccino Yogurt

Food review:  We’ll have you know that we sacrificed ourselves to order something that sounds ghastly just so we’d have something new to tell you.  The Shrimp and Taro Cake appetizer was actually very good!  It tasted like a semi-spicy crab cake.  The salsa that came with it was hidden under some parsley, but the dish didn’t need it anyway.  Jerry wanted to know if the Kansas Beef Soup looked like anything we’d find in Kansas.  Be assured it does not, but it was very good.  It had a very unappetizing chunkiness to it that suggested something disgusting.  Augusto said it looked like the crumbs at the bottom of a glass of milk when you have been dunking.  That was being polite.  The salads were satisfactory.  The steaks were HUGE. Good, too.  They seem to have at last figured out how to cook meat.  It might be that they have changed suppliers or something also.  Desserts were good, but not notable.

Augusto got started talking about his childhood and comparing it to his own kid.  Jerry was waiting to take our dessert order the entire time he was talking, which was at least fifteen minutes.  He didn’t stop until Mario came by and interrupted him.  We don’t mind his talking in the slightest, but everyone else seems to think it annoys us.  

Josef had come by earlier and was convinced our steaks weren’t cooked to our liking because they were medium and not rare.  He says Americans always want their meat rare, so he just assumed. Why should we start conforming now?

Ger brought back his floppy disk so we could add his Medieval Night costume photo to it.  We’ve really caught on to a crowd pleaser with the crew with these digital photos.  They want to email them to their friends and family at home, so they’re thrilled when we offer to copy them to a disk or email it to them on board.

Monday, February 25 – Auckland, New Zealand – 8 AM-Midnight

Welcome to Auckland, the “City of Sails.”  Crystal Symphony’s stately arrival at New Zealand’s largest city is along the shores of an extinct volcanic cone known as Rangitoto, often visible to the east.  Auckland’s population of over one million people represents almost a third of the country’s total.

New Zealand seems to have a bit of everything: great natural beauty, friendly people, magnificent glacier studded mountain ranges, sculpted fjords, pristine untouched beaches, lush rainforest, an endless array of sporting activities, and, not to be forgotten, plenty of sheep and rolling farmland.

Auckland is the perfect city from which to experience most of what New Zealand has to offer.  The city lies astride a narrow isthmus between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean on two harbors, the Waitemata and Manukau.  Auckland and New Zealand’s geographic and cultural treasures beckon for your discovery.

An enthusiastic welcome awaits you at this thriving city by the sea.

Civilization at last!  And what a lovely civilization it is, too.  We are docked right at the foot of downtown Auckland.  The nearly new terminal is reminiscent of Canada Place in Vancouver with a Hilton Hotel at the end, expensive condominiums and shops down the center and a Hewlett-Packard building at the land end.  Getting to town is as easy as disembarking the ship and walking less than a block.

But, first things first.  We went up to the Lido for our usual breakfast of donuts and piles of pineapple and oranges.  The ship is practically empty already.  We attempted to change some money at the “Local Bank” table in the Crystal Plaza, but they were out of cash.  They said to come back in fifteen minutes, which we did.  Lo and behold, more money had appeared and we were all set.

Of course, before we can go ashore we have to get our obligatory port photos from the top of the ship.  It must have been quite a shock to both the people in the condos and the guests on the starboard side of the ship this morning.  Let’s hope the drapes were closed on both sides because you can practically reach out and touch one another.

Our plan is to walk up Queen Street, which is the main shopping and business street in town, veer off along Victoria to the SkyTower and then walk back to the port through Albert Park. 

Queen Street looks like any big city except the streets are clean and there is virtually no worry about crime.  The shops are upscale, but the prices are surprisingly reasonable.  Haircuts are $12 at the pier, $10 in town, and $7 on side streets.  The exchange rate is $1US = $2.2NZ.  So, even at the high end, a haircut is only $6US!  We found other things to be about half what they would cost at home, as well.  Considering that we are in the heart of the biggest city in New Zealand, that’s quite amazing.

The streets were busy with business people, college students, tourists, you name it.  We were surprised at the huge Asian population.  Apparently, there is a university around Albert Park, which probably explains the high concentration of young people.  Most of the shops catered to the locals.  There is a McDonald’s, Burger King or Subway on every corner.  Plus, of course, a hugely out of place Planet Hollywood that wasn’t exactly doing a booming business at lunchtime.

Once we turned onto Victoria for the three-block walk to the SkyTower, it was all up hill.  In more ways than one, the city is similar to San Francisco.  Except, in our opinion, it is much prettier and more manageable.

The SkyTower is the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere at over 1,000 feet.  It is the centerpiece attraction to a big complex called Sky City that consists of shops and offices, mostly the latter.  We had found a coupon for 10% off the admission to the tower.  At $15NZ each, it wasn’t a bad deal to begin with.

A glass elevator whisks you to the observation deck in about 40 seconds.  There, you can gaze in awe at the vistas all the way to the horizon in every direction.  The weather is nearly perfect today, so it was a great view.  For the brave, you can walk on the section around the edge that has glass panels in the floor and look straight down to the street below.  Dave hates that sort of thing, but he braved it right away.  It took considerable taunting to get Bill to walk on it though.  Even he was surprised at how creeped out he was by it.

Daredevils can go up one level and do a sort of free fall thing similar to bungee jumping.  They are guided to the ground, so there is no bouncing, but they stop directly in front of the observation deck so those looking out can see the horrified expression of the participant. 

We bought a souvenir at the gift shop to transform for our Christmas ornament collection, then , the next step was to ride a smaller elevator up to the Sky Deck.  There weren’t as many people there, but the view was the same.  Still, it was worth the small extra charge to add this perk.  An organized tour from the ship was crowding the observation level, so it was nice to get away from that crowd.  We figure they paid about $30 for something we did for $6.

From the tower, we walked back down to Queen Street to continue on the recommended route to the Town Hall.  This walk was only about four blocks and it was pleasant enough walking among the other pedestrians.  It is about as busy as New York without all the pushing and shoving.

We got a few photos of the Town Hall and the adjacent plaza.  This seemed to be the theater district with an old Opera House and several big old theaters similar to those one would see in London.

From here we cut across town to Albert Park, which is sort of the Central Park of Auckland.  On a much smaller scale, of course.  The walk through the park was pleasant and we were able to gaze in awe at yet another floral clock.

We made our way back to Queen Street and headed back toward the port area.  We took a few detours through some side streets of restored old buildings turned into shopping arcades.  None of the shops interested us, except Dave was able to find some saline solution he was using more of than anticipated.  The pharmacies here are easier to shop in because you just ask the clerk for what you have in mind and they get it for you.  The spray was half the price that it is at home, too.

There was a shop we saw earlier called Out of New Zealand that we wanted to stop and look at.  Everything there is made by local artists.  Dave shopped ‘til he dropped.  They insisted on gift wrapping everything complete with a seal made out of abalone shell.  For the kinds of things we bought, the prices were incredibly reasonable.  Some of the items are carved wooden boxes inlaid with abalone shell.  The wood is 5,000 – 10,000 years old.  You’ll have to wait until we get home and dig out the information sheets for any more than that.  In one ear, out the other you know.  We also bought a whimsical tea pot in bright colors with fish and mermaids all over it, plus some ceramic cartoonish seagulls that look like the have crashed into the wall.  Kellie, the Cruise Consultant, said we should have a show and tell activity.

Since we were by now loaded down with five huge bags of stuff, we had no choice but to return to the ship.  Originally, we planned to just have a snack and go back out, but our motivation waned once we sat down and promptly crashed.  We're just glad the weather was nice and cool today or we wouldn’t have made it as far as we did.

We missed lunch in the Dining Room today, but you don’t have to!

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Roast Beef High Roller with Horseradish Cream Cheese
Fresh, Oven-Baked Spinach, Onion and Cheese Pie
Avocado Stuffed with Poached Salmon and Creamy Lemon Herb Sauce
Pineapple, Papaya, and Melon Cup with Cherry Herring

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Broth with Julienne of Vegetables and Tortellini
Chicken Soup with Garlic, Saffron, Basil and Tomatoes
Chilled Cream of Herb with Smoked Salmon

Salad
Selected Field Greens Toasted in Green Goddess Dressing

Pasta Special
Mezze Rigate with Olive Oil, Chopped Tomatoes, Julienne of Prosciutto, Fresh Herbs, Mushrooms and Parmesan Cheese

Salad Entrees
Marinated Curried Seafood and Egg Salad
Roast Beef Plate

Main Fares
Grilled Black Angus Beef Paillard
Pan Fried Plaice Fillet
Sandwich of the Day – The Tuna Melt
Greek Moussaka

Vegetarian Selection
Vegetarian Tacos

Desserts
Irish Coffee Cream Cake
Chocolate Orange Tart à la Mode
Vanilla Cream Swan on Chocolate Mirror
Sugar-Free Blueberry Tarlet

We had cheeseburgers and pizza from the Trident Grill then went back to the room to clean up and rest.  Ural was in the hallway so we had to stand and chat with him for a few minutes. 

At 5:30pm, Ural brought our regular evening snacks and stayed to talk for a bit.  Lorna Luft arrived today, but he didn’t know who she was until we explained it.  He had no clue who Judy Garland was, but he did finally recognize Liza Minelli, so we made some progress.  He said he was glad we told him because he hadn’t known who Donald O’Connor was.  At that time, he had heard him singing in his cabin and Ural told him he should be a singer!  He was glad he won’t have to embarrass himself this time.

Bill had offered our tape of the Judy Garland biography TV movie produced by Lorna Luft to the Cruise Director.  He left a message saying he’d love to show it, so we took it down to the desk.  God forbid Lorna should bring a real copy for the ship with her.  Seems like it would be good publicity, doesn’t it? 

Dinner tonight is one open seating from 7:00pm – 9:00pm in the Dining Room or there is the alternative of dining at the Trident Grill with some additional items added from 6:30pm – 9:00pm.  We chose the Dining Room.

DINNER

Appetizers
Tempura Fried Soft Shell Crab with Red Pepper Aioli
Assorted Seafood on Marinated Vegetable Bouquet with Creamy Lemon Dressing
White Tomato Mousse with gin and Pumpernickel on Tomato Confit and Basil Oil
Iced Supreme of Tropical Fruit with Passion Fruit and Midori

From the Soup Kettle
Tomato Bisque with London Dry Gin
Beef Broth with Leek Strudel
Chilled Cream of Kadoka Figs with Nonfat Yogurt

Salads
Spring Lettuce with Onion Rings, Crumbled Blue Cheese and Roasted Peppers
Heart of Iceberg Lettuce with Sliced Red Skin Potatoes and White Bean Salad

Pasta Special
Linguini Prince of Naples

Salad Entrée
Grilled Petite Tuna Steak

Main Fares
Roasted Tom Turkey
Boiled Fresh Emperor Fillet
Grilled Calf’s Liver Venetian Style
Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak

Vegetarian Selection
Traditional Pierogies

Dessert
Honey Glazed Pecan Pie à la Mode
Chocolate Fudge Sheba with Raspberry Sauce
Passion Fruit Mousse with Fudge Sauce
Sugar-Free Mocha Cheese Cake
Sugar-Free Filo Cup Filled with Diet Ice Cream Fresh Fruits
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fresh Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen Banana Yogurt

Food review:  The tuna in the salad entrée was too raw to eat, but neither of us was hungry anyway.  The turkey was better than usual, but nothing special.  The Chocolate Fudge Sheba was basically a chocolate fudge cheesecake.  It was ruined by not being mixed enough, so the sugar wasn’t completely dissolved.  The mousse was acceptable.

The Dining Room was in a tizzy because of the open seating tonight.  We were seated at our regular table though.  There weren’t as many people there as usual, but it wasn’t as empty as we expected either.  Everything was delayed from start to finish because there were special orders and other minor things that contributed to the chaos.  They simply don’t handle anything out of their usual routine very well.  It didn’t matter to us because we weren’t going anywhere, but the waiters wanted to go ashore.  There was no way that was going to happen and they all realized it before we had left.

After dinner we went down to the Crystal Cove to look for Susanne to get her sky diving story.  She said she was scared to death at first, but once they jumped it was incredible and she highly recommends it.  She wanted to go again as soon as they were finished.  Let’s get this clear right off the bat…there is no way in hell that we are ever going to skydive, period.  We’re glad Susanne had fun though.

We took a stroll around the Sun Deck to look at the nighttime views of the city.  The people in the condos next door sure don’t seem to mind the lack of privacy.   Or maybe they just don’t realize that we can see in when their drapes are sheer and the lights are on inside.

Tuesday, February 26 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

Today started off nice and calm as we sailed toward the North Cape of New Zealand to begin the crossing of the Tasman Sea to Sydney.  The weather is overcast and in the high 60’s.

We received notice of an email, so we went down to Prego to check on it before lunch.  They have computers just for email set up there when the restaurant is closed.  It is the confirmation of our cabin for the Serenity Inaugural.  We didn’t notice until later, but the cabin we were assigned is directly across from the elevator lobby, so it won’t work for us.  Been there, done that.  Not again at these prices, sorry.

Josef was at the door to the Dining Room and he stopped us to convince us to move to Austria because “we can live like kings” in the village where he lives.  Once that discussion was finished, we moved on to discussing Crystal vs. Holland America.  Josef was appalled at how much the per diem is on Crystal.  Don’t they ever look at the brochure around here?  We had another pointless conversation about the fanciness of everything here and how there is no alternative.  He agrees that the casual option twice in 30 days isn’t worth the effort.  However, there is no way to make it a real alternative because when they first started it on Informal nights, people would wander around in shorts.  Duh!  What did you expect?  Honestly, there just isn’t a way to provide a casual alternative on a ship like this.

Josef walked into the Dining Room ahead of us and just raised his hand and we were rushed to our regular table.  We chose to sit at the one behind it that was set for two rather than make them change our table (it is set for four at lunch and main seating dinner).

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Avocado with Black Forest Ham and Tomato Salad
Fresh Black Mussels Provencal-Style with Garlic Bread
Blue Cheese Dip with Vegetable Sticks
Exotic Fruit Cup with Jamaican Rum

From the Soup Kettle
Spicy Corn Soup with Bell Peppers
Clear Vegetable Broth with Vermicelli
Chilled Yogurt and Peach Soup

Salad
Heart of Romaine Lettuce with Marinated Fennel and Radishes

Pasta Special
Chicken Florentine Lasagna

Salad Entrees
California Cobb Salad
Papaya with Black Bean Shrimp Salad

Main Fares
English Fish and Chips
California Hamburger with Guacamole and Bacon
Chinese Chicken Chow Mein
German Sauerbraten
Stuffed Baked Potato with Sliced Chicken, Vegetables and Yogurt Herb Cream

Vegetarian Selection
Eggplant and Zucchini Parmigiana

Desserts
White Chocolate Raspberry Cake à la Mode
Budapest Slice
Ice Coupe Belle Helene
Sugar-Free Lemon Cheesecake

Food review:  The chilled soup was very good.  The fish and chips were satisfactory, but not great.  The desserts were also just satisfactory.

There seems to be a contest to convince us to move to Austria, Italy, or Norway.  Not that we would consider any of those, but Italy would probably win over the others.  Josef says we can come visit him any time and he will cook for us.  We’ll believe that when we see it.

After lunch we rushed out to watch the only scenery we can expect for a few days.  We are sailing around the North Cape of New Zealand, which looks like a giant beach from this distance.  As soon as we rounded the bend, the sea became quite rough and the water in the Seahorse Pool began sloshing.  We noticed the deck was wet, but it was calm when we arrived.  Shortly thereafter, the waves started building and the water in the pool began moving.  Then, a huge dip and the pool exploded in a geyser all over the deck. 

So much for water in the pools today.  They ran out with “closed” signs and began draining the water.  Of course, two youngish men just had to jump in at that point.  The Deck Stewards freaked and made them get out.

The strange thing is that the Captain, in his morning announcement, said the sea would be calm for the next two days.  He has said that before about days that clearly have no chance of being a smooth ride.  Does he lie about it just so people don’t call and complain, or does he really not know?  Guests have been whining about how rough the Tasman Sea is, so it’s not as though anyone would be shocked if it is rough for the next few days.

Ural arrived with our usual snacks and stayed for a while to fill us in on crazy guest stories.  One involved a woman who had slap fights with her husband on their verandah so often that the guests on either side asked to move.  She would ask her butler what time he was off and then call and order dinner at that exact time, then send it back.  Finally, the Captain had to call her in to warn her.  She ended up being banned from Crystal.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal.  We spent so much time talking to Ural that we didn’t make it down to the lobby until fifteen minutes before dinnertime.

DINNER

Appetizers
White Sautéed Sea Scallops with Truffle-Vegetable Vinaigrette and Summer Greens
Fresh New Zealand Oysters on Ice with Red Wine Shallot Vinegar or Horseradish Sauce
Roasted Beet Napoleon  with Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette
Chilled Fruit Cocktail Tropical with Pineapple and Coconut

From the Soup Kettle
White Bean Soup Flavored with Truffle Oil
Chicken Consommé with Spinach Célestine
Chilled Cream of Asparagus

Salads
Mixed Garden Greens with Crisp Eggplant Chips
Fresh Spinach Salad Tossed in French Herb Dressing

Pasta Special
Herbed Ricotta Ravioli

Salad Entrée
Grilled Salmon Fillet on Marinated Vegetable Salad

Main Fares
Pan Roasted Kangaroo Loin
Broiled Fresh John Dory Fillet
Braised Lamb Shanks
Filet Steak “Mermaid”
Grilled Farmland Chicken Breast

Vegetarian Selection
Zucchini Pie

Dessert
Chocolate “Ooze” Cake with Vanilla Bean Cream and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Almond Cream Puffs with Mocha Sauce
Vanilla Ice Parfait with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Sugar-Free Apple Custard Pie
Sugar-Free Peach Crumble Tartlet
Homemade Cookies
Hammentaschen
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen Butter Pecan Yogurt

Food review:  The salads were satisfactory, as was the pasta.  The ravioli was topped with a julienne of sautéed peppers that was overpowering for the subtle cheese flavor.  The Filet Steak “Mermaid” is basically Surf and Turf.  The filet was outstanding.  It was accompanied by a giant prawn that was almost as big as a lobster.  It was a little tough, but had a nice flavor.  The dessert was above average, but not spectacular.

The conversation with Augusto and Jerry revolved around how Catholics handle the arrangements when someone dies.  Augusto’s version is the same as ours.  Jerry insisted that the hospital does everything.  He was sort of missing the point, but that’s how his logic usually works.  Jerry finally decided we should talk about something less depressing.

Ger’s hair was dyed dark brown and everyone was making fun of him.  It didn’t look all that bad, but it was a bit harsh.  He said that he was whining to one of the girls in the salon who is from Amsterdam about his thinning hair.  She decided she could do something about it and the next thing he knew she had slopped dye on his head.  The whole conversation was rather amusing, but you had to be there.

After dinner we ran into Kellie in the hallway.  She wanted to know when we were holding our open house to show off our purchases.  The bathtub is only half full so far, so we told her we had to wait until it was completely full.  We didn’t want to bother her with our Serenity problem when she wasn’t on duty, so it wasn’t mentioned.

While we were standing there, David de Havilland came up behind Bill and gave him a big bear hug and said, “Thank you so much for the tape!”  Kellie was dumbfounded.  God only knows what she thought was on that tape until we explained it was the Judy Garland story.

Tonight’s entertainment options include “David’s Family Show” and the Crystal Family “Sing Something Simple.”  There is also a jazz concert in the Palm Court, but everyone appeared to be waiting for it in the Crystal Cove.  The Crystal Family show consisted of the ship’s singers doing their own thing.  It was OK for what it was, but you probably wouldn’t pay good money to see it.  Unfortunately, the least talented of them is the new lead singer.  That doesn’t bode well for the next production show, does it?

To keep you posted on the sea conditions, it is still a little rocky, but it never got any worse than it was this afternoon.  It is very chilly outside tonight though, probably in the 50’s.  Although it was overcast all day, it never rained or looked much like it was going to.

Wednesday, February 27 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

An Australian Immigration Inspection required us to be up and ready to go by 10:00am.  Why this is necessary is anyone’s guess, but we have done it prior to an Australian arrival in the past.  We just had to show up in the Galaxy Lounge with our immigration card, pick up our passport, present everything to the inspectors, they stamp the passport, and we return everything to the Crystal representative.  If disembarking in Sydney, the guest would have kept everything and presented it ashore.  No one has asked for our Australian visa yet.

When we showed up in the Bistro at 10:30am, both Paulo and Antonio were flabbergasted.  Antonio looked like he just woke up, too.  There was a party for the crew last night and it showed.  We just had a light snack to tide us over until lunchtime, then we went out to check the weather.

It is cool and partly cloudy today.  Not too chilly to sit outside though.  There is no water in the Seahorse Pool today because it is still a little bit rough.

After that little detour, we went down to tell Kellie that we don’t want the cabin assigned to us for the Crystal Serenity Inaugural.  She winced when we told her what we wanted to do, but she said she would try to change it and to give her a few days.  Also, she said that so many people had complained about having to pay the deposit while they are still on this cruise, and thus have their credit cards become delinquent before getting home, that Crystal will allow us to charge it to our shipboard account.  That way our credit card won’t be billed until the day we disembark, but Crystal will show it as being paid.  Too bad we can’t apply our shipboard spending credit to it, but that’s life.

Today is the day for the Grand Gala Buffet in the Crystal Plaza.  The format has changed to a far superior scattered system of stations around the room rather than one huge line.  They used this type of arrangement for the Sunday Brunch and it was much more efficient.  We watched from above and it was plainly obvious to us that this works much better.  Everyone was served within fifteen minutes, there was never a line anywhere, and it looked even fancier than it usually does.  They had several ice sculptures on tables by themselves, a chef demonstrating how they make fruit and vegetable sculptures, the usual line of vegetables and carved meats, the huge dessert display, a table of fruit, tossed salads, bread, etc.  Pigs must be flying somewhere because the goopy creamed spinach was being served in individual bowls rather than slopped on the plates!

It was also obvious to us that they don’t pay attention to what the guests do and, in most cases, do not eat.  They are still serving some sort of sauce with the overwhelmingly popular shrimp and crab that no one ever touches (there is regular cocktail sauce there, too).  The design on the top of the two big bowls of it isn’t even disturbed and it never is.  WHY DO THEY STILL SET OUT TWO HUGE BOWLS OF THIS STUFF???  Sigh.  Still, we’ll take whatever changes we can get.  God knows it took five years for them to eliminate the midnight buffet that no one ever even looked at.

Actually, we know why they don’t notice what people don’t eat.  All of the officers in charge of these things were out playing paddle tennis not more than 30 minutes after the buffet started.  It had an hour yet to run.  Maybe they have someone to keep track of what comes back untouched, but we kind of doubt it.

GRAND GALA BUFFET
Our expert galley staff has prepared a sumptuous
Grand Gala Buffet today.  Below is our
alternative luncheon served from the galley.

Appetizer
Chilled Fruit Cup with Bananas and Strawberry Topping

Soups
Potage Garbure with Croutons
Chicken Consommé with Liver Dumplings

Salad
Assorted Garden Greens with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Pasta Special
Fusilli Pasta with Baby Shrimp, Clams, Green Peppercorns, Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Main Fares
Sautéed Shrimp Brochette
Turkey Club Sandwich
Grilled Minute Steak

Vegetarian Selection
Grilled Vegetable Plate

Desserts
Caramel Flan
Sugar-Free Ice Coupe Denmark

By the way, the lunch menu you see above, with the exception of the soups, is basically the selection from the “always available” room service menu.  We went up to the Lido and had the Asian selection of Sliced Beef in Brown Sauce.  It was quite tasty.  When we arrived at the tray pick up zone, the waiter handed us trays ahead of another man in front of us.  He wasn’t annoyed, but he said, “I guess you serve the VIP’s more enthusiastically than us little people.” 

The weather is nice enough to sit outside.  By this time, most of the clouds were gone and it was quite pleasant outside.  Not too hot or humid.  An officer came out to look at the pool, but we don’t know if they decided to fill it or not.  By the way, the Neptune Pool, which is smaller, has had water in it all day.  It’s mainly the length of the Seahorse Pool that allows enough momentum to build to slosh the water out.  Lilibeth, the singer in the Starlite Orchestra, stopped to chat.  She said they all got wet yesterday when the water first came out and up onto the stage.  She jumped, but everyone else’s shoes were soaked along with their instrument cases and some equipment.  They had to stop playing a half hour earlier than usual.

As usual, the rest of the afternoon was spent in the cabin.  We’re sure glad we moved up a notch for this cruise.  This size is big enough for two people to be comfortable sitting on the sofa or chair without blocking the entire pathway.

Ural brought a huge tray of chips and bowls of salsa and guacamole.  Someone new must be making the snack plates because they are arranged differently and the guacamole isn't as good.  Ural said that some guests heard about the crew party in the Starlite Club tonight and complained so much that they were moved to Penthouse Deck for the night and sent champagne by the Captain.  This is only because they MIGHT hear the noise because their cabin is above the Starlite Club.  

Now, keep in mind that the Starlite Club usually closes at midnight.  The crew parties must end at 2:00am.  So, we're talking two extra hours of maybe some noise.  Tomorrow is a sea day, so who cares if you miss a couple hours sleep IF it happens to be loud enough to bother you?  

This Crew Party is an annual event during the World Cruise that is paid for by Mr. & Mrs. Cayton.  They are the ones who are in the Crystal Penthouse every year.  They're very generous to the staff, which is really nice to see.  Any crewmember who mentions them carries on about how nice they are to them.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal.  We had time to go to Palm Court for a while before dinner and to wish Felix a happy birthday.  The crewmembers don’t seem to be aware that their name is broadcast on TV when it is their birthday.  They always ask how we found out and we always say, “We know everything.”

DINNER

Appetizers
Fried Shrimp and Tasso on Five Pepper Jelly and Spicy Sauce
Mille Feuille from Salmon with Asparagus Salad and Sevruga Caviar
Fresh Artichoke with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
Iced Pineapple, Strawberry, Mango, Banana Cup

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Consommé with Egg Noodles and Mushrooms
Light Cream of Minestrone with Olive Bread
Chilled Cream of Apricot with Low-Fat Yogurt

Salads
Crunchy Boston Lettuce, Served with Chopped Plum Tomatoes, Red Onion Rings, and Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Assorted Summer Salad with Feta Cheese, Garbanzo Beans, and Spring Onions

Pasta Special
Fettuccine al Salmone

Salad Entrée
Marinated Roasted Tenderloin Salad

Main Fares
Pan Fried Fresh Grouper Fillet
Roasted French Duck Brigarde
Braised Oxtail
Herb Marinated Grilled Australian Lamb Chops
Roasted Skinless Duck Breast

Vegetarian Selection
Potato Fingers

Dessert
Frozen Milk Chocolate and Amaretto Mousse Pie
Orange Angel Food Cake with Fruit Sauce
Pistachio Napoleon with Chocolate Rum Sauce
Sugar-Free Apple Compote
Sugar-Free Puff Pastry Filled with Tropical Fruits
Homemade Cookies
Hammentaschen
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen, Non-Fat Butter Pecan Yogurt

Food review:  There’s not really much to say about the food tonight.  All of it was satisfactory, but nothing stands out as special. 

The Dining Room was more than half empty, so we spent most of the evening talking to Augusto and Ger.  Jerry came around once in a while, but he was talking to his other party of two tonight.  Augusto and Ger are both fun to talk to, so we don’t mind at all if they talk to us.  Jerry is more serious, but he sometimes lightens up and says something amusing.

Bill gave Ger a magazine he was finished with, which thrilled him.  He said his boyfriend keeps calling and emailing him to get him to jump ship in Sydney and come home.  He has no intention of doing that because, “When I start something I want to finish it.”  That’s a good attitude to have.

We offered to pay for Jerry to go on the China overnight, but we don’t know yet if he will take us up on it.  At first, he said he wanted to earn it himself, but we tried to convince him that we have so much onboard spending credit that it will go to waste if we don’t use it somehow.  That is true, of course, but we’re not sure if he bought it.  It’s such a small amount that even if we were paying it out of pocket it is still less than we would give him as a bonus tip at the end anyway.

Tonight’s entertainment is the internationally renowned “Three Australian Tenors.”  Before dinner, there was another Repertory at Sea presentation of “Love Letters.”  An announcement was made ten minutes before this show to “remind” us about it.  That always means no one is there.  We missed the tenors because we didn’t get out of the dining room early enough.

Thursday, February 28 – Cruising the Tasman Sea

 Although we were up early enough, we didn’t leave the room in time for breakfast or even the Bistro snacks.  It’s not a big deal because there are always bananas in the room to tide us over.

We turned in our departure forms for Australia to the Front Desk and then sat in the Crystal Cove.  Susanne came over to talk about the sky diving again.  They are showing the video they got with the package on the TV, so we had seen it by the time we saw here today.  She has booked another shot at it in Cairns.

When we walked into the Dining Room, Jerry began waving and pointing at a table for us to be seated at by the window.  He spoke to Crew Accounting and they said it is OK for us to pay for his excursion to Beijing.  He was speechless trying to thank us, saying it means so much to him that he doesn’t know what to say.  We said, “It is our pleasure to serve you,” which is what it says on the name tag on our table.

Ger was wasted from the party last night that he intended only to pop in for a few seconds.  He stayed until 3:30am.  Obviously, the party wasn’t over at the scheduled 2:00am.  Maybe those guests who switched cabins for the night knew something we didn’t.  He was also ecstatic over the magazine we gave him yesterday.

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Melon Fan with Baby Shrimp, Prawns and European Cocktail Sauce
Tune Empanadas with Salsa Verde
Grilled Vegetable Carpaccio with Goat Cheese Crouton
Chilled Fruit Cup with Yogurt Mango Topping

From the Soup Kettle
Curried Cream of Cauliflower and Apple Soup
Chicken Broth with Poached Eggs
Chilled Cream of Sour Cherries

Salad
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Dill-Marinated Cucumbers

Pasta Special
Spaghetti Vongole – Fresh Clams, Garlic, White Wine, and Cream

Salad Entrees
Salmon Niçoise Salad
Israeli Cous Cous Salad

Main Fares
Grilled Filet Mignon Sandwich
Mixed Grill of the Ocean
Old Fashioned Chicken in the Pot
Eggplant Stuffed with Gulf Coast Crab Meat

Vegetarian Selection
Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with Cous Cous, Mushrooms and Pine Nuts

Desserts
Carrot Cake à la Mode
Floating Island on Fruit Mirror
Chocolate Slice with Whipped Cream
Sugar-Free Vanilla Éclair

Food review:  The soup had too much chopped cherry skin in it, but it tasted alright.  The Chicken in a Pot comes with two huge Matzo balls along with what is basically a chunky chicken noodle soup.  It is quite good and the closest thing one can get to a simple entrée on this ship.  The Carrot Cake was very good and was topped with a tiny carrot made of marzipan, complete with tiny green leaves and folds in the carrot.  Someone has way too much time on his hands back in the galley.

The weather today is overcast and in the mid 70’s.  The waves are fairly small, so the ship isn’t moving as much as it has been.  There is just enough motion to indicate we are indeed on a moving vessel and not in a hotel.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal. This is the night for the Captain’s Gala Farewell Reception.  We did attend the reception, but we bypassed the receiving line and went in the side door.  Kellie was there manning, what she called, the Express Lane.  Mel and Barbara arrived the same way and sat directly across from us.  The party was as usual, with an amusing speech by the Captain.  He always speaks off the cuff, so it doesn’t sound as canned as some of them do.

Our dinner reservation for tonight is in Jade Garden at 8:30pm, but here is the Dining Room menu so you can choose which you would prefer.

CAPTAIN’S GALA DINNER

Appetizers
Iced Russian Sevruga Caviar with Traditional Condiments, Blinis and Melba Toast
Pâté de Fois Gras with Warm Brioche and Port Wine Gelée
Gulf Shrimp in Root Vegetable Aspic
Combination of Tropical Fruits, Sprinkled with Drambuie

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Asparagus Argenteuil
Consommé Double with Stuffed Morels

Salad
The Captain’s Salad

Sherbet
Refreshing Kir Royal Sherbet

Pasta Special
Capellini Pasta with Light Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Topped with Grilled Scallops

Salad Entrée
Crunchy Garden Greens with Walnut Dressing and a Grilled Chicken Breast

Main Fares
Broiled King Crab Legs
Roasted Stuffed Wild Pheasant Breast
Filet of Beef Wellington
Sautéed Veal Medallions “Provencal”

Vegetarian Selection
Irish Cobbler Potato Strudel

Dessert
The American Institution – Baked Alaska Flambé en Parade
Vanilla Cinnamon Mousse with Lingonberry Sauce
Sugar-Free Chocolate Mousse Cake
Tropical Fruit in Season
Plantation Pralines, Truffles and Petit Fours

When we arrived at Jade Garden we thought maybe we had the wrong night.  One of the glass doors was closed and there were no guests inside.  There was a group of staff and a bunch of waiters in the back. 

While standing at the podium waiting for someone to notice us, we looked at the reservation list to be sure we should be there.  Next to our name, highlighted, was the word, “ATTENTION!”  We can’t imagine the service being any more attentive here than it usually is.

Five, count ‘em, five waiters fawned over us the entire time.  They now offer the option of ordering the food family style, but we found out quickly that it doesn’t mean you get to pick what you want.  You choose which soup you prefer and they then serve everything on the menu.  One at a time.  Well, they did bring three of the appetizers together, then served the Peking Duck separately.  Everything else was served one item at a time in microscopic portions.  However, with one taste of everything, we were satisfied with the amount of food we received in spite of the total disregard for what we actually thought we ordered.

The waiters in Jade Garden are all Filipino, so they remember our name from the very first cruise.  Each one of them can probably tell you the exact date we last saw him, which itinerary it was, etc.  They practically fall all over themselves to serve us.  Our dinner plates and silver were changed four times!  God forbid the sauce from one dish should touch another.

JADE GARDEN MENU

Appetizers
Shrimp Tempura
Thai Spices Marinated Chicken Sate
Shrimp and Cabbage Spring Rolls
Peking Duck
Assorted Japanese Sushi
Spicy Tuna Roll, Smoked Salmon, Unagi Eel, Shrimp Roll, California Roll

Soups
Chicken Velvet Corn Soup
Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup
Hong Kong-Style Won Ton Soup
Hot and Sour Soup

Entrees
Thai Lobster
Tender cold water lobster with wok-fried shitake mushrooms flavored with Thai crushed herbs and hot sesame oil.
Wok Seared Beef Tenderloin Slices
with Kaffir Lime-flavored soy-shallot-rice wine sauce and crispy spinach
Golden Sesame Shrimp
Golden fried gulf shrimp tossed in hot sweet and sour sauce served with bamboo steamed assorted vegetables
Orange-Flavored Chicken
Lightly breaded chicken, stir-fried and tossed in fresh orange peel sauce, surrounded by baby greens
Seafood Lo Mein
Stir-fried fresh egg noodles with mixed seafood and julienne of vegetables tossed in Chef’s special sauce
Wok-Seared Sea Bass Fillet
In white wine truffle-flavored black bean sauce, served on steamed Chinese baby greens and mushrooms

All dishes are served with your choice of either steamed white rice, brown rice or vegetable fried rice.

Tonight’s Specials
Spicy Crisp-Fried Beef

Desserts
Dessert Sampler
Ginger Cream Brulee, Chocolate Spice Cake, Green Tea Ice Cream, Lychee and Jack Fruit
Caramelized Rice Pudding
with Fresh Fruit and Raspberry Sauce
The Crème Brulee Sampler
Try One of Each:
Ginger, Passion Fruit, and Coffee Crème Brulee
Green Tea Ice Cream
Mango Sherbet

Food review:  The only item that is somewhat disappointing is the Shrimp Tempura.  They just can’t get it crispy.  It tastes great, but is always soggy.  The other appetizers were satisfactory.  The corn soup was excellent and a huge improvement over the past.  It is basically the same, but it has a more complex flavor than is has in previous years.  All of the entrée selections were very good.  Even the lobster was good.  The Sesame Shrimp and the Spicy Beef were outstanding, with the beef getting a slight edge over the shrimp.  The beef was not in the slightest spicy.  We’ve decided that they don’t know the correct meaning of “spicy.”  All of the items in the dessert sampler were outstanding, as well.

The new décor in this restaurant is a vast improvement over the cold, institutional feeling it used to have.  The windows are covered with shoji screens with a modern touch, the walls are a dark reddish brown and they have sponge painted the strange light pods that hang from the ceiling.  The glass bridge that used to be at the entry is gone, but the fiber optic waterfall is still there.  They have added additional spot lights and contemporary wall sconces.  One weird thing we noticed is the music.  At first we thought it was just your basic Chinese music with no recognizable tune.  After we listened closely, it turned out to be popular songs like “Music of the Night” and such played on Chinese instruments!

Deiter, the Headwaiter for Jade Garden, offered to let us make reservations for the next cruise right now so we could avoid the line next time.  We never have had to wait in a line for a reservation anyway.  We just wait a few days after a segment begins and there is never any problem getting into either Prego or Jade Garden.  We usually go on formal nights, which are the least popular for the alternative restaurants.  Besides, we don’t care which night or what time we go, so it makes it easy to get in.  One time we just barged into Prego without a reservation and they seated us, although we don’t recommend doing that.  It pays to be pleasant to the right people, you know.  In any case, when you are on the Penthouse Deck your butler makes all of the reservations for you.

Tonight’s entertainment is a “Celebrity Night Out,” featuring Lorna Luft paying tribute to the music of Jerry Herman, Peter Allen, and Burt Bacharach.  Jeff came over and was his usual cynical self about her.  We weren’t really expecting much, but she was outstanding.  She did a pleasant program of popular songs by the promised composers and her patter was appropriate.

Today sure was Judy Garland day on board.  Not only was “The Wizard of Oz” the movie in the theater, but they played the tape we brought on the TV all day!  David made Jeff edit out all of the commercials, so it looked fine.  David thanked us again for giving it to him.  You sure would think Lorna would have brought a copy with her, but guess again.  She even mentioned it during her show (not us, just the fact that she produced it and hoped we were all enjoying watching it on the cabin TV.)

It was amusing when Lorna said she is getting off in Sydney to participate in the Mardi Gras Parade.  She didn’t bother to mention that it is a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, however.  Our Shore Excursion people talked about it at length in the port lecture though.  She did say she would be riding on a float, but didn’t say that it will be surrounded by 200 Dorothy impersonators!  Sounds kind of fun, doesn’t it?  Too bad we sail at the exact time it starts.

Friday, March 1 – Arrive Sydney, Australia – 9:30 AM

The billowing profile of the Opera House greets Crystal Symphony on her return to Sydney’s glorious, world-class harbor.  Ahead lies the arch of the Harbour Bridge.  These twin symbols, more than any other, identify one of the Southern Hemisphere’s premier cities.

Sydney is an energetic and exciting metropolis whose nightlife, shopping and fine restaurants compare favorably with the finest the world has to offer.  Despite its modern advances, Sydney has lovingly cherished its heritage, for this was the birthplace of the Australian nation.

Combine Sydney’s boundless attractions with its superb harbor side location, and you have that certain magic few other cities can rival.

For several days now, we have been advised to be up and out on deck for the arrival in Sydney Harbor.  It is touted as the most beautiful sail-in in the world.  So, we got up at the first announcement, which is 7:45am.

No kidding it is beautiful!  This city is often compared to San Francisco.  Sorry, but San Francisco can’t even come close to competing with Sydney on beauty, cleanliness, culture, or anything else.  Sydney is definitely in the top five most beautiful modern cities on earth.

Our arrival was accompanied by the blowing of the ship’s whistle in order to wake up one of the Captain’s friends in his high-rise apartment on the waterfront.  We wonder how thrilled the other tenants are though.

The stunning harbor has many beautiful inlets and coves, all filled with sail boats and ships of every kind.  Ferries run every which way connecting the city with the suburbs across the water.  The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge serve as the city’s main icons.  The gleaming skyline rivals that of New York or any great city.

Construction cranes are everywhere you look on the horizon.  We were told that this is the fastest growing city in the world and it certainly looks it.  However, many old buildings have been preserved and updated for modern life.  One can’t ask for a better combination.

After an earlier than usual breakfast in the Lido, we went up to the Sun Deck to take our regular port photos of the city skyline from our location in Darling Harbor.  Across the water are a huge resort/casino complex and a variety of museums, mostly of a nautical nature.  There is also a space shuttle there, but we don’t know any more than that about it.

This is not the regular docking location.  Ordinarily, ships dock directly across from the Opera House in The Rocks area.  We are located adjacent to Darling Harbor, which is a complex of restaurants, cafes and bars surrounding a horseshoe-shaped cove.  Unlike developments of this sort in the United States, this one appears to be thriving.

We took the complimentary shuttle bus to The Rocks to find the office for the Bridge Climb so we wouldn’t have to search for it tomorrow.  Ger was on the shuttle also and asked if he could walk with us to the Visitor Center for a map.  Of course, we said that is fine with us.  We could see that he wasn’t really sure what to do, so we asked if he wanted to stay with us.  He jumped at the chance.  He did say later that they aren’t supposed to spend time with the guests either on the ship or ashore, so he decided not to mention it to Jerry.

The office for Bridge Climb is just up the street and up a flight of steps to another level. It is no more than a five minute walk, if that.  We stopped at the Visitor Center on the way to pick up a better map than we had already.  The center is in a restored old building on the water and was set up very nicely. 

The Rocks is the original settlement of Sydney and is in pristine condition.  All of the old buildings have been restored and turned into shops and restaurants.  It is absolutely spotless, safe and friendly. 

From the shopping street, we took a short walk down to Circular Quay for the stunning view of the Opera House and some photo ops for Ger to email home.  This is the center of transportation and city life.  There are many well-organized piers with ferries to various points around the harbor leaving every few minutes.  The skyscrapers of Sydney tower over the waterfront, mixing old and new.

Our walk continued all the way around the Quay to the Sydney Opera House on the point.  They are currently in the process of restoring the interior to its original appearance when it was completed in 1972.  The roof is made up of an intricate pattern of white ceramic tiles that is not evident from a distance.  The wide plaza that surrounds it is somewhat stark, with no trees or plantings, but it suits its purpose as a promenade.

The view from the front of the Opera House back along the harbor is quite scenic, as is the view of the Harbour Bridge.  From this location, we strolled through the Royal Botanic Garden, which is more like the Central Park of Sydney. 

We made our way through the center of the park, past the old Government House that is now used for receptions and official parties, and to the outskirts of downtown.  We walked several blocks through the skyscrapers of downtown to the major shopping artery of Pitt Street.

It is a walk of about ten blocks from here to the Sydney Tower, which is our destination at this point.  One couldn’t wish for a more attractive city than this.  It is like New York without any trash or graffiti.  There is a lot of traffic, but it is orderly.  The sidewalks are crowded, but there is no pushing or rudeness.  Everyone is beyond friendly and accommodating.  There is no hint of crime or poverty.

The last few blocks are pedestrian-only and it sports a festive market atmosphere, although it is more like Disneyland than flea market.  Venerable department stores, such as Grace Brothers, line the boulevard.  The Strand is a covered Victorian arcade that is chocked full of upscale shops of a local nature as well as Gucci and the like.

The Sydney Tower is located atop Centerpoint, which is a multi-story complex of shops and restaurants.  We treated Ger to the Tower and Skytour.  The Skytour is a telling of the history of Australia using a variety of different multi-media presentations.  Honestly, this is not Disneyland, but it was OK for what it is. 

The first part consists of sitting in the dark wearing headphones for surround sound telling the early history of the first convicts’ arrival and settlement of the city.  Next we move on into a revolving theater with dioramas in front of each section onto which is projected a narrator and a variety of other scenes.  After this we were taken into a faux cave where we listened to a brief description of the Aborigines and their beliefs.  From here, we are taken into the virtual reality theater and strapped into moving banks of seats for a trip over Australia complete with wind and water mist at appropriate intervals.  This would have been better if the side screens had been working, but it was acceptable anyway.

Next step is to take an elevator up to the Observation Deck.  This tower is older than the one in Auckland, so it doesn’t sport glass floors or bungee jumping, but the view is nonetheless stunning.  We had a bird’s eye view of the ship in Darling Harbor, the entire vista of Sydney Harbor, and the Botanic Garden and Farm Cove.  The whole thing was well worth the money and Ger thought it was fabulous.

By now it was after 3:00pm and Ger has to report back to the ship by 5:00pm.  We have now been walking non-stop since 11:00am, which is a really long time for us!  Still, we continued walking toward Darling Harbor, passing the Queen Victoria Building on the way.  This is an old building that has been beautifully converted to very upscale shopping.

The walk to Darling Harbor is about six blocks across the city.  We crossed a pedestrian bridge and ended up right in the heart of the modern complex of cafes and bars.  Ger went to make a phone call home while we secured a water view table in one of the cafes for lunch.

We really only wanted a light lunch and judging by the prices we thought that’s what we would get.  Wrong!  Bill’s mixed grill was a huge platter with enough different kinds of meat to feed four people.  Dave’s Grilled Chicken Salad filled an entire dinner plate.  Ger’s Grilled Shrimp not only filled the entire rim of a plate with shrimp, but was completed by an enormous shrimp cake in the center.

We wouldn’t want you to miss out what was served on board Crystal Symphony today!

LUNCHEON

Appetizers
Tartar of Salmon, Garnished with Dill Cucumber Salad
Marinated Beef Brisket in Vintage Balsamic, Garnished with Petit Potato Salad
Golden Fried Red Beet on Horseradish Sauce with Marinated Salad
Supreme of Fresh Fruit with Green Grapes

From the Soup Kettle
Light Cream of Herb with Grilled Diced Chicken
Clear Beef Broth with Pistachio Quenelles
Chilled Apple-Honey Yogurt Soup with Mint

Salad
Marinated Red Cabbage Salad, Topped with Pecans and Feta Cheese

Pasta Special
Shell Pasta “Papolina” – Tomato Sauce, Cream, Peas, Mushrooms, Ham, Onions and Parsley

Salad Entrees
Tossed Sweet and Sour Chicken Salad
Crisp Fried Calamari on a Bed of Garden Leaves

Main Fares
Sandwich of the Day – Hot Pastrami
Grilled Marinated Sea Perch Fillet
Traditional Australian Shepherd’s Pie
Braised Stuffed Beef Paillard

Vegetarian Selection
Carrot and Zucchini Croquettes

Desserts
Pear and Honey Crumble with Vanilla Sauce
Gateau St. Honoré
Cassata Palermo Style
Sugar-Free Fruit Trifle

Ger went off to find a taxi and we continued our walk to the end of the entertainment complex.  Passing under an elevated highway we find ourselves in a sort of children’s amusement area that looked to be not quite as successful as the rest of the development.  Even so, it wasn’t run down or sinister in any way.  Beyond this is a Chinese Garden surrounded by an array of interesting modern fountains.  It is now after 5:00pm, so we decided to finish the walk to the head of the harbor, via a stroll past the modern convention center and back to the shopping complex. 

We made a short detour through a shopping mall and picked up some souvenirs.  We also changed our New Zealand currency into Australian, which we promptly spent.

There is a monorail that circles the entire Darling Harbor complex and back downtown to the Sydney Tower area.  It was only $2AU ($1 US) to ride, so we did the complete circle just to see if we had missed anything (we hadn’t).  The last stop of the monorail put us near the Sydney Aquarium and the walkway back toward the ship.

Past the aquarium and directly adjacent to the ship, is another stretch of lively bars and upscale restaurants, including several showboats.  Unfortunately, there is a construction site next to the dock area, so we have to detour around the block to get to the entrance to the terminal.  That’s not a big problem and we are back on board by 7:00pm.

Directly across from the ship is a huge, modern resort/casino complex with an enormous light display in the center.  We went up on top of the ship to take in the nighttime views of the stunning skyline and surrounding lights.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual.  We aren’t hungry at all, but thought we should eat something or we’d probably be hungry by bed time.

DINNER

Appetizers
Chilled Crab Meat-Lobster Cocktail with American Cocktail Sauce
Ragout of Morels, Chicken, and Asparagus in Puff Pastry Bouchons
Cilantro-Flavored Artichoke Terrine with Marinated Quail Eggs
Selected Fruit Marinated in Campari with Kiwi and Strawberry

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Peppers
Veal Consommé with Herb Biscuit
Chilled Green Gazpacho

Salads
Mesclun of Lettuce with Gorgonzola Croutons and Walnut Vinaigrette
Heart of Iceberg Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomatoes, and Bell Pepper Rings

Pasta Special
Elbow Macaroni alla Cecca

Salad Entrée
Apple Potato Salad

Main Fares
Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Stuffed Leg of Lamb
Pan Fried Fresh Orange Roughy Fillet
Chinese Sweet and Sour Prawns
Grilled Marinated Rumpsteak

Vegetarian Selection
Sautéed Vegetables Stuffed in Filo Pastry Pockets

Dessert
Chocolate Mocha Mousse Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Rhubarb Strawberry Streusel Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream
Tiramisu “Venezia” with Espresso Sauce
Sugar-Free Hazelnut Cream Cake
Sugar-Free Boiled Bananas with Diet Ice Cream
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Freshly Frozen Raspberry Yogurt

Food review:  All of the food was satisfactory, but when you’re not particularly hungry, it’s not very exciting.

Ger was being coy all night about spending the day with us.  He did tell Jerry he had run into us at the restaurant, so he shouldn’t expect us to be hungry tonight.  Jerry couldn’t believe it when we only ordered fruit and soup.  All we had for dessert was frozen yogurt.

Ger planned to go out this evening to see what was happening at the International Gay and Lesbian Festival.  He wanted us to go with him, but we know it will be a late night and we have to be up and ready to go for the Bridge Climb tomorrow.  That isn’t something we would ordinarily do anyway.  If it was there in front of us, we would look at it, but we wouldn’t make much of an effort to see it, although we hear it’s “quite a hoot” as one person put it.

The weather today could not be more perfect.  It is in the mid 70’s with just a few wispy clouds now and then.  A slight ocean breeze keeps the air moving, so it is outstanding weather for strolling the city.  Even after dark, a jacket wasn’t necessary.

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