Week 2 (3/11

According to the Captain this morning, it poured rain all night. But, there is no evidence of it today as it is bright and sunny now. It is still rather humid, but the temperature is kept in line by a steady breeze. The sea is flat. We’re sailing among some islands, at least one of which belongs to Timor. We’re not sure, but it seems that the course has been altered and we are not actually in the Indian Ocean at the moment.

We didn’t make it out for breakfast today. Susanna, Rosalina and Ural were all outside of our door when we emerged at noon. Our intention was to go to the Lido, but the selection offered there didn’t appeal to us. So, off we went to the Dining Room.

A waiter started to take us to the other side of the room, but Augusto ran over and kidnapped us to Jerry’s station. It doesn’t matter to us who serves us at lunch, but it does seem to matter to Jerry. Yesterday, we were seated at Fernando’s table, but Jerry took over as soon as the order was placed.

Appetizers
Avocado Boat with Poached Salmon and Dill Mayonnaise
Marinated Asparagus 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 Vegetable Roulade
Cold Cream of Oranges with Low Fat Yogurt

Main Fares
Herb Marinated Spare Ribs
Fresh Salmon Fillet in Phyllo Pastry
Country Style Meatballs
Sandwich of the Day – The Reuben
Grilled Herb-Marinated Chicken Breast

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

Food review: Although the title of the fruit cup indicates cherries, they were not included. Goes to show you that the fruit cup is exactly the same every day regardless of what the menu claims. The cold soup was very good. The chicken fingers were great. Very crispy. Too bad they can’t make the tempura in Jade Garden that crispy. The meatball dish was satisfactory.

The Reflections program stated that there is a Cuisine of the Sun Buffet around the Neptune Pool today. Since that already happened two days ago, we know it's a mistake, but one that should have been caught before printing.

Augusto wants to make pasta for us tonight, which is fine because we don’t like the Neptune Dinner menu very much anyway. He is annoyed because “those people with name tags” always demand the best tables, which are supposed to be used by those of us who actually pay for passage. He refuses to seat them at window tables. Today he went so far as to insist on seating one of them at a group table, which is how it should be. By “people with name tags” he means the guest lecturers and entertainment.

We are still sailing past large tropical islands this afternoon. Most appear to be uninhabited or barely so. Since we aren’t sure where we are anymore, we can’t tell you exactly what country we are passing. This is not the originally planned route so the heading on the days won’t mean much until we are in port.

After lunch we went up to Sun Deck to look at the view and the passing islands. They are in the process of disassembling the big stage that was set up for last night’s festivities. Of course, this is right in the middle of the lounge chairs occupied by guests on this beautiful day. No matter, it must be done right now!

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the cabin napping and playing computer games.

Tonight’s dress code is Formal. This was supposed to be the second the three Formal Nights during this cruise, which is, in our opinion, plenty. However, there is a notice in today’s Reflections that there will be another one added. Obviously, someone forgot that they need one for the night of the Crystal Society Party. We wouldn't want to deviate from the formula, now would we?

We went down to drop off our RSVP for the luncheon at Raffles in Singapore. Billy and Jessica wanted to chat, so we stayed there for quite a while. Jessica worked on the Silversea ship that was laid up. She heard that it has been reinstated already, many months earlier than originally planned. So, maybe there is some hope for Silversea left.

The fake Olympic torch is now in the lobby next to the fountain. This is where they present the day’s medals. Obviously, most people aren’t involved enough to attend the medal ceremony because an announcement had to be made to “remind” us of it this afternoon.

The Virginia Gentlemen performed for about fifteen minutes in front of the fountain. This is a great way to use them. It’s just a nice diversion without having to listen to an à capella group for an entire hour. Renato joined us watching and told us they have been on board before and did the same type of shows. We made an appointment to meet with him tomorrow afternoon to discuss arrangements for the Asian ports of call.

Appetizers
Crisp Soft-Shell Crab on Three Bean Salad with Sauce Aioli and Chili Oil
Caviar Napoleon
Fresh Artichoke with Tomato-Herb Vinaigrette
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 Tuna Steak in Pepper Crust
Pan Fried Scallops
Golden Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu

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

Food review: The Melon Flip tasted alright, but it had an odd gelatinous consistency. Salads were satisfactory. The Manhattan Clam Chowder was a cream soup, so it should have been called New England style. The clams were as snappy as rubber bands. Dave whined about the Chicken Cordon Bleu having mushrooms in it, so Augusto made the chef make new ones without mushrooms. This is, by the way, the correct way to make it. Cordon Bleu should only be stuffed with ham and cheese, not mushrooms. Augusto made a simple pasta with just garlic, chili flakes and olive oil. We had just pasta and either the chicken or the “Turf” part of the Surf and Turf. Everything was very good. The Chocolate Terrine “Harlequin” wasn’t the proper design to be Harlequin, which Jerry pointed out when it arrived. Instead of being clearly dark and white, it was marbled.

Dave brought one of the cheap watches he bought before the cruise that is too big for him. He did a Cinderella thing and had Jerry try it on first. It was too big for him, too. He probably would have taken it anyway, but Augusto came by and it fit him, so he claimed it. We’ll give the fake diamond watch to Jerry later. We’ll have to try to remember to do this again. It’s very inexpensive and they are thrilled to get them. We didn’t lead them to think they were expensive or anything like that, but Augusto was still very happy to get it.

According to Jerry, tonight was a disaster. We didn’t have any problems and we didn’t see anyone complaining, but whatever happened really upset him. The two things he mentioned, an overcooked steak and tough salmon, were not his fault and the guests knew it. However, he was very disturbed about it. He said that they get in bigger trouble than usual if someone complains during the World Cruise. We think he’s overreacting.

Tonight’s entertainment is “An Evening at the Pops” with Piano Virtuoso Nana Mukhadze, “A major artist evoking sensual sounds with an unmatched natural technique flowing from golden hands” – The Tbilisi News. We have heard a number of people complaining about the repetitiveness of the “classical” violinists and pianists. We haven’t attended any of them on this cruise because, frankly, they usually don’t live up to their hype. In the past, we have found that a very small percentage of guests attend this type of show. Not that the magician and comedian were a big improvement, but at least they offered something different.

Very early this morning there was a dramatic electrical storm. We thought people were walking around on the deck at 2:00am, but it was continuous thunder. When we opened the drapes, we were treated to a lightening storm in surround sound for as far as the eye could see.

Morning, however, is a different story. Clear, calm and hot, as usual. We are sailing past the islands of Indonesia today so there is a continuous parade of volcanic peaks passing by.

Our daily program once again says that there is a Cuisine of the Sun buffet around the pool. Shall we start a pool to guess how many days it will be before someone notices the error? We stayed around the room until lunchtime and then went to the Dining Room.

Appetizers
Fresh Black Mussels in Coconut Curry Broth
Assorted Smoked Fish with Scrambled Eggs
Sliced Turkey Breast with Avocado Confit
Iced Fruit Cup with Grapes and Blue Curacao

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Consommé with Cheese Dumplings
Cream of Broccoli with Roasted Almonds
Chilled Orange and Tomato Soup with Melon Balls, Blueberries and Grapes

Main Fares
Grilled Turkey Cutlet
Pan Fried Trout Fillet “Grenoblois”
Sandwich of the Day – The San Francisco Roast Beef Sandwich
Traditional Cabbage Roll

Desserts
Portwine Marzipan Mousse with Kiwi Sauce
Three-Layered Chocolate Cake
Vanilla Custard with Blackberry Cognac Sauce
Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Strudel with Apples

Food review: Everything was satisfactory. The sandwich had the edge as the best selection this time.

Jerry became nostalgic over the cabbage rolls, even referring to them as “Galumpki.” He’s still upset over last night, but we still can’t see why. It just wasn’t as big a deal as he perceives it to be. It’s nice he cares so much though.

We had an appointment with Renato at 1:00pm to discuss our tour arrangements for the rest of the cruise. We selected one tour and he will make private arrangements for several other ports, including all of Japan. The only tour we plan to take is the one to the DMZ in South Korea. The ship has special permission for just a few guests to visit the military installation and attend the daily briefing. This is something that would be impossible any other way, so we’re willing to make an exception to our no organized tour policy in this case. Renato said he would instruct the private guides not to take us to any museums.

Once the arrangements were worked out, we sat and talked about Crystal in general, among other things. He also thinks they need to evolve more quickly than they are. This is the first year they have finally begun to see their base of repeat guests start to dwindle due to deaths and medical problems. He agrees that they need to lighten up on the fanciness and get with the times to attract a younger clientele.

The Captain announced that the Director of Hotel Operations from the L.A. office has resigned to take a job with Celebrity Cruises. Apparently, this caused somewhat of a party atmosphere among the crew. They don’t like him any more than we do. Let’s hope they bring in someone from outside to breathe some life into the operation. Unfortunately, Renato thinks that is very unlikely given the way things work here. It is far more reasonable to expect one of the current Hotel Directors on one of the ships to be promoted to that position.

Guests are starting to complain about the new restrictions on the shipboard spending credits. They blame this on the new President, of course. We also think they should let us spend the credit any way we choose or at the very least to apply it to a future cruise.

Lara walked by and wants to see the list Jake typed telling Beverly how to properly care for him. We brought it back to her on a disk. She was appropriately amused and showed us a picture she received of her dog wearing a new beret her mother bought.

There is a cocktail party for World Cruise guests tonight before dinner in Provisions on Deck 3. This area is normally off limits to guests. Actually, we aren’t allowed below Deck 5 except to board the tenders on Deck 4. So, it will be interesting to see a new section of the ship. Lara says it is amazing to see how much stuff they have there and how it is so well organized.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal (changed from Casual, by the way.) We arrived at the Bistro at the appointed hour to wait for an escort to Provisions on Deck 3. Everyone was taken to an elevator across from the Avenue Saloon, which is at the opposite end of the ship from the Bistro.

Down we went in a stainless steel elevator into the lower level of the ship, below the waterline. There, we were led down a corridor full of pieces of pipe and miscellaneous hoses until we reached the entrance to Provisions. They had decorated the ceiling with balloons and the usual contingent of Deck Stewards and Cocktail Servers were there handing out wine. We declined the drinks and spent the rest of the hour fighting off offers of alternative drinks from Benjamin, Ruel and Susanne.

All of the various store rooms were open for us to wander around. In the dry stores area they had set up cold hors d’oeuvres, in the soft drink room they had hot snacks, the bar was in the fruit locker. They had arranged a wine display in a freight elevator. There were two other large rooms stacked to the ceiling, one with liqueur, and the other with wine. The walls are stainless steel and everything is spotless. Honestly, the rooms aren’t as big as we expected, although they are certainly big. We were told that the liqueur supply is enough to last until Los Angeles or Fort Lauderdale. They don’t like to purchase things like wine and spirits in Europe because it is so expensive and familiar brands are not available. Josef Matt said that there is over $1.2 million in liqueur in that one store room.

As one would expect, everything is well organized. All of the soft drinks and bottled water are in one huge room, for example. There must be a big list or floor plan somewhere because none of the stacks are labeled in any way that we could see.

We spent some time talking to Barbara about obnoxious guests and informing her that it is impossible that Lara and Josef Matt are a couple. She said one of the World Cruise guests who claims she knows everything and everyone told her that. We set her straight, so to speak. If there is crew gossip, just ask us and we’ll give you the facts.

This type of party is a wonderful perk of going on the World Cruise. There is no other way to ever see this type of thing as a regular guest. With the extreme security in place now, even the bridge is off limits to guests for tours.

Appetizers
Lobster Cocktail Garnished with Mango and American Cocktail Sauce
Goat Cheese Tower with Toasted Pistachio, Pesto Vinaigrette, and Lavosh
Oysters Rockefeller
Chilled Cup of Fresh Fruit with Strawberries and Grand Marnier

From the Soup Kettle
Potato Soup with Shitake Mushrooms and Truffle Oil
Roasted Garlic Consommé with Olive Croutons
Chilled Herb Cream with Baby Shrimp

Salads
Selection of Garden Spring Leaves, with Celery Julienne, Tomatoes, Belgian Endive and Deep Fried Cheese Balls
Chopped Romaine Lettuce with Potatoes, Red Bell Peppers, Onions, and Garbanzo Beans

Main Fares
Roasted French Duck
Pan-Seared Blue Eye Fillet
Pan-Seared Herb-Marinated Pink Lamb Tenderloins
Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Dessert
Tiramisu con L’Arancia with Vanilla Grand Marnier Sauce
Almond Cheese Cake with Sour Cream and Fruit Sauce
Mocha Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce
Sugar-Free Yogurt Fruit Terrine
Sugar-Free Raspberry Cream Puff
Homemade Cookies
Fig Cassis Sherbet

Food review: The soup was very good. The salad entrée was also quite tasty. Bill ordered the “always available” chicken, which was dry and practically inedible. He didn’t care because he wasn’t hungry anyway. The Tiramisu was satisfactory.

Jerry was quite talkative tonight, as was Ger. They only had two parties to serve, so they had more time to chat than usual. Dave asked Jerry how big the deep fryers are to see if they could deep fry a turkey. We didn’t actually intend to order one and told him not to ask if he had to say why we want to know. If they know we might want something, next thing we know it’ll be delivered to the table unannounced.

Jerry came back to tell us that the fry cook said a turkey won’t fit in the fryer, but he can make it in a giant pot. He knew what he was talking about and wants to try it. Jerry insists we order it from Augusto, but we don’t think we should order something so complicated when we don’t even know if we will like it. On the other hand, we are curious to try it and if they are willing to make it, why not? We’ll think about it. We can just imagine the kitchen bursting into flames because we ordered this weird item!

Tonight’s entertainment is a Celebrity Night Out featuring Tony-Award Winning Vocalist Michel Bell Accompanied by Internationally Acclaimed Pianist Catherine Matejka. At 8:00pm, there is an edition of “The Missing Link” Game show. We were on the way out of the Dining Room to go to the show and stopped to chat with Augusto again. Needless to say, we didn’t get out of there until 11:00pm, so no show for us. This is really fine with us.

Augusto told us how impressed he is that Ger actually thanked him for giving him lunch off in Sydney. He said that no one has ever done that before. He doesn’t like the way Jerry sometimes barks at Ger and has had to talk to him about it. We agree that Jerry is too abrupt with him for no reason that is apparent to us. Ger seems to be doing a good job as far as we can tell. He just shrugs it off when Jerry yells at him and he has told us that it doesn't bother him.

It rained again early this morning, but it was clear and sunny by the time we were out and about at 10:00am. The sea remains calm and the wind is slight. There are more boats around today, but there is no land in sight most of the time. We’re told that we are sailing in the Java Sea today, so the heading has been corrected.

We went for morning snacks in the Bistro. Of course, it was overflowing by the time we finished, with guests standing in the hallway juggling their food. Need we mention again that five tables were occupied by staff during this time? Anyone with eyes should have realized long ago that the Bistro is too small to accommodate staff and it should be placed off limits to them.

Appetizers
Cornets of Salami with Marinated Artichoke Hearts
Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Matjes Herring with Apple and Sour Cream Sauce
Chilled Fruit Cup with Kahlua

From the Soup Kettle
Creamy Garlic Soup with American Cheese and Cream
Beef Consommé with Ham Biscuit
Chilled Tropical Fruit and Barbecued Chicken Soup

Salad
Vitamin Salad – Mixed Greens with Kiwi, Grapes, Oranges and Toasted Almonds

Pasta Special
Pennette Rigate with Fresh Broccoli, Olive Oil, Garlic and Parmesan Cheese

Main Fares
Stir Fried Beef Farmer’s Style
Sandwich of the Day – Toasted Mozzarella, Radicchio, and Grilled Chicken Breast
Pan Fried Ling Fish Fillet
Old Fashioned Veal Patties Topped with Fried Egg
Pan Fried Chicken Paillard

Desserts
Apple Slice with Vanilla Cinnamon Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream
Ice Coupe with Warm Raspberries
Marble Caramel Chocolate Tart
Sugar-Free Sour Cherry Tartlet

We went to the Lido rather than the Dining Room because hell froze over and there was something entirely different! Basically, it is a scaled down version of the Asia Café buffet, but it still adds some interest to an otherwise boring menu. They had a nice variety of cold salads such as Thai Beef, and about eight hot dishes. Some of the choices weren’t all that great, but enough were very good to make it worthwhile. Let’s hope someone important makes note of the fact that the normally empty Lido is nearly full this afternoon.

We saw John Davidson in the hallway carrying a guitar on his back. He looked better than he did the other day, so he must have gotten some rest. He has an odd habit of hiding the side of his face with his hand as if he’s trying to keep people from recognizing him. The first hint would be to stop carrying around a guitar if you don’t want to be noticed!

Skip ahead to dinner…we did! We intended to nap for an hour, but didn’t wake up until just before Ural brought our snacks at 5:30pm.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. Guests are encouraged to wear costumes of the Medieval period in keeping with tonight’s theme. As usual, no guests participated by wearing costumes. We went to Palm Court for drinks and to view the beautiful sunset. We must be in a part of the world where the sunsets are always nice because prior to this week, there haven’t been any of note. Now there is a beautiful sunset every night. Poor JP showed up to serve hors d’oeuvres in a ridiculous jester outfit. They probably can’t get any of the European staff to wear them, so the Filipinos are stuck with it. JP said that if we aren’t into shopping for bargains we might not like Vietnam at all.

We looked for Lara in her queen outfit, but she was nowhere to be found tonight. Sorry, but everyone will just have to wait until next cruise for a photo. David grabbed at us on the stairway in the lobby after the Virginia Gentlemen performance. When he saw us he said, “Now this is nice!” OK, an odd compliment is better than no compliment. The fountain looks different all done up and lighted for the Olympic Medal Ceremony. We’ve never actually seen the ceremony, although we do hear the daily announcement to encourage people to show up for it at 5:15pm.

This is the night, once again, for THE ROYAL FEAST. All of the waiters and bar staff are dressed in their Medieval garb, but the tapestry and banners are not hanging in the lobby this time. The entrance to the Dining Room still sports a life-size armor. The menu is exactly the same except the salad entrée features a chicken breast rather than turkey medallions.

Ménage de Pain
Parsley Bread
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
White Sourdough Bread
Saffron Bread

Hors d’Oeuvres
Salmon and Smoked Sturgeon en Croûte
Royal Treasure with Caviar Pearls
Mille Feuille of Duck Fois Gras and Galvine Apples en Gelée
Chilled Melon with Mead

Potages
Chestnut Soup with Bacon Crisps
Elizabethan Chicken Soup
Marco Polo’s Chilled Melon Soup

Main Fares
Dover Sole à L’Orange
Coq en Pate – Roasted Capon with Bread Crust and Dried Fruit Stuffing
Filet of Boeuf “Hochepot” – Filet Mignon with a Mélange of Braised Short Ribs
Cote de Veau Forestière – Roasted Veal Chop with Sautéed Mushrooms

The Royal Feast Finale
Witches Pyre Flambé – Layered Apple Brioche Pudding Topped with Meringue Flambé
Pithivier – Very Special Puff Pastry Tart Filled with Almond Cream
Chocolate Vachrine – Layered Meringue and Chocolate Ice Cake with Candied Fruit
Sugar-Free Pear in Spiced Red Wine Syrup

Food review: This is just not the kitchen’s night. The soup is oddly greasy and tastes vaguely like Tide detergent. The salad dressing is so salty it is almost inedible. The sorbet and the breads are outstanding. These are the only ones that are usually fresh by the time the second seating rolls around. Both entrees are mediocre this time. The capon was dry and tough, but had a nice flavor. We didn’t have dessert this time. We already know that none of them are worth the calories. Ice cream is a better choice and certainly more reliable.

Jerry was afraid we were going to take pictures again because we had the camera with us. We already have photos of these outfits, so no need for it this time, too. Ger seems to enjoy arranging his hat in jaunty configurations.

Tonight’s entertainment is the production show “Excalibur!” There is also an edition of “Guess Thou the Tune” at the same time as both performances of the show.

Another World Cruise gift arrived with this card: “Continuing our journey to China, we’ll cruise to exotic Singapore and historic Ho Chi Min City. Then we’ll enjoy more glorious days in the South China Sea and Gulf of Tonkin, as we sail to the colorful, bustling port of Hong Kong. We are pleased to present you with this black lacquer and burl wood coaster set. We hope that it adds to your pleasure on this voyage and upon your return home, where it will bring back fond memories of the Far East.”

Once again, it is mostly clear, about 82, and somewhat humid as we start the day. The sea is still calm. It seems hotter than it is because there is relatively little wind. In the sun the heat is unbearable.

The ship spent the last night and today dodging small fishing boats and freighter traffic. According to the Captain, is has been necessary to add extra officers to the bridge for the rest of the day to keep watch.

We waited in the cabin until lunchtime, although we were up earlier than that today. We chose the Lido for lunch today, but here’s the Dining Room menu:

Appetizers
Golden Fried Mushrooms with Sauce Tartar
Chicken Cocktail with Melon and Apple Pearls in a Light Curry Mayonnaise
Chick Peas, Garlic, and Parsley Dip with Pita Brad and Corn Chips
Assorted Fresh Fruit Cup with Pear Slices

From the Soup Kettle
Spicy Garbanzo Bean and Sausage Soup
Market Broth – Chicken Meat, Vegetable Brunoise, Avocado Cubes, and Tomato Concassé
Chilled Mango, Coconut and Curry Soup

Main Fares
Grilled Herb-Marinated Barramundi Fillet
Country Fried Chicken
Sandwich of the Day – The Union Square Sandwich
Minute Steak with Three Peppercorn Crust

Desserts
Boston Cream Pie à la Mode
Apple Fingers with Vanilla Ice Cream
Creamy Mango Cheese Cake
Sugar-Free Fruit Tartlet

The Lido offerings look better today than usual even though there isn’t a specific theme. There seem to be a wider choice of items in the appetizer section. Everything just looked more appealing, in general. We both had the Asian selection of stir-fry beef over steamed rice, which was very good. Ordinarily, we don’t have dessert here, but we tried a couple of things, both of which were also very good.

After lunch we went out to listen to the band by the Seahorse Pool (currently labeled Seahorse Olympic Stadium) and wait for the water volleyball game at 1:30pm. Shortly before the game, Artie and Pascal (Sports Director) came out to set up the net. That alone was worth the price of admission. It took Artie at least twenty minutes to tie one side of the net to the pole. It had already taken him about that long to figure out how to fill the weighted bases with water (dunk them in the pool!)

We watched as teams were drawn at random by selecting guests’ keycards from a pile. That resulted in one too few, so Artie went around asking guests to participate. Suddenly, there were many more guests interested in playing, which resulted in much confusion.

Once the game began, Artie told them that they would switch sides every seven points. Needless to say, an entire game and a half were played before any side-switching took place. His method of keeping score is to hold up the number of fingers on each hand pointed at the proper side. What happens when they switch sides? Much confusion ensues, that’s what.

Of course, one asshole had to question the method of scoring midway through the tournament. And, this was someone on a team that had already been eliminated. There was no reason for him to mention it other than to be a know-it-all. And, no, it wasn’t some old codger, it was the twenty-something son of one of the older guests. Now we can understand why David says, every night, that this is for FUN and not to take it so seriously. Not that we have any interest in the whole thing, BUT we don’t think it is appropriate for the young members of the singing group to participate unless perhaps they are needed to finish up a team. There were some older guests who probably want to play, but would you get in the pool with a bunch of twenty-somethings?

When we first arrived outside, it was rather pleasant, but as soon as the air stopped moving it instantly became way too hot for comfort. Back to the air conditioning we go! Just before we left, Felix came by wondering where we have been. He moved to the Avenue Saloon and we don’t go there anymore. We didn’t know he cared so much.

Tonight’s dress code is Informal. There was another cocktail party for American Express guests tonight at 7:45pm, but we weren’t in the mood to be sociable tonight and skipped it. We had more fun chatting with the staff in the Photo Shop anyway.

We slipped into the Dining Room while the Virginia Gentlemen were detaining the rest of the guests in the lobby. Josef grabbed us and told us that we can get cheap eyeglasses in Hong Kong. Fine, but why? Just because they are cheap we suppose. The Dining Room is relatively empty tonight. Everyone must be at the final night of Chinois at Jade Garden (yeah, right).

Appetizers
Smoked Shrimps with Russian Dressing and Spring Greens
Salmon-Halibut Carpaccio with Garden Greens and Herb Vinaigrette
Roasted Vegetable Roulade on Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella
Tropical Fruit Cup with Papaya and Crème de Cacao

From the Soup Kettle
Beef Broth with Semolina Dumpling
Cream of Sweet Potato with Lump Crabmeat
Cold Soup of Hawaiian Pineapple with Coconut

Salads
Heart of Boston Lettuce with Tomato Wedges and Marinated Palm Hearts
Tossed Mixed Garden Greens with Tropical Fruit Dressing, Papaya and Sweet Walnuts

Main Fares
Grilled Red Emperor Fillet
Roast Beef Tenderloin
Osso Bucco Cremolata
Roasted Chicken Breast

Dessert
Mango Apple Tart Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Cognac Profiteroles with Raspberry Sauce
Nougat and Passion Fruit Cake
Sugar-Free Yogurt Mint Terrine
Sugar-Free Marble Vanilla Tart
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season
Refreshing Orange Campari Sherbet

Food review: The strawberries in the fruit cup were rotten, so we must be in need of a fresh supply. The soup was OK, but it was basically just chopped pineapple in its own juice, then sprinkled with toasted coconut. Salads were good, but not quite as wonderful as they were last cruise. The beef was outstanding, but everything on the plate with it was either ghastly or barely edible. Jerry made a face when he tried to find something on the dessert menu to recommend, so we had frozen yogurt and ice cream, which are always excellent.

It was slow enough tonight that we had another lengthy conversation with Jerry. This time he was saying how disgusting it is when the married men and women fool around on board ship. He said he would never do that and we believe him. To him, everything is “black or white and there is no in between.” We have to give him credit for that. He always has nice things to say about his wife, so we do know he appreciates her.

Augusto wants us to find out how late the Long Bar at Raffles is open tomorrow night. The World Cruise luncheon is there, so we can easily find out, assuming we remember to do so. Ger has to stay on board because he has in-port manning tomorrow. This is a security requirement for one-third of the crew to be on the ship at all times.

Tonight’s entertainment is a Celebrity Night Out featuring John Davidson. He wasn’t terrible, but we wouldn’t pay to see his show. His choice of music was more appropriate for Elvis than for him, but his banter was very funny most of the time. He will probably pay the price for trying to stop one old man from leaving early. This guy is quite crotchety and he’s a World Cruiser. Not a good idea to make fun of that one! All in all, the show was entertaining and it is always interesting to see real celebrities in the close proximity of a small show room like the Galaxy Lounge. At least he made fun of himself and his dyed long hair. He’s 60, by the way.

Singapore blends the contemporary splendor of a sparkling modern city with influences from throughout the Orient. Its history is one of riches and romance, spice trading and piracy, colonialism and growth. This island state has prospered from a small fishing village into one of Asia’s greatest success stories.

Temples, mosques and churches stand as serene reminders of the varied collection of migrations that have graced its history. Discover the mansions and polo greens of colonial Singapore, the mystique of Chinatown and the heady aroma of spices and curry along Arab Street.

You'll quickly understand why Singapore is acclaimed as the “Crossroads of the East.”

OK, now it’s HOT! It is at least 85 and the humidity is 100%. We are docked directly under the cable cars to Sentosa Island across the channel. Sentosa is an old military base that has been converted into what it pretty much a theme park, golf courses and a fancy resort. The area around the Singapore Cruise Center is known as the World Trade Center. It used to house a huge shopping mall, but the area is now being redeveloped and most of the shops are gone. Everything in the general vicinity is under construction, including an unfinished high-rise that houses the cable car station. The station is in use, by the way! In the distance are the modern high-rises of the city of Singapore.

We are quite a distance from the downtown area, so it is necessary to either take the complimentary shuttle or a taxi. Another World Cruise luncheon is offered today at the famous Raffles Hotel. We’re told by the guide that it is the most expensive hotel in the city. By the looks of the shops in it’s restored arcades that is probably true!

We arrived downstairs as the group was moving toward the gangway and into the terminal. The cruise terminal is the most modern we have ever seen. It looks like an airport, complete with electronic signs pointing the way to the various ships, and moving walkways. A passport is necessary to leave through immigration and then again upon returning to the ship. All packages and purses are X-rayed coming and going. This is the tightest security we have seen so far.

The terminal itself is a bustling center of arrivals from Malaysia via ferry, so the immigration lines are similar to any international airport. Crystal had people stationed every few feet so no one would get lost on the way to the bus.

The ride into town takes around fifteen minutes and is on a modern expressway over land reclaimed from the sea. Currently, this land is a huge recreation park while they wait ten years for the salt to dissipate. Then, it will be developed as the new financial district. Why they need another one when the other area is brand new is anyone’s guess. New is better, apparently.

Every inch of roadside is landscaped with tropical vegetation and everything you have heard about Singapore’s cleanliness is absolutely true. There are crews working everywhere raking up leaves, etc.

Raffles Hotel is a colonial style structure that is a maze of arcades and shops. There is an identical portico on each side, so we’d hate to be the ones to figure out which is the correct arrival point. They took us through a rather convoluted route, up two escalators, around several courtyards, and into the ballroom for lunch.

From here it does downhill, and fast. The past two World Cruise lunches have been interesting in their own way and provided an activity we couldn’t have done any other way. In this case, we are locked up in a windowless ballroom that could be in any fancy hotel in the world. Besides that, it is jam packed. Mel and Barbara wanted us to sit with them, but it was a free for all trying to find a seat. We did eventually end up next to them, but it was sheer luck. Renato warned us to sit in the back because the entertainment would be loud, but we didn’t have any choice.

Fire-Roasted Sirloin of Angus Beef
with Crispy Tomato Tart and Balsamic Reduction

Baked Apricot Calfoutis
with Hazelnut Brittle Ice Cream and Tahini Vanilla Sauce

There’s no way to be kind here. This lunch was a disaster. The room was too crowded, the music too loud and the service slow and lackadaisical. We sat for at least half an hour before the first course was served. Two people at our table had water that was cloudy, there was no butter under the silver domes on the table, no salt and pepper, etc. Between each course, another fifteen minutes elapsed.

First thing, the bread was ghastly, although it was fresh. The Salmon was eaten by only about half of the people. It tasted OK for what it is, but not a good choice for a large group. The soup was tasteless. That prompted several people to ask for salt and pepper to jazz it up, but we wouldn’t have bothered. It was boring, but not inedible without salt.

They had an odd way of designating which guests ordered the beef entrée. When you selected beef, the waiter would stick a red dot on the tablecloth in front of you! If this is the best hotel in the city, we'd hate to experience the service at the worst. No matter, both the chicken and the beef were terrible, although the chicken seemed to be a bit better. That is, if it was cooked. One woman at our table received one that was literally raw. The beef tasted alright, but was very tough and too rare for most tastes. The description doesn’t mention that it has a peppercorn crust so thick that any attempt to eat it brought on sneezing fits.

We thought the dessert was acceptable, but others at the table found it so sweet they almost had a stroke. Coffee cups were set out, but fifteen minutes went by with none served. Finally, they served tea to those who ordered coffee and vice versa.

The only highlight was the local entertainment provided by an elementary school band. Ordinarily, we would find this kind of thing repulsive, but to be completely honest, it was adorable. They were dressed in cute uniforms and performed funny movements along with the music, all of which was outstanding. Thankfully, it was short, so it didn’t become a bore. We guess that it might have erased the bad things from most minds.

People began leaving even before the dessert was served. Taxis here are very cheap ($3US to get back to the ship) and many people decided not to wait for the busses. We stuck it out and left immediately after the dessert. There was a Swarovski Crystal shop on the way out, so we had to shop there, of course! We did buy one item for a very good price compared to the U.S. We are told that most other things here are not a bargain, however.

The best description for this city is that it is one giant shopping mall. And we do mean GIANT. They are high-rises and there is one on every block. It’s like wall to wall Mall of Americas. No kidding, that’s not an exaggeration. The shuttle stops at Suntec City, which boasts the largest fountain in the world among hundreds of shops, movie theaters and offices. There is not a scrap of trash anywhere and nothing is in disrepair. Signs are all in English and everyone speaks English. We didn’t see any Chinese signs except on overtly Chinese shops just as one would find in Chinatown anywhere. Essentially, it is like Hong Kong without the clutter.

Unfortunately, our plan to walk around town after lunch was thwarted by the exhausting experience we had at the event. Besides, we don’t need any electronics or clothing at higher prices than at home. So, back to the ship we went with the vague intention of maybe going out later. By the time we reached the cruise terminal it was pouring rain, which continued for about two hours complete with thunder and lightning. OK, we can take a hint, stay on board!

We went up on deck to get some ice cream and then intended to shower and have dinner in the Dining Room. That never happened either. First we ran into Phillip and sat with him while we ate. That conversation lasted so long that they started setting up the buffet for the deck BBQ tonight.

After a brief stroll around the upper deck to inspect the Super Star Virgo that arrived while we were gone, we ran into Rudolf and spent a lot of time chatting with him. Then we went back to the room and found Susanna in the hallway delivering a gift of beautiful orchid plants to all of the World Cruise guests. The card reads: “For our Grand Pacific Circle “Boomerangs,” Welcome to Singapore! For generations, the tree-clinging orchid of the rain forest has been the plant of royalty. In honor of our Grand Pacific Circle guests, it is our pleasure to grace your stateroom with the flower of kings, the petal of queens, our gift to you.”

We decided to forgo the Dining Room and stay in our humid clothing for the deck BBQ instead. It’s extremely humid and hot with the rain, but since we are already disgusting, who cares? We found Augusto on deck and gave him the information he wanted about the closing time for the bar at Raffles.

The standard deck BBQ’s have always been excellent and this one is no exception. There is a nice array of salads, although nothing particularly interesting. However, the hot entrees offer something for everyone and everything we sampled was excellent. On the grills were several kinds of big sausages, steaks and shrimp skewers. There was a stir fry with shrimp made to order plus beef ribs, pork ribs, glazed chicken, veal patties, crab cakes, fried rice, steamed rice, several kinds of vegetables, vegetarian curry, corn on the cob, etc. Deck stewards galore fawned over us as we sat by the Seahorse Pool and listened to the band.

The cable cars, complete with blinking lights, traveled directly overhead until exactly 9:00pm. At that time, the Super Star Virgo sailed. We were shocked to view the lifeboat drill where absolutely no one participated except the crew. It was sort of like the safety demonstration on an airplane where they play a tape and no one pays attention. The crew went through the motions on deck, but there were no guests watching them. This is a brand new ship with verandahs, so it’s not as though it is from some backwater.

The weather today is the same as yesterday, except perhaps a bit hotter. It can’t be any more humid than it was and so it remains today.

Our plan for the day is to take the cable car to Sentosa Island across the channel from the ship. This is basically a huge theme park without rides. The cable car station is in a high-rise adjacent to the cruise terminal, so it couldn’t be any easier. Well, if the building wasn’t under construction it would be easier, and not quite as scary, but we have to work with what we have.

We bought the round trip ticket so we can go to the other end of the cable car for the view of the city on the way back. That set us back a whopping $8.50 in Singapore dollars (US$4.25). The trip over the ship and to the station on Sentosa Island takes about ten minutes and provides a great view of the island and the port area.

As with everything here, Sentosa is immaculately maintained and easy to negotiate. There is a free monorail that takes visitors to all of the attractions. Admission, S$6.00, includes the monorail, gardens, fountains, a musical water show, beaches and a few other things. There are several attractions on the island including Underwater World, Images of Singapore, The Merlion, and the Butterfly Park, all of which require an additional admission fee.

We started off at the signature dragon fountain near the station and took a nature walk through the jungle foliage. It wasn’t particularly exciting, but was easy to do. At the end of the walk we came out near the Underwater World, but decided the admission price was too high considering the heat and our lack of enthusiasm.

Across from here is a beautiful manmade beach, complete with fake islands to explore, shade structures, bars, etc. The beach is practically empty and rivals any you’d find in Hawaii. There is also a luxurious Shangri-La resort adjacent to the beach. The island boasts a few other hotels and a youth hostel, so there is something for every price range.

We jumped on the monorail after checking out the beach. The first stop is the only remaining fort from the British colonial days. The monorail continues all the way around the island with a narration pointing out various attractions. We disembarked at the main entrance so we can walk up the fountain garden to the Merlion tower. The Merlion is the symbol of Singapore and there is also one at the entrance to the harbor. This one lights up with fiber optics at night and is the background for a water show complete with lasers and images projected on giant water screens similar to Fantasmic at Disneyland.

Did we mention it’s hot? Well, imagine the worst heat you can and double it. We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible and made our way up the hill to the Merlion. There is an elevator to the top, which is ten stories above the ground and provided a great view over the port to the city beyond. The view is from the lion’s mouth by the way. There is also a viewing platform on the top of it’s head. Thank God the interior of the lion is air conditioned. Actually, every interior space is air conditioned since the locals don’t like the heat any more than we do. Of course, by the looks of the “crowd” on Sentosa, most of them aren’t stupid enough to go out during the day.

Behind the Merlion is a beautiful mosaic encrusted dragon fountain that spills all the way down to the beach. It resembles the Gaudi style in Barcelona and is complete with art deco style copper pergolas and jumping fountains. At the bottom is a carillon constructed in the same style.

By this time we had been walking for about four hours in the heat, so it’s time for some refreshment. We’re not sure if this is just the off season or if this development is failing. In any case, there are several large attractions, such as an Asian Village, that have obviously been closed for quite some time. We found the same to be true of the food court, but we were able to purchase some sort of weird snow cone concoction with strawberry syrup piled on top of odd Jell-O like cubes, sweet beans and some sort of translucent orb that looked like a peeled grape. We were happy with the large amount of flavored ice and didn’t care about the other part, although we did try it just to be good sports. The Jell-O part was OK, but the beans were an incongruous addition and the weird grape things were simply disgusting.

From here we started what we thought would be a short walk along the waterfront and back to the cable car station. Oops, wrong turn! We ended up walking all the way back to the fort. Luckily, there is a monorail station there, so we jumped on and rode back to the cable car station.

We took the cable car past our original embarkation point and to the top of Mount Faber. There are a few good views of the city from this vantage point, but not much else. Unfortunately, this is the jumping off point for bus tours to Sentosa, so we waited on a shady bench for the huge line of Indian tourists to dissipate before riding back. They were setting up tables to be fitted in the cars for a wedding dinner. That should be interesting!

Finally, after six hours of walking in the heat, we arrived back at the terminal building, answered a brief survey by the tourism board, received a free gift for doing so, changed our Singapore dollars into Hong Kong dollars (the money changer rolled his eyes when he found out our next stop is Vietnam), and made our way through the extremely modern and efficient terminal back to the ship. There, we promptly crashed. Luckily, our daily snacks were waiting on the table when we got back to the cabin.

Singapore is everything we expected. It’s clean, modern, reasonably priced, easy to negotiate for English-speakers, and the people are helpful and friendly. We wouldn’t necessarily fly here for a vacation, but we would definitely get off the ship if it stopped here in the future.

Tonight’s dress code is Casual. We turned in our passports to the Front Desk on the way out for cocktails and dinner. The Singapore officials won’t allow the ship to sail until every single passport is accounted for. We never made it for cocktails because we spent too much time talking to Billy at the Front Desk. We probably would have been there longer, but Harry returned from vacation today and he walked up carrying a box of passports. Quite a scene ensued when he saw us, much to the amusement of Billy. He’s the Clearance Officer on this cruise, so he’s wearing a uniform rather than the concierge outfit. Too bad this ship has the only uniforms in the world that don’t make officers look like fashion models. We only left when a line started to form at the desk.

Appetizers
Macadamia Scallops with Broccoli Puree and Citrus Beurre Blanc
Smoked Chicken Salad
Sweetbread Roses on Crunchy Garden Greens with Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette
Assorted Fresh Fruit Cup Flavored with Lemon Bacardi

From the Soup Kettle
Cream of Fresh Pumpkin with Orange Mousse
Consommé Double with Cheese Profiteroles
Chilled Blackberry Yogurt Soup

Salads
Spring Lettuce with Lollo Rosso, Red Oak Leaf, and Marinated Green Beans
Traditional Caesar Salad

Main Fares
Whole Roasted Tom Turkey
Fresh Broiled Blue Nose Fillet
Chef Jürgen's Childhood Favorite – Wiener Schnitzel
Sautéed Jumbo Prawns
Sautéed Veal Scaloppini

Dessert
Sour Cherry Bread and Butter Pudding with Vanilla Sauce and Butter Almond Ice Cream
French Dark and White Chocolate Mousse Bomb with Mango Sauce
Spanish-Vanilla Cake with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Sugar-Free Apple Pie à la Mode
Sugar-Free Mocha Custard
Homemade Cookies
Assortment of Fruit in Season

Food review: The Smoked Chicken was boring, but satisfactory. Both soups were outstanding. The turkey wasn’t as good as last time, but it was acceptable except for the stuffing, which was tasteless. The other entrée was the “always available” salmon. It tasted very good, but was a bit on the dry side. The dessert was outstanding.

We received a gift bottle of wine from Adair, so we’re keeping our supply going. Josef whined about having to entertain his family while he’s trying to work. We saw him on Sentosa today with his wife and kids. Considering how tired we are, it must be exhausting for him to work all day and night, plus go out in this heat. Jerry wasn’t thrilled with his excursion to the zoo. We heard it was great, so we are surprised he wasn’t impressed. Of course, we didn’t see it for ourselves, so he’s probably right. Everything in every port is always the world’s best something or other and it rarely is. Ger said the city was also a zoo and that we probably made the right choice by going to Sentosa instead.

Grand Pacific III -- March 11 - March 16

Monday, March 11 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Tuesday, March 12 – Cruising the Indian Ocean

Wednesday, March 13 – Cruising the Java Sea

Thursday, March 14 – Cruising the Java Sea

Friday, March 15 – Singapore – Arrive 8:00 AM

Saturday, March 16 – Singapore – Depart 11:30 PM