June 25, 2017 – Boarding the ship

Getting to the ship does not go as smoothly as we had hoped. As we check out of the hotel John requests a taxi and is given a slip with a number on it. We are told it will take a few minutes. After 45 minutes of waiting in gusty, rainy weather and three additional slips with new numbers on them we finally get a taxi. In the meantime no taxi with our or anybody else’s number has appeared and the few that do show are commandeered by folks who are a lot more aggressive than we. But we get to the ship and find our suite and are very pleased with it.

John in the dining area
Mary sitting in the living room area with porch with table and chairs behind me
John on sofa
Bedroom

We head out to find some lunch somewhere in the ship. The World Cafe is open and it is a buffet with cold and hot items. First things first, though, John needs to meet the bar staff and other staff associated with the food service. John is great with all their foreign names and soon Mr. John is having a conversation with Vikesh, the manager of the Chef’s Table. As we get a beer for John and a glass of wine for me, Vikesh convinces us to come to his restaurant tonight and really any night because they will always have room for us. We are flattered that he is so nice to us.

For lunch we find some nicely cooked salmon and salads of cactus and another of shrimp and squid. There’s also some tasty grilled radicchio and tomatoes.

John with his Ringenes lager

After lunch we unpack and arrange to get a top sheet for our bed instead of a duvet. I still need to talk to Von, our cabin steward, about getting some additional standard size pillows. With the bed fixed up and our clothes unpacked around 3PM we or at least I take an extended nap. It is so nice to be organized and comfortable.

Around 6PM or so we head down in search of a drink and maybe some nibbles before dinner. We sit in the Explorer Lounge where John once again introduces himself to the staff and I have a glass of wine and John has a beer. We run into the people that we met yesterday at the hotel and sit and chat for a while. Audrey and John are putting a really good face on the fact that they had a horrendous flight and have still not received their luggage. I would have been desperate by now.

Then we head to the Chef’s Table where we have a really outstanding meal and some good conversation with a couple of ladies and Vikesh and Paul, the sommelier. Here’s our dinner –

Amuse bouche – Reindeer consommé and handmade ravioli served with a glass of Domaine des Vercheres, Macon-Manley Cote Maconnaise, France
First course – Salmon declination-herbs crusted poached loin, aquavit infuse gravlax lingo berry sense tartar caviar and pickled cucumber served with Linie Aquavit
Palate cleanser – Granita of beet with orange/cardamom foam
Main course – Lamb far-i-kal ala Chef’s Table, a loin and a braise with cabbage served with Vina Marquis Lien, Blend, Colchague Valley, Chile
Dessert – Cloudberry consommé, vanilla white chocolate pannacotta with sesame ice cream and goro served with a Disznoko Tokaji Szamorodni from Hungary

It is all so good! My favorites are the lamb loin which we find out was sous vide at 60C and the cabbage. Also the sesame ice cream and the sesame tuile were memorable.

Even though we had a big nap we are exhausted and fall asleep immediately only to wake up for Monday at 3 AM!

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