Tuesday, October 20 - At Sea

 Another glorious sea day.  No big surprises although I got a couple small surprises.  The first was in the elevator.  Gentlemen, here's some advice.  If you are alone in an elevator with a woman, do NOT suddenly step across the elevator and put your wrist in her face.  Actually, I don't recommend quickly stepping within inches of anyone on an otherwise empty elevator.  While saying nothing.  I was shocked and holding a pizza, otherwise I would have physically shoved the guy back.  It seems he was trying to get my opinion on cologne he'd just sprayed on his wrists.  After he moved too close and put his arm in my face, he explained. Then shoved his other arm in my face so I could smell it.   Drunk?  High?  Overly excited about buying cologne?  Creepy.  No pizza was harmed in the incident.

The second surprise was much more appreciated.  Virgin does short surveys on the app each day, asking for feedback about different aspects of the cruise.  I responded to the one about restaurants and said the same thing I've said here - I'm unlikely to cruise Virgin again because it is too hard to get dinner reservations.  Sailor services responded and said they'd help get me a reservation.  

Because my friends who have reservations added me to several of theirs, I just had a few nights left with no reservations.  Last night I had a reservation for the Test Kitchen so I asked for a reservation for tonight at Extra Virgin - the Italian restaurant I got into the other night because of my friends.  If not that, the Wake would be nice to try.  In two cruises, I've been unable to get a reservation there.

The prompt response was that they'd booked me for 5:30 pm. at The Wake for Wed.  I thanked them and assumed we were done.  Then I got a notice on the app that I had a new reservation for Tuesday night.  And, still had my 5:45 reservation for the Test Kitchen.

I wrote back, explaining the problem.  I didn't hear anything for a few hours and it was getting close to dinner time.  Then I got a response that I was still at the Test Kitchen for Tuesday (it is fairly easy to get reservations for the Test Kitchen and VERY easy to get them for Gunbae) AND Wednesday I have a 5:30 reservation for Extra Virgin.  

All's well that ends well.  I had a great dinner last night and chatted with nice people.  Tonight I'll be eating my favorite dish on the cruise so far at Extra Virgin.  I'm happy but here's my advice for the next person you try to help.  When you're trying to correct a problem, and cause another problem, apologize.  A simple "oops, sorry about that" would be great.  Going above and beyond (a free drink at dinner?) would show you care and research shows if you do great recovery you'll increase that customer's loyalty.  Yeah, helping companies fix stuff like this is what I used to do for a living so I'm sensitive.

Bottom line, I had a great day and I'm very excited about dinner tonight at Extra Virgin- thank you, VV!

Photos!

Looking aft - sunrise.

The Grounds Club, like a typical Starbucks, always has a line.  Mid-afternoon?  Morning?  Staff are always smiling and deliver a great decaf cappuccino every time.

And I get to enjoy a view of the sea while standing in line.  I'd forgotten how much standing in line there is on a cruise.

No, I'm NOT using fun t-shirts as a way to meet men.  That's just a bonus.  Meals on Wheels, Sitka, Alaska.

The Atlantic is not shrinking.  They just changed the view so the ship is shown in the middle of the Atlantic and Africa is off the map to the east.

I really like this chair.  Very low to the ground so I didn't sit in it and I have no idea where I'd put it but I like it.

The Pizza Place opens at noon.  They've got great seating options outside.

And, some tables inside.

I got the Pretty Fly for a White Pie - a white pizza.  Not the best pizza I've eaten but definitely tasty.  And 15 minutes from ordering to handing it to me.

Even if it was frozen pizza it would taste good while in the hammock with this view.  Mr. Kindle agrees.  BTW, I'll probably finish the stellar book I've been reading all this trip (it's long!)  "Cutting for Stone" is one of the best books I've read in a long time.  Last night I downloaded "Theo of Golden" which I've heard a couple of women on the ship rave about.  Mr. Kindle (this is version 5) and I have traveled together since 2010.  I enjoy holding a real book but Mr Kindle allows me to choose from dozens of books when traveling.  Plus, I can enjoy him in my dark cabin, or at night on the balcony.

I love the snacks - trail mix on the left from the Galley, and candy on the right from the Social Club.

I miss having a bedside table, with a drawer.  I can't be the only one who wants stuff near the bed but not in view.  VV provides the beach towels and blanket on the right.  I travel with my own lightweight down blanket - packs away to a tiny size, is surprisingly warm and is fabulous on planes, hotels and cabins on ships.  My first down blanket, which was a Christmas gift decades ago, has circumnavigated the globe with me several times.  It now lives in a duvet cover on my bed at home.  

We're cruising into the Sargasso Sea.  The only sea not bordered by land.  Instead, it is bordered by four different currents.  And, is part of a heavily traveled shipping route from Africa/Europe to North America.  That's some sargassum, floating seaweed.  

After the back and forth with Sailor Services, I ended up at the dinner I'd reserved in the Test Kitchen.  They have four different menus, offered over the course of the 14 day cruise.  On the right is the vegetarian menu.  You can switch, course by course, if you like, which is nice.  I had this menu on last year's cruise and loved it.  Loved it again this time.

I opted for the vegetarian Tomato/Olive app.  That's a sheet of "sugar" which was sweet and crispy and enhanced the sweetness of the tomatoes.  There was a basil emulsion, and bloody Mary "caviar".  I missed the "olives" but the whole thing was delicious.  Similar to the the app I had at Sorondongo in Las Palmas.  That one was better because it was being made by a chef for a diner with each tomato individually selected.  This was made for hundreds of diners.  And still delicious and impressive.  I've made "caviar", now I want to learn how to make this sugar layer.  This isn't exactly the same but would be fun to try.  I think I'd do the last step with the blow-dryer outdoors.

The lady from Indiana seated next to me got the vegetarian menu.  This was beet/cashew with beet foam and beet pasta filled with a spinach mixture.

My chilled salmon and cucumber dish came with smoke from apple wood chips.

The salmon was excellent and the cucumber was lightly marinated.  The yellow gel was lemon/lime.  The smoky flavor was a bonus.

My main was lamb which was marinated for 24 hours in a mixture of herbs/spices, including mint.  The veg was ratatouille, with eggplant, tomato and zucchini.  The black dots were an eggplant gel.

The vegetarian dessert that the lady next to me said was excellent.  It had mango and chia.

My dessert was what blew me away about this menu last year.  That's fresh strawberries, strawberry gel, a strawberry marshmallow, strawberry powder and whipped cream with white chocolate and wasabi.  We were instructed to mix it all together to get the combination of tastes and textures.

Roland, this photo is for you.  Yes, I'd have licked the plate if I was alone.  BTW, since trying this dessert last year, I've been making an easier version at home.  I make a strawberry Pavlova, with macerated berries in a plain meringue (store bought when I'm lazy) topped with whipped cream/Mascarpone cheese/wasabi.  So good.

My view from the balcony before bed.  I took this photo because I was surprised to see a couple of lights at sea.  At first I thought, "Oh, I wonder which country that is."  Then realized we're in the middle of a huge ocean and it had to be a ship/ships.  The next full moon is 10/26 and it has been really dark out.  Having said that, I was on the balcony (shocker!) about 5 a.m. one morning and the stars seemed to close and bright - the Big Dipper seemed to be hanging just over the balcony.  I took a photo of that and it looked very much like this photo.  Think I should enter it in a National Geographic photography contest?

Monday, October 19 - At Sea SURPRISE!

 I taught 4th grade in Arizona in the early 1970's.  Thanks to Facebook, I reconnected with some of my students from that time.  I woke up to a text from one of them that one of the class died yesterday.  Jeff was a good man, who raised a loving family and was a very talented artist.  Jeff was loved and will be so missed.

That text went to a few students in the class, and me.  We shared where we were yesterday and in a "small world" coincidence, I learned that two of my former students were in Barcelona, heading out today on a Transatlantic cruise.  Then I got another text.  I'd misunderstood.  One of the students, Michelle WAS ON MY SHIP.  I got a message from her saying she'd love to see me and give me a hug.

45 minutes later, we were at the Roundabout, hugging tight.  For the first time in 51 years.  While her husband looked on.  We spent a delightful couple of hours catching up.  I didn't cry then, but got teary last night.  What a privilege to hear that she felt I'd been a positive influence on her life.  And that I was one of four teachers she remembered in that way.   What an honor.

We were too busy catching up to take photos but I'm looking forward to spending more time with them and promise to get pictures then.

Photos!

Messy, before the cabin stewards cleaned but my current home-sweet-home.

Took a photo of this ad while on my morning walk.  These private cabanas, facing the ocean, cost hundreds per day.  I'm good on the balcony.

Part of the sculpture of the octopus in the Roundabout.

The whole thing.

I've gotten a decaf Cappucino most days at the Grounds Club but haven't had any of the pastries.  Is the light from my halo too bright?

Map of our itinerary.  The Atlantic ocean is really big.  Just sayin'.

Truly my happy place.

My breakfast was fruit and a charcuterie tray I'd snagged yesterday and stashed in my fridge 

Lunch was taken out sushi.

Now I'm obsessed with t-shirts.

Of all the things I've done/considered doing on a cruise ship, getting a piercing, tattoo or "tooth bling" were not on the list.  And still aren't.

I lost hugely at Phase 10 but had great fun playing.  Yeah, it was only an hour before dinner but I was hungry and calories don't count on cruises so I got a treat from Lick Me Till Ice Cream for the balcony.

I've been unable to get dinner reservations so Nancy 1 (one of the great foursome I've been playing cards with) added me to their reservations at three of the restaurants.  Last night was Extra Virgin.  I understand why I wasn't able to get in for either of my Virgin Cruises.

How much would you pay for this tasty "No-groni"?  Non-alcoholic, and I asked for an extra shot of the N/A gin it was made with so I could taste it straight.  The gin alone was ok but when added to the drink it was great.  But...$20 for a drink with no booze?

The bread was great.  Came with the standard plate of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Rayann asked for parmesan in the oil mix and now I'll never have it any other way.  

Rayann got the fried artichoke which looked wonderful but Rayann said it was bland.  FYI, one of our group is vegetarian and while there are many vegetarian options on the menus, there is little veg protein.  Why no tofu?  Beans?  They did have a special last night of white bean soup.

Jack tried the burrata app.

I went for pasta and a main.  This is the lamb osso bunco with risotto.  Tasty.

 The pasta ala vongolle (with clams) was stellar - photo at the end because Blogger hates me.

The dessert special was this warm lemon cake.  I thought the white stuff was whipped cream - nope a very tart lemon sorbet which was great with the cake.  I preferred the carrot cake at Lucky Lotus but was happy to eat every bite.

After dinner, I walked for a bit, enjoyed some live music then hit my balcony.

At 8 pm, looking west.

Best dish I've had on the ship, hands down.  Garlicky and spicy.

Sunday, October 18 - At Sea

 Another great day at sea, following what seems to be my new routine.  Wake up early, lounge in bed reading or on my lap top.  Then up, dressed and grab some oats or whatever then balcony time.  Then wandering around and lunch of some sort.  Then more hammock time.  Then more walking and cards/chatting with new friends.  Then hammock time, then dinner followed by more walking and perhaps some live music.  Then, an early evening.

What many would find boring, I find absolutely delightful.  It's a pleasant mix of quiet time and socializing.  Virgin could eliminate most of their services (gym, shows, spa, shops) and I'd still be happy as a clam.  I cruise because I love the ocean.  Are the sea days starting to blend together?  A bit.  Do I mind?  Not at all!  

Photos!

The seas have been very calm.  After dinner, for the first time, we started to rock and roll a bit.  Nothing exciting but enough to remind us we're at sea.  Perfect for sleeping.

We are the red dot.

Another great t-shirt!  This was a different man- we got so wrapped up in discussing t-shirts/taking photos, we both missed our floors on the elevator so just laughed and kept riding and talking.  It is very easy to be solo on a Virgin cruise.

I broke my cardinal rule about no WIFI on the balcony.  But soon just went back to staring at the water.

Views from my balcony - toward the bow/bridge.

And looking aft.  I spent so much time on the balcony yesterday that I skipped breakfast and lunch.

That's the shadow of the ship and beautiful blue water.  While I was on the balcony I got so excited - I saw a big pod of dolphins, hunting/feeding.  So fun to watch them circling and coming out of the water.

I got dinner reservations!  I've been checking several times a day and snagged a 5:45 reservation at Pink Agave.  Think upscale Mexican that is unlike your neighborhood Mexican joint.

The package I got came with a $200 bar credit, that I haven't touched.  Time to get on it!  So had the La Vida Libre - an alcohol free drink similar to a margarita.  It was very good and I hope to find one at one of the other bars.

The specials sounded good but I stuck with the main menu.

My view - those are tequila bottles on display.

The restaurant quickly filled to capacity.

The meal started with a warm spicy/salty nutty snack.

I really prefer it when they only salt part of the rim on a drink.  They use a lot of edible flowers on board.

Loved the guacamole.  Fresh chips with big chunks of perfectly ripe avocado.  And the pomegranate added a nice touch of sweetness.

My main was the cochinita pebil.  A mild, flavorful pork dish which fell apart on my fork.  A bit salty for my taste but with the corn tortillas that came on the side, it was perfectly balanced.  My server, Chong, is from Manipur in northeastern India, which borders Myanmar.  She was shocked when I told her I'd lived in Mandalay.

Dessert was bread pudding with ice cream and caramel.  Warm, tasty but HAL still holds the record for best bread pudding.

During my afternoon walk, I ran into Nancy/Bill, Rayann/Jack and joined them in a trivia game they were playing.  I think I proved without a doubt that I know absolutely nothing about sports in the '80s.

Last view from the balcony before bed, looking aft.  Reddit recently had a post about swimming in the middle of the ocean.  It would be scary in the dark but if they offered a "shore excursion" of swimming in the middle of the Atlantic, I'd do it in a heart beat.  I'm terrified of heights but no fear of water, no matter how deep.  Having said that, I've been in some severe weather and have HUGE respect for the ocean and its power.