Key West, FL
We have breakfast in our suite this morning, served by our personal butler, Ronoy, who hails from Cochin, India (one of the spots I will be visiting on my next cruise in April). Since we have visited Key West many times (I was last here in February 2014), we plan a leisurely day with no specific sightseeing agenda.
The Riviera is docked at the Mole Pier, which is very close to Mallory Square, as the birds fly. But because we are human bipeds, we are hot allowed to travel by ourselves through the Naval Base to which the pier is attached. A series of buses and trams (known locally as "conch" trains), transports all passengers in just a few minutes to the center of action at Duval and Front Streets. Mallory Square, the site of Key West's famous daily sunset celebration is a few steps away. The Square is much changed and more developed than it was 30 years ago, with several large hotels and condominiums now surrounding the open space with views of the Florida Straits and Dry Tortugas. The historical park here is also new and contains busts of the founding persons of Key West history.
There is intermittntt tropial rain this morning but not enough to prevent us from walking up Duval Streeet to admire many of the shops and bars that have bere forever. Many of them are filled with patrons who lookl ike they have been here just as long as the bars. Before heading back to the ship, we stop for lunch at Caroline's to enjoy bcon and shrimp club sandwiches. Because the rain pours dow really hard while we are eating, we prolong our stay until the rain stops by sharing a wonderful local Key lime pie.
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| Historical Park |
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| Key West Street Art |
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| Key West Street Art |
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| Tourist Adds to Local Art |
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| Art and History Museum |
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| Sailing from Key West |
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| Our Penthouse Suite |
Food and Entertainment on the ms Riviera
We are eating very well on board the Riviera; food is well prepared and portions are large. After boarding on Saturday, we enjoy buffet lunch in the Terrace Cafe, the all-hours, no-reservations location for dining. Although the choices are presented as a buffet, there are servers at every station providing food rather than guests handling utensils themselves. This is a health issue as well as a service issue.
We made advance dinner reserations before leaving Tucson at the four speciality restuarants on board. On Sunday, we make a last-minute reservation at Jacques, a french bistro created by celebrity chef Jacques Pepin. We enjoy our first martinis of the cruise and a serving of amuse bouche. Will enjoys pumpkin soup, lobster thermidor with rice, and apricot sorbet. I have Caesar salad and an enormous veal chop on the bone, with haricots vert and divine roast potatoes, and raspberry sorbet. While all of the food is excellent, nothing can beat the superb selection of bread, rolls and sweet butter. Our server is French--and we can well imagine ourselves in Paris as she serves our dinner.
After our day in Key West, there is a pre-dinner captain's reception with complimentary bar drinks (that is plural) of your choice. The martinis are even better than the previous night. We have dinner in the Grand Dining Room tonight; service is formal but dress is casual (as it is throughout the cruise): spinach-bacon salad for Will, Caesar salad for me; duck a la orange for Will and poched salmon for me; mocha mousse in a chocolate cup for Will and Tanzanian chocolate cake for me. All very too much.
There is, unfortunately, not much good to say about the entertainment, which is provided by a group of young and talentless boys and girls. Perhaps they will improve as the cruise goes on. So far, this is our only complaint.
But it is welcome bedtime as we look forward to a more restful day at sea tomorrow.
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