Tuesday Evening, 28 March 2017
Sailing to Bermuda
I have just returned from dinner in the Terrace Café, the least formal of all the restaurants on board the Riviera. There are still white tablecloths and fine china, but the service is casual and all the food is on display for diners to choose from. I begin with potato- and vegetable-stuffed fritters, followed by slices of tender sirloin beef, fresh steamed vegetables, mixed salad with white endive and balsamic vinaigrette. Dessert is a plate of sliced fresh fruits and soft-served ice cream.
We dock in Bermuda tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to my first shore excursions (that is plural).
Monday, 27 March 2017
Sailing to Bermuda
My first full day on the Riviera begins with room-service breakfast, presented and served by my personal butler. Then it's off for the first lecture of an enrichment series that will last until we reach Barcelona: "Voyages of Discovery." Today's presentation, as all the others will be, is narrated by Professor Kathleen Wulf, formerly of the University of Southern California. I have high hopes since the series of lectures on world religions on the Nautica in 2016 were excellent.
Prof Wulf today describes the four voyages of Christopher Columbus for the Spanish, seeking a trade route to the Indies. The facts we know about these voyages are presented clearly with good maps to illustrate their different routes. Each lecture will focus on a different navigator of this Age of Exploration. I manage to stay awake for the entire one-hour presentation and reward myself with an early lunch of pizza and salad in the Terrace Café.
I plan to have tea (and goodies) at 4pm in the Horizons Lounge at the top of the ship, but opt for blogging instead. One of the perks of the Penthouse Suite is a personal laptop computer for use during the cruise, practically stored in the desk drawer. When Will and I sailed in a Penthouse Suite on the Marina in December 2015, we were never able to find the computer because it was stored in the vanity table drawer, a place we are not inclined to visit. I had brought along my laptop so we never asked further about the complimentary one.
Fresh appetizers are delivered by the butler at 5pm as I am getting ready for the Captain's Reception in the Horizons Lounge. The reward for standing in line to shake the captain's hand is free drinks at all the bars on board the Riviera--primary labels included.
After a very strong martini I am off to Toscana, the specialty Italian restaurant, for a beautifully presented dinner that starts with a variety of excellent breads and my choice of olive oil from a selection of over seventy on offer. My first course is Carpaccio di Manzo, made with raw, aged prime beef, select olive oil, thin slices of Parmesan cheese and crispy fresh arugula. This is followed by traditional Caesar salad prepared at the table, and veal scallopine alla limone with rosemary roast potatoes. The veal is very tender but is overwhelmed by too-much thick lemon sauce (I was able to scrape off quite a bit). To fill the time waiting for dessert, the server brings a plate of three varieties of Italian biscotti. Real dessert is a simple traditional crème brule.
I decide to skip tonight's entertainment, a guitar-playing comedian, and opt for an early night's rest. Tomorrow is another sea day and I expect my activities will be much the same as today--but they will have to wait for the next blog entry.
Sailing to Bermuda
I have just returned from dinner in the Terrace Café, the least formal of all the restaurants on board the Riviera. There are still white tablecloths and fine china, but the service is casual and all the food is on display for diners to choose from. I begin with potato- and vegetable-stuffed fritters, followed by slices of tender sirloin beef, fresh steamed vegetables, mixed salad with white endive and balsamic vinaigrette. Dessert is a plate of sliced fresh fruits and soft-served ice cream.
We dock in Bermuda tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to my first shore excursions (that is plural).
Monday, 27 March 2017
Sailing to Bermuda
My first full day on the Riviera begins with room-service breakfast, presented and served by my personal butler. Then it's off for the first lecture of an enrichment series that will last until we reach Barcelona: "Voyages of Discovery." Today's presentation, as all the others will be, is narrated by Professor Kathleen Wulf, formerly of the University of Southern California. I have high hopes since the series of lectures on world religions on the Nautica in 2016 were excellent.
Prof Wulf today describes the four voyages of Christopher Columbus for the Spanish, seeking a trade route to the Indies. The facts we know about these voyages are presented clearly with good maps to illustrate their different routes. Each lecture will focus on a different navigator of this Age of Exploration. I manage to stay awake for the entire one-hour presentation and reward myself with an early lunch of pizza and salad in the Terrace Café.
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| Riviera Lounge After Morning Lecture |
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| Grand Staircase in Central Atrium |
I plan to have tea (and goodies) at 4pm in the Horizons Lounge at the top of the ship, but opt for blogging instead. One of the perks of the Penthouse Suite is a personal laptop computer for use during the cruise, practically stored in the desk drawer. When Will and I sailed in a Penthouse Suite on the Marina in December 2015, we were never able to find the computer because it was stored in the vanity table drawer, a place we are not inclined to visit. I had brought along my laptop so we never asked further about the complimentary one.
Fresh appetizers are delivered by the butler at 5pm as I am getting ready for the Captain's Reception in the Horizons Lounge. The reward for standing in line to shake the captain's hand is free drinks at all the bars on board the Riviera--primary labels included.
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| Grand Dining Room |
After a very strong martini I am off to Toscana, the specialty Italian restaurant, for a beautifully presented dinner that starts with a variety of excellent breads and my choice of olive oil from a selection of over seventy on offer. My first course is Carpaccio di Manzo, made with raw, aged prime beef, select olive oil, thin slices of Parmesan cheese and crispy fresh arugula. This is followed by traditional Caesar salad prepared at the table, and veal scallopine alla limone with rosemary roast potatoes. The veal is very tender but is overwhelmed by too-much thick lemon sauce (I was able to scrape off quite a bit). To fill the time waiting for dessert, the server brings a plate of three varieties of Italian biscotti. Real dessert is a simple traditional crème brule.
I decide to skip tonight's entertainment, a guitar-playing comedian, and opt for an early night's rest. Tomorrow is another sea day and I expect my activities will be much the same as today--but they will have to wait for the next blog entry.
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