Rain was the name of the game today. Not light either…..heavy showers, off and on all day. So after breakfast and a walk, we had a date in America’s Test Kitchen (Wajang Theater) for an invitation-only session with Abby, the kitchen’s hostess. This took the place of a “hands on” demo we have done on past cruises. The reason it was a regular group class was because on this grand voyage, there are far too many 5 star and President’s Club members to conduct smaller-sized classes. We still got the gifts of the recipe cards and the ATK red aprons.
Beginning with baking, frosting making, and decorating were the subjects. The demo began with creating a white cake without a boxed mix. Good info to learn what gives the cake flavor and perfect texture. Chocolate frosting was done with a Cuisinart blender, and most were shocked to see the amount of butter that was used. Not to mention that light corn syrup was substituted for the powdered sugar. Last but not least, was the frosting and the method of using a pastry bag and a tip. You are never too old to learn some new tricks in the kitchen, we say. Abby kept it interesting, with one exception. We missed being able to taste that rich creamy frosting.
The other job of the day was to present our copy of the e-visas we got for Sri Lanka. They made copies of the front page, and also took note that we do in fact have Indian visas already in our passports. Without these, we would have been denied access to the ports of Colombo, Cochin, and Mumbai.
For the first time ever, our host at dinner last night sent us a thank you note for letting him join us. In addition, he inquired about our question regarding bringing flowers onboard in Tahiti. Terry, the security officer, said at this time, the answer was yes. Barb also confirmed she had received a card too.
We parted with some of our shipboard credit by purchasing a couple of cameras in the photo shop. While on the last few cruises, we did some research on their products, and decided that it was money well-spent. And since the photo staff was trained with the use of these new cameras, we will have someone to go to for any help with the operation. We know where they live, so to speak, and they happily said they have the time to do it.
The busiest place we saw today was not the lectures or activities, but the Lido at lunchtime. The best thing folks can do in this type of gloomy weather is eat, of course. So we joined the crowd around 2:30pm by visiting the salad bar and the sandwich creator. Doreen has been saving the bread we prefer, so we did not want to disappoint her. It is not easy keeping it light, but we needed to do just that. This evening, we have reservations for the first Tamarind dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, and want to be able to enjoy it.
The afternoon was more suitable for movie-watching, than spending time at the pool. It also gave us some time to get acquainted with both cameras. One came with instructions, but the other did not….go figure? Everything we would need to know is online. So it will be hit and miss, or make several trips to the photo shop onboard.
And as we expected, the dinner was fabulous in the Tamarind. The place was full of guests too. First we began with the little disc that blows up into a wet napkin. That always makes us chuckle. We ordered our favorite starters of Thai salad and spring rolls. Shrimp crackers and three assorted dips went well with that. During the meal, a hot jasmine tea was poured in small glass to sip. Both of us had the beef filet, which was listed under the wood section of the menu. Normally we do not do dessert, but tonight was an exception. There is a chocolate mousse and a fortune cookie that are not to be missed. And we didn’t miss them. It appeared to us that every course was slightly down-sized in the amount we normally see. This is probably a good thing, because we did not leave there over-stuffed.
The good news is that we will begin our visit to French Polynesia tomorrow, but the bad news is that it may rain the whole time. Hopefully not.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, February 16, 2019
Report # 29 Day at Sea February 15, 2019 Friday Rain & 75 degrees
