With all of the recent time changes, it is getting difficult knowing what the time is. Is breakfast at lunchtime? Or lunchtime….dinner? Normally, we do this time back drill over a longer period of days, giving us time to adjust. And we are not done yet, as tonight there has to be another hour back to be on Papeete time on Tuesday. Perhaps having Sunday Brunch this morning might give many guests a chance to sleep in later. Or not.
It sure did not affect the Pinnacle Grill breakfast, as it was busier than usual. Now there is a line of folks at the door 15 minutes before they open. Presty happened to stop by to say hi, so we asked him if the dining room brunch was really that popular with the passengers. We have not noticed any request for guests to sign up for reservations recently, so we wonder if the charm of brunch has worn off. Perhaps so, because Presty admitted that there are more diners in both the Pinnacle and the Lido because people do not want to wait until 9:30am for the brunch, which is simply a combo of regular breakfast and lunch entrees. Nothing fancy.
We did have a nice display of a rainbow early this morning while enjoying our several cups of coffee. When the Captain gave his noon talk, he commented that it was another beautiful day, but we have been tending to take these days for granted. With that said, he continued to tell us we may be in for some rain…heavy at times with intense winds without warning. This is common this time of year in this part of the world. On one trip years ago to French Polynesia, we could not see our hands in front of our faces due to such torrential rain while on Belvedere Point in Moorea. On another cruise not too long ago, the Captain cancelled the stop at Moorea because tendering would be next to impossible. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it won't be as bad as suggested, but who knows?
With the day at sea, we relaxed and worked on the many photos from yesterday's stop in Pitcairn. It was also a good time to watch a late afternoon movie (a Western no less), and looking forward to possibly a great sunset. And it sure did not disappoint us. With the time changes, the sun dipped below the horizon around 7:30pm. With the several layers of clouds, the sky lit up beautifully, and we had the time before dinner to film it right from our veranda.
For a change, dinner was "dressy", which really means something different for everyone. The menu was presented differently with some semi-formal starters and entrees. Appetizers were served like escargot (not a favorite of ours) or shellfish ceviche. That starter was OK but really needed an aioli dip to make it tastier. A safer bet for the non-shellfish eater among us was the mozzarella tapenade appetizer and also a garden and Caesar salad. Our entrees were the same…..lamb chops without the sides that came with them. One of us ordered French fries and the other rice pilaf. A word to the wise: always ask how these chops are served as far as doneness goes. We asked for medium, but both plates came with rare chops. , bordering on raw. In hind sight, we should have sent them back, but the waiters always seem to disappear when you need them. The meat was tasty as long as you did not look too closely at them. They were nowhere near as savory as the lamb we had in the Pinnacle Grill, but then they serve a higher quality of meat there. From now on, we will request medium well or well done.
Desserts were one cinnamon-flavored rice pudding with one raisin, and a plate of sliced watermelon, which was really good. Our waiter laughed when we informed him the rest of the raisins were missing in the pudding. He promised to add more the next time it is served. Sometimes we feel that by dining later at 7:30pm, the kitchen is running low on some of the favorite items, and we get what's leftover. The pendulum has changed with early dining being the most wanted or anytime dining these days. It seems that the most sought after time is 6pm now. Not for us…at least not yet.
The entertainment for the evening was a comedian by the name of Marc Yaffee doing a skit on mid-laugh crisis. He would be poking fun at his elderly parents, growing older, and putting up with today's changes. Hmmmm, we are not sure how well this crowd will like that.
One more hour back, and we are on Papeete, Hawaii, and Rarotonga time. And the clocks should stay that way for at least a week. Fine with us.
Bill & Mary Ann
