Vision of the Seas: A Quick Retreat
Though we've lived in Houston for five years, this is the first time we boarded in Galveston. It was so easy! Left the house at 9am and pulled into the covered paid parking by 10:30am. We then shuttled from the parking garage to the ship. Everything went so smoothly... we were on the ship having lunch by 11:15! Once in our cabin, I took a picture of our view... oil rigs... and more oil rigs.
Our goal on the first day of cruises is to steer clear of the "herds". Up in the eleventh deck Vikings Lounge, there was nothing but a bird's eye view of the ship and peaceful silence... Barry did a last minute check of his email.
With this being a four day cruise, we bought the dining packing. First night... Giovanni's Table. Dinner started with a decanted bottle of Mormoreto... perfect for an Italian dinner. Family style starters of Caprese, a prosciutto dish baked with Mozzarella and scallops in a creamy white sauce were enjoyed as our wine came alive! Sitting behind us was a couple. Ordinarily I don't eavesdrop but my ear perked up when I heard them mention Caymus. They were thinking of ordering a bottle but asked the waiter about a Super Tuscan... he wasn't familiar with the wines. So I butted into their conversation and suggested Luce because we had the last bottle of Mormoreto. The Luce is at the top of my favorites list! They loved it! So back focused on my meal... The Osso Buco was incredible!
Still in the thick of our rebuilding process, we spent day two (sea day) lounging. Barry napped quite a bit and I did some reading in "Some Enchanted Evening" room. It's a beautiful venue that is used for karaoke, art shows and dancing.
Royal Caribbean has limited choices for Specialty Restaurants so, even though Barry doesn't like sushi, we went to Izumi's. He ordered the Hot Rock which suits his taste... tender beef that cooks on the heated rock. It sizzles! He loved the rice that came with it... cheating on his Keto diet :-)
The waiter suggested I have one... maybe two sushi rolls. I knew that wouldn't be enough for me. It's so rare I get sushi anymore that it would take quite a bit to satisfy my appetite. So... loving a challenge as I do, I ordered three... a lobster roll, one with Unagi and another with salmon and cream cheese. Unbelievable!
Walking to the late night comedy show, I passed by this Centrum entertainment. A group doing YMCA! They were very entertaining in their Men At Work imitation. The crowd was engaged... singing, dancing! Fun!
On day three, we arrived in Cozumel, we chose (as usual) to stay on board and enjoy the peaceful pool area. We spent over an hour talking to an interesting gentleman from Israel... in the Jacuzzi. Aside from our new found friend, there weren't many others on the ship. Everyone hurried to shore! I think port days are my favorite. It's the one good thing about returning to a port we've seen time after time. We ended up getting off the ship late in the afternoon as everyone returned...
Two of my loves in port at the same time! Rhapsody of the Seas was parked next t o us when I woke up to check out our view! They are basically the same ship. Small and intimate... I love the small shiips!
Dufry is something I would like to check out if (when) we return. This long, beautiful building is a walk through duty free shopping mall. It's part of the new Carnival Cruise Port Terminal in Cozumel. Dufry can be found in 64 countries... I guess I'll get off the ship next time :-)
Who can resist a giant chair? Not me... Barry wouldn't pose for me, so I climbed up! Wish we'd taken it at the other angle so I had the two Royal Caribbean ships in the background!
One of the things I'm not thrilled about at this port stop, is the "created" shopping area. Other cruise lines, like Norwegian, park down the coast a bit, close to the main part of town. There are all kinds of restaurants and shops. In this area, they've built a shopping village. I'm not one for trinket shopping. Clearly many people do like it because the shops are always packed!
This chain, as well as Margaritaville, are located in the village. Both restaurants were full of patrons. I guess getting off the ship and eating/drinking is popular too. Royal Caribbean doesn't charge exorbitant prices for drinks so there's really no benefit. With that said, it is nice to sit beside the shoreline and enjoy the view!
YAY!!! Although we were unable to meet on shore, I got a wave and short conversation with Danis from Rhapsody of the Seas! We spent two weeks with him crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Malaga. He served us beautiful wines every night... such a special guy! We actually ran into him last time we were in port in January. Since we couldn't meet for lunch, I told him I'd be on our deck seven balcony... he said to look down to deck five! And there he was... walking out with a smile and a wave. They are about to cross over to Venice. You never know when we will catch up again :-)
At the end of the port day, we booked the Chef's Table. One amazing pairing after another! We met in the Centrum for a glass of bubbly before heading to the private room designated for the event. It's always a great way to meet new people who have an interest in wines and fine food pairings.
My starter was this thinly cut scallop. Barry doesn't eat sea food so they made him a special Carpaccio dish.
Next was the Maine lobster salad made with Hearts of Palm, pineapple, cilantro and vanilla dressing... Barry had the same preparation on chicken. Next, and I forgot to take a picture darn it, was the Tomato Soup (smoked) with garlic, Focaccia croutons, Ohhh. And then came the Roasted Branzino. Heaven on earth! It was served with incredibly seasoned grilled baby zucchini, bell pepper stew, lemon confit and a basil pesto. Wow! Parmesan cheese and liquid smoke. Definitely the best creation of this type of soup I can remember! Then...Truffle Tagliatelle... so simple... white truffle, butter, Parmesan and nutmeg. Barry loved this one... By this point, I was falling into a food coma and didn't take pictures of the last two courses! The grilled Filet Mignon was cooked medium rare and served with truffled potato puree, asparagus, crispy shallots and a Bordelaise sauce. Oh! talk about a delectable mixture of tastes... the wines were perfectly paired...
Our hosts, Chef Suzette and Sommelier Darius welcomed us into their food/wine extravaganza! They create a social atmosphere where everyone ends up friends by the end of the event. Chef Suzette was so humble but what a talent!
On the last night, we ate dinner with a couple we met on the first night... our mutual love of wines, brought us to share dinner. We each ordered a bottle of Caymus Special Selection (YUM!). When we walked in, we realized another couple that Chris and Robin had met at their Chef's Table had already been seated. After finishing their meal, they came and joined us and we ordered a bottle of Opus One Overture to go with our dessert :-)
This little gem tried to tell me she was older than me... ummmm... no. She was positive but I knew there was no way. Her skin is silky smooth and not aged like mine :-) Turns out she is 42... so I could actually be her mom! I'm 100% sure Stephanie was being polite but it was a nice compliment!
Girls just wanna have fun! We sang, we danced and carried on until the wee hours of the morning. This is the best part of cruising! Bonding with new friends... everyone carefree, having left responsibilities on shore. I believe our sudden outburst into singing and dancing to the band playing two floors below us, shocked the husbands... we RAN down the stairs and made quite an entrance. Unfortunately, it was their last song... so we had to go up to the Vikings Lounge.
Here we all are... us, Chris and Robin and Mike and Stephanie! Until we meet again... can't wait! See you in Dallas in May!!!
