When we got back on ship in Tauranga, the captain made a disappointing announcement – that we would be skipping our next three ports in New Zealand and heading straight for Australia.
Auckland had its wettest month on record – over 21 inches of rain in the month of January, which led to severe flooding when they got 11 inches of rain on January 28th. And Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle is bearing down on North Island, expecting to dump another 4 inches of rain on already saturated ground. Cyclones are also called typhoons or hurricanes, depending on where in the world they are. They have wind speed and moisture benchmarks and are named using male and female names. New Zealand was closing many ports because of the expected 80 mph winds and high surf, so the captain canceled our next three ports in New Zealand, and we are getting out of the Pacific and over to the Tasman Sea. It is safer to outrun a storm than to tie up in a port. We will make an extra stop in Melbourne before we get to Sydney. We are all disappointed to miss the other ports, but also happy to be able to explore Melbourne. I am sad because I was supposed to visit a sheep farm in Tauranga as part of my tour, but because our arrival and departure times changed due to the weather, they cut that stop from my tour. I also had an excursion that included a sheep farm with sheepdog demonstrations further along in New Zealand, and I won’t be able to do that either. Oh well. I have seen these demonstrations before, and I’ll be seeing something completely new in Melbourne. I managed to get onto a tour but I'm not sure where we are going, so it will be an adventure!
Better safe than sorry. The captain and crew have done an excellent job of keeping us informed and explaining their decisions. Ultimately, it’s about safety.
Decadent Dinner of Deliciousness
After I got back onboard in Tauranga, the maître d’ tracked me down in the main dining room to see if I wanted to join the Chef’s Table the next night. (These medallions we have to wear are wonderful and a bit alarming – no need to carry around a door card and sign bar tabs, and they can know where anyone is on the ship at any time.) I jumped at the chance for a seat at this sought-after dining extravaganza. It took some of the sting out of missing the canceled ports.
The next night I got all dressed up and met everyone in the Bordeaux dining room (which is the fancier one where all the club and suite-level people eat). After a tour of the galley with the Director of Hotel Operations and the Executive Chef, fourteen of us sat down for an eight-course meal that I would rank in the top-ten meals I’ve ever had. I strategized with my tablemates on how we were going to make it to the end of the meal without bursting, and we decided to eat only half of what was served for each course. Along with skipping lunch, that strategy seemed to work, as I was able to taste everything and still make it to the end without feeling disgustingly overstuffed.
We started with a selection of cold appetizers, then hot appetizers. I tried each of them, even though I normally would pass on tuna tartare, pâté, and caviar. I was so eager to try everything I forgot to take a picture of the first course. They were all delicious.
The next course was Risotto with Lobster Ragout.
The main course was Roasted Fillet of Beef, Rack of Lamb, Saffron Poached Lobster Tail, and Grilled Scallops.
Next came the cheese course, with baked brie and fig compote.
The dessert course was something airy and delicious called a Sable Breton with Exotic Cream and White Chocolate Bavarian. Then in case you needed just one more sweet, Petit Fours. Each course had a wine pairing, all of which were all delicious, even though I don’t often drink reds or dessert wines.
We had proper assigned seating (boy-girl-boy-girl), and my seatmates were interesting and lovely company. The conversation flowed along with the wine, and the three and a half hours flew by. The service was impeccable (as always with the onboard staff), and in the end, we were given souvenir photos, a set of Princess cordial glasses, a box of Lindor truffles, and each lady got a rose from the Executive Chef. It was a truly memorable evening.
About 5 minutes after I left the dining room, the medical team was called there over the loudspeakers. Concerned that one of my dinner companions had fallen into a food coma I went back to check, but they said it was another guest (probably lying to me!). The rumors were that it was a guest who fell or a staff person that got hurt. In any event, there was not another medical evacuation, so I assume they are okay.
WOW!! GREAT pics of food! So awesome!
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