Mack704

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Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Mt. Dew, Ginger Ale, Tonic water, Club soda 

1 minute ago, oteixeira said:

My wife has this discussion with me as well.  I have tried multiple "rolls" that have nothing raw in them, and they are just not my cup of tea.  But I do understand it is not all raw, just most of it.

Actually, sushi is not my cup of tea either. My wife, however, loves it…the rawer the better. So when she has sushi for lunch or dinner, I have something else. I just wanted to make sure we  were on the same page. 

21 hours ago, oteixeira said:

I don't like my fish raw, I know that makes me not sophisticated in this day and age.  LOL

For the record: Not all sushi is raw fish. Technically sushi is defined as sour rice…vinegar is added to make sushi rice. Sushi made with scallops are cooked scallops…same with shrimp. California rolls are made with veggies and crab stick(cooked pollock). 

5 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

Yes!  They're very good, but I preferred the cold version.  Tough to get in there.

When we went, it must have been a hidden gem. We had no trouble getting a table. However, a couple of years ago, we advised some friends to go and the wait was so long, they gave up and never made it inside. By the way, we loved the hot as well as the cold. Yum yum!

Several years ago, (maybe 6 or 7), DW and I went on a lobster roll quest on a 2 week Canada/New England cruise round trip out of Cape Liberty. We found the best ones, (cold and hot; we split both), were from Neptune Oyster in Boston. 

Harvey

http://creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/General_Info/Flyers/11024185_CEL_LawnGrill_flyer.pdf

I’m on these boards just about every day. There is a dress thread started every week or two. So the experience I have to qualify me to respond comes from reading dozens of threads and hundreds of posts related to the question you’ve asked.

My impression is that you’re asking not what Celebrity’s official dress suggestions for Evening Chic night in the MDR, but what is actually worn so you won’t be overdressed. I will try to relate a summary of the opinions I’ve read on the subject.

First, a dinner jacket is not required. A suit is not required. A sports jacket also is not required. Nor a tie. It seems business casual is the order of the day.

In other words, for men, slacks and a button down shirt or a collared polo. ‘Nice jeans’ are also acceptable.

In theory, shorts are not allowed in the main dining room for any dinner, let alone Evening Chic.

But I’ve read here that you will see the whole gamut in the MDR. Some will dress all the way down, (shorts and muscle t-shirts), provided the maitre’d doesn’t turn them away, and all the way up to and including tuxedos.

Bottom line, most on these boards would tell you to wear what you are most comfortable in. If you go formal, look at it like it will be the rest that won’t fit in with you. Enjoy! Happy cruising!

Harvey

So is lobster only available on formal nights? DH loves lobster but is trying to avoid bringing a suit on our trip--we may have to forgo the formal night! :o

From all the dress code threads I’ve read here, totaling hundreds of posts I’ve garnered a couple of consistencies, as follows:

Celebrity no longer has formal nights. They now call them Evening Chic. And the dress code suggestions are much more relaxed.

Suits and tuxes are no longer ‘required’. It’s been reported here that almost any type dress has been seen in the MDR on any night. Very little, if any enforcement has been viewed by first hand posters.

Bottom line: no need to miss lobster.

Harvey

I have done this for two nights on our last cruise on the Equinox! I just went down to the main dinning room and they gave me one of there Menu's which I returned latter that evening. It took about 20 to 30 minutes to receive our order! Hope this helps!

When you went to the dining room to retrieve the menus, did you order then and there, and then they delivered said order to your room?

Or did you take the menus back to your room and order from there? And if yes, whom did you call to place your order? Room service? Your room steward?

What type of cabin were you in? I’m curious if this service is, in fact, available to all cabins.

Thanks,

Harvey

Well, this morning, room service slid a little backwards. The coffee was again a bit on the muddy side. No 1/2 & 1/2, just milk this time.

Two little juice glasses full, plus a milk drink box. And two small pots of coffee instead of one large pot.

It was a little too muddy for Sharon. After one sip she dumped it. I made do, and had two cups worth.

We decided not to tender to Bar Harbor. We both are pooped from all the walking we’ve done in the previous ports. So we’re spending the last day on the ship.

So a bit after noon we invaded the Windjammer for lunch. Today they were carving suckling pig.

I had some of that, some potato wedges, some cheese pasta thing, some grilled veggies, and of course a burger (no roll). All, good enough to eat. For dessert, I had fried chicken, which was also good.

Sharon had a hotdog (no roll), some grilled veggies, and potato wedges. She was pleased with her choices.

For her dessert, a peach crumble, which didn’t appeal to her once she got it back to the table. And some vanilla soft serve, which she raved about.

The last supper is tonight!

More later,

Harvey

Our game plan for this evening was to have a snack, then the evening’s entertainment, then to dinner.

About 5:00 we went up to the Diamond Lounge, to see if the appetizers were appealing. They were not. So we decided to hit Latte-tudes for a coffee and to see what they had to nosh.

We still had plenty of punches left on our coffee cards. So we each got a mocha and a snack. I got a tuna wrap and Sharon got a brownie. My wrap was a spot hitter. I liked it a lot. After one bite DW threw the brownie away.

We took our coffees with us into the theatre. After the show, we made a small donation to the Casino fund, and then headed to dinner. It’s lobter tail formal night.

After my duck and port wine terrine and Sharon’s mushrooms in puff pastry, Welkin brought us lots of lobster tails, including three for me. (They’re small).

We both like our apps. Lobster was a different story. My first one was ok, but the other two not so much. Sharon liked hers.

I sent my plate back with the remaining lobster tails and ordered prime rib. Not the greatest, but after 1/2 to 2/3rds of the PR, I gave that back too.

I got sugar free coconut cake for dessert. Meh. Sharon’s Grand Mariner soufflé, on the other hand was great. Yum!

More tomorrow,

Harvey

Room service, this morning, was perfect. For the first time this week, they got everything right. The coffee was decent.

They brought spoons, the correct sweeteners, and napkins; two little pitchers of 1/2 & 1/2. Even the apple juice and orange juice we ordered.

Our Portland foodie tour was due to start at 9:45, so around 9ish we headed out of our stateroom to the meeting point at the end of the pier.

Our first stop was at an organic grocery store and mini cafe, where the order of the day was soup. A good choice, I thought, since it was a little rainy and chilly outside.

The soups were originals. Sharon had what tasted like veggie chili. It was really good. I had what they called Greek chicken and noodles. The kale in it made it a little bitter. It was fair.

Next two stops were sort of combined. We went to an Italian market and got pizza. We took the pizza to go, however, and had it with beer and soda samples at a Portland brewery.

The pizza was really good, as were the beverages at the brewery. The next and last stop was at an unusual donut shop. The made their donuts with potato. We, not the group, took ours to go.

We tipped our guide and bid farewell to the group and headed for a lobster roll restaurant that was recommended by a couple we met in the donut shop.

The lobster roll tasted like most of the lobster rolls we’ve had in New England and Canada. Ok but not to die for.

After that we headed back to the ship. My hips were giving out because of all the walking we’ve done this week.

DW and I just a moment ago shared that donut. And it was, in fact, delicious. Next time we’re in Portland we will be going to that donut shop again. For sure.

More later,

Harvey

We went to dinner at an early 6:00. We had practically no wait at the host/hostess stand and were taken once again to Welkin’s section, as requested.

He talked up the menu. But we ended up both getting French onion soup. Tasted good. Warms the cockles.

DW’s entre’ was filet of sole, and I did the lamb chops.

Sharon OK’d her sole. But my lamb chops were incredible. Out of character. Absolutely superb!

The plan was to have an early dinner and then a snack a 2 or 3 hours later, which we did. We asked for and received, from Park Cafe, our own pepperoni 🍕

Like the burgers. Can’t explain it. Pizza was good!

More tomorrow,

Harvey

This morning room service got our coffee request almost perfect:

One large pot of coffee, two little pitchers of what we thought was milk, (rather than 1/2 & 1/2), plenty of yellows and blues. But no spoons. So we stirred with the knives that came with forks, wrapped up in WJ napkins.

And it was good, albeit strong, but yes, it was good.

Our food tour excursion was due to start at 10:15. So we were in the terminal by 10:00. There were 11 of us on the tour.

Two pastry stops were included in the four stops. They both gave us tails.

First place we got beaver tails. For those who don’t know, beaver tails are a flat pastry with many different toppings. Ours were topped with a maple glaze and a drizzle of chocolate.

The other pastry was called lobster tails. It’s a croissant filled with pastry cream, in the shape of a lobster tail.

Both were the highlight of the tour. I mean YUM YUM!

We got the lobster tail inside the Saint John City Market. We also went to a seafood place inside this market.

They gave us three different samples. Candied salmon on cucumber slices. Then hot smoked salmon on a piece of baguette. And last but not least a lobster roll slider. All were pretty damn good. Glad that stop was included.

If I had to pick my favorite there, it would be the hot smoked salmon. One of our group bought some before we left. And she shared it with us at our last stop.

Our last stop was at a little restaurant that specializes in farm to table cuisine. She gave us, (after a long history lesson), a long plank version of charcuterie: salami, pepperoni, two cheeses, pickles, carrot sticks, pickled egg, and some brown bread, with a honey mustard dipping sauce.

Wasn’t bad. Became much better when a member of our group passed out the hot smoked salmon she bought earlier at the market.

Dinner and a Motown review are on the agenda tonight.

More later,

Harvey

Without hesitation, we chose the MDR for dinner tonight. The Windjammer is losing its appeal for dinner. Our plan was to see a movie in the main theatre. After the movie, I went for some more pampering in the salon and after that dinner.

When we reached the hostess, we again requested Welkin’s section. Not a minute later we were seated at the same table we had 2 nights ago. (We’ve had no dinner reservations - just walk up when we’re ready. So far so good).

He said no recommendations tonight. It’s all good, he said. We both had caprese salad for our app. Decent enough. And we both had eggplant parm. Very good, like excellent.

We didn’t do dessert until after this evening’s entertainment. At Park Cafe Sharon got a piece of chocolate cake and I had a couple pieces of pizza. The pizza was good and so was the cake.

Tomorrow we’re going on a food tour in Saint John, New Brunswick. I’ll tell you all about it after we get back to our cabin.

More tomorrow,

Harvey

Room service coffee was again pretty good this morning. They brought us two large pots. They must have mis-interpreted the note Sharon wrote on the door hanger. Anyhoo I had two full cups worth. I love my morning java!

Our plan was to skip breakfast and go right to lunch. So after our showers and a little lazying around, we went looking for food.

Our choices were the Windjammer again, the Park Cafe, or the MDR. We had decided to do the PC, but trucked down to the MDR just to see if the lunch menu would attract us in that direction. It did not.

So up to the Park Cafe. (you know, the venue with those amazing Kimmelweck sandwiches). So, I got one of those babies. Guess what? Fair at best. Didn’t like the roll, so I knife and forked the roast beef.

They also had various other types of sandwiches there. i.e. paninis, pitas, and 7-11 type of egg salad and tuna sandwiches on focaccia.

Sharon got a grilled cheese panini and a veggie pita. She gave both a thumbs up. After only eating a couple bites of the beef (off the roll), I got a tuna and an egg salad. I’m happy to report they were both good, to the point I’d get them again.

Dessert time. We went down to the WJ for dessert. She got some of the banana Boston cream pie they were serving from a giant baking pan near the entrance. My choice was a burger (again no roll). Don’t know what it is, but those WJ burgers are tasty.

More later,

Harvey

We made it to our nail appointments just in the nick of time. Excursion was late and not that good.

We did, in fact, have a snack and a coffee at Cafe Latte-tudes. Sharon said the cheesecake was not creamy enough. The smoked salmon open face sandwich was the perfect snack for me.

After donating a few bucks to the casino we headed to the MDR. We again requested Welkin’s section. They said they could accommodate us in 15 minutes.

So we showed ourselves the Diamond Lounge on the 13th deck, donated a little more to the casino, and then back to the MDR. And we were seated immediately.

Welkin recommended the mushroom soup and the crab cake. And the chicken cordon bleu for the main.

We both got the mushroom soup and both give it high praise. DW got shrimp cocktail and spaghetti pomodoro, both off of the classic menu. She reported they were both OK.

I got the crab cake on Welkin’s recommendation. Being fron Maryland, I knew what not to expect and I wasn’t disappointed. I had two meat braised dish. Short rib and shoulder. Very good! I was satisfied.

Sharon ate her creme brûlée at the dinner table (well we did). And I brought my chocolate cake back to the cabin. Which I’m about to devour. So,

More tomorrow,

Harvey

The room service coffee was pretty good this morning. I had a second cup and even a third.

The plan for today was to take a nature cruise here in Halifax, meeting at 11:45 in the terminal.

To accommodate the timing, we chose to eat a late breakfast in the Windjammer. We got there about 10:15.

We both had made to order cheese omelettes. And to accompany we had some ham , bacon, hash brown rounds, an English muffin and a croissant.

Everything was good enough. It was a standard breakfast buffet, with tons more items we didn't sample. But assuredly there was something for everyone.

By the time we return from this mini harbor cruise, we will have missed lunch, but may grab a snack from the Cafe Latte-tudes after our side by side manicures.

More later,

Harvey

So we went to the MDR for dinner again tonight. We asked for and received a two top in Welkin's section. The wait was less than 5 minutes to get seated and it was prime time (6:30ish).

Welkin recommended the sirloin roast and the bay scallops au gratin. DW got lobster bisque and shrimp ravioli. she gave the bisque and the ravioli a 7/10.

I got a tossed salad off the menu. Welkin brought me a mini wedge along side tomato slices cuke slices and some red onion I had it with ranch and blue cheese dressings.

For my main I got duck l'orange. Roast duck is a treat for me. I'd give the salad maybe a 7.5. The veggies and the lettuce were not cold and crisp. The dressings were, well I've had better.

The duck was tasty. I'd go with an 8. It was satisfying. We had dessert in the MDR tonight. My sugar free pot-o-crew was fair. Didn't finish it.

On the other hand, Sharon's chocolate soufflé was delish. I finished the last half of that soufflé. Yum!

More tomorrow,

Harvey

DW and I boarded the Serenade of the Seas yesterday. Dinner in the MDR last night was fair at best.

For my app I had a smoked fish dish, which was actually very good. For my main I had a beautiful piece of prime rib.

Problem was the quality of the meat. It was clearly lesser quality than the prime rib I had the night before in Joe's American restaurant in Boston.

DW had a nice enough Caesar salad, but was not thrilled by her salmon entree'. I hope this is not representative of meals to come.

Harvey

So we showed up on deck four for MDR lunch. Saw a copy of the lunch menu at the host/hostess stand and neither of us cared for what we saw. So, up to the Windjammer we went.

For my first plateful I had a slice of the carved turkey breast, some more of those delicious mashed potatoes and gravy. Also took some braised beef w/mushrooms.

The turkey was delish and I'm considering having that mashed and gravy every time I eat in the WJ. The braised beef didn't do anything for me, so I abandoned it after the one and only bite.

For seconds, more turkey and mashed w/gravy. Also added a burger (no roll) and a slice of pepperoni pizza. Surprisingly, both the burger and the pizza were good!

So, like the glutton that I am, I opted for a third plate, another burger (still no roll) and another slice of pepperoni pizza.

That finished me off and probably put me in a position for another late dinner.

Sharon started with seafood pasta salad, seafood flatbread and tomato mozzarella salad. The tomato/mozzarella salad was the only thing she cared for out of those three. The rest went uneaten.

For seconds, after seeing me rave about the burger and pizza, she had one of each and liked them as well. For dessert, she had some kind of strawberry mousse. She reported it light, fluffy, and very good.

More later,

Harvey

Even on our days off at home we're usually up pretty early. Not today. After turning the clocks forward overnight, we didn't get up 'til after 9:00.

We never got a notification of the Meet & Mingle, but it's usually day two @10:00am. I called the ships operator and she confirmed I was right. We didn't make it.

As a rule, we're not big on breakfast, but we love our morning coffee. Only took about 1/2 hr. to get it delivered by room service. And yes, we tipped him a couple bucks.

It resembled mud more than coffee, but since there's no other choice from room service, we made do.

The plan for lunch is the MDR, but if nothing on the menu looks appealing, we'll truck up to the Windjammer.

More later,

Harvey

So we made it to the MDR around 8ish. Requested and received our own table. Welkin and Henry were terrific.

For apps Welkin recommended the smoked fish rillettes. Superb! And Sharon had the Caesar salad, which she approved of.

Right now we had intended to post the app pics. However, DW and I are both technically challenged.

From the menus I've seen here on CC, prime rib was going to be on tonight's menu, and it was. My favorite. The first piece he brought me was unacceptable. On the second try he was right on. Very tasty, tender, a good chew.

Sharon had the horseradish crusted salmon. She said it was a touch over cooked, but not dry. "It was alright" she just told me.

We took the desserts back to the room. They brought this chocolate cake thing that was very tasty. We haven't tried the carrot cake yet and the cheese plate was a nice nosh.

Good first day. Lots of tasty things.

More tomorrow,

Harvey

We have MTD. Our plan is to see the welcome aboard show at 7:15. What's that 1/2 hour - 40 minutes? Then dinner. Then probably back to the cabin.

I'll try to add my next entry after that. Maybe even a little during dinner, (if my boss lets me). :halo:

Harvey

We're leaving out of Boston towards Canada and New England. Halifax, Saint John, Portland and Bar Harbor. And then, back to Boston.

Harvey