POA1

Tomorrow we're in Grand Turk. We plan to to eat breakfast, get off and stretch our legs and then get back on the ship. If you have any questions, please ask them now. I'll do my darnedest to answer them. Remember - there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. 😉

Dessert was flourless chocolate cake for the boss and Dutch apply pie for me. I should pretty much give up, because I am not winning dessert. Cappuccino for Michelle and Remy for Brian.

Our starters were paired with Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay for the shrimp and Château du Trignon Côtes du Rhone for my duck. Both main courses were paired with Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir. Tenderloin & shrimp. Not the best photo. Rack of lamb, mid-rare

My email address is in my signature. You can also find us in the Retreat area most days. Cabana #3. Tell them Poohby Joe sent you. (Tip: Compliment the bear on his bow tie. Poohby Joe respects the dress code.) Seriously, though - email me.

The Retreat is attended from 9-5. You should be able to extend your time unless an event is scheduled.

Tonight's dinner started with Le Grand Cortage Rosé for the lovely Mrs. POA1. I has Chateau Ste. Michelle Brut. For starters, we had the shrimp cocktail and the duck device.

No. We're not really in the witness protection program. Standard order is Maker's Mark on the rocks and Ketel One & soda with lime.

Chef Rudi's is packed at 6:50 pm. We're at the Ocean Bar for pregame and we're opposite the door to Sel de Mer.

Thanks!

I feel your pain. However, I was happy that it was something I didn't want to finish. I don't want to gain all my cruise weight on Day One. A more accurate name would be stack o' puddin', but it does not sound as upscale.

Food and service in the restaurants has been uniformly outstanding. Our Club Orange waiter, Tri, is really attentive. (I know there's supposed to be a rotation in CO, but we had him for dinner last night and breakfast today. That legally makes him "our guy." You can tell we're a fixed seating people. We need to have "our people." It brings us comfort and joy. Also glad tidings.

I cannot seem to locate the big list of liqours and prices that used to live in the back of a lot of the bar menus. I will have to ask about it.

Danzante. It's on the Cellar #1 list. It's also on the By the Glass list and is covered by the SBP.

I did bring my scanner but there's no big, flat surface on which to scan. So, the Department of Scanning Things has the week off. I'll scan the daily programs once I'm safely ensconced back at Institute HQ.

This afternoon we attended the Sommelier Wine tasting. It was held in the upper level MDR. We tasted 4 wines from the various wine packages. There was a Pinot Grigio, a rosé from Provence, a red blend from California, and an Argentinean malbec. The wine director and three members of her sommelier staff gave the presentation. I learned something new. Each level of the MDR has its own sommelier. There's another somm who handles the PG & Rudi's.

In case there was the tiniest bit of doubt, the brownie was the hands down winner.

We had our traditional first sea day lunch in the Pinnacle Grill. Michelle started with the spinach and arugula salad. I opted for the crab cake appetizer. We both had the tenderloin, medium rare. Dessert was the brownie with coffee ice cream for Michelle and the coconut trifle for me. We went off the wine list for a LaTour Chardonnay for our first course. The entrée was paired with Beringer Knight's Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Both are above the $15 Elite Beverage Package limit, but sometimes you gotta call an audible.

The Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned from the Ocean Bar. For whomever asked, the smoke gun is a Breville PolyScience.

Here is tonight's "dressy night" menu. I think this would have been the Silver menu.

I feel bad because I really wanted to meet everyone. I was just cluelessly working away in the room, killing time until 11:00. 🙄 The cookie trays were still full when I arrived - way beyond fashoonably late. There were a few people in conversation and I didn't want to interrupt. When they finally finished their conversation, I found out I was an hour late to the party.

Well, that's embarrassing. I had the Meet & Greet 11 AM down in my calendar. I guess that means that I hate people, too.

Out Minty Elf was from the Ocean Bar are there was no chocolate to be found.

My lovely bride has opted out of the Meet & Greet so she can spend time in the Retreat Area. (Ironically, it's only steps from the Crow's Nest. I told her that I was just going to say that, "She hates people." She didn't think that was as funny as I did.) In fairness though, she's helping the bear work on the 2023 edition of Poohby Joe's Guide to Cabana Living. I'll probably report in after the Meet & Greet or lunch or the wine tasting. Because there's nothing better than seeing what other people ate for lunch!

We sampled the clean, bright entertainments last night and out panel of judges came down squarely in favor of the BB King All Stars. The Rolling Stone Rock Room band was good as were the two piano players in Billboard, but the BB King Band was tight and they really, really worked the room. I took a full set of room photos to share with HALFacts. The room is quite comfortable and functional. I've read quite a bit about the Vista Suites being a glorified verandah stateroom. I don't think that's quite fair. They're a longer, glorified balcony room.😉 We have a category V verandah booked for our March/April Rotterdam cruise and that will give us a better basis for comparison. We have one of the pointy V's that sits right where the ship gets wider. Size-wise, it'll probably be pretty close to this Category A Vista Suite - only pointier, with a wider balcony and only single Mariner credit days. We had breakfast in the Club Orange Dining Room this morning and it was good. We were seated a few tables from @LAFFNVEGAS, but I didn't want to interrupt her meal and I figured I'll be meeting her soon in the Crow's Nest for the Meet & Greet. @Huskerchick is up in cabanaland already and I had a little work to do, so I am still "at home." We have lunch at the Pinnacle Grill at noon-and-a-half, followed by the wine tasting in the MDR. We haven't been to a HAL wine tasting since 2013, so I am looking forward to some serious entertainment. I ran out of time before we left home, but I wanted to print up some Wine Tasting Bing Cards. Here are some of the squares: Only drinks real Champagne Calls it Red Zinfandel Anything but Chardonnay Decanter or other aeration device I detect notes Over swirler I don't drink wine but it's free Wine snob Not a wine snob, but... Been to a winery When we went to Napa In Europe ... Only red... Only white.. . Just slams wine ahead of tasting. Malolactic Terrior

Good question. It wasn't heavily spiced and I only had small bite. The chicken gets marinated in lime juice with oil, garlic, cumin and oregano. This is done by the Marinator Society. It's finished so that it's got crispy skin.