Wonderful cruise on Insignia!

There was a blue tote bag hanging in our closet in our Concierge cabin. Didn't have to ask for it.

 

Mary

Yes but apparently things are changing

See post #34

Oh, so it's not like formal night (which I know that Oceania doesn't have) on other lines? Does Oceania have anything like that when they have an upgraded lobster tail and stuff like that? Or does it just show up randomly? And yes, I know you can get it at The Terrace every night.

The menus rotate on a cycle so yes Lobster, Caviar & other special items will show up anytime during your cruise

There are no "special entrees" on the Captain's party night

 

It is just another night

That's what I thought also. I see a lot of people mention "gala" dinner, special menu etc., but I've always thought it was special every night.

That's what I thought also. I see a lot of people mention "gala" dinner, special menu etc., but I've always thought it was special every night.

True

In the old days they did have a special dinner on Captain's night with the sorbet in between courses etc..

Not sure when they stopped those dinners

maybe before 2006 or 2007 as I do not recall them being on the cruise we took then

I love the miso glazed sea bass so glad to hear that it will be on the menu at least once. We are on Insignia on 3rd Sept and cannot wait.

It might have been a slightly different rendition, but the flavors were there. The leaves were banana leaves and it mentioned coconut in the ingredients ....Red Ginger’s version is wrapped in a Hoba leaf....I haven’t a clue if that makes a difference. But, it was Chilean sea bass and was available in Terrace also.

Tonight is a chef’s market night in Terrace. Sounds promising.

It might have been a slightly different rendition, but the flavors were there. The leaves were banana leaves and it mentioned coconut in the ingredients ....Red Ginger’s version is wrapped in a Hoba leaf....I haven’t a clue if that makes a difference. But, it was Chilean sea bass and was available in Terrace also.

I did not realize it was Chilean sea bass -- I love that! Every once in a while I splurge and pay the $30+ per pound and buy myself a piece at Whole Foods and grill it, although the last time I prepared it with my Sous Vide cooker and it came out great.

It might have been a slightly different rendition, but the flavors were there. The leaves were banana leaves and it mentioned coconut in the ingredients ....Red Ginger’s version is wrapped in a Hoba leaf....I haven’t a clue if that makes a difference. But, it was Chilean sea bass and was available in Terrace also.

 

 

 

Tonight is a chef’s market night in Terrace. Sounds promising.

Like you I don’t know if the leaves make a difference to the taste but no matter what I guess it will still taste amazing.

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Like you I don’t know if the leaves make a difference to the taste but no matter what I guess it will still taste amazing.

Banana leaf: "Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweetflavor and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the contents are consumed."

I can't find a good description for hoba leaf (which is apparently from a magnolia) but it seems to give it a smoky flavor.

I suspect both are subtle and are more for appearance and to keep the fish moist than for flavor.

But, it was Chilean sea bass and was available in Terrace also.

 

Tonight is a chef’s market night in Terrace. Sounds promising.

BTW in Terrace was it freshly cooked? Or just sitting pre-plated?

Let us know what they have tonight. Pictures would be nice :).

Banana leaf: "Banana leaves are large, flexible, and waterproof. They impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtle sweetflavor and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the contents are consumed."

 

 

 

I can't find a good description for hoba leaf (which is apparently from a magnolia) but it seems to give it a smoky flavor.

 

 

 

I suspect both are subtle and are more for appearance and to keep the fish moist than for flavor.

Thanks for the info. I’ve never cooked a meal with leaves. I just thought the chef added the leaf to make it look good. Doh!

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Thanks for the info. I’ve never cooked a meal with leaves. I just thought the chef added the leaf to make it look good. Doh!

It's probably similar to the way salmon is sometimes cooked on a cedar plank. It imparts a smoky flavor.

BTW in Terrace was it freshly cooked? Or just sitting pre-plated?

 

Let us know what they have tonight. Pictures would be nice :).

They were sitting in a pan to be served....definitely not the RG presentation. But, for a buffet, it was very good. I’ve had it on an R ship in the MDR and it was more true to the RG version.

Highlight of the Market Terrace dinner was cold water lobster picked up in Maine. It was signicantly better lobster than I’ve had in Polo on other cruises (non east coast). They had been boiled, then quickly heated on the grill in halves of body and tail. Claws served separate.

The rest of the theme was New England fare, including desserts. No sushi station or Asian station. Pasta station was in a different area then usual. Same menu in Terrace for tomorrow. Overall, a nice change up from the usual Terrace offerings at dinner.

I have a lousy iPad picture...i’ll see if I can figure out how to post it tomorrow.

BTW, I asked tonight, the temporary grill the other night was electric. They did not use it tonight, but it might have been due to weather...we were fighting off and on showers.

Do you recall who the chef was? Was it Farid as was mentioned being on the ATW16 cruise? Insignia just finished up this year's ATW cruise so it's possible that it was him.

 

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Chef Smith will be leaving for vacation after this cruise. If I find out who is replacing I will let you know.

Yesterday’s lunch in Terrace had something I haven’t seen before, or perhaps didn’t notice. They set up the temporary grill inside in front of the aft service station, near the exit to the aft deck. They prepared made to order paninis, wraps and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Chef Smith will be leaving for vacation after this cruise. If I find out who is replacing I will let you know.

Thanks. Worst case I'll find out when I board tomorrow! Do you recall what time the muster drill ended, and did you leave promptly at 6? Did you folks do a Meet & Mingle?

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We left promptly at 6:00. Great sail away...some raindrops had ceased. We did not do a meet and greet.

Our three sea days have been wash outs...rough weather and rain. Rained in Halifax also. Barf bags are in the elevator lobbies again. Our waiter in Terrace this morning mentioned it was the roughest he’s experienced on this itinerary. Seas are calming a bit now and it’s supposed to get progressively better. Outdoor activities have been cancelled today.

We left Bermuda 20 minutes early yesterday. I assume they knew all were already on board and the captain wanted to get a head start knowing the evening would see seas on the rough side. Our next cruise is an around the horn...so this is a training session. :D

We left promptly at 6:00. Great sail away...some raindrops had ceased. We did not do a meet and greet.

 

 

 

Our three sea days have been wash outs...rough weather and rain. Rained in Halifax also. Barf bags are in the elevator lobbies again. Our waiter in Terrace this morning mentioned it was the roughest he’s experienced on this itinerary. Seas are calming a bit now and it’s supposed to get progressively better. Outdoor activities have been cancelled today.

 

 

 

We left Bermuda 20 minutes early yesterday. I assume they knew all were already on board and the captain wanted to get a head start knowing the evening would see seas on the rough side. Our next cruise is an around the horn...so this is a training session. :D

OMG were on Insignia on the 3rd Sept and I hope the seas will be calmer and the sun shining. Fingers and toes crossed. [emoji120]

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Our three sea days have been wash outs...rough weather and rain. Rained in Halifax also. Barf bags are in the elevator lobbies again. Our waiter in Terrace this morning mentioned it was the roughest he’s experienced on this itinerary. Seas are calming a bit now and it’s supposed to get progressively better. Outdoor activities have been cancelled today.

:D

That is disappointing about the bad weather. The forecast for our ports next week seems to be very good (possibly showers on our 2nd day in Bermuda), although obviously things can change and I did not check the sea days (not sure how I would).

The rest of the theme was New England fare, including desserts. No sushi station or Asian station. Pasta station was in a different area then usual. Same menu in Terrace for tomorrow. Overall, a nice change up from the usual Terrace offerings at dinner.

<snip>

 

BTW, I asked tonight, the temporary grill the other night was electric. They did not use it tonight, but it might have been due to weather...we were fighting off and on showers.

Yesterday’s lunch in Terrace had something I haven’t seen before, or perhaps didn’t notice. They set up the temporary grill inside in front of the aft service station, near the exit to the aft deck. They prepared made to order paninis, wraps and grilled cheese sandwiches.

It is things like these that for me make O special. The catering department has to work around unexpected conditions and make it appear seamless. Or offer new things in new ways that are maybe overlooked. Often these change-ups do take extra planning and effort to execute; so much easier to do the 'status quo'. Even if I did not feel like having a panino, I appreciate the effort they put in to make things that little bit more special.

Enjoy your cruise1

Good Evening.

I just wanted to tell you guys what I do with any extra totes I get...I donate them to the local food bank. The clients can have the heavy weight bags instead of the plastic ones recycled from groceries.

When I go to conferences and they give you your materials in a logo messenger bag, I donate those to the Local neighborhood council along with some school supplies.

I sometimes see students coming from school with one of the messenger bags...better use than gathering dust in my spare room.

Can’t wait to go on my first Qceania Cruise.

I have to agree with Bradpoole, our cruise was great also. The skys cleared mid- afternoon yesterday and we were treated to just the normal gentle rocking through the night.

We are sitting in Martini’s, unfortunately Faizal isn’t here, greeting me with my pre-dinner glass of wine (Hello, Miss Marian how are you tonight...he is a gem.). Breakfast was in Terrace back deck, with a wonderful sail in to NYC, with the morning sun coming up.

Throughout the cruise, I was amazed at the attention to maintenance, despite the fact the ship would soon be totally redone. One elevator lobby was painted and I saw them doing some exterior painting of the ship while in port. The day after embarkation the room stewards were on there knees washing the halls to the rooms, to take off any marks left by the luggage transfer.

All in all, a great cruise, with a wonderful crew and excellent food. (Sorry, for all the simplistic adjectives that sound like you know who;p).

buggings,

Thank you for your reporting.

Sounds like things on the ship are as usual and that you had a good cruise.

Good to know on both counts :)

We're on the ship now. Went to Waves for lunch. My wife got the Surf & Turf and I had the grilled tuna (The Maguro). Both were great although the fries were just eh. Sitting at the pool now with a virgin Miami Vice. We got to the terminal a bit before noon and were on the ship at 12:15.

The check in line for regular cabins was empty, while there were many people on the lines for suites and other fancier cabins. We had to wait a few minutes to be checked in but once that was done, we were able to walk right onto the ship.

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I was also on this cruise and just posted a quick, separate review. I totally concur with Brad! Wonderful ship, crew and cruise!

As a side note, we really did enjoy the bar service in Martinis, but could see where they were probably favoring the paying alcohol guests.

I

As a side note, we really did enjoy the bar service in Martinis, but could see where they were probably favoring the paying alcohol guests.

Can you clarify??

We're on the ship now. Went to Waves for lunch. My wife got the Surf & Turf and I had the grilled tuna (The Maguro). Both were great although the fries were just eh. Sitting at the pool now with a virgin Miami Vice. We got to the terminal a bit before noon and were on the ship at 12:15.

 

The check in line for regular cabins was empty, while there were many people on the lines for suites and other fancier cabins. We had to wait a few minutes to be checked in but once that was done, we were able to walk right onto the ship. [ATTACH]427136[/ATTACH][ATTACH]427137[/ATTACH][ATTACH]427139[/ATTACH]

 

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That was our embarkation lunch as well, wish I was there!