Galley Tour & Savor Luncheon on Explorer 8-11-07

Great pics. How did you manage to get this tour?

You can buy it for $55.00 You get the luncheon, wine, galley tour, and a cookbook.

This sounds great! What was the menu and type of wines served. When do you sign up for this? Will be on the Explorer this Friday.

Thanks

cdltel

http://travel.webshots.com/album/560303708sPZcuQ

Very cool. Might you remember what was on the menu?

The Savor Luncheon experience is offered on the final day, a sea day, of the 9 day Explorer cruise. I am not sure if or on which day it is offered on the five day sailing. According to Tusi Sola, the Food and Beverage Manager who was my dining companion, this was their 5th one.

After the Galley Tour, which was led by Executive Chef Martin Scott, we went up to Portofino. All of the tables had been moved to make one long long long table down the center of the restaurant. As we entered, we saw one beautifully decorated serving table at the front, which had dozens of mojitos on it. I helped myself, as did many others, although many were left sitting there. Delicious and refreshing.

Each place had a chef's toque with a placecard. Yes, we had assigned seats. There were four Royal Caribbean representatives: Chef Scott sat at the head, Tusi Sola, as mentioned above, at the foot, and another F & B manager whose name I don't recall was in the center on one long side, and Elvis, the cellarmaster, on the other side.

The cellarmaster introduced each wine as it was served, including information and instruction on how to evaluate and enjoy it.

First there were introductions. This included all of the passengers/guests.

Even before the official appetizer course, there was a little "amuse-bouche" - I can only describe it as a large piece of tuna salad sushi. There was a nice lump of wasabi and a good sized pile of fresh-sliced ginger.

There was a nice basket of rolls, bread sticks and flatbreads.

The appetizer was Cajun-Spiced Scallops and Lobster Rosemary Skewers with Lime Butter Sauce and Grilled Asparagus. YUM! (no one came around to remove the lobster tail from its shell; ;) - I did mine and my son's. :D)

A lovely Labourré-Roi Macon-Villages was poured with these two courses. Waiters came around twice.

The main course was Beef Tenderloin. It was huge and delicious. I enjoyed about two-thirds of mine. I paused briefly to enjoy, reflect and digest. My son immediately wanted to know, "Are you going to finish that?" I *had* intended to finish it, but what mother wouldn't hand over the rest of her filet to her poor, starving 19 year old son? (by the way, he was served everything at this luncheon; no one asked at the time of reservation or the luncheon itself how old he was)

With this, the waiters poured Montes Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, they offered refills.

Dessert was White Chocolate Cardamom Parfait with Vanilla Roasted Sweet Pineapple. It was just ok.

Dessert contained the only serious flaw or misfiring, as far as I was concerned. They served "a sparkling wine, perfect for enjoying with dessert and sure to make any meal special." NOT. They served Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante. YUCK.

The total experience was about three hours long, including both Galley Tour and Luncheon. Afterwards, they were very gracious and autographed my cookbook.

Expensive, yes, but a wonderful and unique experience.

I recommend it.

Great review of the luncheon! They had it on my June cruises but I didn't do it. Sounds like a good thing though to try! :)

Merion Mom,

Thanks for posting the menu! I also agree,Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante. YUCK. But I think this was a bargin at $55.00. The cook book must go for $20 or $25, average of 5 drinks plus the food. I'm a big foodie and I'm in on this one! Great job RCCL!!!!!

CDLTEL

This must be something new as I have not seen it offered on any of the ships we have been on lately. Sounds like a great deal.

That sounds great! Is it only offered on the Explorer?

Thanks so much for posting this Carol, i'm sailing in October with my family and my DD & I want to take the tour, i've always wanted to see the galley. Do you actually get the Savour cook book or a Readers Digest (condensed) version of it? Do you sign up for this at Portofino or at the Shore Ex. desk? Thanks again, Claire

Sounds great...............(and you had me at Mojitos!!):)

Carol, do you know if this is offered on the Mariner?

This sounds great! What was the menu and type of wines served. When do you sign up for this? Will be on the Explorer this Friday.

 

Thanks

cdltel

Hi! (not trying to highjack your thread Carol ;) great review, BTW) CDLTEL, Have you visited the roll call thread? there are many of us on this same sailing, and you still have a whole day to get to know us! :D

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=338695&page=96

A~

We did this tour on the July 20th sailing .....it was really fabulous! We were told the tour as only being given on the Explorer and that they had to get special permission form corporate headquarters to do it. We sat next to Tosi Sola and he was very gracious, answering whatever questions we had. It was well worth the $55 cover charge!

This sounds really good. I hope it has proved popular on the Explorer, and maybe they'll offer it on some other ships.

Hey, I love Martini & Rossi spumante. It's like adult Kool-aide:D :o

We did this tour on the July 20th sailing .....it was really fabulous! We were told the tour as only being given on the Explorer and that they had to get special permission form corporate headquarters to do it. We sat next to Tosi Sola and he was very gracious, answering whatever questions we had. It was well worth the $55 cover charge!

I think sometimes for new ideas, what they do is try it out on one ship (sometimes two) for a while and if it has the potential then likely it will make the whole fleet?

We would be very interested in doing this on our 8/31 sailing - when and where do you sign up? Also, if a couple does this, there is really no need for two cookbooks - guess there is no discount, however.

Great pictures.I wish I had done the tour on my cruise back in March. CLSmith

We would be very interested in doing this on our 8/31 sailing - when and where do you sign up? Also, if a couple does this, there is really no need for two cookbooks - guess there is no discount, however.

Sometimes there's an alternate "gift." We did a cocktail seminar on one cruise, which included a RCI cocktail recipe book. The alternative was a voucher for two drinks-of-the-day. So one of us took the book and the other the voucher. Not sure if they did anything similar here or not, though.

Carol, do you know if this is offered on the Mariner?

When we were on the 7 day Eastern the end of July on the Mariner, it was not offered.

I think only the EX is doing it. :)

Thanks, Debbie. Oh, well. I would like to get a copy of that cookbook, though. I'm sure I'll be able to on the ship. :)

Thanks, Debbie. Oh, well. I would like to get a copy of that cookbook, though. I'm sure I'll be able to on the ship. :)

They were sellig the RCCL cookbooks on the Enchantment last month.

Tusi told me that it was *his* idea, and he had to clear the idea through corporate. It is unique to the Explorer.

The price was broken down on my bill: $28 for one, and $27 for the other, but I don't remember which was the lunch and which was the cookbook. Maybe it was really $27 for each and a dollar for the galley tour. :D

The cookbook is the *real* one that you can buy on any RC ship.

We signed up at Portofino. The advertising in the Cruise Compass and on separate flyers gave the Portofino phone extension for making reservations.

We were not given a choice of turning down the *extra* cookbooks, nor offered an alternative or substitute.

Great pictures.I wish I had done the tour on my cruise back in March.

As for extra books...........can you say "ebay"????? ;)