Christmas/New Year's - LIVE - Voyager

[Travelcat2]

Just a comment about lunch -- the Christmas Virginia Ham, Port Wine Sauce, Stuffed Cabbage, Sauteed Pineapple was delicious (dined in Compass Rose). They also had my favorite cake in the world...... "Opera Slice, Almond Sponge Cake with Coffee Butter Cream ad Chocolate Ganache".

 

DINNER - COMPASS ROSE - DECEMBER 24, 2013

 

APPETIZERS

Nordic Gravlax, Salt, Sugar and Dill Cured Salmon with Honey Mustard Sauce

Vegetable Caponata on Roasted Red Pepper Coulis and Crispy Sardinian Bread

Marinated Seasonal Fresh Fruits with Grand Marnier

Lobster and Ricotta holiday Ravioli, Lemon Sauce and Argula Oil.

Risotto con Scampi e Asparagi di Bosco, Risotto with Shrimp and Fresh Asparagus

 

SOUPS

Creamy Lady Rosetta potato Soup, Truffle Mushroom Dumpling

Consomme Napolitaine, Beef and Tomato Consomme with Diced Oxtail

 

SALADS

Mixed Baby Greens with Vegetable Jardiniere and Melon Balls

Daikon, Carrots and Broccoli Stem Slaw with Asian Dressing and Toasted Sesame

Caesar Salad with Traditional Garnish

 

INTERMEZZO

Red Wine and Cinnamon Sorbet

 

MAIN COURSES

Farfalle con Crema di Gorgonzola e Funghi, Bow Tie Pasta with Mushroom and Gorgonzola Sauce

Mozzarella Gratinated Vegetable Lasagna with Tomato Sauce and Fresh Genovese Pesto

Alaskan Halibut Fillet Viennoise "Paul Bocuse" styole, Parisian Potatoes and Glazed Carrot

Roasted Christmas Goose with Prunes in Armagnac, Braised Reed Cabbage, Potato Dumplings, Port Wine Flavored Gravy

Roasted Pork Loin with Italian Sausage & Pine Nut Stuffing, Mascarpone Whipped Potatoes, Fennel Confit

Malaysian Beef Penaeng, Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs in Peanut - Coconut Curry Sauce, Steamed Rice

 

A TASTE FROM PRIME 7 AND SIGNATURES RESTAURANT

Main Course Lobster Salad Monte Cristo, Asparagus, Potatoes, Eggs, Boston Lettuce, Mustard-Mayonnaise

Herb Crusted Roast Rack of Lamb, Pommes Gratin, Ratatouille Nicoise, Garlic Jus

 

continued on next post

[Travelcat2]

Unless specifically requested, I won't repeat the Vegetarian, Canyon Ranch and Always Available sections.

 

Featured Wines

Corvo, Insolia, Sicily, Italy, 2011

Backhouse, Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, California, USA 2011

 

Recommended Reserve Wines

Cakebread Cellars, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley, CA, USA, 2007 - $42

Jordan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, CA, USA 2009 - $90

 

I

NTERNATIONAL CHEESES

Pave d'Affinois

Bucheron

Provolong

Langgres

Stilton

Offered with a glass of Port wine, assorted crackers, French bread and butter

 

DESSERT SENSATIONS

Warm Christmas Pudding, Brandy sauce

Buche de Noel, French Christmas Log with Orange Butter Cream and Macademia Nuts

Christmas Trifle, Layered Vanilla Custard with Mixed Fruits and Strawberry Coulis

 

CANYON RANCH SELECTION

Banana Foster in Phyllo Dough, Creme Anglaise - 155 cal. 4 fat grams

 

OLD TIME FAVORITE

No Sugar Added Key Lime Pie

 

SORBET

Red Wine and Cinnamon

Edited December 25, 2013 by Travelcat2

[Suite Travels]

We hope your DH will get better. We both have been there and not pretty. Do not report this to medical or else you will be both quarantined. We travel with so many med's to stop this.

 

I am sure this is not an outbreak of Norovirus. Just something that may not have agreed with him for lunch or dinner. It happens to all of us who travel either on land or sea vacations.

 

Hope DH feels better and can enjoy the rest of the cruise.

[Suite Travels]

What a wonderful menu....but I would not partake in the Goose. Everything else sounds wonderful with so many choices.

 

I think Regent has really improved the menu choices. We are not big foodies but Regent has a big selection of food items. What an improvement from years ago.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The Christmas Eve day country fair was so much fun - my Mom and I laughed and laughed and had a great time. Winners received raffle tickets which we deposited in a large bin and at the end eight numbers were selected for prizes. This surprised me and again demonstrated the financial cut-backs. A few years ago we were on Oceania and had a very similar activity - however, people won the reward points which they could use in the store to "purchase" Oceania branded merchandise. I guess no one told HQ that it benefits Regent greatly the more people around the world are seen either wearing or using Regent branded merchandise. Of the eight prizes, the only ones really worth anything were the spa certificates for a facial...

 

I was on Riviera just last month and the fair sounds very much the same. It was well-run and the games were great fun. The prizes were for the most part quite good, and certainly better than branded merch--spa certificates, wine, champagne, things like that.

[gnomie1]

TC, thanks in advance for posting the picture of the new Park West space. I've been meaning to ask you which side of the computer room was given to Park West. Also, what, if anything, has Regent done with the former space used by Park West on Deck 6 opposite the Library?

 

 

One has to admit that Regent (and their designers) did a lovely job with the space on the 6th floor formally occupied by Park West - it has become a delightful sitting area - there are three sofas and 14 very comfy chairs. On sea days (as well as other times), there are many people curled up with either a good book, or their kindle or ipad, enjoying a cup of joe, relaxing and reading away. I have actually "adopted" a corner of the 6th floor to use as my office since the desk in my suite is not large enough for me to work. Although, I still would have preferred a larger computer room and Park West moved to non-prime real estate.

 

I am happy to report that Santa was able to visit the suites and deliver a present for all the good boys and girls on the ship - and a very nice present at that!!

 

gnomie :)

[tallship]

Gnomie....you have to go beyond the teaser....what did Santa bring?

 

Happy holidays

[Travelcat2]

Gnomie....you have to go beyond the teaser....what did Santa bring?

 

Happy holidays

 

We found a beautiful blue box that contained a engraved Tiffany crystal star ornament. Really lovely. Thank you Regent:-)

[RachelG]

Nice present.

 

The new sitting area sounds very nice. But the art people need to go away altogether IMO. If I were ever to buy art on a cruise (which I have), it would be from a local artist,not Park West. (BTW, Santa brought me a beautiful original and personally signed painting by the premier Native American artist in the US tonight. I am a happy camper.)

 

As for goose, the only one I ever ate was wild, and not something I wish to repeat.

[Travelcat2]

Suite Travels, DH feeling better. Think it was something he ate on the plane - specifically chicken. I never eat chicken on a plane. On the ship I have at least tasted everything he ate the first day and am fine. Thanks for asking.

 

Rachel, glad to hear that Santa was so generous. You must have been good the past year:)

 

Going to lunch now and hoping not to see leftover goose.

[RachelG]

Never eat chicken on a plane! I have had the same experience, fortunately several years ago, but severe enough tot each me a lesson. Hope he is better very soon.

[Swyre]

Looks like a wonderful dinner. I'd be jealous were it not that I'll be just as well fed at home....

 

R

[OrpingtonT]

May I say a big thank you to Travelcat and to Gnomie1 for posting comprehensive reports on Christmas aboard Voyager. It sounds wonderful to me and the menus are mouthwatering.

 

I hope the crew are also having a good time and Regent give them a decent bonus for their extra hard work over Christmas.

 

We also hope Dennis shakes off his tummy bug soon.

[Travelcat2]

I heard that the crew had a wonderful Christmas dinner. Regent does their best to treat their staff well (which is appreciated by all of us).

 

Tom, Dennis is feeling better...... it just takes a bit of time to get used to eating again. Hope you are doing well -- we worry about you:o

 

Okay, so here is the Christmas Day menu. No more menus until New Year's Eve.

 

APPETIZERS

Parfait of Chicken and Goose Liver Quenelle with a Medley of of Tender Leaves and Warm Brioche

Jumbo Lump Crab Martini with Vodka and Spices

Fresh Stone Fruits with Calvados and Walnuts

Indian Vegetarian Patties, Harra Bhara Kebab, Batata Wada and Alio Tikki with Yogurt Mint Sauce

 

SOUPS

Christmas Gumbo with Quail and Smoked Sausage

Consomme Madrilene, Chicken and Tomato Consomme with Cheese Sticks

 

SALADS

Barley Salad with Kernel Corn and Belgian Endives

Baby Spinach with Pomegranate, Maytag Blue Cheese, Candied Pecan - Balsamic Vinaigrette

Caesar Salad with Traditional Garnish

 

INTERMEZZO

Christmas Flavors Sorbet

 

MAIN COURSES

Linguini Pasta with Sauteed Octopus and Pesto Sauce

Baked Mushroom Stuffed Mediterranean Vegetables, Tomato Coulis and Pesto Sauce

Grilled Marinated Mahi Mahi Fillet with Black Bean and Pumpkin stew

Roasted Tom Turkey on Chestnut Stuffing, Giblet Gravy, Cranberry-Mango Relish, Rosette of Sweet Potatoes and String Beans

Golden Fried Wiener Schnitzel, Warm Potato Salad and Traditional Garnish

Roasted Beef Rib Eye Loin with Grain Mustard Sauce, Steak Fries, Tomato Provencale

 

A TASTE FROM PRIME 7 AND SIGNATURES RESTAURANT

Main Course Lobster Salad Monte Cristo (again - etc. etc. etc.)

Grilled Fillet Mignon, Fondant Potatoesm, Truffled Leek and asparagus and Morel Cream Sauce.

 

FEATURED WINES

Bouchard Pere & Fils "Saint-Pierre", Macon-Lugny, Chardonnay, Burgundy, France, 2010

Gerard Bertrand, Reserve Speciale, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pays d'Oc, France, 2009

 

RECOMMENDED RESERVE WINES

Puigny Montrachet, Louis Jadot, Chardonnay, Burgundy, France, 2010 - $70

Chateau Clerc Milon, Seme Cru Classe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2009 - $110

 

INTERNATIONAL CHEESES

Danish Blue

La Buche

Clarines

Munster

Edam

Offered with a glass of Port wine, etc. etc. etc. (as described previously)

 

DESSERT SENSATIONS

Mohr im Hemd (not a typo:-), Warm Austrian Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake

No Sugar Added Raspberry Bavaroise Bomb, Forest Berries and Mango Coulis

Traditional American Pumpkin Piet (think they mean "pie"), Vanilla Ice Cream

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Plate

 

CANYON RANCH SELECTION

Almond Lemon Tart, Warm Cherry Compote with Grand Marnier, 135 calories, 6 fat grams

 

OLD TIME FAVORITE

Apple Crumble Pie

 

SORBET

Christmas Flavors

 

PREMIUM ICE CREAM

Butter Pecan - Mango, No Sugar Added Strawberry, Country Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

 

GOURMANDISES

Edited December 25, 2013 by Travelcat2

[Threechicks]

TC thanks for the wonderful reports from the ship. Those menus look fantastic.

Merry Christmas and continue to enjoy your cruise. Elsie

[Suite Travels]

These are well thought out menus and the wine selection looks great as well. I have to cook today yuch.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

Okay, so here is the Christmas Day menu. ...

Roasted Tom Turkey on Chestnut Stuffing, Giblet Gravy, Cranberry-Mango Relish, Rosette of Sweet Potatoes and String Beans

 

This sounds exactly the same as the Thanksgiving dinner served on Riviera last month. This doesn't surprise me since I know the chefs put their heads together all the time--there were Regent chefs aboard our cruise. Complaints were that the "stuffing" was just a little puck, fairly dry, and the "rosette" was just that--a tiny dab of sweet potatoes. So if anyone had the Xmas turkey, perhaps they can comment on it. They should serve these things as side dishes on special occasions--a puck of stuffing doesn't cut it. The meal was very enjoyable, nevertheless, as I hope it was on Regent.

 

Happy Christmas everyone.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Wendy The Wanderer

[ChatKat in Ca.]

In the Elevator on the way to tea on our Riviera cruise was a chef in his Regent Toque. He told Frank that the menus and food services across both lines were planned together. The names on the hulls are different, and as I said many times - they are pretty interchangable.

[RachelG]

I never ever order stuffing ( dressing as we call it here in the south) in a restaurant or even eat it other than what my mother or I have prepared. I know from too many bad experiences that it cannot measure up, so would not order it on a ship. And a puck would definitely not do. Proper dressing is light and fluffy, with a crunch around the edge. No restaurant can reproduce that. But they plenty of other great choices.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I never ever order stuffing ( dressing as we call it here in the south) in a restaurant or even eat it other than what my mother or I have prepared. I know from too many bad experiences that it cannot measure up, so would not order it on a ship. And a puck would definitely not do. Proper dressing is light and fluffy, with a crunch around the edge. No restaurant can reproduce that. But they plenty of other great choices.

 

I absolutely agree, Rachel. And we call it dressing too, at least I do from Canada.

[journeyfan]

To be technical, "stuffing" is what you put inside the bird and if you cook it by itself it's suppose to be called "dressing."

[RachelG]

Yes, you are correct. And we never put stuffing inside as it is a health hazard if not properly cooked.

[Travelcat2]

Writing about food is always difficult since it is subjective. Yes -- dressing was in the form of a puck (as is corned beef hash in the morning.) IMO, keeping the brands separate seems to be more of a challenge lately. I strongly feel that the quality of the food in La Veranda and Compass Rose is a higher quality that on the equivalent restaurants on Oceania. On the other hand, Jacques and Red Ginger on Oceania is superior to anything on Regent (but I suspect that the Explorer will be at least equal to those dining venues).

 

I do see a couple of things on this cruise that we have not seen before. For posters who tend to take simple comments and make them negative, what I am posting is an opinion - not negative or positive -- just observations.

 

For some time I have felt that some (not all) staff members on Regent and Oceania are not interchangeable. When we were in the Terrace Cafe on Oceania, it seemed that the staff was new and needed direction from their manager(who at times appeared a bit bossy). Most servers in La Veranda have been with Regent for some time and are quite skilled and very friendly with the passengers. On this cruise, managers have appeared that we have never seen before. They are now dressed in black (not something I would have chosen -- they look a bit like the Mafia:-) Yesterday (Christmas Day) I we noticed three instances where they made abrupt comments to the staff in front of us. They also gave stern looks. While I will not identify anyone on this thread, I will do so on my comment card. I felt like I was seeing managers from Oceania (which may be where they are from). We are finding these men (we have not yet seen a woman in the Mafia outfit), stern, unsmiling and unfriendly.

 

I need to devote a section to "salt sticks"..... one of the most popular breads on board Regent. People who love them remind me of people who come far and wide to go to a restaurant in Burbank, California where the garlic bread has been the same for 50 years and is, IMO, unmatched anywhere in the world. When you have a successful item, why change it? The salt sticks being made currently are smaller, harder -- not good at all. As I have mentioned before, the pastry chef is very "different". Although we have not tried everything that is prepared in that department, of the items we have tried, only the "Opera" cake is the same as it has been for years (yummy).

 

It makes sense that Regent and Oceania use the same places to obtain their food and wine and even share menu's. Where we live, almost all of the restaurants get their food from the same company. There are different qualities of the same product....... the upscale restaurants select the highest quality and it shows.

 

Bottom line for this section........ please bring back the proper salt sticks:o

 

This is our last relaxing day for a while. Later I will post about the vibration and may have time to compare my bar list with the one on board to see what, if anything, has changed. I will then post it here.

 

Beautiful, HOT, day in Bali.

 

P.S. I have a great photo of Park West's space on the ship...... will post it when we get home.

Edited December 26, 2013 by Travelcat2

[Travelcat2]

I think I did it. Check out this link and let me know if you see Park West!

 

https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/p480x480/960224_729637980379632_24544225_n.jpg

Edited December 26, 2013 by Travelcat2

[SnoBirdCruiser]

It posted very well Jackie....May I give you my opinion (from someone who appreciates Fine Art,ahem)...It's quite, how shall I say, in a polite way, seeing it is Christmas day, certainly not A. O. K.

 

Glad to hear Dennis is feeling better, say hello to him from Ray and I .

Continue to have a great cruise.

Pat