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Live on Sojourn's World Cruise

tv24

By tv24,
in Seabourn Cruise Line

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Emperor Norton

Emperor Norton

Posted
Posted
I think the so-called Lancashire hotpot answers some of the riddles about poor specials. They would almost certainly not have neck of lamb on board - it is only used for slow cooking dishes after all. ...

 

I've seen veal and I think even lamb shanks on the menu before and both of those are also only used for slow cooked dishes. Short ribs also fall into the "cook until done" category.

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Cisleman

Cisleman

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We have been on the WC since LA and are having a ball! Except for some bad weather which is not Sojourn's fault, we feel the food, most or the entertainment and service is wonderful How LUCKY we are to be able to travel to interesting places and to enjoy this wonderful experience!!!!

 

Ditto!!!

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lincslady

lincslady

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Agreed,Markham. But sometimes one does have to work one's way round possible problems, like trying to get dishes not on the menu and with ingredients which may not be available, and I think my suggestion that the Head Chef does need to be sure a dish can be done properly or say no gracefully if it can't is actually helpful. And I still wish the menus could include some casserole dishes (although they already do a generally very good osso bucco), as these seem to be what people would enjoy, and usually mean that the meat involved is tender!

 

However, if almost everything else is marvellous, it is certainly of little importance - but is just one example of Seabourn sometimes offering more than they can deliver.

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markham

markham

Posted
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Lincslady,

 

Right you are about those special orders. Based on my past experiences I would not expect them to excel if only because my expectations can be very very high. So I would be practical about setting them.

 

I would speak first with other passengers about their history with specific dishes or variances and I would speak to the chef. He/she would be asked to describe what the kitchen plans to use, how they would prepare it, how much of it there would be (they like to make the effort for a group rather than just a couple and I imagine that when they do so they would want to impress), when it would be served, and about accompaniments. Of course there is little point in ordering something they really cannot do well (for me such as high end Chinese or Japanese in The Restaurant) and if they are having something similar or that "hits the spot" in a couple of days anyway.

 

Oh, and this is about anything worth considering, negotiating and understanding, I would want the chef to do most of the talking so as to avoid putting words in his/her mouth about my ideas they may not share or understand. Lots of open-ended questions. That way I would have a better chance with those (potentially over-exuberant) expectations.

 

We are on the Quest crossing starting 22 March. I don't expect to order anything off menu but who knows?

 

Happy sailing!

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lincslady

lincslady

Posted
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markham - I had already thought to myself that probably a special order for a larger table might be a better idea than just for two. I seem to recall that Jane BP and/or Martita have ordered curry lunches for a group in the past, and obviously been very pleased with them. And, maybe special lunches are easier on the galley than dinners?

 

I have never seen lamb shanks on the menu - would certainly have had that. I will bang on no more about casserole dishes, I am becoming a bore! (No comment required)

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Tony & Trevor

Tony & Trevor

Posted
Posted

lincslady

 

Some three years ago our friends requested dinner with Capt Dexter in the MDR. There were ten of us.

 

The main meal was 'Chips, fried egg, baked beans, bread and butter.

 

It was an all British group so it went down well . Not sure if our American or European friends would have liked it!

 

 

I will undertake a short Quest review. It was truly an excellent cruise.

 

Kind regards,

Tony

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wripro

wripro

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Here's an example of what Seabourn can do and again it involves Chef Jes. We had requested for dinner pommes soufflés as an accompaniment to our Dover sole one night. That day at lunch Jes and the maitre d'. Felipe, came to our table with profuse apologies. Since pommes soufflés require two separate processes of frying at the last minute Jes had done two dry runs that morning to be sure he would be able to make it for us during the dinner service. He found that it would be impossible. But he offered us a substitute which he had created just for us and allowed us to taste at lunch before preparing it at dinner. He had taken two thin slices of potato and inserted a small leaf of fresh thyme in between before pressing them together and briefly frying. This required only one process and he would be able to make it for dinner. It was simply delicious, honestly better than the pommes soufflés would have been. This is only one of the many reasons I loved Jes so much.

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Baggywrinkle99

Baggywrinkle99

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This is about a different luxury cruise line but suspect it would apply here. We were getting a little bored with the "safe", bland offerings every night so our table of 6 curry enthusiasts asked (a couple of days in advance) for a selection of authentic dishes which the various chefs from the Subcontinent were thrilled to be given the opportunity to prepare. We were happy for them to decide the various elements and putting them together using whatever was available and it was absolutely sensational.

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Emperor Norton

Emperor Norton

Posted
Posted
Here's an example of what Seabourn can do and again it involves Chef Jes. We had requested for dinner pommes soufflés as an accompaniment to our Dover sole one night. That day at lunch Jes and the maitre d'. Felipe, came to our table with profuse apologies. Since pommes soufflés require two separate processes of frying at the last minute Jes had done two dry runs that morning to be sure he would be able to make it for us during the dinner service. He found that it would be impossible. But he offered us a substitute which he had created just for us and allowed us to taste at lunch before preparing it at dinner. He had taken two thin slices of potato and inserted a small leaf of fresh thyme in between before pressing them together and briefly frying. This required only one process and he would be able to make it for dinner. It was simply delicious, honestly better than the pommes soufflés would have been. This is only one of the many reasons I loved Jes so much.

 

I realize I'm going to have a sub par dining experience because for some oddball reason paying to disembark Jes + fly in his replacement then + fly out his replacement is cheaper than just flying Jes out on 12 April.:confused:

 

If I had a magic wand to get Seabourn to do what imo is the right thing Jes and Karl (why not Nelson while Im at it:p) would be on the final two Pride cruises.

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Harvey2442

Harvey2442

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Karl is on the final Pride crossing according to the Seabourn news letter as is Nelson who boarded the Pride on Sunday 9 February. It is not clear whether Jess will remain for the final crossing or not another posting said he would not be on it and you have Capt Erik Anderssen himself in command. What a trip!

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Emperor Norton

Emperor Norton

Posted
Posted
Karl is on the final Pride crossing according to the Seabourn news letter as is Nelson who boarded the Pride on Sunday 9 February. It is not clear whether Jess will remain for the final crossing or not another posting said he would not be on it and you have Capt Erik Anderssen himself in command. What a trip!

 

Things are looking up. :D

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frantic36 Holiday Sharing Rare

frantic36

Posted
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Possibly. I've found that unless you're eating off someone elses plate you don't know what the food - beyond what you alone were served is like.

 

As an example: The last time I set foot on a Regent ship I was sitting with some relatives. I and one other at the table ordered a chicken curry dish. The chicken on my plate had a mushy/spongiform consistency from too many freeze/thaw cycles, it was also freezer burned. The curry seemed to be almost ketchup like in taste. When I mentioned this to the waiter the other person who had the curry stared at me like I was crazy. After the waiter left we swapped plates. The only complaint I could find with their dish was the curry wasn't as hot as I'd like. They took one bite of mine, and then returned it to the dish.

 

Same table, same dish but two completely different experiences.

 

 

You are right......I shouldn't have dismissed their poor experience so flippantly as it can and does happen that different people will get a different meal at the same time. So I apologise for being dismissive.

 

Why it even happens here at home. One son says his steak is perfectly cooked, the other is not so impressed :eek: :D.

 

We have just had three lovely sunny hot days in Bunbury and Perth.

 

In Bunbury we walked around town and just enjoyed the warmth. We then spent some time at the pool area of Deck five and got to watch various small boats enjoying the sunshine as it was a Saturday. To make our day even better there was a pod of four dolphins playing out in the bay and keeping us entertained.

 

In Perth we got to show off our city to some American friends.....it was sunny again but very hot so when we were on board we noticed quite a few people around the pool facilities.

 

Great photos Cisleman, those roads in Kangaroo Island......both sealed and unsealed.....were interesting to say the least. But they led to lovely places. Your seal photos are great and we will definitely go to see them when we return to Kangaroo Island.

 

Julie

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PaulaJK

PaulaJK

Posted
Posted

Would appreciate any updates. Are there any special events planned as you go forward? There are a lot of sea days on the Hong Kong to Mumbai segments.

Guest speakers of note? Guest entertainers?

 

Do the Captain, Hotel Manager, Chef ,etc. stay in place or change?

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sassyw

sassyw

Posted
Posted
Yes, everything is Seabourn---excellent! A few glitches as always but they are fixing all of them--except the internet access. Having a fabulous time from LA. Wish you all could be here! Champagne wishes!

 

Also having the time of our lives! Jan is back as cruise director and Mark Dexter as Capt. Internet seems faster and it is a glorious day in Komodo Island!

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  • 4 weeks later...
Host Dan

Host Dan

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I always host a luncheon curry meal with great success. I plan ahead with the chef and leave it up to him for the most part. Great fun with new friends.

I wanted to let everyone know that this was JaneBP's last post. Sadly, she has passed away. I enjoyed getting to know Jane on past SB cruises.

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