Celebrity Reflection January 14 to 21 2017

[Bimmer09]

Greeted warmly for our 8.30 reservation and walked to our table for the laying of the napkin on the lap and menu presentation ceremony.

 

 



 

We are offered a choice of drinking water; sparkling, tap, swimming pool or laundry run off.

Carol orders Pellegrino for the table which couldn't have been as thirsty as I was, but, oh well.

 

Something to drink? For Carol, Prosecco. I looked for a Malbec on the wine list but none was there. I mentioned to our waiter Alan that I had enjoyed a Malbec in Luminae and he disappeared-not in the David Copperfield sense but walked away and around a corner where I couldn't see him which is disappearing in my book (currently at the publishers).

As always we chatted about the day's events so far. We woke up (always a good start) and had breakfast in Luminae which we would pay about $50 for including tip in our local breakfast hot spot (Cafe Meli in Chicago if anyone knows it). Then we docked in sunny Labadee and had a lovely two hours on the water and a good complimentary lunch from the grill ashore. We went to a show after sailaway and now we were sitting down to dine in a restaurant we would frequent if on land but there expect to pay double the $100 for two it costs on the ship. OBC paid for it and we tipped the waiter.

Alan returned holding aloft a bottle of the Malbec I had enjoyed in Luminae. Now that's service!

 

 

Carol's notes tell me we enjoyed an amuse bouche of cold mango soup and goat cheese.

 

 

Nearby tableside service is under way. Alan cooking lobster.

(poorly focused photo)

 

Carol's Peekytoe Crab parfait with roe and avocado with smoked salmon and micro greens

 

 

My lobster bisque with beignet

 

Delicious food! They could have served it in doggie bowls with a side order of hovering flies and we would have enjoyed it.

Our entree orders were duplicates of what we ordered on the Silhouette. We both wanted tableside preparation for the interest and drama and we both love the dishes. The rolling gas stove is brought to the table by Alan and at this point I have to fire up the camcorder and record the cooking process.



My mind went back to my days on the Song of Norway and my favorite dessert-Cherries Jubilee which was flambed at the table in the MDR. Hot cherries with ice cream!



But I digress as Alan was distracted by my flashback. I allowed him to get on with his work and he tells us what he is doing as he adds the various ingredients. I say goofy things to get a smile-" I hear that some people think the shells are the best part of a lobster" Savory smells waft across the table and anticipation builds. When cooked Alan plates the lobster and places it under a stainless steel cloche while another waiter, an Indian gentleman swings in with a cooked Dover sole. He will debone it for us. Again I spout some nonsense to see if he's listening and gets the joke -" I believe some people think the bones are the tastiest part of the fish"....





More to follow...

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Let's eat with our eyes...

Murano Lobster



 

 

Dover Sole Veronique



 

 

 

Both are served with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. Both are delicious!

Carol orders a cheese plate which is a selection of French origin and although I am abstaining to save room for my favorite Dessert at Sea I take any scraps she offers and wag my tail as they are very fine cheeses indeed. I lean towards soft cheeses like Boursin and Chèvre (goat's milk) and Camembert. If they are stinky then all the better with a glass of wine. The Malbec and I are harmonizing like John, Paul and George and Murano is a feel-good experience if ever there was one. To me so far it is the pinnacle of my dining at sea. Maybe we'll try the Chef's Table of Winemaker's dinner on the Regal Princess as we know Princess is no slouch when it comes to cooking.

Lastly the dessert Les Six Etoiles de Murano-six stars of Murano and aptly named. Alan will describe them on the video later.

And some tasty candies

We declined coffee and in my case Sambuca and got up to leave. I gathered together all my camera gear and Alan escorted Carol out to the door on his arm. A very nice touch which she appreciated. Thank you Murano for some very happy memories!

[jlf1]

Norris,

At long last. I have been impatiently waiting for the FOOD PORN. Wonderful pix. Looks yummly!

Judy

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

At long last. I have been impatiently waiting for the FOOD PORN. Wonderful pix. Looks yummly!

 

Judy

 

 

Thanks Judy! Now I have to work on the video which has already given me trouble via iMovie.

Norris

[jules815]

My apologies if you've already told us, Bimmer, but how far in advance on board did you make your dining reservations? Did you make them on your own, or did you use the concierge or butler? From your pictures, it looks like Murano is something we won't want to miss. :)

[Torbenjane]

New follower from Denmark:cool:

 

 

 

I'm waiting for the car dealer to call me and for Youtube to upload the Segway video which has already taken One Hour....

 

So I'll press on with a few more pics from South Beach. One facet of life there I won't show is the number of homeless younger than usual people sleeping in the parks during the daytime and in doorways at night as of course I would be out and about with the cameras at 5 a.m next morning. Tanned bejeweled people drive by in cars costing 100 to 500 thousand dollars but these folks for whatever reason are living outdoors and wheeling their wardrobe around in rolling luggage as opposed to the usual shopping carts. I gave away a couple of cigarettes but no one asked me for money.

 

Carol chose all of our excursions for this cruise and the Segway was her idea but of course I was excited by it. I made the arrangements to meet our guide Mike at 2 pm. It was $95 each in cash only and there would be only two of us which I liked most of all.

 

He was there at 2pm by the hotel and soon we were off without crash helmets which was fine by me as I wasn't planning to crash. I wore a Go Pro Hero 3 on my wrist to capture the ride.

 

We stopped for a photo opportunity at the beach during our ride along the sea front. My sunglasses were in my camera bag. Doh!

 

 

 

It was warm and windy

 

 

We rode on the footpath trafficked by pedestrians, skateboarders, people on electric scooters, weaving in and out. We drove on grass avoiding the palm trees and sleeping people and drove on the streets with cars and pedestrians to watch out for. Mike kept up a commentary to Carol who was riding closest to him. I rode shotgun so I could slow down and then put on a burst of speed and do some slalom practice as I feel very at home on these machines.

 

Along the Art Deco district music was blasting out of cafes and restaurants and the street had been closed off as it was (surprise to us!) Art Deco weekend and the place was mobbed.The smell of sizzling meats filled the air as there were little stands serving appetizing munchies. We rode through the thousands of people without running anyone over.

 

To be continued....

 

Norris

[Bimmer09]

My apologies if you've already told us, Bimmer, but how far in advance on board did you make your dining reservations? Did you make them on your own, or did you use the concierge or butler? From your pictures, it looks like Murano is something we won't want to miss. :)

 

No you don't want to miss Murano, Jules! Refined food and a cut above anything I have eaten on a ship so far. It feels like a special meal with superb service in a gorgeous room. I can't get food that good on land for $50. The drinks were paid for with our Premium Beverage Package and OBC of $550 covered the meal. Should have eaten there twice (new note to self).

The butler made the reservation as the phone was at least a foot away and I was exhausted. The butler wouldn't let me lift a finger. We booked Tuesday for Thursday but there were empty tables.

Leave room for that dessert in Murano!!!

Norris

 

[rdsqrl]

Everything in that Starters section on Murano's menu sounded fantastic! I wonder if their Goat Cheese Souffle is as awesome as the one on Princess, which is one of my favourites in the dining room. Was Carol's starter as delicious as it sounded and looked?

[Bimmer09]

Everything in that Starters section on Murano's menu sounded fantastic! I wonder if their Goat Cheese Souffle is as awesome as the one on Princess, which is one of my favourites in the dining room. Was Carol's starter as delicious as it sounded and looked?

 

There are a lot of tempting choices on the menu for sure Annie but I can't speak to Carol's Peekytoe crab with smoked salmon. She's in New York on business right now but I imagine when she returns she'll read your query and respond. She got some good press in this weeks Barrons newspaper (financial journal).

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen....

I have the Murano video for you -well 3/4 of it as one of the clips (the most important one) is missing. iMovie says it's still on the camera, even though I can see it in iMovie so I took the memory card and loaded from there with the same result. After 5 time-consuming tries I waved the white flag and uploaded what I have.

The scene in question is the one where the lobster is prepared table side with Cognac on fire. That is skipped. For those who haven't seen this process I'll attach the scene from our Silhouette cruise.





So let's go back to Murano....

 

 

Where, while you were away, a ship's photographer came by

 

 



 

 

MURANO PARTIAL VIDEO

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SILHOUETTE VIDEO

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Norris

[MustBCruzn]

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen....

 

Louis Armstrong could relate. :) Do I win a Guinness? I'm so sad that your review is nearing it's conclusion. The pictures and your humor are such an enjoyable part of the day.

[long time lurker]

Everything in that Starters section on Murano's menu sounded fantastic! I wonder if their Goat Cheese Souffle is as awesome as the one on Princess, which is one of my favourites in the dining room. Was Carol's starter as delicious as it sounded and looked?

 

 

I can't speak to Carol's opinion, but I have to say the Peekytoe Crab parfait is one of my favorite dishes at Murano!

[jules815]

No you don't want to miss Murano, Jules! Refined food and a cut above anything I have eaten on a ship so far. It feels like a special meal with superb service in a gorgeous room. I can't get food that good on land for $50. The drinks were paid for with our Premium Beverage Package and OBC of $550 covered the meal. Should have eaten there twice (new note to self).

The butler made the reservation as the phone was at least a foot away and I was exhausted. The butler wouldn't let me lift a finger. We booked Tuesday for Thursday but there were empty tables.

Leave room for that dessert in Murano!!!

Norris

 

 

Thanks Norris,

 

We will be sure to not miss it!

[CRLess]

She got some good press in this weeks Barrons newspaper (financial journal).

Norris

 

 

I saw the article over the weekend....I even looked up some of the bonds she talked about. Congrats to Carol!

[contessaMD]

Norris, I was on this cruise too! From your reviews I was certain I had noticed your wife in Il Baccio having her champagne before we sailed from Miami but I thought to myself...No, the legendary Norris could *not* be on this ship with me!

[Bimmer09]

Nobody knows the trouble I've seen....

 

Louis Armstrong could relate. :) Do I win a Guinness? I'm so sad that your review is nearing it's conclusion. The pictures and your humor are such an enjoyable part of the day.

 

Thanks Diane and a Guinness is on it's wa...oops I drank it!

Better luck next time!

Norris

 

[Bimmer09]

I saw the article over the weekend....I even looked up some of the bonds she talked about. Congrats to Carol!

 

Chris, although Carol is in New York for business I am sure she will get a chance to follow this review and read your comment. Thanks on her behalf. The Barrons photographers have been here in the past photographing Carol and her banks of computers for a profile. Her office reminds me of CTU headquarters on the great TV series 24.

Cheers mate!

Norris

[Bimmer09]

Norris, I was on this cruise too! From your reviews I was certain I had noticed your wife in Il Baccio having her champagne before we sailed from Miami but I thought to myself...No, the legendary Norris could *not* be on this ship with me!

 

I was on the ship January 14 to 21.

So was Carol but she wasn't drinking Sailaway bubbly in Bacio, she was on our balcony really loving the Miami experience. We hope to sail from there again and to enjoy South Beach again. The review will finish up in SB.

I keep to a raccoon schedule taking most of my photos before the passengers awake and off course was off the ship in port. Never used the pool or sat by it or used any bar except Sunset and sat in very few rooms that weren't serving food. Someday I will have a drink in every bar on the ship-and have my first Martini! I'll go to trivia where Carol thinks I would ace it as my head is full of garbage facts. American TV would probably stump me though as I watch very little of it. I was a huge Miami Vice fan though

and so was thrilled the first time I visited Miami and the 44 times after that, LOL! If there was trivia on the Beatles I would kill it. I've been a fan since 1962.

As we are already booked on two more S Class cruises I will do some if not all that I have missed so far-and I admit I miss a lot due to my tight schedule of drifting through each day with not a care in the world. We still manage to be tired by the end of the day, except sea days I guess. Someday we may cruise more than twice a year, our current max.

All you need to do to spot me on a cruise is to look for the restless guy photographing a vase, a lifebelt, a carpet, with a heavy camera bag and a Guinness. I am he.

Thanks for reading this!

Norris

[MisterMet]

Chris, although Carol is in New York for business I am sure she will get a chance to follow this review and read your comment. Thanks on her behalf. The Barrons photographers have been here in the past photographing Carol and her banks of computers for a profile. Her office reminds me of CTU headquarters on the great TV series 24.

Cheers mate!

Norris

 

 

Norris,

 

Do you have a link to the Barron's article Carol was in that we could peruse? Would love to read it.

 

Trip

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Bimmer09]

Norris,

 

Do you have a link to the Barron's article Carol was in that we could peruse? Would love to read it.

 

Trip

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Trip, if it is the profile you mean it was so long ago (more than 10 years) that I doubt a link still exists. Maybe Carol will read this...

Norris

[contessaMD]

I was on the ship January 14 to 21.

So was Carol but she wasn't drinking Sailaway bubbly in Bacio, she was on our balcony really loving the Miami experience. We hope to sail from there again and to enjoy South Beach again. The review will finish up in SB.

 

 

Then you are most likely correct - as I've gotten my dates wrong!! :')

 

But you should know that Carol has a twin. Or Carol takes cruises on the sly with other men. :cool:

[MisterMet]

Trip, if it is the profile you mean it was so long ago (more than 10 years) that I doubt a link still exists. Maybe Carol will read this...

Norris

 

 

Oh, I thought from an earlier post that it was something more recent. I still would like to read whatever it was. Perhaps when she returns. No worries. Have a good night.

 

Trip

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mrsgoggins]

All you need to do to spot me on a cruise is to look for the restless guy photographing a vase, a lifebelt, a carpet, with a heavy camera bag and a Guinness. I am he.

Thanks for reading this!

Norris

 

 

I was hoping for my 'Lobby Lud moment' (testing your ancient UK trivia knowledge with that!) by finding you on this ship Norris, but after reading your wonderful review, can see why our paths never crossed. Thanks to both of you for the considerable effort that has gone into this; mostly you for the words and stunning photos, and Carol for her contribution, plus allowing herself to be deprived of your scintillating presence during its composure.

 

Moira

[Bimmer09]

Oh, I thought from an earlier post that it was something more recent. I still would like to read whatever it was. Perhaps when she returns. No worries. Have a good night.

 

Trip

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Trip she is mentioned in this weeks Barrons for something she has just written. The photo session I mentioned was from a profile interview way back.

Barrons.com is always an interesting read. Maybe Carol can chime in to help you find the quotes. Her company is Gimme Credit. (Bond Investment Analysis)

Norris

[Bimmer09]

I was hoping for my 'Lobby Lud moment' (testing your ancient UK trivia knowledge with that!) by finding you on this ship Norris, but after reading your wonderful review, can see why our paths never crossed. Thanks to both of you for the considerable effort that has gone into this; mostly you for the words and stunning photos, and Carol for her contribution, plus allowing herself to be deprived of your scintillating presence during its composure.

 

Moira

 

Moira I had to Google Lobby Lud to find who he was.

Wikipedia of course has the answer.

Thanks for reading along as this slowly unwinds. I will continue when I get home from work later today.

Your compliments are much appreciated!

Lobby