Cherry problem

[milkcow]

Our crossing arriving in Red Hook yesterday 18th did have one disappointment—the fruit yogurt in Britannia was plain with canned cherries,  no other flavors.  And the chefs marched  without baked Alaska with cherries available.

 

Otherwise wait staff, room steward, all service was outstanding.  Captain Hashmi was very professional, handled two incidents quickly, with just the right amount of information to us passengers.

 

Steven  Rivellino was fantastic as our theater lecturer (We toured Radio City yesterday) and the London National Ballet was astounding—practices, question and answers, performances, and mingling on deck 7.

 

David

[BigMac1953]

22 minutes ago, milkcow said:

Captain Hashmi was very professional, handled two incidents quickly, with just the right amount of information to us passengers.

 

 

 

 

 

What two incidents?

 

Surely not just about cherries?

 

Stewart

[Bigmike911]

50 minutes ago, milkcow said:

Our crossing arriving in Red Hook yesterday 18th did have one disappointment—the fruit yogurt in Britannia was plain with canned cherries,  no other flavors.  And the chefs marched  without baked Alaska with cherries available.

 

Otherwise wait staff, room steward, all service was outstanding.  Captain Hashmi was very professional, handled two incidents quickly, with just the right amount of information to us passengers.

 

Steven  Rivellino was fantastic as our theater lecturer (We toured Radio City yesterday) and the London National Ballet was astounding—practices, question and answers, performances, and mingling on deck 7.

 

David

I met Steven several years back on a crossing. He is a vast fountain of Theatre Lore, and a very pleasant fellow. I would hope to see him again on a voyage in the future. 

[milkcow]

We diverted out of the fog towards Newfoundland for a medical evacuation.

 

An alarm went off for one of the propulsion pods as we cruised along south of Cape Cod, so we stopped for over an hour to check it out.  Captain Hashmi announced the alarm issue was resolved and there would be no delay to our arrival in Red Hook.  We actually were passing under the Verrazano Bridge at the exact time.

 

I did not see any unusual activity around the ship as we took the ferry to Wall Street—and I have been experienced in both pod and turbine activity in Fort Lauderdale.

[BigMac1953]

Thanks.

 

That certainly explains a lot, as there were a few posts here wondering what was going on.

 

Stewart

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for the update, we were a bit worried on Saturday

 

It's good to hear your trip was mostly successful, I hope you reported your cherry disappointment to the appropriate authorities !😱

[T5LHR]

#cherrygate

[Underwatr]

[bluemarble]

OK, I'll bite (cherries and/or strawberries 😊). Have any of the current Cunard queens ever had the Baked Alaska Chefs Parade or did that tradition end on Cunard with the QE2?

Edited August 20, 2019 by bluemarble

[BigMac1953]

Thankfully, it doesn't happen in QG, so I can't comment.

 

Stewart

[Camgirl]

I haven't seen it in Britannia in the last ten years either. There is a chefs parade but not with baked Alaska!

[brian1]

After cherrypicking from all the posts.The only baked Alaska parade is on Princess.

[Underwatr]

Ahem...

 

 

June 28, 2019. This would have been the night of the Chef's Parade (although there was no overt "Chefs Parade Baked Alaska" or "Baked Alaska Chefs Parade" announcement linking the two).

Edited August 20, 2019 by Underwatr

[bluemarble]

It is somewhat hit-or-miss now as to whether or not Baked Alaska is on the menu in Britannia for the evening of the chefs parade. As I recall, it was on the menu one time on our round-trip crossing in July and not the other. Similar experience last year as well. I originally thought the OP may have been commenting on not having Baked Alaska carried into the restaurant as part of the chefs parade (a tradition that's gone now on Cunard), but I see now that comment was probably about Baked Alaska not being on the menu that evening.

[BklynBoy8]

On our sailing during the 4th of July trip in 2017, we did have Baked Alaska in the Club Britannia as a dessert on the menu.

 

The Maitre D' did accompany the Alaska with table side service with Cherries Jubilee off the Flambe Cart.

 

We haven't seen a Baked Alaska Parade since our days on QE2. With the traditional sparklers and the lights down low with a traditional March being played.

 

Those were the days.

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 minutes ago, BklynBoy8 said:

On our sailing during the 4th of July trip in 2017, we did have Baked Alaska in the Club Britannia as a dessert on the menu.

 

The Maitre D' did accompany the Alaska with table side service with Cherries Jubilee off the Flambe Cart.

 

We haven't seen a Baked Alaska Parade since our days on QE2. With the traditional sparklers and the lights down low with a traditional March being played.

 

Those were the days.

 

Except that the recording was so scratchy!! 

 

[bluemarble]

Here's a link to youtube video I found showing a QE2 Baked Alaska Parade for the benefit of those who may not know what we're going on about.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Bq1TEGwpc

[Underwatr]

Open flames! Oh, my stars!

[3rdGenCunarder]

18 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

Open flames! Oh, my stars!

 

I know! I always found it amusing that the "script" read at the muster drill at the start of the cruise would have a section about the serious danger of fire at sea, and then on the last night they would try to set fire to us!!

 

[bluemarble]

3 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

Open flames! Oh, my stars!

 

Probably one of the main reasons that tradition has gone by the boards (certainly the sparklers part anyway). I found this post on another cruise forum interesting.

 

"We saw the baked Alaska parade on QE2 many years ago. We were told that it had to be at the exact time on both sittings as the smoke alarms had to be turned off for a few minutes due to the waiters parading through the restaurant holding flaming baked Alaskans [sic] in the air. ..."

[VintageCCG]

1 hour ago, bluemarble said:

Here's a link to youtube video I found showing a QE2 Baked Alaska Parade for the benefit of those who may not know what we're going on about.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Bq1TEGwpc

 

I can't imagine ANY Occupational Safety & Health issues with traipsing through a crowded dining room with dozens of flaming plates balanced aloft, in an environment replete with flammable fabrics ... all in the aid of serving an anachronistic dessert that nobody has ordered in restaurants since decades ago.
 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 minutes ago, VintageCCG said:

 

I can't imagine ANY Occupational Safety & Health issues with traipsing through a crowded dining room with dozens of flaming plates balanced aloft, in an environment replete with flammable fabrics ... all in the aid of serving an anachronistic dessert that nobody has ordered in restaurants since decades ago.
 

 

You're right about the fabric. I used to worry about sparks falling on my silk dresses.

 

But now we have a new hazard. When they do the parade of chefs, they encourage people to wave their napkins in the air. It's at the end of the meal, who knows what people have dropped into them! I find that disgusting.

 

 

[BklynBoy8]

13 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Except that the recording was so scratchy!! 

 

Respectfully disagree...On my Videos, sound was quite clear and audible.....

[exlondoner]

10 hours ago, bluemarble said:

 

Probably one of the main reasons that tradition has gone by the boards (certainly the sparklers part anyway). I found this post on another cruise forum interesting.

 

"We saw the baked Alaska parade on QE2 many years ago. We were told that it had to be at the exact time on both sittings as the smoke alarms had to be turned off for a few minutes due to the waiters parading through the restaurant holding flaming baked Alaskans [sic] in the air. ..."

 

Well they still seem to manage to do quite dramatic flambés, crêpes and cherries jubilee and whatever, without upsetting the smoke detectors, though they sometimes stand quite near. I suppose the thing about smoke detectors is they do detect smoke, not flames.

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 hours ago, BklynBoy8 said:

Respectfully disagree...On my Videos, sound was quite clear and audible.....

 

Yes, I was quite surprised. I remember the scratchy sound from earlier days on QE2.