Almost Live …. Sailing Aboard the NCL Viva on Her Maiden Trans-Atlantic

[ColdCruise]

Highlights of the meal? Potatoes

 

and OMG cheesecake, a bite of which had me actually say “OMG” it was that good!

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, ColdCruise said:

Highlights of the meal? Potatoes

 

and OMG cheesecake, a bite of which had me actually say “OMG” it was that good!

 

 

I'm glad the potatoes were good! To be fair, I've had Cagney's only once. That one time turned us off for good. The potatoes au gratin we had were truly inedible. Perhaps a one time thing. Anyway, at least something was good! That OmG cake is so yum! I get it without caramel as I'm not a fan.

[ColdCruise]

The whole issue with the steaks (and the wine) left me feeling hyper-critical and entitled. 
The waiter, chef and restaurant manager all came by to discuss the steak and offered to cook another. But after discussing the preparation method with the chef, I don’t think another steak would come out much differently and would just waste a good cut of meat. I felt bad enough leaving 8+ ounces of beef steak on my plate as it was. Hence the entitled part - wasting pricey food because it wasn’t prepared to my taste - it’s not how I normally roll. ☹️

 

 

[ColdCruise]

Tonight’s position, Day 7, 22 Nov, 1930 ships time

[fstuff1]

3 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

 

 

What happened to the cap that surrounds the eye of the ribeye?

Without the cap, it looks like a strip steak

[fstuff1]

 

 

so much park west junk mail at my cabin door :(

[ColdCruise]

5 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

What happened to the cap that surrounds the eye of the ribeye?

Without the cap, it looks like a strip steak

It was there, very closely trimmed, hard to see with the searing. A decent stripe of marbling through the top third but the marbling was also contained tendon. Not prime grade, choice at best. The lack of fatty marbling and a generous fat cap as you pointed out contributed to the dryness. But the preparation is the key. They sear the meat then put it in an oven at around 400F. I think it’s also a convection oven (unconfirmed but based on my own experiments with convection). I don't think the searing is sufficient to keep the meat from loosing moisture in the oven.

 

I mentioned use of a salamander but chef didn’t exactly confirm but there are lines in the steak. However in the behind the scenes tour through Onda’s kitchen the gleaming stainless steel equipment consisted of a flat griddle and a ridged one.

 

The Onda executive chef said they use the salamander for their streak (Onda does 150 covers per night, average of 30 steaks per night). I think Cagney’s is using the ridged griddle to sear, this wouldn’t be as hot as the salamander (I used to work in a large hotel kitchen and worked the meat station).

 

Edited November 23, 2023 by ColdCruise

[ColdCruise]

4 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

 

so much park west junk mail at my cabin door :(

Yes some invite shows up every day, ir so it seems. Today’s the “Grande Finale”, so maybe the invites will cease to appear

 

 

and why are they so dang early? I think they’ve all been in the 1000 hour 

[ColdCruise]

welcome to Day 8, 23 Nov - Happy Thanksgiving from onboard NCL V!va

Approaching St Thomas

Winds at 5 knots

temps in low 80s

glass seas

 

 

[ColdCruise]

Today’s Freestyle hasn’t been loaded into the NCL app as of 0830, screen shots if the paper copy here (just not as neat as screen shots)

 

 

 

 

And the promotions

 

 

[ColdCruise]

Just returned from breakfast and information about the US Customs (CBP) was in our “mailbox”

 

 

Very early so should allow a decent amount if time for Black Friday shopping in St Thomas!

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

But the preparation is the key. They sear the meat then put it in an oven at around 400F. I think it’s also a convection oven (unconfirmed but based on my own experiments with convection). I don't think the searing is sufficient to keep the meat from loosing moisture in the oven.

You may be right about the prep being the problem.  I don't know enough about finishing a steak in an oven to know. 

My observation has been that the quality of the meat simply isn't good.  Up thread you said "Choice".  I actually doubt it is Choice (or equivalent as I doubt they have USDA grades).  I suspect it is more like Select or some other lower quality of beef.  Either way (prepared wrong or low quality), it simply shouldn't be that way.  It's bad enough that the MDRs no longer have quality cuts of meat, for the Specialty restaurants to also not have them is simply wrong.

I'll be on Viva in a few weeks and we have a Cagneys reservation, I truly hope it isn't my last.

 

[ColdCruise]

This morning  for breakfast, I had the steak and eggs. OMG - the MedRare 6 oz strip came I ordered came out juicy, even mingling with my egg. OTOH, it was well done, but … still juicy.

 

I did send this back to be recooked and it came out the right temperature and still juicy.

I think a thinner cut is harder to prepare, so IDK what’s going on.

 

(We’re in a suite so can breakfast at Cagney’s)

Edited November 23, 2023 by ColdCruise

[PATRLR]

9 minutes ago, ColdCruise said:

I think a thinner cut is harder to prepare, so IDK what’s going on.

Well, wouldn't that support the idea that the finishing in the oven is the problem?  For thinner steak, most of the cooking is done with the sear so less time in the oven to ruin it?  (I have no idea what I'm talking about here, this is way out of my expertise)

[ColdCruise]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

Well, wouldn't that support the idea that the finishing in the oven is the problem?  For thinner steak, most of the cooking is done with the sear so less time in the oven to ruin it?  (I have no idea what I'm talking about here, this is way out of my expertise)

Sounds reasonable to me. Steak was thin enough to just sear and serve. 
 

so I guess next time I go to Cagney’s for dinner, I say to the waiter “please bring me 3 of those tiny 6oz breakfast strips cooked MR instead of that 16 oz ribeye” 🤣

[KKB]

6 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

This morning  for breakfast, I had the steak and eggs. OMG - the MedRare 6 oz strip came I ordered came out juicy, even mingling with my egg. OTOH, it was well done, but … still juicy.

 

I did send this back to be recooked and it came out the right temperature and still juicy.

I think a thinner cut is harder to prepare, so IDK what’s going on.

 

(We’re in a suite so can breakfast at Cagney’s)

If a steak is properly rested, the juices redistribute & you should get very little juice on the plate, but a very moist steak.

[mugtech]

12 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

Yes some invite shows up every day, ir so it seems. Today’s the “Grande Finale”, so maybe the invites will cease to appear

 

 

and why are they so dang early? I think they’ve all been in the 1000 hour 

And the free champagne is overpriced.

[ColdCruise]

14 hours ago, KKB said:

If a steak is properly rested, the juices redistribute & you should get very little juice on the plate, but a very moist steak.

Agreed, but the steak was not moist. Chef said they rested the steaks when pulled from the oven for 30sec-1 min. And for med-rare there will still be some juice. The 2nd breakfast steak was on point for doneness and moistness. The 16 oz ribeye was pretty (although i’d have preferred a bit less cooked) but dry. Unfortunately 

[ColdCruise]

We made port last night with little fanfare. I think we were watching Beetlejuice at the time.  
 

 

great energy and good cast. Really enjoyed it but i think it probably should be pg-13 - lots of innuendo as well as not subtle at all comments. However Id also like to think those bits would be over the heads of the 12 and under crowd (hard to say these days )

 

might try to get a standby seat tonight to see it again.

 

Beetlejuice will be the signature show for V!va for several years (3-5 i think i heard in the backstage tour).

[ColdCruise]

And this morning, 24 Nov , Day 9, brings this view off our balcony

 

[cruiseny4life]

Just now, ColdCruise said:

We made port last night with little fanfare. I think we were watching Beetlejuice at the time.  
 

 

great energy and good cast. Really enjoyed it but i think it probably should be pg-13 - lots of innuendo as well as not subtle at all comments. However Id also like to think those bits would be over the heads of the 12 and under crowd (hard to say these days )

 

might try to get a standby seat tonight to see it again.

 

Beetlejuice will be the signature show for V!va for several years (3-5 i think i heard in the backstage tour).

Don't worry, kids are saying much worse, even in elementary school. I was a K-8 charter school director. Nothing amazes me now. 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

Don't worry, kids are saying much worse, even in elementary school. I was a K-8 charter school director. Nothing amazes me now. 

NCL’s theater shows tend to be more adult oriented.  Rock of Ages was like that.  Choir of Man is a tad like that.  Personally, I don’t have any issues with it.  If you feel the materials is to “risqué” (I don’t) you can always leave the production.

 

I have more of an issue with those who come in late, block the view while they’re traipsing up and down the aisles, looking for their friends (who were on time) or a seat. I’d rather NCL just close the doors to the theater once the show begins and have no seating until a set change, for example.

[ColdCruise]

And this morning, 24 Nov , Day 9, brings this view off our balcony

 

[ColdCruise]

Don't read too much into my posting @graphicguy i stated i might go back tonight to go stand by 😉

 

And I’m not surprised @cruiseny4life but think there are some kids out there ….

I have friends & a cousin who work in the public & catholic school systems. Lets just say adult-student interactions have changed over the years.

 

back to regular programming…

[ColdCruise]

Freestyle Daily for 24 Nov, Day 9:

 

 

 

 

and the promotions