AT SEA AND A SHINY STAINLESS STEEL KITCHEN!

Regal Princess/At Sea 
Friday, October 25, 2024
Sun, Hot 80s

Princess photo of TK and Janie

 in Cork, Ireland

Right now I am hoping no one back home has mentioned they are arranging a visit to a mental hospital for someone who wrote half her blog yesterday about wandering around in a Caribbean town looking for a battery so she could safely bring 200 pounds of luggage back to Erie.  That is not something one should worry about when there is so much going on in the world.  

Sea days are notorious for reflection, sun, Gulf of Mexico stretching to the horizon, Zumba classes (yeah right), trivia games, bingo, more bingo, art auction, live music everywhere, afternoon tea, and so much more to do, to say nothing about eating.  Buffet (Horizon Court), dining room for lunch (Allegro), pizzeria, burger bar, gelato place, ice cream bar, International Café, so many choices. 

I did have a little bit of a melt down as we sauntered by the buffet. TK quickly abandoned me. WHO would put kale in a chicken pot pie??  Chicken pot pie is one of the very few things that I like at the buffet. But kale?  I cannot eat kale and for the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would put kale in such a perfect dish. Why?? The lady who witnessed this meltdown selected one pot pie right in front of me.

Enough of that—the highlight today was the Culinary Demonstration in the Princess Theater and then the Galley tour. The Executive Chef, from Bulgaria, and the Director of Restaurant Operations, from Romania, basically did a comedy routine as they demonstrated making a pesto (Trenette al Pesto Ligura), Shrimp fra Diavolo, and Black Forest cake.   Between the two men, they manage about 450 staff, almost half the crew on the Regal Princess

They both joked about each other’s country-both on the Black Sea.  The best joke was told by Enache Popescu, the Romanian. First Daniel Tanchev, the Bulgarian, mentioned that in his country they throw rice at the newlywed couple after the wedding ceremony for luck.  Enache said in Romania they send the children to gather stones before the wedding. After the ceremony everyone throws the stones at the mother-in-law.  He said he hasn’t seen his mother-in-law since his wedding.  I definitely have someone I can verify this with!!

After the dishes were made with much joking around, the audience was invited to the main kitchen.  This was an abbreviated tour compared to some we have had.  As always, the area is spotless, stainless steel as far as one can see.  The staff within view were very proud of their work, and rightly so.

Shiny, stainless steel kitchen!

Carved watermelon

Tonight is a formal night, so TK and I must prepare our fancy duds. Lobster and prime rib on the menu!

Note: A couple days ago we enjoyed lunch in the Allegro dining room with Barb and Bob (MI), Stacy and George (CA), the people who organized our Orkney Island tour.  We caught up with everything we all have been doing.  What pleasant people we meet!   Since they are veteran cruisers, we hope to see them again on another cruise!

I finally purchased the Princess photos I wanted—

TK and Janie in Belfast

TK and Janie in Liverpool

Tomorrow is packing day, and we will be cramming all that jewelry and woolen sweaters into 4 pieces of luggage, to say nothing about 5 Starbucks cups.  Sunday morning we will arrive in Galveston. Our flight back to Pittsburgh is late, so we are staying there for the night. Back in Erie Monday—we are ready to be home!