Travel

As the thermometer sinks way below the freezing mark, I can only reflect on the wonderful warmth of my recent cruise on Radisson Seven Seas' new ship the "Voyager." I had just returned from wintry Austria and had 24 hours to repack summer clothes for the subtropical climate of the western Caribbean the next day. All this was doable for me, except for the worst early December snow storm in history to try to thwart my plans. My early morning flight from nearby JFK was canceled and all other flights from Kennedy Airport were rerouted to Newark. Uppermost in my mind was getting to Ft. Lauderdale to catch my ship the Seven Seas Voyager which was set to sail for the Western Caribbean that very afternoon. My only problem was getting to Newark Airport. The weather reports were horrific with warnings to stay off the roads because of snow and ice causing many accidents and road closings. But I persevered, even when car services said they had no drivers. After a sleepless night to make sure that I got up early enough to find a driver, Towne Taxi in Inwood came to my rescue with driver Freddy who found the Belt Parkway and Verrazano Bridge devoid of all traffic and snow. In fact, we arrived at Newark Airport in less than an hour with ample time to clear security and board my flight to sunny Florida. The flight on Delta's Song arrived early, but the representative from Radisson Seven Seas was at the airport with his sign welcoming me. He must have sensed how tired I was because he sent me off in a taxi to the harbor and the ship without any delay. And so my adventures on the Voyager began on a very pleasant, exclusive and luxurious note. The Voyager is the newest of the Radisson Seven Seas Cruise line ships with a capacity of 700 passengers. It is the sister ship of the Mariner, purported to be the world's first ship to offer all-suite, all-balcony accommodations for every guest. I found my suite to be very spacious and seemed somewhat larger than any other comparable luxury cruise line suite. The large bathroom was all marble with tub and separate shower. Needless to say, my hunger pangs were abated when my assigned butler, Joshua, clad in very proper British attire arrived with a tray of caviar canapes and advised me that he was ready to pop the bottle of champagne on the cocktail and take my order for a choice of four complimentary liters of whiskey. He would also see to it that my refrigerator was always stocked with ice, bottled water and soft drinks, in addition to the 5 o'clock daily snacks he would bring to my suite. In view of my rather hectic day, I decided that a room service dinner of shrimp cocktail, with a main course of a beef steak would be the way to start this elegant cruise to northwest Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Key West. I would save the Compass Rose Restaurant for the following day to enjoy the international cuisine of executive chef, Marcel Kofler in a relaxed single, open seating dining experience. There was also the option of the La Veranda Restaurant which also offers open seating, with a buffet-style breakfast and lunch. Casual dining is also on the menu where La Veranda becomes an intimate Mediterranean Bistro with the authentic fare of the Mediterranean countries. There are also two other restaurants that do require advance reservations. On subsequent evenings I found my way to these dining venues. One is the wonderful Signatures, operated under the auspices of the chefs of the famed Le Cordon Bleu of Paris. Fois Gras, Filet Mignon and Rack of Lamb and the food was "to die for" at Signatures. The other is Latitudes, an intimate caf where food is described and presented as theater. Hawaii and California were the states represented when I dined there, with Seared Ahi Tuna and Snow Pea Salad with Wasabi Vinaigrette; Chinese Chicken, Green Onion, Shiitake Mushroom and Bok Choy Soup; Sesame Seed Crusted Halibut or Garlic Beef Tenderloin "shaken" in Piquant Sauce, accompanied with a Fried Rice Cake. Dessert was coconut custard with Oolong tea and Mango Sherbet. In addition to eating on this cruise, a good number of the 700 Voyager passengers did attend two cooking demonstrations presented by Jody Klocko, the Chef Chocolatier of Godiva, North America. I learned how to make "Spiced Hot Chocolate With Tea" (a recipe I will share with you in a future column) and sampled some of the chocolatier's delicacies. Another highlight of this cruise was a "Do It Yourself Dessert Buffet" in place of the usual afternoon tea. Nobody seemed to get enough of the chocolate dipping and a good eating time was had by all.Copyright © by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com