By: Marcia Abramson
This ritual was repeated every afternoon at 5 p.m. in my Silver Suite for the duration of my cruise. Needless to say that my picks of food from breakfast in my room with choices from fruit, pancakes, hot and cold cereals and just about every assortment of fruit, croissants, Danish and muffins to my favorite Smoked Salmon, cream cheese, chopped onion, capers on a much appreciated toasted bagel.
Luncheon at the pool deck grill offered yummy hot dogs and burgers of all kinds accompanied with delicious French fries. For a bit more formal lunch, there was the fabulous buffet with a mind-boggling assortment of salad ingredients of every description: carving stations of roasted meats, pasta and risotto chefs, numerous fresh fish dishes, and a vast assortment of vegetables, a minimum of two soups, and mouth-watering desserts. There were always waiters around to make certain that you selected the appropriate hot or cold plate for your food selections. Their assistance also meant carrying your plate to your seat. No guest left the buffet carrying his or her own plate. As a point of fact, there were occasions when I thought my dish carrier would even graciously chew my food for me.
My drinks were brought to the table post haste. I marveled at the numerous flutes of gratis French champagne that the British people at the next table were consuming with their luncheon.
Another plus on this ship was the free choice of where and with whom I dined. The wait staff was excellent and when I chose to eat in my room, room service brought me a complete replica of my choices from the dinner menu, course by course. This was a first for me, but room service liked to know that my dinner would be the right temperature for each course. The table was set with soft green linens, Christofle silver and Bavarian china. Each meal was a masterpiece.
Eating is always an important feature of every cruise, however, there were other unique highlights for me such as the presentation of the In-Suite Theater of Cannel Movie Synopses with the ratings and time tables for the shows. I knew that when I watched
