Sea Day Tidbits

My journaling got cut a little short on sea days. I kept topical notes rather than doing daily entries, but will include some of my thoughts here just to record my memories.

LUNCHES: My one regret is that I ran out of time to try all of the choices on the Freedom. Bob absolutely loved the Mongolian Grill...but after the first day I refused to stand in the long line. He is a "people person" so looked at the wait as a great opportunity to get to know the others in line with him!

As far as the buffet...I enjoyed the Mexican station and it rarely had any line at all. Also tried the fish & chips (ok), the Tandoor (good...wish I had tried it earlier in the week); and chocolate buffet on the last day (Forgot about it and had already eaten so wasn't hungry enough to really enjoy it. What I had was wonderful!) I didn't get a chance to try the deli, the grill, the "taste of nations", the salad bar or even the general buffet. I was determined to eat at least one slice of pizza (which I have loved on past cruises) and had to force myself to eat it the night we watched a movie on the big screen TV. It was good but would have been even better if I was hungry! Never tried any ice cream either...

One day I insisted on eating lunch in the main dining room...and then was sorry I did. We were seated in a booth with one other couple from Puerto Rico...and the wife spoke very little English. They were actually very nice and interesting (the man had been a college professor)...but just a little on the awkward side trying to make conversation. I heard another couple asking for a table for two and wished we had done that...or asked to be at a larger table.

BREAKFAST: We did the buffet everyday and enjoyed it. Some days we got made to order omelets...one day I had the omelet chef fry a couple of eggs over easy. Bacon seemed to be plentiful...but I'm not much on breakfast meat. I absolutely love the danish on the buffet. There is a coffee shop that I go to here in town that serves the same type and I always think of cruising when I eat them! :) Every morning I ate a bowl of grapefruit sections (that I didn't have to peel!). You can see the grapefruit on my tray! DH would also take a big thermal mug to breakfast and fill it up with juice. The rest of the day only iced tea and lemonade were available. 

COOKING DEMONSTRATION: We went to the cooking class which was held on Sunday (first sea day) at noon. It was held in the Sun King supper club and several of the chefs demonstrated how to make some of the dishes they serve in the supper club. The assistant cruise director narrated as they worked. As they finished making a dish, assistants would give everyone a small plate with a portion to sample.

A preview of the dessert we had later in the week when we dined at the supper club.

SUN KING SUPPER CLUB: Keeping on the topic of food...After attending the cooking class on Sunday, we made reservations to eat at the Sun King Supper Club on Tuesday night (a sea day). This was something I was looking forward to since none of our previous cruises had a supper club.

This usually doesn't happen...but Bob and I both ordered exactly the same items that night.

Copied and pasted from the menu on Carnival's website. (Our choices in blue print.)

BAKED ONION SOUP “LES HALLES”BABY LEAF SPINACH AND FRESH MUSHROOMS With Blue Cheese Dressing and Warm Bacon BitsSURF & TURF Seared Lobster Tail and Grilled Filet MignonAnd side dishes: YUKON GOLD MASH WITH WASABE HORSERADISH and CREAMED SPINACH WITH GARLIC. (Side note...the waitress comes by with a larger bowl of the side dishes and scoops out your serving and puts it on your plate. For those of you who have ever been to Lambert's Cafe in Missouri...sort of like the "pass arounds". At least they didn't have "throwed rolls!") LOL

The dessert was to die for...CHOCOLATE TARTE WITH BITTER CHOCOLATE PÂTÉ (Pineapple Croquant, Tiramisu Notre Façon)

All in all it was a lovely evening with great food...but I'm not so sure we would do it again. I enjoy the food in the dining room and the supper club experience just isn't worth the extra $30/person to me.

This is going to sound trivial...but one other reason I didn't care for the supper club was our table...and the view. (OK...that's actually 2 reasons.)

Our table was right in the center of the room next to a server's station...and it just felt "busy". A table off to the side or in the other room might have been more enjoyable. As for the view...it was still daylight when we were eating and the supper club windows do not look out over the water...they face the outer deck (deck 10 above the lido deck). While we were eating people would walk by the windows in their swimsuits and peer into the window. Seeing a chubby guy in a Speedo kinda wrecks the atmosphere of a nice restaurant!

SUSHI: For the first time ever...Bob (at my coaxing) and I tried sushi.

I wanted to see what the sushi hype was about...and figured the price was right (free!) so might as well give it a try. There was a very nice man in line behind me who gave me a crash course in "sushi 101". I didn't quite follow all he was saying...so just asked to have "two of each" on my plate for DH and I to share.

At the end of the counter were bowls of sauces. I started to dish up a big spoonful of "guacamole" when luckily my sushi mentor stepped in and stopped me. Guess it was something called wasabi and not guac. ;) <Sniff, sniff>...no more stuffed sinuses! 😝

We did "clean our plate"...but decided sushi must be an acquired taste...probably not one I will ever acquire however!

JOHN HEALD, CRUISE DIRECTOR:  John is Carnival's senior cruise director...and brand spokesperson. 

I discovered John's blog right before our cruise and wrote him a message asking about email confirmations for the supper club reservations made online. (2020 update: John no longer posts on his blog, but does have a strong presence on Facebook.) I had tried to make a reservation several times and never did get any confirmation. The very next day I received an email so I can't help but think John didn't have something to do with it. He also responded to my question on his blog and asked me to drop off a note with my name and cabin number at the guest services when we boarded the ship.

I did just that and also included a brief message about how we were looking forward to cruising with him. I also explained how Bob is employed at a full time job while also working as an EMT with the local ambulance and going to school to become certified as a paramedic. Basically...that he REALLY needed this vacation!

I had no idea, but on sea days, John does a "Morning Show" that is broadcast on the big screen TV on the Lido Deck...as well as on the cabin TV's. The very first morning when I returned to the cabin to shower after walking on the jogging track, I flipped on the TV and he was just starting to read my letter on the show.

After reading the letter he even called my cabin and we chatted on air for quite some time. Throughout the week he encouraged people to write him notes...particularly to praise or recognize someone special they were sailing with...and he would read the notes on the show. (He also features some of these notes on his blog.)

The next day we came back to our cabin after breakfast to find these gifts...all from John.

RELAXATION: To end this post, I will note that one of the main goals for this cruise was to give Bob a chance to relax and de-stress from working 2 jobs and going to paramedic school. He did do "some" studying while we were on the ship but for the most part he was able to slow down and enjoy our time.  

Chillin'

Bob loves movies so it was a treat to sit out on the open deck and watch movies on the big screen at night.

Getting a big dose of "vitamin SEA". 

Best cure ever for stress!