Chefs table

Tonight we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Chefs Table.  The cost was $130 pp and I ha spoken to one of the head waiters on the first day we boarded.  Being able to fill a whole table we had our pick of nights…Our only stipulation was that it was not held on a port night.

Chef Johan and Maître d Joachim did a wonderful job putting the night together.  As usual the food was superb, and of course so much of it…  there was not cookbook this time around, but we did get a visit from Antonio the Food and Beverage Director and from the lovely Martina, the Hotel General Manager.

We started dinner at 6.30pm and we were last out of the dining room after 10pm.  We have done this experience many times and have enjoyed it immensely every time.  We would not hesitate in recommending it to everyone..

Enjoying the dinner with our fabulous table mates

Entree started with a beef tartare, truffles and the cutest little quail egg.

Next was Pate De Foie Gras on what was like a slider bun, topped with a fruit jam and pickle..we were encourage to put it all together and eat it like a hamburger.

Man could it get any better, grilled prawns over what Joachim called a bloody mary with a surprise scallop sitting on the bottom of the jar.

not only was this so cute, cut so yummy... a small potato topped with sour cream and red and black caviar.... all this was washed down with my favourite Champagne

Risotto alla Caprese

By far the best sorbet we have had at a chefs table..  Lovely blueberry sorbet marinated with Grey Goose Vodka

Tenderloin, Lamb Chops with a side of Lobster

Baked Brie with a yummy port wine reduction 

And it still comes with a Chocolate dome for dessert

And a cute display of  marzipan, Chocolates and macaroons

Joachim our Maitre D

Singapore …. 95 days to go… should I really be counting these days away

We arrived one and a half hours earlier than our scheduled time.  Pulling along side at 7.30am instead of 9am.  Maybe this was done intentionally as another ship was arriving at 10am which would mean that the Singapore immigration would be even slower than what it already was.

Arriving at our Berth at Marina Bay Cruise Terminal

Singapore is one of the rare ports on this cruise where we would have to have a face to face with officials.   Princess had us all prepared ensuring that each of us had completed the online arrival card 2-3 days before arriving.

Singapore do not allow large crowds within the terminal so disembarking was completed using a ticket system, very much like tendering.  We probably waited around an hour for our number 4 to be called off, but once in the terminal the process went quicker than I thought.

Today we were invited by our Travel Agents, Clean Cruising, to a cocktail party on the 57^th Floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. 

We had time to kill before the start time of 12noon. I was on a mission to find my favourite shoe shop close by.  Bingo!, there was one at the Suntec Mall, which was in walking distance back to Marina Bay.

Kids are certainly catered for in at this mall

The walk was pleasant despite the heat and we passed many sculptures, fountains and crossed the Helix Bridge.

We walked through the Helix bridge ( on the left ) to get to Marina Bay Mall

Lovely and cool in the Mall

The Marina Bay Sands Mall was a welcomed cool relief.  Here shopping is only performed with the eyes as the high-end shops are a little out of our league.  Hence my excitement that I could find my fav shoe shop and make a purchase of not one or two but three pairs of shoes for under $100 Singapore.

The cocktail party was held at the Ce La Vi Bar up top of Tower 3 at Marina Bay.  Great views look back over the city and down across the gardens.

Many a fabulous cocktails were enjoyed along with some lovely finger food.  A family run company, Dan and his siblings along with a select group of colleagues where there to ensure we all had a great time. It was a great celebration that marked the first World cruise out of Australia since the lock downs.

Not leaving anything to chance they even arranged for a continuous shuttle to deliver us all safely back to the ship before sail away.  A sail away that I slept through lol….. only to be woken by our room steward delivering a couple of World Cruise drink bottles.

 

Gift bag from Clean Cruising....

Two days at sea …. Crossing the Equator …. 96 Days to go

The seas have been a mill pond so far and the weather has been hot hot hot over the past few days.  But it is the humidity that gets to you…  and if it is not humid enough, the random short bursts of rain don’t help.

On the second sea day, the ship celebrated crossing the equator in the usual fashion, by inviting King Neptune and his busty wife Double Dee on board so the Captain can ask for permission for us to cross.

Of course we had the trials for those misbehaving on board and then the initiation of those polliwogs who will now be known as shellbacks as they cross the equator for the first time.  It was only the ships crew who got to  “kiss the fish”,  but guests were invited to participate in the traditional  food fight…

Brian took one for the team, and as you can see from the photos he certainly enjoyed himself.

The night ended with the production show Stardust, which we enjoyed.