I have to say, these cupcakes on the boat are some of the best I have ever had. They never disappoint, they are always moist and flavourful, the icing is never too sweet and there is always enough to spread to the bottom half of the cupcake.
Friday I signed up for a cupcake decorating session. Very excited! I will have to run double that day!
Today was a Red Velvet cupcake. Brad had a Bubble Gum with hot prostitute pink icing.
Last night we went to 150 Central Park for dinner. The restaurant was on the, you guessed it, Central Park Level of the boat. The dinner was 7 courses and we decided to have the wine paring with it. Keep in mind, this meal costs us $35 per person for the food. It was delectable. The service was amazing. And even though the portions seem small, they were full of flavour and we were stuffed… and drunk afterwards.
We started the meal with bread. Fresh vines of sourdough bread. Which were perfect for the selection of salt they provided us. There were six salts that we added onto the buttered sourdough. Australian, American, Sea, Indian, Hawaiian, and 1 more I can’t remember. My favourite was the Indian salt since it is sulphuric and tasted like hard boiled eggs. And I love eggs!
Gazpacho
Normally not a fan of cold soup, this was tasty. It had a hint of cayenne pepper in it. The lump in the middle is a lobster nugget. The flavour was amazing.
Wine: The Stump Jump, Adelaide Australia
Duck Confit
Sitting on a crouton kind of thing this salad had candied onions on top and sliced apple. The duck was in little pieces throughout.
Wine: Sancerre Michel Redde, Les Tuilieres, France
Basil Dusted Halibut
The fish was light and flaky. It was in a cream sauce and on top is a deep fried piece of basil. I couldn’t get enough of this dish.
Wine: Chardonnay Jordan, Sonoma, California
Spring Pea Risotto
Possibly my favourite dish. It had sweet asparagus on top and the risotto was amazing.
Wine: Rioja Sierra Cantabria, Spain
Steak and Potato
This is the chef’s play on steak and potato. It was actually medium rare veal that was so tender and flavourful. On top was crispy potato strings. The sauce was sweet and made the dish taste great.
Wine: Stark Conde Syrah Stellenbosch, South Africa
Upside Down Peach Cake
Dessert! The cake was moist with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. This was really good, and probably my least favourite course. That just shows how good the other courses are!
Wine: Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label, France
Cheese Selection
After dessert came a selection of cheeses. From mild to strong we garnished with mandarin oranges, cranberries and my favourite, cherries marinated in port.
We went to the ice show today. It was fantastic. Full of costume changes and some fun skating. The theme was fairy tales, so it was quite fun… and not only for kids.
During a brief break for the skaters a woman came out and made art using sand on a light box with her fingers. I have a couple of pictures in there but she did a series of pictures, one transforming into another. It was really neat.
Again, we were awed by the quality of the performance. Last night we saw Hairspray (the musical) and it was top notch. The full costumes, sets, and some really good singing. It really blows other cruise ship performances out of the water.
On deck 5 there is a running track that circles the entire ship. It was great, in the shade, breezy at places and with a spectacular view.
Yesterday I went to the gym. Need to work off all the linguini. The gym is huge of course, like everything else on this ship. Tonnes of cardio and weight machines… and free weights too. There is also a staircase that puts you right onto the running track.
Today’s treat is a Coca Cola Cupcake. They put coke (the beverage, not the drug) in the icing and also in the vanilla cake. The first bite was delectable with a strong taste of Coke. Then after you really just taste the fantastic icing and the really moist cake. Quite a fabulous cupcake. I want to say I’ll have only one this trip but they have a big selection and the flavours change daily. Nap time, then the gym!
