Our Trip to a Baltic Sea cruise on Princess Cruises - Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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Today was an exciting day. Our family is traveling to Copenhagen, Denmark for a cruise on Princess Cruises.

When booking our trip back in November 2010, it was deciding my wife, her dad, and our two kids would travel separately because following our cruise they would spend three days in Germany visiting family history locations/sites. So my mother-in-law and I would travel separately to the cruise and return the day of the cruise ends.

Continental Airlines
On Wednesday we flew Continental from Houston (IAH) to Amsterdam (AMS) then on to Copenhagen, 9 hours 45 minutes. I was very fortunate to fly Business Class using mileage. What an experience in Business. The service was like nothing I have ever seen on an airline. From the minute we boarded the flight attendants made an instant connection with each passenger. They offer us a drink instantly and then a newspaper. Before takeoff, we receive our menu for the journey. Here is what the courses were.

To Begin: Hot roasted nuts and a drink of your choice.

Hot Appetizers Cart: Demitasse of morel mushroom soup accompanied by a savory vegetable filled pastry and shrimp tempura with Asian barbecue sauce (this was yummy).

Main Course: There were four choices
1. Grilled pork chop with green peppercorn sauce, shitake mushroom bread pudding, fresh broccolini and white asparagus.
2. Osso Buco style breast of chicken served with roasted garlic polenta cake, fresh broccolini and mushroom ragout (I had this, it was awesome)
3. Cioppino sea bass and lobster accompanied by a savory shellfish stew topped with fresh green asparagus
4. Mini cannelloni pasta bowl artichoke and ricotta cheese filled mini cannelloni served with creamy arugula sauce, mixed sautéed vegetable and grated parmesan reggiano cheese
Fruit and Cheese: Select American and imported cheeses, grapes, assorted gourmet crackers and bread, served with Port wine.

Dessert Cart: (My favorite part of the meal, who cares about the diet): Blue Bell vanilla ice cream with choice of toppings or assortment of petite pastries.

After all this, two hours before landing in Amsterdam, they served breakfast. Mushroom Omelette with potato gratin and mixed cereal. Don’t tell my wife I had a mushroom two times on my flight. I hate the darn things that grow on the ground or trees.

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