Blogs from Gulf Stream, North Atlantic, Atlantic, Oceans and Seas - page 2

Last night a sample of the steerage class “tea” menu was on offer. I had Ragout of Beef with Potatoes and Pickles – Hearty beef stew with carrots and thickened with potatoes; served with a red cabbage salad.... read more

Unlike Captain Lars, who had a beard and could pass for Billy Joel’s brother, on our Hawaiian cruise in 2006, Robert Bamberg doesn’t fit the traditional profile of sea captain – he’s tall, slim and blond, of Swedish origin (I think). Before last night’s dinner we were invited to meet the captain in the Neptune Lounge.... read more

My selections from last night’s Titanic Dinner Menu, which was our chef’s interpretation of the Titanic’s dinner 100 years on: First Course: Salmon with Mousseline Sauce. Lightly poached salmon, with classic Hollandaise sauce and whipped cream. Second Course: Cream of Barley. Barley simmered with vegetable stock and a dollop of whisky cream. Third Course: Asparagus Salad. Blanched green and white asparagus, drizzled with champagne saffron vinaigrette. Fourth Course: Punch Romaine. A real palate cleanser. A punch with crushed ice, fresh orange and lemon juice, white wine and drizzled with Bacardi rum. Fifth Course: Filet Mignon Lili. Grilled to your liking, on sliced fried potatoes, served with roasted cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and Madeira sauce. Sixth Course: Waldorff Pudding. Sautéed apple, raisins and ginger, baked with custard and sprinkled with caramelized walnu... read more

Our captain’s timing was impeccable yesterday with the first words of his daily noon cruise report. A few seconds either way and Captain Robert Bamberg would not have attracted the applause of passengers in the Neptune Lounge who were listening to authors Jack Eaton and Charles Haas present their talk, A Titanic Mythallany. Jack was saying the lack of a public address system was the one factor above all others, including the shortage of lifeboats, that had contributed to the loss of at least 400+ lives in the Titanic disaster when …. “Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,” could be heard throughout the Balmoral. More than 400 people died for no other reason than the lack of communication onboard the Titanic. While the available lifeboats could seat about 1600 people, 400+ seats ... read more

The wild weather at the start of this cruise that caused about half the 1300 passengers to be seasick has settled. The sea has calmed and it’s been two days since I’ve needed medication, so in Captain Robert Bamberg’s words: “All is well.” We’re now about 500 nautical miles from the wreck site and need to maintain a speed of at least 14 knots to reach the spot by Saturday night. We’re currently moving at 16 knots so should get there with a few hours to spare. We’ve been turning our clocks back one hour each day but on Saturday (tomorrow), we turn the clocks back another one hour and 27 minutes. The odd number of minutes is because our time needs to equals that of 100 years ago when we hold the memorial service. At ... read more