Right before the start of their games waiting for the game to begin.
Six additional photos from our visit to Bali yesterday.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
We wanted to begin today’s post by saying that our thoughts and prayers go out to those people in Japan and in other areas of the world who have been affected by the significant earthquake and the associated Tsunami that struck yesterday afternoon in Japan.
While working out this morning Keith was watching a wide range of News Programs including MSNBC, CNN, Sky News, BBC along with a couple of other 24 hour news stations. He was struck with one of the comments that an expert contributed which was that the force of this earthquake was equivalent to 700,000 nuclear bombs going off simultaneously. At the same time the magnitude of the earthquake represents the fifth highest ever recorded. On top of this the tidal wave from the Tsunami traveled at approximately 450 miles per hour.
While our world currently confronts many challenges it is during times of tragedy that we often see the best in kindness and in aid and help offered to those in need and we already seeing positive acts from individuals and from several nations. Our nation shares a very strong bond and commitment with the people and the Nation of Japan and we know that our country will do whatever is necessary to help all the people impacted by this catastrophic event and this assistance has already begun.
We also learned from our tour guide in Bali that sometime the night before that Indonesia experienced an earthquake at around a magnitude of 6.8 and we hope that there was no loss of life from this catastrophic event.
Throughout today as we ran into passengers from Japan we asked them if there we any issues with their homes back home and if their families were all safe.
Highlights From Yesterday And Today
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On this cruise we have mainly had lunch in the Lido where each of us makes a nice salad entrée. On a few occasions we have had lunch in the Crystal Dining Room and as we mentioned in our last post, yesterday was one of those days. We wanted to include a photo of the Salad Entrée that Keith enjoyed for lunch, as this is an example of the quality of ingredients and the preparation that goes into the items served on the ship. Keith had the Salade Nicoise. This salad featured Anchovies, Sardines, Olives, String Beans, Bell Peppers, Red Onions, and Potatoes, which was topped with Seared Tuna Medallions (two) and even a Poached Egg. The salad was delicious so we thought we would highlight this item.
Bali, Indonesia
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We were glad that we had the opportunity to visit Bali for the very first time. There is no question that Bali contrasts sharply with Australia and New Zealand in so many ways. Our visit to Bali was a reminder how diverse our planet is in so many ways. We enjoyed seeing the temple and learning about the religious customs of the Hindu people and the religion they follow and we also enjoyed learning a great deal about Bali and Indonesia. About fifty percent of the people who live in this area are farmers and the other major employer for the people relates to tourism. About 2.5 million people visit Bali annually, which is almost double the amount from just ten years ago.
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We had another wonderful time on the ship last evening.
While we dined at Prego we will mention the items on the Crystal Dining Room Menu.
Appetizers featured Freshly Bakes Seafood and Wild Mushroom Canneloni on Truffled Tomato Ragout, Lawar Kuwir which is Kernel Corn and Green Bean Salad with Minced Duck Satay, and Supreme of Fresh Local Market Fruits on Sweet Melon Carpaccio which is Drizzled with Banana Liqueur. Soups featured a Balinese Green Papaya and Seafood Soup and a Chicken Consommé. Salads included Assorted Lettuce Tossed in Creamy Lemon Basil Dressing and a Butter Lettuce Salad. The Pasta Special was Rigatoncini Pasta “Osso Bucco” with a Ragout of Braized Veal Shanks and Root Vegetables, Sprinkled with Cremolata and the Salad Entrée was a Prawn Caesar Salad. Main Fares included Broiled Fresh Balinese Deep Sea Trevalla, Kamba Mekua which is Seared Lamb Chops on Creamed Vegetables and Mushrooms in a Banana Leaf, Old Fashioned Chicken in the Pot, and a Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Steak. The Traditional Main Fares included Grilled Black Angus Filet Steak and a Grilled Salmon Filet. The Vegetarian Selection included an entrée, which was Sweet ‘n’ Sour Tofu, and as usual there were other Vegetarian and On The Lighter Side items to select. Sweet Finale Desserts featured a “Kelapa Muda” which was Coconut Crème Brulee with Mango Salad, Seasame Snap and Vanilla Ice Cream and a “Chocolate Dom” which was Vahlrona Chocolate Mousee Bomb Filled with Pistachio Custard. Sugar Free Desserts featured a Strawberry Vanilla Cream Cake and a Chocolate Sundae. There were also lots of Classic Desserts to choose from and the Cheese Trolley featuring not only several International Premium Cheeses but also some very premium crackers.
We also want to mention that on many evenings the respective Headwaiters around the Crystal Dining Room prepare desserts for those guests who are interested in having them. One night it might be Bananas Foster and another night it might be Cherries Jubilee.
Our Trivia Team enjoyed the evening together. The evening began with a cocktail hour in the suite of one of our team members hosted by There were ten of us in all. This included eight members of our Trivia Team and two spouses who do not participate in Trivia. Our hosts also have Alexander as their butler as we do so Alexander coordinated the arrangements for the Cocktails and was there when we arrived to their room. We began the evening with Champagne as we toasted to a wonderful evening and we also enjoyed some wine and canapés before it was time to dine at the Prego Italian Specialty Restaurant at 8:00 PM. Dinner was once again a real treat. We each enjoyed our favorite salads, which are known by our last name, which was followed by a beef consommé. We ordered the Red Snapper fish special entrée for the evening which Prego Executive Chef Christian had told us about the evening before which was a deliciously prepared Red Snapper which was brought on board during the day while we were in Bali. The entrée was simply delicious. We had some fruit and some non-fat frozen yogurt. As usually everything we perfect from the ambience of the dining venue, to the superb service to the outstanding cuisine. We enjoyed lots of good conversation and a lot of good laughs with our team members. As four of the eight members on our team are leaving the ship in a few days the remaining four members will need to form a new team for the last three legs of the World Cruise.
We slept very well last evening as we are now sailing to our final port of call on this adventure, which is Singapore. The seas were relatively calm and as usual the gentle swaying of the ship was enough to help us to fall asleep relatively quickly.
Although we went to sleep after 11:00 PM (late for us) Keith was up bright and early to start another nice day at the Fitness Center. He put in another ninety-minute workout on the Elliptical Machine and did some weightlifting and some stretching. He was alone for most of the workout. Keith stopped by the Lido Café to bring some coffee back to the room.
A short while after Keith got back to the room it was Anne Marie’s turn and she enjoyed a nice one-hour walk on the Promenade Deck.
Today is the first of two consecutive sea days. We enjoyed our morning breakfast in the room that Alexander set up for us while we watched the Daily Morning Show hosted by Cruise Director Gary Hunter and World Cruise Hostess Stacey Huston.
In the morning Keith played in the Mixed Double Paddle Tennis World Cruise Games. He and his partner, Heather, won the Silver.
There were three lectures given today. This included a talk given by John Stainton about the Crocodile Hunter, a talk by Sir Tony Brenton about whether or not we still need diplomats and a talk given by Roy Firestone who shared film and recollections about legendary figures in entertainment and sports who he interviewed over three decades.
We also played Team Trivia at Noon.After Team Trivia we decided to go to the Crystal Dining Room for lunch. We each had the Traditional Cobb Salad, which included Diced Chicken, Tomatoes, Iceberg and Romaine Lettuce, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Boiled Egg, and Avocado. This is another one of our favorite salads that we normally had when we embark the ship.
At the same time there was a buffet, which was Crystal’s American Buffet. This is a very extensive buffet featuring a variety of American foods. Soups and Salads feature Cajun Seafood Gumbo, Crisp Coleslaw, Mixed California Greens, Waldorf Salad, Carrot-Raisin Salad and Potato Salad. Seafood and Barbeque dishes included Southern Fried Chicken, Beef Short Ribs, Chicken Breast, and Blackened Fresh Fish. Hot Entrees included Slow-Roasted Black Angus Beef Steam Ship, Southern Chicken Pot Pies, Roast Turkey and New Orleans Jambalaya. Other items included Baked Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, Crispy Fried Onion Rings, Boston Baked Beans, and Texas Style Chili con Carne, Okra Fritters, Roasted Autumn Vegetables and Corn on the Cob. There was also Jumbo Shrimp, Cobb Salad, Caesar Salad Grilled Chicken, California Avocados, Hard Boiled Eggs, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese, Celery, Crisp Lettuce, Bacon Bits, Chives and Cob Dressing to enjoy in these salads. Breads included San Francisco Sourdough, Navajo Fry Bread, Boston Brown Bread, Southern Corn Bread, Sticky Cinnamon Buns, New Mexico Flour, Tortillas and Bagels. Beverages included Frozen Cappuccino, Smoothies and Soda Pop. If you still had room for dessert the desserts included Chocolate Fudge Turtle Cake, Key Lime Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Bread Pudding, New York Cheesecake, Lemon Bars, Brownies, Hazelnut Macaroons, Crème Caramel and Chocolate Chip Cookies and lastly Grandma’s Apple Pie.
In the afternoon, Anne Marie walked on the Promenade Deck and also did more packing and read and wrote and Keith sat with some other passengers and also read and wrote.
TODAY’S THOUGHT FOR THE DAY…….
"We set sail on this new sea because there is knowledge to be gained" - Robert Francis Kennedy
Keith and Anne Marie
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