Day 22: North Pacific - Even More Food (Lunch)

 


We're continuing to head just south of west into mainly choppy seas. Last night was probably the bounciest night so far - with 10ft (3m) swells and winds up to 45 mph. For all you nautical types, that translates into a Force 8 full gale. As we're in the front end of the boat and on a higher deck, the pitching and rolling are amplified. So far, it hasn't caused us any problems and is a nice way to be rocked to sleep. Rather like a hammock. The really good news is that stepping out onto the pool deck this morning in search of coffee, the air is noticeably warmer.



One problem you never have on a cruise ship is starvation. Back on Day 15, I gave an overview of the breakfast options. Today we'll look at lunch. Lunch is served from 11:30 am until people stop getting hungry and they have to set up for dinner. In addition to in-room service, we have 3 options. 

The first is the main dining room, Compass Rose. Even for lunch, they retain thewhite tablecloths and full waiter/waitress service. We've learned to check the daily menus when they are posted first thing in the morning to see what the specials are. Based on that we'll make our decision as to where to eat. Compass Rose may offer nice food, but they're not the fastest option. We ate there today as they had a nice tuna tartare and a Spanish empanada for appetizers. 


The second option is La Veranda Buffet. This is still a sit-down service in that you're brought drinks and any special orders, but otherwise, you can help yourself. Food ranges from pizza to quite exotic "local" dishes. It's the one place on the ship where you may actually find some food with a bit of "zing" in it, rather than bland, middle-of-the-road stuff that appeals to 80-year-olds. They always have sliced jalapenos!



The third option is the casual pool grille. It's been shut down for the past two days because of lousy weather, but today it's open, and a lot of passengers are taking advantage and sitting outside to eat. Standard fare is burgers, potatoes, chicken fingers, salmon burgers, and the ubiquitous Caesar salad. 



So - no-one is going to starve. Ever. Tonight we're dining at Prime 7 - the upmarket steakhouse on board. Full report on that tomorrow. We still have two more sea days until Hawaii.


(And hi to Morgan and Rylee if someone is reading this to them.) 

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