Alaskan Cruise - Day 4: Hubbard Glacier ~ Photo-log

Here we are, at the middle of our Alaskan cruise! The itinerary of day 4 consisted of a close-up visit to Hubbard Glacier and the rest of the day was just at sea with the ship heading towards our next port-of-call.

When we woke up in the morning, the ship was already at Yakutat Bay and cruising inside to Disenchantment Bay. The weather was gorgeous so we ate breakfast at the Island Buffet again to take in the stunning views. By early afternoon, we had arrived at the end of Hubbard Glacier where it meets the water. The ship did a couple 360's so that everyone on all sides could see the glacier! That was pretty cool! We even saw a small chunk of the glacier calving! 

After viewing the glacier, we had another late lunch at the buffet. I don't know if it was the 360 spinning that the ship did or if the sea sickness finally kicked in but I felt quite queasy after lunch. I ended up having to take a nap and woke up in time to get ready for dinner at The Grand.

Caprese - vine ripe tomatoes layered with Buffalo mozzarella, basil and arugula, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette

I started off with a light appetizer since I was still not feelin' it. Two thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes sandwiched chunks of mozzarella. The portion was just right for me and I liked that the vinaigrette was on the side so I could determine how much I wanted to wipe on my forkful of tomato and cheese. Simple but delicious.

Braised Beef Cheeks - celery root puree, roasted parsnips, broccoli rabe

There weren't any "light" options that appealed to me for my entree. I decided on the braised beef cheeks because it sounded quite home-style and easy to eat. Unfortunately, my stomach still disagreed with me and wouldn't let me enjoy this flavourful and tender cut of meat :( I wish I could have packed it up because it was such a waste to see such yummy food partially left untouched on the plate...

Braised Lamb Shank - wrapped in phyllo, potato puree, roasted root vegetables

W had the other braised meat option which was the lamb shank. W said it was great (although too little veggies for me) but with my queasy state, just looking at it made me feel full and nauseaus. 

Tiramisu

W chose the tiramisu thinking that it would arrive like a slice of cake but instead it came in a small ramekin. It ate like a mousse rather than a light airy cake. He said it still tasted good but the texture and appearance wasn't what he expected.

Kiwi sorbet

I still had to end the meal with dessert (I can't resist!) but when I read the menu, the only one that didn't make me feel sick was the kiwi sorbet. I was sooooooo glad I ordered the sorbet!!! The kiwi sorbet was surprisingly refreshing, sweet and just little tart. Just what the doctor ordered for my upset stomach!

Pear Yogurt Clafoutis

My sis stepped away from the ordinary and tried the clafoutis. I didn't try it but it looked like a mix between a custard and a cake. 

I think this meal was the least enjoyable one on the trip; not because the food was bad but because my nausea made it unbearable to enjoy the food and the evening with my family :(

Alaskan Cruise - Day 3: Icy Strait Point ~ Photo-log

On day 3 we arrived at our first port of call: Icy Strait Point! Our estimated time of arrival was 2:00PM so we had lunch at The Grand before disembarking onto to dry land.

We got seated right by the window so we had a really great view! From far, we saw another Celebrity cruise ship already docked at Icy Strait Point too.

Mesclun greens - with cucumber, tomato, carrots and balsamic vinaigrette

Trying to keep my diet somewhat healthy during the vacation, I opted for the salad on the lunch menu. Simple veggies and tomatoes with a light dressing helped alleviate my guilt for having so many desserts the night before LOL...

Satay beef and chicken skewers - with sweet chili sauce

My sis chose the beef and chicken skewers. I found this appy quite ordinary. There wasn't enough char on the meats and the beef was a bit on the dry and chewy side.

Creamy mushroom soup

W and the rest of my family had the mushroom soup and they were really really happy with their choice! The soup was aromatic, earthy, thick and creamy, full of pureed mushrooms! I had a taste of W's bowl and I kind of didn't want to give it back!

Barbecue chicken - with buttermilk grits and wilted chard

The barbecue chicken sounded nice on the menu so I had that as my entree. Although a simple, homey kind of dish, it was surprisingly done well. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned, while the tangy sauce helped bring the grits and chard to another level. 

Brik-Tunisian Fried Crisp Turnover - filled with seafood, egg, and Harissa

Not knowing what this turnover was going to look or taste like, W took a risk and ordered it for this lunch. I didn't try it but W said it was interesting and pretty good.

Chocolate Mousse - with balsamic, black pepper and strawberry

During the cruise ship kitchen tour in the morning, I saw the kitchen staff prepare and chill the mousse for lunch time dessert! I didn't order it though because I actually wanted to have the pear tart. Sweet W ordered it so I could try it too. The mousse was rich and creamy and the strawberries gave it a fresh and tart aspect. Couldn't detect the balsamic or black pepper notes though.

Pear tart a la mode

Even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, the pear tart was a bit dry. If they had warmed the tart it would have been better.

After lunch, we board the tender boats and rode to the shores of Icy Strait Point. There wasn't a large enough dock for the cruise ship to pull up so that's why we had to ride on the small tenders. The tiny town was calm and relaxed (for a port-of-call destination) and the views were beautiful. There wasn't much to do since we didn't want to partake in the paid activities so we just took a short stroll on one of the trails along the beach.

After riding the tender back to the ship, we rested and waited for another dinner at The Grand.

Prosciutto di Parma - served with melon salad, arugula and shaved parmesan

I had the classic melon with proscuitto. What could go wrong with this sweet and salty combination?

I forgot what this is... some sort of Eggplant dip (similar to Baba Ganoush?)

This time it was my mom who was the adventurous diner! She remarked that it was interesting and would have liked more toast to pair with the dip.

Spinach Turnover - ricotta and spinach stuffed puff pastry with creamy emmental cheese sauce, black olives and minced Italian parsley

My dad tried the spinach turnover. It looked pretty filling for an appy.

Spiced Louisiana Gumbo - with Andouille sausage, rice, and okra

There were 2 soups on the menu that night. W had the gumbo. I found it too spicy for my liking but W said it was just fine =P

Tuscan vegetable minestrone

The veggie filled minestrone suited my tastes better.

Steak - with green beans, carrots and potato quenelle

W went with the meat and potatoes yet again! I guess guys tend to gravitate towards hearty, rib-sticking food.

Veal Cordon Bleu - layered with ham, melted provolone cheese, served with baby vegetables, mushroom ragout and marsala sauce

But I shouldn't be one to talk, eh? Look at the size of that veal chop! It was so thick and meaty, and with the gooey cheese, I was immediately full after a few bites.

Oven Roasted Turkey - with traditional trimmings including sage stuffing, string bean gratin, candied sweet potatoes, giblet gravy and cranberry relish

My mom went for the traditional turkey with all the fixins'. I think I would have enjoyed this dish too. Very homey and comforting.

Passion Fruit Curd

After a hearty meal, the passion fruit curd sounded like the perfect dessert to help offset the salty, gooey, rib-sticking veal cordon bleu. The curd was very tart but sweet. It would have been nice to have another textural contrast aside from the chunks of fruit. Maybe like a biscotti or a tuille?

Sacher Torte  - classic Austrian chocolate cake, glazed with ganache and served with apricot compote

W chose the safe and classic chocolate cake. Nothing amiss with this one, just a good, rich chocolate cake.

After 3 straight days of eating hearty Western cuisine, I think I was getting a bit tired and jaded with the food. I wanted authentic Chinese food! I wanted Vietnamese noodles! Real Asian food! Yikes! 4 more days to go! 

Alaskan Cruise - Day 2: At Sea ~ Photo-log

Our first full day on the ship! We started the day by having a luxurious breakfast at the Grand. Seriously! The waitstaff poured our drinks, came over to our tableside with trays of freshly baked bread and pastries, served our food with utmost politeness and then we left without paying a dime! Doesn't that feel like living like royalty??

Mini brioche from an assortment of viennoiserie

They even had my favourite brioche bread in a cute tiny sized loaf!

Fruit plate

We were all served a plate of fruit before our breakfast came out.

Waffles - with whipped cream and jam

I had a tough time deciding whether to have a sweet or savoury breakfast so I went with both!! LOL These did not look like the waffles we usually see. They weren't as fluffy as I'd like but they were definitely pretty to look at.

Scrambled eggs, roasted tomato, apple and pork sausage patty

My savoury breakfast consisted of a heap of scrambled eggs, a rather dry pork and apple sausage shaped as a patty, and my lone healthy item, a halved roasted tomato.

Eggs benedict, breakfast sausages, corned beef hash

W opted for the eggs benedict with additional sides of some breakfast sausage and corned beef hash.

Healthy plate selections at AquaSpa Cafe

In the afternoon I stopped by the AquaSpa Cafe to check out their offerings. All their dishes were chilled items like smoked salmon with greens, and various kinds of salads. I wasn't particular interested so lunch was just back at the Islands Cafe buffet.

Tonight's dinner was Formal Night at the Grand Restaurant.

Black Sesame Crusted Tuna Carpaccio - with Seaweed Salad, Pickled Mushrooms and Ginger Dressing

For my first starter, I chose the tuna carpaccio. With a little bit everything wrapped up in the paper thin tuna slices, all the components complemented each other quite well. Each bite was very yummy!

Scallop - with micro greens and avocado

W went for the raw scallop appy. The presentation was so pretty and colourful!!

Asian Consommé - with Chicken, Mushrooms and Ginger

W and I had soup for our second appy. I opted for the savoury consomme. It had a slight kick from the ginger infused in the broth.

Unfortunately I don't remember what soup W ordered!!

Pan seared tilapia - with pureed parsnips, roasted vegetables, topped with grapes and roasted pine nuts

I wanted something a little lighter as my entree so I decided on having the fish. Although looking kind of pale and bland, the fish was done quite well. I liked the pureed parsnips and the addition of grapes for some sweetness.

Milk-fed veal chop - with creamy parmesan polenta, green asparagus, roasted peppers and veal jus

W had the meaty veal chop. Not a fan of how they shredded the carrots but other than that, the veal was perfect for a meat n' potatoes lover.

Mediterranean Seafood Orzo - with scallops, shrimp, mussels, roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes

My sis decided to go for the seafood entree which was the seafood orzo. Resembling a seafood paella, this had large pieces of shrimp, scallop and plump mussels along with eggplant and tomatoes. 

Warm chocolate lava cake - with coffee ice cream and caramelized banana

Dessert time! The chocolate lava cake was W's pick. Even though the menu said the bananas were caramelized, they were not browned at all when the plate arrived! Boo! *thumbs down* W said the coffee ice cream was really good though.

Crème brulee (top left), Vanilla ice cream (top right), and Panna Cotta Alla Romana served with raspberry coulis and fresh fruits (bottom)

My sis chose the creme brulee while I tried the panna cotta. I also ordered chocolate ice cream but they gave me vanilla by mistake instead. Boo again!

As the ship made its way northward, daylight stayed longer than down south. After we finished dinner, the sky cleared up and there was a beautiful sunset outside! A perfect scene to end day 1!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 1: Embarkation ~ Photo-log

Summer is the season to visit Alaska via cruise. With us being in the pacific northwest, it's so convenient for my whole family to board one of the major cruise ships in downtown Vancouver and sail northwards. We gathered up everyone and booked a vacation with Celebrity where we played, ate and slept on their Century cruise liner for a whole 7 days.

All aboard! We're leaving the downtown skyline and Canada Place now~

There weren't a lot of restaurants on the ship. Since we boarded late in the afternoon, our first meal on Century was actually a late lunch at their buffet. However, these were the places one could also dine at during the course of the cruise:

The Grand Restaurant - the main dining room
Murano - the high end restaurant with an additional $45 charge per person
Islands Cafe - the buffet featuring international cuisine
Pool Grill - served basic items like hamburgers and hot dogs
AquaSpa Cafe - fresh and healthy cold dishes, and made to order juices and smoothies
Cova Cafe - specialized in espresso drinks with various cakes and cookies

For dinner, we headed over to the Grand Restaurant. We learned that their menu had two sides. The left side had the Celebrity customers' all time favourites on it so those items were mainstays on the menu. The right side featured appetizers and entrees specially prepared for that night. That side of the menu changed every night. Luckily, we could mix and match from both sides!

Roasted beet and goat cheese salad

For starters, we got to select 2 items. My first one was the roasted beet and goat cheese salad on the "features" menu.

Creamy shrimp salad

The shrimp salad was W's choice.

Baked French Onion Soup - with herb croutons and melted gruyere cheese

For our second appetizer, both W and I went for the French onion soup off the "favourites" side. Loaded with gooey, salty cheese, the soup was full of umami flavours!

There were many others options but I've either forgetten their names or I haven't taken photos of them. I do remember the Escargots à la Bourguignonne with Shallots, Garlic, Parsley and Pernod Butter. My dad was the adventurous diner of the table so he ordered this appy. I forgot to take a picture though >_<

Prime Rib Roast - medium rare, with green beans and mashed potatoes

Our server highly recommended the prime rib off of the "favourites" menu so a majority of our table had this as the entree.

Warm Blueberry Crepe - with vanilla cream

For dessert, I picked the blueberry crepe. It sounded nice on the menu but it was kind of ordinary when it arrived.

New York Cheesecake

W had a slice of the cheesecake. Although plain, it was simple and good in its own way.

The next day was a full day at sea which meant lots and lots of time to stuff our faces LOL!