After waking up and looking out onto where we were docked, an obvious staple in any cruiser’s day, Natalie and I ventured to Club Orange for breakfast. Club Orange is a dining venue specifically for Club Orange members. It features the same menu as the main dining room with a couple of extra options – oh, and free mimosas at breakfast.
I ate a vegetable scramble, which I recommended to many other cruise passengers because it was honestly amazing, and Natalie had an American Breakfast with eggs, toast, and bacon.
After a quick meal, Natalie and I ventured out into Saint Thomas. Not having booked an excursion for the day, we decided that we should go for a walk and then return to the ship to relax. A long walk led us to many shops and vendors, and we bought a couple souvenirs before making our way back to the ship.
Since Natalie and I walked for about two hours, we decided that we could reward ourselves with a nice lunch. After getting changed and hanging out in the stateroom for a bit, we made our way to the Panorama Deck to have pizza. New York Deli & Pizza features pizzas and salads. I chose a BBQ based pizza, which was sweet but savory. Natalie opted for a more Italian style pizza with salami and pepperoni. The pizzas were perfect to enjoy by the pool – and the pizza joint is complimentary.
After eating pizza, we went to the Sea View Pool. Don’t worry – we did wait 30 minutes. The Lido pool was always very busy, but never felt crowded. I will say, though, that if you plan to go to the Lido pool, you should reserve your spot early. The aft pool was far less busy, and I preferred the calmer environment. The pool was fairly deep throughout, and although it is not as big as the other pool, it provided plenty of space to swim around.
Unlike the night before, we had a dinner reservation, so we left the pool and took some time to get presentable. Our dinner was at Rudi’s Sel De Mer. I have to admit I am not crazy about fish and seafood, but with that being said this dinner was probably my favorite throughout the cruise.
All the staff at the restaurant was so knowledgeable and helpful in our decision-making process. The night started with bread and an assortment of spreads. The hit at our table? Goat cheese butter. After bread came appetizers. I ordered escargot, and we also ordered beef tartare for the table. The escargot was presented so nicely, with a half head of garlic and a mini-baguette.
For my main course I had lobster, and for dessert, I had a cheese plate. Both were equally as good as the escargot, but the presentation of the escargot just really stuck out to me. Another note on presentation, we had two guests at our table who ordered fish. The fish entrees were brought out on a plate and deboned tableside simultaneously by two of our waitresses. The girls were able to debone the fish so promptly, but so smoothly. It was a unique experience that many people at our table were taken by.
As I mentioned earlier, I had a cheese plate for dessert – but that wasn’t all. We also received a special dessert that consisted of chocolate and cotton candy. I am not one for sweets but if there is one thing that I will always enjoy, it is chocolate. The cotton candy was also a nice touch because it was so beautiful – although a bit sticky.
After dinner, we went with our dinner group to drink a glass of champagne on our very large balcony. The night continued, and we listened to some music and danced. We had our final nightcap on the Lido Deck, at the same pool that Natalie and I visited earlier that day.
Our group sat outside and told stories – part of what makes cruising so magical. We listened to the ocean as we prepared for another day aboard this amazing ship.
