Cruise Myths…

After coming off a cruise on Holland America cruise line, thought it’d be useful to dispel some of the myths and out right lies that seem to permeate the cruise ship experience. And also give some recommendations if you decide to cruise. On our first day at sea our captain gave a quick lecture in the ship’s main theatre about what to expect on the cruise and at his conclusion, joked about the mediocre sparking wine, “that would be your last free drink.”

While some people may have a heart attack when seeing their final bill when debarking, you can avoid such scares by keeping track of your purchases on the ship’s online account that they give each passenger. And keep in mind there is an automatic daily service charge for the staff that takes care of you while you’re out having fun. The web gal put the don’t clean notice on our door a bunch of times, but she still, in her typical generosity, tipped extra to a couple of staff members she got to know over two weeks. “Those guys work so hard and were always so nice and pleasant. They deserve it.”

When you compare cruising to taking a road trip with different hotels and restaurants every night, or those so-called all-inclusive vacation packages, which turn out be anything but, cruising is a bargain. Same way when it came to ordering  the wine for our meals. On our first night in the main dining room I was surprised when the web gal ordered an 8 bottle package as she normally drinks so very little. “I’m on vacation, why not?” And it turned out to be a great deal, 8 bottles of different whites and reds that you could pair with whatever you were eating that night and take the remainder back to your cabin or have it the next night at your table.  And its cost worked out to about $40 a bottle. Try finding that price at any nice restaurant nowadays.

Speaking of dining, as I said in a previous post, it’s really unfair to expect 5-star food when they’re serving over 1,600 meals a night. But considering all the meal choices and the top notch service you get each night, plus a very elegant atmosphere, intelligent dining companions at your table and fab pink sunsets with the ship chugging along, what more do you want? And if you do, can’t recommend Holland America’s Pinnacle Grill enough. And the Maitre d made all of the dining experiences at the Pinnacle Grill and Morimoto friendly and fun. We had a couple of excellent steak dinners there, but the cherry on the cake was a Morimoto dinner. There’s a couple of exclusive Morimoto restaurants on Holland America ships, but on the Volendam the Pinnacle Grill was turned into a Morimoto dining space for the night and oh man, did we love it. The web gal can’t eat sushi, but I can and was blown away how the five piece appy was topped with lightly grilled fish, with pillowy rice that was a real treat to swallow in five delicious bites. For our mains, the web gal was delighted with her Asian-grilled chicken while I had nine prawns that were exquisitely cooked three different ways. And for dessert had three scoops of palate cleansing sorbet that were just right in terms of not being too sweet and the right amount of tartness. Was really impressed for a top chef like Morimoto, who has got restaurants throughout the world, brought his famous quality and attention to detail to a cruise ship.  Impressed enuff, that I got in touch with Vince Le, Assistant GM of Morimoto Napa and got him to do the NSI quiz below. 

Could care less about desserts but the web gal loves them. When there was a Cake Me Away day in the common Lido lounge, I wasn’t sure if she going to start weeping tears of joy or declare she had died and gone to heaven when there was cake after cake all laid out in front of us. You could order as many different slices that you wanted. So my two hands and arms got pressed into service of bringing a bunch of small plates back to the cabin. And the don’t clean the room tag went up on the cabin door again.  

As for the entertainment, the web gal says I was expecting too much. But I’ve done a bunch of cruises on different cruise lines and am a bit mystified why cruise lines bother with these mediocre acts. Why not hire two or three top notch acts and forget the rest. But that’s just me. Must be a bit of a snob when it comes to my entertainment. Did appreciate this fine gal singer who was nailing Amy Winehouse’s Valerie perfectly, enough so that I stopped, listened and applauded while passing a lounge on the way to my cabin. I know what to do for a raucous good time – go on one of Holland America’s Blues Cruises. Don’t know if my liver could stand it, but I’d know I’d love all those great blues acts.

In conclusion, if you think cruises are just for seniors and their grandkids, banish the thought. While Holland America does attract a more mature clientele, any cruise will have a wide range of people to talk to and I really enjoyed conversing with smart, successful people on the ship. Even the web gal who had been reluctant to take the cruise as she doesn’t sail too well when things get rocky said as we debarked, “That was a lot of fun. No dishes, no cooking and no cleaning. I could get used to this.”    

NSI quiz with Vince Le of Morimoto Napa:

What was last night’s dinner? Tacos. My wife loves Mexican food, so we stopped at a taco truck and it was fantastic, steamed beef, homemade tortillas, great sauces. 

Favorite music? I like anything and everything. But I guess I like alt/rock the best, don’t know what groups fall into that category but I like Fiji Blue.

Favorite drink? I like an Old Fashioned that we’ve put our own spin on with Wagyu flavor in the drink.

Favorite restaurant to dine at in Napa? I’ve only been here six months, so I haven’t had a lot of time to get out and enjoy other restaurants, but I say this with all modesty, I really enjoy dining at Morimoto. Our Omakase chefs multi course tasting menu is second to none. Love our sushi, combined with excellent Napa wines and Japanese sake. I really love our dining experience.

Favorite thing about living and working in Napa? After moving here from Texas, I’ve been amazed at the spirit of generosity amongst all the service professionals, chefs, sommeliers, everyone wants to help you if you need anything.

What makes a great restaurant? In a word, passion. You got to have a passion to ensure your diners are going to have the best experience when they enter your restaurant, from the front staff, wait staff and chefs, they all got to be passionate about what they do.

Any brush with celebrity? Joe Montana came in a while ago and seemed to have a great time. We treat everyone the same, but if you got any kind of celebrity we make sure you’re not bothered by anyone.

Any wine, meal or trip on your bucket list? I have got to go to Domaine Carneros here in Napa. Their CEO has come in a bunch of times and she keeps inviting me to their winery for a tasting, so that’s definitely on my list.

Final thoughts? This has been fun, and I’d just like to say to any potential diners at Morimoto, try to keep an open mind. We’ve had some customers who think they know how they want their sushi or courses cooked. Trust in the product and our expertise and you won’t be disappointed.