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tbarton

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  1. Hey all,

    My partner and I and I are twin fraternal boys are looking at cruising out of New York on Memorial day weekend. We are stuck between NCL Jewel and the Carnival Miracle. We have sailed on NCL now twice and its was okay. Has anyone sailed on the Miracle? How are the cabins on board?

    Is carnival Miracle gay friendly? Please let me know if you have sailed these two iteniaries to eastern Caribbean on either of these ships and what your opinion is?

    Stefen & Steve

    Nashville, TN

    http://guystampin.com

    When I was on the Legend in November, there was a group of lesbians who were there and they were not accepted well but that is because they were totally obnoxious. They were literally up in the faces of passengers being belligerent. They were often drunk to the point of rowdiness. That being said, any passengers who behaved so offensively would have been received negatively. I don't know what happened

  2. Guys,

    I was on the Miracle to Bermuda in April. We are going on her again this May 7th. We love the ship. Not to big and easy to get around on. Every year the Miracle does a nude cruise out of Ft Lauderdale. I'm sure they are gay friendly. I have not been on a ship that doesn't cater to all people.

    My wife and I didn't like our first cruise on NCL Spirit some years ago. I do hear the Jewel is a great ship. We actually were thinking of that for 2011.

    Bottom line, We are true Carnival Cruisers. We love the laid back atmosphere and the great service. NCL has to many extra charges for dining and other things. Not saying Carnival doesn't have extra charges, but not for dining. It added up on the Spirit.

    Good luck in your choice, hope this helped.

    I have only been on one cruise and that was

    Carnival but have since been advised by many to try Norwegian instead. Will you elaborate on the extra charges? Carnival charged extra for one restaurant and for gym classes. I was very disappointed that their was not line dancing/zumba type activities for free.

  3. Larry, I like how you think. When we were looking at Alaska land/sea I about died a thousand times. Of course, I was thinking balcony all the way. When push comes to shove, we are all going to the same place. What really does it matter if cost is an issue?

    Well, that is very interesting because I had been told that Alaska is the one cruise where having a balcony is a MUST!

  4. So, my cousin and I are planning on doing a Mexican Riviera cruise on the Splendor this fall. We would also like to do an Alaska cruise summer 2011. I'd really like to get a balcony for both, but I really doubt if the money will stretch that far. I'm thinking maybe a balcony for one and inside for the other. I think the Carnival ship for Alaska is Spirit. Which one do I get the balcony on (if possible)? I'm thinking that the Mexican Riviera cruise would be the better of the two. Think being outside on a cruising ship in Alaska would be chilly even in June! Are there good observation decks on the Spirit? I would imagine that I'd want to do a lot of looking on the Alaska cruise. Maybe I should split the difference and get an outside cabin? Any suggestions, advice, or comments welcome.

    My son's girlfriend (senior in college) has cruised many times with her family who are Delta employees. I think she has been on over 20 to date. Anyway, she said the only one which she would ever pay the difference for a balcony on is Alaska. She said it was so amazing to watch the scenery from the cabin. She said that on all of the others they just wanted to be up on the pool deck watching from there.

  5. How many times have you gotten off a ship and said "I wish I would have asked for the recipe for that yummy item"?

    Is the carnival cake the one they call the melting cake which is in the little individual sizes?

    Carnival now has a book called "The Carnival Experience" that has some of your favorite dinner items in it. Here is a sampling of the items included in the book. :biggrin:

    Watermelon Soup ---4 servings

    4 c seeded watermelon chunks & juice

    2 tbs lemon juice

    2 tbs chopped fresh spearmint

    1 tbs sugar

    1/3 c white wine

    1-1/2" fresh ginger root, sliced- 1/8" thick

    Fresh spearmint springs for garnish

    In a blender, blend all ingredients except the ginger. Add the ginger slices and chill the soup several hours. Remove the ginger slices. Serve the soup garnish with mint sprigs.

    West Indian Pumpkin Soup---Serves 100 (so you might have to convert it to less) LOL

    3 lbs Onions, quartered

    2 lbs Leeks

    2 oz Garlic Cloves

    7 lbs Pumpkin Puree

    3 1/2 gallons Chicken Stock

    2 Quarts Half-and-Half

    1 Quart Heavy Cream

    Salt & Pepper to Taste

    Heat oven to 300*f. Place onions, leeks, and garlic in shallow roasting pan; drizzle with olive oiil. Bake at 300*f for 30 minutes. Puree Vegetables.

    Roast pumpkin puree @ 300*f. for 20-25 minutes. In Large stockpot, combine pumpkin puree, pureed vegetables and chicken stock; bring to a boil. Simmer 1 Hour.

    Add half-and-half and cream; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and Pepper.

    Baked Alaska---Serves 16

    Prep Time:20 Minutes Cook Time:40 Minutes Ready In:11 Hours

    2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened

    1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix

    1 egg

    1/2 teaspoon almond extract

    8 egg whites

    1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

    1/8 teaspoon salt

    1 cup white sugar

    Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round mixing bowl or deep 8-inch square container with foil. Spread ice cream in container, packing firmly. Cover and freeze 8 hours or until firm.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan.

    Prepare cake mix with egg and almond extract. Pour into prepared pan.

    Bake in preheated oven according to package instructions, until center of cake springs back when lightly touched.

    Beat egg whites with cream of tartar, salt and sugar until stiff peaks form.

    Line a baking sheet with parchment or heavy brown paper. Place cake in center. Turn molded ice cream out onto cake. Quickly and prettily spread meringue over cake and ice cream, all the way to paper to seal. Return to freezer 2 hours.

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

    Bake the Alaska on the lowest shelf, 8 to 10 minutes, or until meringue is lightly browned. Serve at once.

    Carnival's Flourless Chocolate Cake

    Unsweetened cocoa powder

    2 (8-oz.) packages semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped

    1/2 cup butter - do not use margarine

    5 large eggs, separated

    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    1/4 cup sugar

    Grease a 9-inch springform pan, and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.

    Melt chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth.

    Whisk together egg yolks and vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually stir in warm chocolate mixture, whisking until well blended.

    Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form. Fold one-third beaten egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture just until blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

    Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. (Do not overbake!) Let stand in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing sides of pan.

    Strawberry Bisque

    3 c strawberries, washed and hulled

    1 ½ c water

    ¾ c sugar

    3 T lemon juice

    1 t grated lemon peel

    1 ½ c red wine

    1 c. sour cream

    fresh mint leaves

    Combine strawberries, ½ c water, and sugar in a blender. Cover and blend the mixture until pureed. Stir in lemon juice, peel, 1 c. water and wine. Stir in sour cream until blended. Chill for several hours before serving and garnish with mint.

    Fettucine w/ Mushroom Sauce & Chicken---Serves 6

    2 cups Chicken stock

    1 1/2 tablespoons Roux

    4 oz. Dried porcini Mushrooms

    2 lbs Chicken Tenderloins or Boneless Skinless Breasts cut in strips

    1/2 cup Olive Oil

    1 teaspoon minced garlic

    2 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

    1 tablespoon clarified Butter

    1/4 cup chopped onion

    2 cups sliced mushrooms

    1 cup whipping cream

    1 1/2 lb Fresh fettuccine

    1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

    For Chicken Veloute, bring stock to a boil in medium saucepan; reduce heat to low. Whish in roux; simmer 30 to 40 minutes or until thickened. Soak porcini in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain well; chop.

    Combine tenderloins, olive oil, garlic, and thyme in food storage bag; toss to coat chicken. Marinate at least 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter in medium skillet; add onions. Cook until golden. Add mushrooms and porcini; simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken veloute; bring mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat; add cream. Keep warm.

    Cook pasta to desired doneness in boiling salted water; drain. Toss with mushrooms sauce; keep warm. Heat large skillet until hot; add chicken. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta onto serving plates; top with chicken. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

    White Chocolate Bread Pudding

    5 large eggs

    1/4 lb of butter

    1 cup heavy cream

    2 cups milk

    1 loaf white bread

    1-1/4 lb white chocolate

    3/4 cup sugar

    Preheat the oven to 360°F (182°C). Remove the crust from the bread and soak

    it in the heated milk and cream. Beat the mixture by hand or in a mixer until

    the pieces of bread are reduced to the size you want. Melt the chocolate and

    butter in a double boiler and incorporate that into the bread mixture.

    In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until creamy. Add that to

    the bread mixture and stir until uniform. Transfer the batter to a buttered

    pan and place that pan in a larger pan of hot water in the oven. Bake for 45

    minutes, or until the center is set. [start checking the pudding after a half

    hour in the oven. Because this recipe is cut down so severely from the original,

    it may take a good deal less time to set.]

    ------------------------

    Sweet Sabayon Sauce to top it with

    4 egg yolks

    1/4 cup sugar

    1/2 cup liquid (sweet white wine, Madeira, Marsala, sherry, Grand Marnier,

    orange or lemon juice [or amaretto])

    Whisk ingredients in a large bowl, then set over a pan of hot water on the

    stove and whisk until light and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail, at

    least 5 minutes. (Note: If sabayon gets too hot it will become grainy.)

    Serve the sauce warm or whisk off the heat until it cools. If left to stand,

    the sauce will start to separate.

    Chilled Avocado Soup---Serves 12

    3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced.

    1 clove minced garlic

    1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

    1 tsp (5 ml) ground ancho chili (or chili powder)

    1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro

    juice of 2 limes

    1 quart (950 ml) of low-fat buttermilk

    12 oz (336 Gram). plain yogurt

    5 ripe avocados

    2 cups (475 ml) chicken stock or water

    salt

    pinch or more of cayenne pepper

    pinch of dried mint

    Puree avocados with lime juice in a blender or food processor.

    Put puree into large bowl and whisk in yogurt, buttermilk, and chicken stock.

    Add chili powder, garlic, cumin, cayenne and mint.

    Stir in the diced cucumber.

    Taste for salt (at least 1/4 tsp)

    Garnish the soup with cilantro.

    Bitter & Blanc Chocolate Brioche Pudding---Serves 8

    WARNING - it takes a long time, with a lot of measuring and weighing, and you will use many pots and pans and bowls. Do it when you have a lot of time.

    VANILLA SAUCE:

    Whole Milk / 6 ounces liquid

    Sugar / 1 ounce (2 Tbsp)

    Cornstarch / 1 Tbsp.

    Egg yolks / 2 quantity

    Vanilla Extract / 1 tsp.

    PUDDING:

    Brioche bread, crusts removed / 8 ounces

    Egg yolk / 3 ounces

    Sugar / 2 ounces (4 Tbsp)

    Heavy cream / 5 ounces liquid

    White chocolate / 8 ounces

    Butter / 3 ounces (6 Tbsp)

    MERINGUE:

    Egg whites / 2 ounces or 1/4 cup (about 2-3 yolks)

    Sugar / 1 1/2 ounces (3 Tbsp)

    GANACHE:

    Dark Chocolate / 6 ounces

    Heavy Cream / 4 ounces liquid

    For greasing :

    Butter solids / 1-2 Tbsp to coat

    Sugar / 1-2 tsp to coat

    METHOD :

    For Vanilla sauce, boil milk & sugar in small saucepan. In small bowl, cream yolks & cornstarch; whisk in the milk, add vanilla extract. Pour back into saucepan & cook on slow heat till it reaches a coating consistency. Strain lumps. (may add a few drops of milk if too thick).

    For Ganache: In saucepan, heat heavy cream to simmer. Put dark chocolate into bowl and pour simmering cream over chocolate. Stir gently until smooth. Cool slightly.

    For Pudding: Remove the crusts of the brioche bread, dice into squares. Put in large bowl and pour cream over bread; let soak in.

    In saucepan, melt the white chocolate with 6 Tbsp. butter & set aside.

    In a mixing bowl, cream sugar & yolk, add the melted white chocolate/butter mixture on slow speed.

    Add the cream-soaked bread, mix well.

    In a separate bowl, prepare meringue by whipping room temperature egg whites and sugar til thickened; fold into the bread mixture.

    Grease individual soufflé cups with butter and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Spoon a layer of ganache into the bottom of each cup. Top with bread pudding mixture.

    Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 mins. Remove, cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar & serve with vanilla sauce.

    NOTES; Brioche is a spongy textured, sweeter, egg bread. Whole Foods had it ($5.99 per loaf - NOT!!) Trader Joe's has brioche rolls (not a loaf) for $2.99 - I used 4 of the 6 rolls and had 2 left for sandwiches. You could substitute a combination of Kings Hawaiian sweet bread and yellow dinner rolls if you can't find brioche - my chef contact said don't do it - it wouldn't be the same.

    Culinary bakers use scales for everything - hence the "3 ounces egg yolk, 2 ounces egg white, 8 ounces bread." You have to have a kitchen scale and weigh some of the items.

    Penne Pasta w/ Tomato Vodka Sauce---Serves 6

    1 Lb Uncooked Penne Pasta

    1/2 Cup Whipping Cream

    1 1/4 Cups Basic Tomato Sauce

    1/4 Cup Stolichnaya Vodka

    1 oz. Caviar

    2 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley

    Grated Parmesan Cheese

    Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.

    In medium saucepan heat cream over medium heat until reduced by half. Stir in tomato sauce; simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Combine pasta with tomato cream sauce; stir in vodka and caviar. Serve in individual pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan Cheese. (You can leave out the caviar because of the cost. I used capers instead and it was delicious.)

    Caribbean Pepper Pot Soup---Serves 6

    2 TBSP Vegetable Oil

    1 Cup chopped onion

    1 teaspoon minced garlic

    3 cups sliced okra

    1 cup chopped red pepper

    1 cup choped green pepper

    1 cup diced potatoes

    1 cup diced yams

    1 cup quartered and sliced plantain

    6 cups chicken stock

    1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

    Spaetzle

    1/2 lb flour

    1/2 cup water

    1 egg

    1 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

    2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

    Heat oil in Dutch oil; add onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Add okra, red and green peppers, potatoes, yams and plantain. Saute until lightly browned. Add stock and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 2 to 3 hours or until soup thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

    Meanwhile, for Spaetzle, combine flour, water, egg and parsley to form a smooth dough. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Pass dough through a spaetzle mill or colander with large holes. Cook about 3 minutes or until cooked through. Drain; rinse with cold water.

    Add Spaetzle to soup. Garnish with Cilantro.

    Napoleon---Serves 16

    1 lb. Puff pastry dough

    2 Vanilla Pastry Cream (Vanilla Pudding is very similar)

    1/4 cup whipping cream, Whipped

    1 cup Fondant

    1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

    Strawberry sauce (Take cup strawberries with sugar in a pot and cook till it becomes a sauce)

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. On lightly floured board roll out puff pastry to 17x24 inch rectangle. Let rest 30 minutes. Cut into 4 sheets. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets; ###### with a fork. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut each into 12 pieces.

    In a large bowl fold whipping cream into vanilla pastry cream. For each dessert use 3 pices of pastry. Pipe pastry cream mixture between layers. for top layer, heat fondant in double boiler to 110 degrees. Pour over tops of Napoleons. Pipe thin lines of melted chocolat over fondant; pull wooden pick through chocolate for decoration. Store in refrigerator. Serve with strawberry sauce.

  6. Lodging is included, but dining is not. You may be able to get a meal comped, but that is not the normal. The tours usually include one or two excursions, but you can buy others.

    Thanks. That really makes the cost of that trip expensive. I was amazed at how much more a 10 day land/cruise is than just a 7 day cruise and having to add meals will boost it even more. Is it worth it?

  7. I have finally talked my husband who thinks he would rather do all-inclusive resorts into trying a cruise IF it is to Alaska. I am not sure whether to go with the cruise only or the cruise plus land tour. Any suggestions? What ships do you recommend?

  8. I was on the Legend in November when there was the terrible jeep accident and a couple of fatalities. Just wondering if the results ever came in on whether or not alcohol and/or drugs were involved or just speed. What a tragedy!

  9. I've ordered a one hour simi sub tour for our shore excursion in Grand Cayman. I'm wondering what else to do on our day there. Beach? Shop? Places to eat?

    You can take public transportation to Seven Mile beach for about 5 bucks and the beach is awesome!

  10. Help!!! Planning first cruise for wifes 50th b-day, in Jan. 2011. Biggest boat ever on was a 16ft alumicraft in Nipawin Canada. Anyway, booked 7 nite western caribbean, cozumel, grand cayman, jamaica.. Any advice on shore trips would be very helpful.. one thing I can't swim, wife is afraid of heights. other than that looking foward to cruise. how long does boarding take, details! Please help!!!

    Mike in Castle Rock, Colorado..

    I went to cozumel and grand cayman in november. Seven mile beach is great in grand cayman and cheap public transportation to it. We went to a beach in Cozumel that was all-inclusive but it was so crowded that it was unpleasant. There is great shopping there. Beaches and water activities are my thing though.

  11. Help!!! Planning first cruise for wifes 50th b-day, in Jan. 2011. Biggest boat ever on was a 16ft alumicraft in Nipawin Canada. Anyway, booked 7 nite western caribbean, cozumel, grand cayman, jamaica.. Any advice on shore trips would be very helpful.. one thing I can't swim, wife is afraid of heights. other than that looking foward to cruise. how long does boarding take, details! Please help!!!

    Mike in Castle Rock, Colorado..

  12. Didn't get to do any when we were there November 2007 on the advice of the pursar. There had been hurricanes in Belize prior to our visit and the ocean was all 'a tumble'.

    However, just got the Caribbean magazine last night. BELIZE is featured. I haven't read the article. Intend to do that over lunch. I'll report back what they said.

    Thanks so much. That will be great. I am surprized about your experience. Our travel agent said November is usually one of the best months for great weather!

  13. My first cruise is now only 3 weeks away and all of your advice has been so helpful. I am traveling with a teacher/friend instead of my husband. Just wondering how it will be socially for us. Will most of the passengers be couples and will we be sort of misfits in most activities?

  14. What are some great beaches/shore excursions for Grand Cayman, Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel? I would like to spend at least one day at a great beach, one day snorkeling, and then some great excursion.

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    We did a Belize excursion 2 years ago that was super fun and exciting. By van, we travelled with 8 other people to Jaguar Paw Resort, located about 60-90 minutes from Belieze City. There we spent the dayin the rain forest with 3 activities: lunch in a delightful, small restaurant in the jungle; a zip line tour (ride); and tubing a river in a cave. I was 67 years old at the time and had a blast on the zip line. I think this tour was through . We booked this excursion through "Shoretrips", rather than through the ship. The ship (Carnival) had a similar tour to a totally different location. We heard that one was crowded and not nearly as fun as our.

    No problems with booking tours outside the cruise line and getting back on time?

  15. Depending on the time of year you go, the cave tubing in Belize was a very good excursion. If it's the dry season (Dec-Apr) it isn't very good, but during the rainy season, great.

    In Grand Caymen, the popular excursion is Sting Ray City. We signed up for it, but didn't make it due to rough seas.

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