12-01 Dec Sailing the South Pacific

 

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November-December 2023. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "Partly Cloudy 82° F" and "Sunrise: 6:31 AM."

Don woke at 6:30 am (MT was already up).

Around 7:30, we went to World Café (Deck 7) for the breakfast buffet.

From 8:25 to 9:25, we walked on the track on Decks 8 and 9.

MT  Friday, December 1, ‎2023, 9:01 AM - Viking Star: view of South Pacific.

Then we walked on the track on Decks 8 and 9, with a strong wind, and played skittels and shuffleboard on the Sports Deck (Deck 9).

MT  9:01 AM - Viking Star: Don walking on track in wind (mild telephoto 39 mm).

MT  9:17 AM - Viking Star: Don walking on track in wind.

MT  9:29 AM - Viking Star: MT playing skittles on Sports Deck.

Skittles is a historical lawn game of European origin, from which the modern sport of nine-pin bowling is descended. A skittle is an upright object resembling a miniature bowling pin. The game of skittles is played by setting up skittles (most commonly 9) in a diamond pattern and using heavy balls to knock over as many of the skittles as possible. Exact rules vary widely on a regional basis.

..

MT  9:29 AM - Viking Star: Don playing shuffleboard on Sports Deck, in strong wind; when we played in the other direction, there was a danger of the wind blowing disks down the steps to Deck 8, where a man is walking on the track.

MT  10:02 AM - Viking Star: MT playing shuffleboard on Sports Deck, from end by steps to Deck 8 (mild telephoto 32 mm).

At 10:00, we got a PA announcement to set our clocks back to 10:30.

We went to the Explorers' Desk (Deck 1) to ask about the time change and ended ujp playing Baggo (Cornhole) at 11:00 on the steps of the Atrium (Deck 1). Our ream lost, but both teams got mimosas.

At 12:00, we went to the Aquavit Terrace (Deck 7) for the "French Polunesian Fish Station." After getting fish at that station, we had to get under an overhang due to a brief rain. 

The Viking Daily newsletter described the French Polynesian Fish Station as follows: “Enjoy fresh, delicious fish prepared by our Executive Chef Joseph and his culinary team.

11:48 AM - Viking Star: Aquavit Terrace - French Polynesian Fish Station. 

11:48 AM - Viking Star: Aquavit Terrace - whole marlin at French Polynesian Fish Station; the overexposed sign in the  front identified it as "Blue Marlin."

11:48 AM - Viking Star: Aquavit Terrace - cooks preparing  marlin and other fish at French Polynesian Fish Station.

Then, we actually had to eat our fish in the adjacent World Café (Deck 7) due to high wind.

11:54 AM - Viking Star: World Café - Don's plate from Polynesian Fish Station.

While we were at the World Café, we added some farfale (butterfly) pasta and a dip of ice cream (MT got sherbet) with wine.

At 6 pm, we went to the Chef's Table (Deck 1) for our reserved dinner.

The Chef’s Table menu was called “Asian Panorama.” It described this as follows:
“Asia: the largest continent is home to the most people on the planet, and a land of many cultures. This is a place where gastronomy, while incredibly diverse, still has some commonality and a sense of unity,
“Asian cuisine offers a variety of flavors and tastes that can redefine our sense of balance and harmony, with exciting combinations of the five fundamental tastes: umami, sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
“Soyu, yuzu, curry and coriander are Asian ingredients that have established their places in the international culinary scene; now let’s enjoy these flavors via an Asian panorama as we take a culinary journey across this continent.”
The menu described each course in detail (at center) and provided (at right) a wine pairing selection for each course.

MT 6:17 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - Menu; description of "Asian Panorama" at left; main menu in center; wine pairing menu on right.

MT 6:24 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - MT and Don with our  "Amuse Bouche - Chilled King Crab" appetizers.

5:54 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - MT's plate with "Amuse Bouche - Chilled King Crab." (Don had the same, but without ginger).

The menu described the "Amuse Bouche" (French for "it amuses the mouth", meaning an appetizer) as follows:

"Chilled King Crab

"coconut foam & curry

"Japanese delicacy king crab is fused here with the tropical Asian staple, coconut milk, an essential curry ingredient."

The wine pairing was "Gobeum Verdejo Moscato - Spain."

5:54 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - Don's plate with Amuse Bouche - Chilled King Crab" (same as MT's but without ginger) OR PERHAPS THIS WAS REALLY THE "First Course - Lobster & Chicken Shu Mai."

The menu described the FIRST COURSE as follows:

"Legend has it that dumplings were a Chinese invention from the era of the Three Kingdoms, c. 225 AD.

"Shu Mai (pronounced 'Shu My', also called Cook and Sell Dumplings) are a soft, puffy dumpling, here interpreted 'Shanghai style'- juicy and flavorful."

The wine pairing was "Terre del Noche Pinot Grigio Rose - Italy."

Between the first and second courses on the menu came a "Granita - Lemongrass & Red Chili - lychee foam," which the menu described as follows:

"This ice combines China's floral, sweet lychee and Southeast Asia's native lomongrass, a common flavoring for soups and curries, [and] New World chiles - introduced to South Asia in the 1500s."

Neither of us took a photo of the Granita, which probably looked much like an Italian lemon ice (Granita Al Limone). Instead of the Granita, because of the ginger, Don got strawberry sorbet.

6:20 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - Don's plate with "Main Course - Peking Duck" (same as MT's).

The menu described the Main Course as follows:

"Peking Duck - crispy skin, Mandarin pancake, housin sauce."

"This famous Beijing dish has been prepared since imperial times; by the mid-20th century, it had vecome a national symbol of China, favored by tourists and diplomats alike."

The wine pairing for the Main Course was "Silver Gate Vineyards Pinot Noir, California, USA."

6:39 PM - Viking Star: Chef's Table - Don's plate with Dessert - Asian Trilogy" (same as MT's). The menu described the Dessert as follows:

"Asian Trilogy

"spring roll, crème brȗlée & cheesecake

"For this delightful East-meets-West adventure, we've partnered Asian ingredients with Western favorites to create yuzu crème brȗlée; green tea cheesecake; and a chocolate banana spring roll."

The wine pairing for the Dessert was "Selbach Riesling Piesporter, Germany."

At 9:00, we went to the Star Theater (Deck 2) for the magician "Guest Entertiner Greg Moreland."

Back in Tahiti, MT and Don had met Greg Moreland as the three of us were returning to the ship at the end of a shopping tour. He explained that he was glad to have found lighter fluid that he needed for his performance, since the flamable liquid had not been available on the ship.
The Viking Daily newsletter had announced “Viking Star proudly presents Guest Entertainer Greg Moreland” and described his performance as follows:
“If you think you don’t like magic shows – think again. Relying more on comedy than on magic, this is not your grandfather’s magic act! Greg has been a favorite on cruise ships since 1999, having traveled to 140 countries, and once having been to all 7 continents IN THE SAME YEAR! Before that he appeared in top casino theaters in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe, as well as having toured as the opening act for such diverse stars as Ray Charles, Tim Allen, and Weird Al Yankovich. With a degree in Psychology from Willamette University in Oregon, you’d think by now he’d gotten himself a ‘real job’.”
For several of the remaining days on our cruse, he would also make afternoon presentations  called “Easy Magic Tricks You Can Do,” demonstrating in detail how to do them and having passenger attendees try them firsthand.

At 10:00, at the end of the magic show, we were all invited to go up to Deck 9 where Captain Olav Soevdsnes would try to show us where to see the Southern Cross (real one under the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere) and other constellations, using a laser pointer after turning off the deck lights. However, we were apparently in the wrong place. Both MT and Don tried to take photos but mostly failed. We did see a shooting star.

MT 10:54 PM - Viking Star: MT's best attempt to get a photo of the Southern Cross; this seems to be it.

The Southern Cross is an asterism, or group of stars, in the constellation Crux (Cross). It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way’s visible band. It is a prominent constellation in the southern sky, mainly visible from the Southern Hemisphere, and is easily recognizable by its cross shape. It is centered on four brightest main stars. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern Star is frequently used as a navigation tool, much in the same way that Polaris (North Star) is used in the Northern Hemisphere.
 

Southern Cross (By JoKerozen - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1344653).

 

Back in our stateroom, we filled our our choices on the menu for pre-ordering dinner at The Restaurant for 1 Dec.

10:06 PM - Viking Star: Don's menu (same as MT's) for The Restaurant for 1 Dec, with choices circled:

For Starter "Butternut Squash Soup - chorizo & roasted pepitos."

For Main Course "Salmon Coulibiac - salmon fillet, rice and spinach, baked in puff pastry."

For Dessert "Pavlova - meringue, tropical Chantilly, fresh fruit"