We are at sea today, making our way toward Naples, where we’ll arrive tomorrow morning. The skies are cloudy once again, but we’re hoping they clear up so we can enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the Sanctuary Club.
We received a lovely lunch invitation from our dear friend Catalin, the Director of Restaurant Operations, to attend the Old vs. New World Wine & Tapas tasting event.
When we get home, it’s definitely going to be time for some serious calorie control!
The tasting was excellent—the venue was filled to capacity, and the wines were superb, far better than those featured at last night’s Frescobaldi event.
They even substituted the Penne Beef Ragu with Penne aglio e olio, which was a pleasant surprise. Dessert, though not listed on the menu, was a delightful blueberry panna cotta—a perfect ending to a fabulous afternoon. Tonight, we dined at Love by Britto, an art-inspired culinary experience celebrating love, life, and creativity. The whimsical ambiance was designed in partnership with world-renowned artist Romero Britto, and the imaginative prix fixe menu was expertly curated by Princess Cruises’ Master Chef, Rudi Sodamin.
Dinner was amazing! The dining room is intimate—only 50 seats—located on Deck 17 Aft with glass windows overlooking the ocean. The setting was elegant and romantic, and the service was absolutely over the top.
The place settings were so beautiful that Debbie wanted to take them home! Each course was small but masterfully prepared and bursting with flavor. We each started with the Oyster, Debbie then had the Cappuccino of Wild Mushroom. While I had the Tuna & Avocado Togarashi. That was followed by the palate cleanser of Granita of Champagne and Rose Petals. For our entree, we both had the delicious Butter Poached Tail of Lobster. For dessert we both had the Chocolate Lava Cake. Even the bread had an artistic flare! Our Sommelier friend, Stephan, selected a wine that paired perfectly with every dish. Midway through dinner, we had a huge surprise! Catalin arrived with his replacement, Silviu (they’re doing a two-week handover due to the ship’s complex dining operations). Both men have been dear friends for many years—and to our delight, they were hiding someone behind them… Oana! We’ve known Oana since her very first contract in the mid-90s when she was a junior waiter. She later made history as the first female Maitre’d on Princess Cruises and now works in the corporate office as a traveling manager in the F&B Department. We last sailed with her this past July on the Enchanted Princess. She’ll be on the Sun Princess until we reach Fort Lauderdale, so we’re looking forward to spending lots of time with her. After dinner, we headed to the Piazza and joined the lively crowd at the 80’s Dance Party—it was packed and full of energy! Tomorrow we’ll be in Naples, one of our favorite Italian cities. I’ll definitely be serving as Debbie’s shopping sherpa!
