Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise Review

Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise Second-Rate Despite Fine Itinerary

 The Oceania Marina is a fine new ship, in service since 2011, with little signs of wear to its fixtures.  Our stateroom, as mentioned previously, was first-rate and so are most of the public areas. But after completing our Oceania Marina Baltic Cruise, we won’t book Oceania for another sailing.

Even considering our lengthy history with the cruise line going back to the R-Ships, breaking up is not that hard to do. We decided never to sail Oceania again in the finals days of our Baltic cruise. It was a surprise decision, something we never imagined. Oceania was the cruise line we’d always told others was “our favorite.”  We tell them a different story now.  It’s not as good as it was, that they can sail most of the same itineraries for far less.

What did we find so unsatisfactory we won’t sail Oceania again?  Based on our expensive experience, Oceania has become a second-rate, lower quality version of its former self.  Oceania wasn’t operating like an upper premium  cruise line should. (This link suddenly no longer works. Why? Answer at  the end.) Perhaps the most obvious example of its decline is our blog describing how our cruise began in Stockholm, Sweden.  The Marina was the only cruise ship not docked near a terminal and the Marina did not offer any sort of shelter for its arriving travelers. As a result, a good number of passengers were forced to stand in the rain, waiting in line to board. Not the kind of treatment you would expect from an upper premium class cruise line, (Thankfully, we were lucky enough to board before it rained.)

This blog will deal more with day-to-day concerns. And it should be pointed out we were not the only ones dissatisfied with Oceania last summer.

Oceania Marina Main Dining RoomOceania Main Dining Room meals are as subdued as the decor

The travel agent who booked our cruise is with one of the country’s largest agencies. After we returned home,  he asked about our experience on the Oceania Marina. We told him how much the dining had deteriorated. He wasn’t surprised, saying “Other passengers had said the same thing, that the food had declined and that they were cutting back on quality.”

Our poor Oceania experience was not out of the ordinary.

Marina  Dining Hit and Miss   

Dining is one of the most important aspects of any cruise, but particularly on one like Oceania which touts “The Finest Cuisine at Sea.”   

That was not our overall experience in the main dining room or Terrace Café. While we were served numerous picturesque dishes, many were bland, tasteless and totally forgettable. Imagine being trapped on a ship dedicated to the current cuisine fad favoring presentation over flavor, of feeding the eyes and ignoring one’s taste buds. Such frou-frou sometimes resulted in unappetizing combinations. One night in the main dining room, I couldn’t find an appealing appetizer or salad.  That was a remarkable kitchen accomplishment.

Some other passengers avoided the main dining room for a different reason. One Canadian woman explained once there was enough for her because  “It’s just too pretentious.”  Pretentious is a term you don’t often hear, so I was surprised to hear the same term from several American couples at separate times about the pompous attitude in general of the cruise staff and particularly at public functions. Grandiosity definitely did flow at the cocktail party for past Oceania passengers, but that silliness  didn’t really concern us.

The poor dining did.  For breakfast, the only place we visited was the Terrace Café because service in the main dining room was sometimes slow. The waiters there did their best but it was obvious they were understaffed, especially in the evenings.  With the Marina visiting a new port almost every day, we didn’t want to waste time waiting to be served breakfast. Although the dining room might offer more variety than the buffet, in our experience most cruise lines vary their breakfast buffet from day-to-day to prevent monotonous selections.

Same Food, Always Lukewarm

Breakfast in the Terrace Café, however, varied little. It did become too repetitive.  A single new egg dish might appear every other day while pancakes and waffles  were infrequent. What also never changed was how the buffet warming pans were poorly heated. The way to avoid lukewarm/chilly eggs was forego the buffet pans for the Terrace grill where they could be freshly prepared. A similar option for heating other “warm” buffet items did not exist. Too bad there wasn’t a microwave available. As for breakfast pastries, they were nothing to look forward to. Many were unusually dry, somewhat crumbly and with negligible taste. Bread was the safest bet.

Oceania Marina Jacques French Bistro Specialty RestaurantJacques French Bistro was sometimes open for lunch

For lunch, you will not go wrong at the outdoor Waves Grill. Wonderful sandwiches made fresh to order with no effort to dumb down their taste. The selection was large enough for a new sandwich every day for a week.  The Waves Grill was a viable lunchtime option for the Terrace Café which started out strong but gradually deteriorated.

The Terrace Cafe at both lunch and dinner was consistently reliable for its sushi and its salads, especially the individual Caesar salads made to order quickly. In the evening, its  grill also was dependable for steak and  lobster. Adjacent to the grill you could have a freshly prepared different Asian wok dish most nights; those were usually excellent. Regardless of the quality of its specialty stations,  the Terrace Café’s primary flaws remained at all meals: semi-warm/cool  bland buffet foods that too often wouldn’t match a Golden Corral all-you-can-eat restaurant.

The Terrace Cafe will be remembered for the worst lasagna Linda ever tasted.  And the slice of semi-petrified apple pie with dehydrated  fillings that must have been in a freezer for a long, long time. Should have taken a photo of that.  But the dehydrated pie also explained why the breakfast pastries were so dry as well as cookies in the concierge lounge. They’d all been trapped in the same freezer.

Room Service Poor & Limited 

Room service was available virtually anytime. With the exception of its breakfast options, the menu was small, basic and never varied during the cruise. We didn’t dare request breakfast room service after making our one and only order for a simple late lunch: sandwiches and salads.  The sandwiches,  made of unusually dry bread and minimal, flavorless ingredients were left mostly uneaten.  The salads weren’t quite as bad but hardly up to Terrace Café standards. Both  sandwiches and salads tasted as if they were made days before and then shoved into a refrigerator. A good hotel would never dare offer such lousy room service fare.

Yet operating a superb room service is not beyond the ability of other cruise lines. Some gladly deliver anything from the ship’s  lunch and dinner menus while the main dining room actively serves those meals. Not on Oceania.

We cannot imagine an extended cruise on the Oceania Marina. We once spent 35 days on Holland America’s Maasdam and found the dining not only varied but exceptionally good. After 12 days on the Oceania Marina, we were eager to eat elsewhere.

Linda and I are foodies.  See our posts on cruise dining aboard the  Maasdam and  National Geographic Endeavour.  Those who praise Oceania for its  fine dining may  base it on the specialty restaurants–which, regretfully, are not open for three meals a day.  And are not representative of Oceania’s  ordinary dining venues.  

The Exceptional Specialty Restaurants

The saving grace at dinner was the four specialty restaurants: Jacques (French), Toscana (Italian), Red Ginger (Asian) and Polo
Grill .

Our meals matched  the high standards we recalled from previous cruises.  All of the Marina’s specialty restaurants do offer some of the “finest cuisine at sea.”  Unfortunately, a shortage of  dining room waiters sometimes spoiled an otherwise perfect evening.

Oceania’s no extra-charge specialty restaurants are much sought-after by passengers ravenous for quality cuisine. Except for Jacques, open for lunch on occasion, the specialty restaurants serve dinner only and require  advance reservations, which limits their access.

The specialty restaurants demonstrated the Marina could serve flavorful meals. When it chose to.

Oceania Marina Red Ginger Specialty RestaurantRed Ginger’s flavors are as pronounced as its colors

The most popular restaurant on our cruise seemed to be Red Ginger with its spicy Asian menu.   Red Ginger lives up its name. so if you don’t appreciate a pronounced ginger flavor, this isn’t the restaurant for you. We dined there twice, when all reservations were booked. Yet we noticed quite a few tables without place settings when other passengers wanted to be there. Were the restaurant’s three cooks working in view at the back of the room unable to accommodate any more diners?  Or did the vacant tables reflect a lack of servers? Or more cutting back?

Our favorite of the four restaurants was long reliable Polo Grill featuring high-grade steaks, lobster, chicken, pork and lamb. The only time we could book this restaurant was for the last night of the cruise.  This will sound exaggerated but it’s true. When I tasted the garlic mashed potatoes accompanying my entree, it was a jolt to my system. I realized how starved I was for garlic and every other flavor. This was the first and only time on the 12-day cruise I tasted any distinctive seasoning except at Red Ginger.

Our long-awaited Polo Grill evening turned into a disaster due to understaffing.  Thirty minutes after receiving our dessert menus we still were unable to order. A group of eight had arrived just as we were handed our dessert list. Our waiter and his helper were so busy attending to the new group they didn’t take time to scribble down our short order.

Tired of waiting, we left our table. We mentioned our situation to the manager, who consulted the table chart showing the tables our server was assigned. He said, “But he’s only serving 12 people. I don’t understand how this could happen.” Maybe because the arrival of eight was monopolizing his time?

Although the restaurant manager wasn’t doing anything in particular, he didn’t call for anyone to assist us or even consider helping us.  Perhaps he missed the memo about providing  “upper premium class” service?

The Moody Marina  

With the exception of The Polo Grill manager, the cruise staff always was helpful and acted friendly yet something felt off, not quite  right. Linda and I can’t put our finger on precisely what it is. We think back to other cruises.

“These people don’t seem happy.”

Indeed, they didn’t. Waiters did not joke with or act especially friendly toward passengers they saw every day. We noticed very few of the staff going out of their way to interact with passengers. Exceptions were the cruise director (he does his job well), all of the room stewards on our floor and the concierge lounge staff. They couldn’t have been nicer or more efficient.

Otherwise, whenever passengers were not gathered together, the Oceania Marina often felt like an abandoned ship.

Oceania Cruises Sold To NCL

The very day we disembark the Marina, it was announced that Prestige Cruise Holdings– parent company of Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—had sold both cruise lines to Norwegian Cruise Line. No wonder Oceania crew members were unhappy. They had to be wondering their futures under new ownership since rumors of the impending sale must have been well known.

Reading the NCL press release confirmed our impression that the dining had deteriorated noticeably.  As our travel agent later pointed out, Oceania probably cut back on dining quality in order to increase its profit line before completing the sale to NCL. Cutting costs would also account for the chronic understaffing we encountered..

The PR release also stated NCL would pay Oceania’s parent company “a cash consideration of up to $50 million to Prestige shareholders would be payable upon achievement of certain 2015 performance metrics.”

Oceania Cruises performance metrics should place customer satisfaction near the top.  Our Oceania dining experience lowered our satisfaction with Oceania from 10 to 3 or 4. Whatever happens with NCL/Oceania in the future, for better or worse, we won’t be back to find out.  It would be too costly a gamble and, frankly, there are too many other good cruise lines to choose from less pretentious, less expensive and more dependable.  We know not to care about Oceania anymore.

This is the slowest blog in history because we  never wanted to get to where we shout “the king has no clothes!”  Ironically, Oceania’s recently updated website lacks any previous claims (dead link above)  of   its “upper premium class” status  that I can find.   New owner,  new  reality?  The latest corporate description of Oceania is of a comfortable, upscale cruise. Yet the prices remain premium class.    

Drug Addict Killed The Senator, One of World’s Oldest Trees

Florida The Senator Largest Cypress in USA
The Senator in its better days.

RIP The Senator

The Senator, a 3500-year old bald cypress ranked as the fifth oldest tree in the world, was killed January 16, 2012, by an arsonist at Big Tree Park, Longwood, Florida.

This is just as I predicted weeks ago, when others theorized a deadly lightning strike was the cause at a time when there was no lightning. Even more asinine was the suggestion that spontaneous combustion caused the tree to burn itself up. This was supposed to have happened because the tree’s wind-driven branches rubbed against it furiously and made it go poof!.  

The Senator died a stupid death. It turns out the fire was accidental, started by a 26-year old woman who set fire to twigs and branches around the tree to better see the drugs she was taking. 

                                             Arsonist took photos of burning tree

Once the tree caught on fire, she used her cell phone to take photos of it. She did not bother to call the fire department or take any steps to end the devastation she started. Police were leisurely in arresting the meth head. Although they received a tip the day after the fire, they did not arrest her until February 28, more than a month later. 

How much did the judicial system value The Senator? Not much. Bail for the arsonist was only $5,950. The low bail amount reflects how much Seminole County officials traditionally have respected the importance of the nation’s largest bald cypress tree and its nearby companion, the 2,000-year old Lady Liberty.

The_Senator_Cypress_Tree_Burned_-3_BLOG
Seminole County officials now spend money to protect—a stump? 
Protecting the tree while still alive might have been a better idea.

The Senator gets bigger fence after being set afire

The Senator and Lady Liberty’s home in Big Tree Park is not a desirable location. Years ago Big Tree Park turned into a notorious after-dark location where drug use and prostitution were common activities. Not only was Big Tree Park allowed to turn into a seedy nighttime spot, Seminole County officials never installed lights or security cameras.  There was not a single nightly patrol car to make the rounds at Big Tree Park.

The only protection afforded The Senator was a metal fence around its base. . . an obviously useless safeguard.                               

In a classic case of too little too late, Seminole County commissioners have decided to spend $29,000 to build an 8-foot fence around The Senator’s stump and another around Lady Liberty before she becomes someone’s demolition project.

Still no park lights or security cameras. As for police patrols, that remains to be seen.

Live vs inanimate objects

Indifference by officials compounded by incompetence are the real culprits for killing The Senator. The towering tree had stood for 3,500 years. Like other equally ancient monuments–the pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge–it was expected always to remain.

It never seemed to occur to those in charge that living monuments require more care and protection than those made of rock. The Senator was disregarded and left on its own in a once pleasant county park that was allowed to go to ruin. That neglect is not only embarrassing, it is unfathomable.

The Senator Cypress Tree, One of World’s Oldest Residents, Dies in Suspicious Fire

The SenatorCypress Tree Burned to the ground

Probably a victim of arson

The Senator, one of the world’s oldest inhabitants, died Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. A life-long resident of Longwood, FL, The Senator spent the final days of its 3,500 years as the main attraction at Big Tree Park.

At 125 feet (38 m) tall and with a trunk diameter of 17.5 feet (5.3 m), The Senator not only was the largest cypress tree in North America, it was ranked as the world’s fifth oldest tree. Before a 1925 hurricane, The Senator was almost a third taller at 165 feet (50 m).

Experts say The Senator was only a sprout when Stonehenge was being erected, iron was being created and China was giving birth to one of the first civilizations to record its written history.

Only four trees alive on earth today are older than The Senator. For those who care about such things, the loss of The Senator is devastating.

Florida The Senator Largest Cypress in USA   Florida The Senator Largest Cypress in USA sign

Death was due a to fire that felled the tree within hours of the arrival of firefighters at around 5:50 a.m. Monday. By 8:15 a.m., the tree had largely collapsed. Most of The Senator was hollow. Local media have compared the fire inside the wood cylinder as a blazing chimney fire or the ignition blast of the space shuttle.

 Arson seems most likely cause of fire

Cause of the fire is still being investigated. Theories include arson, a lightning strike that occurred several weeks ago and–the most intriguing of all–spontaneous combustion.

Initially, responding fire fighters blamed the fire on arson because twigs and branches were piled near the base of the tree, possibly by a homeless person.  However, Sunday night was mild compared to some previous nights this month. The initial report said the greatest heat from the fire was at the base.

The_Senator_Champion_Tree_Burned-2blogThe investigation was quickly taken over by the Division of Forestry whose investigator blamed lightning and apparently concluded that the greatest heat was in the crown of the tree. His theory was that the strike occurred several weeks ago. The tree was quietly smoldering before breaking out into a full-blown blaze on Sunday.

This would mean that for several weeks no visitor or anyone in the area would have noticed any smell of smoke, a questionable scenario.

Did a lightning rod fail?

However, blaming lightning brings into question the competence of the company that had installed a lightning rod to protect the tree after a previous lightning strike.

The lightning protection company name is prominently displayed at the main overlook of The Senator.  Blaming a lightning strike as the cause leans towards libel since it implies the company as being responsible for The Senator’s death.

The spontaneous combustion theory theorizes that the few ancient limbs on the tree because were waving back and forth, creating friction, and thus the fire. Since the limbs were stubs and there was no great wind storm that night, an alien laser might make more sense.
                                          Offical cause of death: UNKNOWN

The Senator was named for Senator M.O. Overstreet, who donated this massive cypress and the land around it to the people of Seminole County in the 1920’s. Until the 1960s, Big Tree Park was one of the area’s most popular attractions for family picnics. Such a big attraction that gift stands sold souvenirs of The Senator. Besides Big Tree Park, the only other local attractions were the swimming pool at Sanlando Springs (now a private community called The Springs) and the Central Florida Zoo (still doing well).

The big question now is what will be done to save the Liberty Lady, a 2,000-year old cypress tree only a few yards from The Senator.

With the death of The Senator, at 89 feet (27 m) high, 10 feet (3.0 m) in diameter Lady Liberty is now Florida’s Champion Tree for bald cypress. The age of Lady Liberty also makes it an unusual treasure.                     

Protecting Lady Liberty

Will anything be done to protect Lady Liberty from whatever fate killed The Senator?

Not unless there is an armed guard ready to intercept/report whatever happens next. The  fence around the park is easily scaled, even by”homeless people” or vandals.

Regardless of the cause, the fall of The Senator is a loss to those who care about safeguarding ancient nature. The Senator was one of the last of the Ents (Lord of the Rings).

Wading through the various causes of The Senator’s death, it would seem there is a fire bug out there that needs to be squashed.

The Senator Big Tree Park Rest in Peace Senator Sign, Longwood, Florida
                                “Rest in Peace” sign left by resident

Meeting “Lonesome George,” the World’s Rarest Tortoise

Lonesome George Galapagos tortoise Darwin Research Station Santa Cruz Island
                           Well, would you be happy to be the last of a rare species?

Poor old “Lonesome George”

When Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour anchors off Santa Cruz Island, we go ashore to see the world famous giant tortoise known  as “Lonesome George.”  As the last member of his species, he is considered the world’s rarest torotise.

Of the 15 different species of tortoise that once lived on 15 different islands of the Galapagos, three are now extinct. A fourth species is about to disappear.,

Lonesome George, estimated at 100 years old and considered in good health, is the last remaining member of the Pinta Island species.  The Guinness World Records calls him the world’s “rarest living creature.” The very last of his kind. He supposedly was named after a popular 1950’s comedian, George Goebel, whose nickname was “Lonesome George.”

Considering the near extinction of the tortoises on Pinta Island, it’s hard to comprehend that giant tortoises were once commonplace throughout the world. They lived not only in the Americas but Europe and Asia, going back to the age of the dinosaurs. What depleted Lonesome George’s race is what killed off almost all the world’s giant tortoises.

Galapagos Santa Cruz Darwin Research Station Breeding Center sign-1

                                  Darwin Research Station Captive Breeding Sign

Giant tortoises lose out to invasive goats

Scientists say the huge tortoises of eons ago were unable to compete successfully with the many herbivores found on the continents.  This is why today they exist only on isolated islands where they  have no competition folr food.

Thanks to Charles Darwin’s writings, the Galapagos tortoises are the best known of the remaining giant tortoises. Yet they also survive on the islands of Madagascar and the Seychelles, both in the Indian Ocean.

The Galapagos, of course, owe their name to the giant tortoises, taken from the Spanish word Galápago meaning saddle. Saddleback tortoises aren’t as large or as impressive looking as the bell-shaped shells of animals like Lonesome George. The smaller saddlebacks,  however, enjoy a shell shape that allows them to extend their necks higher to feed.

Saddlebacks tend to reside on islands with less vegetation compared to the bigger, dome-shaped tortoises. The larger torotises are still common on islands like Santa Cruz, where the vegetation is relatively rich.

Finding Lonesome George the right mate

Lonesome George is from Pinta Island, where the vegetation was decimated by introduced, goats. Like the giant tortoises that once thrived worldwide, those on Pinta Island were out-competed. After Lonesome George was found in 1971, it  took 20 years to move him to the  to the Darwin Research Station. The first breeding attempt was in 1993.

Lonesome George pen Galapagos Darwin Research Station santa cruz
Lonesome George’s isolation cell. See any females? He doesn’t either.

                                         
George was provided with two female tortoises of different subspecies in an attempt to produce offspring. George and his revolving harem produced eggs but all to date have been infertile. Even if all the eggs did hatch technically the Pinta Island race still would be extinct once Lonesome George is gone. Any offspring would be of mixed, not pure, blood. (Shades of Lord Voldemort!)


$10,000 reward for Pinta Island female  torotise

To preserve the Pinta Island subspecies, Lonesome George needs offspring from a Pinta Island female. A $10,000 reward is available to any zoo or private collector willing to provide a Pinta female for Lonesome George to mate. Nonehas been offered. Ironically, it is possible there is a second Pinta Island male tortoise slightly younger than George which lives in the Prague Zoo.

World renown tortoise expert Peter Pritchard considers the shell pattern of the Prague tortoise to be similar to that of George’s but no DNA tests have been conducted to confirm or refute the possibility. For the time being, rescuing the Pinta Island tortoise subspecies is at a stalemate that may never be resolved.

Galapagos Santa Cruz Darwin Research Station torotise eggs incubating-1  Galapagos Santa Cruz Darwin Research Station tortoise breeding pen-1
                               Tortoise eggs being incubated; tortoise breeding pen.

                                              Meeting Lonesome George

Our walk from the Santa Cruz Zodiac to enter the Darwin Research Station and reach Lonesome George takes about 20 minutes. We pass several turtle pens where species from other islands are being effectively bred. Our view from an overlooking walkway into Lonesome George’s pen  is depressing. He has a huge space to roam, able to hold scores of giant tortoises.

He looks so large compared to the females offered  to entice him. No wonder George isn’t turned on by them. The pen itself seems to have everything a tortoise could want: lots of shade, vegetation and a huge concrete pond. From pictures I’ve seen of George on various web sites, he rarely leaves the pond’s edge.

Only a few steps away from Lonesome George is a crowded pen with an Espanola male tortoise named Diego. Far more energetic but lesser known, he is largely responsible for bringing back his island’s population.

                           How a tortoise named Diego revived his species

Only 15 tortoises remained on Espanola when the government began eradicating goats there.  The entire population was brought to the Darwin Research Station in hopes of increasing their numbers. But an unexpected problem cropped up. All of the males refused to mate.

Diego Galapagos tortoise Darwin Research Station

Diego, the studliest stud of Galapagos tortoises

The San Diego Zoo in California called the Darwin Research Station about a rogue Espanola male tortoise of theirs which was attacking all the other males. Did the Darwin Station want him? Yes, was the fateful answer. When this bully arrived, he was named Diego in honor of the zoo that donated him.

Diego promptly expended all his energy on the receptive females and quickly created a new generation of Espanola tortoises. Diego’s prowess inspired the formerly disinterested Espanola males. The resulting orgy sent more than 1,600 tortoises back to their homeland. Diego remains at the Darwin Station to continue his good work. He deserves a memorial, although I can’t think of a way it would be PG.

     Does Lonesome George need sex education?

Meanwhile, Lonesome George is rarely interested, perhaps due to “low T” or maybe he just needs to be inspired (instructed?) as Diego’s buddies were. From what I see, George’s pen is cut off from all other turtle breeding pens.

He has no opportunity to see what is going on around him. He lives in splendid isolation–like someone being confined to a large mansion with his two women. Meanwhile, Diego and his crew are out having fun in their back yard.       

George needs to be moved where he can watch Diego in action and get over his performance anxiety. Or performance ignorance. According to our Lindblad guides, they even played music to help inspire Diego. Well, show George some turtle porn. Do something to provide him the same type of motivation given to Diego, who was a bad boy and probably didn’t need it anyway.

Galapagos Darwin Research Station parque nacional national park sign santa cruz                          Lonesome George is part of the Galapagos National Park logo

A cynic might say the Charles Darwin Foundation which operates the Charles Darwin  Research Station deliberately keepis George lonesome and uninspired ito preserve him
as a powerful conservation symbol. Not only is George the Darwin Station’s most famous celebrity and its main attraction, he keeps both the Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park in the public eye.

There can be no true happy ending to his saga without another Pinta Island female.


RIP


Lonesome George died June 24, 2012, without ever successfully mating. He was the last of his kind.

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

The Galapagos Experience                                        Endeavour Dining
Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                             Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                          Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                                   Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                             Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                                     Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                          Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                                 Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                                   Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                          Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop

National Geographic Endeavour Sunday Lunch and Dinner Menus

Sunday Galapagos cruise dining

The Monday Peruvian lunch buffet illustrates how Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour highlights local cuisine. The grilled chicken sandwich with roasted onions is for those who don’t want to be adventurous.

Soups are offered at every meal, although Sunday’s menus don’t reflect it.  Go for the fish soup anytime it’s offered. Lindblad National Geographic Endeavour Sunday Lunch Menu

Lindblad National Geographic Endeavour Sunday Dinner Menu

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

The Galapagos Experience                             Endeavour Dining
Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                               Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                            Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                                     Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                               Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                                       Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                            Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                                   Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                                     Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                            Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop

Lindblad National Geographic Endeavour Saturday Menus

Saturday Galapagos cruise dining

These are the welcome aboard menus for passengers on their first day of their Galapagos cruise.

When it comes to cruise ship food, a critic’s likes and dislikes can unfairly bias a dining review. My own admitted prejudices: I don’t like turnips. Though I recently had a turnip puree with something in it that started winning me over. 

To me it makes sense to provide the menus for the entire cruise so  each person can make their own decisions about the selections. Breakfast and lunch normally are buffets. Dinner may be a buffet or a sit-down meal, depending on the afternoon activities. One or two vegetarian options are offered at every meal.

Cheesecake is my great weakness and I judge the chocolate cheesecake served at dinnerto be  fine. It was perfect following the sea bass, my favorite of Saturday’s dinner entrees.

Lindblad National Geographic Endeavour Saturday Lunch Menu

Lindblad National Geographic Endeavour Saturday Dinner Menu

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

The Galapagos Experience                            Endeavour Dining
Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                                Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                             Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                                      Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                                Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                                        Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                             Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                                    Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                                      Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                             Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop

National Geographic Endeavour’s Floating SPA

Lindblad Floating Spa-1

by Linda O’Keefe

A motional massage on the waves

One thing I didn’t expect to find onboard Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour is a wellness specialist and a mini spa. Alexandra Cueva, the wellness specialist for our voyage, puts in a long day, beginning around 6:30 a.m. with a yoga, stretching or water aerobics class just before breakfast. The rest of the day she is on call for paid spa services.

One item on the spa menu catches my eye: a “floating massage.” Technically, all massages given aboard the Endeavour are floating but this offering is something special. One of the Endeavour’s old glass bottomed boats has been redesigned to provide a viewing porthole of the sea bottom directly under the massage table’s head cradle.

Watch fish while being relaxed

The idea is to have a massage while watching sea life swim underneath the boat.  Instead of a massage on the beach, it’s a great rub on an ocean tub.

Scheduling any kind of spa treatment on the Endeavour is difficult because it usually means having to give up something: a shore landing, snorkeling or kayaking. Also, the opportunities for a floating massage are limited to certain locations where sea conditions are calm enough that Alexandra can stay on her feet and the massagee doesn’t slide off the table.

While kayaking, Tim and I had seen the floating spa bouncing around in Tagus Cove where a Zodiac tried to keep it from crashing on shore. The waves and current were much too strong for any sort of stability. The Zodiac with its rubber hull acted like a seaborne bumper car.

The Zodiac could keep the spa boat away from land but there was no way the Zodiac could do it gently. In fact, we heard lots of crashing aboard the spa boat as we paddled past but no shouts of alarm. Can’t imagine how Alexandra managed to stay on her feet that day.

Lindblad Floating Spa-2  Lindblad Floating Spa-3

                                                    Boat ride in the nude

Remembering that spectacle, I wonder how real this floating massage is and how much of it is a gimmick. So the night before my scheduled tub rub when I pick up a robe and slippers from Alexandra, I ask her what I should wear the next day with the robe.  Her response is quick and firm, “Nothing. This is a professional massage.”

The next morning, clad only in my spa robe and slippers, I wait at the reception area for Alexandra to fetch me.  I know in the back of my mind the glass bottom boat is away from the ship but for some reason it hadn’t occurred to me I’ll need to ride in a Zodiac to reach it.

Normally just getting into a Zodiac when the waves bob it up and down is not the easiest maneuver even in normal attire. With a robe and nothing underneath, it’s really tricky. Fortunately, I make it on and off without any wardrobe malfunctions.

I take the Zodiac about half a mile from the ship to find the spa boat anchored in an isolated cove near shore. In the cloudy “garua” weather, the cliffs and a small island rock formation close by is both mystical and relaxing. After disembarking the Zodiac trip, I climb onboard the “floating massage” table.

Poor visibility, relaxing wave sounds

As I lay face down and Alexandra works wonders on my back, the view through the three-foot wide glass circle is disappointing.  There isn’t a great view due to the reflections of the boat and sky. I spot only a few fish that wander by.

Despite the lack of underwater activity, I love this experience. The sound of the waves drumming the boat is more soothing than any new age music . Inhaling the salty sea air is natural aromatherapy. Occasionally the relaxation is broken as the wind sweeps the sheet off my body and there’s a quick scramble to grab it back.

Lindblad Floating Spa-4

After my massage and I wait for the Zodiac to return, Alexandra points out a large sea turtle swimming on the surface with several other turtles surrounding it. As the turtles approach our boat, I realize something seems rather odd about what I thought was a single large turtle.

I ask Alexandra , “Are those two turtles–not just one?”

“Yes,” she replies with a sly grin on her face.

I wonder aloud, “Are they doing what I think they’re doing?”

Mating sea turtles are our boat bumpers

Her smiling face answers my question before she answers “Yes” and bursts into laughter. She confesses she has been watching them for a while. And we continue to watch the turtles float obliviously toward the boat.

My already R-rated adventure pushes the limit as the two mating turtles drift closer and closer to the boat. Eventually they bump into us, separate, swim away. At this point, Alexandra and I are close to hysteria laughing. (Though they probably don’t understand our idea of humor.)

Alexandra and I are still laughing when the Zodiac arrives to carry us both back to the Endeavour. All in all, this is an experience I won’t soon forget.

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

The Galapagos Experience                               Endeavour Dining Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                                    Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                                 Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                                          Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                                    Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                                            Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                                 Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                                         Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                                           Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                                  Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop

 

Lindblad Endeavour Arrives at Puerto Egas

Puerto Egas beach animals-1

    One perfect afternoon at Puerto Egas, where wildlife offer warm welcome

Everyone who takes a Galapagos cruise usually has a favorite shore landing. Mine comes almost midway through the trip when Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour calls at  place called Puerto Egas on Isla Santiago (also known as James Island and Isla San Salvador). It is my ideal Galapagos experience.

On our afternoon stop there, everything comes together. The sunlight is gorgeous and we encounter a good variety of birds and mammals. We  also witness lots of lively animal interaction, including a large bellowing male Galapagos fur seal. Best of all, this is one of the most leisurely walks, without the usual and constant push to keep moving.

Ironically, when Lindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour arrives and anchors off Isla Santiago, there is no hint this will be a special afternoon. Instead, once our Zodiac lands on a narrow rocky beach, the scenery is almost depressing.

                                                    Signs of human intrusion

A dilapidated house sits on a small cliff above where we stand. When we approach for a better view, the old deserted homestead and its empty, fenced-in fields seems even more dismal.

galapagos santiago puerto egas mountain fence-1  galapagos santiago puerto egas old road-1
Jarring reminders of the humans who once lived here

There may be 30,000 people living in the Galapagos, but this is the first evidence of human occupation we’ve seen since sailing from Baltra on Saturday morning. This unexpected detritus of human intrusion is an irritating reminder of past efforts to harvest salt here, first between 1928 and 1930, then much later in 1964.

Both attempts invariably caused environmental damage by using native and endemic trees for firewood and also introducing new plants and animals. The Puerto Egas name, in fact, refers to the last salt company operation, run by Hector Egas whose venture failed when the price of salt in South America became so cheap that operating in the Galapagos was impractical.

                                                      Exploring tidal pools

Thankfully, we quickly leave the settlement area and make the short walk across the island’s narrow point to the other side, which is surprisingly different. It’s long black lava coastline that seems to extend endlessly along James Bay, where Charles Darwin’s ship anchored and he explored the interior of Santiago Island.

The shore, comprised of an old lava flow that poured into the ocean, has many large inlets and tidal pools created by the erosive force of the rough wave action. One of these inlets, a vertical chute where the water rises and ebbs as waves regularly crash against the rock, carries the appropriate if undignified name of “Darwin’s toilet.”

This lava shoreline is a favorite haunt of fur seals, the smallest of the pinnipeds and creatures we really haven’t encountered closely before. Endemic to the Galápagos Islands,  the fur seals are spread throughout the islands. They number about 40,000, a much smaller than just a few decades ago. Scientists say the fur seal population declined significantly in the 1980s due to the effects of El Nino, which reduced the local fish populations.

The best known place to see fur seals is Gruta de las Focas. It has a natural bridge above the inlets where fur seals likee to sun themselves. Galápagos fur seals are the most land-based of all the fur seals. They spend about 30 percent of their time out of the water.

They do most of their fishing at night. Then they can spend much of the day warming themselves on the lava rocks. Photographers appreciate this kind of availabiolity.


Galapagos Islands SantiagoPuerto Egas American oyster catcher-1

American oyster catchers were common place at Puerto Egas


Climate change impacts

Hopefully, they will be as prevalent here and throughout the Galapagos in coming years since the current climate change seems to have prompted an ambitious group of Galapagos fur seals to look for better fishing waters in Peru. No one is sure why, perhaps because there are more fish there.

This migration happened in 2010 when a group of Galapagos fur seals traveled 900 miles (1,500 km) to the northern waters of Peru and established a colony there, the first recorded instance of Galapagos seals migrating from their homeland.

Rising water temperatures have been credited as the motivation but the water still averages warmer in the Galapagos.  Water temperatures off northern Peru have increased from 62F (17C) to 73F (23C) in the past 10 years; Galapagos water temps average 77F (25C). It’s speculated more such colonies might be established in northern Peru. Still think it’s due to better fish populations in Peru and not the water temperature.

Darwin paid scant attention to the fur seals during his visit, perhaps because fur hunters had almost hunted the animals to extinction. On this day fur seals are prominent at Puerto Egas, along with Sally Lightfoot crabs, marine iguanas, American oyster catchers, a Galapagos hawk and more.


Fur seals and sea lions romp

Two fur seals are in a contest with a sea lion to dislodge the sea lion from its flat rock perch just above the waves. The sea lion ignores the fur seals’ loud noises and aggressive threats, holding its head high with an expression we interpret to mean something like “Well, here goes the neighborhood!”

Galapagos Islands Santiago Puerto Egas lava gull-1Lava gull stalking the Puerto Egas tidal pools

The matter is semi-resolved when one of the fur seals jumps on an adjoining rock and gradually nudges its way into sharing part of the platform. The sea lion refuses to retreat and both animals end up appearing to have reached a compromise for the space.

The second fur seal stays in the water, preferring to swim around and keep out of the way. Once the action subsides, we wander away, careful not to trip over or step on the marine iguanas strung out on the lava surface like washed-up seaweed.

As we walk the shoreline in the direction of the ship, it’s obvious the Puerto Egas tidal pools are attracting the largest variety of birds we’ve ever seen in one location. Even several Darwin finches land in the trees bordering the shoreline only a few yards behind the beach.

I lag behind the others for the unusually prime photo ops. It’s what photographers call the “golden” or “magic” hour, very close to sunset, and the colors are amazing. This one afternoon almost makes up for the  cloudy days we’ve had to work around most of the trip.

                                    Galapagos hawk and marine iguanas

When I finish photographing the birds in the tidal pools, I catch up with my group and see they are watching a Galapagos hawk dine on a sizable marine iguana. We are perhaps 20 yards from the hawk, which is well aware of our presence but continues to feed while keeping an obvious watch on us. We’ve seen numerous marine iguanas along the coast, more than in most places, and it’s not surprising there would be a natural death the hawk would take advantage of. The hawk carefully watches on us as we photograph/view it.

We’ve seen numerous marine iguanas along the coast, more than in most places, and it’s not surprising there would be a natural death the hawk would take advantage of.  It certainly couldn’t have carried here something this size. The iguana seems as large as the hawk, so the bird shouldn’t have to scavenge for several more days.

galapagos santiago puerto egas galapagos hawk-1  galapagos santiago puerto egas seal pup-1
                      Galapagos hawk feeds on its prize meal; a fur seal pup.

                                                 A fur seal and his harem

My day’s highlight comes near the end of our walk where we encounter a huge male fur seal with his harem.  The males are supposed to grow no larger than 5 feet (1.5m) in length and weigh no more than about 145 pounds. This fellow not only looks much larger and scarily impressive because he sits on a rock plateau just a few feet above us.

Seen in profile, this huge male should emphasize why the Galapagos fur seal’s scientific name is Arctocephalus galapagoensis, from Greek words meaning “bear headed.” to my, it doesn’t. It has a short, pointed muzzle and a small, button nose.

The muzzles of bears I’ve seen are considerably longer and the noses hardly button-size. But when the male fur seal starts bellowing at one of his concubines, he draws his lips back and flashed sharp, triangular teeth that did make me think of something as deadly as a bear.

Galapagos Santiago Island Puerto Egas male fur seal-1Male fur sea offering us some advice: “Stay away!”

 Dominant male fur seals are enormously protective of their breeding territory, often required to challenge and chase away challengers. This fellow also obviously expends a lot of effort trying to keep his women in line, though he doesn’t seem to have much success.
Fur seal courting and rejection

He appears to be loudly coaxing, or whatever—with hands, he might act like a gorilla beating its chest–to impress the only female on the platform with him. She acknowledges his “whatever,” occasionally swaying her head like a boxer in the ring, but eventually just turns and descends to join the other girls below him.

Our guide (a woman) explains, “She’s out to prove she wants more than a one-night stand. He needs to step up his game and romance her.”

It seems absurd that a creature this size and fearsome could ever court (date?) a mate. But male whales do it. Male sharks do it. Magnificent frigate birds do it (remember those big red sacs?). Male blue-Footed Bobbies do it (by building impressive nests and their dancing). Uh, even human males do it. But instead of impressive nest building, we’ve evolved to dinner, a show, a sports event or not even acting in person, just text messaging.

In the Galapagos, you realize a lot about life and love.

Galapagos Santiago Island Lindblad Endeavour cruise shipLindblad’s National Geographic Endeavour off Puerto Egas

Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links

The Galapagos Experience                                             Endeavour Dining
Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                                 Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                              Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                                       Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                                 Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                                         Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                              Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                                      Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                                        Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                               Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop

Grazing New Zealand at SKYCITY Auckland – Restaurants and Menus

SKYCITY Restaurants dine by Peter Gordon and The Grill by Sean Connolly both are world-class dining experiences.  See their menus in photos.

NZ Auckland Sky Tower-1   glass of wine-1

At precisely 1076 feet and 1.38 inches (328 m), the Sky Tower is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand and serves as one of Auckland’s signature attractions. The Sky Tower also marks the location of SKYCITY Auckland, a casino-hotel complex with 25 cafes, restaurants and bars.

This visual menu is from the SKYCITY Grand Hotel’s restaurant called “dine by Peter Gordon.” The word dine certainly deserves to be in all caps at this award-winning restaurant featuring a mix of Asian, Pacific and traditional European cuisine.  This is a true fine dining experience and one not to be rushed.

dine by Peter Gordon Visual Menu

Appetizers (or “entrees” as they’re called in NZ)

tuna-1Seared yellowfin tuna with nori sauce, crispy squid, wakame salad and wasabi jelly

pork belly-1Crispy free-farmed pork belly and smoked mackerel fritter accompanied by lemon,
coriander, bean sprout, cherry tomato, macadamia salad and lime dressing

salad-1Roast Cambridge duck breast accompanied by green beans, caramelized
shallots, smoked eggplant, beetroot relish, pastille of five-spiced confit
duck leg and chestnuts

Main Course

beef-1
7-hour braised Firstlight grass-fed wagyu short rib accompanied by
eggplant, shitake mushroom, salad and toasted almonds

Dessert

dessert-1Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate terrine topped by lemongrass ice cream
with pistachio white chocolate mousse, popping candy, manuka honey crisp

The Grill by Sean Connolly Visual Photo Menu

Another excellent restaurant at the SKYCITY Grand Hotel, The Grill by Sean Connolly is more casual than dine but the menu is just as delicious and memorable. The emphasis here is on fresh local foods with the natural flavors allowed to shine through.

Seafood Entrees

seafood platter-1This seafood appetizer for 4 is a meal in itself: Queensland prawns,
Cloudy Bay clams, king crab claws, scampi and oysters. Single servings
also available.

prawns with garlic and pesto-1Queensland prawns with garlic butter and pesto.  We should have stopped
right here.

Main Course

XXX

          There should be a picture above of a 1-1/2 inch dry aged savannah Angus rib        eye on the bone.  I was trying to arrange this great piece of cow into a more
photogenic position but made the mistake of cutting into and tasting the rib eye
while doing this. The results were not pretty or suitable for public viewing.  The rib eye,
however, was magnificent and you have my word –if not my photo—attesting to that.

Grazing in New Zealand – Kiwi Food Names

Museum Hotel Gourmet Hamburger-1
This is a hamburger, partially eaten, to show its unusual ingredients 

New Zealand (NZ) has some wonderful cuisine, but don’t feel embarrassed to ask for clarification about what you’re ordering.  Kiwi food names often refer to things very different  from what someone from North American would expect.

For instance, what American ordering in a 4 + star hotel would expect a hamburger to be made up of small chunks of tender steak, ham slices, beets, lettuce, tomato slices and a fried egg?  Topped  with mustard, onion, ketchup or a pickle?

Museum Hotel Gourmet Hamburger-2This is the same burger, fully revealed, showing its distinctive and surprising contents

How could a hamburger be so  different?  There is a 24-hour McDonald’s just a few blocks from my hotel. But McDonald’s makes American burgers. A  Kiwi burger is something else,  even better. It was a very pleasant surprise.

But to avoid any unpleasant surprises, I’m listing some common Kiwi food terms every visitor should know. For instance, ordering Cheerios won’t get you breakfast cereal.

Kiwi Food Terms You Need to Know

Surprise! Cheerios are not for breakfast .

Afghan – chocolate flavored biscuit, typically made from cornflakes and covered in chocolate icing

Banger – sausage, as in bangers and mash

Bickies – biscuits

Biscuits – cookies

Brekkie – breakfast

Bring a plate – bring a dish of food to be shared

Buttie – Sandwich made from buttered bread

BYO (Bring Your Own) – A BYO restaurant is a one that allows you to bring your own wine to drink with your meal.

Candy floss – cotton candy

Cervena – farmed deer meat; venison is from a hunted deer

Cheerios – cocktail sausages

Chip – small box of berries

Chips – crisps

Chips – deep fried slices of potato but much thicker than a french fry

Chippie – potatoes chip

Chocolate fish
– chocolate coated marshmallow candy fish

Chook – chicken

Cordial – syrup that is diluted to make a fruit flavored drink

Courgette – zucchini

Eye filletbeef tenderloin

Fat Chips – fried in fat, such as duck fat

Cuppa – cup of tea, as in cuppa tea. Not coffee.

Dunny – toilet

Entree – appetizer, hors d’oeurve

Feed – A meal

Fizzy drink – soda pop

Greasies – fish and chips, popular takeaway meal

Handle – pint of beer

Hen fruit – eggs

Hotdog – corndog in local fast food shops

Iceblock – popsicle, Ice Stick

Jafa – popular sort of small orange flavored candy with a chocolate center

Jar – glass of beer

Kai – food (Maori origin)

Kai moana – sea food (Maori origin)

Knuckle sandwhich – a fist in the teeth, punch in the mouth

Lamington – sponge cake cube, coated in icing, covered in dried coconut

Lolly – candy

Main – primary dish of a meal

Mince – Ground meat

Maori roast – fish and chips

Narna – banana

Paua – abalone

Pav or pavola – dessert usually topped with kiwifruit and cream

Pikelet – small pancake usually had with jam and whipped cream

Pinky bar – popular chocolate covered pink marshmallow candy bar

Pipi edible shell

Plonk – cheap liquor, cheap wine

Pudding – dessert

Rock melon – cantaloupe

Sammie – sandwich

Scrogin – trail mix of nuts and raisins

Scull – consume, drink quickly

Serviette – paper napkin

Shandy – drink made with lemonade and beer

Shark and taties – fish and chips

Shout To – treat your friends to something such as a drink or a meal

Shout – to treat, to buy something for someone, as in “lunch is my shout”

Smoko – Coffee or tea break

Snarler – sausage

Steinie – bottle of Steinlager, brand lager

Stubby – small glass bottle of beer

Tea – evening meal, dinner

Tomato sauce – Ketchup

Tucker – Food

Vegemite – popular spread, made from yeast extract, imported from Australia

Veges – vegetables

Zed – How Kiwis pronounce the letter “Z”

Dining at SKYCITY, Auckland, New Zealand