Day 5 - Tobago

This morning, Star Pride is anchored in Man-O-War Bay, Tobago. It is very warm and sunny today, much like the rest of the cruise has been so far.

Anchored off the coast of Tobago

I think it is safe to say that this particular itinerary is very appealing to the snorkeling and SCUBA crowd. We can overhear many of the guests telling stories of their snorkeling adventures. In our attempt to engage in water sports, we visited the ship's Marina in hopes of doing some kayaking around the ship. The main Marina was closed, but a smaller platform was open on the port side of the ship.

Mini-marina open on port side

The marina attendant mentioned that the current was a little strong today for kayaking and that we might be better off waiting until tomorrow. We decided to wait. Rickee has been talking about trying out the paddleboard. I will have the video camera at the ready should she take the leap.

We decided to make our way back up to the pool deck where we found a couple of open loungers to enjoy the warm morning sun (or shade, in my case). Our loungers were on the port side of the pool deck, where smoking is allowed. A lit cigar soon sent us seeking refuge in another location. Instead of going to lunch in Veranda today, we thought we would try out the ship's room service. Rickee found some sandwiches in the Yacht Club (Deck 8) to her liking, along with some deliciously cute strawberry cupcakes.

Strawberry cupcakes from the Yacht Club

I placed an order with Room Service for a cheeseburger and fries. Now, you may ask why we would want to stay in our suite for lunch today. I will give you a hint: it is Sunday. Still can't figure it out? Another hint, we are from Dallas. Seriously, you don't get it? The Cowboys are playing today! I was able to figure out a way to listen to the game live over my laptop using the ship's Internet. Now, why they did not have the game on the ship's TV, I cannot tell you. They seem to figure out how to get that European soccer on the TV. Seriously, who watches that? I may have to talk with the Captain about getting the Cowboy came on Thanksgiving day.

Nevertheless, my burger arrived hot and delicious. They actually have a very good burger and fries here. I enjoyed my burger while we listened to our Cowboys defeat the Baltimore Ravens. Now THAT's how you spend a Sunday on a cruise ship!

Star Pride in Man-O-War Bay, Tobago

After the game, we started getting ready for the Yacht Club Reception (repeater's party) to be held in Compass Rose. We arrived right on time at 6:00pm. Glasses of wine and champagne were waiting our arrival, along with 60 other loyal Windstar guests.

Wine and champagne await Yacht Club Members

Rickee quickly selected a glass of champagne and I was able to order a Crown Royal at the bar. A waitress came by with a tray of hors d'oeuvres.

Rickee does love her sparkling wine!

The Captain, Hotel Manager, Chief of Housekeeping, Guest Services Manager and Gonzalo (Voyage Leader) were all on hand to greet and visit with guests. Entertainment was provided by Mistura Fina. The cocktail party is Windstar's way of thanking their loyal repeat guests. It was a very nicely-done repeater's party. After the party, we walked down to Deck 2 where we visited Amphora Restaurant for the first time this cruise. We were pleasantly surprised to find the venue to look completely renovated. We were quickly seated at a table for two and the Maitre 'd noticed that Rickee was wearing black slacks. He replaced her white napkin with a black one to match! I don’t think that I have ever seen that attention to detail before.

Rickee gets a black napkin

For dinner this evening, I ordered the crab cake starter and Rickee had the French Onion Soup. Both were very good. In fact, my crab cake was much better than the one I had last week at Pinnacle Grill on Holland America!

Crab cake appetizer

For a main course, I ordered the Osso Bucco and Rickee had the Asian Sesame Crusted Tuna with Soy-Lime Reduction. My Osso Bucco was very good, but Rickee's tuna stole the show. The tuna was covered with black and white sesame seeds, perfectly seared Medium Rare and served atop creamy Wasabi mashed potatoes. It was the standout dish of the night!

Sesame-crusted seared tuna in soy-lime reduction

Our first visit to Amphora certainly won't be our last. So far, we have been very impressed with the food quality on this cruise. It has far exceeded our expectations.

About to enjoy a great dinner at Amphora

Tomorrow, Star Pride will be in Mayreau for the signature Beach BBQ.