Day 10 - Road Town, Tortola
December 7, 2018 - Today, Silver Spirit is docked in Road Town, Tortola, one of the British Virgin Islands.
Having been to Road Town before (even though not at this part of the island), we decided to do a little discovering on our own and shop for some local souvenirs. At the end of the pier, there is an information kiosk where Rickee inquired about shopping opportunities for souvenirs.
Tourist Information Kiosk
As soon as you exit the security gates, you are entering a purpose-built cruise shopping area. Here you will find Diamonds International, et al. It is a very nice, albeit a little sterile, shopping area.
Rickee learned that by exiting the shopping center, turning left and walking down the street, there are some local merchants selling souvenirs. So, off we go, hoping to find what we are looking for. About a mile down the street, we found a sign that looked promising.
Soon, we came upon a series of brightly colored huts with vendors selling all sorts of souvenirs.
Most of the local vendors sell the same things: colorful beach coverups, beach bags, t-shirts, magnets, etc. All of the vendors were very nice. After we purchased a Christmas ornament, we walked back to Silver Spirit, pleased that we got our exercise for the day.
Silver Spirit Docked in Road Town
Back on board, we went to our favorite new spot for lunch or a snack, The Arts Cafe. While most everyone else is dining at La Terrazza, The Pool Grill or Atlantide, we go where the crowd is the smallest. At lunchtime, The Arts Cafe serves a very nice selection of delicious sandwiches (Rickee loves the tomato, cucumber and cheese), little glass pots filled with a variety of salads, and fresh soups. I decided to try the chicken noodle soup, served in a big glass jar. It was really good!
This afternoon, we humiliated ourselves at Team Trivia. Here's a tip: If you play trivia on Silversea, join a team with a Brit, an Australian and a doctor. Avoid Texans if at all possible.
We went to the 6:30 show in the Venetian Lounge, "Cabaret: Glitz & Glamour," featuring Aimée Lake. This was the first time we have seen Ms. Lake perform on Silversea and we were very impressed. She sang tunes from female greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland.
Aimée Lake
After Ms. Lake's excellent performance, we were running a little late for our 7:00pm reservation at The Grill for our Hot Rocks dinner. We have enjoyed the Hot Rocks experience a few times on other Silversea ships, and have always found it to be something you have to do at least once per cruise. The weather outside is absolutely perfect this evening as we arrive at The Grill on the pool deck.
Pool Deck set up for Hot Rocks
As soon as we are seated, a waiter arrives with a platter of tortilla chips with a variety of dipping sauces, and a basket of bread. We were offered a choice of the red or white wine being served this evening. Instead, we requested the Bogle Merlot, which we have become fans of on this cruise, and a bottle was quickly brought to our table.
The Hot Rocks concept is basically one where you get to cook your own protein on a 400+ degree stone (or, rock). The three-course meal starts with a salad of your choosing. I chose the Classic Caesar Salad.
Caesar Salad
After the salad plates are cleared, we are each given an apron to wear. This is to prevent anything from splattering onto our clothes during the cooking process.
Soon, a cart arrives with our "hot rocks", which are placed in front of us along with any side dishes ordered. These rocks are VERY hot, so don't touch!
Next, our meat selections are placed on the stones and begin to sizzle immediately. It is not difficult to get a nice sear on both sides of a steak, like Rickee's Filet Mignon.
My lamb chops were about half as thick as Rickee's steak, so they cooked to Medium Rare in about four minutes. Rickee's steak took about eight minutes to reach Medium Rare.
Both the steak and the lamb were delicious. A choice of tempting desserts is offered at the end of the main course, but we were too full to try any of them. The Hot Rocks experience is one every Silversea guest should try at least once per cruise.
Tomorrow, Silver Spirit will be in Semana, Dominican Republic.
