Day 16 - An Extra Day At Sea
Ship: Princess Cruise's’ Sun Princess
Itinerary: 16-Night Transatlantic - Southampton to Fort Lauderdale
This morning I go to Guest Services again, this time to get Rickee’s medallion replaced as it is no longer working. There is a long line of guests with questions about the cruise arrival delay due to the hurricane. Most are concerned about how to rebook flights. I can overhear several staff members assure guests that if they booked their flights through EZ Air (Princess’ air department), that their flights would be rebooked automatically and at no additional cost. Fortunately, we did book through EZ Air when we booked this cruise. We also opted for the Princess travel insurance which covers delays and cancellations.
The Line at Guest Services - Deck 6 Forward
I should mention that I had several minutes to observe how Princess Guest Services handled questions and I was quite impressed. Also, instead of making guests wait in a long line, Guest Services staff actually went into the line to answer questions. They are handling this situation very well.
This morning, Rickee and I decided to have breakfast at Horizon’s Dining Room on Deck 6 aft.
Horizon's Dining Room on Deck 6
Rickee started with a Bloody Mary, which she seemed to really enjoy.
Bloody Mary
This afternoon, we could see Fort Lauderdale from our balcony as the Captain positioned the ship as close as possible to allow a US Coast Guard helicopter to approach the ship for a medical evacuation of a critically ill guest. This actually made national news later in the day, even though it was portrayed inaccurately and sensationalized by the press…typical.
Two other critically ill guests were also evacuated by boat to be taken to shore for medical attention. This once again emphasizes why it is so important to NEVER travel without trip insurance. And, make sure that your travel insurance covers medical evacuation costs, which can be exorbitant.
It is weird seeing Fort Lauderdale just five miles away and knowing that we can’t dock there. The weather does not look bad at all today, but, we know that a hurricane is about to hit. Once the medical evacuations were complete, the Captain heads the ship towards Cuba where we will remain at sea and out of the path of the storm.
Fort Lauderdale only 5 miles away
This evening, we head back to one of our favorite specialty dining venues, Sabatini’s Trattoria.
Menu at Sabatini's
Our meal begins with an Amuse Bouché of fried polenta with marinara sauce. Very good.
Polenta Amuse Bouché
Rickee orders her favorite specialty cocktail here: the Cello Drop. Basically, it is a lemon drop martini served in a rocks glass on ice.
Cello Drop
Rickee ordered the Sabatini Salad for her starter. She loved the Gorgonzola blue cheese and the balsamic dressing.
Sabatini Salad
My starter was the Antipasto Platter which is one of the best Antipasto plates I have had on any ship. The salami and hams were delicious as was the parmigiano reggiano.
Antipasto Platter
Rickee once again had the Beef Carpaccio as her second course. The paper-thin slices of raw beef are drizzled with a mustard aioli and topped with capers and Sicilian olives.
Beef Carpaccio
I deviated from my previous choice of Arancini and chose the Lobster Tortellini. I had been told that a normal order was three tortellini, so I asked for a double order, which they delivered. Honestly, I think I preferred the Arancini to the tortellini. The filling and the lobster had a very strong fishy smell and taste. This is was my only disappointment of the meal.
Lobster Tortellini
Rickee also deviated from her previous Lasagna order and went with the Spaghetti Carbonara. She did not care for it and I tried it and found it to be lacking flavor as well. The lasagna is the better choice here.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
My main course of Rack of Lamb was once again near perfect. This is an excellent choice at Sabatini’s.
Rack of Lamb
We skipped dessert this evening and went back to our stateroom to begin packing for the eventual trip home. Might as well get ahead of it!
Tomorrow, we will remain at sea, off the coast of Cuba, as we wait for the Hurricane to dissipate.
