Aug 25

Aug 25 Day 6 - At Sea

While it is a fact that everyone loves exploring new and exotic destinations, most cruise enthusiasts also cherish relaxing days at sea. After all, you can sleep late since there are no morning excursions for which to ready yourself.

For breakfast this morning, I made a new discovery. Hidden underneath some parchment paper at the far end of the hot dish serving line are fried rice and Siu Mai Thai dumplings. Who knew? I suspect that Viking has these dishes on offer every day at breakfast for Asian guests. Personally, I much prefer fried rice and dumplings to eggs and bacon, which I can always get at home. The dumplings are filled with a mixture of pork and shrimp and they even offer Thai Sweet Chili sauce to drizzle on top! This is my new favorite breakfast.

After breakfast, I went back to my stateroom to work on my blog and I encountered my stateroom attendants in the hallway. Jerrick and his assistant, Fauzy, have both done an excellent job at keeping my stateroom clean and neat. They are always in the hallway smiling and greeting guests. Great job guys!

After my blogging is finished, I go down to Deck 1 and spend some quality time in the LivNordic spa. Unfortunately, the snow grotto is still under maintenance, but the steam room is working perfectly and I have the entire spa area to myself this morning!

After a morning of steam, hot tub, and relaxation, it’s time for lunch. It is amazing how much of an appetite I can work up doing nothing! I go back to World Cafe for a beef extravaganza. Two steak kabobs and two slices of roasted top sirloin, along with some green beans, should meet my low-carb needs. The kabobs were delicious. They were a perfectly-cooked medium rare and had the tenderness of a filet. The top sirloin, unfortunately, fell short. It was overcooked for my tastes and pretty dry. It is a lean cut of beef to begin with and, when you cook it well done, it can get really dry. The kabobs and green beans, however, were money!

I spent the afternoon relaxing in Explorer’s Dome (Deck 8 forward). This is a great place to get comfortable with a good book, or in my case my laptop, and enjoy a day at sea.

For dinner this evening, I return to Manfredi’s for my second meal there this week.

As you can see, even though Manfredi’s could be considered an upscale restaurant, it is still not too formal. There are no linen tablecloths here. Casual evening wear is acceptable attire.

The menu (below) is extensive and remains the same every day. However, there are daily specials that your waiter will explain before you order. There is no charge to dine at Manfredi’s and I can tell you that a restaurant of this caliber would cost you an additional $30 to $50 per person up-charge on other cruise lines.

Did you know? Manfredi’s is named after the founder of Silversea Cruises, Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, who just happens to be good friends with Viking founder Torstein Hagen.

The breads served with each meal at Manfredi’s are delicious, as is the aged Parmesan and olive oil with balsamic reduction. My only suggestion would be for them to add a French baguette to the bread basket assortment.

When my waiter explained the daily specials, he mentioned a “pasta of the day,” a mushroom-stuffed Tortellini served with a mushroom sauce. It sounded delicious, so I asked if I could get a small order as a starter. The two large Tortellini pictured below were some of the best I have ever eaten. In fact, the Tortellini were so good that I was tempted to cancel my Bistecca order and have the Tortellini as my main course.

When my Bistecca Fiorintina arrived, I knew I had once again made the correct choice. This is the best steak on any cruise ship, and better than most you will find on land. I think the cut might be slightly smaller in size compared to what was being served on my last Viking cruise, but the meat is no less tender or delicious. And, even if it is smaller, all that means is I leave less uneaten on the plate since it is still too large to finish.

I ordered two side dishes with my steak: sautèed cherry tomatoes and an order of creamed spinach. The tomatoes could have been sautèed a bit longer to bring out more sweetness. The dominant flavor was rosemary. The creamed spinach, however, was perfection.

Something I have never done before was try dessert at Manfredi’s. I was so stuffed that I could not even finish my steak, but the waiter insisted I try the Churros with chocolate dipping sauce. The little sticks of fried dough are covered in cinnamon and sugar, a good start for any dessert. The chocolate sauce was the consistency of Nutella. It was a good dessert, but again, I could not finish it.

Dinner at Manfredi’s is always the highlight of any Viking Ocean cruise for me. I think it is one of the best restaurants you will find on any cruise ship. After dinner, I need to burn off some of the calories consumed with this meal, so a walk around the deck is in order.

It is almost 8 o’clock and the sun is setting off the stern of Viking Orion, just as it rose off the bow early this morning.

I finish the evening with a cocktail, enjoying the stylings of the excellent pianist, Antal, as he fills the Atrium with beautiful music.

It has been a relaxing and enjoyable day aboard Viking Orion. Tomorrow, we will be docked again in Hamilton, Bermuda, and sadly, I will have to begin packing for the trip home.