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Luxury Goes Exploring

Radisson Seven Seas Voyager adds lots of chocolate to itinerary

By Arvin Steinberg

Chocoholics in great numbers marched aboard the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager to indulge in its annual "chocolate cruise". Pounds and pounds of chocolate and caviar were  added to its recent Caribbean journey. There were guest chefs creating chocolate recipes, dinners, and buffets.  Chocolate makers were discussing the origin of the product and its many benefits, and best of all, there was plenty of chocolate to taste.

A seasoned cruiser, with more than 50 cruises under my sea legs, this was my first time on the Radisson Seven Seas Voyager and I must say I was impressed. One word can sum up my voyage on this vessel -- Luxurious! This 350-all suite, all with private balconies, ship reigns supreme when it comes to service. Most of the suites have butler service. How nice it is to have a butler make dinner reservations for you, shine your shoes, serve you canapés in late afternoon, and take care of any special requests when on board.

Also luxurious are the staterooms, with their king-size beds, soft, cozy bedding, walk-in closets, marble bathrooms with bathtubs and separate showers, TV and CD players, refrigerator stocked with soft drinks and an in-suite bar set-up with your favorite liquors, personal safe and more. We were able to enjoy cable TV throughout the cruise, and received a condensed world-newsletter each morning. For a small extra charge, a full newspaper would be delivered to your suite.

My wife especially enjoyed the hair dryer that was supplied because it wasn’t connected to the wall so she could use it in the well-lighted mirror in the living room and she loved the high-end Aveda toiletries supplied in our suite.

We visited some interesting ports-of -call including San Juan, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but on the days we were at sea I found there was plenty to keep me occupied on board. A good workout with state-of -the-art equipment in the exercise room was a great way to begin the day. I attended several interesting enrichment lectures delivered by speakers highly experienced in their fields. Also, it was exciting trying my luck in the casino. Although I was never much into drinking tea, one of my favorite parts of the day was tea time. It was so relaxing -- almost like a tranquilizer. There was always live music played by  a classical guitarist or an accomplished pianist. And you couldn't beat the delectable scones with fresh cream and a bountiful buffet of sweets. But there were also sweet surprises. One day it was chocolate desserts and the next it was a waiter making bananas flambé.    

And for those who wanted to just read a book with no music, the Observation Lounge was a quiet place to have tea. The music accompaniment was in the Horizon Lounge.

The venues for dining on the ship were also top-notch. For starters, if you sail on the Raddison Voyager, immediately make reservations or ask your butler to do so for you at the excellent French restaurant, Signatures, operated exclusively under the auspices of chefs of the famed Le Cordon Bleu of Paris. The menu is presented in the classic a la carte tradition. You can choose from appetizers such as escargot and finish with a chocolate soufflé with fine-tuned French cuisine in-between.

Another one of our favorite places to dine was the Italian Steakhouse, where reservations are not necessary. Here, we enjoyed a myriad of Italian dishes from antipasto and minestrone soup to grilled lamb chops and lobster tails with garlic and tomatoes. All dinners were served with polenta, roast potatoes and white wine braised vegetables.

Desserts included everything from Tiramisu to Plumes Flambé, prepared tableside. In all restaurants on the ship, wine was included with every meal and carefully suggested with the aid of a wine steward. Also in all restaurants the waiters were courteous and attentive. Even at a buffet table, they insisted on carrying your plate to your table.

Reservations must be made for Latitudes, a restaurant offering an elegant presentation of Vietnamese cooking and modern French cooking. The menu is served family style and includes a variety of appetizers, entrees and desserts. The entire menu is served to guests, allowing diners to sample wonderful creations such as Lemon Grass Infused Creamy Pumpkin Soup; Grilled Lobster Tail with Lime Leaves, Carrots, Apples and Curry; Braised Chicken in Coconut Milk; and Garlic Orange Sherry Marinated Rack of Lamb. The dining room was elegant in décor, dimly lit, with several cozy corners to enjoy a romantic dinner.

There was also the convenient pool grill that was open for lunch by the pool everyday.

The main dining room on ship is the Compass Rose. Its menu not only included  Low Carb, and Light and Healthy selections, but also included a no-salt added menu, a real feat for a chef on land or sea. Today, with all of the health concerns of too much salt in the diet, it was a pleasant surprise to see a no salt added menu on the ship. I tried some of the items on the no salt added menu in the Compass Rose and found them to be delicious in spite of the fact that no salt was added. Dinner was served in the Compass Rose between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. There was also in-suite dining available from the room service menu. I took advantage of this most mornings ordering breakfast in my suite, of course served to me by my butler.

Guest chefs on the cruise added an educational element to the voyage as I learned how to prepare a few interesting recipes. Sometimes I  putter around in the kitchen so I attended some of the cooking demonstrations. Chef James Reaux, executive chef of the Boca Raton Resort & Club, was one of the guest chefs on board. His interpretation of Rack of Lamb with Chocolate Sauce was delicious and not difficult to make. I made sure that I tucked that recipe under my arm and packed it away in my suitcase to try when I got home.   

I’m not a bridge player, but there were a lot of serious bridge players on this cruise. A separate room was dedicated to the bridge players and several of them told me that this line caters to them.

The ship had a well-stocked library with DVD’s as well as books and a computer room with several computers, so there was never a wait to log on at sea.

The exercise room on ship was more than ample for the amount of passengers. There were several treadmills and state-of-the-art equipment , yoga and dance classes, and a list of other activities were offered at sea.

The spa on the ship featured Carita products from Paris and numerous facial treatments and massages for women including a four hands royal massage with two therapists rhythmically working on your body at the same time. There was also a fully staffed beauty salon offering treatments for women and for men. There was a fitness facial for men, royal hands and heat treatment, sports massage and hot towel facial.                   

Entertainment on the ship was excellent and varied. The staff on board performed Broadway type musical entertainment in the lovely Constellation Theater. The theater was one of the most beautiful of any ship with good sight lines from all seats. I also enjoyed the local entertainment that was brought in during our port-of-call at San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Yes, the food on the ship was sensational. And so was the chocolate. You could even have caviar everyday if you wanted it! You could also order lobster everyday if that was your choice. But what really made this ship special was the staff. They were courteous and caring and anticipated your every need. And this is a non-tipping ship. Radisson Seven Seas Voyager made it clear throughout the cruise that no tips were expected.

There were not many children on the cruise. The ship caters to the seasoned-senior traveler, providing the best possible experience at sea for the luxury travel market. 

Photos by Arvin Steinberg

For more information about Radisson Seven Seas Cruise Line, call 800-285-1835 or log on to: www.rssc.com

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