Hello all! I just got back home from a wonderful trip on board Infinity to Panama Canal. I promised I'd update so here I am.
Islandran: Infinity sailed this morning after our debarkation. She's headed to Ensenada enroute to Hawaii for the next 9 days then she'll be headed to Panama again I believe.
George: I brought my own laptop for the trip. Celebrity will give you a CD-Rom for the Connect@Sea software as well as a special internet ready phone. The cost is $200 for the two weeks ($100 for 7 day cruises) plus $200 for the deposit on the phone. You will get a credit back on your account once you return the phone to Guest Relations.
I last left off with the review of the SS United States Specialty Restaurant. Here are some of my observations:
1) Menu Selection: At first I was a little disappointed that the menu didn't have as many choices for Appetizer, Soup, Salad, Entrees and Desserts as the main dining room. At the SS, you just chose a soup or salad, entree, and dessert. However, they did have a couple of surprise Appetizers for us. It was escargot in a wonderfully delicious wine sauce. This was my first attempt at escargot and I'd have to say that if they didn't tell me what it was, I would have ate the whole thing and never known. I did try it but I couldn't mentally get over the fact that it was escargot.
The theme is built around a four course meal and I'd have to say that if there were more courses, I would not have finished all of them.
2) First Course: I chose a goat cheese soufle. This is a MUST HAVE! Normally this would not have been my first choice but it came very highly recommended by the restaurant manager. The soufle was so light and creamy...nothing I'd ever experienced before or will ever forget.
3) Second Course: Because we went to the restaurant on the last formal night, I chose a lobster that was their specialty just for that night. It was delicious however, I should have tried their other normal selections as others at my table did. The restaurant had rissoto, chicken, fish, lamb, and beef entrees.
4) Third Course: Cheese couse. You'll choose from a wide variety of french cheeses. My suggestion, be daring and try something you've never tried before. They have mild, medium, strong, and super strong selections. They complement the cheeses with a selection of fruits, vegetables, and crackers.
5) Fourth Course: Dessert. Hands down, the one to get is the selection of 6 bite size specialty desserts. By the time we got to this, we had already been in the restaurant for nearly 3 hours and I was full beyond belief. They also brought out a selection of petite fors that were marvelous.
6) Wait Staff: Dining was as if you were in the middle of a production. They serve all the guests at your table at the same time rather than waiting for the waiter to serve the next person. They also clear all the dishes at the same time. Interesting but a little too much service.
7) Tipping: No extra tips were expected by the staff. Everything except beverages (bottled water, sodas, wines) was included in the $25.
Bottom line, it was well worth the extra charges. I would have wanted to go back a second time had we gone to the restaurant earlier in the cruise. The restaurant doesn't take anything away from the regular dining room at all but rather expands your choices to an even higher level of dining.
As I mentioned earlier, I just got home. Debarkation was very smooth. I suggest waiting on the 4th floor lounges until your group is called. We debarked on the 3rd floor so we didn't have far to travel.
I hope you've learned a little more from what to expect from Infinity. It was well worth it!
-Alma
