The “Sky” Is The Limit

Last week I had the pleasure of enjoying my first true cruise experience.  I mean I really enjoyed it.  I was aboard the Norwegian Sky heading to the Bahamas (another first for me).  To say the least, the Bahamas were paradise and the ship was a pleasure to be on.  Many people these days say they would rather avoid going on cruises due to the idea of getting stranded out in the middle of the ocean… Don’t worry, I’ll cruise for you. 🙂
The “Freestyle Cruising” this ship provides gives people aboard the ship more lenience and options as to what they want to wear, when they would like to dine, and ultimately more comfort in general.  I am definitely a fan of this style of cruising and highly recommend it for those who like to enjoy everything a ship has to offer without having (much) time restriction and strictness of attire (of course in one or two places – one of which was the French restaurant we tried – there are some guidelines, but nothing crazy and still providing comfort).
The anticipation was killing me about the food on this ship because everyone I spoke to about their previous experiences had said they ate very, very well on any ship they had been on.  Well, the food my friends, was excellent on this one as well.
We started off the trip with lunch immediately after settling in a bit.
The first place we tried (I was lucky enough to be with my mother) ended up being our favorite on the ship and the one we returned to most: The Crossings.
They had breakfast, lunch and dinner, all of which we tried and loved.

Here we have some classic Summer Rolls, comprised of lettuce, cucumber, carrots, clear noodles, mint and a rice paper wrapping.  The sauce that was made to dip these into was delightful: A chili sauce with medium spice, pairing perfectly with the small amount of mint inside of the rolls to create a refreshing flavor combination with a tiny kick.  The crunch of the vegetables made it pleasurable to munch on and I must add that the portion was perfect for an appetizer.  This dish was approved.
Following this I ordered some baked mushrooms with goat cheese atop marinara sauce.

They were wonderful and also had great texture.  The mushrooms were not soggy at all, meaning they were dried off correctly and were not left to sit anywhere (mushrooms absorb a lot of water/liquid so its always best to dry them if you’re not marinating them for any specific purpose) and the marinara complimented the goat cheese amazingly.  That was another successful dish.
The beverage you see in the corner is a glass of Prosecco, delicious bubbly.
And finally to finish lunch I ordered a white chocolate mousse.  It was divine.  The flavor of the chocolate was pure and the texture of the mousse came out airy yet creamy.  The entire first lunch was amazing, from the service (the staff throughout the cruise was exceptional – friendly, sweet, kind, helpful, energetic and the list goes on and on) to the dishes brought to the table, everything was incredible.  A GREAT start to the cruise, most definitely.
As mentioned before we also did dinner at this restaurant and the results were almost as good.  The third night we were invited to the Captains table and I ordered mushroom ravioli in a three cheese sauce which I was a smidge disappointed in after such a delicious lunch the previous two days and a phenomenal pasta with pesto the preceding night.  The sauce began to cool long before it was brought out so when it was served it did not have the supposed consistency.  The flavor was good, but it lacked the heat necessary for it to have tasted complete.
All in all both my mother and I were very fond of this particular place, hence our almost every meal taking place in this dining room.
I cannot wait to go on my next cruise, and it will for sure be on a Norwegian ship because the staff made each experience, dining or not, every extra bit worth it.