Thursday, September 18th – Sea Day
Well, we’re on our way to our last island stop before Australia — Noumea, New Caledonia.
Tonight, for dinner, I finally broke down and had the Chocolate Melting Cake. CMC is 
a daily fixture on the menu and when my sister-in-law, Brenda, cruises with us, she has it EVERY night. Quite the chocoholic!
Knowing you can have the CMC anytime frees you to enjoy all the other delectable specialty desserts, several different ones each night – cherries jubilee, cream cakes, brulees, pies, and a million different ways to prepare all the fresh tropical fruits. Yum!
Dessert is an experience, but for me it doesn’t hold a candle to the appetizers, salads, soups, and entrees offered—probably because I’m stuffed by the time the sweets course rolls 
around. The meals Carnival offers are fabulous—gourmet every one. From Chateaubriand, prime rib, filet mignon, seafood Newburgh, shrimp fettuccine, pork, beef, veal, chicken, ribs, fish—continental breakfast, omelets, to-order grills, buffets, a coffee bar, lunch buffets, lunch in the dining room, afternoon tea, evening buffets, dinner buffets, midnight buffets, pizza-24-hours, ice cream 24-hours, not to mention room service. There’s also a specialty steakhouse (it costs extra) you can enjoy for surf ‘n turf. Oh yeah, there’s also the “DIDJA” treats – as in did you ever try this? Escargot, alligator fritters, frog legs, and on and on.
It’s no wonder the cruise administrators claim the average passenger gains a pound a day! You could literally eat non-stop for the entire cruise!
Not me. I learned long ago to control hedonism like this … or it will control you.
I’m an early riser, but then who wouldn’t be when you set your clock back every other day? It’s oatmeal and fruit for me, and maybe one cup of coffee. (Their coffee is so strong I swear it will take the hair right off your chest, or maybe put hair on it.) Lunch might be a sandwich from the 
deli, a hot dog from the grill, or a slice of pizza. Dinner is where I spend my calories (refer to the incredible menu I mention above!). Wine with dinner and water. Lots of water. No sodas and no tea. Even the chocolates they place on your pillow when turning down the bed each evening is off limits, at least until we get back home. We’ll have a whole bagful from this trip.
Can’t wait to see what gastronomic delights we get to try in Sydney!
