Our sail on Sea Cloud Spirit continued from Corsica to Marseille, France was a bit rocky and very windy.
Unfortunately, the wind and seas were hitting on the beam (across the ship, so the bow couldn’t cut through the waves), resulting in some dreaded yawl…the thing that can lead to seasickness. Nonetheless, it gave me an opportunity to get some work done – as there was no way to comfortably be out on deck – before our arrival into Marseille, France late in the day. It would be a short stay as we were scheduled to depart the next day at 1:00 PM.
It was, to be honest, nice to be sheltered from the high winds and sea that caused us to miss both Bastia, Corsica and San Remo, Italy. However, there really wasn’t much time to enjoy Marseille before Michelin Star Chef Michael Collantes’ Five Course Dinner, so I figured I would head out in the morning before the ship departed for Palamos, Spain. It wound up being a good decision as the rain started to fall. (My last time in Marseille, I arranged a day of wine tastings and a paired lunch in Chateau-nuf-du-Pape. Unfortunately, not enough time for a repeat. And we left too early for me to enjoy authentic bouillabaisse.)
Chef Michaels’ dinner was excellent and creative, combining his Filipino heritage, his famous Japanese cuisine, and some more North American culinary approaches.
- Seared Tuna with Black Truffle Ponzu, Caviar and Daikon
- Ginatine Pumpkin Soup with Coconut, Pumpkin, Vadouvan Spice and Shrimp
- Pork Belly Adobo Atchara Salad
- Filet Bistek Tagalog with Black Garlic Calamansi Demi-Glace and Truffled Roast Potatoes
- OR Seared Scallops with Ginger, Scallion Oil, Chili Garlic, and Bok Choy
- OR Truffle Mushroom Risotto
- Ube Cheesecake
These dishes were paired with a number of interesting and appropriate wines. None of them made me go “Wow,” but all of them were solid.
Of course, I ordered the steak and the mushroom risotto, and they were outstanding. (By the way, after my ridiculous risotto experience on Oceania Riveria, I did have a bit of PTSD, which, fortunately, was immediately quelled!)
After dinner, a few of us, including Chef Michael, decided to hit the town of Marseille, starting out with the same bar many of the crew went to. After buying them some beers and cocktails, it was time to move on. And move on we did! I shall say no more than I and one other person arrived back at the ship at 4:40 AM with bags filled with food for the crew. (We have long discussed what the cuisine was, and we are not sure if was Indian, Pakistani – my vote – or just the only place that was open at 4:00 AM. Regardless, it was delicious…at least in our then state!)
Needless to say, my plan of getting up early and hitting the Marseille fish market didn’t happen, but I was up for lunch and the sailaway! Unfortunately, with the extreme winds on the bow, there was no way to hoist the sails. Heck, being on deck was a challenge! That also meant that lunch and dinner would be served inside.
With so many meals being served in the Restaurant, much of the flair and fun of the on-deck buffets with their ala minute cooking and interaction with the staff…as well as the dining under the sails feeling… was lost. It also, unfortunately, exposed some weaknesses. When dining on the Lido, you can time your meals, and North Americans generally dine faster than the German guests, as the meal is not considered the afternoon’s or evening’s entertainment but only a part of it. In the Restaurant, dining is basically timed, so it becomes a drawn-out affair.
There needs to be some simple things being always available, modified if it is lunch or dinner, and it needs to be published on the menus. For example, there are no hamburgers (hence, no test), chicken breasts, pasta, and Caesar salads as always available options.
I do have to mention that the ship’s executive chef wasn’t fully engaged (unlike my last sailing), and it showed…especially with a Michelin Star chef onboard. This resulted in some dishes – including two during the Farewell Gala – that were inedible and others (both in the Restaurant and Lido buffet) that were overcooked and/or unappetizingly presented. The inconsistency between amazing, solid, and then WTF was disappointing…even if the vast majority of the offerings were enjoyable.
Anyway, our next port to Palamos, Spain the famous Costa Brava. As it was Spain and it was off-season, Palamos was a sleepy little town with little open before 1:00 PM (only to close again at 3:00 PM for siesta!). Nonetheless, I wandered the town in the morning and then returned about 12:30 PM to meet up with Sea Cloud’s VP, Kevin Smith, for lunch at a Michelin-noted restaurant, Les Salinera. We sat about 10 minutes before opening and enjoyed a vermouth cocktail and then ordered Mixed Clams and Razor Clams, Tomato Bread with Jamon, and Seafood Paella.
Chef Michael, his wife, and another couple sat down next to us and basically said, “I order what Eric ordered.” Wait a second! Shouldn’t I be ordering what a Michelin-star chef orders?
Then, a quiet German couple sat at the table on our other side. They pretty much ordered everything we didn’t order. So we ordered the bacalao croquettes.
And then we wanted more razor clams, but they ordered the last ones…so we ordered more clams to mix in our remaining paella rice. (Boy, that was exceptional, with the amazing light but delicious olive oil and garlic mixed with the smokiness of the paella!)
After a wander to a not-so-good beach bar, it was back to Sea Cloud Spirit, but not before stopping at an afternoon fish market and some of Palamos’s famous red shrimp!
The next day was disembarkation day for everyone else. But Sea Cloud’s VP invited me to stay onboard another day, as the next sailing was overnighting in Barcelona, Spain and the America’s Cup races between New Zealand and the U.K. were on. I mean, how could I say, “No”?
It was a rainy morning, but I did take a wander around Barcelona. Much of the city was closed, not for the America’s Cup but for the National Day. I came to find out that it was – as it used to be in the United States – a day celebrating Columbus finding the New World. That meant La Boqueria – my favorite market in the world – was closed..and so was my anticipated lunch. Oh well.
I wandered about trying to get a peak of the America’s Cup yachts, but was frustrated…until I headed back to the Sea Cloud Spirit and had a fantastic view of the yachts prepping and then heading out to the race course…right in front of MB92 – where I had spent way too many days overseeing superyacht refits.
It was then lunchtime, so I headed out with Sea Cloud’s VP for some pintxos (tapas) and squid in its own ink, tripe, and black pudding.
With the sky clearing, I spent some quality time just sitting on a chair just in front of the wheelhouse, watching the sailboats and superyachts cruising by.
I have to be honest; as much as my life as a lawyer in that industry almost killed me, I do miss that portion of it.
That evening, a few of us headed over to one of my favorite restaurants: Los Caracoles. I had requested a table in the kitchen, which hasn’t changed all that much since it opened in 1835.
We enjoyed some wine before sitting at our table at the well-worn bar. Years ago it had casks of wine that you would drink from as you waited. Now, they are gone, but the wait for your table as you smell the aromas wafting out of the kitchen is the same.
I had two of my favorites: Snails and Sucking Pig followed by a wonderful dessert.
With my time on Sea Cloud Spirit coming to an end, but without the need to rush off the ship, it gave me some time just to wander and reflect. I truly love my experiences on Sea Cloud Spirit. It needs a few tweaks…just tweaks…to make it more attractive to the North American market. And, to be sure, it is something special.
But just like everything special, she must be appreciated for what she is. She needs those who love sailing or who want to experience sailing and who are content kicking back and just enjoying the sea.
Sea Cloud Spirit is not a cruise ship…But oh, what a ship she is!
