Blue Riband aboard Princess of Scandinavia
Crossing between Newcastle, UK to Kristiansand, Norge
It took its name from the World of Blue Riband of the Atlantic award given to the passenger ship that made the fastest Atlantic crossing and the record holding ship would fly a blue pennant in its topmast, until a newer and faster ship took over.
The deck of Princess of Scandivavia while crossing the North Sea
DFDS seaway the ferry company was one of the largest steamship company and participated in the busy cargo and passenger transport between Europe and in America. Crossing the Atlantic in the old days gave the passengers a chance to socialize and the steamships enables to give them the element of luxury and leisure. DFDS sailed its final American steamship in 1935 and the steam has long gone… but something good remained from that era.
The sense of real luxury at sea, the excellent food and wine, in which M and I truly experience when we crossed the North Sea.
I chose the KOKMASTAREN REKOMMENDERAR , the Chef’s recommendation.
My first course was Bouillabaisse served with toast and aioli. I expected the French way of bouillabaisse where the soup is almost creamy, but this the Scandinavian way. It has mussels, shrimps, scallops on a light tomato paprika broth. The toast was full of garlic flavour and I had two aioli one is mild and the other with strong garlic flavour. Guess which one I savoured?
Beef Tournedos
It was followed with tournedos (a beef steak cut from the tenderloin). It was served with deep fried onion rings, homemade French fries sprinkled with coarse sea salt and béarnaise sauce.
Béarnaise is a classic French sauce, made with the reduction of vinegar wine, tarragon and shallots and finished with egg yolk and butter. Not for those who count calories!
I finished my meal with Mjolkchoklad mousse, served with mandarin sauce. The base of the mousse was chocolate puffs the breakfast cereals. This must be common here up in the Nordic countries, one restaurant in our area served choc mousse based with corn flakes!
Chocolate Mousse
M went for smoked breast of duck to start with, with a surprising fish of the day to follow. It was salmon and when it came it made us oh and ah. Salmon terrine wrapped with nori, sea weeds with saffron sauce with fish stock based. It was served with potato parisien.
The dinner was accompanied with some jazz music from the piano and a bottle of GEWURTZTRAMINER, Puntay Estate of the Alto Ridge region of Trentino North Italy, which has a deep golden colour with hints of grapefruits and mango. Crisp, fresh and tasty
Gewurtz in german means spicy and the wine produces a pungent perfumy smell and its sweetness varies in degree. This wine can be expensive too that sometimes M jokes to me that I have an expensive taste!
It was indeed a crossing that worth the experience.
The Blue Riband Restaurant aboard the Princess of Scandinavia was truly worth the experience
Wow, mouth-watering meals. Is that just an overnight crossing, Sha?
I have also travelled abourd the Princess and the food in the Blue Riband was excellent. I don’t remember what it was I ate, nor did I know at the time I don’t think! It was excellent, as were the staff aboard the vessel.