We slowly arrived on the Space Coast early in the morning. As we began to dock, the Disney Dream and Carnival Sensation came into view, both docked on a turnaround day. Today would be a busy day, there was no time to disembark and tour the area.
My morning began with a small breakfast from the Calumet Buffet. I sampled a bit of everything again, grabbing some eggs, a bagel, a croissant, and a few other bakery items. As expected, the meal was delicious. Plus, with a aft facing view of the port and the Disney Dream, I had a cool view as well.
About an hour later, it was time to attend the key and plaque exchange ceremony between the Captain of the MSC Divina and the CEO of Port Canaveral. For those who may not know, the plaque exchange is a ceremonial event held when a cruise ship visits a new port for the first time. The exchanged plaques are then displayed somewhere onboard the ship and somewhere in the port’s offices. The ceremony was brief, but it was cool to be a part of the MSC Divina’s history in North America.
Lunch finally rolled around and today would be a very special lunch. Today, the MSC Divina officially opened her new restaurant, Eataly. After a ceremonial ribbon cutting, the restaurant was open for business. Today’s lunch would be served to our large group of press members – needless to say there were a lot of cameras and notepads at the table. My first course was served, a prosciutto and greens plate. Next up, a delicious and savory pasta dish with shrimp, calamari, and scallops. Finally, the main course: A warm, tender sirloin accompanied by a baked potato and cooked mushrooms. While I was already very full, the sirloin had to be tasted, and it did not disappoint. Out of the many steaks I’ve had at sea, the steak served in the Divina’s Eataly easily makes the top 5 list. The steak itself was very tender, packed with flavor, and cooked perfectly. It was the perfect way to end my meal at Eataly.
The afternoon continued on with me shooting video footage around the ship for my upcoming video tour.
Later that evening, after a press cocktail reception, it was time for yet another meal. I was not as excited for dinner that evening, as I was still full from the afternoon’s meal at Eataly. I stuck to a very basic order: chilled watermelon soup and roast beef. While I was still full, I did taste both courses and they were both delicious as expected. My dinner was soon concluded with a cruise ship favorite- baked Alaska and the parade. Waiters were soon marching around the restaurant, cakes aflame, and serving us tasty pieces of chilled cake. It was a perfect way to end a busy day and I can’t wait for a relaxing day at Great Stirrup Cay on Friday.
Mike is currently sailing aboard a 3 night preview Bahamas sailing onboard MSC Cruise’s MSC Divina.
