Provisions Tour

About a week ago, there was a White Elephant Auction on board where passengers could bid on various items, and all the proceeds went to the Crew Welfare Fund -- a worthy cause!  We were lucky enough to enter the winning bid for a tour of the Provisions Department -- an area of the ship not usually open to passengers.  Today was the day we met the Food & Beverage Director for our visit.  It was absolutely fascinating!  All so organized and efficient.  We saw (literally!) tons of beef, lamb, chicken, veal, pork, seafood of all kinds, fresh produce, spices, canned goods, bakery supplies, dairy, and wine and liquor.  When we descended to the bowels of the ship to enter the stores, we were met with a glass of champagne before diving in to the storage rooms.  The collage shows:  Big picture:  The chief beverage manager showing us a bottle of Screaming Eagle wine which sells for $3,000.00!  Then working down from the top to the bottom, and then from right to left:  Our champagne welcome, some of the produce (carrots, onions, and some potatoes); another very pricey bottle of Louis XIII cognac which also sells for $3,000.00 per bottle, or $250 per snifter; some of the dazzling array of spices; a selection of champagnes; and finally the seafood room piled high with frozen lobster tails, tiger prawns, salmon, scallops, sole, trout, and pretty much every other type of shellfish or fish you can imagine.  We were also shown how the pallets of supplies are taken on board and then distributed to the appropriate store rooms -- an intricate system of hydraulic lifts and fork lifts, we gazed in awe at stacks of camembert and brie, yogurt, milk, cream, eggs, and butter in one refrigerated compartment, and of course Mr. W's favourite refrigerated section with great huge tubs of ice cream!

Tomorrow morning we will say farewell to our lovely floating home away from home, and then we will spend three days in Sydney before flying to the center of Australia to visit Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) for a couple of days, then one more night in Sydney before flying back to Boston on January 26th.