Dining Aboard the Regent Seven Seas Navigator

Well after a little delay, my promised post about the food services available to the passengers on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator is ready to go.

The original plan was for me to have lunch in the Navigator’s steakhouse concept restaurant, Prime 7.

However, that did not come to pass. While I did not get to dine in the Prime 7 Steakhouse, my guide, Florian Kibgilka, the Food and Beverage Manager, toured me through the steakhouse.

Here is the table that I dreamed of sitting at.

The Navigator sources beef that is certified “prime” grade by the USDA. Their beef is from the finest Black Angus cattle and then dry aged for 28 days resulting in a tender texture and buttery taste.

When I perused the menu, I saw my dream meal; a Hearts of Romaine Caesar salad, Jumbo Lump Crab cakes and then…a 36 ounce Porterhouse steak that is carved table side. For a side I would have added the twice baked potato and a side of truffle fries. I’m in carnivore heaven.

Below is pictured the carving station for the prime rib. Beside it is the Hearts of Romaine salad prep cart.

Alas, my dream meal was not to be.

Until Florian said to me, “I hope you are hungry. Now we go for lunch.” You have to imagine that being spoken with a super-sexy German accent. Sort of like a kinder, gentler Terminator.

At any rate, we headed over to the Compass Rose for lunch. The Compass Rose is the Navigator’s main restaurant. It is a large room that can hold a couple hundred guests and yet nearly every table has a window view.

Usually the Compass Rose serves continental cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Kibgilka informed me that wherever possible, the kitchen acquires fresh, local ingredients. For instance, on the second night of the cruise out of Vancouver they are in Ketchikan Alaska where they will acquire a locally caught fish.

As we sat down Florian asked me what my pleasure was. I acknowledged his position as Food and Beverage Manager and told him that I would trust his discretion to order for both of us.

Before I even knew it, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was at our table. Shortly thereafter the Pacific Northwest Seafood Rendezvous arrived; prawns, crab meat, and scallops with three different sauces. I have to admit that the seafood appetizer was so delicious that I ate it before even thinking to take a picture of it.

Next was the roasted garlic and potato soup garnished with creme fraiche and herbed croutons. The garlic was roasted to a very subtle flavour so that it was an accent to the flavour of the soup, not an overwhelming influence.

I had our server add a grind of fresh pepper to the soup. To me the soup was a home-run; I was wondering how I could ask for seconds without seeming gauche.

Following the soup course came the main; broiled fresh local halibut fish fillet sitting on an artichoke-potato puree with scoops (from the world’s smallest ice cream scoop) of fresh seasonal veggies alongside. The sauce was a blood orange beurre blanc with a drizzle of basil oil in it for taste as well as visual appeal.

My halibut was cooked to perfection. The fish flaked apart perfectly revealing a lovely moist interior. The basil oil in the beurre blanc sauce added a stunning visual to the dish as well as added a unique flavour twist.

After the halibut had been served and consumed we prepared for dessert. To refresh my palate I had a lovely Cafe Americano. Then the dessert arrived.

Chocolate Trilogy; chocolate raspberry mousse, chocolate cherry sorbet and chocolate biscotti with ginger ganache. Wow, delicious, sensational, out-of-this world. Yes, I enjoyed it.

After completing the dessert course, I had to! I did not want to offend the chef, I enjoyed another Americano.

And then the friandises arrived.

Sadly, especially now as I look at the picture, I did not get a chance to sample the majority of these delicate treats. My mouth waters when I look at these tiny morsels.

And then we sat back, sipped our coffees and just let our meal settle.

So although I did not get to sample my dream-sized Porterhouse steak, I am all the more fortunate to have had the pleasure of dining at the Compass Rose. Not only was the food exquisite but the service was exceptional. My water glass was always full, my wine glass was topped up regularly; we were served professionally and discretely at all times.

So that was my visit to the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. Soon the Navigator will make its final journey of the season from Vancouver up to Alaska. After that final sailing out of Vancouver the Navigator will continue on from Alaska to Russia and down along the Russian coast and into the Asian ports of call…what a dream…ahhh…after one afternoon on the Navigator I am prepared to throw it all away and cruise into the sunset. The Navigator….what a ship…