In February, Hayden and I set out on our first ever cruise onboard the Marella Explorer 2 on their “Pride of Panama” and “Flavours of the Caribbean” itineraries.
As part of our cruise experience, I booked a table for the Great Musical Afternoon Tea, which takes place in the Dining Club, one of the speciality restaurants aboard the ship.
The Experience
Walking into the Dining Club, we were greeted by the wait staff and shown to our table, which held our menus and cute opera glasses (honestly, I was gutted they weren’t included as a souvenir!).
The Dining Club has views out to sea, which is stunning enough, but it was also beautifully decorated with show posters, which just tied it all together.
Shane entertained us on the piano, playing a range of musical numbers, and two members of the Broadway Show Lounge cast joined him for a few songs.
The Tea
When we were seated, a waiter took our drink orders. I opted for a pot of English Breakfast tea and a glass of Sparkling Kir, which is sparkling wine with crème de cassis, while Hayden chose the Pineapple Sunshine Mocktail, which had pineapple juice, orange juice, citrus mix, grenadine, and soda.
We started with some salted popcorn and a chilled strawberry and Cointreau soup. I was a bit unsure of it to begin with – I’d never heard of such a thing! I needn’t have worried, it was so lovely. It tasted like strawberry yoghurt, albeit not as thick, and was a wonderful way to whet the appetite.
The staff brought our afternoon tea stands to the song “Be Our Guest,” an absolute must for such an occasion. We had a stand each, one for my standard offering and an egg-free alternative for Hayden.
We enjoyed three plates of food each: one with assorted savouries, another with fresh scones accompanied by jam and clotted cream, and one with sweet treats.
In addition to all of that, I enjoyed a mini ice cream cone with meringue while Hayden had a (what we think was Limoncello) sorbet.
I must admit, I much preferred the savouries to the sweets, but it all comes down to personal taste.
The Egg-Free Tea
As Hayden is intolerant to eggs, I was concerned about what he would be served. We hadn’t been amazed by the range of egg-free or vegan choices on board the ship.
Due to an issue with said intolerance a few days prior, we got the chance to speak with the restaurant manager, Antonio, who assured us that the egg-free tea would have a range of sandwiches and cakes.
If you book the afternoon tea online, you can select vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options, and there is an option to list a dietary requirement or allergy/intolerance that is not listed.
When we walked into The Dining Club, our booking was checked, and they confirmed that they were aware of Hayden’s intolerance to eggs. Even when we were seated and eating, we asked a question about the brioche toast (we’re used to brioche being made with eggs), and one of the waiters went to the kitchen to ensure it was egg-free, it was nice to have that reassurance.
It was amazing how they managed to keep the egg-free menu so close to the standard offering!
Final Thoughts
We would wholeheartedly recommend this experience, the food was filling, the entertainment was enjoyable, and we had a terrific time.
How To Book
The afternoon tea takes place one sea day per week and can be booked through the Cruise Control dashboard prior to boarding or through the ‘Navigate app’ which is available once onboard.
The Price
This afternoon tea cost us £15.95 each which we thought was worth every penny, it was a lovely way to spend a few hours on a sea day and it was very filling!
Dress Code
With this being held in a speciality restaurant, and being a special afternoon tea, I would advise a smart casual dress code as a minimum.
