Lunchtime in The Galley

click to enlarge pictures

The Galley is Scarlet Lady's floating fresh food market. Start by grabbing something quick and head back out to the pool or sit down and check out the stunning design and incredible views. With more than 10 different international eateries (all included), food is made fresh to order, so it’s always tasty. From light bites and bold burgers to noodles, tacos, and much much more. This is the closest thing to a traditional cruise buffet.

Tip:  Your first time in The Galley we recommend walking around to get an idea of the various choices. Then sit down and someone will com to wait on you and take your drink and food order.

Getting Served

We took our own advice and walked around The Galley.   Since it was after 2 PM, we wanted something to tide us over until dinner, but not too filling.  You can scan the QR code on the table to view the menu or request paper menus.  Since this was our first time here, we asked for paper menus (see above).

We opted for the Taco Al Pastor - marinated pork, pineapple, salsa verde.   We made sure to leave some room for dessert.  The scarlet lady and smores cup were our favorites that we selected.  See our The Galley photo album for more pictures.

We found ourselves contrasting The Galley with a traditional buffet on other cruise lines.  There are several different stations, like a traditional buffet.  Since Covid, many cruise lines have eliminated the self-service option, so that is very similar.   The big difference that we saw was that the menu does not change at all throughout the cruise.  Also, the selections are quite limited from what a normal buffet would have.   If you want variety, you need to plan meals at the other dining venues.

Having said that, we did find ourselves eating many breakfasts and lunches in The Galley.   Stay tuned for more details about our favorite choices for breakfast and lunch.

Another difference is you don't need to dig out a room key (Sailor Band) to pay for your soda - basic drinks are included with your cruise fare.   You can help yourself from the fountain drinks or one of the wait staff will bring it to you.

Final Thoughts

Since we were sailing with only about 25% capacity, there wasn't a long wait for the made to order food.  We'd be interested in knowing how this process works when the ship is at capacity.  There is only one or two cooks preparing the food at each station, so unless they increase staff as capacity grows, you will most likely be waiting for your meals.

There is a selection of packaged goods which you can grab and go.  At lunch time these included salads, wraps, trail mix and the various Bento Boxes with fresh fruits and other choices.

This is a nice addition if you are looking for something quick any time of the day.

Click the image (left) to read more about this cruise.

Bookmark this page and come back to read all about this award-winning new ship.

See our The Galley photo album for more pictures.

Visit our Shutterfly Page to view photo albums.

 

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Welcome Back to Norway

View our Norway Photo Albums

Now everybody can travel to Norway without having to quarantine 

(Norway, January 26,2022)  Today marks the first day since early 2020, where the Norwegian border is open to all visitors without having to quarantine. Due to COVID-19, the Norwegian government had to shut its borders and demand self-quarantine for all travelers without the EU COVID certificate. This practice ended at midnight, and now travelers from outside the EU are also free to visit Norway without a 10-day quarantine period. 

For Norway, this is great news. A joint Norwegian travel industry hopes this latest change in guidelines will have positive consequences for the entire tourism industry, as international guests are now finally able to visit again. 

Acting director for Visit Norway, Audun Pettersen, is excited about the border re-opening: “Welcome back! We have waited so long for this day to come, and we have really missed our visitors from around the world. Finally, people can start to plan their vacations and travel to Norway again. This means so much to us and the entire industry.” 

Travelers who come to Norway will still need to test and register upon arrival. This test is free of charge. If you don´t possess a valid, digital COVID certificate approved by the EU (documenting that you are fully vaccinated or have been infected with COVID-19 during the last six months), you will take have to take a test no more than 24 hours prior to arriving in Norway. If you arrive by air, the test can be taken during the last 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the first flight of your itinerary. 

Read more about traveling to Norway and the latest COVID-guidelines: https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/coronavirus-and-travelling-to-norway/

We've visited Norway several times.   Our most recent voyage was during winter where we had the opportunity to see Northern Lights multiple times during our coastal cruise.   You can read all about our journey to Norway in our Diary Hurtigruten Classic Voyage Bergen blog post.

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CDC Updates Requirements for International Travel to US

The CDC’s updated COVID-19 testing requirement for international travel to the U.S. go into effect Monday, November 8 …

Statement
On October 25, 2021 CDC amended its January 25, 2021 Order, titled, “Requirement for Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test or Recovery from COVID-19 for All Air Passengers Arriving in the United States.” This amendment updates COVID-19 testing requirements for air passengers 2 years or older boarding a flight to the United States, depending on COVID-19 vaccination status.

Effective November 8, 2021 at 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT), before boarding a flight to the US from a foreign country, all air passengers- 2 years or older – are required to present a negative COVID-19 viral test result, within a time period based on their vaccination status (see table below), or present documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days. Air passengers will also be required to confirm in the form of an attestation that the information they present is true.

Time Period for Testing for Air Passengers to Obtain a Negative COVID-19 Viral Test

Type of Air Passenger (2 years or older)	Number of Days to get a COVID-19 Viral Test Before a Flight’s Departure to the US
Fully vaccinated	No more than 3 days
Not fully vaccinated	No more than 1 day

For the full list of requirements and exemptions, please review the language in the Order.

Resources

• CDC COVID-19 International Travel
• Requirement for Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination For Air Passengers
• Travel Assessment
• International Travel Information for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, Lawful Permanent Residents and Immigrants
• Non-U.S. citizen, Non-U.S. immigrants: Air Travel to the United States

 

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New International Air Travel Rules

CDC Issues Order for 

COVID-19 Testing For  

International Air Travelers

On January 12, 2021, CDC issued an Order requiring all air passengers arriving to the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs and to provide proof of the negative result or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. This Order will go into effect on January 26, 2021.

Under the new order, if you plan to travel internationally, get tested before you travel by air into the United States (US), or be prepared to show proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel.

Here are the specifics of the Order:

• Documentation of a negative COVID-19 viral test (called a Qualifying Test) conducted within the 3 days before their flight to the U.S. departs must be presented to airline in order to board
• Documentation should be for a viral test as approved or authorized by the relevant national authority.
• Test results must state: Negative, SARS-CoV2 RNA Not Detected, SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Not Detected, or COVID-19 Not Detected.
• Documentation may be paper or electronic copy and must include the name and contact information for the laboratory or healthcare personnel who performed the test.
• Test results may be required to be shown again upon landing.

What if You Recently Recovered from COVID-19?

CDC does not recommend getting tested again in the three months after a positive viral test, as long as you do not have symptoms of COVID-19. If you have had a positive viral test in the past 3 months, and you have met the criteria to end isolation, you may travel instead with documentation of your positive viral test results and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official that states you have been cleared for travel. The positive test result and letter together are referred to as “documentation of recovery.”

• Test results must state: Positive, SARS-CoV2 RNA Detected, SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Detected, or COVID-19 Detected. Invalid will not be accepted. 
• Additionally, a letter from a licensed health professional stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel (called Documentation of Recovery).

Airline passengers will be required to present a simple CDC attestation form to the airline for collection prior to boarding. That form can be found here for reference. 

For more information, you may reference the FAQs on the CDC website, which can be found here.

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