Dining is the activity at which one spends much time on many cruises and this is no exception. Skorpios does its utmost to make dining aboard memorable. The dining room is bright and spacious, the noise level is low and conversation is easy. Guests are seated at the same table for every meal, enabling tablemates to get to know each other well and form lasting friendships. Waiters tend the same tables each meal and soon begin to anticipate passenger's wishes. If you request water with a meal twice, by the third meal it will probably be waiting. If you prefer white wine to red, your waiter will remember this as well as the type of liqueur you usually select after dinner.

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The menu...

Fresh Produce

Breakfast is served buffet style and includes scrambled eggs, cold meats, cheeses, yogurt, assorted breads, fruit tarts and juices. If you prefer your eggs cooked differently or would like an omelet, just ask - they'll create one for you using the fresh ingredients on board. Skorpios wants guests to feel at home on their ships and works hard to accommodate passengers to make special requests, especially in the dining room.

Lunch and dinner are served more formally. Consisting of a starter, a main course and a desert, the elegantly presented meals are all different and delicious. Fresh local produce and seafood highlight the fare, but a variety of other meats is served.

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Incredibly fresh...

Fresh produce and seafood delivered often

Small ships pull alongside daily to deliver fresh seafood and shellfish and the chefs decide the menu according to what's available. At breakfast your waiter tells you what the menu will be for lunch and at teatime, what's for dinner. If the menu doesn't appeal, you are encouraged to ask for whatever sounds good and they will do their best to prepare it. One British passenger on our cruise didn't care for seafood and was happily served other fare including steak and chips several times. I noticed people eating light pasta dishes instead of the large meals served at lunchtime and several times I requested just the starter and some vegetables at lunchtime. The bottles of Chilean wine on the table are bottomless. Desert, usually an elegant slice of cake with fruit sauce or a fruit mousse is followed by coffee or tea. A drink from the ship's well-stocked liqueur cart finishes the meal.

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Feel at home

Simultaneous translation of announcements after dinner

Announcements are usually made in the dining room after meals. Because the majority of passengers speak Spanish, announcements are usually made in Spanish first, followed by an English translation. For longer announcements, wireless headsets are distributed and simultaneous translations are broadcast.

The Skorpios company philosophy is to make guests feel at home and catering to specific tastes is something they take pleasure in. If you would like something not on the menu, ask -- if they can, they will prepare it.

One interesting observation: On our cruise the deserts were delicious, but none contained chocolate. One of our tablemates, suffering from a craving for chocolate, asked if it was possible to get a chocolate desert. Apparently, by coincidence, there was not one available. Bottom line: You might want to pack a few chocolate bars.

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Gala Farewell




The last night on board we were treated to a gala dinner with dancing afterward. The buffet table was a work of art and every item tasted as good as it looked. Among the choices were a carved turkey, platters of both cooked and raw shellfish, avocado halves stuffed with crabmeat and shrimp, poached salmon, salads featuring hearts of palm and white asparagus and much more were followed by an array of elegant deserts -- cakes, puddings and mousses. After dinner we donned our headphones one last time and were reminded that when we set sail a few days earlier we were a group of strangers representing nine countries and now we were friends. We felt we had known our tablemates forever and promised to stay in touch. After a cruise as special as this, we probably will.

Note: Skorpios cruises are very casual. Pack shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts that you can layer. A windbreaker, gloves and a hat are suggested. Company brochures suggest formal dress for the gala: Gentlemen -- if you're traveling light and don't want to pack a suit just for one evening, a tie and sweater vest are appropriate. Ladies -- slacks and a sweater, maybe with a pretty scarf, will do.