Dining at the Aqua Restaurant/Carlos Pueblo

Dining at the Aqua Restaurant/Carlos Pueblo

After all of those years of cruising with the same cruise liner, I switch

my dining restaurant habit from the Garden Café on Deck 12 to the

Aqua Restaurant on Deck 7 mid-ship for dinner and the Venetian

on Deck 7 backward because of Imelda, my favorite daughter on

board. She is the Maitre d’hotel, Maitre D for short means the owner

or manager of the hotel in France. She is assigned to manage the Aqua

at night, the breakfast at the Venetian in the morning, and occasionally

lunch at the Garden Café. It is such a joy to follow her duty for my

daily meal. She is such a charming, able, and kind person to get along

with and most of the guests as long as her staff agree with me.

Restaurants are the major part of the cruise ship operation. Aqua,

Venetian’s, Garden Café , and O’Sheehan’s are complimentary which

means free and no need to pay additional except some expensive menu.

Aqua and Venetian’s have had exactly same menu and kitchens. One

can be seated 350 while the other 450.  I would have a pot of hot green

tea to sit and observe the restaurant operation whole night till it is

closed. I have had some underwriting restaurants insurance during the

80’s. The owners used to invite me for business and gave me a free

lunch after 2 pm. They explained how the business operated, the seats

capacity, the turn over, and the volume of business daily, lunch and

dinner, etc. The cruise liner moves a small Texas township on board and

provides everything 24 hours a day for two week. It is amazing.

I have my compliment on her and her superior for her successful

management. I wish that one day on board, I can witness all three lady

Maitre D’s are operating Aqua, Venetian’s, and Garden Café

Simultaneously. They are all working on the same ship now except one

is off. Clarita of Venetian’s, Emilia at Garden Café, and Imelda at Aqua

and with 2,500 plus guests on board and we can see how efficient

they are in command. I must mention another daughter of mine, the

assistant Maitre D, Siti of Indonesia. I call her a Company Commander

and Imelda a Battalion Commander for their organized maneuver in

a busy restaurant.

I felt that I am old, as old as those old Cantonese in the Chinatown to

have a coffee together at a bakery till lunch time, then, off for Dim Sum

for lunch. I am the same difference to drink a pot of green tea for the

entire night in a restaurant.