It had been a long week.
Kids snotty noses and a slight setback in my daughter’s toilet training meant I was shattered. I was completely over dealing with bodily fluids and I was eyeing off Saturday like a toblerone in diet week. The promise of a whole day out with my husband (you know, the guy who sits on the other end of the couch as exhausted as I am each night) was shining brightly. His Aunty was in town and she had green lighted our escape.
Glorious Sydney sunshine was forecast, so I knew exactly what I wanted to do. If you are yet to spend time on Sydney Harbour when the sky is blue and the sunshine is skipping across the water, you MUST. It’s as simple as that.
Captain Cook Cruises depart from both Circular Quay and Darling Harbour, and they offer a range of cruises to fit around your plans. A quick spin about the Harbour? A function? A decadent, long lunch? Perhaps Melbourne Cup day or Christmas lunch with the family? There are loads of options and it’s super easy to book online. My cries for freedom were heard, the crew dropped anchor and Captain Cook himself (well…close) welcomed my husband and I on board. This was not a day for wrangling vegemite sandwiches or fish fingers with kids for us; we sat down to a deluxe Long Lunch with a super, cost effective bar package that I planned to give a nudge.
What was I excited about the most?
Having a conversation with my husband without distractions. Oh yeah…I remembered this guy. He was smiling, relaxed and excited, and I felt the same. I even ‘allowed’ him to talk about cycling…a lot…and it was ‘interesting’.
Though I am far from a food blogger, I am a food lover (especially when someone else is cooking), and the menu was varied and impressive. There were numerous choices for each course, and though I was initially concerned about the food being mass produced on board slap-ups, the plates were fresh and delicious. I was restrained and even managed to take some shots before chowing down.
Entree : (we both picked this) Smoked Ocean Trout, shaved fennel, dill capers with black caviar dressing. And yes; it was as good as it sounds.
MAIN (Husband’s pick) : Tasmanian Grilled Salmon Fillet, accompanied by Dutch carrots and asparagus, served with capers and lemon oil.
MAIN (mine..all mine) : Australian Beef Tenderloin Fillet, sauteed mushrooms, served with seeded mustard jus (lip smacking!)
The wait staff were professional yet personable; they joked and never kept us waiting. The hot tip was to head up to the top deck and take in the views before dessert. Now here is the exceptional point of difference; the part where it jumps so far in front of ‘just’ a restaurant meal. We were met with 360 degree views of the harbour. We sailed the waters and raised ridiculous toasts to each other, sparkling Sydney and Aunty L, the babysitter. We laughed, vowed to buy a selfie stick and pretended to spot dolphins (creating a mild tourist photo frenzy whilst we giggled). Our work here was down (*high five, husband), so we returned back to our table for dessert.
Come to mama!
Dessert (mine…all mine!) : Slow baked Lemon and Lime Tart, served with a dollop of thickened cream. How pretty is this? I ate it anyway. Nom nom nom.
Dessert (husband) : Bavarian Vanilla Slice, strawberries and chocolate sauce. Yummo, but I won dessert with my lemon tart.
Once the food was finished, we rubbed our bellies, sat back in our seats and listened…to the silence. Sure people were chatting around us, but it was a serene haven on board. We had eaten our meals hot, in one sitting and without sticky fingers stealing the best bits.
We opted to stay till the end of the cruise and disembarked back at Circular Quay. We had enjoyed close to 3 and a half blissful hours on board (*sigh), but there are a few other options if you feel like jumping off earlier, or checking out Darling Harbour.
And so our time here was done.
Happy, pampered and relaxed, it was time to return to the fold. The kids had enjoyed a fabulous day (did they even notice we were gone?) and went to sleep early (miraculous perfection), leaving us to retire to the couch with our ham sandwiches and a smile from ear to ear….although by this stage I think my husband’s grin was more to do with the Bulldogs going through to the AFL Grand Final (sorry Swannies!!).
A special thanks to the incredible team at Captain Cook Cruises for gifting our memorable lunch, and we definitely hope to get back on board the next time we welcome visitors to town. Generally, the cost of this lunch is between $69 and $89, depending on the day and the sizzling Captain’s Specials on offer. Alcohol is extra, but we purchased a $29 bar package each, which is excellent value for a special occasion spread over three hours.
Now it’s time for you to take a Captain Cook (C’mon, mates, bit of Aussie slang – Captain Cook = LOOK) :
Web site : https://www.captaincook.com.au/
Instagram :https://www.instagram.com/captaincookcruises/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/CCCruising
