A DV E R TO R I A L
SET SAIL FOR SUPPER:
THE MONFORTE III EXCLUSIVE DINNER CRUISE Twenty-five of us are sipping glasses of sparkling wine at Pelican Pier as the Monforte III crew prepares the Brazilian-made 115-foot schooner for our evening sail and four-course dinner.
T
he musician hops aboard with his violin (there’s always a live musician, either a violinist, guitarist, pianist or vocalist) while our head waiter, bartender and captain offer hands to help us across the gangplank. The on-board chef and her sous are already down below preparing the grouper ceviche with sweet potato crème and diced mangoes for our first course. Our head waiter, Alex, welcomes us to the ship, announces that the premium bar is open and invites us to wander between the bow and the stern to take pictures and enjoy the view as we head to Boca Catalina, where we’ll anchor for our meal.
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MENUARUBA.COM
This is not your typical boat tour. A number of tables with comfortable banquette seating have been set for anywhere from two to eight people, according to reservations. Each is set apart, with two elevated two-person seating areas at the stern allowing for more intimate experiences; at one, newlyweds sip specialty mojitos with their legs stretched out in front of them on plush pillows, like a Moroccan tent as the anchored boat rocks gently in the bay. With a three-hour duration from 6-9 p.m. (plus a pre-dinner drink when you arrive for check-in at 5:30), the Monforte III dinner cruises always come with a sunset, no matter the time of year. They also come with the visual show of chefs plating courses directly in front of you. Ours carefully places cherry tomatoes on top of the second-course poached shrimp salad and swirl strawberry sauce onto plates for the coconutcaramel flan dessert. The menu varies each year, but the chefs are happy to accommodate vegetarians, guests who don’t eat raw fish or have any other dietary restrictions. They’ll even change the menu for returning guests upon request.
