Safari Quest Dining

Two wide steps lead from the salon to the dining alcove where three round tables each accommodate six to eight diners, with no assigned seating. Passengers might choose to observe the passing scenery through a wall of picture windows or face inward. Crisp cloths, fresh flower bouquets and modern art prints brighten the sand-colored room.

Though the dress and mood are casual, the versatile crew serves all meals. No help-yourself buffets here. The menus are spoken ones, never etched in stone. Should the yacht encounter a fisherman carrying a boatload of king crab, bay shrimp, salmon or halibut, the chef makes an on-the-spot purchase and plans dinner accordingly. Alaskan meals focus on fresh fish, but an alternative dinner entree is always offered, perhaps grilled chicken, roast duck or lamb. Preparation tends to be straightforward and tasty, without overpowering sauces. Desserts, on the other hand, border on the sinfully rich. Quality wines, one white, one red, are poured at dinner. All drinks, in fact, are included in the fare and available whenever desired.