Mystique Princess Dining
Ten round tables in the dining room each accommodate eight, with no assigned seating. By day, the room is bright and breezy. At night, the crew closes the windows and cranks up the air conditioning. Except for the Captain's dinner, all meals are buffet style. Breakfast goodies include fresh tropical fruits, croissants and made-to-order omelets. Lunch may be a buffet of pasta, curry and salad, or a beach barbecue. The Captain's dinner comes complete with white cloths and candlelight, and features such typical island dishes as fresh walu fish or prawns sweetened with coconut milk. Australian and New Zealand wines are reasonably priced at $13 - $27.
The dining highlight is the magiti, a celebratory Fijian feast of pork, chicken, lamb, whole fish and root vegetables baked in a lovo, a pit lined with hot stones. The various foods are wrapped in palm leaves and steamed. The meats become tender; but the unseasoned vegetables tend to be bland. Dinner takes place ashore in an open-air picnic area with tables set amid the palms.
