If a restaurant only served what they wanted or if a customer was a few minutes late for dinner and they were told they were not allowed in, it may gain a bit of a negative reputation.
But when that restaurant is on one of the Muskoka steamships, and if you arrive late you literally miss the boat, all can be forgiven.
Setting sail on a dinner cruise is something everyone in Muskoka should experience. Pulling out of Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst there is an air of anticipation of things to come from my companion and me, as well as the other passengers on the three-and-a-half-hour cruise.
It may have been one of the hottest and most humid evenings in Muskoka this year, but sitting with a cool pint of Steam Whistle ale and a chilled spicy Caesar at the bow of the ship with a cool breeze blowing off Lake Muskoka was heavenly.
My companion and I were scheduled for the second sitting so had lots of time to sit back, enjoy the scenery and let the stresses of the day slip away.
Being on the ship is a bit like being royalty. Everyone waves from their dock or deck as the ship glides past and there is usually a small flotilla of boats that approach the historic ship in an attempt to get the captain to whistle a greeting.
The cruise is also a chance to be a spy on the water for a few hours, nosing at the luxury cottages that line the shore
As the diners from the first seating start arriving above deck, we realized exactly how hungry we were feeling and began looking forward to the second part of the cruise.
The staff of the Segwun does not rest on their laurels when it comes to the actual culinary experience. The dining rooms are elegant and take the diner closer to the water level for a different view and feel of the lake.
There is no menu so difficult choices are taken away from the diner and they just have to sit back and enjoy. To begin, a fresh, crisp salad with a delightful poppy seed dressing was served, and was wolfed down with the warm bread and soft butter.
Our entrée was a succulent rib eye medallion steak with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables served with a creamy peppercorn sauce.
An extensive wine list was perused before we chose the Californian Woodbridge merlot that had some wonderful fruity and mocha aromas that went perfectly with the meat.
To round out the meal, dessert was a choice of bumbleberry pie or caramel cake. As there were two of us we opted for different dishes and were impressed by both. The pie was packed full of flavour while the cake was light and moist.
With dinner over it was back on deck to enjoy the sunset and to once again watch the world glide effortlessly by.
