San Francisco to New York-Pirouette's observations

A tiny bit of good news for the Mariner, the hurricane is tracking east of the Bahamas so hopefully you will be able to make that stop. So much devastation going on in the Caribbean and in Mexico - very sad.

LOL irishwitchy! My husband tried to stash the portable Bose speaker in our luggage and I made him take it out! Sure could use it now.....Actually the duo in Stars lounge was very good last night: some Abba, Madonna, some Motown. They do a good job.

We are transiting the Canal right now. We got up just after 6am because DH wanted to see the Bridge of the Americas. It has been very interesting. We are going through the old locks today. We were alongside another ship for the second part of the first lock. It felt so close! The journey has been narrated since about 6:30 am from the bridge. There is a special guide on board for that purpose. We went between the Observations lounge and outside on deck 12 for the transition from the Milflores locks into the lake where we have been cruising for awhile now-long enough to have a nap due to the early rising and two champagne mimosas (it was a special occasion: our first canal transit)

We will enter the second set of locks in about 45 minutes. Time for the Caribbean barbecue on deck 11.

Tc2. WHICH 2020 cruise through the canal are you taking? Ken and I are on the Explorer, Miami to LA In march that year... wouldn't it be great to finally meet face to face?

Gerry

Tc2. WHICH 2020 cruise through the canal are you taking? Ken and I are on the Explorer, Miami to LA In march that year... wouldn't it be great to finally meet face to face?

Gerry

I'd love it but we are doing the L.A. to Miami - because our TA offers $500 OBC on that sailing but not on the reverse one (kind of strange). It would really be lovely to sail with you two. We booked an Explorer suite on that sailing and a Grand suite on the November, 2019 crossing. We really love the Explorer!

Well we now have our Regent certificate for passing through the Panama Canal. It was hot, humid and clear in the morning, but by the afternoon, there were thunderstorms and rain. No matter- what an incredible feat of engineering. The canal transit was the reason we selected the cruise and we were not disappointed.

There are some changes to the entertainment for the balance of the cruise. We have a violinist and an Irish comedian. We did not see the comedian but heard from others that he was quite funny. We saw the tail end of the violinist's show-obviously talented. The will be ballroom dancing later on tonight in Horizons lounge. We have spoken again to the CD and they are making efforts to accommodate everyone's interests. We can't complain. I recognize the challenge in meeting the needs of a broad range of cruisers.

We are sold on the concept of longer cruises. We are forced to relax, something that is very hard to do at home. The daily activities of bingo, bridge and needlepoint are not for us, but they may suit some. There have been a couple of wine tastings, a cocktail session and a cooking session, together with other fitness activities and games. I thought we would be bored by now, but we are not.

Dinner in Compass Rose again tonight. We enjoy the food but find the servings way too generous. I have started ordering half portions and they are still too large! The Indian food is good but needs more spice.

Cartagena tomorrow. We are looking forward to a tour of the old town and fortress. We still have an eye out on the hurricane situation in the Caribbean. We have been told that the situation looks better today than it did yesterday. Nothing we can do but hope for the best. The final two sea days could be bumpy but we will roll with it.

Great reporting, Pirouette! We did the canal last January on Mariner and loved that experience particularly. I guess it's always hot there--it was very hot the day we went through.

Today was Cartagena, a lovely historic city on the Atlantic. We had a leisurely breakfast in la Veranda, outdoors and noticed immediately the heat and humidity. We chose an early afternoon tour of the old town. The tour was relatively short and included a walk to the top of the old fortress. It was very hot and humid and there was little shade. The walk from the bus to the top of the fortress was a series of inclines and an internal staircase. We are reasonably fit but we noticed others were really struggling with the heat and exertion.

We have noticed throughout our time on this cruise that people tend to overestimate their physical capabilities. There is no point on signing up for a tour if the physical demands are beyond what one is able to do. We have seen several instances where this has happened and it is frustrating for everyone. A walking tour is a walking tour. Regent offers several options for those with mobility issues and for those who are more fit. Those tour descriptions should be respected.

Tea in Horizons was better today- similar to what we have experienced on Oceania: a cart of cakes and pastries, tea sandwiches and scones. It was very good and the scones with clotted cream were a highlight.

We were supposed to sale at 6pm. We were delayed by an onboard code "mike" . The captain interrupted his evening announcement in mid stream due to a medical emergency. We lost one of the passengers tonight due to a heart attack. Apparently she was only 73 and was travelling with a friend. Very sad. Our departure was delayed by about two hours while formalities were dealt with. It certainly brought a somber note to the day. I can't help wonder if the extreme heat and humidity were contributing factors.

Dinner at Sette Mari. We have taken to sharing any meat entree because we find the portions large. The restaurant was very accommodating. There was another code "mike" in the middle of dinner relating to kitchen staff. Apparently it was not serious ( thankfully).

We caught the show in the theatre, a modern country and western theme. It wasn't bad. There are some real talents (Nelle Keene) and others who are just average. We then went dancing in both Horizons and Stars lounge ( we closed it down) which was a nice end to a mixed day.

Two sea days then Nassau.

Today was Cartagena, a lovely historic city on the Atlantic. We had a leisurely breakfast in la Veranda, outdoors and noticed immediately the heat and humidity. We chose an early afternoon tour of the old town. The tour was relatively short and included a walk to the top of the old fortress. It was very hot and humid and there was little shade. The walk from the bus to the top of the fortress was a series of inclines and an internal staircase. We are reasonably fit but we noticed others were really struggling with the heat and exertion.

 

We have noticed throughout our time on this cruise that people tend to overestimate their physical capabilities. There is no point on signing up for a tour if the physical demands are beyond what one is able to do. We have seen several instances where this has happened and it is frustrating for everyone. A walking tour is a walking tour. Regent offers several options for those with mobility issues and for those who are more fit. Those tour descriptions should be respected.

 

Tea in Horizons was better today- similar to what we have experienced on Oceania: a cart of cakes and pastries, tea sandwiches and scones. It was very good and the scones with clotted cream were a highlight.

 

We were supposed to sale at 6pm. We were delayed by an onboard code "mike" . The captain interrupted his evening announcement in mid stream due to a medical emergency. We lost one of the passengers tonight due to a heart attack. Apparently she was only 73 and was travelling with a friend. Very sad. Our departure was delayed by about two hours while formalities were dealt with. It certainly brought a somber note to the day. I can't help wonder if the extreme heat and humidity were contributing factors.

 

Dinner at Sette Mari. We have taken to sharing any meat entree because we find the portions large. The restaurant was very accommodating. There was another code "mike" in the middle of dinner relating to kitchen staff. Apparently it was not serious ( thankfully).

 

We caught the show in the theatre, a modern country and western theme. It wasn't bad. There are some real talents (Nelle Keene) and others who are just average. We then went dancing in both Horizons and Stars lounge ( we closed it down) which was a nice end to a mixed day.

 

Two sea days then Nassau.

Wow - two Mikes in a day? I think we've only had two in all of our cruises. It's a shame about the passenger with the heart attack, although I've told my wife if you gotta go, it's good to go doing something you love. Still very sad, though. We had a passenger pass away on our one QM2 sailing, and it just happened to be the companion of a man we'd spent a lot of time with onboard. It was very difficult seeing him have to deal with her passing...

I was worried about my mother on our last cruise in April - she's nearing 80 and has had some previous heart issues. Even on the 'one-walker' tours she was having trouble getting around. We had to seriously re-think our excursion strategy. Oftentimes we'd break from the group with mom and just meet up with them later if possible - we didn't want to be 'that person' who held up the rest of the group. But the weather can absolutely affect people on excursions.

Laundry day and a great time to chat with other passengers. Everyone I have spoken to is very happy with the food and service but there are complaints about the state of the cabins, particularly in the regular categories. Ours is fine for the most part, but others have said theirs are in dire need of refurbishment. Another issue raised was cabin size for those with mobility challenges. Apparently moving about a standard cabin with walking aids is very difficult.

For two people, our concierge stateroom is fine. We endured 12 days on Oceania Sirena last year in a concierge cabin and that was small!

The weather looks clear until Nassau. Maria and Jose are still lurking so the captain has decided to cruise more to the west on our final leg, subject to other developments. There will likely be some bumps on the last couple of days but hopefully nothing major.

Time to move the laundry!

Rachel - just read your note about music -- I know for sure that my friend gets royalties from her father's music (he was a Broadway composer of some repute) but they could certainly come from the sale of sheet music OR records etc. I suppose.

Jackie - wouldn't you like to switch to the Miami/LA cruise in 2020?? We cannot switch to the LA/Miami because I need to be back in Switzerland in April to take care of my garden!! We are in an aft Grand Suite (deck 7) in 2020 and I am really looking forward to that...

Hambagahle, I would bet money the royalties are from sales of sheet music or recordings. There are very strict rules about photocopying sheet music- that is a huge no no. So every time you buy sheet music that is copyrighted, the composer gets royalties. But once you buy the music, you are free to play it anywhere and as often as you want.

There is a time change tonight (one hour forward) so we decided to forego the usual dancing. Our dinner in CR made us too late for the show which for us is fine. We prefer to spend the time together. Service was excellent as usual. We have been very well taken care of. We slept in this morning and the staff was concerned that we had missed breakfast. We were asked several times today if all was well because they had not seen us in the morning.

( We enjoyed a lovely room service breakfast in our stateroom). It was nice to be missed.

The yoga and foot fitness classes were worthwhile today. Egan is a strict taskmaster but the benefits are obvious. I will return for more torture tomorrow. DH is thinking of joining as well. It will kill him (in a good way).

We enjoyed dinner tonight but we are still finding the portions larger than necessary for our needs. The food quality is very good and we always return to a spotless stateroom. I have no idea when our cabin stewards perform their magic-they are invisible and unintrusive yet very thorough. Nothing to complain about here.

All in all a great relaxing day with top notch service and food. We could get used to this.....

The joys of cruising in hurricane season.....Another itinerary change has been announced. We will miss Nassau tomorrow because it is too risky to dock there with Maria's present trajectory. I was awakened at 5 am by rougher seas. It is not bad but the swell has increased since yesterday and we can feel it in our mid ship stateroom.

The present plan is too veer westward and to outrun Maria on the western flank. We just ran into the captain in the corridor. He is very approachable. He says Maria is "no joke" and he is monitoring her course constantly. It is a little windy now but he expects that to subside though swells may increase overnight and en route to New York. At present, Maria is 300 km away but still making her presence known though the increased wave action. I would hate to be in a forward or aft stateroom on a higher deck at this point!

We will make the best of another sea day. We have learned to appreciate them and We have been to Nassau before...Not our favourite stop.

This seems more like an adventure than a regular cruise: outmaneuvering two tropical storms and a hurricane in the Pacific, two "code mike's" in one night, two port cancellations and outrunning Maria and Jose in the Atlantic. It has been quite the experience!

The hurricane tracker did make it look that the seas could be rough around the Bahamas. This has definitely been a wild ride. I do have to wonder why Regent has any of their ships in the Caribbean in September or even October since it is the height of the hurricane season.

Your attitude during al of these challenges has been great - a wonderful example for others! We all need to remember that life/Mother Nature happens and when you cruise the seven seas you can expect itinerary changes - ports missed, wild weather, etc.

Oh oh, our cabin steward is now busy securing the verandas in each suite on the captain's orders. She told us to move anything inside the cabin that could be breakable. Hmmm. Time to rock and roll!

Have enjoyed reading your accounts of your cruise! On our very first cruise, (way back then!) we came home from Bermuda in a full blown hurricane, I forget which one. We were almost the only ones in the dining room, but we loved all of the excitement!

Hope you continue to enjoy your cruise!

Hi! We are currently on the Mariner right now and time to rock and roll! The seas have definitely picked up since this morning. Our suite as well was secured as you mentioned per the captains orders. All the best! We cruised from Sydney to Singapore and were in reminisce of cyclone Oswald with 30' seas. This may be an interesting few days.

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We have also been multiply times to Nassau and okay to miss! Well especially as far away from Maria!

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Change of course. Captain is now routing the ship through the Providence channel closer to Florida. It is bumpy, we have winds of about 57 mph with 11.5 foot seas. No yoga or gym for me today. It is better on lower decks.

I do have to wonder why Regent has any of their ships in the Caribbean in September or even October since it is the height of the hurricane season.

Hmm, if you summer in Alaska and reposition to Canada in the fall, don't you have to transit Caribbean and east coast of USA in September? Of course, we can go back to schedules of ten years ago when Mariner stayed in Pacific most of they year and Navigator sailed Bermuda/Canada cruises in hurricane season.

Change of course. Captain is now routing the ship through the Providence channel closer to Florida. It is bumpy, we have winds of about 57 mph with 11.5 foot seas. No yoga or gym for me today. It is better on lower decks.

Pirouette, I am surprised that you are close to the Providence Channel already; can you post your lat/long?

Marc

I am also on this cruise and agree that when they occasionally roll out an Indian style meal it is great , but somewhat underspiced.Overall the cruise demographic does not suit us and was not expected- the Regent marketing material states the average age of their customer to be 58- not on this cruise!

Cancelling Nassau is really unfortunate albeit in everyones best interests, it just extends the boredom with another sea day.I hope they can come up with something that is not a repeat of every other day to entertain us tomorrow.

Marc, we are not at the Providence channel yet but headed in that direction. Apparently this will result in more favourable conditions at some point.

Farawaymum, our travel agent also told us that the demographic would be younger, i.e. those well advanced in their careers or active, well travelled retirees. DH and I are within the brochure's stated demographic that you referred to. Though there are a handful of younger cruisers on this ship, I suspect most are in their mid seventies or older, many with serious health or mobility issues.

This was a great surprise to us. It has been explained that an older age group is typical on longer cruises. Maybe we should have figured that out beforehand, but we didn't and I think our TA based his recommendation based on his experience with Regent on shorter Alaska cruises.

That being said, there are some advantages. If the mood strikes, lounges, shows and dance floors are never crowded in the later hours, fitness classes and the gym are similarly not crowded. The disadvantage is that ( as I have stated previously) most shipboard activities and musical selections are not targeted to those under 60. There has been some effort to address these concerns but the younger set is not the same priority. This is a challenge on sea days when conditions are rough.

I agree with your comments about the Indian meals offered. They could use much more spice. It is likely "spiced down" to appeal to the masses. Too bad....

Regarding Indian meals, when Regent does a special Indian buffet, while the spice level is toned down, there is an array of spices on the buffet that passengers can use to season the food to taste. While this is not the perfect way to prepare Indian food, it is better than when it is under spiced. I do understand that with Indian and Indonesian meals, if it were prepared as it is in India and Indonesia, it would blow the heads off of many passengers.:D

On sea days, there are generally games put on by the C.D. or Assistant C.D. that are lots of fun. Unfortunately, these games may be challenging in rough seas.m OTOH, Regent passengers typically enjoy lectures, wine tastings, food demonstrations, etc. Other passengers play bridge, Mahjong, etc. The Explorer also has food classes that are great for sea days but the other ships don't have the Culinary Kitchen.

It is unfortunate that your TA isn't familiar with most Regent sailings. It has been our experience that Alaska and Caribbean cruises are quite different than other cruises. Having just completed an Alaskan cruise that was off-season by a couple of weeks, it was still full of younger passengers but had a whole lot of people in walkers and with mobile issues. This is really to be expected on most Regent cruises. While it used to annoy me a bit to have to slow down, when I had knee surgery and had mobile issues myself for three months, I am no longer bothered by people that can't walk as well or as fast as I can. After all, older people don't walk slower or with difficulty because they want to ..... it is something that happens with age. An interesting tidbit...... there was a roomful of "hips" and "knees" (replacements) that had their surgeries in the prior three months at a meeting to discuss the surgeries (this was almost 3 years ago). Due to people over-excercising, running on cement and doing other things to stress their joints, the number of these surgeries is doubling each year and the ages when people need the surgery is decreasing rapidly. So, if we want to be able to continue our active lifestyle, we may need to slow down in order to keep going for many years to come. Not trying to be negative but trying to shed a light on the elderly and mobility challenged. Some of the nicest people that I've met on our Regent cruises have challenges. That does not mean that they don't have a great sense of humor and are not fun to be around.

Okay - enough ranting. I will say that it still bothers me when people take an excursion that shows 3 people (more challenging excursions) and can't keep up with the rest - whatever your age is.

Pirouette, you have sailed on Oceania so I wonder if you find the average age on Oceania's sailings (longer ones) is lower than Regent's? On our two Oceania cruises, there was a difference (skewed younger) but I know the ages of several people on the Oceania board and they are 65+.

Also, to those of you that are new to Regent, did you book a cruise onboard to get the benefits or do you plan to cruise Regent again? I'm just curious. There have been times when I can't wait to book another cruise and other times when I'm just not sure. Thanks for your responses.

After a rough evening, the seas calmed in the middle of the night. It was fine this morning, we were able to enjoy our champagne and caviar breakfast outside at the veranda. The winds picked up after that. A couple of us were enjoying the pool as it sloshed from end to end like real waves. It began to create geyser-like chutes that soaked everything downwind. It was apparently too dangerous and the pool had now been closed.

The noon announcement from the captain advised that sea conditions would deteriorate with the ongoing effects of Maria. We may no longer be in her path but she has made her presence known and that will continue in the days ahead. We are back to roiling again, but not as bad as last night (yet).

Daytime activities still exist but they are mostly sedentary: bingo, trivial pursuit, card games, Bridge and lectures ( two today). There will be a 6:15 Burt Bacharach show to accommodate those who do not stay up late, then the usual music in both lounges. It is Latin night tonight. There are some other games as well: magnetic darts and ring toss which are designed to accumulate Regent points. It is usually the same small group that participates.

Sea days, especially an unplanned one, can be a challenge. With the sea conditions, there is not much "active" going on today. We have had some good features, a cooking demonstration, two wine tastings and a cocktail session, all earlier in the cruise. None of that is happening today.

The captain advised that we are just two people away from declaring another code red. Four people are ill presently. I wonder if it is sea sickness or something else. Another passenger confided this morning that though she was seasick last night, today she has a sore throat and general malaise. I also overheard a crew member say that she thought she was sufficiently recovered that she did not need to see the doctor???? Hand washing and sanitizing has just taken on increased importance!

Another passenger told me this morning that she much preferred Oceania for both food, service and demographic. For DH and I it is the contrary in terms of food and service, but I agree that Oceania is more active and the average age appears to be at least 15 years younger the on our present cruise. We have cruised Oceania four times, all port intensive itineraries and never longer than 12 days. Perhaps it is unfair to compare those cruises with an 18 day itinerary with two additional forced sea days.

As to service, I suspect we are each responsible to some degree for our own experiences, positive and negative. There have been evenings when service has been slightly off, but very few. The music and timing of evening activities is also not our preference. That being said, the good outweighs the bad. Frankly, if you like people and take the time to be friendly with crew and other passengers alike, the cruise will be very enjoyable. I have been informed that certain passengers are targeted to receive top service, i.e. VIP's , titanium level and others, which could also explain some divergence in passenger experience.

We have enjoyed interacting with both the old and the young on this cruise. Even with the older demographic and fewer active options as offered by Oceania, we would not hesitate to cruise Regent again. It has forced us to pause and relax- something DH and I rarely are able to accomplish at home.

We are not in the habit of booking on board. I have no idea what I might want to do 6 months to a year from now. We have always booked our cruises within two months of sailing and it has always been fine. We have never had a bad stateroom and we have never been restricted in arranging more specialty restaurant reservations once on board.

We regret the missed ports on this cruise particularly Acapulco where we had wanted to see the cliff divers. We will have to do that another time. Hurricane season has been unusually active this year, it is bumpier than we like right now, but it is all part of the overall experience.

Back to laundry again.....there is a bit of a rush on the laundrettes with the looming prospect of another code red.