poss

Right under "What I have learned on this thread"

Sweet post!   Happy Anniversary!

Omg, I haven't heard mention of the Mile High Club since way back when I was a high school teacher and my students used to proudly invoke it.   Was a fun reminiscence.

Fires and everything/everyone involved with them really terrible to think about.    So sad in so many ways.

(Wendy:  We're ok.     Missed being on board Explorer for my husband's 90th in May.   Will, I'm sure, miss being on board a cruise for our 50th anniversary in December.    Bummers.     I do read the boards; I just don't especially feel like commenting anymore.     Thanks for asking though.)

The "emotional baggage" line is FANTASTIC.

Wendy:   To add my "condolences" to your having to miss that long-looked-forward-to WC.   I feel kind of like the way I did for those Splendor folks on the Canal itinerary who had for such a long time planned, looked forward to, and CC'd back and forth about that particular cruise.

I'd had a special 90th birthday celebration cruise booked for me and my husband (he's the birthday-boy), mid-May, but it's scrapped as well (presumably formally by Regent in a couple of days).    I'd looked forward to the ports (some new, some old favorites), as well as to some terrific pre and post travels in England.   As Kurt Vonnegut said in "Slaughterhouse-Five" (I think it was): "So it goes."

Wendy, Where did you get May 22?

Echoing Z.   I've been following along on all the various posts, including even the roll call for this canal cruise.     I just haven't bothered commenting, but feel a wish to add my "SO SORRY!!" to everyone, but somehow especially for this cruise.

(We had a  cruise booked on Explorer for May 18, in order to celebrate my husband's 90th  birthday on board ship, our favorite place to be.   Had various dandy days set up for before and after cruise as well.    Had worked on the details endlessly.   Hurt to have to cancel.)

Crossing fingers that people remain safe, and, again, sorry for this other loss — not the end of the world, but a real bummer for sure.

We find Regent ships quite cold, always need some sort of sweater or jacket or wrap.   Yet we see guys in CR, e.g., in short sleeve shirts, and women with lots of bare skin.    We just can't do that (my husband winds up wearing a blazer and long-sleeve shirt virtually every night).   Thank goodness the suite temps adjust nicely to one's preferences.

My husband drinks non-alk beer, and we always order O'Doul's Amber and Clausthaler (sp?) or St Pauli Girl  for our suite.  I just call Regent and do that.   (Obviously could ask TA, but we just find it easy to call directly.)    When he orders a non-alk at any of the dining venues, only thing ever available is Heineken, which he tends to  like less well than those we order for the room.

rcandkc are correct.

What are some interesting things to do in the Brest area of France?    Is there anything especially handsome/scenic near that port?    Any excursions that might be memorable or at least interesting?   (We're not interested in things military.)

Thanks in advance.

yes, he is.

ClefsDor: Yes.

We did White-Pass Railway two different times on Regent Alaska cruises.    First time we did Scenic Rail and Yukon Suspension Bridge (I don't think there was an up-charge back then  — was a number of years ago).   We enjoyed it very much.   I wouldn't say that the Bridge (short) and the area around it are a "Do Not Miss" destination, but area (the gorge, etc.) was handsome.    Second time we did the train up and the bus back down to Skagway: enjoyed it very much as well (different perspective from bus, and we stopped at a look-out).     In any case, dandy scenery all around.   (Our first trip up was fairly foggy, so didn't see all that much; 2nd time was gloriously clear.)

Curious that there's no mention of sailing time; usually there is (or I could be misremembering).    I'd think that so long as you're on board an hour or two before ship sails, all should be well.     No need to board as soon as boarding commences.

Oh, I SAW that light some light years ago — shone like bright headlights right into my eyes.     (Reminds me of the title of one of my all-time favorite novels : All the Light We Cannot  See.)    Anyway, it's just getting the old brain to see the light and ACT on it.    We shall see (as it were).

We did a  Regent Snowdonia excursion and enjoyed it very much — but for sure didn't do any hiking.

Wow!   A TA that can get you on an already-booked excursion.    I've never even thought of asking our TA to do that, but I suspect she couldn't manage the trick.    Can't imagine how it could happen.

Yes, we re-wear a-plenty.    I suspect most people do.    I always come home with lots of stuff not worn at all.     Packing too much is a bad, silly habit, which I intend to dump for this cruise — and forevermore.   Ha!

Thanks for the good detailed response.   

I'm now thinking that since this is only a 10 day cruise, and to the Caribbean at that, maybe I can pack lightly enough so that I won't even need to give anything to a porter.     I'm going to try to pack in a way that we can do it all carry-on ourselves.     I always pack way, way too much no matter the length or destination, but this time I'm going to work really hard at packing only essentials.    Neither of us is a clothes horse, or minds wearing same thing several times, so really shouldn't be a problem.    We shall see.

Thanks to both of you.    I'd be uncomfortable dropping bags with porters and then disappearing.     Would I be able to drop my husband off with our luggage near where one checks in, then park, and meet him back there?

Thanks so very much for your kind and patient explanations.   More and more I seem to be overly concerned about pretty much everything.    Comes with aging I guess, or at least came for this particular hyper-worrier.

The idea of giving our luggage to a porter and then disappearing makes me uneasy.    Would I not be able to drop my husband and our bags off near the ship, and he wait for me while I go off to park?    

Also, even though I've looked at website/photos of the Port, I remain unclear about the whole terminal situation, e.g. where/when/how passport/ID activities take place.

My document for January 8 says Terminal J.   May be changing later.

We have a cruise coming up on Regent, which I have learned docks at Terminal J.   Questions:

— I assume that there's safe, convenient parking near to where the ships dock?   (Does anyone happen to know what daily rates are?)

— How far is the walk from the parking area (the closest parking area) to the ship?

— Is there an easy way to haul one's luggage?   I ask because my husband and I are elderly, and we can't manage luggage very well.    Are there baggage carts?   porters?   

— I wonder if it ever happens that the close lot is full, simply unable to accept more cars?   That would put us in a real bind.

— I wonder what other sorts of questions I'm forgetting to ask, so that we have a smooth and comfortable transition.   (Traveling is a good deal harder for us than it used to be, but I'm hoping to still be able to manage it.)

Thanks in advance.

I'm posting here rather than on the "Ports" section of CC because if my information is correct, Regent docks at a different place (Terminal J) than most other cruise lines.   So details may be different.

We live on the west coast of Florida, and when we've in the past flown from Miami airport for a vacation of at least two weeks, we've hired a car service.   Our upcoming cruise to the Caribbean is only 10 days, so parking fees for the period shouldn't be all that high.    Thus my inclination to drive.    HOWEVER, I'm concerned how our baggage will get from our car onto the ship.    I'm assuming that it's not a long walk from where one parks to the ship.    But we can't lug baggage very far these days.   What  I'm hoping is that someone can tell me whether there are carts at the parking lots that a person can use to walk over to the ship with (and then somehow return??) Or that there are porters, or — what?

Thanks for any relevant input.