DeepFreeze63

Thanks for the photo. Brings back very fond memories of our several visits to Juneau.

Amen, Amen. Last November, DW and I were on a BtB. First leg was marvelous; second leg was "partially chartered" - awful.

Well guys, DW and I will, God willing, be on that cruise as perhaps our "last splash". It will be, by far, our longest of what would then be 32 Regent cruises. Great itinerary!

This is called "Cruise Critic"! I get some handy info but I take OP opinions with my personal grain of salt. DW and I spent 3 months on the Voyager in 2022 and had great times on those 4 cruises. I don't especially care what Regent ship I sail on (disclaimer: Splendor is my favorite) or who the Captain is. I believe my enjoyment/satisfaction is much more affected by the itinerary, weather, cabin choice and Staff, especially the GM and the CD. Have a great cruise and please post.

Yes, yes! We were on that cruise and did that tour. Amazingly beautiful and we weren't alone a very popular venue, deservedly.

It was disappointing because our expectations were high - we had done the magnificent Regent "Tea at the Lord Nelson" in Cape Town in November. We had a very good guide and stopped at 2 nice venues for essentially photo ops before going to Reid's. Very nice, short tour of Reid's gardens BUT the actual tea: was held in attractive room with only half the set tables used for Regent group (the rest of the large room wasn't used by anyone during our time - about 1 hour); finger food was already on the tables; tea pots took about 10 to 15 minutes to be served and the scones/cream didn't arrive until about 10 minutes after the tea arrival then we were herded to the bus about 10 minutes later. It was Good Friday afternoon. Several venues were closed so many were disappointed with their excursions.

Doesn't have Margaret's voice BUT who does! Jude ran GREAT Trivia; the OL was packed to overflowing; the passengers were experienced yet I don't think any team got a perfect score (not crazy hard as many wins were 13 or 14 out of 15.) Jude has solid theatrical experience and presence. For our TA, Jude was "blessed" with 2 outstanding co-workers, the ACD and SH - time will tell as she works with weaker personnel.

W Summary: Miami Lisbon– March-April 2023 TA on Splendor A. What We Loved: 1. The Regent experience of an affable, competent crew and staff working hard to make the cruise memorable for the passengers – especially on a full ship. Lots of new faces BUT service was back to pre-COVID form. 2. The fellow passengers who were seasoned travelers and delightful dinner companions; we almost always share a dinner table. 3. The “3 Blondes” – Jude As CD; Tanner as ACD; and, Clair as SH – what a terrific TEAM! They handled their areas with skill 4. The gifted Guest Entertainers – many were WOWs! – especially Shimi Goodman the tenor and Chris Hamilton, the “Piano Man”. 5. The Splendor’s elegant, spacious public areas – beautiful – our favorite ship for decor. 6. “Included” laundry – Our heroes are the laundry staff who handled our daily offerings beautifully and the main reason we contribute to the Crew Fund. 7. The terrific variety of the dinner menu in CR including a fish dish (the"black, ugly fish") very special to Funchal. 8. Gino -the Wow as the nightly pianist in the OL – a very talented pianist/vocalist. 9. “ABBA Night” in the Atrium; the return of the “Block Party”; the County Fair: and the best Crews Capers show that we have seen in our 24 Regent cruises. B. What We Liked: 1. The Production cast for their shows and the interactions with them throughout the ship. All the voices weren’t spectacular but the choreography, costuming, staging and music support of the high energy shows was most enjoyable. 2. Lunches in La Verandah – for us the best meal of the day. DW had the daily pasta and a tasting from the carving station, and bites of several desserts. I usually had several small portions of the day’s salad offerings and a cheese plate. And.. my favorite non-alcoholic beer – Heineken "0". The Speakers who had interesting, relevant presentations. C. Disappointments 1. Yes, the weather that caused us to miss the Azores (where we have never been); essentially prohibited me from using my spacious Concierge verandah; and minimized our meals at both the Pool Grill and the large aft deck of La Verandah. 2. The “Tea at Reid’s” excursion in Funchal – very mundane, hurried and a far cry from Regent’s “Tea at the Lord Nelson” in Cape Town D. Tidbits: 1. Supposedly: Grandeur team will include Captain Luciano (spell?) who recently was Master of the Splendor; David Nivens as CD and Gino as OL Pianist. 2. I asked many staff (including the GM) and no one knew that Christy Brinkley is the Splendor's Godmother nor is their a portrait or plaque of her displayed on the Splendor! 3. A small example of Regent service - At lunch, I got a yen for my usual peanut butter and crackers. I mentioned to the wait staff and within 10 minutes a small bowl of peanut butter and a plate of crisp crackers was served to our table - Thanks Regent. e were on the recent TA on Splendor (on which we had done the inaugural cruise - 3years ago). Had a super time!

So personal a decision! We are in our 80s (healthy but Lisbon's hill were a challenge) and have been to Lisbon at least 5 times including a Regent pre-cruise excursion in November of 2022. We still research via TripAdvisor and UTube. For us, the most beautiful church in Lisbon is Sao Roque. Lots of interesting things to do in Belem area - but go early; check if you need timed tickets in advance; and use a cab - time is precious! Our hotel Concierge was MOST helpful.

Sincere thanks to all posters. Got LOTS of great info and ideas for our 3/24 Explorer TKY to TKY.

Per my commitment in Post # 4 above: Our 3 day/night stay at Avenida Palace hotel was WONDERFUL! Because: We had a beautiful room on the 5th floor facing Restorantes square - absolutely quiet despite the hotel being next to Rossio train station. Very nice bed and well-lighted bath with tub/showerS. Delicious, extensive breakfast in a lovely room with plenty of attendants. We spent Easter Sunday morning/afternoon visiting four nearby, beautiful churches including the Se (all beautiful and crowded with attendees) - all were on the flat section near the hotel or on a slight incline to the east of the hotel. Spent the early evening down near the river (missed the Splendor sailing by) with hordes of tourists. Had a very nice dinner at a seafood restaurant recommended by the hotel's Concierge and drinks at the elegant hotel bar - great (affable and competent) bar staff, very nice light meals and snacks (at a 20% discount because we booked directly with the hotel) We used Metro (a stop is just outside the hotel) on Monday when almost all the museums are closed to visit: Gulbenkian Museum (unbelievable what "oil money" can buy); the huge Ingles Cortez department store where we had a delicious lunch on the lovely patio outside the many restaurants on the top floor; shopped the large Zara's across the street from IC; walked downhill to our hotel past the many elegant stores (open on Mondays) on Rua Avenida. Had a light dinner in the hotel bar with a pianist (every night from 7 til 8). Again, visited the nearby shops and the river area - easy walking. Tuesday morning we started to Belem on bus - BAD idea - terrible traffic, road repairs on narrow streets. Hopped off bus and hailed a cab - easy; 3.50 euros to enter but cheap thereafter and QUICK. Visited Coach museum(a Wow) and the Antiquities museum( the national Portuguese museum; a super Wow) the latter on free tickets provided to guests by the hotel Concierge. Had a late lunch at the Time Out complex (with almost everyone else in the word); had freshly-made pasta (best in our memory) on the outside patio of the East side. Had a light dinner again in the hotel bar during music time. Walked around the flat tourist area in early evening. On last morning, within 30 minutes of call to Concierge, we were checked out; bellhop had baggage, and large cab was waiting for our trip to airport (less than 20 euros for cab ride). Other notes - Our room had portable phone for use during stay for use outside of hotel and up to 30 minutes/day of world-wide use. On last night a plate of huge strawberries was delivered to our room.

We were also on that cruise (one of our first with Regent). Supposedly the little dog could sense something like a pending seizure and alert the owner. There was a lot of skepticism and animosity from the passengers!

We're doing your Explorer cruise a year from now. I'll follow your postings as best I can - I board the Splendor tomorrow. Leave for Miami in 2 hours. Best wishes for a great cruise.

Correction: 2022 cruise

On an early 2023 Explorer cruise, I complained about the many missing tiles at the infinity pool. GM told me that due to a "design flaw" the infinity-pool was a maintenance headache and would NOT be included in the Grandeur.

boblerm posted: " As for the other ports, for me, they ranged from, “pretty, but not especially inspiring” to “why is it that I am here, exactly???” Years ago, on a Regent cruise, we stopped at Rio Grande. After our excursion, I asked the Mariner's CD why we stopped there. He responded: "Jim, if I only had one day to live, I'd want it to be in Rio Grande - it would seem like forever!" Thanks for the great photos

DW says "thanks goodness, nobody eats them".

After our 3/28 TA on Splendor, we are staying for 3 days at Hotel Avenida Palace on Avenue Liberdade. It is upscale, central, and on a flat areas with Metro just outside. When we get back on 4/13, I'' write up the cruise and the post-cruise stay.

Thanks! Hope you will post whenever you see us "amateurs'" not fully grasping something nautical.

We don't usually take a suite with a butler but the 3 times we had a butler we enjoyed his services. Yes, they deliver late afternoon canapes to the cabin; we'd much rather have canapes and drinks later in the Observation Lounge with friends and the pianist. BUT our butlers: tracked down our dressy attire at the laundry and expedited it for a big event. prepared a cocktail party for us (when we had an "Explorer" cabin) and 6 new friends. We had a great time; left with the guests; and, returned to a pristine cabin. delivered a special late-night dessert to our grandson throughout a 15-day cruise. had the ship's carpentry shop cut a board to specification for me. routinely checked on availability of reservations for Prime7 restaurant. Pretty anything you want them to do.

We've had terrific regular Regent excursions in Kirkwall and Belfast. Kirkwall archeology tour is NOT to be missed (but very cold and windy) and the Titanic Museum in Belfast is wonderful (but crowded). Regent's contractor did a great job; I don't think a private guide would have added much for DW and I.

Thanks Flossie We're on the Grandeur "inaugural(s); DW is an expert photographer so I'm determined to have that capability during those cruises.

Above is me "learning how to add photos to my posts!

Jim & Mary