forgap

OMG

@Cef123 many years ago we were in Paris for an extended stay and our teen daughters begged to go on a solo trip to London. We agreed as it gave us an opportunity to get a break from teen hormones in a small Parisian apartment. The next morning we woke up and they were at the breakfast table. The bus had an accident en route and the trip was cancelled. In the confusion one DD lost her passport which required us to go to the embassy to get a new one. Once past all the security, she was called up to the desk and handed her passport. She had left it in a cafe in Paris and never would have made it to London anyway. Can you see my eyes rolling? I may be a bit OCD but it pays to check your passport 1000 times and secure it in a safe place!

It never fails. Within two weeks of our cruise, the universe always seems to throw a wrench in the works. Before one cruise, I fell in the garden and hit a boulder as I slid downhill. X-rays showed nothing at the time so, although in pain, I soldered on. Several years later, my doc asked me about my THREE broken ribs that showed up on a subsequent X-ray. Three days before another cruise, we went to check on our mountain cabin and a tree was leaning on the chimney and the roof - no damage so it could wait until we returned. Today, two weeks from departure, someone opened their car door without looking and took off the side mirror or our brand new EV as we were driving past. Replacement order and repair will take more than two weeks (and $$$$$), so something we have to deal with on return. What are your stories? I’m grateful that we haven’t had to use our trip cancellation insurance and I’m counting my blessings, but, I’m starting to believe in cruise trolls!

Lots of spirits in the TA lounge in Istanbul as well as an amazing coffee bar and dessert bar. I tried more Turkish food and drink specialties in the lounge than in my five days in Istanbul. There is also liqueur on board the flights but it is definitely not pushed. Service is a throw back to a previous, more elegant era of flying. I even found the flight attendant uniforms to be retro.

We were on a Silversea cruise last year that ended in Reykjavík. They put us up at the Reykjavik EDITION which was within walking distance to everything. Beautiful hotel with a great rooftop bar. FYI.

I took the photo on 8/23/22…..climate change!

Too bad you missed Heimaey. We took a boat ride around the island and got a good overview of living on a volcanic island. The eruption in 1973,which destroyed half the island, is still a vivid memory for islanders. We saw puffins galore and the iconic elephant island. The even have a beluga whale sanctuary in the harbor where they rehab captive belugas from zoos and prep them for life in the ocean.

Great review! Love. Your humor.

We board in a month! Reading your posts in anticipation!

In the same boat (flight) for next year when we return from Japan. I asked on FB and the consensus was to leave the ship ASAP and private transfer to YVR. The ride should take 50 minutes.

Exactly the same for us. We had to change terminals, signage terrible, up and down, bus ride, passport check, crowded business class lounge. The scenery flying in, though, was beautiful. Turkish Airlines was great. They have service that is reminiscent of days gone by including a fancy dessert cart and an on board chef. We flew out of Istanbul and the TA lounge is fantastic!

On Regent buffets, my husband always gets dessert first. Life is short! 😍

Glad you enjoyed it! Did you get pummeled by the waterfall at the far end of the lagoon?

Curious whether the rumored avalanche of young people materialized for the Southampton segment?

We loved sky lagoon! It is more a giant hot tub than a bubbling volcanic basin like blue lagoon but calling it a hot tub doesn’t do it Justice. It is very futuristic with stunning views. Make sure to do the seven step ritual which was fabulous! I’m sure you will also discover the swim up bar with pink champagne. The waterfall is also not to be missed!

This is reassuring as we plan to use luggage forward next year on a cruise from Tokyo. We intend to take a 10 day land trip prior to the cruise so we need to limit our luggage. Since we will be cruising North in April, our cold weather gear and formal outfits will go via luggage forward.

Am I the only one anxious about a child falling overboard? A 3 year old running and climbing…a 2 year old toddler with distracted parents. And then there is the balcony in the cabins. ….

Always love your point of view! jennifer

I always pre print sticky labels with our names, cabin, sail date, ship name, address, phone, email, and stick it on to the tag, then attach it to the luggage. Works well!

There are always unanticipated issues on excursions, too. For instance, the impact of heat and humidity on a short flat walk can feel like a 10 mile hike uphill if you are not acclimated to the weather. Thus, the need for a Regent staff member it be on the excursion so they can lag behind and trouble shoot if necessary. i agree, though, that the “little men” rating system could use some tweaking. On our South Pacific cruise that included Hawaii, we chose to hike Kilauea Iki which was a three man excursion. Our group was doing great going into the crater. Then we had to navigate slippery shards of lava on an incline to reach the floor of the crater. This was dicey and one in our group slipped - she was bloody but OK to go on. I asked our guide what would happen if someone was seriously injured. He replied “…the most expensive helicopter ride of your life”. We then hiked the crater to the other side. It was about a mile and very hot. Then the hike got hard. Going up to the top had so many switchbacks I lost count. I whined to the guide between wheezes but he was a young, buff, athletic type whose sunny disposition could only encourage me and lie about the number of minutes remaining until we reached the top. I gave feedback to destination services when we returned that this hike should be 4-5 men and listed only for those who were very fit.

Did the gin arrive in one piece?

Cracked me up! I wondered the same thing…..even if she was offering water it was a peculiar response to the scene in front of her.

The lectures, for me, are usually the highlight of daily activities. We were on a cruise in February, Buenos Aires to Santiago - including Antarctica. Regent had a team of Antarctica experts on as lecturers. They included a seasoned expedition leader, an ornithologist, a geologist specializing in ice, and a National Geographic photographer. All lectures and events were exemplary.

Thoroughly enjoyed this blog and your humor. Well done! We hope to meet you and TB (Inga) on a cruise one day.

Pithy hindsight here. I doubt that there are ongoing drills for what to do when passengers fight on a Regent ship. I imagine the security detail are the point people but is it their job to patrol the ship? I imagine they were called on the radio and it took them a minute to get to the area. In addition, the man at the head of the person on the ground was barking orders at the staff to put the guy in handcuffs and telling the others to stay the course. We don’t know what happened next.