CruiserFromMaine

I thought the volume in the theater was fine but that may or may not be true for anyone else. We sat in the front lower level for most shows.

I don’t remember but it was probably a French red.

After our tour of Bonaire we had lunch and relaxed. Later, we went to the afternoon tea. The afternoon tea is not Regent’s strong point. There is no place to put your tea bag except right on your saucer. The scones are only average for taste and the tea sandwich selection is short and some have pretty dry bread. Certainly not a huge deal but a missed opportunity for Regent. Pre-dinner drinks in the Observation Lounge with Gino again. He’s good!They have good cocktails there. I liked the Splendor. I also like the chips, pretzels, etc they bring by. The canapés are good too. Dinner in Chatreuse. Wow! The entire experience from start to finish was great. The escargot was a different presentation for me and delicious. The beef was perfect as was the wine, and the service was top notch. I forgot to take photos. We tried to book into Chartreuse again but it’s totally booked until the next segment. Patty Dess did another wonderful show for us after dinner, then more Gino afterwards. The next day, Friday, we arrived in Grenada around 1pm. We had a ship tour of the island with stops at a botanical garden/spice farm, Annandale waterfall and Grand Etang Park. It’s a beautiful volcanic mountainous island with steep narrow roads and a fair amount of traffic; the traffic is especially heavy right in the city. The roads are well-paved. It’s a big island and we only saw part of it. The tour was a typical island overview tour and our driver/guide was very good. Riding on steep narrow roads, on “the wrong side” for us Americans, was an experience in itself! We returned around 6:00 and changed for dinner; Sette Mari tonight. They first offered us the same table we sat at a few nights ago for “the incident”. It was Too Soon for that so we sat elsewhere but indoors. Dinner was good; we’ve sampled many of the items there now. Probably Compass Rose from here on out. Speaking of Compass Rose, we received an invitation to dine with the General Manager on Monday night in CR. In the 25 or so cruises we’ve done, it’s the first such invitation we’ve received, so of course we said yes! Monday will be a big day for us. We cleared the wait list for the Wine Lunch, so we’ll be doing that Monday too! Last night’s show featured the production cast in a show with James Bond-ish plot about a stolen diamond. The singing and dancing were again excellent. We skipped Gino after the show. We were both tired after a week or so of being indulged! Below, the Etang park, a very enjoyable Chianti with dinner last night, the end of the show, our ship at dock in Grenada, and the waterfall

@Wendy The Wanderer Good to know about the concierge vs superior suites. We are new to Regent but the hotel was marginal at best and the transport to the ship wasn’t much better. But we booked with a two category upgrade promotion so presumably we didn’t pay extra. Thanks for the info!

On the Splendor. After lunch in La Veranda yesterday we took the trolley tour of Willemstad. There was a long taxi ride over the big bridge (Queen Julianna Bridge) to the trolley ride start, which was really only a short walk over the floating bridge. We were docked right in the harbor, very convenient. The picture is of the Splendor from the floating bridge, which needed to open to let us in and out. The narrated ride was about 90 minutes in an open air trolley. It was OK but not great. After the trolley ride, we walked over the floating bridge to the ship. We grabbed some savory snacks from Coffee Connection and went back to our room to have them with done champagne. There were no other food options. Before dinner we stopped in to heat Gino at the Observation Lounge, then off to Pacific Rim for a wonderful dinner. I had the Miso Cod with the duck confit spring rolls as a starter—excellent! In lieu of a show in the theater there was dancing on the pool deck since we were in port late. What a fun party. CD David, the entertainers and the orchestra sang and played nonstop for almost 90 minutes. Many folks were there and most danced at least some of the time. We never stopped! It was such fun and a great workout too! The orchestra regrouped in the Meridian Lounge with hardly a break for more music. My initial hesitation about the orchestra is now gone—they are extremely talented plus they work their <instruments> off! Quiet morning in Aruba with no excursion. We ventured into town then returned for lunch in Prime 7. It was very good if a little leisurely but we had nowhere else to be. I had the shrimp and grits starter and the fisherman’s platter. We talked with the executive concierge about our mid-cruise survey. He’d obviously read our concerns about the AKA Brickell and the construction around the elevators. He said others had complained too, and also on previous cruises. He will forward our concerns to corporate. We’ll see what happened next. The hotel was supposed to be finished by now, and Regent books rooms a couple months out so I understand how Regent got caught short, but it was still a rough start to our vacation. Now sitting by the infinity pool enjoying the quiet afternoon. The water view is from our veranda this morning in Aruba.

Yesterday we did the Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class. We made a beef dish, a shrimp dish and a crepe for dessert, plus a mojito to start—at 10am! Chef Kelli (?) Evans did a great job of explaining what to do, and then recapped it for us. I know she was good because what I made came out great, and I’m not a cook. The ship was rocking and a couple folks left early because of that. (The class is on deck 11.) What we made was enough for lunch. Oh yes, a glass of white wine was served as well! The class ended at noon. It was a quiet afternoon. We both took a nap. Going outside was too windy for us, but a lot of people were out. The pool was closed but hot tubs were open. The photography seminar was good. We had a block party, only the fourth on this ship since the restart. We visited the Meridian Lounge where the orchestra was playing for a pre-dinner cocktail was playing and then had our first dinner in Compass Rose. We went with the server’s recommendation, which we often do on a cruise. The corn and chili soup was nice and flavorable, but the chicken Kiev was a bit of a let down. The Malva pudding more than made up for it, though! The service was excellent with several people coming over to make sure everything was good and even remembering our names. Off to the Splendor Lounge for the Lemon Duo. They’re growing on me, the guitarist is really talented. We took a quick detour to observe in the casino, the tables were busy. Then the show with guest performer Patty Dess. Wow, she was excellent! A great singer with an engaging stage presence. She sang some of the best songs from singers such as Whitney Houston and Tina Turner and back to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, and more. Don’t miss it! According to the CD last night, we have 706 guests on board, or 94% full, the large majority from the US. Then we headed back up to hear Gino de Luca in the Observation Lounge. Very small crowd tonight but he did another wonderful set. He a great pianist who loves the extra flourish on the keyboard, has a very nice voice and is also engaging. Breakfast in Compass Rose this leisurely morning and now we’re heading into port at Curaçao. The pilot boat just pulled away. There’s a Royal Caribbean ship and a NCL ship in port already. The internet continues to be quite good. My wife is doing some work and we’ve both had to deal with a few emails and texts.

We had a relaxing afternoon yesterday although my wife did some work. Internet was good enough for that and seems good overall. Captain’s reception was fine. Dinner in Prime 7. I had the wedge salad and surf and turf. Wedge salad had ranch dressing so it’s different but I liked it. I think of a wedge with blue cheese dressing. Steak was good but not great, needed some seasoning. My wife had the lamb and enjoyed it. We shared the famous caramel popcorn sundae and it was really good! Staff seemed hurried but service was good. Our waiter seemed new. Only one sommelier for the restaurant. There were quite a few people with 7:30 reservations. Listened to the Lemon Duo in the Splendor Lounge. I really like the multiple choices for live music but the Lemon Duo didn’t excite us. We’ll give them another shot. Divos and Divas was really good. A couple of the female singers, in particular, have great voices. Went to Guess That Tune after the show. We came in fifth so no points for us. Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class this morning.

Some photos, should upload ok. Internet has been quite good. Miami skyline as we left port. Brunch, two photos. From the infinity pool.

Great Sunday brunch today, serving as breakfast and lunch. So many places to eat! Got coffee at Coffee Connection this am. I’d like then to have to-go cups there but those are single use do maybe that’s why not. I know they’ll deliver and there’s a coffee maker in the room but the in room one makes small cups. I spent too much time on that, it’s a very minor point. The ship is gorgeous. Service is first rate. Went to the infinity pool this afternoon. Now just way for Bob Ray’s photography lecture. Pix to follow later. Internet is good now.

Well, after three years we finally got to board the Regent Splendor! Despite some warnings, we took the Regent bus from the hotel. We arrived about 50 minutes late and joined a big crowd to check in. We boarded about 50 minutes after arriving. Yay! (But lesson learned first hand—just get a ride share to the port.) Had a nice lunch at the Pool Grill, very prompt drink service. Then we toured the ship, got the obligatory photo op outside Pacific Rim. At 2:30 the rooms were ready, so we unpacked. A trip to the hot tub was next. The hot tub temperature is good and hot. Then, uh oh, old school muster drills are back. Everyone tromps off to their assigned station for 30 minutes they’ll never get back even after watching the required video before boarding. That interlude delayed the “Welcome to the Regent Family” party and pool deck sail away. Sail away was great with scenic views of sunsets and Miami. We like piano music so we went to the Observation Lounge for the pianist who played tunes we like a lot. Around 7:00pm we headed down to Compass Rose. Another uh oh—a big line to get in. OK, let’s go to Sette Mari. Got in and started a nice dinner. Uh oh—one of the women at the table right next to us literally starts vomiting on the floor! She finally listens to her table mate and leaves. The staff apologizes to us but really, they’re just as much innocent bystanders as we are. In almost 30 cruises, that’s fortunately a first for us. Concierge suite is great with a huge shaded balcony and nice walk in closet. Plenty of storage. Double sinks in the bathroom. There’s a little vibration now that we’re underway. Still trying to figure out what light switch goes with what light. The first night’s show was good, an overview of upcoming shows. We are already big fans of the pianist, Gino de Luca, in the Observation Lounge. He’s great! The casino is a good size for a ship this size. As a sometimes blackjack player I was glad to see a $10 table and that it pays 3-2 on a blackjack; many ships only pay 6-5. We are waitlisted for the wine lunch. I forgot to sign up until later in the day. We’re supposed to get a call back from the head sommelier about other options. Big Sunday brunch on the schedule for today! Some key people on board: Master—Luciano Montesanto General Manager—Franck Galzy Cruise Director—David Nevin Senior Executive Chef—Dino Schwager F&B Director—Stephane Carriou Guest Lecturer—Bob Ray

Our journey to the Splendor has begun. Our flight from Boston was uneventful. We took a Covid test at the Miami Airport to help us with costs if we get covid onboard. (We were negative!). We took a cab to the AKA Brickell, the hotel Regent assigned us to. A couple notes—check-in is now on the ground floor, no longer on the 25th floor. However, to get to our room we needed to take the elevator to the 25th floor, walk through an area still under construction, take an elevator down the the 20th floor for our room. To go to the pool requires going up to the 25th floor, walk back through the construction area, go down to the lobby, outside across the valet parking area, then up to the rooftop pool. The pool bar looks like it belongs on a Royal Caribbean ship. It’s a big step down from the Mandarin where I believe some people are staying. I’ll let our TA and someone on Regent know.

Thanks @GeorgiaPeach51 and @Zqueeze1! GeorgiaPeach51, I followed your thread here about your cruise and it definitely helped get us excited for this cruise. @Wendy The Wanderer--hope we get to meet on board!

Thanks @crispy46!

There’s a saying that “The third time’s a charm” but for us “Third time’s a Splendor” Let me explain. We first booked the Splendor for April 2020. We were looking forward to trying Regent since we’d heard so many good things about them and the Splendor was a brand-new ship at the time. We even got our “Splendor Inaugural Season” document holder but then Covid forced Regent to cancel. We eventually got all our money back and rebooked for January 2022. We got our Splendor Inaugural Season” document holder once again but with Omicron on the rise, Regent let us postpone and carry our deposit (actually the cruise was paid in full at that point) to another cruise. That cruise, our third try, sails on January 21st; we’ll be on for 18 nights on a back to back, which is our longest cruise to date. We’ve been on a couple dozen cruises from resort ships (aka "mass market") to luxury and found that at this point in our lives, we prefer the luxury or at least premium lines. We’ve been on Crystal and Silversea for luxury lines and enjoyed them quite a bit. It's hard to describe, but we like the "vibe": not having to pull out a card for every drink order, excellent service, excellent food and wine and at least good to very good entertainment. Nicely appointed smaller ships (i.e., not 3000 pax). Some enrichment lectures are important too. I’ll be posting as we go along. For any others sailing on the cruise—absolutely feel free to chime in! We are flying from Boston to Miami on American Airlines on Thursday morning. We’ll have two nights in Miami at the AKA Brickell, one of which is included with our Concierge class suite. We took advantage of a two-category upgrade deal when we booked. We live in Maine but like to fly from Boston to start a trip since there are much better nonstop options from there. And we definitely like to get in a day early, two if we can, given potential weather issues this time of year. We’ll actually stay near Logan airport Wednesday night since we have a fairly early flight Thursday morning. We’ve enjoyed reading the recent great reports here about the Splendor and are excited to get on board to experience the great food, service and entertainment!

I was able to book twice per location on a B2B cruise on the Splendor.

We took that cruise last spring. We really enjoyed the trip and the food was quite good. We never had dinner in the buffet. We had the late dining which is later than we’d like but it was good in that it wasn’t as crowded since most people took the early seating. I feel like we got more attentive service at the second seating.

We had an excellent cruise with AMA Waterways that was hard to pick between that and our Crystal River cruise.

@Lois R Hi, Lois—have a great cruise! Ellie and I both wish you a happy and cruise-filled New Year! We’ll be on Regent Splendor next, later this month. First time with Regent.

We’ve used Larry’s Limo and been very happy. They upgraded us to a stretch limo at no cost the last time we used them!

Oceania and Regent are getting new presidents January 1, 2023 too. And the new President at Oceania will be Frank Del Rio’s son. The outgoing presidents will also be special advisors. https://www.nclhltd.com/investors/sec-filings/all-sec-filings/content/0001558370-22-018672/0001558370-22-018672.pdf

There’s more to this story, as always. We’ll never know the full details. DeMarco has a sales background so hopefully she’ll keep up the focus on a hug-end Regent experience as a sales and marketing advantage.

We really like Aqua class for dining in Blu. The food is very good and is the service. You can ask to get the same server each night and that can probably be arranged with the Maitre D. The wine service is very good too. We haven’t sailed on Edge class though, only S class and one on Summit in Aqua class. We were in a suite pre-Revolution on Equinox and while Luminae was excellent the upcharge from Aqua to a suite doesn’t seem worth it. Maybe post-Revolution we’d feel differently.

Following along, and enjoying the thread. We’ll be on next momth!

We're on with Wendy, so we thank you too!

Great thread, @GeorgiaPeach51! I enjoyed it and we’re looking forward to our Splendor cruise which is, I can finally say, next month!