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Not sure exactly when the Menorah was placed, but we certainly noticed it outside the entrance to Compass Rose on the evening of Monday December 19. It could well have been there on December 18.

On Splendor now

Senior officers & staff: The entertainment has been enhanced for this cruise - The “Lemon Duo” finally arrived having resolved their visa issues. An Argentinian couple who will play in the lounges - Two speakers; Bob Ray & Brian Unger - Two visiting entertainers. The first is performing tonight - Jesse Hamilton Jr, vocalist First port this cruise tomorrow; tendering in to George Town in the Cayman Islands

Having departed Miami yesterday in pouring rain, today was a glorious day at sea Hope that the many CC members on board, some new to Regent, will contribute their thoughts on this cruise. The ship is sailing close to capacity.

The end of this segment was celebrated with a “Dance Party under the stairs” Fabulous music & singing from the entertainment team.

The elves have added a few more details to the gingerbread village

The Seven Seas Society party was well attended last night. On this short 7-day segment the ship is sailing close to capacity but with just over 300 guests who are new to Regent. One of the production cast singers, Anne Van Der Zee, provided the entertainment and ended with “The Prayer”; dueting with the CD, David Nevin. Both are fabulous singers. We are blessed with an excellent entertainment team at present on Splendor. Hopefully a duo will be joining the ship on December 20th to further expand the range of offerings during the Holiday cruise. As well as some guests being presented with their next level pins, it was good to see three crew members each receive 20-year long service awards.

The Head Chef & galley team worked their magic this evening to bring more festive cheer to the Splendor atrium

I seem to remember that back before the Pool Grill opened for dinner, they would put on a casual buffet in La Veranda (rather than opening as Sette Mari) in those ports where long shore excursions were expected to return late.

Block Party tonight. Glad to see that Regent tradition has returned 😀 We like the Christmas decorations around the ship. Hope the galley team add some gingerbread houses for the next segment 🤶

Today we are docked in Harvest Caye, Belize. Another beautiful day 😎 Towels on offer when leaving the ship for those having a beach day or taking part in the numerous water activities on offer. We enjoyed a boat trip around the Mangrove swamps searching out the wildlife (birds, fish, manatees etc). Very relaxing & enjoyable. No zip lining for us today, but we met others who obviously enjoyed the thrill 😮

What would be the point of them doing anything like this? It would not garner more tips and would probably lead to them losing a lucrative job. Accidental damage to bags can occur at any time when they are being handled.

Splendor is in Roatan, Honduras, today

For those that desire a light dessert in Prime 7, after the excesses of starter & main courses, I can highly recommend the seasonal berries with the addition of vanilla ice cream. A pretty & delicious plate to round off the meal:

I should have made it clear that the gentleman requesting money for himself and his colleagues was polite, friendly & respectful. No aggression or rudeness whatsoever. There is definitely a cultural difference regarding tipping in various parts of the world. In Europe we have generally matured away from the reliance on tips that was more prevalent in service industries some years ago. Tips for excellent service are still welcome and a ‘service charge’ is often added to restaurant bills.

Sounds like bribery or extortion rather than a tip for an exceptional service already provided 🤨 We have boarded Regent ships many times at Miami port, but this is the first time we have been openly asked for money by the baggage handlers. Touch wood we have never had a bag damaged or lost between kerbside to ship.

A first for us yesterday when the porters at Miami port asked for a tip when we handed over our bags

Looks like it is going to be a nice day for a cruise out of Miami 😎 View from our Miami airport hotel window when we woke up this morning; very different from the snow & ice leaving home early yesterday morning. We will be joining you on Splendor later today. So looking forward to our 23 night B2B 😀

I suspect this has more to do with staffing rather than ‘losing money’ per se. Allocating wait, bar & prep staff to an underused venue could detract from evening service elsewhere on the ship. Sorry for those who enjoyed the Pool Grill in the evenings. Not a detriment for us as we enjoy the other restaurants on board; only frequenting the Pool Grill & Bar for enjoyable relaxing lunches in the sun 😎

Also worth looking for the relevant roll-call or starting one if no one has done so already: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/759-seven-seas-explorer-roll-calls/ We love Asia and are keeping our fingers crossed that our scheduled cruise in Feb 2023 goes ahead without any further itinerary changes 🤞 It is certainly worth staying a few days in Bangkok after the cruise if you have the time. There are some excellent hotels on the river and it is easy to get around Bangkok on your own.

The oysters have probably been sourced locally on this cruise: https://southafrica.co.za/oyster-farming-in-south-africa.html http://www.royalenamibian.com/en/our-oysters/

I understood that the Regent Smartguide app connected to a local Wi-Fi network generated by the guide’s piece of kit (which some guides did not want to carry) Academic now if Regent has decided to retire the system 😕

That is a shame. The few times we used the app pre-covid it enhanced our experience and was easy to use. Some guests, and some guides, preferred not to use the technology, for various reasons 🤨

Hi Sheila, Best wishes to you & yours 🤶 Enjoy your cruises & safe driving on the red scooter 😉