GeorgiaPeach51

We just got off the Navigator and I concur with @NCCruzQueen that it was chilly in many venues and our hallway on deck 7 was cold enough that my polar bear husband even remarked on it. I always had at least a light long-sleeved sweater on or around my shoulders. I did see people with shorts and sleeveless tops on days when everyone else was in long sleeves so there you go! But if you run cold, as I do, you need to be prepared.

FWIW, we were long time Celebrity cruisers, too. So much so that we were “Elite”. Now that we have discovered Regent, I want all that money back. I am attaching below, my trip report on our first R cruise, in which I draw many comparisons to Celebrity. If you care to read it, it might help you with your concerns. Joanie

@ON cruiser Such a pleasure to meet you both! I hope our paths cross again. Thank you for contributing to this report….and I hope others on the cruise might hop on to give a few of their impressions…feel free! Joanie

We are at the airport. It is certainly not busy, especially by Atlanta standards. We basically walked right up to each station but it still took 30 minutes, so be aware. But perhaps they staff up when they know things will be busier. We left our suite at 7:30, had a last breakfast in the Veranda, sat and talked with friends, and off we went. Very easy. I was going to do an Uber but taxis retreat lined up and we took the easy way out. Taxi to airport was $48.40 Canadian. I think Uber would be cheaper. a few odds and ends… If you look up in the hallways these are the internet access points, and it seems that the closer these are to the room the better your internet service. Friends on the ship had one outside their room, as we did. We had excellent Wi-Fi. They did not because their thingy outside their room wasn’t working. I had very few problems with internet, and give it a solid 9 out of 10. Final food photo….the final meal in Sette Mari. and the list of points exchanges and the goodies you can get. We got two shirts and some golf balls with most of our points coming from Trivia and Mensa. when we got in line to redeem the points there was @Kwaj girl generously donating ALL of her points so people who were a little short could have enough points to get what they wanted. How lovely is that? Sorry the photo is so crumpled, it it gives you the idea. so, with that, I bid you a fond farewell till next time, I think the next time I will appear will be in November. We are taking our first Oceania cruise with my sister and brother in law and I may decide to post on CC to compare our impressions of the two lines. We tried our absolute best to wrangle them into Regent but they felt it was too expensive. As it turns out, comparable cruises are very close to the same price and I already know I will be an unhappy camper with having to haul out a card to show every time we get a drink. But, it’s worth it to travel with them, so I will suffer in absolute silence, which is, believe it or not, capable of happening! I just don’t do it often! Happy sails to you all, and thanks for those who posted and offered comments. Appreciate you all!

Statue of Champlain oldest house in QC house with the smallest facade….they charged taxes for the width and number of windows high tea the Frontenac

Beautiful day in Quebec City. Weather was warm and breezy, like a Spring Day. Charming City. Fire was a recurring theme with the city being destroyed several times, which is why they decreed that houses had to be built from stone. The photo of the roofs is a restored square and the roofs were chosen in those specific materials and sequence to represent the improvement from wood to slate to metal to shingle. The statues are of Champlain. We did a walking tour from 1-4, including tea at the Frontenac. The tea was not what I expected! I was a little disappointed because I expected white tablecloths, etc., and it had a cafeteria feel to me. People at our table had to ask for milk for their tea, ask for jam for their scone. Our breakfasts on the ship are fancier than the Frontenac , IMHO. Came back pooped and with one knee protesting, then raced to trivia one last time, which I will miss. Ray does a good job with it. One last lovely dinner in Sette Mari with friends, suitcases in the hall and this final shipboard message to all of you. I’ll post more tomorrow. Want to get this day recorded while it is fresh in my memory. Regent saved the best for last with Quebec City! Would love to return. the beautiful history of Quebec murals fourth photo is of the roofs the streets and houses funicular river view

We were invited, with another couple, to have dinner in Compass Rose last night with Ray, the CD. He is so charming, and is just fascinating to listen to. What a life he has had. Spent hours adrift in a boat after the ship he was on caught fire and was evacuated long ago, performed for the Queen, met Putin and Mandela. He is going strong and obviously just loves what he does. It was a once in a lifetime treat. We are doing a walking tour today, ending with tea at the Frontenac, so I will report to you later. My husband has been bustling around packing and it is now, regretfully, my turn. Ugh cubed.

Next stop was the goat farm. We saw the goats and their protective Jenny, the donkey that acts as a protector. When we got close to the goats the donkey rushed over, braying, letting us all know that we were suspicious and in need of investigation. Then there was a presentation of how the wool is treated and formed into material. Of course, you could buy wool items. One woman was sitting there meticulously testing small clumps of wool and stretching it with her fingers. Imagine doing that all day. Just shoot me and get it over with. When we were in college my twin sister had a summer job in the Archway cookie factory in Fredericksburg, VA, where we grew up. Her job all night long was to stack cookies as they came down the conveyor belt. Ovens nearby. Every night I would pick her up in the one family car and she would get in, smelling like hot, sweaty cookies, which is the only way I can think to describe it. I never want to encounter it again. We would drive home with all windows down, even if it was pouring rain. One night she called me to come get her early. Apparently, a woman who had worked there for years suddenly went berserk, swearing at the cookies, the ovens, the conveyor belt, grabbing cookies off the belt and throwing them on the floor and jumping up and down on them. Reminiscent of Lucy and the chocolate factory. The rescue squad came and that was a short night. My sister went back the next night and it was business as usual. Even after showers she smelled like cookies that whole summer and I have never touched an Archway cookie since. sifting wool all day = endless cookies, IMO After the goats we went to see the home of Villanueve, a famous local artist. He painted all the walls in his home, not like we would paint walls, but as if they were his canvas. Floor to ceiling. They just lifted part of his house and plopped it into the museum, if I understand it correctly. The tour guide was museum staff and it was very difficult to understand him. His microphone successfully garbled his words just enough that no one could tell what he was saying, I thought it was me, but even my husband, who can hear with the best of them, had no clue what he said. So, apologies if I get anything wrong about him. You couldn’t take photos within the house but they had some displays outside the house and that is what you see in the photos. His poor wife fought to keep him from painting her kitchen walls and cabinets but failed, saving only the front of the refrigerator from his paintbrush! 😃

Then the bus went to a few small towns adjacent to Saquenay. I thought this was interesting…in January thru March the people erect about 1500 ice fishing huts. They drive out onto the ice, have restaurants out on the frozen lake. The photos are of a pamphlet, so not the best, but I wanted you to see it. On the back were photos of animals in the area.

The aquarium. The big fish are cod.

Morning! We are in Quebec City, my first visit, so I am excited. Our tour is later in the day so I am avoiding making eye contact with the big ole elephant in the room. The suitcases have slithered their way out from under the bed. The only saving grace is that packing to leave is so much easier than packing to arrive. Or am I the only one who pretty much pitches it all in there till the weight allowance is met, heedless of wrinkles and rumples? It’s all going in the laundry or to the dry cleaners anyhow…. We were in Saquenay yesterday. Cold and windy again. We did a tour that went to the Fiords Museum, an angora goat farm and to part of a museum featuring the artist Villanueve. The tour was okay, the tour guide, Linda, did the best she could with what she had to offer. The Fiords Museum was the best part, I thought. You go into a dark room with space age looking seats and they show a narrated video of the fiords and how they were created, and then there is a small aquarium and an interesting section about the history of the area, and the people who settled there.

@ON cruiser Thanks for that great addition of info for people to read. I really hope others will chime in and share a few bits and pieces, or more, of their experience on the ship. A friend on the ship threw out a pithy observation that struck me, and I think is pertinent to my impressions of this ship and journey. I was startled when he said it, but immediately had to acknowledge the truth in what he said….which was…..we rarely go back to restaurants where we have had a magnificent meal, because the second experience is hardly ever as wonderful as the first. That can be the case! If you apply that to a cruise, I think there can be a lot of truth there. Our first R cruise was on the Explorer just after cruising started again and the ship was far from full. So that was an experience that was certainly a once in a lifetime first cruise. We were positively dazzled. It wasn’t perfection but was as close as mere humans can come. The second, on Splendor, was wonderful. This one is so different because of the ship, and also different because we have familiarity with R. So the delight of discovering that we loved how our hard-earned dollars were spent is not as great. But still gratifying. And the highs of best cruise ever are more moderate and adjusted due to the increasing familiarity factor. So, do I like this cruise? Yes. The ship? Yes, but I like the larger ships more. Would I sail the mightily little Navigator again? Yes. Would she be your first choice? No, due to the size. Personal preference. The staff? Just as wonderful. The entertainment? Good. We are not show people, so factor that in. The food? Seems like a few more misses than previous. Not sure if it is supply chain, or this ship in comparison, but not quite as excellent as before. But the same anxious desire to make passengers happy, and the same prompt service to rectify whatever is wrong, There really is no excuse to eat a meal you don’t like on R. Cruise Director? Love him. Very polished. Very entertaining. Charming. Bar Staff? I thought they were great. More consistent than that we found on Splendor. But any issues are quickly resolved with a redo. Destination Services? I think they have had to do yeoman’s work on this rapidly changing cruise. @ON cruiser just expressed it well with his experience in Charlotte Town. Time for Trivia. More soon.

Low key sea day. Cold and windy outside, but sunny. A passenger is being taken off the ship for a health emergency. Pick up by Canadian Coast Guard, so we are at a virtual standstill. Hurts my heart for that person and their family. had a nice lunch in CR with two other couples. No big plans today…a nap would be a luxury. Mensa and Trivia at 4:30, dinner in Prime 7. More later.

@mrlevin I’m sure there are many of us here that remember that first picture with a wonderful gem in the center and with Salma Hayek and Pierce Brosnan onboard. say what!? Please fill in the blanks for those of us who don’t know this interesting piece of info!

FWIW I made it a point to ask people I have met what they did today and got favorable reviews for the food tours, and for the horse drawn trolley tour. I think most people, but not all, got their tours and walks in before the rain came, as it insisted on doing. I was sitting in the coffee bar with a cappuccino and got tickled because EVERY person that popped around the corner was rubbing their hands and shivering and making some derogatory comments about the weather. That said, we have been very fortunate in this cruise. This is the first rain day of the whole trip and it wasn’t even the whole day. If you have never played trivia it is a lot of fun, so I recommend it. Takes 30 minutes. Worst case, you learn minutiae you forgot or never knew. Best case you get one right and feel inordinately proud of yourself. They have a new Mensa sheet every day so there are five questions a day with which you can torture yourself or argue with your spouse about Jane, who is twice her age after fourteen years but lives two doors down from her best friend who is half Jane’s age, and therefore, if today is a full moon, what was the color of Jane’s house five years ago. Drives me nuts. But we attempt it every day. You don’t have to do both trivia and Mensa. Either or both. I have yet to discern if wine helps or not. Tonight is a Beatles show, I think. My husband is not a fan, so we are skipping it. We get back the hour we lost earlier, always a cause for celebration. An extra hour of sleep! Yay! Over the next few days I’ll update you on my overall impressions. Tomorrow is a sea day. Then Saquenay. Then Quebec City. Then Montreal, and home on Saturday. Woe. See you tomorrow.

Today is Charlotte Town, PEI. We didn’t do a tour but walked around the nice little town, and had lunch. The weather cooperated and a light jacket was plenty since the sun decided to show itself for a brief spell. As I type this cloud cover is winning the battle and it looks like the promised late afternoon rain might be on schedule. The first clue was the umbrellas at the gangplank area for passengers to take if desired. My husband dearly loves lobster, so we walked to a place he found on Trip Advisor. His yardstick for a lobster roll is 80% lobster to 20% roll…with butter and a whisper of mayo. That is not what he got….he said it was good and had some ok chunks, which is infinitely better than shredded lobster. But he had order envy because my fish and chips, with halibut rather than haddock, was absolutely the best I’ve ever had. Wow. So good. Gave him half and still had plenty. Highly recommend! To reach this place, Water Price Corner, you exit the cruise terminal and walk to the first cross street. Turn left, and it’s down two blocks on the corner. I will ask around about the opinions of others regarding their tours. I know there were multiple food tours, and some tours to the Anne of Green Gables house. Stay tuned…

Yesterday was Sydney and we did not get off the ship. We were going on a tour to see Alexander Graham’s home and got a notice that the home was closed for repairs, but we could see the outside. That was not a thrilling prospect so we stayed on the ship and relaxed. We had thought we might walk around town, but it turned into a tender port due to the winds. The tenders apparently struggled with the weather somewhat and it seemed to be more laborious than usual, and took longer than usual, so we also gave that a pass. I talked to several people who walked around town and they all pronounced it not great, not a lot to see and a lot of paving going on. That is not to say that the town was just totally not worth visiting, just that the people I spoke with didn’t love it. If you went on a tour or found something great, please share so others will know what to do and see. Since much of the ship was empty yesterday I took a few photos of the foyer, the coffee bar and the library, so you could see them without people.

@Jlhalldc I have heard nothing but I will put ears to ground and see what I can find out.

Good morning. Sunny day, chilly, but a good day to see Sydney. Yesterday was Halifax. Lovely city. We had a bus tour to Peggy’s Cove, a preserved fishing village. Our tour guide was wonderful…funny, super informative. It was actually nice to be on the bus seeing the scenic views. Once there we could walk down to the lighthouse, stroll around the town, and at the end, have gingerbread with either lemon sauce or whipped cream, yes or coffee. We set with some nice couples from England and they loved the gingerbread. I’m just not a fan of ginger stuff, but I’ll take their word for it. Boy, it was blowing a gale and all of us on the buses were hunkered down in our jackets while the hearty woman directing the bus parking was wearing, holy cow, just long pants and a tee shirt. Good grief. I enjoyed the low key trip. Charming. I did ponder how cold it must be in the dead of winter with the wind and no trees. In comparison yesterday’s 50ish must seem balmy in comparison. Photos below. Our tour today was to Alexander Graham Bell’s home, but we got a notice that the home is closed and we can view the outside. So, we cancelled the tour and will see what Sydney is like on foot just to get off the ship and get some exercise. We had dinner with friends in prime 7 last night. Just a perfect dinner. I have to say that it was one of the most perfect steaks I’ve ever had. Then we visited the casino and politely gave back the money the slots loaned us the night before. Trivia and the Mensa worksheet are earlier today and I find that more of a struggle….my eyes see scrambled words and they just stubbornly stay that way. Ties my brain in a big ole knot. When I do them later in the day my brain cells are much more willing to engage. A few ship observations. Wish there were more outlets in the suite. Ship staff and crew are uniformly wonderful and charming. Goldilocks wishes for more seating that is cushy. I’m not bothered by the vibration. When she starts I think, “Go, girl! You can do it! Get ‘er done!” I like the ambience of Compass Rose on this ship better than the ones on Splendor and Explorer. What seems cluttered and sometimes cramped at first has now become…cosy. I have yet to hear a passenger become rude to a ship employee. Everyone just plays together nicely and there is an easy camaraderie between staff and guests. Lovely. more in a minute

@mrlevin Thank you for the info on ice warnings! Never knew such a thing existed, but of course, it would absolutely be needed in certain spots. Fascinating! Joanie

I am SO impressed. I mentioned, I think, that on the mid cruise survey I noted that the table on our balcony was full of painted over rust spots and was not befitting a luxury cruise line. I also said it would not affect our cruise in the least, but I thought they would want to know. We got a note in our suite that they would be working on our balcony today and to be aware that there might be wet surfaces. Sure enough, they came to fix the table. First picture is before and the second one is after…table still wet. Gosh, that kind of responsive service just touches my heart. It’s so, so, rare. Most of the time, in the general world today, we are hoping for civil exchanges, perhaps no hostility, a modicum of polite interaction….and here we are where they ask for a mid cruise survey so they CAN fix things for passengers, read them within a day or less and respond within 48 hours. I absolutely did not expect it to be fixed while we are on the ship. Sheesh. Can you have a crush on a cruise line? ❤️❤️

Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day! Chilly outside today but sunny. Headed for Halifax, supposed to arrive around 1:30. We are going to attend the church service at 9:15 this morning, led by the charming Ray. Last night was the Seven Seas Society get together. Seemed well-attended. Then dinner with new friends in CR…miso sea bass, to my delight. Wonderful meal. We had intended to go to the show but ran late and decided to donate to the casino once again. To our surprise, we actually came out up $200 after investing $100. Apparently the thing to get is three WILDS, and as a friend noted, “you’re not even touching it and it’s giving you money!” More later, after Halifax.