boblerm

Entertainment 

 

Production Shows 

 

If I had never cruised on Regent before, I may have been very impressed with the quality of the production shows. But I have, and so I wasn't. 

Perhaps it is a little strong to say that I wasn't impressed. The dancers were top notch, and the singers were all competent. But on my last several cruises on Regent and on Crystal, the production team knocked my socks off, whereas I left these shows with my socks firmly in place. In fact, the only performance in which my socks were metaphorically off my feet was Cruise Director David Nevin's one man show. 

 

My favorite of the production shows was, "Divos and Divas", featuring songs by Sinatra, Madonna , Dolly, Celine,  Whitney,  Manilow, Bruno Mars , Rod Stewart,  Freddie, probably some others. It was a high energy production that  made the most of the talent of the team, and I thought that the chosen songs were all well representatve of the featured artists.

 

 "Broadway in Concert"  is not really a production show, no dancing, costume changes, or backlit scenery, just 5 lead singers doing classic Broadway numbers. I had seen this production on my last cruise,  and I recall being mesmerized throughout the show. I just didn't think that this cast were as commanding a presence as the cast of the last one. There were moments of brilliance to be sure, the 3 ladies mash-up of Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes gave me goose bumps, as did the Lez Mis finale,and there was not one number that was poorly performed.

 

I have already given my impression of "Diamond Run" in post #126, and unfortunately, I did not feel any more warm and fuzzy about "Bohemian Soul". Like "Diamond Run" I think that there was supposed to be some sort of story line here, but again, my feeble brain was unable to figure out what it was.  I found the song selection to be a bit of a disappointment, many songs were unfamiliar to me, and I found few very engaging. Of those that were familiar, I think that there were some odd choices. "Somethin' Stupid" in a show entitled "Bohemian Soul"? Seriously?

 

I would like to see Regent go back to the tried and true formulations of giving us shows featuring mainly high energy upbeat numbers interspersed with beautiful ballads, with selections that are familiar to us, and that are widely loved.  I am hoping that the trend of artsy smartsy attempts are short lived. Just my opinion.

 

Specialty Acts 

 

Comedian Darrell Joyce did 2 shows, a very funny gentleman with a magnetic personality.

 

The other specialty act was a trumpeter/ vocalist named Ollie Mulkeen. He was excellent, but I was a little skeptical when I learned that he would be doing a second show, I thought that one would be sufficient. Wrong! He was even better in his second show.

 

Lounge Performers

 

On every Regent cruise that I have been on, the Regent Signature Orchestra has been superb, and this one was no exception. They played in the Meridian.

 

 

Pianest Andrew performed in the Observation, a talented artist with a nice voice. 

 

 

Most of our evening time was spent in the Splendor Lounge; I think that I have made it clear how much I adore Kasia and Boogie, here are some visuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cruise Director 

 

David Nevin kept things flowing well, as as I mentioned, is an outstanding performer.

 

Krew Kapers 

 

This show is always a delight to watch. But what I find somewhat mind blowing is that these wonderful individuals that work so hard, day and night, to make our cruise experience so enjoyable , are willing to devote so much of their leisure time to prepare and rehearse in order to put on a show of this caliber.

Bravo! 

 

To finish up on dining-I don't know whether I mentioned this or not, but we do not have breakfasts or lunches at sit down restaurants, much preferring buffets for these meals. So all breakfasts (save 1 in the Coffee Connection), and all lunches were at La Veranda, or the pool grill. We are very pleased with the quality and selection at these venues. 

2 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Hope to sail with you one day soon.

Karen, that would be great, on R or on O. 

16 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

One thing we didn’t do was Sette Mari and from your photos, that was a big mistake!  

Joanie, from your report, it seems that you have fallen in love with Compass Rose, and I cannot blame you. 

Next time for sure! 😁

12 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

I could understand a few but if it's common enough to be that obvious without available loungers, then it appears to be a high percentage based upon the comments.  Or I misinterpreting?

The fact that loungers are unavailable does not mean that a high percentage of those are truly being hogged as opposed to those that endeavor to keep within the 30 minute rule /guideline /request. While we all may have our impressions, I don't think that anyone can even approximate what the percentage is. 

18 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

I would have hoped Regent attracted a higher caliber clientele who had consideration for fellow passengers.  Societal breakdown apparently.

I would say that there most likely never has been, nor likely will be, a group of several hundred persons on a cruise ship, resort, what have you, in which a certain percentage do not feel entitled,  regardless of socio economic status. 

Karen, I have finally caught up on your excellent report (I am a slow reader😄)

I am very glad that you enjoyed your first O cruise, and appreciated the comparisons to R.

As you know, I was sailing on R during the same time as you, and agree that this was among the roughest seas that we have experienced in the Caribbean.  The upside was that if I was staggering out of a lounge, no one noticed,😉.

29 minutes ago, vegasdriven said:

Thank you very much! I guess you can tell where my biggest concerns lie🍸😀

vegasdriven, just some food for thought..(libations for thought?) Anyway, you may already be aware of this, but the Meridian Lounge has a very inventive cocktail menu, that's another nice option for pre-dinner cocktails.  If you prefer a more quiet environment, the Observation Lounge is very nice, but a standard cocktail menu there.

 

33 minutes ago, vegasdriven said:

Bob- a question about Chartreuse, if you can. 
I made a post about the bars at Chartreuse and Prime 7 asking if they functioned as actual bars, and was assured that is the case. 
But now, looking at the lovely pic of that area from you, I notice the bar is caged off. 
Any idea if that means it was not open for business, for example if we were to arrive early for our reservation would we not be able to have a cocktail there?

That Pic was taken during the day I was touring the ship on the last day to see what photos of the ship I had missed. 

No worries, the bar is open during dinner hours. 🙂

1 hour ago, chelseabelsea said:

Hello all, 

forgive me if this has already been asked, but does anyone know the current champagne served by the glass on Splendor? Just curious…and planning ahead 🤣

Sorry, couldn't tell you that, but this was brought to our suite, if that helps.

 

Compass Rose

To me, Compass Rose is the crown jewel in the treasure trove of Regent restaurants.  This is not only because of the fabulous quality and presentation of the cuisine, and meticulous service, there are many cruise ship restaurants that provide this.  But the combination of the amazing  always available menu as well as the daily specials, make this place unique in the cruise industry, to the best of my knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

I would first like to point out what to me are 2 design flaws in the Explorer class ships.  The first is that there is no restroom convenient to Compass Rose, the closest ones are on the opposite side of deck 4 outside of the Constellation Theater.  If you are seated at the back of the room, you may wish to bring along your hiking gear, it is quite a trip.  Kidding aside, those with mobility concerns really need to be seated somewhere near the entrance.  But I would suggest trying to not be seated directly under the large central chandelier, as it tends to be rather bright under there, (the second design flaw).

 

Don't worry, I will not be detailing each and every meal that we had there, rather I will show some of the more notable dishes that we had on the cruise, and identify them as being a daily special (s) or always available (a)

 

Appetizers

 

Caviar Profiteroles with Vodka Lemon Cream Sauce (s)

 

 

 

Sesame Coated Tuna Loin (s)

 

 

 

Panko Crusted Tiger Prawns with Spicy Mayo (s)

We had special ordered this, as we missed the night that it was on the menu.  If memory serves, the normal portion is 2, we were given 3, I presume, because it was a special order.  However, if you are ordering it the night that it is offered, you can feel free to ask for 3, or 4, or......it is actually not a bad idea to ask for 5 or 6, and along with some sides, make an entree out of it.  OTOH, there are so many great entrees to choose from.  Decisions, decisions.

 

 

Gratinated Escagot,  with garlic butter and toasted baguettes (a)

Really good, but if you are not a fan of garlic, maybe avoid it, the garlic is conspicuous.

I have always found it interesting that this dish is listed under "Meats" 😕.

 

 

Norwegian Style Gravilax (a)

If you are not a smoked salmon person, you might want to give this a try anyway, it is very mild.

 

 

 

Alaskan Crab and Avocado (a)

 

 

 

There is always a pasta and risotto of the day, and you can get an appetizer or entree portion.  I can't remember the exact names of these dishes, one a pasta and one risotto, both with lobster. Although you cannot see it, there are generous portions of lobster beneath.

 

 

 

Entrees

 

King Sea Scallops (a)

 

 

Beijing Style Roasted Duck wit Fried Rice and Bok Choy (s)

 

 

Dover Sole,  which is fileted table side (a)

 

 

Fresh Mexican Local Grouper Filet (s)

 

 

Bronzino (a)

 

 

Miso Glazed Sea Bass (s) always served on the night of the Seven Seas Society event, and arguably, among the most praised dishes by members of this forum.

 

 

 

I can't say enough about how well the Regent chefs do fish, every fish dish that we had was perfectly prepared.

 

Chateaubriand (as I indicated earlier, this was not a menu item during this cruise, we had inquired about it, and the maitre d arranged for us to have it)

 

 

Combination of a lobster tail and New Zealand Lamb Chops both (a)

Hey, it was my last night, I hadn't had either of these yet, and needed to indulge!😋

 

 

 

 

 

We often skip dessert here.  Well, not really, since they always bring tasty Gourmandises

 

 

 

But here is one that we did order.  I can't remember what it is, but I do remember that it was scrumptious.

 

32 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

I believe those are biscotti and not cannoli. 

Thank Bill. Yet another example of a  boblerm brain freeze. 

I am happy to have you and @flossie009to keep me honest! 😁

Sette Mari

Being a reader of this forum for many years, I would say that Sette Mari is the most "controversial" of the Regent restaurants, as it has it's devotees as well as it's detractors.  We are most definitely in the former category, and would not consider a Regent cruise without a visit here.

 

Regent describes this restaurant thusly, "Each evening, La Veranda transforms into Sette Mari at La Veranda, a casual, intimate dining experience. "

I think that this is a fair statement.  When I dine here, I really feel as if I am in a completely different place than the one in which I had my buffet breakfast and lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

You can dine outdoor in the lovely aft patio, it was rather windy that night so not too many takers

 

 

We dined as we sailed away from Dominica

 

 

 

A meal here starts with a serving of antipasti, described in the menu:

• IL CESTINO DEL PANETTIERE - CIABATTA, GRISSINI, PANZEROTTI, FOCACCINE DI PATATE CON POMODORO PACHINO E OLIO D’OLIVA

  Sette Mari Bread Basket with Sliced Italian Ciabatta Bread, Crispy Breadsticks, Parmesan Knots, Savory Pastry Stuffed with Tomatoes and Mozzarella, and Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• IL TAGLIERE DI PARMIGIANO E OLIVE

  Chunks of Aged Parmesan Cheese and Marinated Olives

• LA BRUSCHETTA

  Crispy Slice of Italian Bread with Marinated Tomatoes

• ZUCCHINE ALLA POVARELLA

  Crispy Fried Zucchini

Chartreusse

 

 

 

 

On our previous visits to Chartreuse , we were not as impressed as we were with the other venues.  This time, however, we loved it.

 

Beetroot Salad, Fresh Goat Cheese Cream, Black Truffle Dressing

 

 

Steak Tartarewith Caviar

Several people had raved about this dish on this forum a few years ago, and for me, the raves are well deserved.

 

 

Mushroom Veloute

 

 

Lobster Bisque with Armagnac.  I had Lobster Bisque in Compass Rose earlier, and while it had a nice lobster flavor, there were no chunks of lobster.  This one did have lobster in it, however the flavor of the brandy overpowered the taste of lobster.  I enjoyed it, but I think that those who are looking for a typical lobster bisque may be disappointed.

 

 

Seared Scallops topped with Chorizo, Butternut Squash Spaghetti, Champigny Sauce, hold the Chorizo

 

 

I had the Baked Lobster Tail & Scallop Mousse, which I think is my favorite entree that I have had here

 

 

I have had Dover Sole here before, and was a bit disappointed in it, I much prefer that dish in CR.

 

For dessert, we "shared" the Floating Island, which we do every time we visit here.

Pacific Rim

 

If we had chosen to dine for a second time in any specialty restaurant, it would have been this one, as there are so many items on the menu that I would love to try.  In fact, I don't think that there is anything on the menu that I wouldn't want to try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wanted to try sake to have with out appetizers.  We don't know too much about sake, I think that we only had it once before in Crystal's Umi Uma.  Here, they only had 2 choices, a hot and a cold.  We chose the cold..The one that we had on Crystal was clear, this one was very cloudy and looks like skim milk. Our server said it is unfiltered.  We did enjoy it, though.

 

Amuse bouche

 

 

Appetizers-

 

Pork & Shrimp Siu Mai

 

 

Vegetable Pot Stickers

 

 

Seaweed & Wakame Salad

 

 

Peking Duck & Watermelon Salad

 

 

For mains, Jeannie had Lobster Tempura

 

I asked for a half order of lobster tempura with a half order of Korean Style Barbecue Lamb Chops.

The full order of lamb shops are 3, so I got 2.  And it looked to me that my half order of the tempura was not so much smaller than Jeannie's full order.  No problem finishing it, however.

 

 

 

 

For dessert, we shared the coconut tres leches, in addition to whatever else they bring.  Incidentally, when I say "we shared" in regard to dessert, what I really mean is I have, and Jeannie has a few bites to make me think that I am only eating half.

 

 

You may be thinking, "No Miso Black Cod??  Inconceivable!"

Here's why- I think that I would only like to have a miso glazed fish dish once in a week's time, and I know that I am going to have the Miso Glazed Sea Bass in Compass Rose, I actually prefer that preparation.

It's time to move on to Food!

 

We dined once in each of the 4 specialty restaurants, and did not try for any additional nights.  For us, on a 10 night cruise, one in each of the specialties is just fine, as we are huge fans of Compass Rose.

 

Prime 7

We have a tradition of dining in Prime 7 on the first night of all of our Regent cruises.  Like Tevye, I do not know how this tradition got started.  But...it's a tradition!

 

 

 

 

 

amuse bouche

 

 

Lump Crab Cake

 

 

Tuna & Avocado Poke

 

 

Harvest Salad (mixed greens, kernel corn, roasted pumpkin, pickled red beets, dried cherries & cranberries, cajun spiced pecans, honey-walnut vinaigrette)

We always order our dressings on the side.

 

 

For mains, we both had a surf and turf, both with Alaskan King Crab Legs as our surf.  .  We asked that the crab meat be removed from the shell, makes things a lot easier, at least for us.

Jeannie had filet mignon, and I the prime rib.  They were both very good, but the filet was the better choice, more flavorful and tender.

 

 

I think that I have tried most of the cuts of meat at Prime 7 by now, and have never found one that I prefer to the filet, most likely I will be returning to that for my future visits to P7.

 

Sides

 

 

 

And the pièce de résistance.  It is not possible for me to visit Prime 7 without ordering the best dessert on the planet, and one that needs no introduction to Regent regulars,  or, for that matter, anyone who tends to read Regent trip reports on Cruise   Critic.

 

 

Our dining  experience was off to a great start !

Our final port of call was St. Barts.

 

Not.

 

They say that Antigua has 365 beaches, one for every day of the year. 

I can neither confirm nor deny this assertion, but I can say that it has some very fine beaches.

 

Our tour was Dickenson Bay Beach Break.  A short drive , followed by 3 1/2 hours on a lovely beach.  A drink and chairs were included, 10 bucks for umbrella.

 

Not too much to say about it, other than for me, this is a perfect way to spend time in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 3/21/2022 at 6:38 AM, boblerm said:

I still have 2 questions for @jmalux, or anyone else that is on, or has recently been on Explorer or Mariner, or is on Navigator-

• Are there still signs about the policy/rule in regard to the 30 minute limit, or have they been removed?  I mentioned that they are not present on Splendor
• Around the periphery of the pool deck, are there still individual loungers, or have they been replaced by day beds as I showed in post # 21?

 

 

Dominica is one of my favorite ports of call in the Caribbean, a beautiful island, and one well suited to see via tour bus.  Our tour was called "Dominica's Favorites".

 

My last visit here was in 2019, and the island was still showing some of the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria 2 years earlier, and a good chunk was still without electricity.   These photos were taken then

 

 

 

I am happy to say that the situation is greatly improved.

 

 

It rained on and off all day, and this is the dry season.

Our first stop was at the Emerald Pool located at the bottom of a 40 foot waterfall.

 

 

 

The walk down was nice

 

 

 

 

However what goes down, must come up.  The walk back up was a bit more challenging, but not too bad.

 

 

 

Neither of the gents shown above is me.

 

We drove around admiring the scenery for a while, and then had a stop for some relaxation and complementary liquid refreshment. 

 

 

Apparently, Dominica got the memo in regard to cruise ship passengers and maximum intervals deprived of sustenance.   It was 10;30 AM, but the sun being over the yardarm somewhere, surely, we did indulge.

 

 

 

We then drove on to Trafagar Falls.  Another bit of a hike to get to the falls,, but well worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictures and videos do not come anywhere near doing justice to this majestic sight.

 

Drove around some more through a botanical garden 

 

 

 

and then had a stop at at the Morne Bruce for a beautiful view from the lookout.

 

 

 

Then drove back to the ship.

 

 

 

As we passed this spot, our tour guide told us that people are dying to get in there.

 

 

 

Hey, blame her not me!!😇

 

 

 

These taken from the ship

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, flossie009 said:

Excellent blog

 

Lucky there were plenty available. Wouldn’t want you having to resort to pugilism to reserve your spot 😉 (enough discussion about those issues on another thread)

 

😆 I really need to start proof reading my posts! 🤣

I still have 2 questions for @jmalux, or anyone else that is on, or has recently been on Explorer or Mariner, or is on Navigator-

• Are there still signs about the policy/rule in regard to the 30 minute limit, or have they been removed?  I mentioned that they are not present on Splendor
• Around the periphery of the pool deck, are there still individual loungers, or have they been replaced by day beds as I showed in post # 21?

9 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

Is dress code a policy or a rule ?  A rule being more rigid.

Semantics.  To me, a stated policy has the effect of a rule in that those in charge have every right to enforce it.

In the case of dress code, the policy, rule, whatever, states, "Casual wear is not to be worn at dinner, once again with the exceptions of while dining at the Pool Grill and on the final evening of the cruise." (emphasis mine).  Thus stated, they should reserve the right to deny entry to those that are not in compliance. 

2 hours ago, islandchick said:

boblerm, wow, thanks so much for this information. I appreciate all the time you have taken to give this to me. I am sure it will benefit many others who are interested as well. 

Happy to help!

32 minutes ago, Lonedaddy said:

So.... since regent doesn't enforce its own rules or suggestions, can one then wear jeans in the dining room (or shorts or T shirts?)  Just asking for a friend.....

 

 

....Pass the popcorn

 

 

There is a difference.  The pool loungers issue is now a request.  Dress code is a policy.