Gilly

On 3/21/2024 at 4:43 PM, 1982CruzStart said:

The first and our favorite was Kapama private reserve just outside Krueger. The lodge was lovely, the staff great and the food delicious. We could watch a few animals right outside our balcony.

One of the benefits of letting Regent do everything is that when there was a flight issue from Jo'burg to the local airport, the tour company jumped in and arranged a bus so that we didn't miss any more time. Otherwise we may not have been able to arrive until the next day, missing 2 precious drives.  They kept our excess luggage for us and it was waiting when we got to the hotel in Jo'burg. We had transfers to the airport from the hotel.

We were total safari novices post cruise in Cape Town and weren't even sure if we really wanted to go up country to see wildlife at all!  We took a great Regent offer together with advice from friends who'd been to Kapama Southern and held our breath.

Wow!

Regent took care of everything and we had a blast!  We loved every minute, found the whole thing very comfortable and exciting; exhilarating, even.  (blog posts start here)   I can't comment on whether we'd have had a better time somewhere else/booking it all independently, but can only say "Go for it!"  We were simply glad not to have to worry about bits of luggage here and there, were pleased that it all came together again in Jo'burg and that we didn't have to worry about it at all.  

10 hours ago, crusin7 said:

Yippppeeee!  He’s doing great!

Chrisy, that's such good news!  

Thanks @lincslady and @RachelG for highlighting Valencia, now on my wishlist!  (Cartagena too...)   

Safe travels home RachelG and thanks for taking us across the Atlantic with you.  It's been a fun trip!

5 minutes ago, PhD-iva said:

I think you misunderstood the post. I think the post compares 2 difficult embarkations, one of which included a COVID test. JMO.

@Pcardad , @PhD-iva is correct - no CV tests recently but that experience remains in our memory as the most anxiety-inducing embarkation procedure of all.  We should feel thankful that these days however awful that process is, it seldom comes close.

A glass of champagne usually provides welcome relief.

9 minutes ago, Mudhen said:

I'm very sorry that things went fluey at the beginning  of the cruise, but "stuff" happens. I would've been upset too, but once onboard, it's either make yourself totally miserable, or start a fresh and enjoy. It's your cruise, why make a mess of it?

@Mudhen I agree.  Embarkation day is seldom totally trouble-free and we often remark that, if we didn't feel confident about the experience awaiting us once on board ship, we'd feel like turning around and going home!  I think that having to undergo CV tests on the pier before boarding was the worst, but boarding in Rio a few weeks ago was hardly a picnic.  Somehow though, that first glass of champagne and everything else that follows on from there is usually a swift remedy for any of our remaining grumpiness.

12 hours ago, RachelG said:

The show was another by Duo Esencias, the violin and dance duo.  Again, very good. I mainly go to see her costumes which are fabulous

They were on Voyager earlier in the month too and we thought they were excellent.  Lovely people too.  Did they offer a dance class?  I rather regret not taking up that offer - can you imagine how useful learning to do that Flamenco "stamp" might be in certain situations!? 😉

2 hours ago, ysolde said:

Count me among those who had a wonderful time on the voyage from Rio to Lisbon a few weeks ago (hello, @Gilly!)

Hi @ysolde!  I second everything you say - our cruise was great and Voyager was in good shape indeed.

Adding my good wishes to the collection - this is not how that story was supposed to end!  Good to read through the thread and reach the part where you are well enough to go home and look forward to the next cruise though.

Stay well and take care of yourself and TB!

When we sailed that itinerary in April/May 2019, we made the dateline crossing on May 4th.   Cue for countless Star Wars jokes (again and again)    Fun though (and not to be forgotten)

Sorry you'll miss Dutch Harbor, but hopefully an additional port will more than make up for that.   

Thank you for sharing the trip - we have really enjoyed coming along with you again and were glad to see the Kuril Islands which were bathed in fog when we sailed past!

My favourite place to shop!!   (But did you buy shoes?!?)

I believe it was described as a 'technical fault' and read that the Captain made mention of 'sea trials' which could explain the manoeuvres.

Great photos, thank you!!  

We were at the W last year.  A little quirky!

2 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

we're sure going to miss Davor.

Oh we too!  We were really hoping to catch him before he left but sadly that was not to be.  He is a great chap and our loss is his family's gain without doubt.

1 hour ago, UUNetBill said:

Of course, YMMV depending on location, weather, the whims of the gods, etc..

Oh I must have been very good then 🤣  We had the best connectivity we've ever had on board Voyager these last couple of weeks and I didn't have to resort to my *secret* place once!  Maybe it was our location on board - we had an aft suite on the port side - from where I posted my daily blog with quite a few (edited) photos without throwing my laptop across the room at all!

*my secret place was the one that Davor shared with me when we sailed on Voyager last year and I could not so much as log on from our mid-ship suite.

@UUNetBill you are absolutely spot on with your YMMV observation of course!

What a sad way to end your wonderful journey...I can't tell you how sorry I am for you all but mostly for your dear husband who must be in such pain.  Sending our heartfelt best wishes and hoping for a trouble-free journey home.  Please, update us with news and thank you so much for bringing us this far x

7 hours ago, CardowMD said:

@Gilly Do you remember the name of the dining venue with the two ladies making bread? I will be solo but plan to get a guide/tour for the first day and a couple of tours.

Oh. @CardowMD there are times when the Universe works in strange and mysterious ways!  Last evening, having returned from our most recent cruise, I decided to get out all my cruise notebooks to collate all the different suites/staff members etc into a "little black book" for future reference, so when I read your question this morning, I knew exactly where to find that information!  In my little notebook from 2010 (!!) I find the business card from Otanik   -which I just put into google maps to check.  It appears to still be there 😉    Regent accommodated us at the Ritz Carlton which sounds good but is in the middle of a busy traffic system, so I suspect the Intercontinental could be better.  Here's my blog post from that day with more details of the restaurant too

We haven't been to the Archaeological Museum but have been to the Cisterns, which are a must-see (and may be part of the same museum...I'm not sure)  Have a great time in Istanbul, one of our favourite cities!

10 hours ago, ljsanantonio said:

We are booked on the Splendor Buenos Aires to Lisbon in March 2025, including an add on land tour, 2 nights Iguaza Falls. 

We didn't visit Iguazu with Regent this time as we'd already visited the falls previously as part of a longer, independent trip to Argentina so I can't offer any thoughts about the best option.  However, I would say *don't miss Iguazu!*   However you decide to get there, don't pass on a chance to see these magnificent falls!

I'll put this thread to bed with a few thoughts now we are home again in the discombobulation phase.

We enjoyed our cruise very much indeed, found Voyager and everyone on board to be happy, helpful and friendly. Captain Gianluca leads by example with his cheerful manner and he and his Senior Officers were always around and ready to chat throughout the cruise. 

The itinerary was a good one with a range of ports which were new to us: our favourites were Salvador and Recife, both places where we had excellent guides who introduced us to their cities with enthusiasm and energy.  I think our least favourite was Maceio, where we handed back our tickets for an afternoon on the beach when we learned that there would not necessarily be a shady spot and I had read it wasn't safe to swim there either.  Maceio is - to quote @flossie009 's excellent words, "pretty industrial" and a quick shuttle trip into town and back was enough.

We thought Voyager was in good shape - the furnishings are not in the same contemporary style as the newer ships but everything was well maintained and our suite spotlessly clean. 

My criticism centres mainly on the Enrichment programme, which sadly had no destination-linked lectures at all.  During those sea days, I'd have enjoyed a programme of more entertaining presentations and demonstrations - but at least, the internet was always fast enough for me to update my blog!

I'd be interested to know what others on Voyager during the last three weeks thought too and I'm happy to answer any questions, of course. 

@flossie009 we are just home from Voyager and I am thrilled to be able to join in with you on Navigator to alleviate the post-cruise ennui!!

We loved the EVA Air safety video - these quirky videos are quite the thing now aren't they? (A good way of holding our attention too)

Have a wonderful cruise on what is my favourite itineraries too.  Thank you for sharing the fun!

@Shrinkersgal temperatures have mostly been warm enough to use the outdoor decks but at times, the wind has been quite brisk.  There has been quite a bit of swell as we crossed the ocean, not rough seas really, but enough for the need to hold on at times (and to rock us to sleep!)  We have enjoyed our cruise very much indeed and have found Voyager to be in good shape with a happy crew.  

6 hours ago, RetiredOnVacation said:

Maybe Voyager has Starlink working then! 🤞 Thanks

No, I am pretty sure it doesn't have it yet   Nothing has been said and I'm sure that I would have read or heard that news if Starlink was here.

What I was highlighting is the patchy nature of internet connection which relies on so many variables: location of the ship, location *on* the ship and the number of people using it .  I have no idea why everything worked so well during our cruise but am simply thankful that it did!

33 minutes ago, RetiredOnVacation said:

Any word yet for Voyager? On it twice later this year, although both being European & largely coastal transits we'll be in 4/5g most of the time. 

We are currently on Voyager and I have been able to upload my photo rich blog (edited photos to minimise upoad speed) every day of our cruise so far (16 days and counting) from our suite without the need for me to go to my "secret place" to connect as previously on this ship.  Speeds are not super fast but they are manageable and better than I have experienced on board previously.

A splashing and a splashing here, so you know what that means!  🥰 😥  

Three more nights....

Tonight, we enjoyed a performance from the incredible Isabel Commandeur whose splendid performance we have enjoyed previously on board Regent ships. Lucky Voyager guests to have her on board then, alongside the amazing Duo Esencias, whose performance last evening left us breathless.  It is going to be hard to leave the ship soon...counting down the days now but fully intending to make the most of every minute left!