Gilly

We have always enjoyed the service and the warm welcome at the Park Hyatt, Shinjuku, which is well connected for public transport and an elegant blend of Western and Japanese style.

@forgap I am enjoying your posts very much indeed - thank you 😘

Happy Easter from Voyager!

Many Happy Returns to you both! What a wonderful way to celebrate.

Useful Trivia knowledge there, thank you @flossie009 !

@Pies4u have you not come across the Country Fair on your cruises? The event where the departments set up fun games to enjoy? This was the first one we've participated in that was held outside by the pool and I must say, it was huge fun and far more relaxed than those in the Atrium. Of course, like all Regent events, those who prefer not to participate are not required to do so.

Konnichiwa!! So happy to know that you are there, @briar14 and @forgap ! I am looking forward to your travels and wish you a peaceful sleep and a great time in Tokyo. Definitely with you in spirit on this one 🥰

Just to say that from our perspective, right now, Voyager is the happiest of ships. The Country Fair this morning was one of the best we've experienced with all officers and crew joining in the fun with good humour and a great team spirit. That atmosphere doesn't "just happen" but is the result of great leadership on board and we are glad to see it happening. Though everyone was happy to throw water-filled balloons at the Purser's department, it seemed a little unfair to soak the Staff Captain Joao, especially when he'd just been awarded a long service award at the SSS cocktail party last night! Along with everyone else who was similarly soaked to the skin, he took in in good heart (I hope his phone survived the soaking too) Needless to say, the Pursers got their own back in the free for all that resulted!! @momOf3 I'm glad you are also finding this cruise so enjoyable!

A small crisis last evening in the Horizon Lounge, where I ordered my usual blue Mermaid gin, served in a long glass with plenty of ice and a bottle of Fever Tree tonic on the side...(yes, those words slip so easily off the tongue these days 😉) and was told "Sorry, Ma'am, we've run out of blue Mermaid gin". Oh no! Oh well, the pink one will have to do! (It's a hard life, isn't it?!) A few minutes later, the F&B Director stopped to ask how things were with us. I confessed and apologised, for it seemed that I had drunk all the blue Mermaid gin...oh dear! He disappeared and returned a few minutes later with an armful of bottles. "There's another 250 bottles in the store, Mrs Thomas. There's no need to worry". Regent service. What's not to love?! 🥰

Actually the highlight was the Connoisseur Wine Lunch that followed!! 😅

A fun and interesting activity this morning, out on the top deck, where Giacomo, one of the senior officers, demonstrated the use of a sextant to identify the ship's position. When he'd completed the process, he offered a young colleague a chance to practice whilst he answered our questions. Just a brief announcement from the Captain intitiated what seemed to be a spontaneous activity, quite the highlight of a quiet morning at sea!

Even though i know this doesnt mean what i read at first sight, i did wonder if i should go back and put some makeup on! (Seen on the shuttle bus in Maceio, Brazil today)

Prime 7 is our least favourite speciality and I agree, the Voyager one is particularly hemmed in. Does anyone recall those enormous menus they used to have in there too? Now managing those in that tight space really was a challenge! At least they saw sense with that!

Sorry, I have no idea why those posted twice. 🤔

Our first sea day and an action planned programme of activity!

@ysolde I was looking out for you but didn't spot you both - so sorry! We will have to wear red carnations or something, won't we? 😉

@welshfamily thankfully we're able to rise above the embarkation experience, safe in the knowledge that it will all be worth it in the end. There were three ships in the Rio cruise port, all welcoming guests at the same time. Organisation was sadly lacking (as was signage - i mean, who wants to be misdirected onto the wrong ship?! 😱) A road tunnel was closed in the city as well, meaning that a fairly short transfer from hotel to ship turned into an hour long traffic jam, but we are here and we are happy to move on from all of that. Thanks for the Voyager cocktail recommendation. Tonight, the legend in the Observation Lounge that is Kevin served me my perfect G&T, first time round! That's a Mermaid gin over ice in a tall glass with a bottle of Fevertree tonic on the side. Bravo Kevin! Definitely worth a mention in dispatches and happy times on Voyager to come, wouldn't you say, @Steve Q ?

Well, we are here after a far from easy embarkation! Never mind, that first sip of champagne was all the sweeter and a sign that the fun can begin. Suites were ready at 1.30pm and since our luggage hasn't appeared yet we can relax and look forward to a great itinerary, some interesting conversations and eighteen lovely days on board one of our favourite ships. Cheers!

Good grief! No wonder you are exhausted, @ysolde. Ready for a holiday I guess?! Here's hoping that all will be plain sailing from now on. What a journey! See you tomorrow!

Good Evening from Rio de Janeiro where our flight landed slightly ahead of schedule. The Regent rep Celeste was there to meet four of us and we were soon on our way to the JW Marriott hotel in Copacabana. @Zqueeze1 we flew LHR to MAD on a British Airways Airbus A321Neo which was not quite full up front, left slightly late but arrived on schedule. A short walk in the same terminal took us to the S gates in Madrid, requiring a further carry on scan on the way. Fortunately the lounge was en route to the gate, so we stopped for coffee as we went 😉 Our Iberia flight to Rio was on an Airbus A330-200 with a similar business class offering to the most recent British Airways arrangement. The best bit was that onboard wifi is included in business class, so I had a quick update from Arthur, our grandson 🥰 when we were somewhere over the Atlantic. In flight service on both flights was excellent. Arriving in Rio was fine except for an incredibly long walk from plane to passport control! I'm happy to answer any further questions you may have! Edited to add that Celeste said there are upwards of 200 Regent guests in the Marriott tomorrow night and three cruise ships in port during the next couple of days. Busy!

Thank you all for the warm response!! We spent last night at the Sofitel at T5 LHR, checked our bags (labelled MAD GIG 🤣) and were up at 4am for our 0620 flight to Madrid. We transited a terminal that was just waking up (as were we) and have just boarded a full flight to Madrid. Hopefully my next report will be from GIG ! @cwn the travelling companions thank you for your good wishes and are looking forward to the trip 😉

Wow, Sue, that's a wonderful way to begin your trip! I hope you will have photos to share? (Don't we all love a wedding? 🥰) Congratulations to the happy couple and we will look forward to seeing you on board!

As a means of putting off the task of packing my bags, I thought I'd kick off the conversation here. Later this afternoon we'll head off to LHR where we're staying overnight before an early morning flight to Rio tomorrow, via Madrid. There follows a couple of nights in the JW Marriott in Copacabana, Rio before boarding Voyager on Tuesday morning. As usual, I'll aim to update my Elegant Sufficiency blog daily, internet and time permitting, and will drop in here now and again. I hope others will chip in their thoughts here, especially those doing the pre-cruise to Iguazu or in Rio itself. We've had a lively roll call, so I'm looking forward to meeting everyone on board (and finding a Trivia team 😉)

We did the jumping crocs tour years ago and agree, @crusin7 we could have made a better choice, too. Not only was our boat really full, it was all a bit of a circus show - when they had names for the crocs which were lured to jump with dangling pork chops over the side, it gave the game away, for these were hardly "wild animals" at all. Never mind, we live and learn, don't we?!

Certainly doesn't. I'm with your wife on this one and feel similarly horrified. Smacks of buying favours.