Mr Rumor

I just reread Jackie's earlier post, including the mention of the new Regent General Manager. I had the pleasure to chat with Nickie Sheils for a few minutes this morning. Ginny and I are delighted to be sailing with a Regent trailblazer, which, as the line's first female GM, Nickie is. She joined the Mariner in July after an 18-year tenure at Princess in which she rose through the ranks from junior purser to Hotel General Manager (incidentally, she was one of five female HGMs at Princess).

Unlike the usual General Manager resume listing a degree in Hotel Management, Nickie's features a nine-year stint with the Royal Navy, where she worked in an administrative capacity. So how did she make the leap to pleasure cruising? "An opportunity arose, and I took it for six months," she explained. Long enough, it turned out, for her to want to give the cruise world a longer go. "The more I did, the more I loved it, and the more I progressed."

Nickie's day begins at the computer, where she checks her e-mails. Then it's a walk around the ship (easy peasy for a fitness buff and former trail runner), followed by a check-in with HR, then a staff meeting. After that, "it really depends on what the challenges are for that day. If every day were the same, I don't think I'd be so excited about what I do!"

Nickie has the travel bug to the degree that when she's on holiday, she and her husband (retired from a cruise industry job) take off on their own. One favorite destination is the Baltics, especially St. Petersburg. Another: Antarctica, "The most amazing place."

Rich

Swabs, I know one of we bloggers will get back to you on the cologne/perfume questions.

The HS&H bloggers' Meet & Greet was delightful--the hour flew by. In attendance: RachelG and hubby George, Jackie/Travelcat2 and Dennis (hopefully soon to post himself; I'll let him be the one to divulge his clever screen name), Margaret/FreeMaggie, Larry/Bigdogwon and partner Tom; and Mike/MikeD1000 and wife Anne. The Mexican Butterfly, the drink of the day, helped to fuel the conversation for a few of us.

Then it was on to the Pool Deck for a lunch date with Nature's Rhythm, who have totaled so many contracts with Regent since the trio was discovered by Regent execs while performing at the Manila Hilton in 2006 that they'd have to stop to count them all (didn't want to make them do that).

As was mentioned on another thread, it is a different lineup since we last saw them in 2014. Sernil is on his second contract after replacing original member Terry. Larry and Jun remain as original members.

We go back to 2012 with NR. Our Mariner TA that March was so pleasant in part because of the trio's lunch-time performances on a handful of the balmy sea days. They won me as a fan then when they fulfilled my request for a "Day the Music Died" medley featuring a song each from Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. (FYI: Buddy recorded most of his legendary hits in the Land of Enchantment and the three perished in that infamous plane crash on 2/3/59.)

Nature's Rhythem did my 2012 request one better today by also adding a fourth tune, Don McLean's "American Pie," the song that contains the words "The day the music died." And they weren't content to just knock that tune out; rather, they performed the full ten-minute version. Well done, guys!

I'm back with some numbers on this cruise. We're sailing full with 673 passengers (355 women, 318 men). Here is the nationaility breakdown:

United States, 297

United Kingdom, 156

Belgium, 59

Canada, 17

Mexico, 17

Germany, 16

Netherlands, 16

France, 11

Sweden, 10

Venezuela, 10

Australia, 9

Switzerland, 9

Argentina, 7

Italy, 6

Spain, 6

Ireland, 5

Austria, 4

Equador, 4

Denmark, 3

Brazil, 2

Bulgaria, 2

New Zealand, 2

Chile, 1

Liechtenstein, 1

Portugal, 1

Romania, 1

South Africa, 1

Great to see Jackie's and Rachel's posts from a few hours ago. I tried to post again after dinner last night, and couldn't log in--internet just not functional. It is slow right now, but I'll take it! I was really feeling Roberto's/Z's blogging pain from the previous cruise last night.

It was a late arriving crowd on "opening night" in CR. When we strolled in at 7:20 it was still largely empty. We got a nice table for two in Section 8, near the Captain's Table, which allowed us a nice view of goings-on.

Dinner clocked in at a truly speedy 73 minutes, and I'm talking three courses plus dessert. We liked our waiter, Harry, who has been with Regent since 2008. Harry already has his mid-year Regent assignment for 2016: the Explorer!

Dinner was fine, although Ginny's tofu and glass noodles entry was a little too salty. The hit for me was the vanilla creme brulee. Delicious!

Even though we hadn't sailed with Regent since May, 2014, we were happy to see some familiar faces, such as those of dancers Alan and Nathan (Alan is the one who served as an advisor to one of the coaches on Dancing With the Stars), Cruise Director Lorraine, Assistant Pursor Aimee and Marcela in Desination Services. Had a chance to chat briefly with each. One bit of news: Alan and Nathan have a contract with the Voyager for the fall of 2016. I'm aware of the reports that Regent will be going with NCL entertainment at some point in the near future, including on the Explorer, so I was little surprised, but happy, to hear about Alan and Nathan's continuing association with Regent.

More later, internet willing!

Rachel, it sounds like you had a dream morning and check-in.

The Istanbul excursion was a mixed bag for me, mainly because of the nearly two hours at the end to either hang around the Regent-endorsed rug merchant, Matis (jewelry, leather products also for sale), or explore the Bazaar. Tiring, and I got a little cranky. By the time we finally made it on to the ship, past 1:30, there was about a 20 minute wait to check in. Finally got into La Veranda a little past two for a light meal. We were in our room by 3, but no luggage. We found our two suitcases among a long row of suitcases in the hallway. As there was no sign of a crew member, I took matters into my own hands. Luckily for me, Ginny enjoys unpacking, so that's what she's doing as I type this. Mandatory lifeboat drill in 30 minutes, then I look forward to freshening up and having a light dinner with Gin in Compass Rose. Also look forward to meeting all my blogging companions--if not tonight, at our Meet and Greet tomorrow morning at 11 in the Observation Lounge!

Rich

FreeMaggie: Glad you had a great Cappadocia experience! Maybe we'll run into you at the Grand Bazaar, the last stop on our Istanbul excursion today. Just look for the guy with the bulging belly--the Turkish-theme buffet at the Intercontinental was just outstanding, and I ate more than my share!

Rich

We went through Istanbul Airport Pasaport Kontrol yesterday at about 6 p.m. There were hundreds in front of us, but the line moved fast with many officers procsssing. I think we spent about 20 minutes in line. A good experience for us.

We made it!

We love our room on the fourteenth floor of the Intercontinental Istanbul. We walked in about 7:45 p.m., just in time to take in a marvelous view of the Bosphorus in the waning light. There are 340 Regent passengers staying at the Intercontinental, by the way.

According to the local rep who accompanied us on our bus, Istanbul boasts an official population of 14 million, an "unofficial" population of 18 million--and 6 million cars. I know we saw thousands of those vehicles as our driver negotiated, as best he could, the teeming streets of this city. It took about an hour for us to wend our way to the hotel from the airport.

The rep delivered some commentary as we drove, including on the matter of the Syrian refugees. "You will see many of them," she said, "We have two million." She added this caution: "Please don't give them any money. If you give even 50 cents, hundreds more will come." I have no doubt this will not be the last time we'll hear about the refugee situation on this cruise.

We are still full from all the Lufthansa meals and snacks, so we're content to stay put in our room tonight. Plus we have an 8:30 a.m. departure on the 4.5 hour "Exclusive Tour and Transfer to Ship." Highlights will include a drive across the Bosphorus to the Asian section of the city, and visits to the Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Then let the Mariner adventure begin!

Rich

Guten morgen from Lufthansa Business Lounge B44 in the crazy maze known as Frankfort Airport (what a breakfast spread--too bad we're full!). All is well after a most enjoyable Lufthansa flight from Denver. Loved our seats in the third row (so spacious up front), enjoyed the attention of the four upbeat stewardesses in our section, and was pleasantly surprised by the Santa Fe themed dining offerings--crab salad with julienne poblano and green mole vinaigrette, followed by red "chili" (we spell it "chile" in the Land of Enchantment) grilled gulf shrimp and seared scallops with black bean risotto. We slept well despite some turbulence about five hours into the flight. Ready now for our last leg: FRA-IST!

Rich

Surefire recipe for an adrenaline surge: Learning at the ticketing counter that there is no record of your reservation!

Turned out that the booking code Regent supplied in its documents applies only to the two Lufthansa flights we'll be on, not our first flight, ABQ-DEN. There is a separate United code for this flight--except Regent didn't supply that code! We waited about 15 anxious minutes as Sylvia, our United agent, worked on our issue in fits and starts while dashing from kiosk to kiosk helping others (UA just happened to be two agents short this a.m.). Finally Sylvia and our TA, who we finally called, came up with the United booking code simultaneously.

All is calm now as we await to board our flight, but Regent gets a little raspberry on this one!

Rich

Our bags are (over) packed, we're ready to go. . . . Safe travels everyone!

Rich

Meanwhile, ten minutes ago I discovered our little dachshund, Holly, posed above my open carry-on. She had my (still-wrapped) Trader Joe's chocolate bar in her mouth. She is blind, but obviously still has an operational sniffer.

Great shot, Jackie. That's quite a set of whiskers!

I hope everyone's packing is going well! I admire Ginny's ability to pack quickly and efficiently. I dawdle too much.

For the Meet 'n' Greet, I like Jackie's suggestion of the Observation Lounge, starboard side.

As for day/time I'd like to suggest Thursday at 11 a.m. I think the sooner the better for an M&G, and the 10 a.m. lecture will be over by then. I wouldn't have minded a 5:30 M&G for Friday, but I'm guessing the Block Party will be held that evening, since the next three days will be long tour days.

I just checked the forecasts for the first few ports and, no surprise, it will be sunny and warm:

Istanbul, 9/16--79 and sunny

Haifa/Jerusalem, 9/19, mid-80s, sunny (a little cooler on 9/20, with a chance of afternoon sprinkles in Haifa)

Port Said, 9/21, 88, partly sunny and humid

Cairo, 9/21, 94, mostly sunny

Alexandria, 9/22, 85, plenty of sunshine

OK, I'm going to pack a couple more teeshirts now!

Rich

I just checked with Ginny and she is game to try trivia. I asked her what she considered her strong suits to be: "Fairy tales, history, biology. . ." I could help with modern culture, sports, current events, plus a little bit of this and that. Want to set a date for the first sea day? Trivia could simultaneously serve as a mini Meet and Greet!

Regarding trivia, now I'm really regretting not bringing Shauna along. She knows how to scoop up those red three-point Regent Rewards cards! (Since her name has come up a few times, I've been looking for a way to slip her into this thread.)

Thanks for checking in, FreeMaggie! Our blogging chorus continues to grow, and I think that's wonderful. In my humble opinion, you made a great choice by choosing Regent for your first cruise. Will be looking forward to seeing this cruise from your "newbie" perspective!

Jackie, I like the idea of a meet 'n' greet on either the first or second day. There weren't any on our last several cruises (Navigator), but I do recall attending a couple on earlier cruises, each in the late morning. What time seems to work best?

Z, appreciate your continuing to post despite the internet challenges. Thanks for the tapatalk photo-posting tip.

Here is your latest port-related headline: Sandstorm Plaguing Israel Is Worst in Country's History: http://www.timesofisrael.com/sandstorm-plaguing-israel-is-worst-in-countrys-history/. Fortunately the storm is expected to begin dissipating tomorrow (Sunday).

Rich

Jackie, the old reporter in me still craves dem scoops! With a handful of us live-blogging (I'm including Bigdogwon and MikeD1000--weclome!), I'm sure we'll dig up--or stumble upon--a few more once onboard.

I used "We" prematurely when expressing disappointment about Regent not scheduling a replacement port for Mitilini on the 17th. Ginny is delighted to have a second sea day to begin the cruise. (Of course she has Kavala in her back pocket for the 29th.)

Well, time to run into town to do more last-minute trip-prep stuff. That town, Bigdogwon, is Santa Fe, our home since the late '80s. Look forward to comparing Land of Enchantment notes with you.

And, by the way, iamheisenberg, another New Mexico resident, thanks for your earlier post. With at least five of us live-blogging, you'll have to update your clever le blog a trois title for our blog, however!

Rich

Gnomie, I remember your post from my last Alaska cruise blog very well because I loved it! I promise that you'll get plenty of Shauna on my March 2016 Mariner Caribbean blog. Thank you so much for the good trip wishes, and glad to know you'll be following along.

Breaking news from Regent, via our TA: "Due to the situation in Lesbos, Regent Seven Seas Cruses has altered its itineraries that call on Mytilene. Seven Seas Mariner's scheduled call on Sept. 17 will be replaced with a day at sea. . . . We continue to closely monitor the situation and will make future itinerary adjustments should the need warrant."

While Mitilini's cancellation comes as absolutely no surprise, we had been hoping for the substitution of a different port, rather than a second sea day to start the cruise. I'm guessing that Regent didn't have enough time to make the arrangements. Regent has replaced the September 29 scheduled stop at Mitilini with Kavala, Greece. As we are booked on Mariner through October 5, we'll now have the opportunity to visit Kavala instead that day.

Rich

Thanks for the report, Z, and kudos on managing to post a couple of photos! Would love to know how you did it. If you have the chance could your run down the steps for us?

GM Nickie Sheils is a new hire. She joined Regent in July after 18 years with Princess, where she rose in the ranks from Junior Purser to GM (in 2014). Looking forward to meeting her.

We've not sailed with Captain Theo before. Lorraine was the CD on our last Regent cruise, on the Navigator (May, 2014). She is a favorite of ours.

Z, please continue to ply us with more reports as time allows, as you continue to ply yourself with your favorite wines and gin!

Rachel, I was able to do a "pretend post" on CC from my iPad using a random image from My Photo Stream. Now whether I can accomplish this while at sea is another question. I may be curious enough to try. Ron/computerworks, any tips?

No, Shauna won't be cruising with us this time (she will, however, when we rejoin the Mariner next March for a Caribbean cruise). I thought of her when I read your comment about putting off your packing as long as possible for your kitty's sake. Shauna exclaims every time she sees the Regent logo on a brochure, so I knew she would get excited when she saw our suitcases laid out in our bedroom (she did). But she took it well when we told her "not this time, but next time." Her consolation prize is getting to stay with two respite care people she adores, and who adore her.

Rich

P.S. Jackie, it seems we each have key Mariner staffing on our minds. . . I've made a note on Zaldy and Dennis. We are keen on connecting early on with excellent servers/stations.

So glad you posted, Roberto, and that you and the Boss are having a great cruise so far. Thanks for the heads-up on what to expect in Istanbul. I loved your recapping of your 2014 Eastern Caribbean cruise (shamelessly buttering you up), so would welcome any and all tidbits you are able to share during the course of the cruise (or afterwards). I think I heard that Lorraine W. is the CD and Michael Coghlan the GM? And who is the captain?

Rich

Glad you enjoyed the Alexandria photos, Rachel (you, too, Jackie and irishwitchy)!

I'm happy to share how I go about posting photos on CC. I have a free account on Photobucket, one of various image-sharing websites. (You'll have to use an image-sharing site, so you can generate a "URL," which you can then copy and paste.)

On Photobucket, after I've signed in, I click the "Upload" box.

Then I either drag the photo I want to include in my post to the spot labeled "Drag 'n Drop. . . here," or click the box "Choose photos." If I go with the latter option, I locate the photo on my computer, click it, then click "Open."

After the photo has been uploaded to Photobucket, I click it and a new page appears with a large version of the image. On that page, on the right side, I see the words "Share links," and four options listed under that. I click the fourth option, "IMG." When I do, the word "Copied" appears.

Then all I have to do is go to the spot in my post where I want to paste the image, and click "Paste." It has worked every time for me so far!

I admire dedicated posters such as Computerworks and Col. Wes who, despite the much slower internet at sea, manage to upload and post lots of photos while live-blogging a cruise . Maybe it's the old journalist in me, but I prefer to concentrate on the writing of my "Random Notes," waiting until I return home to post photos in a "Photo Finish" post or two at the tail end of my blg. Also, I like to resize, crop and otherwise tinker with my shots in Photoshop (on my home computer) before posting.

Hope this helps!

Rich

To help prep Ginny for the adventures ahead, I dug into my store of slides from Royal Viking Line days this morning to see what I could turn up from my visits to Greece, Israel and Egypt in 1977. I paused as I came upon slides from my Danish printer friend Jess' and my foray on foot into the heart of Alexandria, where the Mariner is scheduled to dock on September 22. What an experience that was!

We hadn't gone far that morning when we were approached by a young man who pitched his personal guide services to us. When we cheerfully brushed him off, he turned solemn: "Well, then, I won't be able to guarantee your safety."

Undaunted (ah, youth!), we continued on and found ourselves captivated by this teeming, rundown city. Everywhere we looked we saw a photo. It was as if Alexandria were a gigantic Hollywood set, with people conducting their business, and just living daily life, in the open air.

It wasn't long before we realized we had not seen another crew member from the Star, let alone any tourists. We also noticed that, wherever we stopped, a curious crowd would begin to gather. At first we were entertained by the attention, and engaged some of the locals in conversation, but after a while we felt it wise to keep moving.

As we strode through an oddly deserted neighborhood on our way back to the ship, things began to get dicey. Upwards of a dozen teens were on our trail. As we walked faster, so did they. We had little doubt they were interested in Jess' expensive Nikon, and my Nikkormat and movie camera.

Then, suddenly, in the middle of the street, we encountered a middle-aged, somewhat disheveled man in civilian clothes, with a paunch--and a machine gun!

Hoping he would be on our side (i.e. on a neighborhood patrol), I pointed at the teens and exclaimed, "They're bothering us!" The man responded by pointing his gun at them!

They immediately scattered. We made it safely back to the ship, with a story to tell, and of course the photos I took that day. Below are several of them.

Rich

I recall this vendor being proud to pose for me.

This fellow, however, did not seem thrilled for me to be photographing his geese.

I remember scores and scores of people plying their craft or trade on the sidewalk.

Filming my friend Jess. We never lacked for company!

Good--all HS&H live bloggers present and accounted for! Poss and Peggy, glad to have you with us.

I was surprised when we received our Cruise Vacation Summary from Regent to see that a September 16 "Complimentary City Highlights Tour" of Istanbul had been added to our list of "Pre-Purchased Tours." We've had the Pre-Cruise Hotel on most of our cruises, and, like before, we were expecting to have breakfast on embarkation day, then hang around the hotel until it was time to be transported to the ship. So the morning tour is a nice add for us. (Maybe not so great for you, Travelcat2, given your late arrival on the 15th? I imagine one could opt out of the tour, sleep in, then take a cab to the ship.)

Another first for us our cruise (again, we're staying on an extra week for "Inspiring Isles") is our "Forced Overnight" in Athens after we debark on October 5. I didn't bother to check to see if we could have deviated to return on debarkation day because, frankly, we're delighted to have a day in Athens, where Ginny has never been. We've booked a five-hour city tour, and will relax the rest of the day in our hotel.

Rich

While the blogging trio of TravelCat2, RachelG and yours truly won't be on the Mariner 9/16-9/28 "Empires of Antiquity" cruise until next week, we decided to "dock" a little early and start this thread now. For those who are currently sailing on the Mariner, you're welcome to post here, too, as the title of the thread is general enough to accommodate you.

When Ginny and I booked in February, 2014, the itinerary did not include the two Egyptian ports, Port Said (Cairo) and Alexandria. Instead we had a third day in Jerusalem (Haifa), an extra sea day, and a port stop in Patmos. Given the recent unrest in Egypt, there was speculation on our Roll Call that we might return to that original itinerary. As of today, however, we're still due to dock in Port Said on 9/21 and Alexandria the next day.

One change I think we're all anticipating: the cancellation of the Mitilini (Lesbos) call on September 17 due to the Syrian refugee crisis there. As was reported in the "Turkish Ports at Risk" thread earlier today, those currently on the Mariner had a sea day after their Mitilini stop was cancelled. (Ginny and I actually booked the 9/16-10/5 "Relics and Monuments" cruise, which comprises "Empires of Antiquity" and the 9/28-10/5 "Inspiring Isles" cruise, so we'll have a second shot at Mitilini on September 29.)

Even though we've had our moments of concern about our itinerary, Ginny and I are very excited to be doing this cruise, which will be Regent cruise No. 10 for us, and our first on the Mariner since Miami-Lima in 2013. I haven't been to Israel and Egypt since my Royal Viking Line days (1977), and Ginny has never been. Plus, we're so looking forward to returning to Ephesus, one of the handful of favorite places we've ever been. I spoke last night with an elderly pastor friend who recalled taking a group on a similar cruise some years ago and preaching from the very top of the Great Theatre in Ephesus, as Paul had done, awed that his voice carried so easily through this entire magnificent structure. I got goosebumps as he related this story, and I'm sure I will have goosebumps aplenty as we experience the many highlights of this cruise.

Avid Regent live-bloggers, Jackie, Rachel and I made the decision rather spontaneously on our Roll Call to try a joint blog rather than blog separately. We hope you'll enjoy the result. Between us, even with the port-laden itinerary and ultra-long excursion days in Israel and Egypt, we should be able to give you a comprehensive account of our cruise from our individual perspectives (we also encourage other CCers on our cruise to join in). Questions? Requests for specific bits of onboard info? Let us know. We're glad to have you along.

OK, TravelCat2 and RachelG, over to you!

Rich

Empires of Antiquity