Live from the Navigator 29th June - 6th July

[xrvlcruiser]

The products on the Navigator last week were L'Octaine (sp?) which has a lemony scent. Very nice.

 

The Regent products were in the bathroom as well.

[jhp]

xrvlcruiser, Peggy, as a recent cruiser on the Navigator, I hope you enjoyed your time with your extended family to Alaska last week!

[jhp]

elmwood, so sorry, I neglected to say how much I am enjoying your posts here, and looking forward to them. After all, this is "your" thread. Please keep telling us of your adventures! I have so enjoyed them so far!

[OrpingtonT]

Also, are full course meals available from room service along with alcoholic beverages?

 

Firstly, Elmwood. Your reports are great, bringing the cruise to life.

 

Secondly, sindy. Just to amplify the response about room service. There is a 24 hour pretty comprehensive room service menu as well as breakfast and full course by course Compass Rose dinner during opening hours, whether you have butler service or not. The waiter will set up the table with cloth, siverware etc in your suite.

[xrvlcruiser]

jhp: The trip was terrific! And very special b/c of being with my family.

 

Elmwood: I'm thoroughly enjoying reliving it here with you!

 

My only "regret" is not sailing with Michael Coghlin and Terry.Lucky you!

 

I do want to say that the crew/staff is wonderful - caring and considerate.

[elmwood]

Skagway

For the first time since we got on board, the sun shone. Just to remind us that we were still in Alaska, it was accompanied by a stiff, chilly wind that got stronger as the day progressed.

We had chosen the gold dredging tour, knowing it was likely to be cheesy. In that regard, it didn’t disappoint! It was fun, and in our attempts at panning, netted a surprising $25 worth of gold. Rather than return directly to the ship which was berthed some way out of town, our coach driver dropped us downtown in Skagway and we had a quick wander there. My bracelet hunt came to a happy conclusion In Carrington’s antique ivory where there was a good selection of silver bangles carved with totems. Raven was my choice to match the Haida Gwaii carved earrings I already have. We enjoyed Skagway which is like a little slice of gold rush history with its well preserved buildings and wooden board walks.

We were sailing at 2:45 so headed back to the ship for lunch, eating it in the Compass Rose for the first time. It’s a very much more serene experience than the buffet at La Veranda and the food is excellent catering to all tastes. We both love fish so had the destination dish of Alaskan yellow eye. I also had a starter of steak tartar and this might have been a mistake because by about three I was feeling absolutely dreadful and sick to my stomach. This understandably put somewhat of a damper on the rest of the day. I missed the Seven Seas Cocktail party which my husband said was a lot of fun where drinks and caviar were copious.

 

I did not feel like eating anything other than clear chicken broth and I have to say it was easy to get this, despite it not being on the menu. We called the butler, explained the situation and he said he would handle this. He arrived at the door at 7:00 with clear broth for me and the food my husband had ordered from the Compass Rose. The table was set beautifully. He had brought a bottle of San Pellegrino for me and a bottle of the red wine being offered in the restaurant for my husband (not that he needed that after several vodka martinis at the party!). He left us with instructions to call him when we had finished so he could come and clear away and bring anything else we might want.

So, instead of seeing Cirque Navigator, the only show I had wanted to see, it was a quiet night in the cabin watching “Dr. Zhivago “ which I had never seen before.

To answer some questions – everything but toothpaste is supplied in the bath room,. We have three choices, L’Occitane, Regent, and Hermes. I prefer the latter and our stewardess happily changed everything over. Room service with a more limited, but perfectly adequate menu is available 24 hours. You can order from Compass Rose during its opening hours. This applies to all cabins. Some of the higher grade cabins can also order room service from Prime 7. The champagne and caviar breakfast is indeed on Sunday, but on an excursion heavy day, it often opens early and was open at 6:30 a.m. yesterday.

I am feeling much better today, hungry even, so once my husband wakes up, we will hit the breakfast buffet in La Veranda. We are at sea all morning, arriving in Ketchikan at noon. We are book on the float plane trip and crab feast but I am not holding my breath that this will take place as the weather is forecast to be dire: low visibility, high winds, and driving rain.

Happy fourth of July to all Americans!

[OrpingtonT]

Some of the higher grade cabins can also order room service from Prime 7.

 

That is news to me. At what grade suite does this kick in?

[elmwood]

OrpingtonT, we are in a Grand Suite and were told we could. I will try and found out at what level this starts.

[ladymadeline]

Elmwood:

 

Thanks for the information on your journey. We depart on the Navigator on August 3rd from Vancouver so your comments are appreciated. Glad you're feeling better too! I'm interested in Ketchikan excursion as it is the same one we've signed up for as well.

[TheSeaAroundUs]

This is the first I've heard of room service from Prime 7, too, and I was in a pretty high-grade cabin earlier this year. I'd think the butlers would have trouble getting things there in good time (which I'd think would be extra important for that venue), what with them having to handle 10 or 11 cabins nowadays.

 

Elmwood, how on earth does one get past the age of 12 without seeing Doctor Zhivago?* What a treat for you, to see it for the first time when you're old enough to actually understand what's going on!

 

[disclaimer: Mom is a huge fan, so that's probably why I was exposed to it so early on....]

[Threechicks]

Meant to add, but got interrupted: a piano player that doesn't know "I'll Be seeing You"--OMG. That is pretty basic. I better start practicing again. I was at one time an exceptional pianist, just got too busy to keep up. Maybe I could get a job with Regent.

Rachel, is there anything you don't do? Curious - do you happen to know Dr. Dave Williams, former astronaut and robotic surgeon?

[RachelG]

HAHA, 3 chicks. I actually got out my sheet music yesterday and practiced "I'll be Seeing You". It sounded pretty good. I also practiced "Always"--some difficult cord progressions but I can polish it up--and in honor of 4th of July, "God Bless America". So I will be ready in case Regent is in a pinch for a pianist.

 

I don't know Dr. Williams. He must be a general surgeon or urologist, as I think I know most of the robotic gyn surgeons in the US.

[jcross2]

Elmwood, thanks so much for your great review, and for the info about the Sunday breakfast.

 

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Sending good vibes for perfect weather tomorrow for your flight!

 

Jan

[elmwood]

Ketchikan

 

Ketchikan has been a complete washout - literally and metaphorically! The captain took to the airwaves to announce that due to unusually strong winds and currents we were going to be at least an hour late in arriving. Several tours were cancelled immediately. In actuality, we were an hour and a half late and our float plane and crab feast was in the next batch of tours to be cancelled - sigh.

 

We went and had some lunch and then I decided to go into town, braving the rain and winds. I felt like Scott of the Antarctic so bundled up was I, wearing rain pants, a fleece lined waterproof jacket and gloves. My husband took one look at the driving, almost horizontal rain and decided to go and play bridge.

 

I had a good time and mooched around, liking Creek Street very much. No purchases were made, but that's probably a good thing as I have three days in Vancouver and I always find things there.

 

Tomorrow we have a sea day and have signed up for the wine tasting, so we shall see how that is.

 

As to having managed to miss seeing "Dr Zhivago" before, I was too young to see it when it first came out (just, being ten) and somehow have avoided it ever since. I thoroughly enjoyed it being a bit of a history buff.

[cookback]

First time cruisers. We are doing the same route starting next week with a pre-cruise trip through Denali. Any specific advice/suggestions from anyone (besides what has been mentioned above) ?

[Travelcat2]

Ketchikan

 

= Tomorrow we have a sea day and have signed up for the wine tasting, so we shall see how that is.

 

=.

 

Would you please elaborate on signing up for the wine tasting. Is this one of the "new" wine tasting with a charge. . . . . or, the typical wine tasting that Regent has always done. . . . no charge?

 

Really enjoying your posts:-)

[cookback]

First time cruisers. We are doing the same route starting next week with a pre-cruise trip through Denali. Any specific advice/suggestions from anyone (besides what has been mentioned above) ?

[xrvlcruiser]

There was a charge for the one last week.

[jcross2]

Ketchikan

Ketchikan has been a complete washout - literally and metaphorically! ..........

 

So sorry to hear that! Hope you really enjoy your sea day tomorrow.

Jan

[Hambagahle]

Elmwood -

 

I have just spent a happy hour reading all your posts! They bring back great memories of Alaska and our first Regent (well, Radisson in those days!) cruise!! For which many thanks. I do hope you are feeling tons better now!

 

I, too, am interested to know at what level being able to order room service from Prime 7 starts. For us good-meat-starved Swiss (!) Prime 7 is like paradise on earth. We were able to have a second meal there in January (on the Navigator) and loved it.

 

As to toiletries - I think the range of l'Occitaine, Hermès and Regent is only offered in Butler suites. It may well be that in the other suites it is all Regent. Which is not bad at all I hasten to add. Except that I, too, love the Hermès, especially their soap. Next cruise I shall ask the Butler early on to give me some extra so I can bring it home!! (We do have soap in switzerland, make no mistake! But this is very good!)

 

Enjoy the rest of the cruise. Was the wine tasteing worth the money? And how much money?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

E

 

As to toiletries - I think the range of l'Occitaine, Hermès and Regent is only offered in Butler suites. It may well be that in the other suites it is all Regent. Which is not bad at all I hasten to add.

 

I hate the Regent-branded toiletries! I had heard they were switching to l'Occitaine across the board, with Hermes available "upstairs". Please tell me that the Regent brand is gone!

[txladycruiser]

L'Occitane and Hermes are available in all the suites - at least they were on the Voyager in May/June. They still had the Regent brand in the suites, too. I imagine they are just getting rid of their supply of the Regent brand.

 

 

 

Karen

[Bronwyn]

We were in suite 627 on the Navigator for the first Alaska cruise this year (ex San Francisco on13May). There were Regent and L'Occitane toiletries in the bathroom.

[frequent traveler]

We had all 3 brands of toiletries in our cabin on the June 8 voyage. We preferred L'Occitane and it was restocked. Took the Regents with me off ship as it was the easiest size to throw in a bag.

 

I feel so lucky that while we had bits of rain almost every day until we got to Denali we made every port for the full time.

 

Hope the rest of your trip goes well Elmwood - and you don't get a touch of under the weather again. Your posts are staving off the post Alaska crash I would normally be getting right now. THANK YOU.

 

FT

[elmwood]

Cookback, this only our third cruise, but our first time in Alaska. One thing that has surprised me is how chilly it has been. We came prepared, but I also brought quite a few clothes that I have not worn at all - silk evening tops, a swimming costume, and capri pants. In retrospect, I would have brought more long sleeved tops with me and more long pants. We have also not used our sunscreen at all, so the two large bottles were a tad excessive even being as fair as I am!

 

It was Michael Coghlin who told us we could order room service from Prime 7. I will try and catch him today and ask at what level this applies. I did pass your regards on, Col. (Ret.)Wes and he was saying how your fitness regime put him to shame!

 

The wine tasting we are going to today is one with an additional charge. I wasn't going to go but have decided to treat it as an excursion, one to replace our cancelled one yesterday.

 

One observation about Compass Rose that we both feel is that it excels in certain areas: soups, appetizers, salads and entrees that are more individually prepared. Where it is just ho-hum is in large roasts and dishes that can be prepared en masse. We don't eat dessert but other guests have commented that this have been quite exceptional. The bread on the ship has been fantastic with the baguettes almost being the standard of ones found in Paris.