Travel from SF to Montreal on RSSC Navigator with Bill & Mary Ann for 31 days 9/12/11

[WCB]

Report # 13 September 24, 2011 Saturday Cartagena, Colombia

Well, today's port of call was Cartagena, our first stop on the Caribbean coastline of Colombia. And today would turn out to be a wild and crazy day.

We did not arrive to the pier until after 11am and it was super hot outside. Since our tour was not going to leave until 2pm, we decided to spend some time cooling off in the pool onboard. It worked for about an hour, then the skies turned black, followed by a thunderous clap of lightening and sudden downpours. It was just like what happened in the Panama Canal.

Anyway, we took refuge under the overhang to wait out the storm. As long as we were already at a table by the grill, we decided it was a good time to try out some of their food. The aroma from the BBQ grill was too hard to pass by, so we split a hot dog on a toasted bun. Yep, it tasted just fine.

Well, the rain never stopped, and we were getting concerned that our tour, Bay Cruise on a Spanish Galleon, would be delayed or cancelled. We could see the sailing vessel from our room, and could also see the crew trying to get her ready. There was one large tarp that the deckhands were trying to lash down to protect the several chairs underneath. The canvas was filling rapidly and spilling tons of water on the chairs. Eventually, they gave up, and rolled the tarp up.

We played with the idea of cancelling this tour, and make an attempt to join another one. However, by the time we were ready to join our group in the showlounge, all the other tours had already left. Not wanting to exit the gate at the terminal, we really had no choice but to stay with the Spanish galleon. We have been to Cartagena so many times in the past, and have taken every tour here at least once. So we stuck with the original plan.

It was still raining, but when we went to our meeting point, we found our tour was still on. So we waited, and waited to leave at 2pm, but it did not happen. The boat operator called and said we would have to wait until 3pm. At that point, several people threw in the towel, leaving only 30 people out of the original 100 booked.

So that gave us enough time to walk to the nearby terminal, and purchase a couple of bags of coffee candy. We had bought some last May, and loved it, so we wanted to stock up. Upon leaving the ship, we grabbed what looked like very sturdy Regent umbrellas and proceeded to walk in the drizzling rain. Drizzle led to sprinkle, which led to massive downpour and hurricane force winds in a matter of seconds! We were laughing hysterically when our umbrellas turned inside out, their ribs dangling uselessly in the wind, rain drowning us to the bone, and puddles over our ankles. At least we knew to wear flip flops and boat shoes that water could not hurt.

The shuttle bus driver drove towards us, beeping his horn, and took pity on our poor souls. He turned his bus around, and drove us to the terminal building, which, by the way, also had no covered shelter. It did not matter.....we were as soaked as one could get already. When we entered the shop, we were followed by some ladies with mops, as we left a substantial trail of water behind us. Obviously, we were not the first ones to be caught in the storm, because their floors were sparkling clean from frequent mopping! Still, it was embarrassing, but unavoidable. Even the beautiful large parrots in the adjacent gardens were soaked to the bone, shivering as we snapped their pictures. Darn, we had looked forward to seeing their small aviary of birds, but today it was a no go.

We gathered up our coffee candies and another lovely set of gourd jewelry, which is only made here in Cartagena. By the time we left, so had the rain, and things were looking good for our tour to commence, which it did by 3pm. The tour operator had said this rain would stop at 3pm, and even though we did not believe that, it did.

Our group had dwindled to less than half, but that was better, since we had plenty of room on the vessel to move around. Dancing gals and guys treated us to some wild gyrations as the local indigenous band played music for them. The costumes were from the days of the slaves, and were really bright and colorful. Our guide came over to us, and said they saw us in that downpour, and all had a laugh at our antics as well as we passed by the vessel earlier. You just have to have a good sense of humor, and realize that it was just water, we would be cooled off for the rest of the day, right?

Our guide welcomed us, then proceeded to give us a short history lesson of Colombia, complete with questions aferwards to see how well we listened. He must be a teacher, we figured. So this nice excursion was not the "ho-ho-ho, bottle of rum tour", but a learning and site-seeing experience with cold drinks and snacks.

The skipper took us in a circle around the old town, towards the newer highrises, and near Bocagrande beach. The dancers performed three different series of typical slave dances, even engaging some of the folks in the front seats. That was one reason we decided to sit in the back....we escaped their clutches, and we had the whole area to ourselves for photo-taking.

The tour was over after a pleasant 2 hour ride, and we were very glad we did not back out, as others had. It was good to be back on the ship. When we handed the umbrellas back, we said they needed to be fixed. They were added to a huge pile of more broken umbrellas, where a steward was already in the process of putting them back together.

Dinner was with Don and Alene in Prime 7 this evening at 7:30pm. The food was beyond excellent. We ordered the bone-in ribeye steak, along with green beans and onion rings. Our friends ordered sides dishes lyonnaise potatoes, creamed spinach, mushrooms, and asparagus. What we did not know was that each side was served family style, enough for the four of us. Our table was literally covered with piles of food. We have to say that the steaks were extremely tasty and cooked perfectly, except large. Even though we kept lunch light, we could not finish our entire meal.

All throughout the dinner, we could see lightening flashing in the Prime 7 windows. As we got further away from Colombia, the seas got much rougher, and it was apparent that we would be in for a good storm. The Captain happened to be eating with a group of five people, and he did not seem a bit concerned with the weather conditions. We wondered if the engine got fixed today, we refrained from asking.

After we finished dinner, we walked outside on deck 10 to see if the rain had started. Not yet, but the lightening strikes were right over the ship. Not a good idea to walk out in the open.

Good time to retreat to our room and enjoy the storm from our veranda. By the way, showtime featured Mickey Finn, a pianist, and Cathy Reilly, former Miss Delaware and a runner up Miss America, which year, we do not know. She is now a banjoist. Someday, we may make it to a show, maybe......

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 14 September 25, 2011 Sunday Day at Sea

Golly, did we have a rough night at sea. The storm never let up and the rolling seas made it difficult to navigate in our room. At one point in the evening, we remember waking up and having to hold on to the bed. Bet those guests mid-ship and on lower decks did not feel this movement like we do on deck 8. Can't imagine what the upper decks 10 and 11 were like.

We knew it was Sunday morning, because there was caviar and champagne set up in Compass Rose for breakfast. This occurs every Sunday, and many passengers love it, except us. Now maybe a mimosa is nice, but the caviar is best left for those who love it anytime of day. We enjoyed a regular breakfast, while watching the seas become smoother and the clouds finally clearing out.

Much to our disappointment, we found the pool and two spas empty of water. Of course, last night, the water had been drained to very shallow. The funny thing about that is there is more motion to that water, making mini-tidal waves. It is fun to watch, but you would not want to be sitting at either end of the pool, because you could get soaked. We deducted that there was enough ship movement for the staff to keep the pool empty, despite the fact that the sun was out full bore by noon, and it was darn hot once again.

There was an "American Chilies" BBQ at the grill between 12 and 2pm. Enough of us pool lovers asked for water, and it did start to fill by 2pm. By then most of the outside diners would be gone. For the first time on this trip, we were able to sit in the spa, because it did not have time to heat up completely until around 3pm. It was heavenly.

We had another room service lunch, then had success in making several more phone calls to friends and family. It really is a welcome perk. One perk we would really appreciate is the complimentary laundry service. We have a little ways to go to reach the platinum level to get that perk. Most other cruise lines offer a large bag of laundry for a set price, like around $15.00. On the Navigator, each item is priced, and priced rather highly, in our opinion. So far, we have sent rather small amounts of laundry three times, and it has cost about $150.00. At this rate, we will have no problem using up our generous shipboard money. Yes, there are laundry rooms on a few decks, but they are never empty. They do open at 7am, but close at 10pm. On other ships, we have done the wash after dinner, around 10pm, and always found the machines available. So far, it just doesn't work here. And truthfully, we are spoiled and like not having the hassle of laundry room aguments. We have seen and heard some doozies of fights between guests who leave their wash for hours, and come back 3 hours later to dry them. One tine, we witnessed a man take out those abandoned wet clothes, and deposit them on the floor! Funny thing was just as he did that bad thing, the man who left them there walked in. A very loud and hot discussion followed, needless to say, we left the room instantly.

We found out that the engine was not fixed yesterday, as had been indicated by the Captain. No technician showed up in Cartagena, so the repair will have to wait. Since we have been getting to the ports pretty much on time, there has not been any discussion in regards to the nature of the engine problem. We doubt that it will impact the following cruises from New York to Montreal and back again to New York. The ports are so close, with few sea days, it should not pose any problem if it is not repaired right away.

We had drinks in the Stars Lounge and another wonderful dinner in Compass Rose.

Tomorrow, we will be in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, the second visit for us this year.

Mary Ann & Bill

[Pam]

In Compass Rose, are you prone to head for any particular wait team's section? I know that we have had favorites through the years, and wondered if you have found one area that you like more than others.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We cruise seldom enough that we usually don't bother unless we see someone we know, or have been alerted to look for someone. Or if a sommelier, etc. particularly impresses us on the first night, we'll try to steer that way.

We once went into the CR and asked to be seated in Arnold's section because we had heard so much about him. The man said, and I quote, "who the f**k is Arnold"? Accompanied by a big grin. This was Arnold, of course, who only did this because we had mentioned our TA's name and he evidently was on very good terms with her. He is safely over at PGcruises now, he was there in 2008 when we were aboard just before the corporate change, and evidently decided to stay.

[Two Happy Cruisers]

[quote name='nana541']Two Happy Cruisers - you will love the Mariner for your crossing... We did Christmas and New years West Coast thru the canal and it was wonderful! Fabulous weather and the Mariner has a forward observation lounge where we could watch the ship enter the canal and the full transit! Great trip....we won't forget it....[/quote]

Thank you - we're really looking forward to it and know it'll be another unforgettable adventure.:)

I know you went through the Canal a few weeks before we will and you mention having had fabulous weather, but reading the reports by the OP I wonder if frequent rain, thunder and lightning is common in the area? We expect it to be very hot and humid in January, but don't necessarily want to get soaked.:(

[WCB]

We thought we might give you an update on the engine repair or no repair! What we gathered from a very reliable source, Ray,our cruise director, there are four engines on the Navigator. One of them has a broken coupling, which involves the entire engine to be dismantled to access the part. As of today, the engine is still in pieces and they are working to put it together. Without the use of this engine, the top speed has been about 16 to 17 knots. With the engine operational, top speed is 19 knots. Four engines would only be used if we had adverse conditions preventing our arrival times to some ports, or to outrun pirates. Just kidding!

Regarding the wait staff in Compass Rose, we do have one favorite waitress by the name of Rona. However, we usually do not have the choice of where we dine, since the room is fairly full by the time we go to dinner. Tables for two are hard to get.

The Panama Canal transit in January has always been a more pleasant experience for us. There can be some rain in the form of passing showers, and although it is still rather warm outside, the humidity is far less.

Bill & Mary Ann

[nana541]

[quote name='Two Happy Cruisers']Thank you - we're really looking forward to it and know it'll be another unforgettable adventure.:)

I know you went through the Canal a few weeks before we will and you mention having had fabulous weather, but reading the reports by the OP I wonder if frequent rain, thunder and lightning is common in the area? We expect it to be very hot and humid in January, but don't necessarily want to get soaked.:([/QUOTE]

We never even had a cloud....clear beautiful days....but hotter than the dickens! Thank goodness that the Mariner AC works very well....we never had any rain and it was glorious (and hot) until we hit the Atlantic.....it was 31 degrees in Miami....crazy huh!

[tombo]

[quote name='Two Happy Cruisers']Thank you - we're really looking forward to it and know it'll be another unforgettable adventure.:)

I know you went through the Canal a few weeks before we will and you mention having had fabulous weather, but reading the reports by the OP I wonder if frequent rain, thunder and lightning is common in the area? We expect it to be very hot and humid in January, but don't necessarily want to get soaked.:([/quote]

Be sure to listen to the on-board speaker about the Canal, or especially read [I]A Path Between the Seas[/I] by David McCullough. Heavy annual rainfall is what makes the whole thing possible, as it's the water from Gatun Lake, continually replenished, which allow the locks to be filled for raising and lowering the ships, then discharged at seal level.

You're in for a treat if you've never done it before,

[blue whale]

Hello Mary Ann and Bill,

We just stumbled on your report. We hope that the weather clears up for you, especially as you go up the east coast. Here in Jersey, we have had lots of rain this summer. But there have been some beautiful days, too.

We are doing the circle South America cruise on Mariner this winter—Jan, Feb, and Mar. We did it last year with HAL, and decided a different ship would be nice. We hope that the food on Mariner is as great as you are experiencing on Navigator.

You seem to be enjoying the tours. There seems to have been considerable criticism of the tours in the past. Hopefully, we will find the tours on Mariner to our liking.

We are looking forward to the phone and internet service on Regent. We will get the laundry service because we go over 200 days during the cruise. The platinum amenities start when we get on the ship, not on the day we reach the 200 mark. That will be great on such a long cruise.

Enjoy your days as you sail up the east coast.

Dorothy and George (Blue Whale!)

[WCB]

Report # 15 September 26, 2011 Monday Georgetown, Grand Cayman

We arrived to our second port in the Caribbean, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, later than expected, but only by an hour or so. This is also a tender port, so going off in our tour groups was slower than usual, due to the ship having to re-position in the current.

We were not alone in the bay this morning, as a Carnival ship, the Inspiration, had dropped anchor as well. It would be interesting to see if they had a younger crowd than the Navigator. We are sure of it.

Well, our 3 hour excursion, Cultural Cayman, was running one hour late, but should still give us enough time to spend in downtown Georgetown afterwards. The ship was due to leave at 5pm, with the last tender leaving at 4:30pm. We would probably be among the last of the guests on the boats back.

Our tour took in two attractions. The first was the Queen Elizabeth, the 2nd Botanic Park, about 1 hour 15 minute ride from the pier landing. The mode of transportation, not one of our favorites, the mini-van, held about 20 of us. It's not a bad way to travel, but when one is tall, as we are, the seats are cramped with little or no legroom. Since gasoline and diesel are sky high in Cayman, the smaller buses are more efficient we suppose. Diesel, by the way, was $7.00 a gallon. Ouch!

It was blazing hot with not a hint of a breeze when we arrived to the gardens. This was going to be a long hour tour, because only one guide/van driver had planned on guiding us, a total of 40 people, to each exhibit. Yep, this was like herding cats. The park itself is built on 65 acres, but each area is rather small. Ponds and winding trails weave in and out of numerous varieties of ferns, palms, flowering trees, bouganvilla, and philodendrons. It was really difficult for the entire group to gather together and hear the guide.

We did learn one thing today, if your guide describes something not quite precise, don't correct her in front of everyone. One rather intelligent, but clueless man, did just that. Not only once, but twice in 10 minutes. We all pretty much know what parasitic plants are, such as some orchids and vines, so why make a fuss over a misplaced word? We are not all scientists and won't be tested on this information later on.

We stayed with the group for the first two exhibits. The first was a typical small Caymanian house from the colonial days. The main house only contained living and sleeping rooms, while the kitchen with ovens and fire pits were in a separate building. Fire was the main enemy of these modest abodes, so the folks had to be careful. Also, the only source of fresh water was what could be collected from rain and stored in barrels. In time, underground cisterns were dug for water storage. These are still in use today, although the water is treated. There are desalination plants, but that water is really expensive, we were told.

The guide showed us the medicinal plants in the home's little garden. By this time, we were all dying from the heat, so a few of us continued on our own with the help of a garden map. The trail basically went in a large circle, so we knew we would not get lost. We came upon several of the large Cayman blue iguanas, that happened to be pretty active despite the heat. They seemed to thrive in it. We had been warned not to get too close, because they can deliver a nasty bite. It was quite obvious that all of these tagged iguanas were very used to people. They did not make an attempt to move, but just continued to eat the fruit and leaves from trees that had fallen on the ground.

We continued on to see a lovely white gazebo that overlooked a waterlily pond. Blue painted bridges connected the area surrounding the gazebo. Oddly enough, this was the only place in the park that we felt the breeze. We could envision in our minds how the natives may have enjoyed sipping on mint juleps while relaxing on the wicker chairs here.

Not a surprise, we exited through the main building that was air-conditioned. Of course, there was a shop with all sorts of souveniers there, and the cool air kept everyone either looking or buying until our van was ready. Smart, these Caymanians.

Time for the next venue, Pedro St. James Castle, the only remaining stone structure built in the late 18th century. We would tour the home and 8 acre grounds, but first we had a real treat. We were led into an air-conditoned multimedia theater, where a guide gave us the history of the island and the story of the house. That was followed by a series of films depicting the story we had just been told. The best part was the beginning, where the sound of pummeling rain on the tin roofs over our heads cooled us off immediately. To add to the effects, a fine mist was produced from the falling rain. We thought the 15 minute or so presentation was well done.

From there, we were free to explore the house and the outer buildings. The castle was really more of a plantation house, surrounded with two levels of covered verandas with the living areas in the center. Again, the kitchen was a separate building as were the slave quarters. The house even had a dungeon We noticed that the interior of the home was very new-looking. As with most historical sites, this home had burnt down, leaving only the foundation and rock walls. It had been re-built by the government within the last 20 years. They have done a wonderful job. Today, this site is rented out for weddings and events for up to 500 people. It is a beautiful setting with a view of the ocean nearby. The restrooms were large and immaculate as well.

We got back to town in time to enjoy another wonderful lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Expecting the place to be full of tourists from the Inspiration, we were surprised to find the restaurant almost empty. In fact the streets were deserted too. Then we noticed why..........the Carnival ship had just left. We could see their signature red whale tail funnel on the horizon heading to their next port. So we never did see who their guests were. We have been in Cayman when 5 other ships were anchored, and you couldn't even squeeze into the shops. That was not a problem today.

A funny thing happened when we sat down for lunch. Our friendly waitress asked if we had been there for lunch sometime this year. As a matter of fact, we had, in January, the first stop on the world cruise. She actually remembered us, as we did her. Maybe the reason was we could have left a tip over and above the 15% they add to your bill. Who knows?

Just like we thought, we were about the last guests on the tenderboat. But not before we purchased a very small chocolate rum cake to enjoy in our suite later on. These cakes are world famous and so tasty, we couldn't leave without buying one.

The ship left on time, around 5pm. We thought it strange that there have been few sailaway parties at the pool, especially in this nice weather. So we relaxed on our veranda until we were well out of sight of land. That was not really long, because the highest point on the island is only 60 feet.

We shared dinnertime with Don and Alene, also sharing our tour experiences. They had gone to Sting Ray City, and swam with the gentle giants. It sure was a good day to spend it in the warm and pristine waters of Grand Cayman.

The clocks went ahead one hour tonight. Good thing tomorrow is a day at sea, so the change is easier to deal with. The Navigator will cover 669 nautical miles to reach Port Everglades Florida two days from now.

Mary Ann & Bill

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for continuing to tell us about your trip. Yes, I think they should have more pool deck sailaway parties. They are usually such fun, especially in the Caribbean.

[WCB]

Hi Dorothy and George,

We remember that 2003 South America cruise well on the Mariner. You will surely enjoy it again. If we remember correctly, you did that same cruise the year before we did.

You will love the perks of the free internet, shore excursions, and phone calls. The laundry perk is even better. We are not yet platinum (30 more days to go), and have used shipboard credit to cover the laundry. Their rates are very high we think compared to HAL.

Glad you found our blog....hope you are enjoying it! Also hope to see you on a future cruise sometime soon.

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Hi Dorothy and George,

We remember that 2003 South America cruise well on the Mariner. You will surely enjoy it again. If we remember correctly, you did that same cruise the year before we did.

You will love the perks of the free internet, shore excursions, and phone calls. The laundry perk is even better. We are not yet platinum (30 more days to go), and have used shipboard credit to cover the laundry. Their rates are very high we think compared to HAL.

Glad you found our blog....hope you are enjoying it! Also hope to see you on a future cruise sometime soon.

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Hi Dorothy and George,

We remember that 2003 South America cruise well on the Mariner. You will surely enjoy it again. If we remember correctly, you did that same cruise the year before we did.

You will love the perks of the free internet, shore excursions, and phone calls. The laundry perk is even better. We are not yet platinum (30 more days to go), and have used shipboard credit to cover the laundry. Their rates are very high we think compared to HAL.

Glad you found our blog....hope you are enjoying it! Also hope to see you on a future cruise sometime soon.

Mary Ann & Bill

[Two Happy Cruisers]

[quote name='WCB']
The Panama Canal transit in January has always been a more pleasant experience for us. There can be some rain in the form of passing showers, and although it is still rather warm outside, the humidity is far less.

Bill & Mary Ann[/quote]

[COLOR=white][B]~Great - that's good news for us![/B][/COLOR]:)


[quote name='nana541']We never even had a cloud....clear beautiful days....but hotter than the dickens! Thank goodness that the Mariner AC works very well....we never had any rain and it was glorious (and hot) until we hit the Atlantic.....it was 31 degrees in Miami....crazy huh![/quote]

[B]~Yes, I know the temps will be high, but as long as we don't get drenched by rain we should be OK.[/B]:D

[quote name='tombo']Be sure to listen to the on-board speaker about the Canal, or especially read [I]A Path Between the Seas[/I] by David McCullough. Heavy annual rainfall is what makes the whole thing possible, as it's the water from Gatun Lake, continually replenished, which allow the locks to be filled for raising and lowering the ships, then discharged at seal level.

You're in for a treat if you've never done it before,[/quote]

[B]~Thanks for the tips about the speaker and the book - maybe we can do both![/B]

[B]And I agree that the rain is probably needed - we live amongst the giant Redwood trees, and fog and rain is extremely important to their survival and well-being.[/B];)

[WCB]

Report # 16 September 27, 2011 Tuesday Day at Sea

Today the weather was perfect as we sailed from Grand Cayman and around Cuba on our way to Florida. The temperatures are still in the high 80's and the sea temperature is the same.

Life on the ship continued on with many activities taking place all day. Several speakers are still onboard. Lt. Colonel Bill Rothschild, the NASA expert and one of our neighbors, continued his series of talks on space this morning. He is a very friendly fellow, making contact with many passengers all day long.

The wellness program lecturer, Dr. Jerry Kornfeld, spoke about the subject of a healthy heart, and how you don't let your heart attack you.

The enrichment speaker baseball expert, Jerry Kindall, also continued his series on baseball stories from the past to the present.

If that is not enough to keep you busy, there are arts and crafts, bridge games, darts, shuffleboard and volleyball, the crew versus the guests. We spent the afternoon relaxing and reading poolside, that is, until the pool was drained halfway for the volleyball game. It is fun to watch, but one can get beaned in the head quite often. By the way, the service at the pool has continued to be excellent. One nice waiter from India always brings our sodas as soon as we sit down. He seems to know about the time we all are dying from the heat, and comes around with the frozen washcloths. Following that, he knows we enjoy frozen margaritas, and will bring those upon asking. This does not happen on most ships, at least not complimentary.

The entertainer tonight was a fellow by the name of Jeff Harnar, a voice and personality with an entirely different show. What that means, heaven only knows. We'll ask our friends tomorrow, since they are very good show-goers.

We had another reservation in Prime 7 for a romantic table for two. Well, not exactly. The tables and large dining chairs are really a bit too close together in this venue. Actually, this area was the other half of La Veranda Restaurant a few years back. The last time we sailed on the Navigator in 2007, this area was converted to an Italian venue, with strolling musicians and a small dance floor. Although we do appreciate the cuisine in here much better than before, it is too crowded in there for private conversations.

Our time for dinner was 8:30pm, because that was all that was available when we booked. When we arrived, the maitre'd said our table was not ready yet. Our best bet, he suggested, was to go to Galileo for a drink, and he would come and get us. We only had about a 15 minute wait, and he did come in person to escort us to our table. Within 10 minutes of being seated, three tables for two became available as well. They never know how long people will linger after a meal. Sometimes they stay until closing time, especially when the wine continues to flow.

Bill ordered the New York sirloin, and I had the prime rib. When my order came, they had given me what was left of the roast. Good grief, I could never finished even half of it! Both entrees were delicious, but when you are finished with the meal in here, you feel that you are good for at least 24 hours!

We walked on deck 11 for a while after dinner, enjoying the calm seas and still warm breezes. Tomorrow, we will be in Ft. Lauderdale, our first USA port since leaving San Francisco. It will be a busy day for all.

Mary Ann & Bill

[TheSeaAroundUs]

You can take leftovers out of P7; I've seen others do it, and I took a pork chop home one night when I was outdone by a random short-lived illness after a few bites (it had been creeping up on me all day; should perhaps have not attempted dinner). It was good to roll out of bed hungry at 2am, pour some suite spirits, and finish it off! Came in a pretty little foil package.

[Mjflowers]

[quote name='TheSeaAroundUs']You can take leftovers out of P7; I've seen others do it, and I took a pork chop home one night when I was outdone by a random short-lived illness after a few bites (it had been creeping up on me all day; should perhaps have not attempted dinner). It was good to roll out of bed hungry at 2am, pour some suite spirits, and finish it off! Came in a pretty little foil package.[/QUOTE]

Now, where did I leave that microwave?

[TheSeaAroundUs]

I'm very flexible, especially late at night . . .

... but, I guess, it's not for everybody!

[WCB]

Report # 17 September 28, 2011 Wednesday Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Well, here we are in our first US port since leaving San Francisco. And since we have visited foreign ports along the way, it was mandatory to have a face to face inspection with US Immigration Customs inspectors in the terminal. With passports and customs declaration forms, we went through with flying colors. That is one nice aspect of traveling on such a small ship with a smaller population.......everything goes much quicker.

Since we had booked an all day tour, Millionaires Miami, we were among the first group to leave. The plan for this 8 hour tour began with a drive to the nearby Everglades for an exciting airboat ride through this ecosystem. Our guide was OK, but pretty much treated us like we were just off of a party ship with a much younger crowd. His jokes did not seem to jive with our quiet group. Oh well, maybe it was just too early in the day for that.

We arrived at Safari Park, one of several airboat facilities in this part of the Miami area. Our friends were on another boat, since they were in a different group that made a pit stop first. That was fine because we took photos of them, and they likewise of us. It was very uncomfortable sitting in those boats in the muggy heat of the morning. There was not a breeze to be found, that is, until the boats started their engines. We had to wear earplugs, because the noise of the fan was deafening. It felt like heaven when we gained speed and created our own cooling breeze.

The grassy waters, along with reeds, swamp brush and trees, hid a variety of animal and bird life. Also a lot of insects, luckily not the biting kind. We saw egrets, vultures, ibis, large, but strange-looking turtles, and the most impressive alligators. They can get up to 16 feet in these swamplands. We were lucky to have seen several very close up and personal halfway into the boat trip. Unfortunately, Don and Alene did not get to see the large ones we saw, since they figured we had scared them off when they got there.

The ride lasted about 1/2 hour, and we had only time for a pit stop, then we rushed off to our next stop......lunch. No shopping time at this stop.

We headed towards the Cuban area of Miami on a road that was flanked by a canal. We spotted several smaller alligators in this canal along the ride, as well as some more birds. It seems so strange to us to see such fierce creatures so abundant, like the Canada geese we see at our local park in Walnut Creek, California. At least the geese cannot take a hunk of your leg as you walk by them!

The bus driver seemed to have a problem finding the restaurant, because our confused guide steered him to the wrong place. Why do we get the feeling that this guide is having a hangover from last night? Maybe it is because he talks a lot about rum drinks he likes. Joe cool.....He even suggested that we all buy im a drink. That went over like a lead weight.

Well, the restaurant turned out to be the Versailles in the Cuban area of Miami. We had been given choices of chicken, pork, or fish, all with black beans and rice and fried plantains. Freshly baked garlic bread was shared by the four of us. We all chose the pork, because the guide recommended it. This time he was right, and we all decided we liked Cuban food. It was lightly spicy, just nice. What was not included were the usual beverages that we get on most lunch tours. We did have a glass of ice water, but felt that since we paid over and above what the tour cost this time, drinks such as bottled water or sodas should be available without charge. Not so today. They did serve sangria and Cuban coffees for about $5.00 each.

Filled to the gills, we re-joined the buses for the ride to Biscayne Bay for scenic cruising in the harbor. Once we were escorted to the harbor, the guide went off to buy tickets. What he should have done, in hind sight, was have us line up for the next boat to leave (2pm). Instead, many other tourists lined up, leaving our group last to board. By the time we got on, there were no seats left on either of the two decks. We really did prefer to be outside on the back deck or up front in what breeze there was. About 10 of us stayed outside the entire 1 1/2 hour ride in the hot sun. Good thing we had brought two bottles of water with us. Should have brought more.

The ride took us from the wharf at Biscayne Bay, past the port of Miami, where cruise ships leave on 7 to 10 day Caribbean sailings. Since today was a weekday, there were no ships docked in the port. There are three manmade islands in this protected harbor by the names of Palm Island, Star Island, and Hibiscus Island. They are self-contained pieces of land filled with luxurious condos and mansions. The most impressive homes were those of actors and entertainers such as Tom Cruise, Liz Taylor, Sylvester Stallone, Puff Daddy, Gloria Estafan, Rosie O'Donnell, and some famous tycoons. It was hard to decide which one was the nicest. Most every mansion had a boat or jet skis or both. Access to some of these islands is by ferry or private boats, which makes living here like being in a gated community. However, to us, it could be like living in a birdcage, with tourist boats passing by your front yards all day long. Not exactly our idea of luxury and privacy. Truthfully, we did not see one resident in those mansions, so they may be just a seasonal thing for the rich and famous.

The first thing we did after getting off the boat, was to buy two large diet Cokes. Wish we had more time to walk around this fun area, but we were already running late, and had to leave.

On the way back, the guide decided to take us through South Beach Miami. It was fun to see the art deco district, where the rich and famous party every evening. The beachside shops, cafes, and homes faced a long stretch of beach, some of which our guide claimed were topless. Don't know if we really believed him.

We arrived back to the ship an hour later than expected by 5:30pm, just in time to attend a special Gold, Platinum, and Titanium event for this cruise. The head honcho of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Mark Conroy, hosted a cocktail and canapy reception for about 120 of the guests from those levels of the Seven Seas Society. Not having the extra time to change from our tour, we decided to sneak in the top level of the showlounge and stay in the back. Bad idea. We walked right into Conroy's receiving line with the future cruise consultant and Ray, the cruise director. Apologizing for our shorts, they kindly said it did not matter and welcomed us in.

We joined Don and Alene, and within seconds had the offer of wine or champagne or a drink of our choice. That was followed by the fanciest canapies we have ever been offered. Lobster, caviar, and fois gras filled the platters. At 6pm, Mr. Conroy went on the stage and delivered an informative speech on the future of the Regent line.

He said that the Navigator will be going into drydock in May of 2012 for a 30 million dollar facelift. A new ship is in the planning stages, destined to debut in 2014. This vessel will be larger than the Voyager and the Mariner, around 65,000 gross tons. She will carry about 750 passengers with some newly-sized suites for singles. The next size will be the same as their other ships, 356 square feet. Larger suites will be about 400 square feet, but more square in shape than rectangular. There will be no azipods for the new ship, but conventional props, much more efficiently built.

Mr. Conroy added that the guests have reported mixed reactions to the "all-inclusive" aspect of sailing. Not everyone participates in the free excursions, nor do they drink wine and alcohol. He did not deny that the higher than normal pricing does compensate for these perks, whether or not they are used. Future pricing may be even higher, even though the world economy is in a bad state at the moment. Regent's experience has shown that dropping the prices only attracted temporary customers, who did not come back, since they could not afford it. So the company will continue to raise prices, and hope they fill the ships. Mr. Conroy backed that up by bragging that Regent had a 92% occupancy for the year so far.

We got the message that the Navigator may be sold in the future, once the new ship comes out. They plan to take the Navigator into different ports, where other larger ships cannot go with hopes of filling all the berths in the meantime.

With the offer of more drinks, Mark Conroy ended his speech, and left the ship before we set sail at 7pm. We have to travel a distance of 395 nautical miles to reach the next port of Charleston, South Carolina on Friday. Looking forward to it.

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 18 September 29, 2011 Thursday Day at Sea

Today was another lazy and warm day at sea as we traveled in a northerly direction towards South Carolina. There were a few scattered showers, but nothing to ruin a day at the pool.

The most exciting part of the day came when at 4:15pm. an announcement was made that we were stopping to check out an apparently abandoned raft that had been spotted on the horizon.

This all took place on the starboard side of the ship, which just happens to be where our suite is located. We had a birds-eye view of what might have turned out to be a rescue at sea.

Upon closer inspection, we could see what appeared to be a homemade raft of sorts, created with a wooden frame, styrofoam, and canvas stapled to the sides. There was no sign of people anywhere on or near it, so after 10 minutes, the ship turned, and continued sailing on. The educated guess about this item was it had broken loose from something, and floated out to sea. We are following the coastline, about 20 or miles off shore, so it is possible we could see a lot of flotsom along the way.

We had a strange dinner this evening. It was the first time that the service was not even close to perfect. Even though there was just the two of us to serve, the waiter, who we never had serve us before, literally dropped our food and ran. To be honest, we are not fussy or hard to please. But tonight we felt like we were invisible. We had ordered sides of green beans and a baked potato. The beans never arrived and the potato went dry with no toppings of sour cream or bacon bits. The waiter had vanished from sight. Oh well, we finished our meal, but let the waiter know we were not happy with his lack of service. Feeling that he got the message, since he apologized, we did not report this to the head waiter. Perhaps this waiter was stressed with too many tables to wait, or having a bad day. Who knows? But we are sure that he may be more attentive to his guests after tonight. It he does not, there are many others that would appreciate his job.

Prior to joining this cruise, we had purchased a current Stern's Cruise book, which rates the major ships. We compared the Regent ships with their competitors such as Seabourn and Silverseas. Surprisingly, all of Regent's ships rated 4 1/2 stars, where the other luxury ships rated 5 stars. Now we remember reading that the service in the restaurants on the Regent ships was reported to be spotty at times. Thus, dropping their numbers enough to lose a half of a star. Unfortunately, we cannot argue with that. It is the little things we are noticing, like the offer of the pepper mill, the filling of the water glasses, getting the orders correct, and even the offer of coffee with your dessert. Perhaps the reason for these inconsistancies may be due to some of the summer crew going home, and new crew members coming on. The new ones may be in a "training" period. We have even read some online reviews suggesting the Regent is becoming more like Oceana, who happens to be part of the group, being run by the same parent company. Interesting, but disappointing thought, we think.

Bill & Mary Ann

[WesW]

Bill & Mary Ann, thanks very much for sharing the robust Regent ship news provided by Mark Conroy. And special thanks for your seamail.

[rcandkc]

Where are you now? I will be on New England cruise next year and will be continuing to follow our voyage as you report. Thank you so much for taking the time to do so.

[WCB]

Report # 19 September 30, 2011 Friday Charleston, South Carolina

Early this morning, the Navigator slipped into the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. We had been concerned about the weather on the East Coast, since prior to leaving in San Francisco, there had been storms, thunder and lightening, and hurricanes passing through this whole area. Not so today, much to our delight. It would be a perfect day with temps in the mid 80's, and no rain, at least not during the daytime.

Our tour to the Boonehall Plantation and Historic Charleston left on time at 8:30am. After boarding our comfortable bus, the driver took us over the fairly new Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to Mt. Pleasant, a bedroom community of Charleston. The landscape is surrounded by water with many rivers ending into the bay in town. What makes this part of the country nice, are the trees. There are no mountains closeby and the terrain is basically flat, but covered in huge native oaks, magnolias, and pecans to mention a few.

We arrived to the impressive Boonehall Plantation with their Southern heritage spanning 300 years. It is still a working plantation, but in many different ways. In the past, rice, cotton, and indigo (used for ink) had been grown here with the labor of slaves from Africa. Today, these grounds grow vegetables instead of cotton. But the big money is in tours of the property and renting it out for weddings, concerts, and special affairs. A family still lives in the mansion, despite the tours going on.

Entering the plantation, we drove a 3/4 mile long driveway flanked with up to 265 year old live oak trees, all decorated with hanging Spanish moss. It sure looked familiar, even though we have never been to South Carolina before today. And the reason for that was many films have been shot here such as Bubba Gump, The Notebook, American Idol, and even scenes from Gone with the Wind. For that monumental movie, only clips of the grounds were filmed without the cast, then added into the film.

While we waited our turn to tour the house, one guest picked up a length of Spanish moss from the ground. Our guide had a look of horror on his face as he recommended that the man drop it fast. Why? Because our guide said it could be full of chiggers! This guest would find out later if he breaks out in a rash or whatever. Not familiar with these pesty insects, we suppose they are like no-seeums. Not a nice thing to get.

We had a few moments to tour Slave Alley, homes built on the riverside of the plantation. The brick abodes were nicely built with one large room containing a cooking area, living room, and bedroom. A typical family would consist of grandparents, parents, and young children. Once the children became teenagers, they were moved to separate barracks from the parents, girls and boys separated.

Finally, we had our turn to tour the mansion. Two guides, dressed in colonial garb, invited us inside the massive front doors. The sunken living room on the left housed a library, grand piano, desk, and lounging furniture in front of a huge fireplace. Opposite this room on the other side of the entryway was the dining room. Original furniture had been long since gone, when this house was destroyed by fire. But the new owners were able to replicate the time period furnishings that we see today.

Finally, we were led through a middle door that opened up into a closed-in patio. It was all done in brick with arched ceilings with another fireplace in the center wall. This breezeway was once an open patio that faced the garden and the river at one time. Next to this room was a smaller room with a display of photos from the past. One such display was a shopping list from the plantation owner. On the top of this list to purchase was one young Negro woman for about $900., a plug of tobacco, whisky, and eggs. Hard to believe people people bought people, but that was the way it was back then. And not only in this country, but many places in the world.

From this small side room, a narrow stairway led to the owner's wine cellar, which we could not access, since it was full of wine bottles of the current occupant. We were not allowed to go up the spiral staircase to the living quarters of the mansion.

We thought we would have more time to explore the adjacent buildings like the livery, the cotton gin, and the butterfly garden, which was behind the small cafe. Oh well, maybe next time, if we ever have the chance to come back.

Then, we were on our way back to historical Charleston, right within walking distance of the ship. But first, we stopped at the old train station, now converted to a visitor center with large and clean restrooms. This group was good today, adhering to the guide's request to be back onboard the bus in 15 minutes.

We were driven down the main streets, viewing at least one dozen churches, many small parks, and hundreds Victorian homes. Due to earthquakes here, all of the older structures needed to be stabilized. This was done by rods and turn bolts through the floors and outside walls, strengthening the houses. The evidence of this were round discs, some with ornamental designs, surrounding each floor level of the houses.

The driver brought us down to Battery Park and White Point Gardens for a photo stop. From here, we could see Fort Sumter located in Charleston Harbor. It was here that a fierce fight went on between the Confederates and the Union Army, initiating the Civil War.

On the way back to the pier, we also passed the museum where the Hunley is housed. It was the world's first successful man-powered submarine to sink a ship during the war. It also sunk with the men in it, and was not found until many years later.

After we were dropped off at the ship, we went off on a walking tour of our own. Very close by was the Old City Market, a series of warehouses turned into a craft and food market. But before we strolled through there, we went to Bubba Gumps for a super nice lunch of cheeseburgers and fries. Recently at home, we had joined a restaurant club, which happened to include Bubba Gumps. Do you think we remembered to bring our card with us? Of course not, duh. Our cute waitress said she could probably access our account with our name and phone number, which she did. We got our points towards a free lunch and thanked her for going the extra mile.

Back to the craft market, we checked out those sweetgrass weavings of baskets and trays, etc. These useful baskets were made by slaves in the old days, and the craft has survived even today. These baskets are woven with three different grasses such as bulrush, palmetto leaves, and even long pine needles. For the most part, they were pretty expensive....the smallest baskets, no larger than a fist, cost over $40. The large baskets and trays were $200. and higher. Our guide had told us the vendors would bargain at least 25%, but our best bet was to check out every stand, then choose the best price. We did find a nice midsize basket for $25., signed by the lady we bought it from. We did not bargain, because these were priced right and every bit as nice as the over-priced items.

The Navigator left the port at 5pm, with a scenic sailing out of the harbor. The wind and waves increased once we got out into the ocean. In fact, it was getting cloudy and appeared a storm may be on the way. That would turn out to be right.

Tonight was the last formal/optional evening for dinner. Most people on this trip did dress formally, at least in the Compass Rose Restaurant. Dinner was excellent, though the four of us are still getting each other's food during dinner, then quietly switching.

Remember the storm we felt coming? Well at 11pm, we saw lightening and heard thunder right over the ship. The rain came down hard and heavy all night, rocking us to sleep as we started the 604 nautical mile sailing to New York City, arriving on October 2.

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 20 October 1, 2011 Saturday Day at Sea

No doubt about it, last night was another rough evening, with the ship rolling and pitching with a good lightening show too. While trying to go to sleep at around midnight, we could see little white birds flying frantically frontwards, backwards, up, and down. No, we were not dreaming, honestly. We know that birds do like to follow ships during the daylight hours, because the boat stirs up the water, and the birds can benefit from the flying fish, for instance. What these little critters were doing during a full blown rain storm was beyond our comprehension.

This morning, the seas calmed down,and the sun did peak out from behind the rain clouds. Boy, the temperature from yesterday had dropped a lot the further north we had traveled. We still got some pooltime in, but only poolside, and not in it. In fact, we never saw one guest even attempt swimming. The only thing that was in the pool was a sleeping sunbather's paper cover that had flown off of his hardcover book.

Since this leg of the trip was coming to an end for most guests, we did not see too much activity happening during the day. We suspected that people were starting to pack, especially those who chose to debark tomorrow, our first day in New York City.

There were some talks today in the showlounge. The wellness program featured a lecture on medicine in the year 2020, and a demo by our chef friend, Paulette, on how to keep food from being boring. One of the final creative workshops dealt with showing off the guest's creations.

Enrichment speakers continued their series on outer space science, and whether or not America was in decline. That is a depressing theory, which we personally refuse to believe. On a lighter note, the major league baseball series continued.

Final trivia took place at 4:30pm, followed by the reward redemption prizes available for the players to collect.

We had a nice table for two in Prime 7 this evening. And there was no waiting for a table tonight. We both ordered the delicious New York steaks, followed with a slice of Chicago cheesecake and a conservative slice of the 14 layer cake. The artwork on the dessert plates always impresses us, but not enough to enjoy every bite and taste of the strawberry sauce leaf designs on the sides of the plate.

Showtime featured the Jean Ann Ryan singers and dancers performing "On Broadway". We can assure you that it was good, and loud also, since we heard it well in our room once again. Gosh, we will miss this music when we move our to our new room in a couple of days. Or, maybe not.........

Mary Ann & Bill