Checking in, Live, from the Mariner (Miami-Lima)

[1982CruzStart]

Mr. Rumor

We are joining you in Rio. I am still stewing about the Yellow Fever shot. We are 71 and 83 so CDC advises great caution about taking the shot. Did they check you when you went on board? I know it is not required in Rio.

 

 

 

When we did a South America cruise last year, we were required to have the Yellow fever vaccine. Our travel doctor told us based on our itinerary and my DH's compromised immune system that we should NOT get the Yellow fever vaccine. He was 62 and I was 57 at the time. She completed the required waiver for us and we had no issues even when we left our cruise ship and flew into Ecuador to re-join the cruise. Our doctor told us that unless you will be visiting an area where Yellow fever is a real threat if you are over 60 and never had the vaccine before you should not have it. Best to check with your doctor or a doctor at a travel clinic.

[Mr Rumor]

Remember that Manta tuna I wrote about? It was featured on the Chef's Choice BBQ lunch on the pool deck today. Grilled to order it was scrumptious.

 

Terry Breen had a lot to say on Peru today, her talk stretching to 75 minutes. As a testament to the quality of her presentations, virtually no one left until class was dismissed.

 

She noted that she was the first person associated with a cruise line to recommend that Salaverry, our port stop tomorrow, be added to the cruise itinerary. Not because Salaverry itself has a lot to offer--"there's nothing there but a grain elevator"--but because of its proximity to the colonial city of Trujillo and the famous Moche culture ruins known as the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon. We've been especially looking forward to our tour of Trujillo and the temple ruins for months.

 

We returned to our room after lunch to find a brand new segment of Jamie's Journeys showing on, I think, channel six. This one was filmed a few days back on the streets of Cartagena, and, this time, Jamie strolled along with a co-commentator. . . Terry Breen. They were great! I marvel at how professionally produced Jamie's travel segments are, considering how quickly they are put together.

[RachelG]

Temple to the Sun and Moon are really outstanding! ChanChan ruins are also good, and huge, but pretty monochromatic.

The Sun and Moon Temples have wonderful painting which is in pretty good condition, with amazing color.

[Mr Rumor]

When it's time for the Captain's Farewell and the crew show you know your cruise is about to wind to an end. As always, Krew Kapers was delightful and a real crowd-pleaser. Christina of housekeeping continues to organize the kapers. We've not had her as a cabin attendant yet but for three cruises running now, she has been the attendant "next door," and we've gotten to know her. She's a sweetheart, on the shy side, but when the music starts and it's time to shake a leg--boy, does she have the moves!

 

We're ending the cruise on a couple of high notes, namely the Temples to the Sun and Moon (from the Moche culture, 200BC-700AD) and the Chan Chan palaces, the largest city in the world ever to be built with mud (Chimu, 1000-1470, AD). Rachel gave us a clue for what we were in store for with the Temple to the Moon (the only temple we toured--it's the one open), but still I was amazed by the ruins, and especially the artwork, a lot of it making reference to the sacrifices that took place there. In some areas of the ruins I could squint my eyes and imagine I was walking the terrace home ruins at Ephesus.

 

As for Chan Chan we were amazed by the sheer vastness of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, twenty square kilometers comprising the ruins of nine palaces, one for the king, and one each for his eight sons. Only one of the palaces has been worked on and is open for tours, and even though it is one of the smaller ones, it seemed to go on and on. The artwork had a sea/fish motif.

 

The temples and Chan Chan were the centerpieces of the Ancient Palaces, Colonial City and Temples to the Sun and Moon tour, which also included a brief visit to a colonial mansion on the downtown square in Trujillo, a visit to Huanchaco Beach to watch some "caballitos" ride handmade vessels of totora reed into the waves, and, finally, lunch and a Paso horse show at the Palo Marino. While the Paso show was entertaining, these other activities paled in comparison to the tours of the ruins. I would have been happy with just the temples and Chan Chan. Plus, Ginny and I were disappointed in the Palo Marino lunch, on the bland side and heavy on the starches. Terry Breen had praised Peruvian food as the best, and spiciest, food in South America, so we were hoping for more. (My first ever pisco sour was tasty, though.)

 

In case you're interested, here is the breakdown of Mariner tour takers today:

 

Chan Chan City of Palaces 201

Ancient Palaces, Colonial City and Temples to the Sun and Moon 168

Colonial Houses 109

Trujillo and the Temples of the Sun and Moon 82

El Cebiche (Ceviche) Experience 10

 

Tomorrow's our last full day before flying home (three flights--ugh). Mixed feelings about it all tonight. Part of me is sated by what, overall, has been an excellent cruise. But a little part of me fells like the reporter who doesn't want to be yanked off the story he's been covering, because it's just starting to get good! The 170 who are on for the full 72 days have some fantastic ports and experiences to look forward to.

 

Rich

[Hambagahle]

Rich - I feel for you and Ginny. We have 3 more days before "the dreaded moment"!!

 

 

I have a question though. Here on Oceania the staff name tags also give their country which makes for a nice way to talk with them about shared experiences. I can't remember if Regent does this... Can you tell me? It is really very very nice...

[OrpingtonT]

We, too, feel for you at the end of your cruise with a long journey home to look forward to and then having to pick up your own towels when you drop them.

 

I like the idea of country of origin on staff name tags as Gerry says. I am sure I have never seen it on Regents.

[Mr Rumor]

Tom is right, Gerry, Regent does not list the crew/staff member's country on the name tags. Even though I know the country doesn't appear I still occasionally forget and squint at a tag looking for the country. I agree that having the country would be a good conversation starter with a particular staffer.

 

Another lifetime ago, when I was a young guy putting out the Royal Viking Star's daily paper, the Skald, I could expect a visit from Frank Tuchel, the Star's chef de cuisine, about this time, a paper in his hand listing the foods consumed on the just ending cruise. I liked to run the figures, because they astounded the passengers, most of whom, I'm sure, never really thought about the amount of food it takes to feed hundreds of passengers and crew well every day.

 

I asked General Manager Michael Coghlan if he might be able to furnish such a list for me for this cruise, and he replied that he would be happy to do so. The other day I found a letter from Mike when I returned to my room with the daily numbers for Miami-Lima, which I then projected out for the length of the 14-day cruise. The numbers are based on serving both guests and crew, a total Mariner population of just under 1150. Prepare to be amazed!

 

Fish/Seafood 36225 lbs.

Beef 24150 lbs.

Chicken 24150 lbs.

Eggs (includes breakfast service and all baking) 96600

Milk 24150 quarts

Flour 16100 lbs.

Rice 12075 lbs.

Cheese 8050 lbs.

Chocolate 5313 lbs.

Nuts 4025 lbs.

Coffee 4025 lbs.

Tea 3500 tea bags

 

I'll do my best to post again before the internet is shut down for this cruise tonight at midnight. I'm also planning to make some wrap up comments after I return home on Tuesday (three flights plus a very late arrival at the Albuquerque airport means an Albuquerque hotel stay that night).

 

Thanks for traveling along with me--I've enjoyed and appreciated your comments, questions and kind words!

 

Rich

[OrpingtonT]

Tom is right, Gerry, Regent does not list the crew/staff member's country on the name tags. Even though I know the country doesn't appear I still occasionally forget and squint at a tag looking for the country.

 

I always feel embarrassed peering at name tags of lady members. I feel like a dirty old man as they are always naturally pinned to their breast region. So I never get to know their names.

[xrvlcruiser]

Rich,

 

It's been so nice to meet you . . . have a good trip home and hopefully we'll sail together again.

 

Peggy

 

PS - good suggestion re: home country

[WesW]

Echo Peggy's thanks Rich; your passion for your itinerary/Mariner crew members, as well as your eagerness to generously share with fellow Regent CCrs popped out of your posts. Safe journey home. ps...if you see Michael before disembarking and get the chance, pls pass our warm regards along.

[ededmd]

Thanks for traveling along with me--I've enjoyed and appreciated your comments, questions and kind words!

Rich

 

Truly the pleasure has been ours. Thank you for taking the time to post.

[josephone]

Rich,

Thank you for your great reports. They have made us hyperexcited about this entire cruise! We are very sorry you are going home!

 

We sincerely hope someone else will take on this great blog!

[RachelG]

Oh, no, don't tell me it is almost over. I have truly enjoyed your posts.

 

Those food numbers are amazing.

 

George and I went to an fancy lawyer do last night that is held every year at this time. He asked me why we had missed last years, and I immediately knew the answer. We were in Peru.

 

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!

[tallship]

Rich-

Alas, I only sat down to read the thread. So much fun. Glad you had a wonderful trip. Our best to Ginny.

Tina

[TedC]

I always feel embarrassed peering at name tags of lady members. I feel like a dirty old man as they are always naturally pinned to their breast region. So I never get to know their names.

 

Tom, you're not old!

[Mr Rumor]

Peggy, Wes, ededmd, Tina, josephone and Rachel, your nice words will be putting a little bit of a spring back in the my step tonight (Tom and TedC, thanks for checking in, too). Ginny and I have been fighting colds, and the colds seem to be winning on points, so we almost skipped our final tour today (Archeological Museum, ruins at Pachacamac, plus our second hacienda lunch/paso show in two days). It was the longest tour of the bunch today at 6.5 hours, and was the last to depart (that didn't make sense to us), which probably is the reason that only 17 of the 26 people who had signed up for it showed up. Also we were leery of a second lunch/paso show because frankly the buffet we were offered yesterday at the Palo Marino was just not Regent quality. Another passenger who had done the same tour yesterday agreed with me that we would fast at the Hacienda Santa Rosa if the food looked/tasted anything like Palo Marino's.

 

No worries! Ginny and I made two hours of our best memories of Miami-Lima at Santa Rosa. Our hostess, Senora Carmen Reategui de Navarro, was the epitome of graciousness and elegance, and the appetizers, lunch buffet and dessert buffet she served us was fantastic! Plus, we were royally entertained by a paso demonstration, folk-dancing couple and band. As an added treat, Senora Carmen, a fine artist, showed us her studio and selected paintings and gifted Ginny and several of the other ladies with a small book featuring a series of her floral closeups (think Georgia O'Keeffe, who Senor asked me about, when she learned I was from the Land of Enchantment). It was just a superb time at Hacienda Santa Rosa.

 

Happily on the way back to the ship we were going against the crazy traffic on the Pan American Highway. Lima folks love their beaches on Sundays, especially, Miraflores, and we were amazed on the drive back to see one area of the beach literally covered in rows upon rows of the most brightly colored umbrellas you will ever see. You could have walked a couple of football fields under them without ever seeing the sun! Plus the water was packed with many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people who seemed to be just standing in place, keeping cool. There certainly wasn't any room for them to swim.

 

In closing (for now), I want to share the recipe for Chicha Morada, a favorite Peruvian non-alcoholic drink that I at first mistook for cinnamony grape juice at Santa Rosa: Boil a few ears of purple corn with cinnamon and the skin of some pineapple, then add sugar and lime juice and chill. Might sound a little weird, but it's delicious!

 

Rich

[Travelcat2]

We also will miss your daily reports from the Mariner. So sorry to hear that you are losing the battle with a cold. I started a separate thread when I heard about it. Too many people who have colds are on buses, coughing away and too many of us are getting sick at the end of the cruise. This happens to me most of the time and I'd love to figure a way to stop it (even if it means wearing a mask:0

 

Feel better!

[tallship]

Darn it, Rich

You and, esp. Ginny had a bad cold/cough at the end of our Istanbul trip last year....

 

Take care.....safe trip home

[RachelG]

Glad you enjoyed the last tour. We did it last year, and it was one of our favorites. The food at the hacienda was outstanding. They even let George ride their horses after he was able to convince them he was an expert horseman.

 

Hope you fell better soon.

[xrvlcruiser]

Rich,

 

Hope both of you feel better and safe travels . . . I'll miss your blog too!

 

Peggy

[Frank5]

I enjoyed your blog very much - especially your comments regarding your shore excursions. Many thanks.

[OrpingtonT]

Tom, you're not old!

 

:):):)

[Mr Rumor]

I was going to post about our grueling three-flight, 22-hour return from Lima yesterday, my cold in full flower and my wrist aching. But how boring is that?

 

Instead I'd like to share a few photos from the cruise. The piles of mail and scores of e-mails can wait!

 

Here is Captain Green single-handedly greeting very guest debarking in Willemstad. I can't ever recall a captain doing this by himself--can you?

 

 

The Colombia dance troupe was a blur of motion and passion during their on-deck performance in Cartagena.

 

 

The single most exciting moment on the cruise: entering Gatun Locks!

 

 

We had a great view of the new construction--the canal is getting two new locks 180 feet in width, big enough to accommodate the largest tankers and cargo vessels--as we made it through Miraflores Locks.

 

 

Our talented dancers even manage to choreograph their at-ease poses as we navigate Miraflores Locks!

 

 

How's this for a parting smile from Gennaro, La Veranda and Setti Mare waiter? He is already back in Sorrento with his wife and sons (ages 12 years and three months). His smile grew bigger and bigger as the return date approached.

[OrpingtonT]

Great pictures, Mr Rumor. I always love the pictures of the staff and Gennaro smiling broadly is the tops. I also liked the one of Mariner entering Gatun locks and seeing over on the left the web camera where I was at that moment looking at you.

 

You asked about the Captain saying farewell to disembarking passengers. In 2006 on our very first cruise, we watched Mariner sail into Vancouver. As we were staying at the Pan Pacific on Canada Place where Mariner moored we watched the guests disembark and saw that there was a chap in civvies saying goodbye as they left deck 6. Many women threw their arms round him for a hug. Later, we checked in Mariner via the customs shed and boarded on deck 6, to be greeted by the same chap who welcomed us on board and offered us champagne. I said I would prefer a coffee and he took me to the coffee machine (now Coffee Corner) and said he always liked that coffee.

 

Only later did I find out he was the Captain, a French gentleman, in every sense of the word. His name escapes me now and he was retired on age grounds shortly after and, I believe, now lives in South Africa. Terry Breen goes to visit him occasionally.

[Mr Rumor]

Great story, Tom. If I were still onboard I would ask Terry for the French captain's name as well as an update.

 

Here is a second and final batch of photos from the cruise. Thanks again for keeping me company on this blog!

 

Rich

 

I Made and Angelita, our terrific steward-stewardness team.

 

 

Montecristi hat vendors celebrate the sale of a Panama hat to yours truly. Ginny bought one, too.

 

 

Amazing frieze at Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon), Trujillo, Peru.

 

 

Guests returning from the overnight to Quito had to leave their overnight bags on the pier in Salaverry until police dogs had given the all-clear.

 

 

 

Senora Carmen of Hacienda Santa Rosa in Lima , the epitome of the gracious hostess. Our two hour visit to her estate, comprising an elegant lunch, folk dances, and a paso demonstration, was one of the highlights of our cruise.

 

 

Krew Kapers always seems to come too soon! "The Impossible Dream" gets the full-cast treatment at the song's climax.