Random Notes, Navigator, Montreal-Miami, LIVE

[Mr Rumor]

Z and TB, Peggy and JPR there's a new kid on the culinary block in Charleston (Market Street, to be exact), and it's serving up some wonderful Low Country grub. Actually, while the Low Country Bistro has only been open for a little over a year and a half, the family that owns it has been involved in the Charleston restaurant scene for decades. Had the shrimp and grits in a sweet and spicy tomato and bacon sauce with fried green tomato slices--great!--while Shauna had the crab cake open face sandwich with cheddar cheese and fried green tomato--great, also (remember, dad is her official taster). Ginny, meanwhile, did her vegetarian thing by ordering three sides, mac and cheese, cornbread and grits, and loved her meal, too.

 

Our early lunch was sandwiched between our lovely morning stroll along East Bay, Broad, Meeting and Market, and our afternoon tour consisting of a drive around the city (including the Citadel, Z, where we saw freshmen cadets walking in the gutter--they aren't allowed on the sidewalks until they're sophs), and our visit to Fort Sumter (great museum on site featuring the Stars and Stripes that flew over the fort during the April, 1861 bombardment, as well as the Palmetto Guard flag, the first flag over Sumter raised by the Confederates.

 

What a day! And there's more fun in store for us tonight on the ship, so stay tuned.

 

Rich

[Zqueeze1]

Rich:

 

Thanks. Charleston is an amazing town and your posts are bringing back a lot of old memories. Awesome that you got to see The Citadel. Amazing architecture. Keep posting; can't wait for your next update.

 

What are you're post cruise plans? Heading back to SF, NM?

 

XRVLCRUISER: Thanks for updating my info since I obviously haven't been there a while. You really broke my heart when you mentioned that Big John's is no more. :(:mad::( I wonder what happened to the hundreds of cadet name tags.

 

JPR: Will definitely stop at McCrady's next time.

Z and TB

Edited November 4, 2013 by Zqueeze1

[Mr Rumor]

A funny thing happened at the cruise terminal last night at 11: The internet connection there was slower than it was on the ship. Could it be the fact that more than 100 crew members were off the ship at the time and many in my midst were e-mailing or Skyping? It took me a while to access the message board, then, after I'd written my post, poof, it disappeared. Well, I've told myself that if you're going to live blog a cruise you have to be prepared to lost a post or two.

 

Have a tour shortly so just wanted to mention that the entertainment was provided last night by a local group, the Charleston Musical Heritage Productions. Their program, the "Sound of Charleston," spanned Charleston's three centuries of music. . . classical, Civil War Gershwin and spirituals (some of the lyrics to Amazing Grace were written by John Newton after attending a service at the Circular Congregational Church). So we ended a terrific day in Charleston on a high note--a series of high notes in fact!

 

Rich

[xrvlcruiser]

Z and TB,

 

I can't take credit for the update - it was just a copy-and-paste.

 

Sorry about your favorite and I hope the name tags found good homes . . . long time memorabilia is special.

 

Peggy

[Mr Rumor]

Sad to report I lost another post just now. I'm not sure what happened, as I continue to enjoy a good internet experience on the ship. Don't have time tonight to reconstruct the entire post--we are starting to pack--but wanted to let you at least know the three highlights of our day.

 

1. Magnolia Gardens tour. Loved ending with the peaceful easy feeling that comes from visiting gorgeous gardens.

 

2. Late lunch of Magnolias. Great Low Country from the first bite (homemade potato chips with warm bleu cheese crumbles) to the last (the best pecan pie ever).

 

3. Getting to finally see bar waiter Elvis do Elvis at Krew Kapers!

 

Sea today tomorrow, then D-Day!

 

Rich

[xrvlcruiser]

I NEVER get tired of Krew Kapers! Always fun . . . .a great crew.

[Mr Rumor]

Just to clarify, we did not dine on magnolias, but rather at the restaurant Magnolias, on East Bay!

 

Peggy, I think this was our favorite Krew Kapers yet. Also enjoyed seeing our Sette Mari waiter Ferdinand take the lead on "Celebrate" and "Splish Splash" and our Compass Rose waiter Alain show his cool hip-hop moves.

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

Well, Captain Ubaldo Armellino cautioned us about high winds and ten-foot swells during his remarks at the Farewell Party last night, and the forecast has proven true. We've been rocking since the middle of the night. My daughter and I had to have breakfast alone in La Veranda a short while ago, as Ginny, always susceptible to motion, is playing it cautiously this a.m.

 

Speaking of captains, there are, at the moment, three on board: our beloved resident captain; Captain Ubaldo, who is getting off the ship in Miami, and Captain Stanislas Gerard Mercier de Lacombe, who replaces him.

 

Despite the swells, temps are mild. Should be a busy scene on the Pool Deck. Buffet theme today is "Seafood Extravaganza."

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

It was toasty on the crowded Pool Deck for lunch today. We're probably in the low 80s right now. Is there another two-week cruise itinerary in which the high for the day varies by 40 degrees? We feel like we've been on quite a journey, from cold to hot, from little towns we had never heard of, like Saguenay, to the Big Apple. It's like we've packed two cruises into one. Which is one reason why I heartily recommend this itinerary.

 

Today was the perfect day for an ice cream treat. But no luck. The early morning motion caused the ice cream display case on the Pool Deck to slide an inch or so back and forth, and to bang into adjoining counters. It is officially "Out of Commission," but I have to say the network of tiny cracks in it is rather photogenic.

 

Had a nice chat with General Manager Massimo Arzani before lunch. Didn't realize that his first Regent cruise was the San Francisco-Vancouver cruise we were on in May. Prior to joining Regent he had spent five years with Oceania. While at Oceania he helped supervise the construction of both the Riviera and Marina in Genoa. Makes me wonder if he might be called on to perform the same role with the Regent Explorer. Time will tell. . .

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

The rat-a-tat-tat of Random Notes continues (as our daughter naps) with the crew breakdown:

 

Philippines, 132

India, 71

Indonesia, 48

Ukraine, 14

Italy, 11

Romania, 11

United Kingdom, 9

Bulgaria, 6

United States, 6

South Africa, 5

Canada, 4

Croatia, 4

Germany, 4

France, 4

Mauritius, 4

Spain, 3

Australia, 2

Belarus, 2

Jamaica, 2

Myanmar, 2

Nepal, 2

Poland, 2

Serbia, 2

Austria, 1

Belgium, 1

Czech Republic, 1

Honduras, 1

Ireland, 1

Mexico, 1

Mongolia, 1

Montenegro, 1

Panama, 1

Portugal, 1

Russian Federation, 1

Switzerland, 1

 

Total: 362

[Zqueeze1]

Rich:

 

Hope to see you guys sail into port as soon as I get to work in the morning. We really enjoyed your posts and you've inspired us to consider taking this same cruise next year. Have a safe trip home.

 

Z and TB

[xrvlcruiser]

Hi Rich,

 

Thanks for all of the posting on this trip.

 

When's your next cruise? It's always enjoyable to "come along" . . .

 

Have a good trip home . . . .

 

Peggy

[Mr Rumor]

Thanks, Z and TB, we'll be sure to wave as we sail in. Peggy, we'll be back on the Navigator in early February for a 10-day Caribbean cruise. The way time flies, we'll be packing again before we know it.

 

Been meaning to mention that the Navigator's first Caribbean cruise of the season doesn't begin until the 11th. The ship has been chartered for a four-night cruise 11/7-11/11, with stops set for Princess Cay and Nassau.

 

In two hours the internet will be shut off, so unless I think of something else to post this will be it for now, with a sum-up post or two to come after we're back in the Land of Enchantment. Thanks again for all you kind words, and for joining the three of us on this remarkable journey.

 

Rich

[purpleally]

Thank you so much for posting. Loved reading. We were on the Alaska cruise with you last May. Did not formally meet although I chatted with your wife on one of the tenders.

[pvgal]

My husband and I were also on this cruise. It was fun to re-live all of the ports of call with Rick. But it ended on a sour note. Disembarkation was terrible. This past summer we sailed on the Allure of the Seas. 5000 passengers and we were on the road home by 9am. Today, we were not even off the ship by 9am. Regent needs to take a page from RCCL.

 

But the cruise itself was great. Will be back on the Voyager in February.

 

Eileen

[RachelG]

My husband and I were also on this cruise. It was fun to re-live all of the ports of call with Rick. But it ended on a sour note. Disembarkation was terrible. This past summer we sailed on the Allure of the Seas. 5000 passengers and we were on the road home by 9am. Today, we were not even off the ship by 9am. Regent needs to take a page from RCCL.

 

But the cruise itself was great. Will be back on the Voyager in February.

 

Eileen

 

Don't understand why you were not off the ship earlier if you wanted to be or if your travel plans required it. You can disembark anytime you want unless held up by customs authorities or using regent transfers (in which case, you are at their mercy, but that is your choice). We do our own air and transfers and disembark when we want, provided customs cooperates.

[TahoeTraveler]

I wonder if it has something to do with the Port of Miami. We were on the Navigator on the cruise right before this one, and disembarked in Montreal...one of the smoothest (if not THE smoothest) disembarkations we've ever done. We were off the ship by 9:00am, and didn't have to wait in any lines to get off. Then again, we tend to avoid the more crowded public spaces around the disembarkation area. But I do know the port itself can be a factor in how well a disembarkation, or embarkation, goes.

[gf]

Mr Rumor,

 

Loved all your reports! and am particularly glad that you ate AT Magnolia's, not magnolias, as beautiful as they are!

 

Looking forward to your future reports!

[Mr Rumor]

We're back, safe and sound, in the Land of Enchantment. Just missing our daughter's suitcase. Shauna wasn't in the least perturbed, however, and after checking out the friendly, sympathetic American Airlines rep for a moment, she decided to approach her and give her a hug, which cut any tension and annoyance we were feeling about the inconvenience after a long day. (The bag was located in Chicago--we'll receive it today.)

 

Regarding debarkation, it was supposed to have begun by 8:10, but as pvgal pointed out, Ray Solaire didn't begin announcing luggage tag numbers until after 9--actually just shy of 9:30. The issue, as TahoeTraveler guessed, was not with the ship but with the Port of Miami, specifically the baggage handling operation. Ray alluded to the issue in a couple of his announcements, with an apology attached.

 

Because our flight out of Miami didn't leave until 3 p.m., we had enough time to take advantage of the free hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Miami offered by Big Bus Miami. We chose the beach tour (a city tour was offered as well) and enjoyed from our open-air perch upstairs. Big thanks to the English couple behind us who let us lather up with their sunscreen--we would have roasted otherwise. It was already 87 degrees at 9:30 in the morning (saw the temp posted somewhere)!

 

Will be posting more soon--have a little settling in to do first!

 

 

Rich

 

P.S. Glad you enjoyed the posts, gf!

 

 

As you can see, our daughter was very perturbed that her luggage didn't make it to Albuquerque. Here she is seen berating the American Airlines rep:

[mangia bene vivi felice]

Thank you, Rich, for the fabulous trip report. LOVE the picture of your adorable daughter. What a joy!

 

I've enjoyed following your posts. You write well.

 

You have inspired us as we will be on the Navigator at this time next year.

 

~ Already excited.

[Travelcat2]

Really enjoyed going with you, via CC, on your cruise and also love the picture of Shauna with the AA rep:)

[TahoeTraveler]

Thanks for the great posts (and the wonderful picture!) Rich. It was so much fun reading about all your adventures. Have a great time on your cruise next year!

[OrpingtonT]

Superb posts. Lovely picture. That little girl would steal anybody's heart. Thanks.

[Mr Rumor]

Purpleally, meant to thank you for your thanks in my last post. Appreciate your kind words, too, mangia bene vivi felice, Jackie, TahoeTraveler and Tom. It has been fun and a pleasure (well, except when several of my posts went poof) blogging Montreal-Miami. I've enjoyed and learned so much from this message board, so I'm happy to do my part to keep the board humming along.

 

I was garnering Random Notes up until my foot was almost literally out the door of the Navigator. While waiting for our luggage tags to be called in the lobby, I stopped cruise consultant Michael Coleman as he was striding by and asked him how many cruises he booked over the last fifteen days. "Eighty!" he exclaimed, adding that on our last sea day he was working until 10:30 p.m. trying to accommodate everyone who wanted to see him. If we didn't happen to already have an Open Voyage Future Deposit Certificate in our pocket, we would have probably extended Michael's work day a few minutes longer. He is, by the way, our favorite cruise consultant so far. You will not find a more congenial chap.

 

This impressive "renewal rate," encompassing one-third of the 481 passengers, underscores what we observed: lots of very happy cruisers, very little complaining. As for us, we find ourselves today embracing, as much as ever, the "Regent Experience." Of course our hearts are full, in part, because of the marvelously warm, even loving, reception our daughter received from fellow passengers, as well as the staff and crew.

 

Regarding the crew, our hearts today are with the 132 who hail from the Philippines, and, of course, their families and loved ones back home. Below is a photo of Shauna with one of them, Rhea, of security. She and Shiju (from India, also pictured) became Shauna's unofficial auntie and uncle on this cruise, bestowing her with gifts and hugs, and inquiring about her daily. To me, Rhea's face is the face of the Philippines crew we have come to admire and love for their warmth and caring, as well as a stellar work ethic.

 

I have several more photos to share from this cruise, so look for a final post soon!

 

Rich

 

Shauna with Rhea and Shiju of security, her unofficial auntie and uncle on our cruise.

[xrvlcruiser]

Rich,

 

>>I was garnering Random Notes up until my foot was almost literally out the door of the Navigator<<

 

I love that you are always "the reporter"!

 

Peggy