MarinerBarcelona to Rio. On Board

[penfriend]

We are currently half-way on the trans-Atlantic crossing to Rio. Our first cruise ever, not just on regent. Wonderful experience which has exceeded all our expectations. Food, service and general ship ambiance are all exceptional. Mariner is a great ship. Perceived carpet "stains" are largely a function of light and shadow. Wall paintings are soothing and complement decor well, in our opinion. My only "complaint" on the mid-cruise feedback form was that the bacon was overcooked and too crispy-like a cracker. Next day brought a follow-up call from the food manager telling me the kitchen had been informed of my preferences and that next time I should simply tell the waiter what I wanted. I was most impressed by this attention. We will be buying on-board certificates for a later Regent cruise.

[RachelG]

Glad you are having a great time.

 

And just to show how personal preference varies, the only way I like bacon is very crispy like a cracker. (I tell myself it has fewer calories that way-haha)

[OrpingtonT]

Great to read a report on "my" cruise and especially when it is from a first-timer who is enjoying it. Keep 'em coming.

[Threechicks]

It reminds me of my first Regent cruise. I went alone and couldn't get over how much fun I had. I was hooked. Have sailed on all three ships several times. I have had to enjoy cruising this year by reading about others' experiences as I sold my house and will be moving in March. Hope to book something when I am settled.

 

I like crispy bacon too.

[Zqueeze1]

Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves. We went on out first Regent cruise last April onboard the Mariner and it turned out to be our best ever cruise. This was followed by the worst, which was onboard RCL's Enchantment of the Seas. Needless to say, we are booked on the Regent Navigator for this March.

 

If your only complaint was the bacon, then you are good to go. I'm a crispier the better kind of guy. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and keep us posted.

 

Tally so far: Crispy Bacon -3 Non-crispy Bacon-1.

 

Z and TB

Edited December 1, 2013 by Zqueeze1

[Travelcat2]

We were also booked on this cruise. Any comments on the weather or ports?

 

Also like my bacon as crispy as possible:)

[Hambagahle]

The Regent (and Oceania) crispy bacon is a joy to us. We can't get that here at all...

 

But please, penfriend, tell us more about the cruise and especially ports and on board activities...

[barefootfantasy]

We are also on Mariner, in Recife today. I only have two complaints. The first one is the weather has not been great, it has been cold and not sunny.one 1 from the end and the sun is finally shining.. We were upgraded to a HORIZON suite

N suite. The suite is very nice, but the balcony is useless in this weather. Also itis very far from tne rest of the ship. We notice when we went to breakfast this morning that all the dishes are upside down and any one coming out

Of the kitchen are wearing hairnets. Did we have a surprise inspection or did a passenger complain?

 

Travelcat2---Everyone Thanks you forthe magnets. It was a great idea.

HJ---BAREFOOTFANTASY

 

 

 

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[Host Dan]

We are also on Mariner, in Recife today. I only have two complaints. The first one is the weather has not been great, it has been cold and not sunny.one 1 from the end and the sun is finally shining.. We were upgraded to a HORIZON suite

N suite. The suite is very nice, but the balcony is useless in this weather. Also itis very far from tne rest of the ship. We notice when we went to breakfast this morning that all the dishes are upside down and any one coming out

Of the kitchen are wearing hairnets. Did we have a surprise inspection or did a passenger complain?

 

Travelcat2---Everyone Thanks you forthe magnets. It was a great idea.

HJ---BAREFOOTFANTASY

 

 

 

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I have good friends Dr. Janey, her mom and Kit onboard. They have reported back to me what a great time they are having!

Edited December 2, 2013 by Host Dan

[Travelcat2]

Travelcat2---Everyone Thanks you forthe magnets. It was a great idea.

HJ---BAREFOOTFANTASY

 

 

 

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Forums mobile ap

 

You are more than welcome! For our Christmas cruise, I had some made up for the crew..... 500 magnets. I had no clue that they would be so heavy. We will get them there somehow:o

 

Good to hear that the weather has warmed up. Wonder what is going on with upside down plates and hairnets!!!!???

[penfriend]

We were also booked on this cruise. Any comments on the weather or ports?

 

Also like my bacon as crispy as possible:)

 

Hi Travelcat2

 

Ever since we neared Brazil the weather has been good. Before that it was OK but cooler than we expected, often cloudy with some windy days and a couple of days of rain. The seas have been quite calm throughout the crossing although on a couple of days the swell has been noticeable but it didn't seem to put anyone off their food.

The tours have been OK to awful depending mostly on the guide. i should admit we do not really like going off on buses and trailing behind a guy carrying a sign so we are rather biased here. On our next (non Regent) cruise we will organise our tours ourselves, which is the way we are used to travelling. I do think Regent should vet these tours and guides a bit more closely and weed out the duds. As for locations, I was not impressed with Cartagena nor Lanzarote but enjoyed the more primitive (under-developed) Cape Verde. We have just today enjoyed a nice tour of Recife.

[penfriend]

We are also on Mariner, in Recife today. I only have two complaints. The first one is the weather has not been great, it has been cold and not sunny.one 1 from the end and the sun is finally shining.. We were upgraded to a HORIZON suite

N suite. The suite is very nice, but the balcony is useless in this weather. Also itis very far from tne rest of the ship. We notice when we went to breakfast this morning that all the dishes are upside down and any one coming out

Of the kitchen are wearing hairnets. Did we have a surprise inspection or did a passenger complain?

 

Travelcat2---Everyone Thanks you forthe magnets. It was a great idea.

HJ---BAREFOOTFANTASY

 

Hi BarefootFantasy

We went on the Galley tour yesterday and the Executive Chef Kelly Crawford told us that the the Brazilian authorities would be conducting a sanitary inspection today. I didn't make the connection with the hairnets and upside down plates until you mkentioned it but of course that explains it.

[penfriend]

Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves. We went on out first Regent cruise last April onboard the Mariner and it turned out to be our best ever cruise. This was followed by the worst, which was onboard RCL's Enchantment of the Seas. Needless to say, we are booked on the Regent Navigator for this March.

 

If your only complaint was the bacon, then you are good to go. I'm a crispier the better kind of guy. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and keep us posted.

 

Tally so far: Crispy Bacon -3 Non-crispy Bacon-1.

 

Hi Zqueeze1

 

I am clearly outnumbered here in the bacon department. Where are all the valient defenders of undercooked bacon? I like my bacon cooked so that you can bend it, not break it off like a breadstick. I think though that I was served a particularly over-cooked slab of several slices stuck together which I sent back to be replaced by something similar. In case anyone reading this is wondering about this exchange, bacon is a very important subject and deserves serious consideration.

[penfriend]

The Regent (and Oceania) crispy bacon is a joy to us. We can't get that here at all...

 

But please, penfriend, tell us more about the cruise and especially ports and on board activities...

 

Hi Hambagahle

 

Despite your rather questionable taste in bacon ;) , when I get home later this month I will try to post a copy of the ships daily activities letter to give you an idea of what to expect. When we told our friends we had booked an ocean crossing most thought we had made a mistake and wondered how we would keep busy during the three at-sea days. believe me, we kept occupied and enjoyed every one of them. Another thought for those reading this: the internet connection, while occasionally spotty, has been much better than we had been led to believe. Perhaps Regent has upgraded the service. Also the library is well-stocked with current popular novels of the John Grisham variety, perfect for vacation light reading.All the restaurants are truly excellent, in fact we have found Compass Rose to be on a par with the two specialty restaurants as far as food and service is concerned, and only slightly less elegant. We would be quite content eating in Compass Rose every night on our next Regent cruise if we had to.

[AWED23]

One more extra crispy....:D

[nanaof2]

Glad you guys are enjoying yourselves. We went on out first Regent cruise last April onboard the Mariner and it turned out to be our best ever cruise. This was followed by the worst, which was onboard RCL's Enchantment of the Seas. Needless to say, we are booked on the Regent Navigator for this March.

 

If your only complaint was the bacon, then you are good to go. I'm a crispier the better kind of guy. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and keep us posted.

 

Tally so far: Crispy Bacon -3 Non-crispy Bacon-1.

 

Hi Zqueeze1

 

I am clearly outnumbered here in the bacon department. Where are all the valient defenders of undercooked bacon? I like my bacon cooked so that you can bend it, not break it off like a breadstick. I think though that I was served a particularly over-cooked slab of several slices stuck together which I sent back to be replaced by something similar. In case anyone reading this is wondering about this exchange, bacon is a very important subject and deserves serious consideration.

 

Penfriend

 

increase in the tally to 3 - 2. We also love soft bacon, not crisp one. Only complain with Regent. Can't wait to try some crispy bacon again in 9 months time;):)

Edited December 2, 2013 by nanaof2

[Mudhen]

Can anyone tell me if there is a boat building competition going on onboard? We did basically the same cruise a year ago and had a great time with a group, building a craft that needed to survive a rough "swim" in the pool......great fun! And not to gloat, of course, we won!!!(giggle!)

[RachelG]

Bacon is a very important issue. Perhaps we should have the option to order like we do steak: medium, medium-well, well done.

[nanaof2]

Bacon is a very important issue. Perhaps we should have the option to order like we do steak: medium, medium-well, well done.

 

100% agree:D

[journeyfan]

I like my bacon very limp. Can't imagine eating it if it shatters all over the place when you bit into it!

[Dude153]

+1 to the bacon to be bendable w/o breaking. This way, it keeps some of saturated fats that give real satisfaction, if you know what I mean... :)

 

We will be sailing Navigator soon (our first ever cruise), hope to be able to order the bacon to my liking!

[Mr Retired]

What passes for bacon in the US - those thin salty strips - is edible (if at all) only if crispy. Proper English back bacon - what is called Canadian bacon in the US - is wonderful if grilled medium well and stays bendy.

[pingpong1]

Penfriend - Put me down for "chewy bacon", as well :) The DW likes hers so that it shatters in a million pieces when touched with a fork. But as for me, "chewy" is just right, with all the "natural goodness" of the fat and grease to blend with the eggs and home fried potatoes (not hash browns - yuk!). I'm very interested in your trip. I've been looking through the Regent catalog for future cruises and have been considering the Atlantic crossing - either eastbound or westbound. I haven't been on the Mariner yet, so that's on the "to-do list", as well. Have a great time. Regards.

[Travelcat2]

What passes for bacon in the US - those thin salty strips - is edible (if at all) only if crispy. Proper English back bacon - what is called Canadian bacon in the US - is wonderful if grilled medium well and stays bendy.

 

According to my British DH, proper English bacon and Canadian bacon are not the same thing but are fairly close in appearance. I Googled it and found this interesting photo: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/217439488231200573/

[Tyler919]

Limp bacon reminds me of visiting my grandmother's apartment when I was 4 or 5 years old. I think she cooked it that way because she knew I was ready to eat everything in sight, and didn't want to risk waiting for crispness.

It is how I still prefer it, and think of her now 50 years hence most every time I eat it that way:)