Random Notes from the Navigator LIVE

[Catpow]

We had a 'Jimbo's Truck Stop Diner' off the coast of Brazil last March hosted by Jamie and Dana Logan. It was a hoot! Everyone - passengers and crew dressed down and danced along in a appropriately decorated Setti Mare. I even kept the menu as it was full of appalling jokes and food items like 'Meat Loafers' and 'Chef's Broken Ribs' plus quips like 'Illiterate? Write today for free help'. It was great dancing along with the crew and was so popular, they ran it the next night as well. We sat with Jamie and Dana and even they were surprised at just how well it was received.

 

Many of us had been sailing for 60+ nights with getting dressed up and fine dining every night, so it was a great contrast to feel quite relaxed in the evening. I'd post a couple of photos, but I don't want to incriminate anyone.:)

 

And I think Mr Rumor, the reason there are few Australians on your cruise: it's very expensive to get to Miami this time of year and hardly worthwhile for a short cruise unless you're already in the vicinity.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Catpow

[1teach53]

"1teach53, I have the dark chocolate "scoop" for you, with some help from pastry chef Pascal Eber. You'll have many opportunities to sample dark chocolate desserts on your cruise, including the Captain's Welcome Dinner in Compass Rose, when you can top off your meal with a slice of Raspberry Moist Chocolate Cake with chocolate sauce. Pascal also made note of my single favorite Regent dessert (should have thought to mention it earlier): the Golden Cake served in Prime 7. The name is misleading--"Golden" refers to the sprinkling of gold dust on top of the cake. The Golden Cake is actually 14 tiny rich layers of delicious dark chocolate cake and icing served with pistachio sauce. However, our key dark chocolate opportunity, Pascal pointed out, will be at the chocolate-themed Tea Time, which is usually held at 4 p.m. one day towards the end of the cruise in Galileo's Lounge. You might want to bring your camera as well as your sweet tooth to that event!"

 

Dear Mr Rumor,

Wow!! Thanks for all your research !! I do now remember the 14 layer cake!! So good!!!

A big part of our cruising history has been on HAL. Over the last few years there have been a number of cut backs one being good dark chocolate. Plus many of their general desserts have grown tasteless. The up side is our hips & waist line thank them.

We just got the suitcases out & our 2 kitties cats are NOT happy!! At least our daughter will be here with them & they love her. I have my lists & check off as I put things inside the cases. Fly to Miami on Wed & board on Thursday . So excited!!:p

MANY THANKS again for the dark chocolate info....appreciated for sure!

Enjoy each & every minute on board! Love your posts.

K

[Mr Rumor]

Catpow, Jimbo's Truck Stop Diner sounds like a hoot, and pure Jamie. We were on the Miami-Lima leg of the SA cruise, and I wish we could have stayed on for the whole thing.

 

Karen, I thought of one more wonderful Compass Rose dessert with dark chocolate, the Iced Cappuccino Parfait in a dark chocolate cup (really good dark chocolate). When you see it on the menu, pounce!

 

We are living right, weather wise. "Last week it was pouring cats and dogs," Alen, our guide, announced at the beginning of our Cozumel Highlights and Shopping excursion. "Today it is very, very special weather conditions." How special? Temperature in the high '70s and partly cloudy skies.

 

This is our first visit to Cozumel and was expecting the island to be more built up. In fact the beautiful beaches on the east coast boast nary a resort, or any other development for that matter. There's a good reason for that--The east coast bears the brunt of any hurricane that pays a visit to the area.

 

Our tour included a handful of stops, our favorite being the Discover Mexico Park, featuring some terrific outdoor scale models of ancient Mayan and Aztec temples, as well as a performance by a troupe of Totonacas Indians from Veracruz, who, tethered to a tall pole, took flight in homage to the four winds. But we also enjoyed just sitting in the bus listening to the engaging, homespun commentary of our bright, enthusiastic guide, of Mayan descent. Alen was born on the island, and obviously loves life here. "We are 90,000 people," he said. "Everyone has a job. Everyone is happy." Sounds pretty good to me!

 

Rich

Edited February 9, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[Mr Rumor]

Once or so per cruise I find myself getting interested in how many fellow cruisers signed up for a particular excursion in a particular port. Here is the breakdown on the wide range of offerings in Belize City, from yesterday:

 

Airboat Adventure and Safari, 140

Altun Ha and Belize City Tour, 67

Lamanai Mayan Ruins and New River Cruise, 58

Cave Tubing and Jungle Walk, 51

Barrier Reef Snorkel and Island Getaway, 27

Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, 20

Sharks, Rays and Island Getaway, 15

Belkin Brewery and Beer Tasting, 8

 

Rich

[RachelG]

So glad that the Mayan ruins in Belize lived up to all my hype!

[Mr Rumor]

In fact, so much so, Rachel, that I found myself thinking a little about "the one that got away"--the nine hour Tikal excursion out of Santo Tomas. But then I re-read the description and saw we would have only had about two and a half hours there. Oh, and then I saw the $799 per person upcharge. Had forgotten about that!

[Mr Rumor]

We ran into General Manager Andreas Piccinin--clearly dressed for a jog--on our way back to the Navigator early this afternoon, and remembered I wanted to write a few words about him.

 

One of the pleasures of this cruise has been meeting and getting to chat with him. He's upbeat and genial, and, at 42, a young'un. (In fact, he looks even more youthful than that.) But he has packed in 20 years of experience on the high seas, having started out as an assistant waiter with Princess in the early '90s.

 

Before coming over to Regent last year, Andreas spent a decade with Oceania, working his way up to the title of Food and Beverage Director on the Marina. His time with Oceania was important in another way--that's where he met and fell in love with his wife, Maria, from Romania, who was working at the time as a bar waiter. They have two daughters, Andreea and three-month-old Anna.

 

After being trained at Regent by Franck Galzy aboard the Voyager, Andreas joined the Navigator last November in Charleston, just as we were preparing to debark from our Montreal-Miami cruise. He'll be debarking himself in a few weeks, and, after vacation back home in Tenerife, Canary Islands, is already set to return to the Voyager on May 30.

 

I figured Andreas would be a good person to discuss the Navigator "brown water" issue with. Stay tuned for his explanation and comments.

 

Rich

Edited February 9, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[Zqueeze1]

 

Dear Mr Rumor,

Wow!! Thanks for all your research !! I do now remember the 14 layer cake!! So good!!!

A big part of our cruising history has been on HAL. Over the last few years there have been a number of cut backs one being good dark chocolate. Plus many of their general desserts have grown tasteless. The up side is our hips & waist line thank them.

We just got the suitcases out & our 2 kitties cats are NOT happy!! At least our daughter will be here with them & they love her. I have my lists & check off as I put things inside the cases. Fly to Miami on Wed & board on Thursday . So excited!!:p

MANY THANKS again for the dark chocolate info....appreciated for sure!

Enjoy each & every minute on board! Love your posts.

K

 

1teach53:

 

Enjoy your cruise this week and hope you post about your adventures and port visits. If you need anything while in Miami or have any questions, email me at zqueeze1atyahoodotcom.

 

Mr. Rumor: You have converted me to dark chocolate with your descriptions. Thanks for letting us enjoy your cruise with your posts.

 

Z and TB

[Travelcat2]

We ran into General Manager Andreas Piccinin--clearly dressed for a jog--on our way back to the Navigator early this afternoon, and remembered I wanted to write a few words about him.

 

One of the pleasures of this cruise has been meeting and getting to chat with him. He's upbeat and genial, and, at 42, a young'un. (In fact, he looks even more youthful than that.) But he has packed in 20 years of experience on the high seas, having started out as an assistant waiter with Princess in the early '90s.

 

Before coming over to Regent last year, Andreas spent a decade with Oceania, working his way up to the title of Food and Beverage Director on the Marina. His time with Oceania was important in another way--that's where he met and fell in love with his wife, Maria, from Romania, who was working at the time as a bar waiter. They have two daughters, Andreea and three-month-old Anna.

 

After being trained at Regent by Franck Galzy aboard the Voyager, Andreas joined the Navigator last November in Charleston, just as we were preparing to debark from our Montreal-Miami cruise. He'll be debarking himself in a few weeks, and, after vacation back home in Tenerife, Canary Islands, is already set to return to the Voyager on May 30.

 

I figured Andreas would be a good person to discuss the Navigator "brown water" issue with. Stay tuned for his explanation and comments.

 

Rich

 

Thank you for telling us about Andreas. He sounds like a wonderful human being. While I prefer General Managers that have moved up the ladder on Regent, anyone trained by Franck Galzy deserves a chance (IMO). Perhaps we will see him on the Voyager or Mariner some day.

[Mr Rumor]

Last night we needed to return the hour we gained at the beginning of the cruise, so it's a good thing we're not due to anchor off Georgetown until 1 p.m. DW is still sleeping as I write this just shy of 8:30 a.m. After our third sea day tomorrow, we have one more stop, Key West, before calling it a cruise.

 

Now, to the brown water situation. The fresh water tanks, located in the engine room, are made of stainless steel. The network of pipes that take the fresh water throughout the ship are made of plastic. However, the pipe connectors are made of stainless steel as well. According to General Manager Andreas, even though we don't think of stainless steel as ever rusting, it can after many years. When the ship is moving, especially when it may be pitching/rolling, tiny particles of rust may be unloosed at times from the connectors, which, in turn may cause the water to temporarily turn rusty in color. Andreas added that the water is continually tested onboard the Navigator, is not contaminated and is safe to drink.

 

I mentioned our brown-water bathtub sighting in my first post. We haven't noticed rusty water in our room since. But others, as documented on this message board, have had very upsetting experiences with rusty water in their suites. Regent is obviously listening: Andreas has heard that the connectors will be replaced when the Navigator goes into its next drydock, in 2015.

 

Rich

Edited February 10, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[HonTri]

Double post! But while I'm here, I have an answer to your question from a couple of days ago, HonTri: Lorraine said she was not CD on the Paul Gauguin in March, 2008. She did serve as cruise director on the ship in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003.

 

Thank you! Tell her we'll see her on the Dec. 7th cruise! If you get a chance.

[Mr Rumor]

Hello from the Pool Deck! We're being spoiled again by another sunny day with calm seas. Just finished my best lunch of the cruise out here. The theme: "German Frueschoppen." I wasn't familiar with the word "Frueschoppen," so I asked Executive Chef Dino Schwager for a definition. "Before lunch-lunch," he replied (makes sense: The buffet began at 11 a.m.). Then he walked me over to the chaffing dish with the boiled White Wurst. He explained that this "old, traditional" veal sausage is typically served before the "church bells ring at noon." The perfect accompaniments, he added, are sweet mustard and a fresh roll. In a word, delicious, as was the German meatloaf (different than ours, with a sausage texture) with sauerkraut, roast potatoes with bacon, and spaetzle. Among the other offerings: a whole roast pig, grilled pork chops, bratwurst and beef goulash, and, for dessert, Linzer torte and apple streudel. I'm sure glad I skipped breakfast in anticipation of this feast!

 

Rich

Edited February 10, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[TedC]

Remember: Many cruise directors always claim you board as passengers and leave as cargo! (muttering in German)

[1teach53]

Enjoy your cruise this week and hope you post about your adventures and port visits. If you need anything while in Miami or have any questions, email me at zqueeze1atyahoodotcom.

 

Thanks so much zqueeze1 for your kind offer!! It will be such a joy to have our wifi cost included on this cruise.:D On HAL we pay a lot for poor connections!!

Could you or anyone reading this let us know if RSS connections are good on wifi ? Saw you can only be logged on for 45 min, sounds fair to me as long as it works. Well, two suitcases packed, one small carry on to go.

Counting the days!!!:p

Karen

[Baggywrinkle99]

We've never had any problem with Wifi on RSS but always bear in mind it's a satellite connection so inevitably slower and sometimes less reliable than what we perhaps take for granted on land. But we cruise to escape the constant demands of the Internet and it's amazing how relaxing it is not to be electronically tethered to it!

 

One hint: if you are sending emails then write them offline, save to Drafts and then just Send them when you go online. It saves a LOT of time.

[Mr Rumor]

Ha, TedC, I felt less like cargo and more like a big lump of spaetzle during parts of our afternoon excursion ("Cultural Express") after that big German lunch. I dozed during the bus ride to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park of the Cayman Islands, and, later, during a movie at the other stop, the Pedro St. James National Historic Site. "Did you have a good rest?" DW queried on our drive back to the terminal. We learned tonight we should have gone with the stingray encounter (either "Turtles, Stingrays Land and Sea Adventure" or "Stingray Sandbar Swim and Snorkel"). One couple we've become friendly with raved about the experience, calling it one of the best excursions they have ever been on.

 

Tonight was the last of the Jean Ann Ryan productions, "Piano Men," celebrating the music of Billy Joel and Elton John. I don't think we've missed a JAR show in our eight cruises, and, anchored by former "Dancing With the Stars" coaches Alan Grundy and Nathan Barry, this has to be the strongest cast yet. We're looking forward to our last encounter tomorrow with the cast, at the "Backstage Tour" at 11 a.m. in the theater. "What's it like to be a performer on a cruise ship?" the Passages listing for the event reads. "Find out in this informal Q&A. Meet with the Jean Ann Ryan Singers and Dancers and the stage technicians to have a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes. . . "

 

Rich

[Mudhen]

Although this happened many years ago, it's an example of how charming (and of course talented) the JAR folks are. Our daughter, an aspiring dancer, came with us for a "back stage encounter" with the JARs. Elizabeth asked a million questions as any young person would who's interested in dance would. Long story short, the JAR gals asked Elizabeth to join them backstage before a performance to "stretch out with them and mess around a little". Well, needless to say, it was an experience that E still recounts with glee, even tho she's now 30!

[Mr Rumor]

Great story, Mudhen. These cruises are all about making memories, and Elizabeth made a special one.

 

It was so nice outside this morning that Ginny and I had breakfast on the Pool Deck. As I looked around at about 8:45 I noted a number of fellow cruisers already reading in their deck chairs and soaking up some early rays. But I also noted a number of "reserved" deck chairs. So I thought I would take a stroll around and make a count.

 

I counted a total of 137 deck chairs on Decks 10 and 11. Of them, roughly 50 were occupied and approximately two dozen were still available. That left about 60 chairs "reserved" by a book, hat or other item. On the forward side of Deck 10 alone I noted a full row of eleven chairs, all of which were "reserved."

 

When I made mention of the scarcity of remaining available chairs, sun-worshipping DW responded by placing her bag on one of the remaining free chairs. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," a fellow cruiser Ginny had been talking to, commented in sympathy.

 

I'm aware of the "30-minute" rule when reserving a deck chair, but it is not posted anywhere on Deck 10, nor could I find it in Passages. When I asked about the rule at Reception, I learned that a notice is supposed to appear in Passages at the beginning of a cruise, but didn't, for some reason, on this cruise. I also learned that Reception had already received one complaint from a passenger this a.m. about the number of "reserved" chairs.

 

The remedy? I suggest including the "30-minute" notice at least several times in Passages, as well as on a permanent sign on Deck 10. And of course I suggest stewards enforcing the rule! If a sign is posted and a steward is confronted by an upset passenger whose item was removed from a deck chair and placed in the lost and found, the steward can then simply point to the sign on Deck 10 and state he is only doing his job!

 

Rich

Edited February 11, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[Mr Rumor]

Regarding the "30 minute rule" on reserving deck chairs, I should have added that DW promptly returned to our room, got into her bathing suit, and claimed her chair!

 

Ginny was enjoying it so much outdoors that she passed on the "Backstage Tour," which I attended, along with about 100 others, and enjoyed. The thing that struck me the most from the event is how small the stage is (Lorraine had us all up on the stage at one point, rehearsing and then "performing" a jazz step), as well as the two dressing rooms. With all the costume changes that occur during one of the JAR productions, the performers need to employ all the quick-change tricks in the book, such as having some of the clothes laid out on the floor, the men's shirts fastened with Velcro, the women's outfits zippered rather than buttoned (Dance captain Lucy recalled the night her zipper got caught and she missed two cues. She would have missed more, she added, if the male specialty dancer hadn't come and tore her outfit to shreds to free her). Yet, even with four "dressers" helping them, CD Lorraine explained, "Ten people changing clothes in thirty seconds--there's no modesty!"

 

The Pool Deck was packed at lunch for the Tex-Mex buffet. DW is back to sunning a little more, while I'm about to return to our room to continue packing. We used to be wait-until-the-last-minute types when it comes to packing, but are now much happier starting earlier (last night in fact). It makes our last day more relaxing and enjoyable.

 

On tap for later: Chocoholic Tea Time at 4 (yes, Karen, I will be functioning as your unofficial dark chocolate taster), the Captain's Farewell & Crew Show at 6, and, at 9:30 in the theater, guest artist Jade Milian performing "Legendary Soul Classics." Jade did a really nice job in her first show, a tribute to the music of Whitney Houston.

 

Rich

[1teach53]

On tap for later: Chocoholic Tea Time at 4 (yes, Karen, I will be functioning as your unofficial dark chocolate taster)

 

 

Thanks Rich,can't wait for your report!!!:) enjoy!

Oh boy do the lounge chair hogs tick me off!!:mad: thanks for the heads up for next week. We sure are looking forward to getting some warm sun on these cold bones!!!

K

[Mr Rumor]

Karen (1teach53), I dutifully tasted the most dark chocolate looking dessert I could find at the Chocoholic Tea Time, and can pronounce it delicious and evil. Pastry Chef Pascal described it simply as Six Layer Chocolate Cake, consisting of layers of chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse and pistachio mouse, with icing as dark chocolatey as it gets. If you want to confer personally with Pascal on the subject of dark chocolate just ask Restaurant Manager Marcel (he boards when you do) to arrange for Pascal to visit your table in Compass Rose. Wishing you a great cruise!

 

HonTri, CD Lorraine will be on the Mariner in December. We sure enjoyed cruising with her this time, and look forward to seeing her again in May. She'll still be on the Navigator then.

 

Krew Kapers was as crowd pleasing as ever, and we loved seeing our wonderful stewardess Ni featured in a handful of the numbers. She's got the dance moves and her smile could light up a room. Go Ni!

 

Krew Kapers night seems a good time to break down the 360-member Navigator crew by nationality:

 

Philippines, 61

Indonesia, 47

India, 39

Ukraine, 26

Italy, 17

Nepal, 17

Romania, 17

United Kingdom, 15

Poland, 13

Panama, 12

Bulgaria, 11

Mexico, 11

Honduras, 9

Myanmar, 9

Guatemala, 8

Croatia, 7

Estonia, 7

South Africa, 6

Australia, 4

Mauritius, 4

Canada, 3

Germany, 3

Serbia, 3

Portugal, 2

Argentina, 1

Chile, 1

France, 1

Mongolia, 1

Spain, 1

Switzerland, 1

Thailand, 1

Turkey, 1

United States, 1

 

Key West and mandatory U.S. Customs and Border Protection face to face inspection in the morning!

 

Rich

Edited February 12, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[Mr Rumor]

Say, what does a guy have to do to finish a live cruise blog around here? Seriously, I'm glad this forum is back up and running, and hello from the Miami airport. We're happy our two flights are on schedule, we know some fellow cruisers are not so lucky today due to the storm.

 

Our great weather continued in Key West. We are happy we canceled our glass bottom boat excursion and explored on our own. Took the advice of a table mate and visited the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, where we viewed treasures from 17th century Spanish vessels. Fabulous! The Fisher family runs the adjoining gift shop, where a gold chalice carries a $1 million price tag. Also enjoyed our tour of the Hemingway home and Museum, current home to 45 descendants of Hemingway's first cat, Snowball.

 

Our cruise ended on a rocking note--figuratively speaking--at the farewell Beatles dance party. Sum-up post or two to follow!

 

Rich

[Travelcat2]

Thanks so much for taking us along on your cruise. I thoroughly enjoyed it:)

[Zqueeze1]

Fly safe and thank you so much for all the wonderful info and observations.

 

Z and TB

[555lavan1t]

Mr. Rumor, this was one of the best threads I've read in a long time. Perfect description of ports and activities on board ship. You've really got me excited about our March cruise on the Navigator. Thanks for the read and sharing your cruise. See you on the 22nd Z.

Larry