Random Notes from the Navigator, Vancouver-Vancouver, LIVE

[Mr Rumor]

Thanks, Jim! It was fun comparing cruise notes with you and Karen and determining that you had sailed with us on all three of our 2013 Regent cruises, and will be sailing with us on our Voyager cruise next March. Already looking forward to riding your and Karen's coattails once again at trivia as we attempt to amass another pile of Regent Point cards. (By the way, the dessert that Sicily is best known for is cannoli. I happened to know the answer to that trivia question because the owner of a sweet shop in Taormina told me that while serving me the most luscious cannoli I've ever eaten.)

 

OK, time to bring this cruise blog to a close with a few favorite snaps. Thanks for following along, plus all the nice words, and comments. Always my pleasure to blog.

 

Rich

 

Magical things happen in Misty Fjords (Ketchikan), including the occasional fairy fluttering into our view! (In truth, she was a stowaway, made by my craftsperson wife.)

 

One of the most amazing half-hours of our lives was the thrill, and privilege, of watching a mama grizzly and her two cubs at water's edge (but from the safety of our tour boat) in Khutzeymateen Inlet, near Prince Rupert.

 

The eagle has landed. . . off our bow! (Grizzly Bear Watch excursion). The eagle feeding of beef scraps was an "extra," because we had spotted grizzlies so soon in the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. And what an extra it was being surrounded by two dozen bald eagles looking to snag a snack.

 

Dancer/entertainment staffer Emma and Shauna were their usual mellow selves at the Beatles Farewell Dance Party.

 

Shauna is the Jean Ann Ryan Singers and Dancers No. 1 fan, and has this Regent teeshirt signed by the cast and Cruise Director Lorraine Weimerskirch to prove it!

[Mudhen]

Loved all the photos, especially the last one.......very sweet! Thanks for your blog and happy "sails" in the future!

Linda

[Rally]

Gotta love Gabby!!!:)

Hugs!!!

 

By any chance did Gabriela work on SilverSea before joining Regent? Does anyone know? Thanks.

[dlouise]

What a wonderful blog, wonderful cruise, and most of all a wonderful family.......

Thank you so much for letting us enjoy your cruise.

[Mr Rumor]

Belated thanks, Mudhen and dlouise!

 

Work had the audacity to intrude on my week, plus there was a quick jaunt into Texas to celebrate a friend/client's milestone birthday. So, I've just had the chance to review this blog and my notes and go through all my photos, and would like to make one more wrap-up post, tardy as it is.

 

I want to make sure to give Prince Rupert its proper due. Not only does it boast one of the best excursions we've ever been on ("Khutzeymateen Valley Grizzly Bear Watch"), according to several fellow cruisers, the town itself was charming and a treat to explore, with friendly locals providing a warm welcome. In short, Prince Rupert is a jewel of a port that Regent would be well-served to work into its Alaska scheduling whenever possible. (In fact, Regent is bumping the number of PR calls from one this year to three in 2015.)

 

We also enjoyed Wrangell, population under 3,000, where our only neighbor in port was the 40-passenger Alaskan Dream catamaran (you might want to Google "Alaskan Dream Cruises," and check out this company's fascinating Alaska offerings). Not one tanzanite peddler in sight, and we only happened upon one small space selling souvenirs. Our bus driver, who can trace his Wrangell roots to the 1870s, reinforces the impression that this area, which the Tlingit first inhabited thousands of years ago, hasn't changed much in decades.

 

As peaceful as it is today, Wrangell teemed with thousands in gold rush times when it was falsely touted as the only practical route to the Klondike. "Wrangell is hell on wheels," commented legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, who served as Wrangell deputy marshal for all of ten days. Wife Josie Earp: "It was full of boomers, con men, gamblers, ladies of the night, gunmen, pickpockets, and all sorts of flotsam from every corner of the earth." (These quotes were copied from an exhibit at the Wrangell Museum, one of the stops on our "Island Highlights & Native Cultural Tour.")

 

To conclude, a few shipboard-themed comments (very random!):

 

We rated our dining experiences as mostly excellent, with the best being our scrumptious special-order Indian dinner served by Compass Rose Station One stand-outs Gabriela and Banyar. (Z and TB: Gabriela and I had a misunderstanding regarding our CR dining dates, and she special-ordered the Chinese Dumplings as a surprise for us the night we dined in Prime 7. Never did get to chow down on them.) Our only disappointment: Prime 7, where I don't seem to have the best of luck (overcooked filet one time and an overcooked, too salty Dover sole another time). This time it was a gristly piece of lobster in my Surf 'n' Turf, plus the mild downer of mostly unsmiling, though efficient, service.

 

Rusty-water report: Just a faint tint of rust color when we turned on the faucet in the tub for the first time, but the worst flow of brown water we've experienced on the Navigator on the morning of May 28 from our sink in 727, as we were about to debark. As I reported on a previous blog, the rust is caused by aging stainless-steel pipe connectors, which I was told are due to be replaced throughout the ship during the Navigator's 2015 dry dock.

 

Park West's door was shuttered. Too short a cruise to pitch its art, I guess? Yay!

 

All in all it was a wonderful cruise with the bonus of mostly sunny days. We found, however, that seven-day cruises are a few days too short for us. When we do Alaska again, it'll be one of the longer cruises, or a back-to-back.

 

Next up for us, in September, is our first river cruise (Danube). Then, next March, we return to the Mariner for our first Asian itinerary. This is your early invite to follow along, as I hope to blog that one, too.

 

Thanks once again for keeping me company on Vancouver-Vancouver adventure, and for all your comments!

 

And, now, since I've already done a "Photo Finish" post, proudly presenting: Son of Photo Finish!

 

Rich

 

Here is my gold-panning haul of a little over $5 (or roughly forty cents per good-sized flake), not terrible for about twenty minutes' work. Nearby, a serious veteran panner had already scooped up about $300 in gold that day in Last Chance Basin. ("Historic Gold Mining & Panning Adventure," Juneau)

 

A rare sight from the Navigator--the Alaskan city/borough of Wrangell. Our call to Wrangell was the only one the ship will make this season. Happily, it was on a picture-perfect day.

 

Gnomie1, I hope your office team also enjoys this mama bear and cubs photo! We won't soon forget this trio and will be wondering if the cubs make it safely to their third and final summer with mom, before they're big and strong enough to "move out" on their own. ("Khutzeymateen Valley Grizzly Bear Watch," Prince Rupert)

 

Captain Doug Davis and guide Elaine aboard the Inland Passage in Khutzeymateen Inlet. Captain Doug had the Inland Passage built to his specs for $2.5 million in 2007, and it's a beaut with floor-to-ceiling windows downstairs and an outstanding outdoor viewing area on the bow. If you are fortunate to have Prince Rupert on your Navigator itinerary, don't wait to book the grizzly bear watch excursion. You'll rumple the waters of Chatham Sound in style while savoring some amazing sights (hopefully including another of the captain's specialties: a mass bald-eagle feed!).

 

Finally, that's our Shauna, continuing to make friends wherever she goes! (Kik-Setti Totem Park, one of the stops on our "Island Highlights & Native Cultural Tour," Wrangell)

Edited June 6, 2014 by Mr Rumor

[gnomie1]

Mr. Rumor:

 

Again, thanks again for your delightful posts. One thing popped out at me - you mentioned that Park West was closed. Has anyone else noticed this on any of their other recent voyages? I was so angry when we boarded the Voyager last December after the major renovation to find that half of the computer room had been allocated to space for Park West. As far as I am concerned, they should be be banned from all the Regent ships for some of their unethical behavior. I happen to collect one of the artists that they represent and the amount of nonsense that they report as fact about this artist is criminal. First of all, their prices are so much higher than other galleries and they are quite deceptive in their presentation of the value of the "masters". Why Regent allows this is beyond me, other than it must be quite lucrative for them.

 

gnomie :)

[vitacura]

Gnomie,

 

I was also on this cruise as the ending to a back to back. We did San Francisco to Vancouver and Park West was in full swing, several flyers in the Passages as well as a few auctions and presentations in the seven seas lounge.

It was nice that they were closed for the Vancouver to Vancouver cruise.

[TedC]

A purser on HAL told me the Park West guy made more a week than the Captain!

 

It doesn't bother me because it is revenue for Regent and hopefully that just might lower our fares a bit.

 

Every dollar helps!

 

Buyer Beware!

[gnomie1]

I don't believe that the income derived from the sale of art has any relation to the price one pays for the their cruise - just an additional revenue stream for Regent, such as the "guest" jewelers who come on board with their overpriced treasures. I was once on a cruise and met up with someone who worked for the GIA and it was quite fun to watch him "appraise" the true value of the jewelry sold by the ship and the special vendors -he never let on that he knew anything about jewelry, just pretended to be shopping for his wife. He claimed that the mark-ups would put Tiffany, Cartier and Harry Winston to shame.

 

If someone likes and gets enjoyment from a piece of art, that is a reason to purchase it. But to purchase it for "investment purposes", as Park West constantly proposes with their bogus claims as to how much the same piece of art sold for elsewhere, is disgraceful. Also, people who are not familiar with the terminology used in the art world do not realize that the painting being sold was not actually painted by the fingers of Rembrandt, Picasso or Chagall. On more than one occasion I have approached a Park West representative with questions, appearing to have little knowledge about art, and the way they answer the questions are very cleverly designed so as not to be an outright lie, but the level of truth leaves much to be desired. I sit in some of the presentations (a/k/a auctions) and have to control myself from correcting the "art expert".

 

A few years ago I was involved with a complex estate. The couple had cruised extensively and purchased a number of very expensive pieces of work from Park West and had obtained their appraisals regarding the valuation. Apparently, if you spend enough money buying art, Park West invites you as their guest and one gets a "free" cruise. Upon their death (the husband died very shortly after the wife) it was necessary to get appraisals of all the belongings for estate tax purposes. The art appraiser for the estate almost had a stroke when he saw the valuations reported by Park West. His appraisal was about 35% of the value claimed by Park West. This became a very messy situation, because the parents had left the art work to one child, believing it was worth much more. Long story short, two other independent air appraisers agreed with the first appraisal so the estate had to go to spend a great deal of money in lawyers and go to court to re-establish the bequests to the beneficiaries in order to be fair to each of the children.

 

Lesson to be learned and I tell this to all my clients: If you buy something expensive and of value that needs an appraisal, DO NOT have the place where you purchase the item issue the appraisal. If the item is greatly overpriced, do you believe that the vendor would be honest enough to tell you this?

 

I laugh when I see that Park West has the nerve to charge for their appraisals which are not worth the paper they are written on.

 

Also, buyer beware. It absolutely amazes me that people who have accumulated enough discretionary funds to be able to cruise on Regent are not smart enough to realize that the "art auction" for the most part is a scam. As I said, you someone likes and enjoys a specific piece of art, and they can afford it, by all means, purchase it - that is what art is for. But please do not believe that there are any bargains aboard ship or that you will be able to buy investment quality art.

 

gnomie :)

[Travelcat2]

This is so amazingly off topic that I cannot believe that it has not been deleted by Cruise Critic. While I whole heartedly agree that Park West has no place on Regent, IMO, it deserves a thread dedicated to the subject!!!!!!!

[jhp]

TC, everyone is permitted to post what they wish. I am not a fan of Park West either. I choose to never spend a dollar or a moment of my time onboard dealing with them. I guess if everyone did this, they would be gone.

 

As long as others do otherwise, they will continue to be there. Simple as that, sad as it is for those who don't like them.

[K-MARK]

Just returned from the May 28th sailing (Vancouver to Anchorage) and there was nothing from Park West in Passages during the voyage. I don't think I even knew where they were located! :)

[Travelcat2]

TC, everyone is permitted to post what they wish. I am not a fan of Park West either. I choose to never spend a dollar or a moment of my time onboard dealing with them. I guess if everyone did this, they would be gone.

 

As long as others do otherwise, they will continue to be there. Simple as that, sad as it is for those who don't like them.

 

Certainly everyone can post what they wish but this subject is completely off topic. Plus, there are probably posters that are interested in the subject of Park West that will never see it buried in a Navigator thread.

[Responder]

If the OP was on a Regent cruise and wants to comment on ANY aspect of that cruise, where are the rules that limit the areas of discussion? Now we have topic police?

 

I am a long time regent cruiser and I too think Park West is a major scam and disruption. In fact, one of my children who were on a Regent cruise with us were scammed by Park West. After getting the work home and having it appraised by a third party, they felt Regent was remiss in not policing Park West

 

In essence, the fact that Regent allows this vendor to operate on its ships and bears no responsibility for the consequences is quite strange...as well as bad business.

[Travelcat2]

:rolleyes: You seem to enjoy finding fault with whatever I say. This is a fairly well know fact. Still think that Park West should have a dedicated thread. And, as you know, the staying on topic rule isn't mine.:eek:

[Host Dan]

This is so amazingly off topic that I cannot believe that it has not been deleted by Cruise Critic. While I whole heartedly agree that Park West has no place on Regent, IMO, it deserves a thread dedicated to the subject!!!!!!!

 

I believe the thread is "random notes". Leaves it wide open for an array of topics.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Forums mobile app

[Travelcat2]

I believe the thread is "random notes". Leaves it wide open for an array of topics.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Forums mobile app

 

Okay -- you're the boss:-) Still think that many people would be interested in the possible demise of the much disliked Park West.

[jongbj]

Not trying to revive the thread again but I do have a question for Mr. Rumor:

 

On page 3 there is a picture of the bears in Khutzeymateen.

As we hope to visit the park next year, what kind of lens did you use on your camera. I am looking at buying at 500mm especially for this trip.

 

Thanks

[Mr Rumor]

Jongbj, I took that photo--all of my photos, in fact--with my Canon PowerShot. I like the convenience of a small camera that can fit in my pocket, but have to admit at that moment in Khutzeymateen I was envious of a couple of fellow cruisers wielding SLRs with powerful zooms. You will be very well served by a 500mm lens.

 

Rich

[jongbj]

Jongbj, I took that photo--all of my photos, in fact--with my Canon PowerShot. I like the convenience of a small camera that can fit in my pocket, but have to admit at that moment in Khutzeymateen I was envious of a couple of fellow cruisers wielding SLRs with powerful zooms. You will be very well served by a 500mm lens.

 

Rich

 

Thanks, must say it is an amazing shot with a small camera like that.

But I think I'll go for the 500mm. Now lets hope Regent will also add this excursion to the program in May next year.

If it's not there in a few months, I will probably reach out to learn how you got Regent to put it in the list.