Hot Spots and Headlines: A Mariner Mediterranean Joint Live Blog

[swansong]

After approaching 200 nights on Regent mainly on Mariner we have never ever had to wait more than a couple of minutes to get a table ( usually for two which are the ones more difficult to get ) in Compass Rose. We normally eat around 7:15 but have observed a queue on rare occasions around 8:00. Sete Mari is more difficult and our experience is that to be seated immediately you need to arrive before 7:00 or after 8:00.

[motone]

Many thanks for that swansong, you've put my mind at rest. We have done three cruises with Regent so far and we didn't have to wait long either. As Brits we like to eat at around 8 p.m. so know there will be a wait.

[RachelG]

Motone, we were on this same cruise, and never had to wait more than 2-3 minutes, usually just got right in in Compass Rose. We eat usually at 6:30 but did have a 7:30 dinner thrown in there. We did not make it to Sette Mare this trip unfortunately, and there can be a wait there if you dine at peak times.

 

CR staffing is the same as usual, and we have been dining there for as long as Regent has been in business.

 

Rich, I am going to read your description of the Phillipi excursion to George. The Priene, Miletus, and Didyma excursion is an excellent one. Tell Ginny to be hungry for lunch, because if you go to the same place we did, it is vegetarian heaven.

[Mr Rumor]

Santuary of Athena, Priene

[Mr Rumor]

Seat of power, Priene

[Bigdogwon]

Also sorry to hear about George's phone and credit card. Glad that he was able to shut things down before boarding the plane.

 

Margaret, it was delightful meeting you and your mother. Wish we could have spent more time together but are happy that you both enjoyed the cruise.

 

Rich - I cannot even imagine the "vibe" on the ship with so many cruisers new to Regent. The vibe seems "different" (for lack of a better word) when there is a majority of repeat customers and when there is a majority of new customers. We met some delightful new cruisers on board and were happy to answer their many Regent questions over lunch in Rhodes. On the same excursion, I was asked twice if I was "one of the bloggers". Apparently there was a lot of interest in what we were doing and people wanted to know how to get to the Regent thread. I am not surprised that my DH got lost on the CC website because finding the different threads is not as intuitive as I thought. The heading "Community" is nice but does not necessarily lead you to believe that you will find threads there. Once finding the "Cruise Critic Message Board Forums, it seems easier to find Regent's Roll Call (which is where my DH's post went) than the Regent Board.

 

BTW, Rich does have an incredible knack of obtaining information. He always has his notepad with him and that, along with his winning personality, makes it easier for him to obtain the information he is seeking.

 

Tried not commenting on the children (that thought lasted about 30 seconds) but have to at least say that we appreciated having all adults on our cruise. I'm wondering if the family is from Australia because that is the only country where it is currently Spring and the children are probably out of school.

 

I don't have a lot of comments about this cruise - the food and service were exemplary and the crew was even better than that. We enjoyed the Grand Suite and felt very fortunate to have received the last minute upsell offer. You never know when Regent will need your suite and will "sell" an upper suite for an amazing price. Our Cape Town to Rio cruise (an extension to our prior cruise) was an offer we had turned down several weeks earlier but accepted when the price got to about 50% of the fare.

 

As I referenced earlier, the Mariner is showing its' age - mainly in the bathroom. The upper suites (PH and above) have been completely refurbished and look great - except for the bathroom (and the carpeting in our suite needs to be re-stretched). The grey marble tile throughout most of the bathroom looks lovely. However, the old yellow/gold granite countertop seems to age the ship several years. The grouting in the shower (at the bottom - by the yellow granite) is poorly done. I suspect that this would be a costly job for Regent -- perhaps they could do a few suites at a time.

 

My best memories of the cruise was meeting the CC'ers on board (the bloggers and some others) -- everyone was upbeat, happy to be onboard and enjoying the cruise. It was a pleasure to sail with such a congenial group of people. Now, if I could only get them onto the Explorer transatlantic...............................

 

P.S. Miles, you need to leave our little fishies alone....... fishing not allowed:-)

Travelcat2, count on Bigdogwon with you on the Grand Crossing, and Mr . Rumor and Ginny.

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Travelcat2, count on Bigdogwon with you on the Grand Crossing, and Mr . Rumor and Ginny.

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

Really thrilled that you will be on that cruise -- we will likely have 10+ bloggers on that one:D

[Mr Rumor]

I was tempted to turn in our Priene, Miletus and Didyma tour tickets for another crack at Ephesus yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't, as we really enjoyed that excursion out of Kusadasi.

 

Priene was the star for me. Like Miletus and Didyma, it was an ancient Greek city of Ionia; the usual cast of characters swept through later, including Alexander the Great in 334 BC. I didn't expect such a special setting, on a steep slope extending from sea level to a height of 1,250 feet (no sea in evidence today--instead we looked down upon a vast landscape of verdant fields).

 

The tour description had the three striding little men and noted the "uphill walk" with a pathway made of "loose gravel/rubble/many steps to climb." The walk took a momentary toll on our genial guide, Umit, whose huffing and puffing could be heard on our audio systems as we neared the top. However, with the one exception of a lady who needed Umit's help in spots, none of our fellow tour takers seemed to struggle--which indicated to me that people paid attention to the strenuous tour description. Living at 7,000 feet, Ginny and I had lung power to spare for the climb (and were kinda proud of that).

 

We spent less time at Miletos, site of an ancient Greco-Roman theater that sat 15,000, and Didyma, site of the Apollo Temple, which Umit described as a small copy of the Artemis Temple (still huge, however, and never finished).

 

Lunch at the Kamaci restaurant preceded the Didyma stop. As Rachel described, it was vegetarian heaven, with salad, pasta and vegetable offerings galore. I could have been very happy feasting on just these dishes myself, but I couldn't turn down the main course, a freshly grilled white fish that was luscious. I'm so impressed with the Turkish diet, with its emphasis on fresh and healthy.

 

The tour involved at least a couple of hours of driving. We didn't mind in the least, as we got to see another slice of Turkey. Among the things that caught my eye: all the cotton fields (we must have been driving through the country's cotton belt), and the interesting solar set-ups on the roofs of hundreds of houses and apartment buildings (solar panel topped with two cylinders, for hot and cold water).

 

We had the obligatory Turkish carpet demonstration back at Matis in Kusadasi, which only three couples, including Ginny and me, attended. This time we went with an open mind regarding a possible purchase, a breakthrough for me. We agreed beforehand that we would not spend a lot of time in the store (while I was still pepped up by my Turkish coffee at Didyma, it had been a long day, and we were both getting tired) and that we had to be delighted by a particular design. Well we didn't, and we were, so we made our first Turkish carpet purchase! I must say it was a very pleasant puchasing experience.

 

Well, we are just now docking in Rhodes--and just happen to have a great view of our next-door neighbor for the day, the Riviera. We're slated for the Acropolis of Lindos tour at 12:45, which gives us the morning for another excursion on foot into Rhodes. It is sunny with a predicted high of 82.

 

Rich

Edited October 1, 2015 by Mr Rumor

[Bigdogwon]

Really thrilled that you will be on that cruise -- we will likely have 10+ bloggers on that one:D

Good to hear! Off subject, did you meet the couple from Saratoga, Ca.?

 

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[Mr Rumor]

This morning in Rhodes

[Travelcat2]

Good to hear! Off subject, did you meet the couple from Saratoga, Ca.?

 

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I'm not sure but I don't think so. Were they at the Meet and Greet?

 

Rich: Great photos -- that huge ship dwarfs the other two.

[Mr Rumor]

Jackie, here is the left to right on the ships in the Rhodes photo: Riviera, Mariner and Cunard's Queen Victoria. Also docked today was one of the Aida ships. Glad we did our little bit of shopping early, as passengers were pouring into town by mid-morning. By the way, we walked right by the fish spa, where one contented-looking lady was getting "the treatment."

 

Our tour today was the Acropolis of Lindos--the second tour in a row where we were tested by a strenuous uphill climb. Luckily, the tour was done in the afternoon, with fewer people from other tours to contend with on the 250+ steps, and more shade. Our treat at the top: ruins of the Temple of Athena and fantastic views. (By the way, Lindos, by my count, is the fourth ruin we've visited with an Apostle Paul connection. According to our young tour guide, Stefanos, residents were among his first converts and Paul was so pleased by his reception in Lindos that he returned three times.)

 

Best part of the Seven Seas Society Cocktail Party: Getting to hear Jean Ann Ryan's Jo Bacon sing "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"! I continue to be so impressed with her talent.

 

Miso-glazed bass for my main course in Compass Rose, and that decadent Diderot (chocolate mousse with creme brûlée filling) for dessert: Double yum! (Earned that dessert treat after all those steps.)

 

Second dessert tonight: JAR's second of four shows, "Dancing in the Streets." The troupe is hearing more whoops and yells and louder applause from the younger, predominantly Regent first-timer crowd and I'm sure it's music to their ears.

 

Third night in the row where we've had motion. Will help rock me to sleep tonight, not that I need any help, as it has been a full day. We have our fourth little-three-men-walking-rated tour tomorrow early, and it's eight hours long (Knossos Palace & Arolithos). What was I thinking when I booked all these strenuous tours for Ginny and me? I know--we were looking to make as many memories as possible, and we are!

 

Rich

 

P.S. The kids are behaving beautifully. Saw many of them at the show tonight with their folks.

Edited October 1, 2015 by Mr Rumor

[DaveFr]

Rich,

 

Hope you enjoy the Palace of Knossos tomorrow. We took the Regent excursion there in 2013 and it was a site well worth visiting. We were there about the same time of year and it was blazing hot. There wasn't too much shade so you might want to take some sun shade such as an umbrella as well as plenty of bottled water. The only thing I didn't care for was the number of people from all ships and land tours that were allowed on the grounds. It would have been much better with only a quarter of the folks present. Hope you have smaller crowds.

 

I'm glad the kids in the Ecuadorean family are well behaved. Last December, there was an extended 30 person Ecuadorean family on our Mariner cruise from Tahiti to Auckland. The kids, who were all well behaved and ranged in age from two or three years old through teenagers. I wonder if it's the same family?

 

Enjoy your excursion tomorrow.

Edited October 1, 2015 by DaveFr

[Travelcat2]

Hi Rich - loving your photos and commentary. How interesting that you were in port with the Queen Victoria. The ship looks huge next to the Mariner.

 

My mouth is watering just thinking of Miso Glazed Sea Bass. When we had dinner with Nicki (sp?), everyone at the table had the sea bass except her because she isn't suppose to eat fish. Will have to try the Diderot when we are on board next month (assuming that I've lost the weight that I gained on our cruise).

 

The Acropolis of Lindos sounds interesting although I could not do 250+ steps (congrats for doing it:-) Continue to make memories and enjoy the rest of your cruise.

[RachelG]

Good work on the strenuous tours! Wish we were there. And you definitely earned your dessert.

[Mr Rumor]

On a blog titled "Hot Spots and Headlines," and with so many excursions including tales of war and conquest, it was refreshing today to visit the site of an ancient people without enemies and weapons, who, in the words of Georgia, our seasoned guide, just "tried to make their lives more beautiful." I'm referring to the Minoans, the oldest civilization in Europe, dating back 4000 years.

 

For our tour of the partially restored Knossos Palace (1400 rooms where an estimated 1000 lived), we lucked out weather-wise, with mostly cloudy skies and a temperature of about 70 degrees. A highlight was the Throne Room, with a stone seat that may have been used for ceremonial purposes by King Minos. According to Georgia, the king served as both political leader and high priest of the Minoans. Another highlight was the Queen's Bedroom, decorated by a beautiful wall painting of dolphins. The Minoans excelled as artists and craftsmen, and were said to have been the first people to use the pottery wheel.

 

After Knossos, it was a short drive to Arolithos, a hotel complex that includes a privately built re-creation of "an authentic Cretan village." Lunch was served open-air under shade trees, with entertainment provided by a troupe of four Cretan folk dancers and three musicians. The dancers performed for an hour throughout the three courses (mezes, main course and dessert), and invited (even cajoled) a number of fellow cruisers to join them onstage for a couple of the numbers.

 

I was surprised to learn--and see--how mountainous Crete is during our two-plus hours on the road. According to Georgia, 80% of the island (Greece's biggest, by the way) is "covered with mountains. Every five minutes the landscape is different. You're never bored driving here."

 

Knossos Palace & Arolithos carried a $119 upcharge. No complaints this time on that added charge!

 

Rich

[1982CruzStart]

Thanks Mr Rumor, great read. I did the Lindos tour a few years ago with Regent and loved the views from the top but the tour is pretty strenuous. Keep your reports coming, loving them.

[Portolan]

I was tempted to turn in our Priene, Miletus and Didyma tour tickets for another crack at Ephesus yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't, as we really enjoyed that excursion out of Kusadasi.

...

Rich

 

Rich, your post was very timely! We're on Voyager starting at the end of this month and opted for the Priene, Miletus and Didyma tour as we've been to Ephesus several times. Had vague concerns about not going back to Ephesus--it's certainly magnificent--but your post and pictures has affirmed our choice.

 

Thanks!

[Mr Rumor]

Even though it's past midnight, I wanted to slip in this quick nightcap of a post, mainly to give a shout-out to Specialty Artists Laetitia Bouffard-Roupe and Artur Ulanowski. They were awesome earlier tonight as the stars of Jean Ann Ryan's "Cirque Rock 'n' Roll." It has been a while since we've seen a Constellation Theater audience leap to its feet as one to give a standing O, but it happened tonight when Laetitia and Artur came out to take their bow.

 

Meant to thank you in my earlier post, DaveFr, for your check-in. Glad you've enjoyed the blog, 1982 CruzStart. Scott/Portolan, I'm happy I was able to post those Priene photos to help you confirm the wisdom of your excursion choice for Kusadasi! I wish I could continue to post more photos from the ship, but suddenly I can't get Photobucket to open on either my iPad or the ship's computer. Computer consultant Radu tried to help, but he was stymied, too. I promise more photos, but they may have to wait until I'm home.

 

I added three more Regent Rewards points to the Shauna Regent Bling Fund tonight with a win at Name That Tune 50s and 60s with Seana Lee a short while ago in the Observation Lounge (15 out of 15--whee!). That makes a final total of 42 points for our shopping spree on Shauna's behalf the day after tomorrow.

 

Speaking of tomorrow--Santorini! It'll be just us and four other ships. It was a relief being the only ship docked in Aghois Nikolaos this a.m.

 

Rich

 

P.S. Spotted in the second row of the Constellation Theater tonight: a fellow in baseball cap, white shorts and jogging shoes. Wha???

[Eager2Travel]

Rich, I too have been enjoying the blog and your posts.

 

One of your posts has me a little concerned about the excursion in Kavala. Like Scott, we plan to do it in early November. It sounds great but I am wondering about your guide huffing and puffing. Was he unfit or in the more mature category? Was everyone huffing and puffing? We did an excursion in Croatia in June that had about 200 steps back up a hill. But there was no rubble or stones. The excursion list shows only two walking figures. Is it that it is slippery? I appreciate any additional input if possible. If it isn't possible to expand on your already helpful description I understand. My husband is raring to go I am the less adventurous soul.

 

Happy continuing travels.

Ann

Edited October 2, 2015 by Eager2Travel

[Mudhen]

Still enjoying all of the posts and the pix! Thank you for taking us along!

Linda and John

[gnomie1]

Rich:

 

I have been following your reports for the past few weeks and thoroughly enjoying each and everyone - thank you for taking us along on your adventure! I look forward to reading each posts and admiring your pictures.

 

I hope you are able to get lots of nice things for Shauna when you trade in your Regent points - I will be curious to see if things have changed since this past summer. I do not mean to hijack your thread and am hoping that people read this for what it is - the only reason I am reporting this at all is because I am truly hopeful that you will not have our experience and will be able to get Shauna lots of bling! On our cruise it became a running joke because the staff were treating the Regent points as if one would be able to trade them in for free cruises or diamond jewelry - it was so strange in comparison to other cruises. It appeared that the staff was doing whatever possible not to award any points. The strangest part was when people went to exchange the points they had won they were unable to do so because I believe the "least expensive" item was 25 points and most items were 60 points, which was almost impossible to achieve. It then became worse because as people were mulling about trying to decide what to do with their useless points, the social hostess then started to embarrass and humiliate people by "announcing" that so and so will happily donate their points to someone else so that they could get a prize - all without asking anyone. I have been on numerous Regent cruises and this was the first (and hopefully the last time!) I witnessed such a scene.

 

So each time that you mentioned additional points added to the "Shauna fund", I think to myself that I sure hope that Regent has returned to the old way of redeeming points for Regent branded merchandise and you are able to get lots of nice things for Shauna!

 

Again, I am requesting that this thread not change its theme - this is just to let Rich know of our experience and to learn if my experience was isolated.

 

gnomie :)

Edited October 2, 2015 by gnomie1

[Travelcat2]

I believe that your experience is isolated and firmly believe that Rich will be able to get Shauna some fun things. When we were on board, Regent was more than generous with points. Even though two teams tied for second place and three teams tied for third, everyone got points. This was a port intensive cruise (as is the one he is on) so we were not able to play trivia or other games on some days. Still, whenever we were able to play, we donated our points for Shauna.

 

Hoping that you will again see the positive aspects of Regent on your upcoming cruise.

[irishwitchy]

I missed this somewhere along the line - who is shauna?

[ededmd]

I missed this somewhere along the line - who is shauna?

 

Daughter of (Mr Rumor) Rich & Ginny

See post #62