LIVE from: Z and TB go from Atlantic to Pacific in Style

[Zqueeze1]

We finally boarded at 215 amidst a sea of chaos. So much for folks being chilled out during vacation.

This pic is for Rachel for her sage medical advice. My first glass of wine:

 

 

We had some of the best ever prime rib and salad accompanied by a selection of excellent cheeses and wine.

 

 

Z and TB

 

 

 

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Edited April 18, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[RJ2002]

Congrats on boarding, finally! The prime rib looks delicious.

[Mudhen]

Are you sure that was it on the luggage? I thought there was another dump truck full....oh....or was that the extra booze? I get so confused!! (giggle!)

Take a deep breath and enjoy all that's to come!

J&L

[flossie009]

We have been waiting to board since 1115 with no end in sight due to a computer glitch. However, kudos to Regent for serving us snacks and champagne while we all wait. It should be a flying circus when they announce boarding.

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Sorry to hear of your delays in boarding, but full marks for Regent in laying on the snacks & champagne.

They must have pulled some strings as when we left the ship this morning it was announced that no Regent personnel were allowed to assist passengers on shore.

 

PS: Are you sure that the delay wasn’t engineered to ensure that FDR could have a quiet lunch ;) . I heard he was due on board today to inspect the results of the refurbishment.

[Travelcat2]

Lunch looks yummy and I'm so happy that you can have your vino!

[Nishi Azabu]

Z: I liced your picture of the luggage. We’re taking our first Regent cruise in Nov to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. I showed my husband the picture of the prime rib and he wants to know if it’s available on all cruises the day you board.

 

I can’t wait to read all your post throughout your cruise

 

Rosemary

[RachelG]

Your lunch looks delish! Wish I was there to enjoy a glass or three of vino with you guys.

[Zqueeze1]

Z: I liced your picture of the luggage. We’re taking our first Regent cruise in Nov to celebrate our 50th Anniversary. I showed my husband the picture of the prime rib and he wants to know if it’s available on all cruises the day you board.

 

I can’t wait to read all your post throughout your cruise

 

Rosemary

 

 

 

The Boss commented that it seems that Regent’s go to lunch for embarkation is prime rib. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it was tender, juicy and melted in your mouth. I hope you enjoy your Regent cruise as much as we have enjoyed ours.

Z and TB

 

 

 

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[Zqueeze1]

Well we made it through embarkation day. Ronrick gave a thorough synopsis on their thread so no need to say more. Day one was a little frustrating to include luggage not arriving until 5PM and we were rushed to store everything. I may need to get a bigger suite in the future because we’ve used up every bit of storage space and even used the bathrobes’ hangars.

Dinner was great for The Boss and I wish I had taken a pic of her plate. She asked for lobster tails and she was served three of them. The poor thing is still in a food coma. I ordered the sea bass but it was about the size and depth of two packets of Splenda. As soon as I saw it, I asked for a filet mignon which was excellent. This was definitely a miss especially since I overheard the waiter tell our adjacent table that the sea bass was not that good. Why didn’t he tell me that?

When it comes to food, we are in a pickle since we are in a low carb diet. You read it correctly. Here we are in a cruise ship and dieting. Do you know how hard it was to tell the waiter to not serve us bread (especially those amazing breadsticks), that we do not want the potato or rice, and not to bother with dessert or the petit fours? We received looks as if we had two heads and were speaking Klingon.

After dinner, we strolled through the various lounges and listened to music. There is a duo that was singing brat pack songs which we enjoyed. However, the sleep monster hit us hard just before the 930pm show which featured a multi instrumentalist.

In regards to the reno, the ship is gorgeous and our cabin looks great. Although not all public spaces were renovated. There is definitely less storage in our cabin but, at the same time, the sitting area looks less cluttered. We found that we had just the right amount of storage. Here is the living area (notice that the tv is slightly crooked):

 

The sleeping area also got a makeover, but I find that the mattress is extremely hard.

 

I woke up this morning feeling as if I was on the losing end of a couple of rounds with The Boss partially due to the hardness of the mattress and because at night, this crud I have gets the better of me so I am constantly waking up.

 

Z and TB

 

 

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[1teach53]

Good morning Roberto & Pam!

Great reporting and pics, thank you!

Cabin looks just like the renovation on the Navigator. With my messed up back I enjoyed the firm bed. I’ve head some asking for an “egg crate “ pad might help you.

Lol!! Low carb, you are funny! As I recall on our last cruise together that lasted about 3 days, but good for you! You are stronger than me.

Big hugs, you enjoy!!

K

[Travelcat2]

Thanks so much for the suite photo - it does look neat. Not sure what to say about your low carb diet. It would be difficult for me because I like everything that you can't eat. Someone needs to develop a diet where you eat nothing except carbs!

 

You mentioned that not all public areas have been redone - which areas would those be? I'm trying to imagine the "new" Mariner. I think that I saw a photo somewhere of La Veranda and it looks the same as the Voyager. Do you feel that the flow of the people is better? We liked the new design but wish that there were just a few more inches to walk in the middle of the isle.

 

Looking forward to more reports and photos.

[Zqueeze1]

La Veranda has a beautiful sage and cream decor and looks light and airy. I will try to post a couple of pics. There is a large back bar with cheese, cold cuts, desserts, and ice cream. The flow is a little tight but I think it’s manageable.

 

Compass Rose is just beautiful and more like its Explorer counterpart:

 

 

 

We are glad to see that Captain Serena is onboard. She is a wonderful person and we look forward to seeing her again.

 

Here is a list of the senior officers and staff:

 

Jackie and Karen: although Donald is listed as the F&B manager, he was supposed to disembark in Miami. However, his replacement missed his flight from Paris due to the ongoing strikes. Donald will leave us now in Cartagena and will be missed.

 

Z and TB

 

 

 

 

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[silkismom]

Drooling & following along

[Travelcat2]

Thanks for posting a picture of Captain Serena - she is such an amazing person. I noticed that you have the "new" General Manager. Have you met him? Any thoughts?

 

Glad that Donald is getting off because his new baby was very young when he joined the ship in December and I'm sure that he is anxious to be back home with his family. If you see him and have a moment, please give him our warmest regards.

 

Hope that your medication is working and that you are feeling better.

[1teach53]

Thanks Roberto for all the pictures & crew list.

Mariner looks beautiful. I know Captain Serena loves Alaska, hope she remains on for our cruise, what a delightful person!

K

[Zqueeze1]

I’ll ask her tonight at the captains reception if she is sticking around.

Z and TB

 

 

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[Zqueeze1]

Our first sea day was very relaxing and put us in the right mind set after day one’s boarding hassle. I got up early and opened up the Coffee Connection with Pam not far behind. We attended the first of five enrichment lectures with this one being about traveling through Latin America. Great lecture and we look forward to the remaining ones. We spent the rest of the morning walking laps and sipping coffee.

I got suckered into waiting for The Boss at the pool bar. She took a three hour nap while I got reacquainted with my friend Hendricks.

We attended the Captain’s Reception yesterday where captain Serena introduced her senior staff. Most folks were dressed very nicely and one couple looked like if they belonged on the Titanic.

Afterwards, we had dinner with the Food and Beverage Manager, Donald. Too bad I keep forgetting to take pics at dinner but the roast beef was superb.

This cruise seems to have a much older crowd than our previous cruises which creates some interesting dynamics. Very few folks are in the pool deck which means that there are plenty of chairs. This pic was taken at 2pm and you can see how empty it is.

 

Also, the lounges are not that busy so far.

At 57, we seem to be some of the youngest folks onboard.

 

 

Time to rant: I can’t believe we didn’t get an invite to the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle and totally missed it. Regent dropped the ball on this one.

Z and TB

 

 

 

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Edited April 20, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[irishwitchy]

Z, my husband and I were on the Mariner in January and did a trip through the canal. I was 58 and was well below the average age also. We noticed the same "emptiness" on the lounges before dinner for the first few days. About day 4, I guess everyone caught up on their naps/reading/etc and started to enjoy a glass of something with others before dinner, so hopefully that will happen on your cruise also. Enjoy the cruise and I loved your picture of the suitcases.

[Travelcat2]

As always, I love your photos and am still grateful that you taught me how to post them (after you posted my photos for a couple of sailings which was much appreciated). Glad to hear that you had dinner with Donald - he is such a lovely man and a great F&B Director (who, BTW, mentored Daniella).

 

Sorry that you did not get an invitation to the Meet and Mingle - especially after you did such an amazing job coordinating the Meet and Greet on Explorer with Daniela. As an aside, on our "2020" Splendor Roll Call, one of the posters has already started getting names and suite numbers and has offered to coordinate a Meet and Greet on our sailing. We are taking matters back into our own hands.

 

Continue to enjoy this very special cruise!

[Zqueeze1]

Thanks for the kind words, Jackie.

 

Karen/John: we just spent an hour talking with Capt Serena and, unfortunately for you, she is disembarking in San Francisco for two months’ worth of R&R. She sends her hellos to yous and Jackie.

 

 

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[flossie009]

Thanks for the excellent blog, Zqueeze. Hope your cruise continues to go well and look forward to more installments.

 

Apologies for interrupting your blog but just wanted to give TC2 some info based on the previous Mariner cruise.

 

Thanks so much for the suite photo - it does look neat. Not sure what to say about your low carb diet. It would be difficult for me because I like everything that you can't eat. Someone needs to develop a diet where you eat nothing except carbs!

 

You mentioned that not all public areas have been redone - which areas would those be? I'm trying to imagine the "new" Mariner. I think that I saw a photo somewhere of La Veranda and it looks the same as the Voyager. Do you feel that the flow of the people is better? We liked the new design but wish that there were just a few more inches to walk in the middle of the isle.

 

Looking forward to more reports and photos.

It is a pity Regent did not put more, or larger, wall cabinets in the suites and some shelves. As Z's photo shows the Veranda Suites only have one small wall cabinet for glassware; the PH suites have no wall cabinets or shelves in the suite.

 

In our opinion the new serving area in La Veranda does not flow very easily. As you say there is too little space between serving counters. This coupled with guests' 'indecision' causes annoying bottlenecks.

 

I noticed that you have the "new" General Manager. Have you met him? Any thoughts?

We found the GM, Anotoli Makaev, very friendly and approachable. He had a lot of work placating customers during the last cruise due to the work left incomplete during the refurbishment.

He used to work on Oceania ships along with the Exec Concierge, Janina Deeke, who was in the process of taking over from William during the last cruise.

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for that information!

[1teach53]

Thanks Roberto, but sad news that our favorite captain is leaving before we board! We will miss her:(

The pool area is really deserted, maybe action will pick up in a few days?!? Glad to hear Pam got her nap in! You know better than to wake her! ;)

Of course love your pics. From the looks the Mariner bar hasn’t changed much, your thoughts? We’ve always wished it was lighter & brighter in color theme. R I know it’s one of your favorite evening perches. :D Great place for the Mayor of the Mariner ( you) to meet & greet.

Keep on having a blast, wish we were there!!!!

K

 

 

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[mrlevin]

We spent two months with Anatoli on Voyager last fall; he is a fantastic GM. Very responsive and very willing to try new things.

 

Enjoy your cruise on my favorite ship; 239 days until we board again (picked excursions yesterday). ;)

 

Marc

[Zqueeze1]

We spent an hour today drinking coffee and visiting with Capt Serena. According to her, it looks as if some of the common areas received a more subtle makeover. In other words, the same chairs are there but have been reupholstered. Also the named cabins haven’t been redone since they were renovated during the previous dry dock.

 

Today is an extremely windy day with choppy seas keeping most folks in the more protected areas. No walking laps for us because we are afraid to blow away.

 

Time for a Tito’s with cranberry and ginger ale.

Z and TB

 

 

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