Rare wishIweretravelling Posted June 17, 2018 #1 Share Posted June 17, 2018 On Tuesday morning, NCCruzQueen and I head to New York for a couple of pre-cruise days, then on Thursday board the Navigator for the 89-night Arctic Splendors cruise. I am blogging this cruise at https://summertimechilling.blogspot.com/ . Click on "Read More" at the bottom to see full content. If you want email notification of new posts, click on the three lines on the top left of the screen. The blog will primarily concentrate on the ports. I will check in here from time to time with comments about the ship and the cruise overall. I'm beyond excited about this trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liptastic Posted June 17, 2018 #2 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Look forward to following along. Have a great cruise. We are fans of the Navigator. Jean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kwaj girl Posted June 17, 2018 #3 Share Posted June 17, 2018 We will join you for the CPH-AMS segment. Can't wait to rejoin our favorite ship and some crew members from our WC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wishIweretravelling Posted June 17, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted June 17, 2018 I look forward to meeting you. I do love the Navigator too, though I haven't been on her since the refurbishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briar14 Posted June 17, 2018 #5 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Just bookmarked your blog. We are taking a portion of your cruise (20 days) next summer so looking forward to your port information. So smart to get away from the hot, humid South in the summer! Have a wonderful trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare WesW Posted June 18, 2018 #6 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Fair Winds and Following Seas for Beth and your Artic Splendors cruise Crystal. We are also beyond excited to read/share in your adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyrabb Posted June 18, 2018 #7 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Going on the Navigator this October; an Artful Traveler’s trip ; should be fun . Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted June 18, 2018 #8 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Looking forward to following along! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCCruzQueen Posted June 18, 2018 #9 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I am so excited. Leaving home tomorrow!!! NYC, here we come. Next stop the Navigator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare crusin7 Posted June 18, 2018 #10 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I'm so looking forward to your blog. The Terminology was hysterical. Have a wonderful voyage! I'm jealous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pingpong1 Posted June 18, 2018 #11 Share Posted June 18, 2018 It's nice to see the positive comments about Navigator! Although it sometimes seems to be disparaged as the "Little Engine That Could", we like sailing on Nav very much. Probably more so than on a ship that carries 2-3 times the number of passengers. We're looking forward to riding on her in the future, as well, and hope that Regent is committed to keeping her in service and in good shape for the foreseeable future. Regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jctdlt Posted June 18, 2018 #12 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Loved reading it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellaggio Cruisers Posted June 18, 2018 #13 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Crystal— Joined the blog. Will be following you until we join you in Copenhagen on August 1st. This is great fun. Hugs Sheila and Herb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mariners Posted June 18, 2018 #14 Share Posted June 18, 2018 What a fabulous itinerary, on a fantastic ship, with fantastic company! I cannot wait to read your blog, and enjoy sailing vicariously with you. Bon Voyage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwn Posted June 18, 2018 #15 Share Posted June 18, 2018 So glad you are doing a blog for your trip! This is a cruise still on our bucket list so I am an eager follower. Happy Sailing to cooler parts. Carolyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatmans Lady Posted June 19, 2018 #16 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Will read along on your blog as my excitement is mounting for our first cruise with Regent on the Navigator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wishIweretravelling Posted June 23, 2018 Author #17 Share Posted June 23, 2018 I'm finally able to get--and stay--on wifi. It's our second full day aboard. Our sailaway from NY on Thursday was spectacular--perfect weather as we sailed past the Statue of Liberty, with the band playing on the pool deck. More terrific weather yesterday in Martha's Vineyard. We had a great walking tour, led by a retired flight attendant who lives on the island. It's a charming place, and still early enough in the summer season that it isn't yet overrun with vacationers. It was also our first tender port. We were anchored fairly far out, so it was about a 15-minute ride to and from the ship. The Navigator is in fine form. They did a nice job on the refurbishment. We've been meeting some terrific people, both crew and passengers, and having a great time. Clive, the pianist in the Navigator lounge, is terrific. The captain's welcome aboard last night featured the troupe doing some Abba songs, and a comedian named John Joseph. We'd seen him before on a Crystal cruise and were looking forward to seeing him again. He certainly delivered--he had us all in stitches. We got a chance to chat with him in the bar afterward, and he's as pleasant as he is funny. The scotch is fine and the coffee is drinkable, so I'm a happy sailor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatmans Lady Posted June 23, 2018 #18 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Glad you have started your trip in great form. Is Clive going to be onboard for the round the world in January as I have only heard good things about him. Look forward to reading more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonTri Posted June 24, 2018 #19 Share Posted June 24, 2018 We board in Iceland. Looking forward to this our third time on the Navigator. On Tuesday morning, NCCruzQueen and I head to New York for a couple of pre-cruise days, then on Thursday board the Navigator for the 89-night Arctic Splendors cruise. I am blogging this cruise at https://summertimechilling.blogspot.com/ . Click on "Read More" at the bottom to see full content. If you want email notification of new posts, click on the three lines on the top left of the screen. The blog will primarily concentrate on the ports. I will check in here from time to time with comments about the ship and the cruise overall. I'm beyond excited about this trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wishIweretravelling Posted June 24, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Last year, when we were on the Explorer, we noted that the internet seemed better on the starboard side than on port. As our cabin was starboard, we were in luck. It appears that it's the same thing on the Navigator, but this time we're on port. So, we'll either need to keep our door propped open to get a good signal, or do what I'm doing right now--go to the Coffee Connection. And, speaking of coffee, today was my first breakfast in La Veranda. Much to my surprise, the regular pouring coffee was not just drinkable, it was actually good! I've never been able to say that on any cruise ship. A couple of days in, I'm still loving being back on the Navigator, but the more critical eye has kicked in. We've all discussed the ridiculous move of eliminating drawer space, so I won't beat that dead horse. We had an extra little dresser brought in to replace the side table in the sitting area, and between that, the one in the closet, and a hanging shelf that I brought, we have adequate storage for our longer cruise. Another poor choice in the refurbishment is in Galileo's. The band stand has been moved from the corner to the center of the back of the room, completely blocking the rear view in that lounge. In a ship without a forward observation lounge, why would they eliminate the direct view from the rear lounge? You can still see out the side windows, or go to the outside deck, but this is primarily a cool-weather cruise (and indeed we are already in jackets, and we're still in the U.S.), so outdoor venues will be of limited use. Finally, I got a good look at our bathtub, which has multiple cracks in the bottom. That's a bit of a surprise. I'd be reluctant to use it in its current condition. Fortunately, I'm not big on baths, but it's a surprise to see. I can't help but wonder if a past occupant used it for storage of something heavy. I'd like to think it hasn't been this way for an extended period. But that 's it for the grousing. Everything else is terrific! There's been a couple of dishes at meals that have been misses, but most things have been great. The ship is lovely, and the people even lovelier. The entertainment so far has been good. All is well. Oh, and the blog is updated: https://summertimechilling.blogspot.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellaggio Cruisers Posted June 24, 2018 #21 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Hey Girlfriend- Keep it coming. Wonderful thus far. And it’s only the beginning! Sheila Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1982CruzStart Posted June 25, 2018 #22 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Thanks for bringing us along. Enjoying your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted June 25, 2018 #23 Share Posted June 25, 2018 What a lovely blog, we are enjoying it very much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare wishIweretravelling Posted June 26, 2018 Author #24 Share Posted June 26, 2018 (edited) We've hit our first patch of rough seas. Ray announced that we are sailing through a force 10 storm, with 16-foot waves. Which would explain the bouncing and groaning last night and this morning. A few items fell off our bookshelf, and a tray of dishes slid off a counter in La Veranda this morning. Given how bouncy it was up there, we decamped for Compass Rose for breakfast. Our waiter there told us that a lot of people are doing room service this morning. The Captain just came on to announce that we are skipping our stop in Sydney, Nova Scotia because harbor conditions are too unsafe to enter. A mild disappointment, but such is life at sea. So about life onboard.... Dinner in Compass Rose has been a slow affair the past two nights. I like a long. leisurely dinner, but 45 minutes before a wine steward turns up, much less a waiter, is a bit much. But fortunately the company was good, and based on previous nights those two nights' problems are likely outliers. Last night's show was the comedian John Joseph, who had done a brief bit at the Captain's welcome aboard (and who we saw on a Crystal cruise a couple of years ago). He had us in tears from laughing. Afterward, Clive entertained on the keyboard in the Navigator Lounge. There also was a cocktail last night for those of us on board for the full 89 nights, with entertainment by the pianist from the band. Tonight is our first visit to Prime 7. And, now, our first sea day. We had our meet & mingle the other afternoon. A few of the officers stopped in briefly, then we all had a good opportunity to chat. We'd already dined with a few of the attendees, and were happy to finally meet others. It was held in Stars, and was interrupted by the mensa quiz and then trivia. So we contributed two teams to the latter, one of which came in third (alas, not the team I was on). Edited June 26, 2018 by wishIweretravelling forgot the M&M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare forgap Posted June 26, 2018 #25 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Love the blog you are writing! Your writing style and point of view is very engaging. I can’t wait to virtually visit the ports of call with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now