“Live from: Z and TB’s Fall Foliage Extravaganza”

[Zqueeze1]

Good Morning:

Why isn’t that a fellow can’t get a decent drink?

Yesterday was Saturday and we were into our six out of seven dreary days.

However, troop morale is still pretty high considering the weather circumstances. After a light breakfast (really!), we cleared customs and headed outside into the Portland waterfront stores. 7000 steps and a Christmas ornament later, we found ourselves in a seafood restaurant where we decided to have lunch. Wow!  We had excellent seafood chowder, a haddock fish sandwich, and some steamed clams along with a Guinness. Awesome chow.  

Upon return to the ship, we spent the rest of the day doing what we do best when not touring or napping:  The Boss will either read or work on a crossword puzzle, and I will read or play with my phone. This is all done either in the cabin or at the coffee connection which is a great place to meet people or to just people watch. 

While sitting in the coffee connection, a strange thing occurred at about 345pm. It suddenly got bright. The clouds parted and this strange light appeared from the heavens. Someone called it sunshine, but I wasn’t too sure or was afraid to have my hopes dashed by a prankster holding a flashlight from deck six.

With the clouds parting, we will have a weather upgrade while in Boston. 

Speaking of Boston, why is it that I only brought one baseball cap with me that happens to be my favorite NY Yankees cap?  Was it Freudian or just plain stupidity? If I don’t text after today, then someone please claim my carcass at the city morgue after getting murdered by some insane Red Sox fan.  Picture me depicting St Matthew in Caravaggio’s painting of his martyrdom and you get the drift. 

If you are all still reading this, you may have noticed that we have not mentioned much about the onboard entertainment. That’s because the sleep monster hits us at around 9pm every night so we continue to miss the shows. However, we are teeny bopper fans of Allen who plays nightly at the coffee connection. 

Dinner was about the best we’ve had so far this cruise. It started with panko breaded shrimp we special ordered

Karen had a great appetizer

and prime rib which was so good I almost went into hysterics. 

Ok, so I started today’s entry with a mini hissy fit. I like rum. A lot. But, Regent only carries, Bacardi, Myers, Capt Morgan, and some awful stuff made in Florida not fit for VMI grads (obscure reference to another military college subpar to The Citadel). There is one premium rum called Pyrat that sells for forty bucks a shot. I pay less than that for a bottle back home. Why not some Zacapa, Appleton Estate, or Cruzan for sipping rums and some Don Q for mixing?  

Z and TB

Edited November 4, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[rcandkc]

We are arriving in beautiful sunshine to Boston.  I think everyone will be happy campers today. 😎

[hockeyken]

22 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Ohhh you don’t want that!!!  There is only one pic of me online that I know of and that’s on indeed.com. I sort of like to stay anonymous. 

Z and TB

 

🤪🤪  Would you like me to post your " MR. DINKY " picture here ? Or perhaps we could discuss a payment from you to me that would make sure it remains where it is ?  Hope you get some better weather.

 

K

[boblerm]

Z and TB, have you found any fall colors left amid your dreary weather, or is it all pretty much finished?

Wishing you more pleasant skies for the rest of the cruise.

Bob

[hockeyken]

22 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Hah!! Can’t believe I actually miss yous!!!

 

Noemi told me to be nice to you. She misses you & TB and said if we were not going to Asia in January, it would be great to go to Florida again. Next time I come I might stay for a few months. 

 

That rum situation is a catastrophe - not very Regentish. A mile up the road from me is a store that has at least 25 sipping rums ( up to 25 yrs old ) and about 50+ other rums. Nirvana.

 

Not sure what your cruise would have been like if we had come with you, but I do know this : it would not have been dull.

 

K

Edited November 4, 2018 by hockeyken
rum

[Zqueeze1]

23 minutes ago, hockeyken said:

 

🤪🤪  Would you like me to post your " MR. DINKY " picture here ? Or perhaps we could discuss a payment from you to me that would make sure it remains where it is ?  Hope you get some better weather.

 

K

Name your price, bubba.  

Z

[poss]

I'm delighted to hear that the weather has cleared!    

[Winters Gate]

4 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Good Morning:

Why isn’t that a fellow can’t get a decent drink?

Yesterday was Saturday and we were into our six out of seven dreary days.

However, troop morale is still pretty high considering the weather circumstances. After a light breakfast (really!), we cleared customs and headed outside into the Portland waterfront stores. 7000 steps and a Christmas ornament later, we found ourselves in a seafood restaurant where we decided to have lunch. Wow!  We had excellent seafood chowder, a haddock fish sandwich, and some steamed clams along with a Guinness. Awesome chow.  

Upon return to the ship, we spent the rest of the day doing what we do best when not touring or napping:  The Boss will either read or work on a crossword puzzle, and I will read or play with my phone. This is all done either in the cabin or at the coffee connection which is a great place to meet people or to just people watch. 

While sitting in the coffee connection, a strange thing occurred at about 345pm. It suddenly got bright. The clouds parted and this strange light appeared from the heavens. Someone called it sunshine, but I wasn’t too sure or was afraid to have my hopes dashed by a prankster holding a flashlight from deck six.

With the clouds parting, we will have a weather upgrade while in Boston. 

Speaking of Boston, why is it that I only brought one baseball cap with me that happens to be my favorite NY Yankees cap?  Was it Freudian or just plain stupidity? If I don’t text after today, then someone please claim my carcass at the city morgue after getting murdered by some insane Red Sox fan.  Picture me depicting St Matthew in Caravaggio’s painting of his martyrdom and you get the drift. 

If you are all still reading this, you may have noticed that we have not mentioned much about the onboard entertainment. That’s because the sleep monster hits us at around 9pm every night so we continue to miss the shows. However, we are teeny bopper fans of Allen who plays nightly at the coffee connection. 

Dinner was about the best we’ve had so far this cruise. It started with panko breaded shrimp we special ordered

Karen had a great appetizer

and prime rib which was so good I almost went into hysterics. 

Ok, so I started today’s entry with a mini hissy fit. I like rum. A lot. But, Regent only carries, Bacardi, Myers, Capt Morgan, and some awful stuff made in Florida not fit for VMI grads (obscure reference to another military college subpar to The Citadel). There is one premium rum called Pyrat that sells for forty bucks a shot. I pay less than that for a bottle back home. Why not some Zacapa, Appleton Estate, or Cruzan for sipping rums and some Don Q for mixing?  

Z and TB

Last time we where on Regent they had Diplomatico rum, I thought it was quiet drinkable!

 

[1982CruzStart]

thanks so much Zqueeze1. I am loving getting my morning giggle from your reports. it must be a riot to travel with you and TB. Hope the bad weather is all behind you and you have smooth sailing and plenty of sunshine from now on. 

[rcandkc]

It has been a beautiful day today with passengers enjoying it.  However, I still say the total lack of energy from cruise director, etc when it has been such a rainy cruise is not acceptable.  Sette Mari waitstaff tonight was excellent.  

[hockeyken]

13 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Name your price, bubba.  

Z

 

 

Oh, what the heck. For you amigo, no charge. Mr Dinky shall remain hidden.

 

By the way - I still have your Medallion   🤜🤛

 

K 🏒

[Zqueeze1]

 

Good Morning:

What a gorgeous day we had yesterday!!  The gods smiled upon us and gave us a gloriously sunny day to enjoy being in the heart of Boston. Speaking of the gods, my left Achilles’ tendon is screaming and I’m afraid I may have my fourth partial tear. In 2016, we did an Explorer transatlantic cruise in which I wore a therapeutic boot and wobbled like a penguin on land. I just want to make it home without it getting worse. 

Anywho, we conquered Boston in a four hour walk of the freedom trail as part of a Regent excursion. We saw many historical sights and walked through various neighborhoods to include the commons and little Italy.  Everything seemed pretty clean and well maintained. I even wore my NY Yankees cap but no one paid any mind to it. Of course, The Boss was looking for a rumble as long as I’m the one getting beat up. 

 

What an ass! Placed here by Thomas Jefferson and thereby cementing the symbol of the Democratic Party.

Paul Revere’s home 

 

Iconic pic of North Church

 

After this wonderful walking tour, we had lunch in town at the Quincy Market where we had chowder (again) and split a slice from Pizza Regina. Little known fact, this market was named after a famous tv show from the eighties, “Quincy, MD” starring Jack Klugman. 

 

Quincy Market

 

Stock pic of Pizza Regina slice

We got back onboard around 1pm and had a couple of drinks on the pool deck since the weather was cooperating. This was followed by a wonderful two hour nap. 

I had Alexandra make me something different for my happy hour toddy and she made a mojito with lime bitters rather than club soda and it was excellent. She also told me that my favorite bartender, Olga, was trying to return to Regent after taking a hiatus, which is great news for Olga fans.  O happy day. 

 

 

Z and TB

Edited November 5, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[Zqueeze1]

Part Deux:

We had dinner at Sette Mari

with excellent appetizers and selections from the buffet.

Apps brought to our table

 

 

For our main courses, TB had a melt in your mouth lasagna and I had a half portion of one followed by osso bucco which was slightly over cooked and a little bland.

Lasagna

 

Osso Bucco

I also saw TB drink an after dinner espresso for the first time in my life. We were pretty beat from our 13k steps day (equates to the Bataan Death March for me) so we called it a night. My dogs and Achilles’ tendon were ready to meet the sleep monster by 830pm. 

We are in Newport, Rhode Island today and are supposed to have another walking tour, this time about historical homes. I may opt out since we have a long walked planned for NYC tomorrow that will feel more like walking the Camino de Santiago in one day. 

Mini rant:  where is the senior staff?  We were spoiled by Captain Serena in three cruises where she and several senior staff members (F&B, hotel manager, CD, etc) made daily rounds and spent time talking to guests.  The interaction made one feel more than just being a paying guest.  

Z and TB

 

 

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[mrlevin]

Z, same concern with my last cruise with Paul as CD; he wasn't around much.  I did find though that every night about 2300-2330 he, the asst cd, and social hostess would have a drink and chat (amongst themselves) in one of the bars, usually staying to around midnight.  This was on Mariner so was either Horizon Lounge or Stars; I don't know which bar(s) are open late on Navigator.

 

Really loving your reports; we did this same cruise on same ship but 15 days earlier seven years ago.  Going to try it on Silver Cloud next September.

 

Marc

[Hambagahle]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:20 PM, forgap said:

Thought of you and TB as I watched the national weather.   A very nasty system (including tornados in Tampa) is pushing up the east coast.   I hope It blows out to sea fairly quickly.  There is nothing more miserable than a cold and soggy tour, but nothing quite as nice as a warm shower,  fluffy bathrobe, and a fortified hot drink after.

 

I laughed out loud at your description of the laundry room.    We reached gold status on our last cruise.  I was initially squirrelly about including my undies, got over it, and became a master at stuffing as much as humanly possible into our weekly bag.  I ❤️ free laundry!

 

Finally, lots of pics of TB (and her old boyfriend).....how about a pic of you?

 

Jennifer 

jennifer -- how long does it take for the "free" laundry to come back?  Same day?  Next day?  Next week??  Makes a difference to what one packs...   We have been Gold for a while but this "benefit" is new since we last sailed Regent.  

[forgap]

Laundry was usually back by the end of the next day.  It is nicely packaged in a box with clean clothes wrapped in tissue paper.   It is a very nice perk!  

[xrvlcruiser]

Gerrie (do I have the correct name?)

If you send your laundry out by 9am, it is back the same day. If later than that, the next day.

Peggy

[Sheltieluv]

Looks like another nasty weather system will be coming through the northeast today and tomorrow.  Batten down the hatches!  So sorry our weather up here hasn't cooperated.  Hope you continue to have an enjoyable cruise.

[Zqueeze1]

FYI, our free laundry occurred just as stated above,  we turned it in at noonish and it was returned the next day by 3PM either folded up in a nice box or on hangers for the shirts.  Great benny!

 

Z and TB

[Travelcat2]

On 11/4/2018 at 3:45 AM, Zqueeze1 said:

Good Morning:

Why isn’t that a fellow can’t get a decent drink?

Yesterday was Saturday and we were into our six out of seven dreary days.

However, troop morale is still pretty high considering the weather circumstances. After a light breakfast (really!), we cleared customs and headed outside into the Portland waterfront stores. 7000 steps and a Christmas ornament later, we found ourselves in a seafood restaurant where we decided to have lunch. Wow!  We had excellent seafood chowder, a haddock fish sandwich, and some steamed clams along with a Guinness. Awesome chow.  

Upon return to the ship, we spent the rest of the day doing what we do best when not touring or napping:  The Boss will either read or work on a crossword puzzle, and I will read or play with my phone. This is all done either in the cabin or at the coffee connection which is a great place to meet people or to just people watch. 

While sitting in the coffee connection, a strange thing occurred at about 345pm. It suddenly got bright. The clouds parted and this strange light appeared from the heavens. Someone called it sunshine, but I wasn’t too sure or was afraid to have my hopes dashed by a prankster holding a flashlight from deck six.

With the clouds parting, we will have a weather upgrade while in Boston. 

Speaking of Boston, why is it that I only brought one baseball cap with me that happens to be my favorite NY Yankees cap?  Was it Freudian or just plain stupidity? If I don’t text after today, then someone please claim my carcass at the city morgue after getting murdered by some insane Red Sox fan.  Picture me depicting St Matthew in Caravaggio’s painting of his martyrdom and you get the drift. 

If you are all still reading this, you may have noticed that we have not mentioned much about the onboard entertainment. That’s because the sleep monster hits us at around 9pm every night so we continue to miss the shows. However, we are teeny bopper fans of Allen who plays nightly at the coffee connection. 

Dinner was about the best we’ve had so far this cruise. It started with panko breaded shrimp we special ordered

Karen had a great appetizer

and prime rib which was so good I almost went into hysterics. 

Ok, so I started today’s entry with a mini hissy fit. I like rum. A lot. But, Regent only carries, Bacardi, Myers, Capt Morgan, and some awful stuff made in Florida not fit for VMI grads (obscure reference to another military college subpar to The Citadel). There is one premium rum called Pyrat that sells for forty bucks a shot. I pay less than that for a bottle back home. Why not some Zacapa, Appleton Estate, or Cruzan for sipping rums and some Don Q for mixing?  

Z and TB

 

Z, trying to figure out what you might have said when you ordered the panko beaded shrimp.  This may be a "duh" question but did you simply ask for "panko breaded shrimp"?  Dennis wants to order it when we are onboard Voyager next week.  Hoping that the weather warms up for you!

[RachelG]

Z, just getting caught up.  I was going to correct you on the ironing thing, but then you admitted the truth.  I knew this from my son being a Marine.  They teach you how to iron, and no one else can do an adequate job.  My son can iron a shirt and pants way better than I can.

[Zqueeze1]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Z, trying to figure out what you might have said when you ordered the panko beaded shrimp.  This may be a "duh" question but did you simply ask for "panko breaded shrimp"?  Dennis wants to order it when we are onboard Voyager next week.  Hoping that the weather warms up for you!

Exactly. Just order is as panko breaded shrimp. It is superb.  Enjoy your cruise. 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

9 minutes ago, RachelG said:

Z, just getting caught up.  I was going to correct you on the ironing thing, but then you admitted the truth.  I knew this from my son being a Marine.  They teach you how to iron, and no one else can do an adequate job.  My son can iron a shirt and pants way better than I can.

I have to admit that I am picky about my ironing and prefer to do it myself. 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

Good Morning:

We spent a quiet day in Newport, Rhode Island yesterday.

This being a tender port and with the weather returning to its former cloudy state, we went into town long enough to buy Christmas ornaments with our cats’ names (TB’s idea, not mine). Most of the day was spent at the Coffee Connection (aka Navigator Lounge) reading and people watching. 

We also went to the Top Three show prior to dinner.

Dinner was wonderful. But, I have to admit, I ordered way too much thanks to Mario prodding me and regretted having to leave some food on my plate. We had plenty of appetizers and salads galore prior to our mains.

Spinach Salad

Shrimp Cocktail

 

Meat Pastry (meh)

Shrimp Main

Dover Sole and Braised Beef (Mario’s idea. Tasted better than it looks)

NY Cheesecake 

Today is one of my highlights of this trip and I will not let the stormy weather prediction keep me from my quixotic quest to walk from the pier to fifth avenue then down to the lower east side ending at Katz’s delicatessen. The first generation of my family back in the 50s used to visit it regularly and we have passed this tradition to our kids, being the third generation. 

This is my city. I was born here, lived on fourth street between Ave A and B, and my home team is one borough north. We moved away when I was four, but I spent summers here and visited very often throughout my life. This is also where TB almost broke up with me back in high school when she met my relatives and was overwhelmed by the noise level generated by a bunch of hard working, life loving PRs. 

We are getting close to the Statue of Liberty and I get a little emotional as I think about what she means to my family and our country. My family came here in the 50s from a small Caribbean island and worked hard in factories and stores so that we, the second generation, could get educated and not work as hard as they did. My generation is assimilated,   But have passed on old as well as new traditions to the third generation, my schnooks.

The same goes for The Boss, who is also second generation from her Sicilian father who was a warrior and fought for this country in the Philippines, WWII, and Korea. Her mom was a war bride from Germany who raised nine wonderful children.  

Sorry to get so personal and corny, but we are all very appreciative of the many blessings we have in our lives. 

Z and TB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 6, 2018 by Zqueeze1

[forgap]

Very touched by your back story.   So many of us are one or two generations from our immigrant past.  Our parent and grandparents worked hard to give us a better life.  In this crazy world I hope this holds true for the next generation.