Istanbul to Athens on the Splendor

[bebop bonnie]

Finally we can cruise again, and what a treat to be not only back on Regent, but on the magnificent Splendor!  From the moment we stepped on board everything was perfection! Biggest difference between Explorer and Splendor, for me was the lighter colors of the Splendor.  The staff was again outstanding.  No question, they were as happy to be back on board as we were!

 

We flew Lufthansa MIA to FRA to IST.  Flights were reasonably easy.  As frequently noted, business class in Europe is only a step above Jet Blue.  We stayed at the Intercontinental and it was very good.  The on site Regent staff were pretty unhelpful, but the hotel staff was fine.  We flew in a day early so spent the full day with a guide touring all the highlights.  The Blue Mosque was apparently doing some interior repairs so you couldn’t get the full WOW due to scaffolding.

 

We boarded the Splendor after a reasonably short covid test process.  We were fortunately one of the first to arrive at the terminal so we were boarding in about 30 minutes.  Always such a special experience to walk on board to smiling staff and flutes of champagne!

 

Our Master Suite was again fantastic!  Master Bedroom is a bit bigger than on the Explorer, and the living room was somewhat smaller.  Piano was the same size!!  Weather, with the exception of one day was perfect, so needless to say we loved hanging out on that big balcony.

 

The food at every restaurant was beyond wonderful. Since we had no sea days, we only ate lunch at La Veranda on embarkation day and stayed in port the other days.  As covid restrictions were in place, we simply told the server what we wanted as we went through the incredible food selections.  Oh those mussels…… And Pacific Rim continues to be my favorite. The Miso Black Cod was even better than I remembered!  Prime 7 is a close second, and the Prime Rib was to die for.  I had never been a fan of Chartreuse until this cruise. It was so outstanding that we ate there twice. The Dover Sole was amazing. We took a cooking class, which is always so fun, except that it starts at 4:00. That night we decided to eat at Compass Rose and just have appetizers.  Wrong.  We ended up with 3 courses!

 

Our favorite ports were Santorini and Mykonos. It was late October so many shops were closed but the cool sunny weather and the lack of mobs of tourists were a definite advantage!  In Santorini, Debbie and I made the easy decision to take the cable car back down to the port.  Rick opted to walk the (800+) steps.  Unfortunately, he didn’t anticipate that he would be sharing those steps with the donkeys.  Ewwww.

 

After sadly disembarking in Athens, we stayed an extra night so again had a guide to more efficiently see as much of Athens as possible.  I’d been to Athens and many of the islands several times but 20+ years ago.  The Plaka didn’t have the charm that I remembered.  Actually, I enjoyed the Old Town in Rhodes more.

 

We stayed at the Grande Bretagne and it was every bit as Grand as I remembered!  The view from the roof top restaurant was awesome.  The next morning we flew British Air ATH to LHR and on to MIA  The business class over the ocean was excellent, but it was a daytime flight.  Much prefer night time departures so you can sleep through much of the flight.

 

This is just a general summary, (and missing Z's humor !! )... But I'm happy to answer any questions.

Bonnie

[RJ2002]

Wow, great report.  Thanks for sharing it with us all.  Sounds like you had an awesome time back on Regent.

 

May I ask who served as Captain, General Manager and Cruise Director?

[Zqueeze1]

Bonnie: you and Deb were the highlight of our cruise in March 2020. So glad that you are cruising again. Did you book any cruises while onboard?

Z and TB

[bebop bonnie]

19 hours ago, RJ2002 said:

Wow, great report.  Thanks for sharing it with us all.  Sounds like you had an awesome time back on Regent.

 

May I ask who served as Captain, General Manager and Cruise Director?

Thanks, RJ2002 ~ GM was Anatoli Makaev.  My only interaction with him was when I searched him out to help me complete the online end of trip review.  Process was cumbersome (for me, anyway!) but apparently for several others waiting for his or IT help.  I ended up handwriting him a letter.  Obviously it was a positive review, but almost too many to recognize for their over the top service!

And Cruise Director was David Nevin.  He was, as always, outstanding!!

[bebop bonnie]

11 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Bonnie: you and Deb were the highlight of our cruise in March 2020. So glad that you are cruising again. Did you book any cruises while onboard?

Z and TB

Nooooo.  Tried and am waitlisted for January or February in Master Suite (3 of us traveling so that suite is perfect for us!) on either Explorer or Splendor. Obviously we were seriously late to book anything, but fingers are crossed!  Any itinerary in and out of Miami will be great.  We are booked in April on the Explorer, Venice to Barcelona!  Yahoo!!  But just want to get back on board and sooner!   xoxo to you and TB!!