It's all good on board the Splendor!

[Gpilon]

Bob…..sorry to miss you on this cruise as we board Thursday. Kindly ensure there will be Guinness left onboard that day! Erin go Bragh!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Hi Bob…

I am late to your party… health issues. So glad you are having a great time! I love reading your blogs. We were supposed to sail on Splendor end of February. Cancelled due to health issues. We did cruise in December on Splendor with some of my “kids”. I agree that when we first boarded, I had tears in my eyes. 
pour next sailing on Regent is November. 
Let’s keep enjoying life and sailing on Regent. 
Sheila
 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

I’ve just had a chance to read your great blog, and appreciate your tips!  I’m looking forward to seeing some photos when you get home, especially in regard to differences between the decor of Splendor vs Explorer, the only ship I know.  Glad you are having such a great time!

 

Joanie

[boblerm]

5 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Hi Bob…

I am late to your party… health issues. So glad you are having a great time! I love reading your blogs. We were supposed to sail on Splendor end of February. Cancelled due to health issues. We did cruise in December on Splendor with some of my “kids”. I agree that when we first boarded, I had tears in my eyes. 
pour next sailing on Regent is November. 
Let’s keep enjoying life and sailing on Regent. 
Sheila
 

Sheila, I am so sorry to hear about your health issues. 

Wishing all the best to you and Herb. 

[boblerm]

5 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

I’ve just had a chance to read your great blog, and appreciate your tips!  I’m looking forward to seeing some photos when you get home, especially in regard to differences between the decor of Splendor vs Explorer, the only ship I know.  Glad you are having such a great time!

 

Joanie

Joannie thank you, and I want to thank you again for all of the time and effort that you put into your wonderful trip report on your Explorer cruise, it was a pleasure to read. 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

On 3/13/2022 at 3:46 PM, cruisegal919 said:

A quick note on the outlets - agreed there are too few NA ones, I bring a power strip.  There are 2 that are a bit hidden, my first time on the Explorer, near the end of the cruise I realized there is one more under each of the bedside tables in the concierge and superior suites, this is in addition to the USB ones on the wall above.

 

Well, we managed to miss those on our recent cruise!  Thank you for posting this tip.  We are on the Splendor next and I will be sure to look for the secret ones!  They will make the next trip a little easier!

[boblerm]

 

Last night was the special Seven Seas Society event for gold and above members. It seems to me that in the past, these events had something truly special about them, but I can't say that this was the case last night. The previous night, at the "regular" SSS event, the CD spoke briefly, and we were entertained by the female lead singer. Caviar was being served. Last night, the future cruise consultant spoke briefly, and we were entertained by the male lead singer. No caviar. Oh well. 

 

We dined at Chartreuse last night. On our previous visits there, we were underwhelmed. But last night, we were thoroughly whelmed. Not sure if that is a word, but you get the idea. 

 

Last night, the Cruise Director, David Nevin, (thank you @flossie009) performed. Absolutely brilliant! I know that not everyone likes to attend the main evening shows, but if you are traveling with David, you might want to make an exception. Trust me on this one.

 

I think that most everyone knows by now that there is a specialty cocktail menu in the Meridian, we haven't really taken advantage of it as we have been mostly hanging out in the Splendor Lounge. We dropped in last night, I tried the Pepper Jack. Very nice drink, but one quibble - it should be accompanied by a mini fire extinguisher. BTW, I am told that the cocktails that are on the Meridian's specialty menu are available only in the Meridian. 

So if you ask for a "Quintessentially British" in the Observation or the Name-of-the-Ship lounge, you are out of luck. 

 

Our last 2 days are at sea. This morning, I was out on the pool deck at 7:45, and there were no, as in zero, loungers in the shade available. 9 of the taken ones had actual human bodies occupying them, the rest just had stuff. 

 

For those to whom it may concern, Truvia, (Stevia) sweetener is available in all of the venues. 

 

For those that are basking in the joy of unlimited laundry, the last load is collected on the second to last day before disembarkation, so no pickup tomorrow. 

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On the subject of power outlets, if you bring converters for the EU outlets, do you still need a power strip? Two phones and a tablet, I suspect will be what we have with us. Perhaps a camera.

[boblerm]

17 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

On the subject of power outlets, if you bring converters for the EU outlets, do you still need a power strip? Two phones and a tablet, I suspect will be what we have with us. Perhaps a camera.

That should be fine, no need for a power strip in my view. 

[UUNetBill]

13 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

On the subject of power outlets, if you bring converters for the EU outlets, do you still need a power strip? Two phones and a tablet, I suspect will be what we have with us. Perhaps a camera.

Wendy, I bring a 'brick' that I plug into one of the outlets and it gives me like 5-6 USB and USB-C ports to charge phones and tablets.  My camera battery charger is dual-voltage so it just needs an adapter.  This is similar to what I use (the exact one I use is apparently obsolete now) it's worked perfectly for me over the last 8-10 cruises so far:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A074363210CVF70MK2VU5&url=%2FCharger-AtonPWR-Desktop-Charging-Portable%2Fdp%2FB09GYDM573%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fcrid%3DA5U9T7X8OT5O%26keywords%3Dusb-a%2Band%2Busb-c%2Bcharging%2Bstation%2Banker%26qid%3D1647359353%26sprefix%3Dusb-a%2Band%2Busb-c%2Bcharging%2Bstation%2Banker%2Caps%2C64%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1647359353&id=5429406158794053&widgetName=sp_atf

 

Make sure you get the proper balance of USB-A and USB-C ports for your needs.  I also saw one that has short cables and partitions to stand your devices up - looked pretty slick but I haven't tried that one.

 

I bring a charger stand for my phone and Apple Watch, too, so I can use my alarm if I need to.  I really like the ones with the angled watch holder so I can see it at night:

 

https://www.amazon.com/WAITIEE-Wireless-Charger-Charging-Compatible/dp/B082X6N8PD/ref=sxin_25_ac_d_mf_br?ac_md=2-1-V0FJVElFRQ%3D%3D-ac_d_mf_br_br&crid=8UAL1FWDULTC&cv_ct_cx=apple+watch+and+iphone+charging+stand&keywords=apple+watch+and+iphone+charging+stand&pd_rd_i=B082X6N8PD&pd_rd_r=58a4f341-4a78-4b59-b54c-e087881f0ee2&pd_rd_w=hgKQR&pd_rd_wg=xVFcK&pf_rd_p=af56c395-f6ae-4741-98f7-37d0cc7c93ab&pf_rd_r=WTN7Y1DJ793Y1EX70PRR&psc=1&qid=1647359548&sprefix=apple+watch+and+iphone%2Caps%2C103&sr=1-2-ed8a42d3-65f1-4884-a3a2-0dd6e83b6876

 

Of course, that last one isn't necessary if you don't have an Apple Watch.  🙂

[boblerm]

If you read the first post of this thread, as well as other posts that I have done from time to time on this forum, you may know that I am a fan of Kasia and Boogie. I don't mean that I am only a fan of their cruise ship performances, I am an actual fan. In Poland they are known as, "Kasia Skiba I Ja", ("i ja" = "and me" , Boogie presumably being the "me"). I subscribe to their YouTube channel, I have purchased their original music. Boogie writes the music, and Kasia the lyrics. I do not speak a word of Polish, but no matter. They provide the English translations on their channel, but even without the literal translations, just having a sense of what the songs are about is enough for me. I love hearing Kasia's voice, and Boogie's arrangements and presentations are fantastic. The videos that accompany their songs are mesmerizing.

 

 They do not perform their original music on board for obvious reasons; passengers like to hear music that they are familiar with, and generally in a language that they understand. One night, I asked them, (begged them is more like it), to play my favorite of their songs. For the last song of their late set, they graciously did just that. Kasia explained what the song meant, and then they performed it, much the way that they would do in a concert back home. I was so happy to see that the crowd seemed to be really into it, but for me, it was a very special moment, and one that I am likely to remember for some time to come. 

 

One of the few things, maybe the only thing that I miss about mass market cruising is that on the luxury lines, there is often little opportunity to do fast dancing. When we are on the dance floor, we like to work off some calories, and get funky. I imagine that the sight of Bob getting funky is quite a sight to see. But I am OK with that. I gotta believe that when I am dancing with my wife, most people are watching my wife. Also, I am a charter member of the "I Am On Vacation And  Will Probably Never  See  These People Again So Who  Cares  If I  Make  A Fool Of Myself" club, and am entitled to all rights and privileges therein. When I cruise with this duo, I know that there will be ample opportunity for utilizing these. 

 

It goes without saying, (but I'll say it anyway), we all have our own tastes in music, and there is no performing artist that everyone loves. I even met a guy once who didn't like the Beatles. And we all have our own ideas of what we prefer in lounge entertainment. For those who prefer to hear some dulcet tones as background for conversation may prefer other lounge performers. This duo, especially in their late set, provides a full entertainment experience , they do not just play and sing. Kasia  masterfully interacts with the guests, and gets them involved. During their "breaks", when recorded music is being played, she is on the floor, dancing with us. I think that Regent cruisers are very fortunate to have the opportunity to have them perform for us, my only complaint is that they are not able to clone themselves into 4 (soon we will need 5) more, so that we could have them on every ship. 

[boblerm]

26 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Wendy, I bring a 'brick' that I plug into one of the outlets and it gives me like 5-6 USB and USB-C ports to charge phones and tablets.  My camera battery charger is dual-voltage so it just needs an adapter.  This is similar to what I use (the exact one I use is apparently obsolete now) it's worked perfectly for me over the last 8-10 cruises so far:

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/slredirect/picassoRedirect.html/ref=pa_sp_atf_aps_sr_pg1_1?ie=UTF8&adId=A074363210CVF70MK2VU5&url=%2FCharger-AtonPWR-Desktop-Charging-Portable%2Fdp%2FB09GYDM573%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1_sspa%3Fcrid%3DA5U9T7X8OT5O%26keywords%3Dusb-a%2Band%2Busb-c%2Bcharging%2Bstation%2Banker%26qid%3D1647359353%26sprefix%3Dusb-a%2Band%2Busb-c%2Bcharging%2Bstation%2Banker%2Caps%2C64%26sr%3D8-1-spons%26psc%3D1&qualifier=1647359353&id=5429406158794053&widgetName=sp_atf

 

Make sure you get the proper balance of USB-A and USB-C ports for your needs.  I also saw one that has short cables and partitions to stand your devices up - looked pretty slick but I haven't tried that one.

 

I bring a charger stand for my phone and Apple Watch, too, so I can use my alarm if I need to.  I really like the ones with the angled watch holder so I can see it at night:

 

https://www.amazon.com/WAITIEE-Wireless-Charger-Charging-Compatible/dp/B082X6N8PD/ref=sxin_25_ac_d_mf_br?ac_md=2-1-V0FJVElFRQ%3D%3D-ac_d_mf_br_br&crid=8UAL1FWDULTC&cv_ct_cx=apple+watch+and+iphone+charging+stand&keywords=apple+watch+and+iphone+charging+stand&pd_rd_i=B082X6N8PD&pd_rd_r=58a4f341-4a78-4b59-b54c-e087881f0ee2&pd_rd_w=hgKQR&pd_rd_wg=xVFcK&pf_rd_p=af56c395-f6ae-4741-98f7-37d0cc7c93ab&pf_rd_r=WTN7Y1DJ793Y1EX70PRR&psc=1&qid=1647359548&sprefix=apple+watch+and+iphone%2Caps%2C103&sr=1-2-ed8a42d3-65f1-4884-a3a2-0dd6e83b6876

 

Of course, that last one isn't necessary if you don't have an Apple Watch.  🙂

We have with us 2 phones, 2 Kindles and a laptop, and have a few items that need to be plugged in for use. I brought with me a cube like you linked to, but found that I do not need it. I just brought 3 adapters, more than sufficient. 

And I didn't even notice the outlets under the night stands that cruisegal919 mentioned. 

[boblerm]

23 hours ago, Gpilon said:

Bob…..sorry to miss you on this cruise as we board Thursday. Kindly ensure there will be Guinness left onboard that day! Erin go Bragh!

You warned me just in the nick of time as I was just about to finish the last of it. 

You have my personal guarantee that you will have a great time on your cruise! 

[Gpilon]

5 minutes ago, boblerm said:

You warned me just in the nick of time as I was just about to finish the last of it. 

You have my personal guarantee that you will have a great time on your cruise! 

Having lived in Dublin for 5 years, I think it goes without saying that I may down a Guinness or four. It's that "Peter Pan Pledge" thing......

 

[Gpilon]

Negative tests this afternoon. See you Thursday, Splendor for “a” Guinness. 

[ronrick1943]

On 3/14/2022 at 9:46 AM, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Perhaps you've hit on the reason for the subtle change--despite the fact that we know lots now about how this virus transmits, not many people care to touch other people's "stuff" right now.  Least of all the poor, beleaguered staff.  And "putting them aside" would mean on the deck, right?  Which just sounds wrong.

 

I'm one who only likes to pop unto a lounge once in a while on a cruise, but would like to feel like I could--this is a serious issue, and needs to be addressed by the ships in a serious way.  But I'm not sure how. I think a start would be perhaps a set of shelves designed for abandoned articles.

The staff have gloves—-the stuff should be remove after 30 mins.  It’s just people that think to highly of themself and just don’t care about others that leave for breakfast or lunch with plans on retuning after an hour or so………….😳

[Wendy The Wanderer]

12 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

The staff have gloves—-the stuff should be remove after 30 mins.  It’s just people that think to highly of themself and just don’t care about others that leave for breakfast or lunch with plans on retuning after an hour or so………….😳

I agree.  But they need some space to put the "stuff", like shelves or cubbies (like kindergarten!)--they can't just dump the stuff on the deck.

[boblerm]

43 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

I agree.  But they need some space to put the "stuff", like shelves or cubbies (like kindergarten!)--they can't just dump the stuff on the deck.

 

13 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

The staff have gloves—-the stuff should be remove after 30 mins.  It’s just people that think to highly of themself and just don’t care about others that leave for breakfast or lunch with plans on retuning after an hour or so………….😳

The point is moot.  As best as I can tell, there is no longer a "policy" of a 30 minute limit, it is merely a request.  I do not believe that there is any chance of staff removing articles.  Whether any given passenger should be removing other people's stuff, if you want to do it, have at it, you will get no judgement from me.  But I will not.

[fizzy]

It' pretty annoying that even with reduced capacity, this lack of enforcement still goes on. At least once on every cruise I have no problem with dragging a long unattended lounge chair out of the way and replacing it with one that is empty if that's the area we want to sit in. I'm not sure if this is true or not but maybe we aren't tipping the right people. There has been quite an eye opening discussion going for awhile on a Regent FB group about how much tipping is happening. I really had no idea about some of this.

[boblerm]

Last night was Krew Kapers was delightful as always. Each and every performance received a loud and enthusiastic reaction from the audience. 

 

When we last cruised on Regent, prior to the advent of that-which-shall-not-be-named, Chateaubriand was on the menu, Jeannie had it and said that she thought it was one of the best steaks that she could remember having. We hadn't seen it on the menu so far, so a few nights ago we asked our waiter in CR if it would be on the menu during the cruise. He said that he would check with the chef. When he returned, he said that it would not be a menu item, but that we could special order if it if we chose. So we chose. 

We had it last night and I can describe it in 3 words.  O   M   G.   And how special did we feel to have had the chef prepare it off menu just for us! 

At the 2 tables next to us, there was a large party traveling together that was having a special meal served of Phillipino food. 

That's Regent.

For wine last night, we had the Cashmere Black blend that someone, I can't remember who, mentioned it on a recent trip report. If that individual is perchance reading this, please post here so that I can thank you, we really enjoyed it. 

 

It pains me to say it, but last night's production show, Diamond Run may have been my least favorite production show that I have seen on Regent. Details to follow. 

 

Here was the highlight of our evening - we have been cruising with a remarkable gentleman named Lee who will turn 100 in May. He hangs out in the Splendor lounge every night, and hits the dance floor often putting us youngsters to shame. Last night, Cruise Director David did a little interview with him, at the end of which Lee took to the floor with a group of ladies and showed us how it's done. 

I recorded some of this, and plan on posting it when I get home, as Lee graciously gave me permission to do so. 

 

 

Whatta guy! 

[boblerm]

Around the perphery  of the pool deck there are now daybeds in place of individual loungers. This is nice for couples, but cuts down significantly on the number of people that can be accommodated in this primo area, a poor trade off, IMO. 

 

 

Can anyone recently aboard the Explorer say whether this is the configuration there as well? 

1 hour ago, fizzy said:

It' pretty annoying that even with reduced capacity, this lack of enforcement still goes on

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I do not believe that there is any longer anything to enforce. There are no signs on the deck stating any time limit, ergo, there is no time limit. I think that we will all agree that there should be a time limit, and that it should be strictly enforced. I can only suggest that everyone make it clear on the post cruise survey how they feel about this issue. 

 

Speaking of which - I think that everyone knows by now that the surveys are now done digitally, and that they must be completed prior to disembarkation. I think this is nuts, for example, I was asked to evaluate a production show that I haven't seen, (unless I want to do the survey late tonight, which I do not.)

Also, they would surely get more responses, and better thought out responses if they allowed it to be done within a few days after. I said so in my survey, and hope others do as well. 

[maryogreen]

@boblerm I have just finished reading all your wonderful posts. For some unknown reason, I missed this entire thread! So instead of wishing you a bon voyage, I will wish you safe travels home.😀 I'm so glad you've had a great trip, and I especially loved your advice to "pause for a brief moment and soak in the glory of it all." Looking forward to your trip report post-cruise.

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

[boblerm]

32 minutes ago, maryogreen said:

@boblerm I have just finished reading all your wonderful posts. For some unknown reason, I missed this entire thread! So instead of wishing you a bon voyage, I will wish you safe travels home.😀 I'm so glad you've had a great trip, and I especially loved your advice to "pause for a brief moment and soak in the glory of it all." Looking forward to your trip report post-cruise.

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

Hi Mary,   thanks for your well wishes. Stay tuned, I will be putting up pics after I get home. 

[boblerm]

I posted earlier about a nice quiet corner of the pool deck. I am sitting there now, and there are literally 4 other people here. So apparently, it is a secret area. 

Shhhhhh.... let's just keep it between you and me. 

This spot is nice and quiet and a pleasant place to hang out, but not ideal if you want to swim. In that case, what you can do is to get a lounger in the sun, these are generally no problem to get. Have your swim, dry off in your longer and return to enjoy the quiet. No need to worry about being a hog if you exceed 30 minutes away as you are not keeping anyone from using. 

And no worries - the bar staff does drop by here to take your order, no need to schlep yourself all the way across the pool deck to the bar. Unless, of course, you wish to use this exercise as an excuse to avoid the fitness center 

[boblerm]

I wanted to share some of my thoughts about the Diamond Run production show. It appeared to be a sort of Mission Impossible combined with "To Catch a Thief" theme. I'm pretty sure that there was a story line here, but it eluded me. Something about a jewel heist. 

 

The first 2 songs were not familiar to me, and I couldn't understand the words that they were singing. Perhaps they were setting up the plot. Perhaps not. Dunno. 

 

The choreography, scenery, lighting, and costumes, with a bunch of fast costume changes were fabulous, but that was pretty much all that was. There was one really great high energy beautifully performed number, Arianna Grande's "Bang Bang". That and the finale gave me a flash of what I expect in a Regent production show, the rest I found pretty blah.  Gaga's "Poker Face", I thought was actually bad.

 

There was a very interesting occurrence, when at the beginning of one song, the female singer's mike was out and we could not hear her. After perhaps 2 lines, another cast member sauntered on, handed her a live mike, and sauntered off without breaking character. It was an efficient and classy recovery. 

 

But here's the good news - judging by audience reaction, I think that my opinion may have been in the minority. The cast received a nice ovation with quite a few on their feet, although perhaps not as many as in the other shows.

 

I am posting this in the interest of being an honest reporter, the name of this message board is Cruise   Critic after all. But I am absolutely not advocating that anyone skip this show based on my review. Our tastes in productions may very a lot, you may love it. I would like nothing better than to see someone post something to the effect of, "forget what Bob said about this show, it was great!"