Splendor Transatlantic 04/05/22 - 04/19/22: Crystallized Foodies try out Regent...well cuz

[wcsdkqh]

Obviously the cooking class

[PhD-iva]

8 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

 My husband says he is in Finance and I am in Procurement.  That’s about right!

 

Ha! Love it!

[RetiredandTravel]

20 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

 My husband says he is in Finance and I am in Procurement.  That’s about right!

 

 

 

Your husband has climbed the marital ladder much better than me.  My wife is CEO/CFO and I run waste management. 😔

[pnsnkr]

Day 2 - First sea day aka let's get hammered tonight

 

We aren't morning people.  Definitely not on the first sea day, no way. Nor on the second sea day, or the...; but, more on this later.  So we slept in.  Obviously, we missed the world of wine tasting

 

There's a nice-looking Illy Iperespresso machine in the suite and so it's coffee time.  I should have paid more attention to the demo given by Zahid our wonderful svelte butler, I lost a perfectly good pod to the machine because I didn't close the lid just right.  It has a foldable latch that you need to push down only after closing the lid.  Which I didn't. 

 

In any case, the coffee is just OK and so we've been using it only sparingly ever since.  The room service French-press coffee is a tad better with the Coffee Connection serving the best brews onboard.

 

 

We checked out the Caribbean buffet and fresh grilled fish - yummy! but no sauce? - at the pool grill for lunch.  The pizza was alright, but DW liked it.  The adobo pork dish was delish, the jambalaya was too subtle with the flavors.  The fish fritters were just dough.  I loved the ceviche but DW spat it out.

 

 

We also tried the mango smoothie, wow! My new favorite.

 

 

We ventured out to explore the ship to get our bearings, but ended up basking in its splendor.  Our suite is in an excellent location just close to the forward elevators.  One can't get to Compass Rose from the aft elevators, we found out.  Well, the ship is small enough that it really doesn't matter that much.

 

I played poker at 2:30p and it was quite lively with 10 ppl.  $60 buy-in and the house takes $10 with 2K starting chips and 100-200 blinds for the first half hour. They allow for rebuys in the first half hour and one add-on at the end.  Then the blinds go up every 10 minutes and it quickly becomes a crap shoot. It usually lasts 2hrs with enough time to make the afternoon tea.

 

The afternoon canapes were spring rolls. Meh.  There's way too much to eat that we ended up skipping canapes for the rest of our trip, except for shrimp cocktail one day and that was delicious.

 

 

For dinner, we decided to dine in the balcony.  It was served course by course by Zahid, our fabulous butler.

 

The Alaskan crab salad with guaq and bloody Mary sauce was too one-dimensional and insipid.  The sauce makes for a good picture.

 

The profiteroles with vodka cream and caviar was another miss.  Too much dough, with only the caviar providing any flavor.

 

DW ordered grilled snapper as an appetizer and it was fresh and delicious albeit served lukewarm.

 

We both ordered the lobster and it was really good, but again lukewarm.

 

 

DW had the cake and I ordered the cheese platter. Both were delish, though the cheese may not be fire everyone's liking as a few of them had really strong flavors.  To me, bring it on, I say.

 

We attended the evening entertainment with the orchestra at the Meridian lounge and they were fabulous.  The martinis are amazing and quite creative at the venue and we'd downed three each before the set was over. 

 

And then we headed down  to the Splendor lounge and met with an amazing British couple and had fun conversation.  They don't serve the same martinis, so a round of two of lemon drops until we closed down the joint.  We then retired to our room sufficiently buzzed.

 

 

 

[BBfromCA]

45 minutes ago, pnsnkr said:

I should have paid more attention to the demo given by Zahid our wonderful svelte butler

If it is the same Zahid (see photo), please tell him "hello" from Bill and Matt. We had him as a butler both in 2014 and 2016. He was wonderful!

[pnsnkr]

5 hours ago, BBfromCA said:

If it is the same Zahid (see photo), please tell him "hello" from Bill and Matt. We had him as a butler both in 2014 and 2016. He was wonderful!

Yep, the one and only.  Will do!

 

[dvalentine823]

On 4/13/2022 at 2:28 PM, pnsnkr said:

the carbonara had cream, lotsa cream almost like an alfredo that it overwhelmed the egg part of the dish

Yes! On our December 2021 cruise, I noticed the description in the menu included cream. So I avoided the dish, even though carbonara is one of my favorites. Not sure who the chef is, but everyone knows that a real carbonara never contains cream!

[UUNetBill]

On 4/11/2022 at 5:26 PM, RetiredandTravel said:

 

The only thing more over rated than Texas Bar BQ  are the Dallas Cowboys.   Next time you want some real BARBQ son (ma'am) travel to North Carolina.

I read somewhere that the big blue star on the field isn't their logo - it's a rating!  I don't know if that's true, though...   😂

[purpleally]

On 4/12/2022 at 6:44 PM, Pudgesmom said:

We saw the list in our hotel lobby- 4 buses all leaving at the same time- 11:15.  We grabbed a cab for $20 at 10:45, arrived at the port at 11:00, (boarding time was 11:30) and then proceeded through the check points without waiting.  We sat down in the terminal for about 5-10 minutes and then about 15 stations were opened for check in. The process took less

than 1/2 hour. Thanks to those here who suggested a cab.

You were smart.  Worth every penny to not take the free (included) transfers

[Smbruner]

5 minutes ago, purpleally said:

You were smart.  Worth every penny to not take the free (included) transfers

Did you take your luggage with you or have it picked up to be taken to the ship with Regent?

 

[Smbruner]

Can someone on board please post a picture of the complementary wines available on board the Splendor?  Thank you!

 

[Pudgesmom]

5 hours ago, Smbruner said:

Did you take your luggage with you or have it picked up to be taken to the ship with Regent?

 

We had it picked up. Then we told the guy in the lobby we would not be on the bus. The luggage goes in a separate vehicle.

[pnsnkr]

6 hours ago, Smbruner said:

Can someone on board please post a picture of the complementary wines available on board the Splendor?  Thank you!

 

 I was gonna get to it, but here you go

 

 

[Smbruner]

3 minutes ago, Pudgesmom said:

We had it picked up. Then we told the guy in the lobby we would not be on the bus. The luggage goes in a separate vehicle.

Perfect - I think we will do that to board in Barcelona.  Great tip!

[pnsnkr]

Day 3 - second sea day aka the pause after party night

 

A lazy start, just like all other sea days to come.  The Passages alerted us that we were straddling the Bermuda Triangle, dedicating the frontpage to this "mythical section of the Atlantic Ocean.'  Would a ghost ship appear abruptly from within the wispy fog bank?  Would I be able to beat the rest of the cruisers and the ship crew to lay claim to it? That said, Hollywood reminds us that nothing good ever comes out of a ghost ship in the triangle, so time to put that thought to rest.

 

It is also time to put some food in the tummy.  It's American BBQ theme at the pool grill. Ugh! So, off we went to the La Veranda.

 

Is it possible to get some fresh squeezed juice during lunch? But, of course!

 

 

Have I mentioned that Regent does amazing shrimp? Not a tall order but other cruise lines have botched this up.  How about some shrimp brochette as well? Why not?  The gravlax was delicious too and the fresh grilled fish.  But, no sauce again?  They also served mahi mahi but it was utterly dry .  The rest of the plate was just so-so.

 

 

Lunch overall was definitely a winner.  And, we got to enjoy some sun as well.

 

We then headed down to Deck 5, walked around the promenade and took the long way to the coffee connection.  Tijana the barista, is a bundle of joyous energy and always fun to strike a conversation.

 

 

Afternoon tea - always a white-glove event - was cup cake.  Not sure why it is held in the Meridian lounge, we'd have preferred it in the observation lounge like what Crystal used to do.  It is right opposite the Coffee Connection so one could make an afternoon coffee event out of it, I suppose.  But Crystal tea is no match for how Regent does it, with only their Mozart tea theme done with flair.

 

There's a wide variety of tea on offer, all from single-serve packets.  If you wish to try more than one, get them upfront as I didn't see them coming around for a second serving.  There's plenty of hot water for more than a cup.  Time to taste us a few cupcakes.

 

They were all delicious except the chocolate one that had a rock-hard frosting but it was mostly uncooked dough. They also have sandwiches and other goodies served table side.  They were OK.

 

 

Dinner was back at Sette Mari for more alfresco dining.  The service was a bit slow and that didn't help as we wanted to catch the Divos and Divas show.  The food was mostly tasty except my lamb chops were over cooked and had to send it back. The filet was perfect.  We also wanted to taste the canolli and it took a while to be delivered since they were fresh out of it and had to get more from the galley.  They were OK, too much breading.

 

Regent has some of the best plate settings

 

 

Just the Parmesan cheese and the awesome zucchini chips

 

These cured fish dishes were both amazing

 

Well, it's pasta

 

The soup was tomato basil.  It had tomato and it tasted of basil.

 

The ravioli was a bit undercooked but still tasty

 

The filet was cooked just right.  Yummy.

 

The overcooked stone slabs

 

Regent's take on canolli

 

The Divos and Divas show was quite entertaining - no pictures or videos allowed - especially the divas.  

 

And we retired for the night with not a sip of alcohol for the day - shocking!

 

 

[pnsnkr]

On 4/14/2022 at 2:30 PM, BBfromCA said:

If it is the same Zahid (see photo), please tell him "hello" from Bill and Matt. We had him as a butler both in 2014 and 2016. He was wonderful!

 

I showed him the pics and he instantly recognized you.  He says, Hi!

 

 

[Gilly]

Same Zahid!  Curacao on board Mariner 2014 😉

 

[RetiredandTravel]

Thanks for the wine list.  Very underwhelming list of Reds at Compass Rose. If I'm looking correctly several are <$10.

[docmark]

2 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

Thanks for the wine list.  Very underwhelming list of Reds at Compass Rose. If I'm looking correctly several are <$10.

Where do you see the wine list?

[cwn]

3 minutes ago, docmark said:

Where do you see the wine list?

Post #38 above.

[docmark]

Thanks  cwn

---To Retiredand Travel: In our recent Explorer cruise, we tried different Red wines available and found Cline Cashmere very pleasant and acceptable, couple other ones also OK. 

--The prices on "wines for purchase" were very reasonable, FYI

 

[RetiredandTravel]

6 minutes ago, docmark said:

Thanks  cwn

---To Retiredand Travel: In our recent Explorer cruise, we tried different Red wines available and found Cline Cashmere very pleasant and acceptable, couple other ones also OK. 

--The prices on "wines for purchase" were very reasonable, FYI

 

 

Yeah Raymond also makes a decent cab for the price but I sort of hope for more.   

 

Out of curiosity did they have the Chateauneuf du Pape or the higher end Bordeaux in Chartreuse?

 

You are correct the wines for purchase are very reasonable, I should probably quit whining and add buying a bottle every night into the cost.

 

Hope you enjoyed your trip

 

[ronrick1943]

21 hours ago, Smbruner said:

Perfect - I think we will do that to board in Barcelona.  Great tip!

That is the only way to get to the ship-easy and comfortable.

[pnsnkr]

Day 4 - Bermuda, the fishhook

 

We woke up at too-early O'clock so we could have breakfast in the room before our cruise inclusive sightseeing tour, both of which are our firsts on Regent.  Let's see how these go.

 

Breakfast was promptly served and setup in our balcony by our fab butler, what time does he wake up looking all so fresh and energetic this early?!

 

We'd twice ordered room-service breakfast on our Crystal Nassau B2B cruise and it was a dreary affair both times with the driest omelette and four tiny pieces of sorry looking potatoes.  Regent's gotta be a tad better at least, right?

 

 

Regent aced it, the omelette was fluffy, moist and hot, fresh squeezed juice, fresh juicy fruits except for the pineapples, soft fresh croissants and French press coffee.  Need to remember to order more hash browns next time.

 

We were still cruising near the northern shores and watched the pilot come onboard.

 

Bermuda sits a fishhook shaped archipelago on the rim of an extinct volcano that rises 15K feet from the ocean floor, so there are natural barriers protecting the islands all around from a naval invasion save for a narrow channel in the north.  We were to navigate these waters on our way to the Naval Shipyard at the tip of the fishhook.

 

 

We made our way to the Constellation theatre at the designated time and waited for just over half-an-hour before our tour number was called.  Bermuda COVID protocols once we left the ship involved wearing masks indoors and during transit.  We were asked to carry out vaccine cards but nobody checked.  Our tour was the Scenic Southern shores and so involved sitting in the 6-passenger taxi van soaking in the scenery down the narrow two-lane road for most of the trip.  

 

 

First stop was in Hamilton for half-an-hour shopping and sight seeing.

 

 

Bought a t-shirt, coffee mug and off we went to our next stop, the pink sand beach, not so pink today.

 

 

And then the Gibbs lighthouse where we were afforded a panoramic view so we can take a grainy washed out picture of our ship

 

 

One more stop at an overlook but none of us wanted to get out, so pictures from inside the van. Staying Classy.

 

We then took the long way back, driving through back alleys with our guide painting a detailed passionate picture of the life on the islands.  She was very proud of Bermuda, rightfully so.  Such a charming lady!

 

 

We requested to be dropped off at the wharf so we could have lunch and libation before getting back onboard.  DW had already scoped out the right joint for the occasion, The Frog and Onion Pub where we enjoyed a delicious fish and chips and local brew

 

 

 

 

We crawled out way back to the ship well in time to break open a bottle of bubbles to watch the sail away.  We miss Crystal sail aways with "It's a wonderful world" piped over the speakers.  On our balcony in Splendor, it was a quiet affair as we waved goodbye to the Dockyard, sipping champagne; still not bad, eh?

 

 

The day before, though barely making the 24-hr cutoff, we'd requested our butler for special Indian dinner to be served in the balcony tonight.  And it promptly arrived at the designated time.  Legend has it that our Captain keeps time by referring to the pocket watch carried by Zahid.

 

What awaited us was a feast more so than a dinner spread.  It was all quite delicious.  We didn't order dessert but Zahid surprised us with carrot halwa.  DW doesn't like Indian sweets cuz well they are "cloyingly sweet" but this halwa was just right that she cleaned it up.

 

Regent's take on mulligatawny soup.  Lentils churned to a creamy broth.  I liked it, DW didn't 

 

Samosa and pakora apps with mint and tamarind chutney, yummy!

 

The naans were of the pre-packaged kind and tasted just as awful.  The papads were good.

 

Tikka masala, lamb curry, and chicken curry.  The Tikka masala was the star of the show.

 

Tonight's entertainment was standup comedy by Tony Daro, it was hilarious.

 

Just before curtains up.

 

After the show, we headed over to the nearby Splendor lounge for an evening with Cassia and Boogie.  Quite the entertaining duo.

 

We retired for the night, looking forward to our first ocean crossing on a cruise.  

[pnsnkr]

Day 5 - The crossing begins

 

There was a steady low-pitched rocking overnight indicating that the Captain had spooled up the crank shafts to put some distance away from Bermuda and pointing towards our next stop, Ponta Delgado.

 

Woke up the next day to find out that the Captain had chosen a much southerly route, cruising due east from Bermuda. We'll be taking the long route for the crossing.  The swells were a steady 6-8 ft from the north that would gently rock the ship.  The seas were otherwise calm, nary a white cap.  No need to break open our stash of scopolamine patches. Yet.

 

The Passages boasted of Saturday Marys ( 7 - 10a; too early for us ), an Asian buffet, afternoon tea with brownies and a Hennessey tasting event ($89 per guest.). I do enjoy the occasional cognac but passed on the event.

 

None of these sounded appealing so we headed to Prime 7 for lunch.  Regent does this better than Crystal by having two specialty restaurants open for lunch on sea days.  A few of the daily special menu items are repeated in all venues and they each have their own regular menu on top.

 

We got there just after 12 and were promptly seated by the window.  

 

We shared the quesadilla and the beef empanada for apps.  The quesadilla was the bomb, really tasty albeit an unusual offering at a French restaurant.  The empanada was quite good as well.

 

 

DW had the salad while I opted for the hot and sour soup.  The soup wasn't all that good, more watery than gelatinous.

 

 

For the main, I had the Asian salmon with sesame seeds and DW had the mustard glazed salmon.  Both were perfectly cooked medium and delicious.

 

We got the sampler tray for dessert.  Key lime pie was the standout, with the rest ranging from good to blah.

 

 

 

 

Cappuccino after lunch saved us a trip to the coffee connection, served in a cool looking cup.  What if you are left-handed?  They don't have one for lefties, so I tried it with the other hand and am glad to report that it didn't feel awkward. To a righty.

 

 

We headed over to the sports deck for a round of putt-putt golf. I lost miserably to the DW by a few strokes. 

 

I played poker in the afternoon while DW was preparing the laundry to be sent out.  I caught this flash-mob class right across from the casino in the Splendor lounge.  They were having a ton of fun

 

 

Dinner tonight was at Chartreuse, stopped by the Meridian lounge for pre-dinner cocktail.  The spicy and passion ( it's an adjective and a noun! ) was superlative.

 

 

Our first signature restaurant dinner of the cruise ( apparently all venues are specialty with three signature restaurants ) so let's see what's in offer.

 

The light fixtures on the ship are just over the top.

 

Elegant yet understated plate setting reminds us of the venue

 

 

A bit of Paris on the table

 

It's showtime.  Les hors d'oeuvres were the escargots Chartreuse style for the DW and Steak tartare et caviar for me.  They were both delicious.

 

The escargot isn't the typically tub of garlic and butter with something chewy floating in the middle

 

 

Some of the finest I've ever had.

 

I had the lobster bisque and DW had the mushroom soup.

 

The bisque had choke full of lobster flavor bursting out of it but not a lot of cream. I really enjoyed this rendition.

 

The mushroom soup was heavenly

 

For the main, filet for DW and lamb chops for me.  We also got a side order of baked lobster but it was horrible, so we didn't eat it after a bite.

 

The lamb was cooked perfectly to medium rare, the chickpea fritters was interesting

 

DW enjoyed her filet though it was cut thinner than usual.

 

The yucky lobster 

 

Petite fours before dessert

 

DW had the Lemon Bavarian cream.  Nothing memorable as she can't remember from the picture.

 

A French restaurant, so of course I had the cheese platter.  Delectable stinky cheese. Ate all of it.

 

 

The entertainment for the night was Diamond run, and Sinatra & martinis.  Not for us, so we called it a night.