Live report - Splendor June 21 - July 8

[irishwitchy]

On the ship!  Flight was delayed from Newark to Frankfurt because it was oversold and bags had to be removed.  United was offering $2500 to get off, a free flight the next day, hotel room for 10 people to get off.   Wish, we could have done that!   We get to Frankfurt and the line to get to our gate and immigration was a mess, but we had lots of time.   On to Copenhagen,  needed to get on little bus, wait on bus, flight leaves late - however the one hour flight serves a nice shrimp lunch which was much better than anything United tried to feed us.  Grab luggage and a taxi to the Marriott.  Regent and hotel checkin was painless.  
 

I had made a dinner reservations at a lovely restaurant called Host.   Lots of plants and fantastic food.   Walk by Tivoli Gardens, but it has been a long day and my husband missed up his back before the trip, so back to the hotel and some sleep. 
 

The bus shows up and it’s a double decker - we head up the stairs and grab the seats in the front.  That was a great vantage point when the Mercedes van started to backup and hit the bus.   Everyone was fine, watching both drivers exchange paperwork was fun.  On to the ship.  No issue with Walgreens NAAT fast test paperwork.   We than discover our cabin was changed,  not that anyone told us.   I did confirm once we were on the ship, it was the same category  - not sure why they couldn’t have set me an email to tell me this.  Hence my luggage has the incorrect room on them and I’m close to the elevator which I didn’t want.  Hoping for the best on this.

 

At checkin they also gave me someone else’s Id.  I realized before we stepped on the ship.  My husband’s was fine, but he was now sleeping with someone with same first name as mine and a different last name 😏😏.  Had something to eat and drink and waiting on the pool deck for the room to be ready.    

[mj_holiday]

Thanks for telling us about your trip.  Will be anxious to read about your days onboard.

Was your test from Walgreens USA the only test for COVID you needed to get on the ship? 

[1982CruzStart]

Have a great trip. Looking forward to your cruise reports. 

[mrstanley]

Irishwitchy: 

 

We r flying from Atlanta to Frankfurt on

United/Lufthansa 

 

We have a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt.

Hopefully plenty of time.

 

 

[mrstanley]

What size suitcase were u able to take on the flight from Frankfurt to Copenhagen?

[DaveFr]

59 minutes ago, mrstanley said:

What size suitcase were u able to take on the flight from Frankfurt to Copenhagen?

Lufthansa will just check your luggage through to Copenhagen. So whatever suitcases you can take from Atlanta to Frankfurt will just continue on automatically to Copenhagen. It might be different if you were staying in Frankfurt for more than 24 hours.

 

Dave

[mrstanley]

Hi Dave,

We like to take a carry on piece with us onboard the plane.

We check thru our large bag. We take a carryon plus a tote bag for drugs and toiletries on board. Been traveling this way in Business Class for many years.

 

 

[RetiredandTravel]

We had independent tickets on Lufthansa from Munich to Berlin 3+ weeks ago, we were way down in priority and in coach because they were independent tickets.  We had no problem with 2 normal sized carry ons and the plane was full.  I would guess your next leg is first so you should have no problem if they are normal sized.

 

Unless its a much smaller plane of course.

Edited June 21, 2022 by RetiredandTravel

[ronrick1943]

Well, with all that going with your trip-it can only get better.  Enjoy your cruise, looking forward to reading more.

[Gilly]

Glad you're on board @irishwitchy!  I smiled when I read you'd dined at Host because in about a month's time, on the night before we board Navigator in Copenhagen, @briar14 and I will be there too!  Great choice of restaurant 😎

 

Here's hoping all the mix up is resolved and that  your cruise will soon begin in the style you'd like it to continue!  Thanks for taking us along - we're with you in spirit 🎉

[briar14]

40 minutes ago, Gilly said:

Glad you're on board @irishwitchy!  I smiled when I read you'd dined at Host because in about a month's time, on the night before we board Navigator in Copenhagen, @briar14 and I will be there too!  Great choice of restaurant 😎

 

Here's hoping all the mix up is resolved and that  your cruise will soon begin in the style you'd like it to continue!  Thanks for taking us along - we're with you in spirit 🎉

And Briar14 and DH are looking forward to it!

[jeb_bud]

11 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

 We get to Frankfurt and the line to get to our gate and immigration was a mess, but we had lots of time.  

Irishwitchy,

 

We'll be on the July 8 Copenhagen to Stockholm cruise.  We will also connect in Frankfurt, with Lufthansa but we won't have lots of time.  When we originally booked our air we had a reasonable connection time but after some equipment and schedule changes as the months went by we now have just a little over an hour to connect.  

 

The last time we flew through FRA  we could have made a one hour connection but it was pre-COVID and homeward bound from Venice to SFO, so no Customs and Immigration.  

 

Did you need to collect your luggage in FRA and re-check to COP, or was it checked through all the way from EWR to COP?

 

Thinking back I can't remember a time when I didn't fly from a US airport direct to my final destination in Europe.  I know I've had to take my luggage through Customs in the US before re-checking to my final destination  but Europe?

[RachelG]

Great to hear you are onboard and will be following.

[wcsdkqh]

You will definitely need to go thru customs/immigration. Not sure about luggage. Regardless, you will be cutting it extremely close with only an hour. Good luck.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

10 hours ago, mrstanley said:

Irishwitchy: 

 

We r flying from Atlanta to Frankfurt on

United/Lufthansa 

 

We have a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt.

Hopefully plenty of time.

 

 

We only have 90 minutes for that layover. Plenty of later flights though.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

5 hours ago, Gilly said:

Glad you're on board @irishwitchy!  I smiled when I read you'd dined at Host because in about a month's time, on the night before we board Navigator in Copenhagen, @briar14 and I will be there too!  Great choice of restaurant 😎

 

Here's hoping all the mix up is resolved and that  your cruise will soon begin in the style you'd like it to continue!  Thanks for taking us along - we're with you in spirit 🎉

 

Gilly,

 

I was just thinking of making a reservation for June 22! Do you want company?

 

Just noticed you already have @briar14 joining you. Would 6 be too crowded?

Martha

Mjjvance@msn.com 

Edited June 22, 2022 by 2012_Alaska_bound

[GOARMY]

jeb-bud:

 

Based on our Frankfort-Barcelona transfer in late 2021 (following leaving USA from SEATAC via Lufthansa; and a connecting Lufthansa hop to Barcelona):  

 

A little over an hour lay-over at Frankfort is, indeed, cutting it very-very CLOSE. Hope your incoming flight arrives early.  The only issue with check-in luggage is whether ground crew can make the belly to belly plane transfer.  You will not see same until final destination.  

 

But, Yes, you will go through a routine Customs/Passport checkpoint.  BTW:  at that checkpoint--we had to show our COVID-19 Immunization records.  But, we had to show same at SEATAC before Lufthansa would allow boarding in the first place.  Perhaps things are different now.  

 

We planned this itinerary utilizing Regent Air to allow arrival at Barcelona one-day before Explorer's departure.  Thus, Concierge.  Worst-case scenario:  getting stuck at Frankfort.  Regent would be responsible for that night; and next-day early Lufthansa flight to Barcelona. This was not necessary in our case.  Scheduled lay-over was 2.25 hours.  Plane arrived about 20 minutes early.  

 

We had time to spend about an hour in a nice Lufthansa Lounge before departing to Barcelona.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

[Gilly]

10 hours ago, briar14 said:

And Briar14 and DH are looking forward to it!

Hehe, I did make it sound as though it was you and I who had a date, didn't I Jan ?!  I might have added that our Heroes are looking forward to their evening in our delightful company too  🥰   (the great food on the menu has nothing to do with it of course)

[Gilly]

@2012_Alaska_bound I'll drop you an email!

[irishwitchy]

Hi, folks.  To answer a few questions.  We checked two bags and they were sent straight to Copenhagen.  We also had a standard carry on, that fit just fine on the plane.   I should mention, getting off and on the connecting flights in Frankfurt,  there was a flight of stairs - so heads up! 

 

 

Did have a couple of requests for the room that were resolved this morning.   Asked for club soda, got seltzer - one bottle of water isn’t going to work for me - so now we have two and they are in the refrigerator.  I like cold water 🙂.   Asked for Hendricks Gin and we got it, but it was one of their weird floral flavors, so make sure you request the plain/original one.

 

We had a lovely dinner last night in Chartreuse.  We sat in the very back and that was perfect for the sail away!  I won’t go into lots of detail about food,  but the mushroom soup and Dover sole hit the spot.   We than went to listen to the band and I can see that they still don’t play much music after 1980 -  I would would really like to see that start to change.  
 

Skipped breakfast and did a tour this morning in Gothenburg, Sweden.  Guide was very talkative and not in a great way.   We did get about 30 minutes alone and grabbed some fish and chips in the cute seaside town - bonus points the sun also come out.  Off to trivia - wish us luck.   

[NCCruzQueen]

8 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

We than went to listen to the band and I can see that they still don’t play much music after 1980 -  I would would really like to see that start to change.  

 

 

I have been cruising on Regent since 1992.  I finally heard some Rolling Stones and decent classic rock on a Regent ship last year......

[labonnevie]

1 hour ago, NCCruzQueen said:

 

 

I have been cruising on Regent since 1992.  I finally heard some Rolling Stones and decent classic rock on a Regent ship last year......

I saw the Stones in concert in, wait for it: 1966!

Just saying that Rolling Stones music doesn’t necessarily meet @irishwitchyrequest for post 1980 music 😊

[forgap]

16 minutes ago, labonnevie said:

I saw the Stones in concert in, wait for it: 1966!

Just saying that Rolling Stones music doesn’t necessarily meet @irishwitchyrequest for post 1980 music 😊

Flash from the past…..Stones - 1969 at Boston Gardens…also Janis Joplin in some Theater in Boston, slugging whiskey.  Those were the days! 

[NCCruzQueen]

24 minutes ago, labonnevie said:

I saw the Stones in concert in, wait for it: 1966!

Just saying that Rolling Stones music doesn’t necessarily meet @irishwitchyrequest for post 1980 music 😊

@labonnevie,  I was simply letting irishwitchy know the pace that Regent music changes.

 

There were many, many years of 40s music I had to endure……….

[irishwitchy]

Yesterday, our trivia team tied for first place!   I got the bonus which was what does 1969, The comical strip Peanuts and a log pile have in common - correct.  Mind you, I was still a child in 1969!  
 

Dinner in Compass Rose.  We got seated all the way in the back in a great corner window table - perfect.   After some issues with getting the wine list,  all was resolved and we had nice Spanish tempranillo and the iberico ham and escargot were  perfect with it.   The butter lobster special was also quite good and more important the temperature was correct! My husbands halibut was tasty and slightly over cooked, but everything else was very good.

 

We did watch the Divos and Divas show.  Bruno Mars has made it to the line up with Uptown Funk - go Regent.  Regent may what to work on lead singers that have a more varied background, based on their choices of stars to showcase.  Not that I expect to expect to see Megan thee Stallion up there, but Beyoncé is knocking on the door or Taylor Swift.  However, I did enjoy all of the singers. 
 

We are at Stavanger today, we have been here before.  Unfortunately, we aren’t in town.  So instead of being able to hop off the ship and enjoy the town a 20-30 minute bus ride was needed.  We did not plan well and got stuck on the 2 hour bus ride - the beach was nice looking.  If we could have gotten off the bus and took a walk, that would have been better. Not so good at trivia today.  🙁.  However, I started the day with a very nice massage.   Off to Setti Marti tonight.  The show tonight is titled “Five O’Clock Somewhere”.    Jimmy Buffett?  Nope,  nothing to do with a parrot head.  
 

We go to Bergen tomorrow and believe it or not - the forecast is sunny and 80!   Since we planned our own adventure - taking a private boat to an island for a seafood lunch,  I’m hoping I have good things to write about this.   We are also in port until 11pm,  so  we will be exploring after lunch.  
 

We did hear that the cruise has 380 passengers.