Navigator - Live 8/12/2022 Amsterdam to Barcelona

[mdunne48]

Day 1 / 29 - Amsterdam (embarkation)

 

Welcome back fellow travelers!  We are now onboard the RSSC Navigator. 
 

The embarkation process was painless or at least it seemed so when we were finished. We can’t complain and to spare you the details from leaving the hotel at 11:18 to the pool grill with champagne at 12:10. Yes, painless. 
 

We finished a light lunch at the pool grill and are awaiting our suite to be ready. We are on deck 11 (penthouse) on this portion of our voyage.  Gotta have the butler!!! 
 

This is our first time onboard the Navigator so we are in learning mode. This is also part of a Grand Voyage so things might be slightly different from our “normal” Regent cruises. 
 

Has everyone scoped out the 2024 - 2025 itineraries? I have my favorite!!!

 

Hopefully not much longer for our suite. A quick shower, change of clothes, then off to explore more of Amsterdam. We aren’t leaving Amsterdam until 03:30 am tomorrow morning so we should have a late all aboard time.

 

Until later…..welcome aboard!! 

[papaflamingo]

We were on Navigator from May 28-July 7 (did a B2B that included the first 20 days of the Grand Cruise).  It was an absolutely wonderful cruise (in spite of some rough seas and missed ports).  I absolutely loved the Navigator for it's amazing intimacy and it's outstanding crew.  Will be following your posts (completely envious of course). Hope you have a great cruise.  

Edited August 12, 2022 by papaflamingo

[Travelingwithstyle]

3 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

We were on Navigator from May 28-July 7 (did a B2B that included the first 20 days of the Grand Cruise).  It was an absolutely wonderful cruise (in spite of some rough seas and missed ports).  I absolutely loved the Navigator for it's amazing intimacy and it's outstanding crew.  Will be following your posts (completely envious of course). Hope you have a great cruise.  

Im glad you had a great time.  If you have time can you please tell us what ports you missed.  Thank you. 

[Gilly]

I am very much looking forward to continuing a bit further on Navigator with you, having just arrived home from Amsterdam about an hour ago.  Schipol airport was awful - I can't remember an airport ever being so crowded in every single bit of it!   But, can't complain - our flight left on time and all luggage arrived with us too.

 

Enjoy Amsterdam and Bruges tomorrow.  We loved our day in Ghent.

[Go9ersjrh]

We'll be joining the Navigator in Barcelona for the journey back to New York.  Looking forward to hearing about your trip to Barcelona.

[mdunne48]

50 minutes ago, Gilly said:

I am very much looking forward to continuing a bit further on Navigator with you, having just arrived home from Amsterdam about an hour ago.  Schipol airport was awful - I can't remember an airport ever being so crowded in every single bit of it!   But, can't complain - our flight left on time and all luggage arrived with us too.

 

Enjoy Amsterdam and Bruges tomorrow.  We loved our day in Ghent.

Gilly,

 

First Jean says hello and she will be posting here as well or maybe her own blog. Her and DH, Billy, fantastic people. Jean saw me at the Grand hotel, arm in sling, and we had an immediate connection. 
 

Second, no Bruges!!! We cannot leave Amsterdam until 3:30 tomorrow morning. Therefore will not make Bruges. We have a sea day instead and I will be able to devote some time to collating some photos. 
 

We will continue the saga later today with our Amsterdam adventures. 

[Gilly]

@mdunne48 (and  @liptasticJean and Billy of course!)  how sorry I am that you'll miss Bruges 😞  We didn't make it to Newcastle and had the unscheduled third day in Leith, so I can empathise with you on that.  I'll look forward to more photos and travellers tales then, hope the arm doesn't cramp your style too much and that an extra night in Amsterdam doesn't give you all an opportunity for too much mischief! 🤣

[rcandkc]

We really like Bruges. I’m so sorry. Why the delayed departure?

[rcandkc]

2 minutes ago, rcandkc said:

We really like Bruges. I’m so sorry. Why the delayed departure?

Now, I’m really confused. I just looked at itinerary on Regent and it doesn’t even show Bruges to begin with. What I’m I missing?

[mdunne48]

42 minutes ago, rcandkc said:

Now, I’m really confused. I just looked at itinerary on Regent and it doesn’t even show Bruges to begin with. What I’m I missing?

They cancelled Brugge about a week ago due to the restrictions leaving Amsterdam. Instead of a 8:00 pm departure it is now 4:00 a.m. Has to do with water levels and traffic in their canal system. The captain said we should be passing through the locks around 6:00 a.m. Just in time for the first meeting of the CAWC (central Atlantic walking club).

[rcandkc]

19 minutes ago, mdunne48 said:

They cancelled Brugge about a week ago due to the restrictions leaving Amsterdam. Instead of a 8:00 pm departure it is now 4:00 a.m. Has to do with water levels and traffic in their canal system. The captain said we should be passing through the locks around 6:00 a.m. Just in time for the first meeting of the CAWC (central Atlantic walking club).

That will be good scenery  while walking…but I’d never make it at 6am.  
Thanks for the update. 

[mdunne48]

Day 1 / 29 - Amsterdam (continued)

 

Amsterdam, a city of contrasts. Modern yet old, old but young, reckless yet restrained, vibrant but staid…..where is the heart of today’s Amsterdam? I’m pretty sure we didn’t find it. 

 

We walked and walked and walked over 2 days. Mostly all of this was in the central district of Amsterdam. Therefore our views are probably biased to that particular location.

 

 

Definitely not as pristine as Oslo or any Scandinavian port that we have visited. But definitely cleaner than a NYC or Philadelphia.

 

We walked along the canals and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

 

 

A family enjoying a fabulous day in Amsterdam!!

 

 

For the first time on this journey we experienced crowds. I believe there were more people on the Damrak then there are in Nuuk, Greenland.  We had fun, retail therapy in full swing, lots of head scratching too. There are 3 million people in the Amsterdam area and there are 2 million bikes!!!

 

 

More……everywhere. Not sure how you find your bike. 

 

 

The Sofitel Grand Hotel was extremely beautiful in its own way, part of it fit part didn’t. For example our bathroom had a step UP to enter it. What part of 3:00 a.m. didn’t the designer / architect understand? 

Porte - Cochere

 

 

The courtyard:

 

 

The entrance:

 

 

50 feet or so from the Sofitel there was a “coffee shop” which in The Netherlands is another description of a “weed palace”. These establishments are numerous and spread about throughout old town.

 

 

The clientele:

 

 

Of course Amsterdam is famous for other types of entertainment. We did venture down a few side streets that got the DW’s attention. These “places of business” were right off the Main Streets. (no photos)

 

So what did we think about Amsterdam? It is a growing city. There is an energy about it. The young are overtaking the old. It is a major transportation hub for Europe. Therefore trains, ships, planes, trams, buses, bikes & bikes converge here……..bustling, moving, delivering.

 

The mixture of all is surreal……

 

Its a full moon!!!!

 

Goodnight

 

 

 

[mdunne48]

Day 2 / 30 - At Sea

 

We departed Amsterdam at 04:00. The transit of the canal and locks took 3 hours to complete and reach the North Sea. 

 

The passenger terminal: notice the clog and bull…..

 
 

Soon after leaving the dock we passed a very lively party on shore that was attended by about 100 people.

 

 

It’s a pretty straight forward trip down the 21km length of the canal. Even at this hour of the morning we passed quite a few ships going in the opposite direction. 
 

 

Modern facilities and buildings hug each shoreline.  

 

 

Just about ready for takeoff 🤣🤣

 

 

Dry dock for a cable laying ship??

 

 

 

I was surprised to learn that the locks on this canal have nothing to do with raising or lowering a ship. They are here to keep the salt water from the North Sea from mixing with the fresh water that the canal provides for drinking, irrigation, etc.

 

Sunrise:

 

A different view:

 

 

Entering the locks:

 

 

Locks closing behind the Navigator:

 

 

Lock opening:

 

 

Passing inbound traffic:

 

 

Being towed….

 

 

Out into the North Sea!!!

 

 

More about the Navigator later today.

[mdunne48]

Day 2 / 30 (continued)

 

Sitting outside the Galileo Lounge on the fantail of Navigator. In the past 28 minutes we have passed more ships than I saw in the 28 days we spent on Voyager. 
 

Oceans are big but the English Channel is a bit crowded. 

[liptastic]

As the lovely mdunne and his delightful wife mentioned we are also onboard.  We had a rather lengthy travel to Amsterdam due to unforeseen circumstances at the airport runway. BA really looked after us arranging an alternative carrier for the onward connection to Amsterdam and our wonderful TA and superb Regent team arranged a late arrival private transfer to the Sofitel as mentioned.

A warm welcome from all

onboard.  Excellent service as usual. I saw some of the transit from the port early this morning. Sea day relaxing and lots of new ports ahead for us.

Life is good on the Navigator. 

Ps we sent our luggage ahead to the hotel . Highly recommend this service. This was first time we have done this and it was mainly due to the concerns recently of missing luggage but definitely found this to be  great service 

Jean

[mdunne48]

Oops forgot the photo of our temporary neighbors…

 

 

[papaflamingo]

22 hours ago, Travelingwithstyle said:

Im glad you had a great time.  If you have time can you please tell us what ports you missed.  Thank you. 

We missed Martha's Vineyard,  both Greenland stops (Nuuk and Paamiut), but they added St Pierre a French Island off Eastern Canada, and Akuryri in Iceland, we also missed Eskifjordur, Iceland.  All the missed ports were due to winds and weather.   Regent did a fantastic job of adding St. Pierre and Akuryri, both interesting stops.   Our total cruise was 40 nights and was port intensive.... 32 ports in 40 nights!  So personally I enjoyed the added sea days. 😎

[1982CruzStart]

mdunne, looking forward to your ongoing adventures and pictures. Really enjoyed the last voyage so expecting great things from this one as well. Thank you so much for taking the time to bring us along. 

[mdunne48]

Day 2 / 30 - At Sea (continued)

 

This is our 1st time on the Navigator so we spent a good part of the day exploring. Our feelings are mixed.
 

We love the spaciousness of the corridor to our deck 11 suite and the suite itself is fine. We don’t enjoy the layout of the pool deck with double stacked loungers surrounding the pool. Waking up from a nap with someone’s feet near your face might be disconcerting. The walking track is good but no signage as to the length of a lap. Also few signs are visible when exiting the elevator to confirm the deck you are on. I know minor points….more later after first impressions are a memory. 

 

We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks in Galileo’s .  It was fortunate timing as the ship was passing the White Cliffs of Dover. We enjoyed our wine and canapés 

 

 

Maybe a better photo…

 

Off to Compass Rose (not our favorite version of CR in the Regent fleet). 
 

Outstanding dinner (sorry no photos)

 

DW had a lobster tail paired with a lemon butter sauce. Sides included string beans & mushrooms. Presented and prepared well.
 

I had the Rossini beef. Perfectly prepared medium rare. Foie gras accompaniment along with spinach and mushrooms. We both agreed that it was one of the best dinners we have had on this journey.  I also had a small plate of their version of pasta diavalo. This was excellent. Just the right amount of spice to awaken the taste buds. I found the same dish on the Voyager to be bland. 
 

No desserts for us. We retired to our suite for a movie and nightcap. All in all it was a good sea day aboard the Navigator.

 

Later…..

[2012_Alaska_bound]

6 hours ago, mdunne48 said:

Also few signs are visible when exiting the elevator to confirm the deck you are on.

 

Disembarked the day you boarded. As you can imagine have a lot of withdrawal.

Agree it would be nice to have a deck sign where the elevator doors open! Takes awhile to always look at the elevator display before you get off!

[Borna]

thanks for your great daily trip reports, keep 'em coming.

 

[mdunne48]

Day 3 / 31 - Guernsey, Island / St. Peter

 

We have enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in St Peter Port. It is the capital of Guernsey Island, which is part of the Channel Islands. Approximately 20,000 live in the capital. The day is overcast with mild temperatures in the upper 60’s or low 70’s. Perfect for touring!!! 

 

Guernsey is a self-governing British crown dependency. The island is much closer to France than to England. Over centuries its has changed spheres of influence between the French and the English and was occupied by the Germans during WWII. According to our guide there is a local language based upon French. However, English is spoken everywhere and they drive on the wrong side of the road 🤣🤣🇳🇴.

 

NICE!!!

 

 

Our guide today for our walking tour to Castle Cornet and downtown St Peter Port was Olga, a Russian emigre who has called Guernsey home for 20 years. She was very competent and had excellent language skills. What shined through the most though was her love of Guernsey. Everything she described was as it were her own history. 
 

 

Castle Cornet or 800 years of stone by the water…….It doesn’t look like much from the ship but when you are inside the fortress it is quite imposing. Started in the 13th century and added to it through WWII you can feel the history here. The 2-foot thick stone walls speak of sieges. The battle mounts and cannons cry out continuously along the upper palisade. 
 

 

 

However inside it was life not death. There was a church, hospital, barracks, and all the necessities of life in whatever century you were living here.
 

What impressed me most are today’s gardens tended to by current day volunteers. They are truly beautiful.

 

An English garden:

 

 

General Lambert’s garden:

 

 

The castle lost its central tower in an explosion of gunpowder in 1672. The tower landed intact on another island in the harbor about 1 1/2 miles away.

 

 

No only kidding 🤣🤣…..as you can see this area is dotted with small spits of land.

 

Quite a few people perished in that accident in 1672. Our guide was not sure of the total but it changed quite a bit in St Peter Port. For one, the principal home for the island’s chief executive was moved to the mainland. 
 

Besides the castle we toured the downtown area. There was an arts and craft fair going on which drew a lot of people. Besides Regent there was the P&O Emerald in port as well. 
 

I’m sure we didn’t do the town justice but we only had a few hours after or tour to explore. 
 

Loved these begonias:

 

 

The crowds:

 

 

Central St Peter Port:
 

 

 

[mdunne48]

Day 3 / 31 (continued)

 

On the tender back to navigator: 3 masted schooner 

 

We had another excellent dinner in Prime 7. I had the surf and turf. I have learned to order the lobster slightly under-cooked. You know it is done perfectly when you do not need any type of sauce / butter to accompany the dish. The filet was also excellent.

 

DW had the small plate of lamb chops prepared and presented perfectly. 
 

No desserts again.

 

Yes, today I will remember my phone to take the proper pictures, SORRY.

 

Here was our goodbye last night.

A second peek.

 

 

a
 

 

 

 

[mdunne48]

Day 3 / 31 (final)

 

Mr. Foghorn showed up again last night, all night. Right after taking the sunset pictures above the sea became a blanket of down. It was super thick and ALL the foghorns were very loud. We must of had a half dozen ships within hailing distance. UGH!!!!
 

 

[Guerncruising]

@mdunne48 So glad that you enjoyed our little island and that the weather was kind to you (it was very hot the previous day). Nice to see the Navigator anchored in the Russel.