GeorgiaPeach Sails the Atlantic on Navigator

[UUNetBill]

20 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Can you have a crush on a cruise line? ❤️❤️

We do.  We've been infatuated since 2009.  🙂

[Ladys Mom]

2 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

They are providing a similar ( same?) tour for those of us staying onboard for the next segment.  Never been to Montreal so we decided to sign up for it.

Montreal is a beautiful city.  This is a great time of year to visit.  Mitch’s Mom was from there.  Have fun.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Good morning.  Sunny day, chilly, but a good day to see Sydney.  Yesterday was Halifax.  Lovely city.  We had a bus tour to Peggy’s Cove, a preserved fishing village.  Our tour guide was wonderful…funny, super informative.  It was actually nice to be on the bus seeing the scenic views.  Once there we could walk down to the lighthouse, stroll around the town, and at the end, have gingerbread with either lemon sauce or whipped cream, yes or coffee.  We set with some nice couples from England and they loved the gingerbread.  I’m just not a fan of ginger stuff, but I’ll take their word for it.

 

Boy, it was blowing a gale and all of us on the buses were hunkered down in our jackets while the hearty woman directing the bus parking was wearing, holy cow, just long pants and a tee shirt.  Good grief.  I enjoyed the low key trip.  Charming. I did ponder how cold it must be in the dead of winter with the wind and no trees.  In comparison yesterday’s 50ish must seem balmy in comparison.  Photos below.

 

Our tour today was to Alexander Graham Bell’s home, but we got a notice that the home is closed and we can view the outside.  So, we cancelled the tour and will see what Sydney is like on foot just to get off the ship and get some exercise.

 

We had dinner with friends in prime 7 last night.  Just a perfect dinner.  I have to say that it was one of the most perfect steaks I’ve ever had.  Then we visited the casino and politely gave back the money the slots loaned us the night before.  Trivia and the Mensa worksheet are earlier today and I find that more of a struggle….my eyes see scrambled words and they just stubbornly stay that way.  Ties my brain in a big ole knot.  When I do them later in the day my brain cells are much more willing to engage.  
 

A few ship observations.

Wish there were more outlets in the suite.

Ship staff and crew are uniformly wonderful and charming.

Goldilocks wishes for more seating that is cushy.

I’m not bothered by the vibration.  When she starts I think, “Go, girl!  You can do it!  Get ‘er done!”

I like the ambience of Compass Rose on this ship better than the ones on Splendor and Explorer.

What seems cluttered and sometimes cramped at first has now become…cosy.

I have yet to hear a passenger become rude to a ship employee.  Everyone just plays together nicely and there is an easy camaraderie between staff and guests.  Lovely.

more in a minute

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

[GeorgiaPeach51]

[Techno123]

1 hour ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

I have yet to hear a passenger become rude to a ship employee.  Everyone just plays together nicely and there is an easy camaraderie between staff and guests. 

 

Being rude to employees is just not on and is a sign of very poor manners so I am glad you have not observed that GP. It is a sad indictment of our times that so many places I visit nowadays from shops to banks to doctors surgeries have had to put up signs reminding people that 'bullying' the staff is not acceptable 😢

[Jlhalldc]

Thank you for your awesome daily review...it's a real highlight for us land-lubbers. Quick questions. There's a rumor on the FB site that Ray Solaire is "retiring." I suspect he's going on vacation, but thought you'd know. He's such a fixture on Navigator..."how do you doooooooo?"

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

@Jlhalldc I have heard nothing but I will put ears to ground and see what I can find out.

[rcandkc]

8 minutes ago, Jlhalldc said:

Thank you for your awesome daily review...it's a real highlight for us land-lubbers. Quick questions. There's a rumor on the FB site that Ray Solaire is "retiring." I suspect he's going on vacation, but thought you'd know. He's such a fixture on Navigator..."how do you doooooooo?"

 

Oh, I hope not. He’s our favorite. 

[cwn]

4 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Good morning………  

 

A few ship observations.

Wish there were more outlets in the suite.

Ship staff and crew are uniformly wonderful and charming.

Goldilocks wishes for more seating that is cushy.

I’m not bothered by the vibration.  When she starts I think, “Go, girl!  You can do it!  Get ‘er done!”

I like the ambience of Compass Rose on this ship better than the ones on Splendor and Explorer.

What seems cluttered and sometimes cramped at first has now become…cosy.

I have yet to hear a passenger become rude to a ship employee.  Everyone just plays together nicely and there is an easy camaraderie between staff and guests.  Lovely.

….

 

 Now you know why we were so happy to get back on the Navigator after 17 days in the Splendor this past Dec.

We love to eat in the CR three meals a day……that is luxury for us. The Navigator’s CR ambience is so much better than the Splendor’s. We did not like having to eat in a different venue each day with a different serving staff. They never got to know us or our preferences. Or CR with its high ceilings.

Agree with you about softer chairs, that is a big problem on all Regent ships also many chairs are too low the the ground.

We always have two dinning room chairs placed in our room so we can get up and down with ease.

The Navigator staff are the best and work together so well! Bigger and fancier is not always better!

[Aloha 1]

6 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, the dilemma. Lobster roll or smoke meat ( corned beef in the USA).

[Kwaj girl]

4 hours ago, Jlhalldc said:

Thank you for your awesome daily review...it's a real highlight for us land-lubbers. Quick questions. There's a rumor on the FB site that Ray Solaire is "retiring." I suspect he's going on vacation, but thought you'd know. He's such a fixture on Navigator..."how do you doooooooo?"

 

 

He is not retiring.  Leaving 5/31 for vacation but will be back later this year until November,  so is not scheduled to be onboard for Christmas/ New Years.  I asked him yesterday, so...that's as recent as it is.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Kwaj girl

[labonnevie]

Quintessential Peggy’s Cove pictures!

But what happened to the lighthouse?

[labonnevie]

Oh... there it is!

[RELS]

2 hours ago, Aloha 1 said:

smoke meat ( corned beef in the USA)

 

Not the same! Montreal smoked meat completely different from corned beef. Smoked, not brined. It's closer to pastrami, but still not quite the same.

 

If I had a stop in Montreal, I'd skip all ship excursions and stand in line at Schwartz's Deli for a medium-fat smoked meat sandwich. On rye (sourdough! The heathens! At least they don't put *shudder* mayonnaise on it ). 🤤

[Jlhalldc]

2 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

He is not retiring.  Leaving 5/31 for vacation but will be back later this year until November,  so is not scheduled to be onboard for Christmas/ New Years.  I asked him yesterday, so...that's as recent as it is.

Good news. Thanks for checking. Always glad to shut down incorrect info. 

[Aloha 1]

42 minutes ago, RELS said:

 

Not the same! Montreal smoked meat completely different from corned beef. Smoked, not brined. It's closer to pastrami, but still not quite the same.

 

If I had a stop in Montreal, I'd skip all ship excursions and stand in line at Schwartz's Deli for a medium-fat smoked meat sandwich. On rye (sourdough! The heathens! At least they don't put *shudder* mayonnaise on it ). 🤤

You are correct of course but that is what most Americans would call it. In the UK it's salt beef. Either way it's an indulgent delicacy . And yes to Schwartz's Deli! Found the only shop in Toronto that had smoked meat couple years ago and brought several pounds back to the US.

Edited May 16, 2023 by Aloha 1

[Mystictraveler]

3 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

He is not retiring.  Leaving 5/31 for vacation but will be back later this year until November,  so is not scheduled to be onboard for Christmas/ New Years.  I asked him yesterday, so...that's as recent as it is.

I have never met Ray but have certainly read a lot about him.  If convenient, can you ask him if he will be on the Navigator for our March 22, 2024 cruise from Bali to Bangkok? Much appreciated.

[Kwaj girl]

19 minutes ago, Mystictraveler said:

I have never met Ray but have certainly read a lot about him.  If convenient, can you ask him if he will be on the Navigator for our March 22, 2024 cruise from Bali to Bangkok? Much appreciated.

 

No information that far ahead.  Sorry.

[Gpilon]

9 hours ago, RELS said:

 

Not the same! Montreal smoked meat completely different from corned beef. Smoked, not brined. It's closer to pastrami, but still not quite the same.

 

If I had a stop in Montreal, I'd skip all ship excursions and stand in line at Schwartz's Deli for a medium-fat smoked meat sandwich. On rye (sourdough! The heathens! At least they don't put *shudder* mayonnaise on it ). 🤤

Absolutely agree. We’re from Montreal originally and still get back a few times a year and always head to Schwartz for a few lunches while there. The absolute best viande fume anywhere.

 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

15 hours ago, Jlhalldc said:

Always glad to shut down incorrect info. 

Will you go out on FB and correct the rumor? If not, I will.

[Gpilon]

For anyone on this cruise who may be spending a few extra days in Montreal and would enjoy terrific Italian food, I would suggest Da Vinci's Ristorante on Bishop Street. 

[Jlhalldc]

2 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Will you go out on FB and correct the rumor? If not, I will.

Please do. I did one but I suspect it’s elsewhere. 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Yesterday was Sydney and we did not get off the ship.  We were going on a tour to see Alexander Graham’s home and got a notice that the home was closed for repairs, but we could see the outside.  That was not a thrilling prospect so we stayed on the ship and relaxed.  We had thought we might walk around town, but it turned into a tender port due to the winds.  The tenders apparently struggled with the weather somewhat and it seemed to be more laborious than usual, and took longer than usual, so we also gave that a pass.  I talked to several people who walked around town and they all pronounced it not great, not a lot to see and a lot of paving going on.  That is not to say that the town was just totally not worth visiting, just that the people I spoke with didn’t love it.  If you went on a tour or found something great, please share so others will know what to do and see.

 

Since much of the ship was empty yesterday I took a few photos of the foyer, the coffee bar and the library, so you could see them without people.

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Today is Charlotte Town, PEI.  We didn’t do a tour but walked around the nice little town, and had lunch.  The weather cooperated and a light jacket was plenty since the sun decided to show itself for a brief spell.  As I type this cloud cover is winning the battle and it looks like the promised late afternoon rain might be on schedule.  The first clue was the umbrellas at the gangplank area for passengers to take if desired.

 

My husband dearly loves lobster, so we walked to a place he found on Trip Advisor.  His yardstick for a lobster roll is 80% lobster to 20% roll…with butter and a whisper of mayo.  That is not what he got….he said it was good and had some ok chunks, which is infinitely better than shredded lobster.   But he had order envy because my fish and chips, with halibut rather than haddock, was absolutely the best I’ve ever had.  Wow.  So good.  Gave him half and still had plenty.  Highly recommend!  To reach this place, Water Price Corner, you exit the cruise terminal and walk to the first cross street.  Turn left, and it’s down two blocks on the corner.  
 

I will ask around about the opinions of others regarding their tours.  I know there were multiple food tours, and some tours to the Anne of Green Gables house.  Stay tuned…

 

 

Edited May 16, 2023 by GeorgiaPeach51