A Quintessential Crossing on the Mariner - Live!

[seasickphil]

4 hours ago, vitacura said:

There are two guest lecturers on board, Terry Bishop and Douglas Nelson. They do record the lectures so you can watch them in your suite later on.

We were on Navigator with Douglas pre Covid, he is a very entertaining speaker so well worth trying to catch some of his talks.

His energy while on the dance floor will make you feel tired just watching him, well it did me and i am several years his junior.  

[cwn]

We went around the world with Terry Bishop a few years ago. He is a great speaker/entertainer enjoy!

[vitacura]

4 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Happily following along.  We have our first Regent cruise booked on the new Grandeur but it's not until 2025 so I'll have to wait a while to try one of those grasshoppers...which looks delicious!

 

I'm sorry about your little unwelcome surprise when you entered your room but it sounds like they have corrected the situation pretty well...only thing that could make it better is a nice bottle of bubbly on ice.

 

I have a question about the flights, if I may.  We will fly from ATL and likely have to stop somewhere along the way as you did.  I'm wondering if there is a way to select my preferred airline and also a non-stop option?

The grasshopper was delicious!

So funny you mention the bottle of bubbly.. We found this upon our return to our Suite this evening along with a note of apology. 
 

 

I found that to be a thoughtful gesture!

 

As for your question regarding flights, what I did was look up my top three preferred flights/routes/airlines, then had my TA contact the Regent flight desk and see what was available. I do get one free air deviation per sailing, otherwise there is a nominal fee of $175pp, I believe, and you can do this within 210 days of sailing.

Thankfully my first choice was available. 

HERE is a Regent link that has some more info. Hope you find it helpful!

[vitacura]

4 hours ago, boblerm said:

Kudos to you, @vitacura, for not allowing a truly egregious situation dampen your enthusiasm for your cruise.  
Have a blast, and thanks for posting!

Thank you, that’s kind of you to say.
 

Normally we let things go rather easily, but the smell and finding the pizza did irritate me enough to complain on board and post about it on here. By the time we returned from dinner that evening it was more of a distant memory that we now joke about. We’re having a blast on this cruise and it’s just getting started! 😃

Edited September 5, 2023 by vitacura

[Georgia_Peaches]

37 minutes ago, vitacura said:

I found that to be a thoughtful gesture!

Yes, indeed. Restores my faith for sure!  
 

Thank you for the flight info…most helpful!

[lprp]

14 hours ago, vitacura said:

There are two guest lecturers on board, Terry Bishop

Glad that the Stewardess and Assistant  Chief Housekeeper apologised, obviously it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Personally I think the Chief Housekeeper should not be sending the Assistant  Chief Housekeeper to do their job!

 

But on to better things; we so nearly chose the Mariner cruise you are on, it was a toss up between it and the Splendor one we are currently on. The fact that we hadn’t been on Splendor and that we will be on Mariner this coming Christmas swayed it for us. However, if we had known that Terry Bishop was onboard Mariner our decision would have been far more difficult. Terry is a fabulous lecturer and his Troubadour Tales are great.

Enjoy your cruise I will be following along.

LP

[vitacura]

Woke up to a beautiful, warm day in Cadiz, Spain. Arriving just before 8am, we lounged a bit before heading off the ship after most of the excursions took off. We decided to just walk the town ourselves. There were two other ships in port with us today, a Princess and a Norwegian ship, but we had the best berth, with the town just steps off the gangway! 
 

This was the view from our balcony this morning. 
 

 

We strolled about 8 miles (according to our smart watches) over several hours and found a small outdoor cafe that was slightly off the beaten path for some refreshments. Even though it was around 80 degrees F, being in the direct sunlight most of the day took a toll on us!
 

A glass of Rioja, a local Apple Cider for myself and a slice of chocolate cake, yes please!

 

 

Walked over to Playa de la Caleta where they filmed part of Die Another Day, when Bond meets Jinx!

 

 

Continued out to Castle of San Sebastian which was closed, but that did not deter the local fishermen! Lots of individuals and families fishing along the causeway/walkway. 
 

 

 

Hit some local shops, wandered some more and eventually were greeted by this sight:

 

 

Loved our visit to Cadiz, small yet charming town with friendly folk. 
Boarding the Mariner we were greeted with a chilled towel which felt amazing!

 

Now relaxing in our suite prior to dinner in Compass Rose. Norwegian ship just sailed away, leaving Princess next to us. 
 

[RachelG]

The pizza is unbelievably disgusting--something I would never expected to find on Regent.  And it had melting into the top of the frig--oooh!  but how did the housekeeper not see/smell it when readying the room is beyond me. 

 

George and I always seem to have a bit of drama before embarking on a cruise.  Glad the hurricane missed you.  '

 

Cadiz is one of our favorite walking around cities too!

[wristband]

I agree that half eaten pizza is disgusting - more so with the black mold.  Which means it had to be sitting atop the fridge for a good number of days.  Agree with RachelG - mindboggling the steward failed to swoon with the obvious stink well before you checked into the cabin.

 

Made me gag.

[rcandkc]

2 minutes ago, wristband said:

I agree that half eaten pizza is disgusting - more so with the black mold.  Which means it had to be sitting atop the fridge for a good number of days.  Agree with RachelG - mindboggling the steward failed to swoon with the obvious stink well before you checked into the cabin.

 

Made me gag.

Maybe the suite had been unoccupied due to a service issue.  Look at the thermostat.  But then got overlooked in the make ready process.  No excuse at all…just maybe an explanation. 

[vitacura]

Sail away just before 7pm while we were happily sipping on some wine, staring at the menu in Compass Rose. We were the last ship to leave port this evening.

 

 

Many wonderful choices today. Dinner was just shy of two hours, mainly because I ended up asking for seconds or even thirds(!) of the amazing Ravioli served in a truffle cream sauce. 
But first up was the Chicken and Goose liver parfait for the Mrs. 

 

 

Soufflé this evening was Salzburger with Lingonberries. Quite delicious and light! We also went with the White Chocolate Mouse with mixed Berry Jelly. I mean, we’re on vacation so no one is counting calories, right?

 

 

 

We waddled back to our suites, thinking of making it to the Constellation Theater this evening for the talented Andrea Amat!
 

 

That plan was short lived as we settled into our balcony with some bubbly to watch a beautiful sunset which soon lead to heavy eyelids. 
 

 

Clocks go back one hour tonight and tomorrow we are due to be at Rick’s Café (not really) in Casablanca, Morocco! We will be doing the Highlights of Casablanca excursion instead. Until tomorrow, thanks for following!

 

[mrlevin]

Enjoy the next week; long range forecasts have you and Tropical Storm/Hurricane Lee both arriving in Bermuda on 14 September.  10 September is the peak of the Atlantic tropical season so you were always going to have a good shot of some tropical weather.

[vitacura]

10 hours ago, mrlevin said:

Enjoy the next week; long range forecasts have you and Tropical Storm/Hurricane Lee both arriving in Bermuda on 14 September.  10 September is the peak of the Atlantic tropical season so you were always going to have a good shot of some tropical weather.

Thanks Marc! I must say, after worrying about so many storms approaching our gulf coast of FL over the years.. it is a nice change to not have to worry about Lee. I left our home buttoned down from Idalia and I know Regent will keep us safe.

 

When I booked this cruise we were originally scheduled to visit Rhode Island, then it was changed to Bermuda. I’m game for any adjustments needed, perhaps we will get to NY earlier and overnight. Until they make that announcement, I am Squidward!

 

 

Arrived in Casablanca and it’s a very industrial port! Getting ready to head out on our excursion shortly. This is an exciting port of call for the Mrs and I, as it finally gets us to set foot on our seventh continent. We had two previous attempts to visit Egypt cancelled or altered. In anticipation of making this port, I booked Prime 7 for this evening to celebrate! 
 

Edited September 6, 2023 by vitacura

[lprp]

Apologies posted on wrong thread 🫣

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by lprp
Wrong thread

[wineoclock]

Thank you for this thread. We are looking at a Regent cruise on Mariner for October 2024 for a week but not impressed by the pizza. We usually sail Celebrity but all their cuts have me looking elsewhere. 
 

We were in celebrity suite on Apex last year and the bin hadn’t been emptied and there were still toiletries in a carrier bag in a drawer. I asked HK to come and collect. They cleaned again (unasked) and I got a bouquet of flowers. But it did give me pause I have to say. 
 

Im glad you are enjoying your cruise. 

[vitacura]

Had a fun time exploring Casablanca today. Our excursion was the ‘Highlights of Casablanca’ and featured stops at the Hassan II Mosque, Anfa District, Habbous Quarter, Mohammed V Square, Royal Palace Esplanade and two markets. Sounds like fun! Weather is partly cloudy with a high around 80. 

 

Once we boarded our bus, we did have an unexpected slow drive by of none other than Rick’s place! 
 

 

The tour guide on these excursions truly can make or break them. We had a great, approachable and informative tour guide for this one. I have spoken to fellow guests who sadly had a terrible excursion in Cadiz that went over by an hour and had limited restroom breaks. It has soured their view of Regent’s inclusive excursions.

 

Hassan II Mosque, the third largest Mosque, was our first actual stop. We did not enter, but had an informative and picturesque visit.

 

 

 

 

Made a brief refreshment stop at a local hotel before continuing on to where we did a walking tour that started at the Royal Palace. Yesterday I had the cider, today they had a local apple flavored soda, which was quite good! There were the usual Coca Cola products, water or coffee available. It was a small hotel, right on the water.

 

 

The Royal Palace was our next stop.

 

 

I wanted to knock and see who might answer, but the Mrs talked some sense into me.. the area was well guarded and they only allowed one group in at a time. They declined allowing us to take pictures of the guards. 

 

Back to walking amongst the commoners, we found ourselves seeing a typical residence entrance.. nicer than mine for sure!

 

 

Quite a few cats in town, to my wife’s joy. She is a cat lover!

Next up were the markets. Spices, olives, seafood, vegetables, clothing and of course magic carpets and Knick Knacks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did have a little time to shop at some of the stops, but not too much. A few spices and what not may or may not have been purchased by yours truly.

 

A quick drive back to the ship and we found ourselves back at my wife’s favorite hangout, Coffee Connection.

 

Ship-Wide block party is this evening, followed by sail away shortly thereafter. 
We have a late reservation for Prime 7, which I am very much looking forward to!

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited September 6, 2023 by vitacura

[Jlhalldc]

22 hours ago, vitacura said:

Sail away just before 7pm while we were happily sipping on some wine, staring at the menu in Compass Rose. We were the last ship to leave port this evening.

 

 

Many wonderful choices today. Dinner was just shy of two hours, mainly because I ended up asking for seconds or even thirds(!) of the amazing Ravioli served in a truffle cream sauce. 
But first up was the Chicken and Goose liver parfait for the Mrs. 

 

 

Soufflé this evening was Salzburger with Lingonberries. Quite delicious and light! We also went with the White Chocolate Mouse with mixed Berry Jelly. I mean, we’re on vacation so no one is counting calories, right?

 

 

 

We waddled back to our suites, thinking of making it to the Constellation Theater this evening for the talented Andrea Amat!
 

 

That plan was short lived as we settled into our balcony with some bubbly to watch a beautiful sunset which soon lead to heavy eyelids. 
 

 

Clocks go back one hour tonight and tomorrow we are due to be at Rick’s Café (not really) in Casablanca, Morocco! We will be doing the Highlights of Casablanca excursion instead. Until tomorrow, thanks for following!

 

So happy to see you had the best berth in Cadiz! I always get a bit jealous when I our RSSC ship is in the C-list berthing spot.  Note that the Compass Rose menu includes "Galician Style cod," a recent effort by Regent to include more local offerings to reflect the ship's destinations. We noticed this at the end of our Asian cruise in March and our recent Copenhagen-Amsterdam cruise. A welcome and ambitious change.  Thanks for the photos and details. Sea days should bring some relaxation, but not good wifi. 🙂

[flossie009]

Thanks for your excellent blog 🙂

 

1 hour ago, vitacura said:

Once we boarded our bus, we did have an unexpected slow drive by of none other than Rick’s place! 

As I am sure your guide observed:

The 1942 film Casablanca was filmed almost entirely at Warner Bros. Studios, California

Rick’s Café in Casablanca opened over 60 years later in 2004

A true case of life imitating art  😉

[vitacura]

2 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

Thanks for your excellent blog 🙂

 

As I am sure your guide observed:

The 1942 film Casablanca was filmed almost entirely at Warner Bros. Studios, California

Rick’s Café in Casablanca opened over 60 years later in 2004

A true case of life imitating art  😉

 

Oh, sure.. pop my happy bubble! 😜 Well aware, just wanted to live in happy bliss of one of my favorite movies!

 

5 minutes ago, Jlhalldc said:

So happy to see you had the best berth in Cadiz! I always get a bit jealous when I our RSSC ship is in the C-list berthing spot.  Note that the Compass Rose menu includes "Galician Style cod," a recent effort by Regent to include more local offerings to reflect the ship's destinations. We noticed this at the end of our Asian cruise in March and our recent Copenhagen-Amsterdam cruise. A welcome and ambitious change.  Thanks for the photos and details. Sea days should bring some relaxation, but not good wifi. 🙂

Glad you noticed that! The food has been on point this trip, I neglected to notice the local features on the menu!

 

I do hope for just enough Wi-Fi for pictures on sea days as I plan on doing my commentary on the ships condition and activities!

 

Currently enjoying a near empty Observation Lounge while sailing into the sunset. 
 

 

[PaulaJK]

We enjoyed a fabulous show last night..singer Chris Ritchie. Well appreciated by the audience.

[vitacura]

1 hour ago, PaulaJK said:

We enjoyed a fabulous show last night..singer Chris Ritchie. Well appreciated by the audience.

So happy to have a fellow passenger post, please feel free to pitch in your thoughts and commentary about the cruise anytime! 🙂

We had an 8:30pm Prime 7 reservation and were there until well into the night, so we sadly missed Chris Ritchie. 
 

Prime 7 was quite lovely with several anniversaries being celebrated last night! 
 

We chose to spend some of our SBC with one of my favorite Cabs from Chile.

 

 

I had the Bone in Rib-eye while the Mrs went for the Filet Mignon. We had a little assortment of sides, with the onion rings being our favorite!

I don’t think I have ever chosen a dessert other than the 14 Layer golden chocolate cake at Prime 7. Absolutely heavenly!

 

We’ve had calm seas throughout the first few days/nights with the first night and last night being the only ones where we had a slight rocking motion. 

Sea Day today. We will see what the day brings!

[kjbacon]

More great pictures and info, thank you! Your Chilean wine service is so inviting. Getting more and more excited for The Mariner!

[dabear]

I'm looking at that 14 layer chocolate cake & now can't wait until our December voyage on the Grandeur. Was the cake as good tasting as it looks in the picture?

[flossie009]

6 hours ago, vitacura said:

I don’t think I have ever chosen a dessert other than the 14 Layer golden chocolate cake at Prime 7. Absolutely heavenly!

 😋  No ice cream with it? 🍨

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Wow!  Loving this review and the great photos!  Thank you for taking the time to do it.  You are making me look at Mariner for a cruise somewhere down the road.  
 

Joanie