San Francisco to New York-Pirouette's observations

Live on Mariner now and I thought it may be wise to start my own thread with my own observations. I welcome comments and let the discussions unfold as they may. I have learned a good deal from contributors like TC. Though I do not always agree, her perspectives are valuable and often a springboard for other exchanges of important information.

We are on our second sea day. It is still code red but arrangements are in place for those who need to have some laundry done. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

We have enjoyed the ship though I do find the layout strange. Maybe I am just not used to it yet. We have eaten in Prime 7 and Compass Rose for dinner and both were very good. My husband's side dishes could have been hotter in CR but otherwise the meal was enjoyable.

We joked with our server about my husband wanting daal and rice as part of the menu. To our surprise we will be having a full Indian meal tonight, specially for us! They checked their available ingredients and offered a number of comprehensive options. Very impressive!

We initially had some difficulty in determining the included wines. The servers provided inconsistent information at times. Allen came to the rescue and provided us with a complete listing of everything available, included and otherwise. He is a gem.

Another observation: if you want to feel young (I am not) and beautiful (I am not that either) in your late 50's, then cruise with Regent! This is not a criticism of fellow passengers but an observation of the different demographic that Regent attracts. It skews 10-15 years older than Oceania, many passengers with significant mobility issues. I was not prepared for this.

In the end, the service has been top notch, people are friendly and there is not much to complain about.

Please feel free to ask anything or deviate the discussion in any way you wish!

Thanks for your posting on the Mariner. Enjoy your cruise and look forward to hearing more from you.

Great, have a good cruise---I'll be looking forward to your post.

We'll be boarding Mariner in October. Can you please post the names of any servers that you find go above and beyond so I can request seating in their area, assuming they are still on the ship in October. Sounds like the server who is arranging a custom dinner for you tonight would be worth requesting! Also, what instigated the "Code Red?" Since you'll be on the Mariner for quite awhile I look forward to reading your posts.

Regarding: It is still code red but arrangements are in place for those who need to have some laundry done.

Please elaborate.

Thank you for sharing your observations.

We'll be boarding Mariner in October. Can you please post the names of any servers that you find go above and beyond so I can request seating in their area, assuming they are still on the ship in October. Sounds like the server who is arranging a custom dinner for you tonight would be worth requesting! Also, what instigated the "Code Red?" Since you'll be on the Mariner for quite awhile I look forward to reading your posts.

Just to let you know that you can special order almost any meal 24 hours in advance. Just let your server know and they will contact the Restaurant Manager. We have had Indian, Filipino and other specialty meals.

We were on the ship when "Code Red" began. There were 10 cases of the flu which started the Code Red (CDC regulations). The next day there were two more cases. IMO (and only my opinion) passengers could have become ill after being stranded in Sitka after a landslide blocked the road. They had to wait up to 3 hours to get back to the ship (via boat) and were drench when they returned. The rain that day was dramatic.

We are also looking forward to reading about this cruise. We rebound Mariner in November.

Being in the cold or rain is not a direct cause of viruses like the flu. One must come into direct contact with a virus to contract the illness.

Their defenses may have been down to make them more susceptible to the virus, but the virus had to be present for them to get sick.

Live on Mariner now and I thought it may be wise to start my own thread with my own observations. I welcome comments and let the discussions unfold as they may. I have learned a good deal from contributors like TC. Though I do not always agree, her perspectives are valuable and often a springboard for other exchanges of important information.

 

We are on our second sea day. It is still code red but arrangements are in place for those who need to have some laundry done. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon.

 

We have enjoyed the ship though I do find the layout strange. Maybe I am just not used to it yet. We have eaten in Prime 7 and Compass Rose for dinner and both were very good. My husband's side dishes could have been hotter in CR but otherwise the meal was enjoyable.

 

We joked with our server about my husband wanting daal and rice as part of the menu. To our surprise we will be having a full Indian meal tonight, specially for us! They checked their available ingredients and offered a number of comprehensive options. Very impressive!

 

We initially had some difficulty in determining the included wines. The servers provided inconsistent information at times. Allen came to the rescue and provided us with a complete listing of everything available, included and otherwise. He is a gem.

 

Another observation: if you want to feel young (I am not) and beautiful (I am not that either) in your late 50's, then cruise with Regent! This is not a criticism of fellow passengers but an observation of the different demographic that Regent attracts. It skews 10-15 years older than Oceania, many passengers with significant mobility issues. I was not prepared for this.

 

In the end, the service has been top notch, people are friendly and there is not much to complain about.

 

Please feel free to ask anything or deviate the discussion in any way you wish!

When we sailed we were definitely on the younger side (at the time I was not yet 50) and before we sailed I heard on the cc board that Alaska skewed younger and were full of newbies. We did have issues with people with mobility and limited abilities who struggled with long hikes on excursions, but one of my favorite times on board were early morning walks up top (when the gym was overloaded) with an older, retired doctor. We had some awesome discussions and I really enjoyed her company.

Only wish we had known we could have special ordered Indian. Our family's absolute favorite!

Enjoy your trip!

On the 2017 world cruise, there was a gentleman traveling solo who was going to celebrate his 102 1/2 birthday. He said half years count when you are very young and very old!

On the 2017 world cruise, there was a gentleman traveling solo who was going to celebrate his 102 1/2 birthday. He said half years count when you are very young and very old!

Hope that we meet him on a cruise someday. Sometimes people get too hung up on age. You an be "young" at 90 and "old" at 50.

Hoping that the TS returns so that we have an update on how things are progressing on the Mariner.

A very nice day on Mariner today. The code red is lifted and things are back to normal.

Cabo San Lucas today. Because we did not book this cruise until July, all excursions were sold out. We waited for over an hour on standby this morning and nothing was available. We took a tender into port but returned immediately we have been her several times before). We enjoyed the ship for the rest of the day.

Dinner at Signatures was fantastic. It was a pleasure to have two delightful servers who could speak to us in French. The food was wonderful, better than what we have experienced on Oceania and the sommeliers were far more attentive.

The ship is still struggling to address the under sixty demographiic in the evenings. They are trying but it still needs work. More to tomorrow.

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So glad to hear that code red has been lifted and that you enjoyed your meal at Signatures. Some of our best meals were there on our cruise last week.

Another lazy sea day today. We started with an early breakfast in CR because my husband had requested a special item. Again the chefs did not disappoint. They know my husband likes Indian food and they have offered to make it whenever he wants, subject to the availability of ingredients. I have been enjoying the regular menu items and trying not to overindulge on the vast selections.

There is a weather change today and things have started to rock and roll a little. It is not terrible but the pool was splashing all over and is not usable since lunchtime. It was very warm today. I felt for the staff working on the deck 11 international barbecue. (It was delicious says DH)

The captain has just announced that the tropical depression (one of three near us has been upgrade to tropical storm Max. It is scheduled to reach our next port, Acapulco to coincide with our arrival tomorrow. The captain had altered course and has been cruising within 4 miles of shore as tropical depressions usually develop over deeper water. He has now made the choice to cancel our stop in Acapulco.

It appears to be a very smart manoeuvre. The weather network is anticipating heavy rains and flash flooding in Acapulco tomorrow. We will be better off on the lovely Mariner. We will be deviating course and heading 100 miles out to sea to travel around the storm. The realities of cruising in hurricane season!

I have been told by several staff that they are expecting some rough seas ahead. I am not sure if that will still occur given the change in course but we will see. The emerald fashion show (my word they are beautiful) has been postponed from the 15th to the 19th due to anticipated sea conditions. Apparently some lucky passenger will model the beautiful emerald that is the size of a quail's egg!

It is the floor party shortly. I am looking forward to meeting some of my floor mates and others tonight. The theory is that you take a glass from your stateroom into the corridor or near the stairs and wine and hors d'ouevres will be offered. Sounds like fun!

Sounds like your having a great, looking forward to all your post. Better missing Acapulco and being safe.

Pirouette, if you do in fact hit rough seas, be assured that you are on the most stable ship of the fleet.

We saw some of the emeralds onboard and they are amazing but quite above our price point!

Love a live report and all hints and tips will be taken aboard, digested and stored for our first cruise with Regent in 15 months time.

Enjoying your reports! Keep 'em coming, if you can!

The captain has been very good at communicating the sea conditions and rational for the changes to the itinerary. We will have another sea day tomorrow en route to Puerto Quetzal. It is raining today and we have just passed Acapulco ( many mile away from shore) where Max is doing its damage. The swells are said to be about 13 -15 ft but they do not look that high to my untrained eye. There is some movement but it is not terrible, especially at mid ship. This is one reason we always try to book a stateroom in that area. The movement is much greater higher levels.

On a practical note for my fellow female cruisers, our cabin has one of the best set ups for applying makeup EVER! There is a vanity area outside the bathroom with its own light, mirror, separate magnifying mirror and another mirror on the wall behind. There is a drawer that is perfect for cosmetics and a shelf that can accommodate brushes and other accessories. No need to fight for bathroom mirror time or space. The lighting and vanity configuration it better than most hotels.

Great day to do laundry. Now that code red is over the laundrette is available. It is frankly a great place to talk with other passengers. Everyone is very friendly and willing to teach Regent newcomers on how to use the machines, all free of course. I did appreciate the complimentary laundry service a couple of days ago when our clothes were returned to us clean, neatly folded in what resembled gift boxes.

We are really enjoying the food. We thought that Oceania was very good but this is better. The portions are smaller, less salty and more refined. The sommeliers seem to anticipate when the glass is running low- we have rarely had to summon them. It is nice to recognize some of the staff and crew mentioned by other cruisers.

There is not much to complain about, other than the music played by the house band which is clearly out of touch with anything remotely contemporary. We were told it would cost the band/ cruise line money to obtain the sheet music for more modern selections??????? A weak excuse. The issue has been raised several times but does not seem to be a priority. More on that another time....

TC, I will not be purchasing any emeralds either. Apparently the company had one a couple weeks ago that was flawless and .63 carats (flawless emeralds are said to be exceedingly rare). That stone sold for $34,000! Beyond most people's price range I suspect. The fellow is very nice and lets passengers try on the expensive pieces and take photos. That is as close as I will come!

Thanks for the postings!

Just curious - what are the names of the Captain, GM and CD?

Thanks . . .Peggy

Agree - that make-up area is great. Crossing my fingers that they do not do away with it during refurbishment (they will likely replace the wood but the hope that the concept and drawer stays intact).

I'm really impressed that Regent gave guests some free laundry while code red was going on. It also must have been difficult unpacking clothes and not having the ability to use the iron in the laundry room.

Really enjoying your posts. Keep them coming!

New sheet music is too expensive? Seriously?!? Wow, now I've heard it all. Especially since it's what, a 7-piece band? We're not talking the Regent Philharmonic here...what a pathetic excuse...

:rolleyes: :confused: :mad:

Agree that what was said doesn't make sense but it is likely that the group would have to learn and practice new music. Since most of the bands are from the Ukraine and other places in Northern Europe, it isn't likely that they are familiar with contemporary music from the U.S.

One thing that Regent could try is to play their current music which works for Baby Boomers (a large percentage of their passengers), older music for the older generation (did they have a name?) and some more current late night music. IMO, mellow music works well before dinner (whether I know the tunes or not doesn't matter). Many older passengers go to bed after the show (10:30 - 11:00 p.m.) which is a perfect time for the younger generation to have their fun. Just a thought.

Agree that what was said doesn't make sense but it is likely that the group would have to learn and practice new music. Since most of the bands are from the Ukraine and other places in Northern Europe, it isn't likely that they are familiar with contemporary music from the U.S.

 

One thing that Regent could try is to play their current music which works for Baby Boomers (a large percentage of their passengers), older music for the older generation (did they have a name?) and some more current late night music. IMO, mellow music works well before dinner (whether I know the tunes or not doesn't matter). Many older passengers go to bed after the show (10:30 - 11:00 p.m.) which is a perfect time for the younger generation to have their fun. Just a thought.

Agree to disagree. Music is pretty universal - I think regardless of nationality, active professional musicians would follow a wide range of music. These guys play all the lounges, all the shows, all the on-board events, everything. Picking up a few new numbers is nothing. Good lord, in high school, we had to learn a half dozen or more new songs every week for rallies & halftime shows. The thought of a professional band not being able to afford sheet music or unable to play more contemporary music is absurd.

Agree to disagree. Music is pretty universal - I think regardless of nationality, active professional musicians would follow a wide range of music. These guys play all the lounges, all the shows, all the on-board events, everything. Picking up a few new numbers is nothing. Good lord, in high school, we had to learn a half dozen or more new songs every week for rallies & halftime shows. The thought of a professional band not being able to afford sheet music or unable to play more contemporary music is absurd.

I was thinking about this tonight while we were in a lounge of an upscale restaurant. I cannot think of one lounge. or upscale restaurant that plays up to date music - they play the classics. Heck, tonight they were playing Dean Martin and others of his era as background music. The only place that we go with current music is at the gym where it has to be blasted because most people under the age of 50 have some degree of hearing loss due to the loud music. Even Bill Clinton who is older but is also a musician had to start wearing a hearing aid in his 60's.

Not trying to sound like an old foggie (likely misspelled) but who wants loud, raucous music when sitting in a lounge before dinner? Actually, this happened with a great group - Nature's Rhythm on the Explorer. The music was so loud that servers couldn't hear to take orders and no one could have a conversation in the lounge. Everyone blamed everyone else for the problem (several of us complained and the issue of volume was also in the theater). On our next Explorer cruise, Nature's Rhythm sounded wonderful again and I learned that the person responsible for sound no longer worked for Regent.

Dancing and fairly loud music after the theater is fine (keeping in mind that sound travels on a cruise ship and there are people in their suites that don't really want to hear the music).

Not sure if people in the. Ukraine are familiar with our music (meaning in the U.S.) but wouldn't they need time to practice new numbers? My sister and I both played instruments when we were young and were quite good at it but one doesn't learn new songs without a bit of practice (she was professional - I wasn't).

Okay - I vented and you agreed to disagree. Now we can get along again.:halo:

We are quite happy with Gershwin, Porter, Berlin, and the rest of The Great American Songbook....with some 60s and 70s thrown in.

But the excuse is a red herring.