macbest

De Palm island snorkeling excursion today. A very small island off the coast of Aruba. The place is a water park (not unlike what is on top of a lot of cruise ships, ugh), a kids park, a beach to wade in, flamingos, and snorkeling. There is shade for the included chairs but a NCL ship got here before we did and there were only a few left. So not the experience (at all) of staying at a nice Palm beach hotel. Food and drinks Included. And snorkeling gear. Even banana boat rides Included. 

The snorkeling was excellent especially away from the pier. Coral wasn’t bad either. But this is our first stop on many great places to snorkel. 
 

I wouldn’t do it again but it wasn’t a bad choice for our first day off the ship. 

Second sea day evening. Went to the meridian lounge for the mixologist. Fun menu shown below. 

We tried three on the list. The Quintessentially Britain was a winner.  

This was the Cinco de Mayo. You know when you go to the dentist and they stick that swab in your mouth to numb you prior to a shot for a filling? There you go. This was terrible. Have no idea what would have given it that taste! 

Another favorite below, Gin made me do it (what fun names!) the rosemary is interesting. You smell it when you take a drink along with what is Included in the drink. Fun concept. We like others before us will work our way through the list as the two weeks goes on. 

One challenge is that there was only one bartender/mixologist. When a few couples come in, expect to wait. It took 20 min for our second round. Also odd was the Regent Orchestra which is quite good, start at 6:15 and go to 7:30. But they take a break from 7-7:15. Would have thought they would play right through? Must be in there contract to break after 45 min?

Dinner was in Compass Rose, the first time for us on this ship. The restaurant is lovely. Much brighter and better lighting than than Explorer. Makes it easier to see the menu (I’m not getting any younger). We asked the Maiter D for a “fun” waiter. 

Started with a “left side” (always available) appetizer the crab and avacado with a Bloody Mary sauce. Really excellent with a snow crab sticking out. 

The chicken and goose liver parfait was smooth and decadence. Always a favorite this is a heart attack but what a way to go!

The parsnip soup with tarragon was delicious

Once again we missed taking pictures of our main course, ribeyes. The meat quality just wasn’t great and mine was raw (asked for medium). By the time they came around for a possible redo it was too late to wait for another. Both steaks were undercooked - they continue to struggle getting at least our steaks cooked to order. The sides were all excellent (again sorry no pictures.). The head waiter came by to apologize and said they would ensure it was perfect tomorrow. 

A few little snacks to end

And a lingonberry soufflé that was Devine. 

Coffee ice cream and a NY cheesecake that was delicious. 

Although I have requested three times for a list of complimentary wines on board and still have not received it we decided to order a bottle of the reserve (paid) list. A Belle Glos Pinot Noir. They poured it through this contraption that aerated  it. I have something similar but not with the screen on top. Got to have one like this….

We were the last to leave the restaurant and that was nice as it was very quiet and serene. 

Another loss at the casino and we were off to bed! Aruba awaits tomorrow!

Second sea day. Love these. Yesterday is just what was needed. The stress of whether or not you will be denied boarding for Covid was a bigger strain than I expected. After clearing I crashed. I think the adrenaline stopped and all I wanted to do was sleep. As I am still working, 7-8 hours is what I shoot for in sleep. The first night on the ship I slept for 11 hours! That hasn’t happened in years (at least since Covid). The two sea days that starts the cruise was perfect. 

We looked at the menu in compass rose last night and nothing jumped out at us (sure the left side of menu, the recurring items are awesome and we would hit those soon enough once the “right” side or daily specials was more to our liking). We decided to try Sette  Mari the Italian restaurant. Normally, if you are not there when it opens at 6:30, the restaurant is full as they don’t take reservations. It was 7p and a long shot but we tried. No one was there! We had a super enjoyable meal and the service as always was over the top great. 
 

The starters are similar to what we have experienced on other ships with one exception, the fried zucchini chips. OMG what a delight. Like potato chips and not greasy at all. We spoke to the chef on how they were made as we would have sworn they were air fried. So good we ordered a second batch during our entrees. 
 

There are so many options here it is hard to pick, hence this place deserves a revisit later in the cruise. 
 

I did an appetizer portion of the lasagna and if you like lasagna, this one is not to be missed. The cheese is creamy, noodles perfectly cooked, and a great bolognese sauce. My entree was veal Marsala (with requested mushrooms) was about the best I have had. Super tender perfectly cooked veal that was really hot and mushrooms were perfect with the Marsala gravy. Yum! [notice the extra zucchini chips added alongside]. Laura had a vegetarian cannelloni. Very tasty but despite being extremely hot in the ramekin it cooled off quickly. We skipped dessert. 
 

A little gambling, listened to music with Boogie and Kashia and then went to the show. Levent is a comedian /magician (more the latter than former) who appeared on Penn and Teller “Fool me” show. He was good but we weren’t into it as much as the crowd. It was packed! They do allow you to drink in the theater now which was nice. 
 

Everyone on the ship had been wonderful including the adherence to masking. And yes it is easy to forget but staff are very nice in reminding you. 
 

I ordered the complimentary wines list as labonnevie suggested but they haven’t shown up yet. Also noticed no Hendricks gin on the menu but if you ask for it, they will find it and give it to you (classic Regent great service). 
 

The only other item I wanted to mention is we called prior to traveling to see about a paid discount upgrade. Others seem to be getting the offers and we have in the past. We were told check at the pier. We did when we boarded and they said check with the receptionist. We did and they said they would have to check with corporate. Later on the first day we got a message from the desk that they were available (many penthouses), but at full list price from what we “paid”. So from an F1 to a PH-A for example, $6300! Something about some certain level of revenue per day needed. No thank you. A shame as they could have made a couple of thousand more for the cruise (I guess with slightly higher expense for the extras provided) from us. We are very happy with our F1. One note. This cruise was as a result of a FCC due to a cancelled cruise in July 2020 to Iceland. Essentially our entire cruise today was a FCC with little outlay. Maybe this is the reason for not enough “revenue”. 

Awesome sunset on our first night. To 13 more!

Dinner at prime 7 last night. The Splendor version of Prime 7 is bigger than the explorer. The lighting leaves a lot to be desired especially on the sides with two person tables. This can be seen with the dim pictures below on my side of the table and full light for my wife. Usually we are one of the few at prime 7 on opening night. But not this time. It was packed!
 

This is always one of the meals that is hit or miss for us. I want to love the meal and restaurant as the menu is awesome. However it often fails to deliver. Getting the steak cooked the way you want is usually the hardest part. 

We started with the amuse, tomato soup with a blue cheese foam. Refreshing and savory. I had the crab cake which was delicious. Not fishy and nicely cooked. The tarter sauce with a squeeze of lemon was perfect. My wife had the tuna poke with cucumber and Acacado which was a highlight even thought there was no avacado in it! The wedge salad ranch dressing was watered down and hardly enough for the two wedges provided. It just didn’t have that zing given is as so watered down. The hard boiled egg and bacon were a nice touch. 

While there is no excuse, we forgot to take pictures of the main course! And a shame as the two lbs of Alaska crab legs was a big disappointment. This has been my go to in Prime 7 the last few trips. Although they remove the shells,  there were many shells and cartilage still in the crab. Much of it was over cooked and rubbery. I mentioned to the head waiter and after conferring with the chef, they realized something was not right. During Covid, Alaska king crab has skyrocketed in price ($40/lb at Costco in California). Usually when the price goes up that much, the quality goes down. That may be the case here?
 

That said, Laura had the surf and turf (fillet and Alaska crab) and her small amount of crab was very good. The side dishes are always a joy. Mashed potatoes (which are as creamy as can be), creamed spinach, crispy onion rings (as ordered by our waiter) and the green beans all were a hit. We finished with a red velvet cake /cheesecake combo that was delicious and the Carmel corn sundae (a real treat). 
 

The wines were not as good as in the past. However, we just need to start asking for something different. I’m sure we will find something better. 

Yes special request. 

Standard item we like on every cruise. Great white noise. 

Pictures of some of the relaxation rooms in the spa and the infinity pool. 

What a beautiful vantage point. 

Pictures of our F1 suite. Similar to the Explorer - well laid out. Beautiful colors and tones though and love the bathroom.

Boarding was a breeze. We decided to wait until just after 1 to arrive at dock. Walked right in to tent for Covid paperwork. Then test. Start to finish up was 30 min. Very efficient and well done. Getting your barcode saved a lot of time with EuroFin (and he company they use for the testing). We then walked over to the terminal and again no lines whatsoever and checked in. Never happened to us like this before. 
 

We were on the ship and in our room just over 45 min from arriving at the port. That was really nice (and yay final hurdle of that last test is done!). 
 

The ship is amazing. Beautiful. So much attention to detail. It will take days to soak it all in. 
 

Signed up for spa treatments and then a quick lunch and drink (ice cream for me!!!) by the pool. Let the escape begin. 
 

One other side note. The process for muster is so much improved. You check in to your station anytime after boarding and then that is it. You watch a safety briefing at home and there is a long announcement in your room. But no Schleping your life vest to some packed assembly station, not using the elevators, etc. Again it has been 3 years since our last cruise and this was a welcome improvement.

2 minutes ago, RachelG said:

Good luck on testing negative!  Can't wait for more reports.

 

BTW, I am really hoping you didn't actually eat those oysters. 

Yes a little stressful for that last hurdle. And no, I chose not to eat the oysters. Didn’t want to risk it!

We decided to eat locally to our hotel last night and Casablanca on the Bay seemed like a good choice. The food was good but the service was poor. I wouldn’t recommend to others until service can be improved. 

In no particular order: This first dish was crab stuffed shrimp. Good spices and flavorful but the heavy breading and cream sauce made it oh so heavy. On Wednesday they have free oysters on the half shell. Well you know what free means when it comes to sushi and oysters, stay away. These were definitely substandard. Fried calamari was good. The tuna tartare was very good. Great sauce underneath, very fresh. The last dish was excellent: black grouper (aka poor man’s lobster) with a mushroom sauce, bok choy and mashed potatoes. Good Enough to want to come back for. 

2 hours ago, DatawCruiser said:

I'll be joining in to help with this topic.  One last testing hurdle and we'll be on board later today.

Yes DatawCruiser and EAGLESLOVER please add in! We can make this “escape” from three different viewpoints. 

The time has finally come, our cruise begins tomorrow. I have been reading everyone’s topics daily about their live experiences on Regent over the past 6 weeks in preparation for this cruise as an escape from “normal life”. And now I’ll share my time (complete with food porn) over the next two weeks for all those that are in the same position that we were in - waiting patiently for their upcoming cruise. 
 

The most exciting part is getting back on a Regent ship. We have cruised with Regent for 113 nights but nothing in the past three years. And it has been a long wait to say the least. The exceptional food, beautiful ships, staff, service is what always keeps us coming back for more! 
 

So follow along if you would like on our fun adventure. 
 

We are in our early 60s from the San Francisco Bay Area. 
 

Arrived in Miami this afternoon and are staying at the Marriott Biscayne Bay with a view of the cruise ship terminal. All empty now but will be exciting to see the Splendor tomorrow morning. 
 

It has been very stressful with all the testing and not knowing if we would test negative. We feel great but so many people I work with felt great and got Omichron  so not knowing for sure until the proctored test that Regent is promoting would we know! Well that happened yesterday at home, 48 hours prior to sailing. NEGATIVE! So here we are…..

1 hour ago, PinkMEB said:

Datawcruiser, I’ve booked the cooking class Feb 15. Are you signed up for that one? It would fun to meet someone else from SC. 

I'm booked for 2/15 and 2/16, 10am. Hope to see you. 

1 hour ago, sassyw said:

We are on the Splendor right now and almost evestone is obeying the mask rules. All staff are allowed to remind passengers who forgot to comply and I don't see anyone arguing.

Great to hear; thanks for the update. We board on Thursday and nice to hear that everyone helps remind those that have forgotten. 

1 hour ago, sassyw said:

It is now Monday the 31st. We are in Costs Maya Mexico. Took the trolley tour. Dad looking town with a lot of poverty and they really need the tourism.

The gluten free choices are wonderful. Hot rolls with dinner and really good toast at breakfast. By handing in dinner choice before 10 AM the chef fulfills all of my choices. We have dined at Chartreuse and Prime 7 and the food really excels. Favorites are Dover Sole and Alaskan King Crab (2 pounds!!). We are having a wonderful cruise.

 

 

Can you tell me on Splendor if the cooking classes are going on still? And if so, are they just demonstration or participatory as hoped? We board on Thursday and have a number booked with no word that they are “cancelled”. Thanks 

I always remember waiting till after lunch when they posted the menu outside compass rose. Glad to see they now post them on the tv. 

2 hours ago, Mike Moore said:

Excellent question - thank you for bringing it up. Assuming that the PDF included the tours for ALL of the ports on the cruise, is having it download immedediately preferable to having it sent via email? Or if the only way to receive all of the tours for all of the ports is via e-mail, waiting a few minutes for it is preferable? I welcome any and all thoughts on the subject from the group!

I have to contact my TA to get it; which is a lot of people involved in something that would be great to click on and download on the spot. If there was some reason not to make it available to the general public, at least make it available to those that have booked the cruise in the my account section. 

The loading time of pages (say on excursions) is still very slow even on a fast internet connection. There must be a lot of overhead to manage but this is a feedback item. 

I too am enjoying your videos. We sail on Splendor on Feb 3 and seeing you at the various dining options and seeing others enjoying their meal is so exciting. It has been way too long since our last regent cruise and this just ups the excitement factor of how wonderful cruising is. I love seeing your reaction to the various dishes (and taking notes on what to second guess before ordering). 
 

Interesting that you chose to wear masks while outside in San Juan. Given the harsh 10 day quarantine (vs the 5 day notice from the CDC) if you test positive this is a good call. I think we will do this also. 

Instead of posting a new post, how many weeks/days prior to sailing, does Regent notify your travel agent on potential upgrades?

Really appreciate the updates and the food pictures. Already planning my attack plan! (Alas, without Hendricks)

What Gin IS on board? Hope not just Bombay….Aviator? Oh and yes, a cucumber slice is the must!

27 minutes ago, Mudhen said:

 I was heartbroken (well...I exaggerate a little!) that the ship did not have Hendrick's.

Is this something new or just on your cruise? No Hendrick’s? That would be tragic. I’m looking forward to a Hendricks and Fever Tree Tonic when we board!