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.

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

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

@mrlevin  Thank you for the info on ice warnings!  Never knew such a thing existed, but of course, it would absolutely be needed in certain spots.  Fascinating!

Joanie

I am SO impressed.  I mentioned, I think, that on the mid cruise survey I noted that the table on our balcony was full of painted over rust spots and was not befitting a luxury cruise line.  I also said it would not affect our cruise in the least, but I thought they would want to know.

We got a note in our suite that they would be working on our balcony today and to be aware that there might be wet surfaces.  Sure enough, they came to fix the table.  First picture is before and the second one is after…table still wet.  
 

Gosh, that kind of responsive service just touches my heart.  It’s so, so, rare.  Most of the time, in the general world today, we are hoping for civil exchanges, perhaps no hostility, a modicum of polite interaction….and here we are where they ask for a mid cruise survey so they CAN fix things for passengers, read them within a day or less and respond within 48 hours.  I absolutely did not expect it to be fixed while we are on the ship.  Sheesh.  Can you have a crush on a cruise line? ❤️❤️

Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day!  
 

Chilly outside today but sunny.  Headed for Halifax, supposed to arrive around 1:30.  We are going to attend the church service at 9:15 this morning, led by the charming Ray.  
 

Last night was the Seven Seas Society get together.  Seemed well-attended.  Then dinner with new friends in CR…miso sea bass, to my delight.  Wonderful meal.

We had intended to go to the show but ran late and decided to donate to the casino once again.  To our surprise, we actually came out up $200 after investing $100.  Apparently the thing to get is three WILDS, and as a friend noted, “you’re not even touching it and it’s giving you money!”  
 

More later, after Halifax.

@UUNetBill  I really do hope we get to meet someday and can discuss our years in the Air Force.,,,we seem to have a lot in common.  Thank you for your service too.  It does not come without sacrifice. 
 

Joanie

We got a call from Destination Services re our comments about the Fort Sumter tour.  They said they were passing it along to their manager.  Very prompt response.

a comment from another friend….he mentioned to…hmmm, someone in CR (the chef?  Can’t remember) that their cheese was being served cold rather than room temp, and they both agreed that this was egregious.   Next day in his suite was a lovely array of special cheeses as a surprise and apology.  Classy response!
 

Wine luncheon today.  Lovely.  Thoroughly enjoyed both the food and wine.  Emiliano did a nice job and the chef came out.  It was fun.  However, the ship is rolling and swaying a little and I am weaving a little, after all that wine.  Such a lightweight.  🙄 That sway and weave combo has my husband once more clutching at me as I ricochet off the walls.  He knows better than to let me out of his sight and out of his grasp,  having learned from experience that I will be found curled up on a couch somewhere if he turns me loose.  I fear for Trivia this afternoon,  2/3 of our team, or four out of six attended the wine luncheon.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Capital of the USA?  No clue….  We are currently in the coffee bar having a cappuccino with an extra shot.
 

The weather is overcast and the temps have dropped.  When we hit Canada the high will be 55-ish, so shirts are gradually giving way to long pants for passengers and most of us are in long sleeved tees, sweaters or cardigans.  A few hardy souls are still trotting around in shorts and tees and if I ask they will be bound to be from the far North country somewhere and this weather is positively balmy for them.   I remember being in Iceland and the wind was just howling and we were all bundled up with every article of clothing brought in our suitcases and being frozen from the inside out.  Our tour guide,  named Bessie, a man, was in shorts.  There are some of those people on board.  They will be happy campers in Canada for sure.

During the wine lunch the Captain announced that we will not be going to Cornerbrook because of ice in the water….not sure he actually used the term icebergs.  They are substituting Charlotte Town, PEI instead.  The poor folks in Destination Services.  I feel for them.  My husband, being the CT boy he is, used to fish up in that area when he was a boy and he had previously wondered how a ship could go to Cornerbrook in May because it was known for ice floes in the water.  So, new excursions to peruse and try to get.  
 

Tonight is the Seven Seas Society cocktail function, which means miso sea bass in Compass Rose!  Yay!  My favorite!

here are the photos of the luncheon today.  

Morning.  Well, remember the perfect night last night?  It had a definite downturn for sure.  When we went to bed a band cranked up outside….and because we are on the side docked against the downtown of Hamilton, it felt and sounded like the band was parked right on our balcony.  Bass and drums were apparently mainstays of their repertoire and we listened to the thump thump thump until I think around 1:30 a.m.   We flipped and flopped like two mackerel, both with earplugs that proved totally and disappointingly unequal to the task, even with pillows atop heads rather than under them.  Ugh.  Feeling my age plus at least an additional decade this morning.

As I struggled to find sleep I realized that we would be jarred awake at 5 a.m. or so by the much greater thump, thump, thump of the little Navigator as she shimmied away from the dock on the way to St. George’s.  But we woke to the same view this morning.  Hamilton rather than St. George’s.  Hmmm.  I was wondering if we were now in the cruise version of Groundhog Day, and we were going to stay till we got it right…but the Captain and Ray took turns announcing that we were here due to weather or channels or wind or waves…some maritime thing…I was in too much of a fog to get ears and brain to connect speedily enough to totally process the information.  I did hear Ray announce that all tours but one were still going, but that was disproven by the telephone call from the beleaguered Destination Services telling us that our walking tour of St. George’s was cancelled.  I assume that they had no way to get us over there since it was a walking tour and there was no transport but our own two feet.  I, for one, am happy to not have to walk to SG in order to walk about SG, so there we are!  Another ship day!  We have been here so many times we will not miss anything by remaining on the ship, but I’m sorry for those who are disappointed.  This is not a mysterious cancellation at least, and none of us will win an argument against Mother Nature or the importance of safety for us all.  Out of My Realm of Influence, so let’s commence to making lemonade.

That brings me to an important topic I have neglected.  Cronuts.  I never knew such culinary heaven existed prior to the first encounter on the Explorer.  Wow.  But I have to report that they are somewhat scarce on this ship.  Two appear, are quickly snapped up and then often not replaced.  My sweet husband has made a deal with staff in the coffee bar and she hides one away for me each morning.   But don’t tell.  Thing is, some days they are great but other days they are….greasy, a condition I did not know was possible for cronuts.  In my experience that is due to frying in oil that is not hot enough, but having never made a cronut I cannot swear to that assertion.  Anyway, the quality is hit and miss, to my disappointment. Here is this morning’s sample, which was greasy, I regret to report.  It does save calories though, since greasy Cronuts are not the best thing you could possibly eat.  
 

There is a nap in my future…

10 minutes ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

Well guys, DW and I will, God willing, be on that cruise as perhaps our "last splash". It will be, by far, our longest of what would then be 32 Regent cruises. Great itinerary! 

@cAPS lOCK oN and @DeepFreeze63 Well, hurray!  Looking forward to meeting you!  We can all look forward to it together!

Joanie

We had such a great night that I am writing to you while it is fresh on my mind.  First, the ship stopped wobbling around and we all did, too.  Yay!  That was super nice.  Things instantly got easier.  We sat and talked with new friends, had some time to work on and puzzle over the Mensa quiz for tomorrow, and went about 6:45 to the International Buffet and it was just wonderful.  They have it on the pool deck and in The Veranda so you can choose according to weather and if you want the outside music.  We opted for inside, but the food served in both locations is the same.

let’s see…..the usual big yummy shrimp.  scallops.  Lobster tails.  Nicely grilled and as many as you want.  My husband was in heaven, and I don’t mean maybe.  Roast suckling pig, excuse the editorial comment, but poor little thing!  Some sort of steak.  Sushi.  Salads galore.  Tortilla chips and salsa and guacamole. Grilled vegetables.  I saw a soup but can’t remember what it was.  And the usual suspects for desserts….all that I tasted looked great and tasted the same.  It was just wonderful.  Don’t miss it.  I will post photos below but they fall far short of the real thing.

After eating we had after dinner drinks with friends then went to the Abba dance party, which thrilled our souls.  Once upon a time 46 years ago he was a young USAF officer and I was a DOD teacher and we met in Germany.  The dance in clubs at that time was a German three step.  He taught that dance to me and we fell in love dancing to Abba, so tonight my head was full of sweet memories of that young couple as we danced the same dance to the same music.  Sometimes in life you get little bits of perfection, and they are so rare that we instantly recognize them for what they are and treasure them. This was one of those nights for us.  Thank you, Regent.  ❤️

We went to see the comedian last night, whose name escapes me but I will try to post later.  He was a hoot.  Truly funny and so clever!  We missed him the first time, which we regret.  
 

Last night we donated to the casino but had fun doing it, and saw one big winner, so cruise ship casino wins are not a figment of our collective imaginations.  Boy, she was rocking and rolling last night.  We waged a losing war with the bathroom door, trying to stuff towels underneath to keep it from squeaking because when it’s rough, it makes a noise that wakes us when we close it and have to open it during the night if either of us gets up.  And today has been a repeat as we sashayed our way into Hamilton.  I warned my other half to keep hold of me no matter what, lest I disappear suddenly down a staircase, and he has done so successfully, to the point that one arm of my sweater now reaches my knees.

The Captain warned that we might not make it into the narrow channel due to winds, and might have to skip the stop, but we are here in Hamilton and docking under sunny skies.  It’s a little nippy outside, about 67 but the wind has raised its’ hand wanting to be noticed.  I would think it will be fairly chilly tonight on the deck where we are supposed to be entertained by an outside International buffet and dancing to Abba music….but I think we will attempt it.  I’ll let you know.  In general, since I’m cold even in summer, I tend to avoid eating outside in cool weather unless it involves a fire and s’mores.

We went to a tea for the first time today, choosing wisely, since this was the BROWNIE tea.  Below you will find some photos to torture yourself.  Let me note that my plate held one brownie, not three.  Just saying’.

7 hours ago, briar14 said:

Ask CD, GM, or at Reception. Both of our experiences were scheduled events. We just showed up. GP, I didn’t mean to hijack your wonderful reports. Got a little excited remembering these fun events. 

@briar14  You will not find a soul LESS concerned with anyone who wants to post on this report than me!  Truly.  I welcome any and all posters since it helps us all.  So many of you have hundred and hundreds more day on R than I do.  I think star gazing while on a ship is just inspired and love that you and others shared the suggestion.  🥰

@ON cruiser  Thanks so much for adding your experiences.  Please keep doing so!  BTW, we are currently 70 and 72, but will be 73 and 75 when we take the big cruise.

I like seeing what other people think of the same experience…and I think it really helps those who are struggling with decisions or questioning their decisions.  I appreciate everyone who took the time to give their perspective on long cruises…it helped me not feel quite so anxious, once we had decided to go for it.  Now I’m excited about it, but my feelings will probably change as time gets closer and payments come due!  Regardless, we both want to go and do while we can and not have regrets.

@NCCruzQueen  Thanks for posting the wine list!  Helpful for everyone.  I meant to go but forgot it….and when I sip more than two wines they start to all taste the same to me so my wine discernment skills are pretty much nada.

if you have not figured it out we highly prize and treasure sea days.  As @forgap said sometimes you just really, really need to have a lay around day,  in our early cruising days we opted for Med cruises that had us blasting off the ship for all day tours and falling back on board half dead from the summer heat and exhaustion.  That was back in my teaching days so it was summer or never.  Now, forget that!  
 

Today they had a slot tournament, a blackjack tournament and Bingo.  I have tried all day to answer a palindrome question on the Mensa sheet for today and I am feeling positively hostile as that question remains blank and I have almost erased holes in the paper.  Aaaauuuugh.

a few words about our suite.  It’s in good repair except for the outside table, which is definitely not luxury cruise certified.  For us, there is plenty of storage space.  We generally like two sinks but we are doing fine with one.  The vanity area is pretty much unusable as a vanity because the drawer is small to start with, and opens only halfway.  Guarantees that you will be fishing around in a jumbled mess to find your makeup items so I didn’t attempt it and moved over to the area under the tv.  It could be improved by having a light switch accessible from where you sit rather than having to get up to switch it on.  But it’s ok.  More to come.  

Remember Goldilocks and the three bears?  She kept trying different spots to find something just right…and I am doing the same as I wander the ship searching for a comfortable spot to plop and read or write to you.  Haven’t found it yet.  When we were on the new Celebrity Edge we were dumbfounded by the number of stylish chairs and couches that beckoned you to come sit then laughed at you as you squirmed around.  And let’s not talk about the artisan that creates an object to sit upon that positively resists the occupant leaving that object with grace, so low does it sit, or so angled does it recline, and always, the worst offenders have no arms to assist in the struggle.  I’m finding the soft furnishings in this ship to be pretty much not soft though they advertise that they will be soft or at least slightly cushy as they beguile you into coming over but many are more in the bench family…as in park bench.  I discovered a rather odd sitting area adjacent to the casino.  So adjacent as to be part of the casino.  Interesting placement.  On sea days you can read and attempt Mensa to the sound of bells and whistles and BUFFALO…those who enjoy the slots will know the machine I reference.  So I abandoned that area in favor of the library where I am joining 10 other people, leaving 6 seats free.  We are close enough that I can easily turn the pages for the newspaper reader adjacent to me, should they need an assist.  😘

I was going to take photos today of the ship but am finding it a challenge due to all the people, and  I try to take photos without people since I don’t have their permission.  But I’ll slip them in as I can.

my thoughts on the Navigator so far are that she is charming but petite.  For instance, I find the very small coffee bar to be visually just a mishmash of chairs with the IT desk squished into the already crowded corner.  There is a bar across the hall that handles overflow, and it is needed, on sea days like this.  I haven’t been on the pool deck yet but it is quite cooler today, to me at least, and I suspect there are fewer people on the deck and more inside.  This is the first time for this combination of sea day and cooler weather, so this is the first time the ship seems slightly crowded to me. 
 

The serving area of The Veranda can be congested at times.  Rather than the different stations found on Splendor and Explorer, you enter and go down a hallway that also doubles as the food station line, with food choices lining both sides of the hallway,  So that hall does double service as the food area and the entry and exit, resulting in a combination of people coming in, people going out and people searching for the butter or a cookie.  It’s not unpleasant, just requires a titch more of patience and maneuverability. 
 

Here is the casino seating area.

A friend related this lovely service oriented tidbit.  He and his wife were at dinner and she was commenting that there was not enough of a particular ingredient in her entree.  She mentioned this only to him but it was overheard by their server, apparently, because a chef came personally to their table to inquire about her concern.  🥰

this little tidbit appeared in the daily a few days ago.

DECK CHAIRS & POOLSIDE ETIQUETTE

Complimentary chaise lounges and extra-large towels are provided for the use and enjoyment of all guests on board and are available on a first come, first served basis. As a courtesy to your fellow guests, we kindly request that you refrain from the practice of reserving chaise lounges and day beds with personal items. If your personal items are left unattended for an extended period of time they will be sent to Reception for you to collect at your leisure.

We are rarely around the pool but I saw plenty of empty chairs yesterday even though it was hot and sunny.  Not sure if there were any empty in the shade but I will try to look today.  It is definitely cooler today.  I find the halls really chilly and have started carrying around a light sweater.  
 

here are some photos from lunch yesterday.  Rolf’s profiterole.  My plate…didn’t love the quiche, and my salad.  The ice cream station at the pool stays busy.  The wonderful Sonny is on board and as charming as ever.  Delighted to see his smiling face.  

Sorry for the delay in reporting.  I guess I kind of fell into a hole of doing not a whole lot but taking a long time to do it.  No idea where time went.  I really appreciate all the responses about the lengthy cruise.  I also got input from my intrepid friend, Beth, who is a big fan of long cruises.  When I asked her about taking a long one her face absolutely lit up as she gave suggestions.

We decided to go for it.  I’d rather try it and reflect afterwards that it was either pure magic or pure torture than to be much older and wish I had….we will be 75 and 73 then and possibly starting to push the envelope with health…who knows?  So we will be on the January 10, 2026 Explorer cruise that starts in Auckland and ends in Tokyo.  Waaaahhhhhooo!

I last posted about Port Canaveral, and that was followed by Jacksonville.  We stayed on the ship and had a nice, relaxing day.  I talked to a few people who enjoyed their Jax tours.  Next port was lovely Charleston and while the town was charming, our tour was not.  It was puzzling.  We promptly boarded a nice bus that was about half full, and the tour guide gave a narrative of places as we passed, all of us twisting and turning to peer at bits and pieces.  I got enough of an impression to know that I really wished to be off the bus and wandering around as we rolled past.  Here comes the puzzling part.  We pulled away from the ship at 9:05.  Arrived at an area where the USS Yorktown was berthed, after about 30 minutes and there we stayed.  And stayed. We waited until 11:00 to board the boats to Fort Sumter.  Almost an hour and a half!  There was a gift shop to browse, but that was it.  Really, not a good situation.  I was told by another passenger who filled me in on the reason.  Apparently his guide, who was the lead bus, had encountered a traffic situation on a prior day that messed up the flow of the tour.  So he opted to go straight to Fort Sumter and skip the town tour part and do that later.  But the boat schedule did not work into that new flow, and there we all stood waiting for the boat to arrive. 
 

By the time we loaded the entirely full boat, travelled to the Fort and allowing time for the return, there was only one hour at the Fort and we boarded the bus and came back to the ship.  So it was a whole lot of hurry up and wait for too little in return, IMO.  The tour took from 9-1:30 and only an hour of it was seeing something.  Our tour guide mentioned pluff, the deep, dark, pungent marsh mud that he said contains three of his hats….if it blows off and lands in the pluff you can kiss it goodbye and you dare not go in to retrieve it.

I wish we could have had the two hours back that we lost, in order to wander the town.  It is so charming, like Savannah, both good representatives of Southern charm.  It’s rare to find towns or cities with their own unique flavor so they stand out as unique.  Charleston, for sure, is one.

back in a minute…

@1982CruzStart  exactly! That is why the dithering….partly concerned I might begin to exhibit some wild eyed behavior being on a ship that long…or develop a twitch that people might regard with horrified glances, or start talking to myself for longer periods than is socially acceptable.  If anyone else has been on a long cruise I’d love to hear how you handled it…and did you just ease into it by taking gradually longer cruises?

Here are the promised photos from Sette Mari last night, and pre-dinner drinks in Galileo, a Mai-tai and margarita on the rocks.  Forgot to mention the limoncello and chocolate dessert.  Sinful.

Easy to get the bus back.  Arrived on the ship feeling my age!  We played trivia with our intrepid group and came in first!  Shocking.  Then we stayed for a lovely, brief church service conducted by the amazing Ray.  
 

We ate in Sette Mari for the first time on this cruise and had a wonderful meal.  If you haven’t ordered their nightly steak special, you are missing one of the best steaks ever.  Perfect Gorgonzola filet.  The service was perfect, and they had limoncello which thrilled my other half.  
It was a speedier meal than the previous night in CR, which we are trying again tonight.  We met a lovely couple from Germany in Sette Mari and went down our German memory road from when we met, and subsequent assignments there, so we are dining with them tonight.  One of the best things about cruising….so many nice, interesting people to meet.
 

My phone is charging and it contains a few food photos that I will post later.  We are in Jacksonville today and staying on the ship since we have been there and done that.  We are contemplating taking a 61 night cruise in 2026, part of the world cruise.  If we follow through that will be a huge commitment of time and money, whew, whew, whew.  Gives me heart palpitations. Our longest cruise is three weeks so I’m finding it hard to visualize two whole months.  We had a B2B booked but began to waffle on that because it repeated ports and with time and money both so precious, we decided that was wasteful.  So, color me a little stressed trying to make these decisions.  The 2026 would be an early celebration of our 50th anniversary so that’s pretty special, right?  
 

food photos to come.

The space shuttle.  Wow.  Took the photos of the bottom so you could see the tiles. 
 

The last two are Mars rovers!