vitacura

My TA has been unable to get pricing on the replacement sailings yet. They were supposed to be released on Tuesday and I've been interested in the Lisbon-NY sailing as well. After reading ILoveMyDogs post, I'm not holding my breath for decent pricing, even with the 30% off.

I was also booked on the cancelled MIA-NY sailing on the Mariner. Yesterday my TA put an option booking on the Grandeur March sailing and the fare is 40% higher in an F1 suite than the Concierge suite we had booked on the Mariner. It would have been nice to join this cruise, but our schedule doesn't allow for it. I was really looking forward to the cruise but think we will just wait on the sidelines until our next one late this year. Can't wait to see the Grandeur in person, but it will have to wait a bit longer.

Menus are not printed on the Daily Passages. Instead, menus are available to peruse on your TVs on demand system. I noticed the Compass Rose menu was updated daily before lunch.

A beautiful sail in last night to our Pier. Sorry, not the best at capturing night time shots. 😬 We ended up at Pier 90, next to the Escape. Disembarkation was straightforward, albeit time consuming. First time this trip we queued for long periods of time. First to get off the ship, then another hour to get through passport control. Total time from getting our luggage tags called until we walked out of the terminal was in the 75-90 minute mark. They only had four CBP officers to clear us. A bit if grumbling amongst passengers while in line, hope they don’t let it spoil their view of the absolutely fantastic service we had on board! From the beginning of our journey, not knowing if we would be able to make the trip due to Hurricane Idalia affecting us in FL, to Lee affecting our stop in Bermuda, it has been quite an adventure! Thank you all for following along, I truly appreciate all the kind words and encouragement along the way. I’m happy to hear so many enjoyed my posts and pictures. Until next time.. I’m signing off. 😊

We are on the move, working our way up toward the island of Manhattan! This morning in both the Horizon and Observation Lounges we had a Taste of New York: Bagels & Smear offered. Ships officers and senior staff were found mingling with guests and posing for photos! In the afternoon we had Terry Bishop back for a fun, laid back time in Stuff and Nonsense, tubes of a troubadour! Lunch feature in the Pool Grill was Burger Heaven. I was surprised to find suitcases out and ready to go by early afternoon. I’ve barely opened my suitcase by the time I’m getting ready for dinner! Afternoon Tea today featured a variety of yummy Donuts! Pre dinner show was the put on by the Mariner Production Company: Broadway in Concert! A journey through Broadway’s past and present. The final meal for this cruise was in Compass Rose and it had to end with the usual, two desserts. Disembarkation early tomorrow for guests, then Coast Guard inspection and drills for the ship and crew!

Thanks everyone, but I’m not quite done yet! 😉 I did see that the Boutique and Casino are open today and tomorrow. In fact, the casino is hosting its usual tournaments on both days! Terry Bishop gave us another wonderful talk: The New World. The discovery, occupation and populating of North America. 0-350 million in 17,000 years! In the afternoon, Dr. Douglas Nelson spoke to us about Newport: Home of America’s One Percent. Spent some time on the balcony when I noticed we had a visitor! Later I noticed that the Norwegian Escape behind us were also refueling. Afternoon Tea Time today featured Waffles with many toppings! As we near the end of our cruise, prior to dinner, we had the Captain’s Farewell Reception & Krew Kapers. What a fun show the crew puts on, and it’s quite different than the ones from years ago with new songs and dances. Only a couple repeats. (No people like cruise people, YMCA and Impossible Dream). It was a packed house in the Constellation Theater! The show tonight is the return of Michelle Montuori for Songs & Smiles. Tomorrow is sea day #8 in a row! 😂

I’m happy to hear you have benefited from my posts. The ship and crew have been phenomenal and I hope you have a fantastic cruise coming up! 😄

Land ho! We are now anchored just inside the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge and we do have quite a bit of marine traffic passing by. We have a neighbor anchored off our starboard side, the Norwegian Escape! Windy morning in the low 60’s, quite a departure from what we’ve enjoyed the last week, but the sun is shining, the bar is open and we have quite the view!

Today was our first wet Sea Day. Woke up to a wet balcony and found dark clouds in the distance. Those would arrive around lunch time, bringing with rain showers that would clear the pool deck. The pool was drained and being touched up by maintenance. The sun did make a few appearances in the afternoon. Morning lecture by Terry Bishop today was: Ocean Survivors. Accidents, adventure and misadventures. -how long could you survive in the open oceans? Quite staggering what some of the survivors had to endure during their time drifting the oceans. There is concern on our cruise.. Terry is a hoot! Pool Grill Lunch today featured Fish Al Fresco. Afternoon Tea was paired with Pies! Checking in on our position, we have slowed down to about 12-13 knots this afternoon. Updated itinerary sent to our suites. I guess this means we will technically be at sea for 8 continuous days. Passages indicate the Casino and Boutiques are to be open tomorrow. Afternoon lecture by Dr. Nelson was Digging for History - a personal journey to archaeology. The evening show today was Tuxedo, offering songs from the ‘Rat Pack’, Tony Bennet, Frank Sinatra and Natalie Cole. This show was a pre-dinner event, starting at 6pm. Dinner afterwards was back in Compass Rose. What’s this? Have I rubbed off on the Mrs? We had a dessert buffet this evening! Currently sailing into the sunset, we have company with other cruise ships off in the distance. Horizon Lounge will host Dance, Romance & Desserts in the Horizon this evening. A dancing ball for sweethearts with sweet treats, oh my! Tomorrow is bonus sea day number two! At least we, hopefully, have quite the view of NYC for the next two days. Thanks again for following our adventures. 😀

I never mentioned Covid, so curious as to why you would? I just made an observation that someone actively coughing and admitting to being ill was at the lunch buffet. If I was as ill as she sounded, I would order room service, but that’s just me.

Just adding to Curler Robs post, we will be anchoring tomorrow at about 8 am and remaining there, if the weather allows, until we head to the pier for our original arrival time on Sunday. We will remain on board for the next two days with no tenders to take us ashore, due to a combination of weather and customs rules. Does that count as two more sea days? 😜

Nothing has been shared with us in regards to our arrival into NY, although I have yet to ask today. Soon, I will wander a bit and ask, hopefully someone with knowledge takes pity on me and shares what they know.

Woke up this morning to slight rocking and pitching motion as well as some clouds. Captain did announce we had about 2 meter swells and the stabilizers were deployed. As we continue our course to NY, let’s see what’s available for us today. This morning there is a Merengue Dance Class if anyone wants to get their Dominican moves on! Terry Bishop enthralls us with his lecture: The Bermuda Triangle -Mystery and myth, fact or fiction? You decide! It was quite well done and we love his humor. Poor guy insists that’s where his luggage went to.. Beginner’s Bridge, Intermediate Bridge or Bingo Bonanza are also offered. The ever fun Photo Scavenger Hunt, Dutch shuffleboard or Bocce ball are on for today! Lunch feature today is Sandwich & Salad Bar. Build your own! In the afternoon, we have Dr. Nelson back to discuss with us: Bermuda. From Shipwreck to Insurance Capital. Explore the amazing transformation of Bermuda since the 17th century. I love the fact that they replay the lectures in your cabin for viewing later if you are unable to make it in person. Maintenance continues to be hard at work, today they were welding out by the funnel and working on someone’s suite inside. Afternoon Tea today featured the ever yummy Cupcakes! We cannot forget to get something off the trolley first! 😉 Today we were given information on accessing the digital guest survey to be completed prior to disembarkation. I have noticed more coughing and sniffling amongst guests, at lunch the guest at the table behind me was coughing a bit and openly told friends passing by that she had a cold. Yet, there she was eating and drinking at the Pool Grill lunch buffet. 😠 Off to Compass Rose for dinner tonight! Started with the always available Beef Carpaccio, then I decided to make my own surf and turf. Ribeye and Lobster tail. At this point, my dessert choices are no surprise to anyone. Chocolate Mousse with Mango sauce and Grand Marnier Soufflé. After dinner, I hiked all the way up to the top deck. (I only take the stairs while cruising, it makes my two dessert regime seem justified somehow) 😁 I love seeing the stars, but noticed tonight was really cloudy. Looks like we are starting to feel the effects of Lee? Do they tie up the furniture every night on the pool deck? With the cloudy skies, I guess I started looking down more and noticed that. Are we expecting some rough seas? This evenings entertainment was Steve Stevens, his second show on our cruise named: Around the World and Back Again! Karaoke round 2 was also offered, but I was in bed long before it started. Tomorrow is our bonus sea day! Thanks for following!

Afternoon Tea Time is at the Horizon Lounge from 4-5pm, while Trivia is held at 4:30pm in the Observation Lounge. So yes, there is quite the overlap for those who want to do both. ☹️ Some arrive about 10-15 minutes early to the Horizon Lounge, are served tea, scones, sandwiches or sweets and head up to the Observation Lounge 30 minutes later for Trivia. So while possible, you have to be quick and it may not be very relaxing.

Today is sea day number five in a row and I’m loving it! So much so that I booked another transatlantic cruise for next year. Weather is as beautiful and sunny as it’s been all cruise. The Pool deck is always a popular hotspot, but there are almost always tables and loungers to be found. The crew had another drill this morning, a fire drill up in La Veranda. There were no announcements, I just happened to pass by at the right time to catch it and saw the supply closet being used. In case there were any interested ones, there was an early Country Line Dance class offered. If not, Terry Bishop continues his fascinating lectures this morning with “Wither The Fates Carry Us” -A brief history of Bermuda. Pigs, Shakespeare and conflicts of conscience. Just thereafter, in the Constellation Theater, Executive Chef John Pugh puts on a culinary cooking demonstration! Beetroot Gravlax and Pad Thai, both of which would be offered in Compass Rose this evening. After that lovely demonstration, our appetites grew and we headed to the Pool Grill for todays lunch featuring Tex-Mex BBQ! It has been the most popular lunch feature this cruise as the Pool Grill was absolutely packed! Lots of delicious choices such as Enchiladas, Nachos, Chili con Carne, Guacamole and more. We also had the Two of Us duo back to serenade us during lunch! Todays entertainment team events included Crazy Golf, High Roller (Officer Challenge), Baggo and Shuffle Golf! The Casino hosting their usual three tournaments today as well. Today was also the second Connoisseur Wine lunch being offered on this cruise in Chartreuse. My wife was back at the Spa making her (I hope) final donation during this cruise. 😉 In the meantime, I went for my caffeine and sugar fix in the Coffee Connection. Dr. Douglas Nelson was back on stage this afternoon enriching us with knowledge on Transatlantic Ocean Liners. There we gained a greater appreciation of today’s cruise ships compared with early trans-Atlantic crossings. The Horizon Lounge also hosted Knitting corner and Needlepoint Nook, both well attended. My highlight for the Horizon Lounge today was in Tea Time. Today was French Tea, Oui! What a view to relax with.. Trolley with sandwiches visiting regularly! An amazing spread of sweets to be found today. Basque Cheesecake, Macaroons, Fruit tartlets and more, Oh my! And to think.. Dinner is in less than two hours! That’s ok, there’s always room for one more sweet bite. 😋 Back to the cabin for a brief rest, before heading to Compass Rose for dinner. The usual two dessert regime continues. I don’t know how my pants still fit me. One thing I forgot to mention about Compass Rose, is that on day two or three, I did see a guest being turned away as they were wearing shorts and sandals. I applaud the staff for enforcing the dress code, despite the guests complaints. Evening entertainment featured a Big Screen Popcorn movie in the Constellation Theater or a Dance Party. The Horizon Lounge hosted a ‘Mamma Mia! What a Dance Party!’ this evening. Sadly, we did not attend. Instead we went back to our suites to be in a short, overnight food coma. Clocks went back one hour, so we are now only one hour ahead of our next port of call, NY. No word on our exact arrival yet, just that we should be there Friday, continuing our smooth sailing at 18.6 knots. Thanks again for following along!

Good catch.. I’m torn between blaming auto correct or the extra glass of wine with dinner! 😬 Mel Brooks must’ve been on my mind.

That was a popular question, with no real answer. They gave no information as to our ETA into NY. I would love an extra day, or two in NYC. As soon as I get any updates, I will pass them along. Thank you Mr. Benson, I hope my thread has been informative to you. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to fire away! 😁

Latest update from the bridge is that Bermuda has been cancelled and we are sailing directly to NY. It is not feasible to go to an alternate destination on the east coast at this time.

Thank you all for the kind encouragement! As CurlerRob mentioned, there have been no announcements as to Bermuda, but it is becoming evident that Miami is having us bypass that port of call. Today we woke up with a slight chance of showers.. Is this the end of our calm seas and sunny skies? Thankfully, no. We passed to the north of the rain, leaving us with our usual calm seas and sunny skies! That’s not the only bit of good news. Sitting at the ever popular Coffee Connection at the moment and the Wi-Fi is blazing fast today! I got all my pictures uploaded in less than two minutes. Woo-hoo! Back to yesterday morning.. and what a morning it was! The Mariner’s Country Fair was the absolute highlight and hoot of a time! Each department had their own games, they cheered and sang for each competitor to do their best! Win and you get a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes. (What they were, I’m not sure) It was well attended, with games on both decks 5 and 6. Deck department challenging guests to quickly tie up! Chants of “Make it fast!” “Make it fast!” Accompanied every challenger! The Entertainment team challenged guests to knock down pins in a game of Wiggle Waggle! Place the line on your waist, and guide the dangling balls to knock down the pins before your opponent! The Bar team featured Ring the Bottle! What fair is complete without a ring toss game? Every bottle you ring, you get to take with! (Not really) Who can keep up with the Housekeeping department? I did miss this one, so I am not sure what the event entailed. It was very popular though! On Deck five we have the Destinations team with pictures featuring popular worldwide locations. Can you guess them all correctly? Also featured here was the Galley team. Chefs and Bakers, how is your sense of smell? Can you guess the spices by smell alone? Ooohhh.. harder than it looks, or smells! *Badum tsss The Officers challenged us to a race.. a horse race! Sit down, hold your line tied to a tube and reel in your horse to the finish line first! How are those wrists? I love the Country Fairs with the games, cheering, chanting and general fun had by all! But if that’s not your thing, that’s no problem! Head over the the Constellation Theater for the continuation of the Speaker Series. This morning Terry Bishop discussed: The Atlantic Armada! Featuring “Maggie’s War” and the Falklands 1982. Still not your thing? Join the Artist on board, Ann Reigle for a colorful necklace workshop. Make your own necklace to remember this journey! As for me, I went to the Macallan tasting! There were 7 of us in the Stars Lounge. We were hosted by the Head Bartender, Vikram. He gave us some history on the Macallan brand, distillation process and then.. the actual tasting! Todays tasting featured the Terra (Poured in the center below), Enigma (left) and Oscuro (right). The Terra, being the youngest with the Oscuro being the oldest, most matured. They all had unique flavors, yet the Oscuro was the smoothest and most flavorful. Now Vikram added a couple drops of water to the Enigma after we initially tasted it, and what a difference it made! It opened up the aromas as well as enhanced the flavor and ease of sipping. Completely changed the perception of this Scotch. So much so, at the end of the presentation, three bottles of Enigma were sold to attendees! (Not me, but I was tempted!) Mid-Afternoon Terry Bishop was back for another lecture, this one entitled: “Song of the Seas” Songs and tales of sailors at work, rest and war. Of course the Casino hosted more tournaments today, including Blackjack, Slots and Texas Hold’Em. Afternoon Tea time featuring Brownies! Sweet, delicious bite-sized brownies. Yum! I was sad to miss this one, hence no pictures. Boo, me! I’m sorry!) Off to Compass Rose for dinner! Todays choices included Spicy Tuna Maki with salmon sashimi, so good! As for desserts.. Hazelnut Soufflé and a slice of heavenly cheesecake! So light and airy! The Mrs, went for the popular Pumpkin Pie! We spent some time in the Horizon Lounge waiting for tonight’s performance, the second show put on by the talented Mariner Production Team, Blazing Saddles! Yee-haw! Featuring songs by Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean amongst others. It was a high intensity show and well attended! Judith, our cruise director mentioned after the show that they were going to put it on again that night for the crew. How lovely!! Looking at our path.. Bermuda is not where we are heading! Captains noon announcement coming up shortly. Will keep you all posted, unless one of my fellow travelers beats me to it! 😜 Again, thank you all for following along on our journey!

Clear skies, calm seas and plenty of sunshine appear to be the theme for this crossing, and today is no different. Being Sunday, it’s Caviar Breakfast this morning at either La Veranda or Compass Rose. I have been skipping a lot of morning breakfasts this trip and today would be no different. The Speaker Series continues this morning with Terry Bishop giving the lecture: The History of the Atlantic Ocean. Who did what, when, where and why? It was quite informative and entertaining! I usually stroll to the Pool Grill around noon and today the winds were calm enough that they opened the umbrellas, providing more tables with shade! The pool, spas and loungers have been popular this cruise. I have noticed you can usually find a few open loungers, and there does not seem to be an issue with people saving them for long periods of time. Today the featured Lunch Buffet is German Lunch, Sehr Gut! Picture ended up pretty dark, but from left to right the options were: Potatoes, Beef Goulash, Knockwurst, Bratwurst, Weisswurst and Kielbasa. They were cooked just perfectly and juicy, I was impressed! There were more options that I did not picture and of course in La Veranda as well. We then had the ‘Just the Two of Us’ duo arrive to serenade us. After lunch, there were plenty of options to keep us entertained around the ship. The afternoon lecture by Dr. Douglas Nelson was: Battle of the Atlantic WWII. Re-live the U-Boat vs Allies naval campaigns! There was Indoor Bocce, Roll-A-Ball, Shuffleboard and Skittles (Carpet Bowling) for activities. The Casino also hosted a few tournaments, including Blackjack, Slots and Texas Hold’Em. Afternoon Tea featured English treats today. We had a late Chartreuse reservation, so we decided to head up to the Observation Lounge to have a cocktail and enjoy the amazing sunset! After the sunset it emptied out pretty quickly, leaving just a few of us enjoying the now, semi-private lounge! A short time later we were headed to Chartreuse, where we had another magnificent meal! My wife had the Beef Tenderloin Rossini with Truffle Royale and seared Foie Gras, amazing! I, of course, kept up with traditions when it comes to desserts! Velvet Champagne Mousse with raspberry jelly and the Floating Island.. Oh, my! Just as we were wrapping up dessert, we noticed that the only other guests were leaving. We had the whole place to ourselves! Not wanting to keep the staff, we promptly left and headed to the Horizon Lounge for after dinner drinks and to Swing & Shout with Talo and Mica who kept the energy in the lounge high! At this point of the cruise, I realize how important hydration is. One glass of water per two drinks sounds about right. 😜 With our late dinner, we missed Steve Stevens Comedy & More show in the Constellation Theater. We’re making good progress across the Atlantic. No time change for us this evening. We do have something to look forward to tomorrow, besides another sea day: The Country Fair! While the Wi-Fi has been pretty good today for emails and web browsing, it did take me a few hours to upload yesterdays pictures on this post due to failed attempts. Until my next update, thanks for following along! 😀

Double post..

I have heard of no changes to our itinerary as of yet. Seas remain calm, weather sunny and bright. Reception has indicated that Bermuda is still the next port of call, but they are monitoring the storms. Time will tell..

Thank you so much. I intend to keep trying as many desserts as I can, at least for as long as my clothes fit! Yes, we had such a lovely time in Morocco the day before. We were quite saddened to hear about the earthquake the following day. Having lived through several in my lifetime, my heart goes out to all those affected. I am glad to hear that my thoughts, impressions and pictures on this cruise have helped. The ship seems to be in good shape, but the crew are working really hard to go above and beyond! Thank you, I will do my best to keep the review and pictures coming! Starlink is scheduled to be put on the Mariner, hope that improves things. Yesterday, for about five hours the internet was so slow, it was practically unusable. Come on, Regent.. up that budget a bit for Internet! 🙃 I did ask for a list of the inclusive wines. Hope to see that show up in my suite any time and will share when I do.

I must apologize for not posting yesterday. I attempted several times to get on, but the Wi-Fi was down most of the morning and abysmal in the afternoon. I was at the Coffee Connection enjoying some Caffeine, which may or may not have been mixed with alcohol, and the poor Internet Manager had a line 10 guests deep, and they were not happy! Thankfully, it’s working much better today. I will do my best to recap yesterday, our first of five sea days as well as post a picture or two. Let me start by going back to Friday, when we were in Santa Palma. As we did the late excursion, I missed all the on board events. Breakfast in La Veranda that morning featured Sangria & Frittatas, while the afternoon Tea Time theme was Flambé! I was sad to miss that one. Crew emergency drill during the late morning, I always appreciate how serious they take safety! I think that catches up to where my review left off, at the Divo’s and Divas show! After the show, we headed to the Stars Lounge for a night cap and found it to be a lively place with the singing of The Two of Us duo, dancing by guests and the shaking of shakers in the bar! Love it! The duo singing for us were Talo from Uruguay and Mica from Argentina. Not the best picture, apologies. Drinks were quick to arrive, the mood set and we were happy campers! What a fun vibe! The Horizon Lounge had Sinatra and Friends; ‘Rat Pack’ music, while the Mariner Lounge had Pianist Alexander playing some lovely tunes, so if this wasn’t your jam, you had choices! We had a nasty surprise waiting for us when we got back to the cabin.. NO, not old pizza! But something almost as bad.. the Disembarkation Questionnaire!! Boo.. Clocks went back an hour and we had a sea day ahead of us. That brings about a relaxing morning! La Veranda featured Saturday Marys, Bloody Mary’s any way you would like! This mornings lecture was by Terry Bishop: Atlantis -A Land that Time Remembers. Where and when? Fact or Fiction? Terry is a great speaker, we are very much enjoying his lectures on this cruise. Apparently not all of his luggage made it on the ship in time for the crossing! Poor guy.. Off to the Pool grill for lunch, today they featured Asian Buffet. When ordering from the grill, I remember on the Navigator, pre-Covid, these were found on the tables. Now they bring them with your order and they are slightly chilled. Nice touch, and safer than letting them sit in the sun! My apple/cider themed drinks for lunch continue. Sadly, this is the only option on board. Afternoon lecture by Dr Nelson was: The Path to the New World Discovery. Uncovering the backstory on Columbus’ significant discovery of the New World. Quite interesting, he gave lots of not so well known tidbits. Both guest speakers are very entertaining! While the Mrs was making another donation to the Spa, I wandered the ship a bit, and found maintenance hard at work. Painting the outside decks, elevators and coffee machines being worked on. Elevator was promptly put back into service. The crew truly work hard, and they all wear smiles! Afternoon Tea Time today featured Pound Cake. The chocolate one was just divine! This evening was the Seven Seas Society Cocktail Reception, followed by dinner with the Executive Concierge, William Gómez and Boutique Manager Chavelli Longhi. William hails from Peru and Chavelli from Brazil. But first we are at the Cocktail Reception! Caviar, canapés, champagne and the Regent Seven Seas drink. They honored some milestones reached, including crew! We had three crew reach 5 years of service and two reached ten years! Wonderful! Some notes on this sailing made by Cruise Consultant Bruce: 394 Returning guests, the highest number on a single sailing from the entire Mediterranean season! 228 Silver, 92 Gold, 54 Platinum, 18 Titanium, 2 Diamond guests on board. Accumulate everyone’s night and we are over 45,000, impressive! This excludes our dear friend, ‘Captain Jablin’ who resides on board. We love seeing him on his daily walks. Dinner in Compass Rose was lovely. Conversations flowed and stories shared with our new friends, William and Chavelli. Of course, the Miso Glazed Sea Bass was a complete hit, served with the sticky rice and a lime wedge, one of my favorites! After dinner, we headed to the Constellation Theater for tonight’s performance by Michelle Montouri. Half singing, half comedy. She has a great voice as well as a sense of humor and gets the audience involved. Not what I originally expected, but we did enjoy! She had the audience in stitches.. We skipped Karaoke in the Stars Lounge this evening, I would eventually want to participate, but need a lot more liquid courage than what I consumed last night! Clocks went back another hour last night, I can get used to this! This morning, just prior to 8am an announcement was made ship wide, and in the suites, summoning the stretcher team to a guests suite. Hope they are ok! A quick look at our position as of this morning: Seas have remained calm, today is day two of five sea days. I feel like this was a longer post, had to catch up and it seems most of the pictures have uploaded, with only a few that refuse. Mainly of the food. As always, thanks for following!

I love hearing experiences like this! It is true, Regent only needs 24 hours to accommodate most culinary requests. Small details like that can truly create life-long memories! 😀 (And Loyalty!)