boblerm

Kveðja! Last night we dined at Compass Rose. Boblerm had caviar profiteroles, cream of asparagus soup, and duck prepared 2 ways in plum sauce. Ms. Boblerm had vine ripened tomato salad, asparagus soup and a sake glazed salmon. In terms of presentation, flavor, and service, it was a standout dining experience. The evening entertainment was a vocalist named Andrew Bateup, who was a finalist in the UK version of "the Voice". He did a performance of standards ; rat pack, Michael Bublè, Bryan Adams, others, backed by the Regent Signature Orchestra. He has a really nice voice and put on a very enjoyable show. Today we are in Ísafjörður. The forcast called for rain all day, but the Norse gods smiled upon us once again, and it was pleasant and sunny, at least as we speak, 2PM. Our excursion was called "Life and Culture of Ísafjörður. We stopped at the Ósvör Maritime Museum, which is a replica of an old Icelandic fishing village, and then drove to a church where we were serenaded with Islandic folk songs by a lovely young lady. Next we stopped at the Tunguskògur water falls. We were able to sample the clear mountain water which is said to have rejuvenating powers, you become 10 years more youthful with each glass. I had 4. We'll see what happens. Lastly, we returned to Isafjörður, where we visited a Maritime and Folk Museum. We were able to sample salted cod, which was pretty much like trying to chew on fish flavored plasterboard. 😋 I must say that it is an incredible pleasure to be relaxing comfortably on the pool deck in Iceland, and best of all, NO CHAIR HOGS!

Yes, US domestic 1st class is exactly what we had, sorry if I misled you. The seats do recline, but not nearly flat. No worries, your head will not fall forward, and if you can sleep well in a semi reined position, you are good to go!

Duh! Yes, I am did read that blog entry, but that was, like, a, whole 3 days ago! Can't remember everything! 😂

Góðan daginn! Dinner last night was at Prime 7. Jeannie had crab cake to start and the seafood sampler. I had the beef tartar and the bone in- rib steak. I asked to add a couple of crab legs to make it a surf and turf. We thought that the starters were very good, but the entrées just OK. My steak had good flavor, but was on the tougher side. My wife's lobster tail was somewhat overcooked. There was some service issues as well, they seem to be understaffed. We finished well with my favorite dessert south of the North Pole, the Caramel Pop Sundae! The show last night was Welcome Aboard Variety Showtime, featuring a sampling of all of the ship's on- board entertainers. There were numbers by the Regent Signature Orchestra; the Observation Lounge piano player, Ray; the Splendor Lounge performers, the Dial 2 Duo (2 gents). The production team did a short tribute to Queen. If this is any indication of what we have in store for us, I have very high hopes for a great entertainment experience, as they were all excellent. In addition, cruise director Margaret did 2 songs as well as acting as MC. This is the first time that we have cruised with her and my first impression is very positive in terms of her talent and personality. Today we are anchored off Grundarfjörður, we tendered in and had a tour called "Highlights of Snæfellsnes. We drove through some nice scenes, with several stops showcasing some beautiful vistas. So much of touring is dependant on the weather, and today we hit the jackpot. It was 16C/61F, calm and clear as a bell. Our tour guide told us that this was highly unusual for this region. Sadly, the forecast ahead is not do great, but we surely too appreciate what we had today! As mentioned, it is my intent to post some details and more photos when I am at home.

Do you recall which port this was?

Update to muster /safety: When first turning on your in-suite TV, a 16 minute safety video has to play before you can view anything else. Also, at 5:45, the CD came on the ship wide PA system with a 15 minute talk, covering pretty much the same stuff.

The flight was great, on time, smooth, excellent service and good food. As mentioned, it was comfortable enough for a daytime flight of this duration, I think that you will be pleased.

Thanks Z, and if only I could find a preventative!

I stand corrected, and now regret missing it! ☺️

Our Icelandair business class flight was fine for a daytime flight, but would not recommended for overnight, as seats do not recline nearly enough. We arrived at our hotel, the Hilton Konsulat at about 11PM. I had researched dining options beforehand, and the only thing that I could find open at that hour was a hotdog stand. But Icelandair kept us well fed, so we passed. Walked around Reykjavík a bit this morning. You can tell the locals from the tourists as some are dressed for the summer, and others for the winter. Took a taxi to the pier. It was only about a 10 minute ride, but the fare was (brace yourself), two thousand nine hundred and twenty krona! But then I did the math, and it came out to only twenty bucks. Whew! Embarkation was easy peasy. Check in started at 11:30, and we were on the pool deck by 11:45. Strange as it may seem, I think that my favorite part of a cruise is embarkation . We love getting our first glimpse of our ship. The feeling of first stepping on our ship is an indescribable one, so I will not try. We savor our first toast (our go to is Champagne with Grand Marnier) on the pool deck. As special as these things were prior to travel being shut down by that – which – shall-not- be – named, now it is even more so! Since the resumption of travel following you – know- what, Regent no longer requires showing up for a live muster, we just have to watch a video at home (twice), then after checking in, you go to your muster station to say hi. This is either great because we don’t have to spend precious on board time with a boring old muster presentation or terrible, because in the event of an actual emergency, people are likely to be unprepared, and will run around like chickens with their heads cut off or both.

In the days of my "youth"*, I used to enjoy doing doing somewhat comprehensive live trip reports on Cruise Critic, with somewhat detailed information, an occasional pithy comment, and loads of visuals. As the years go by, I find that my brain and fingers work more slowly, and doing a detailed live report takes up more time than I would like. So lately, I have been reporting once settled in at home. But I think that there is some value in posting about a cruise in real time, to give people who are soon to embark a chance to see what's going on onboard and to answer questions. So my plan is to do a fairly brief report about the goings on aboard the Splendor, with a pic or 2, and then fill in the gaps with more detail and photos when I get home and have a chance to rest my weary cerebrum. This cruise is a circumnavigation of Iceland, round trip Reykjavik, 8 nights with 5 ports of call including an overnight in the Faroe Islands, one sea day. We have a post cruse night in Reykjavik. I am currently in the British Airway lounge in Boston Logan, which is the lounge that Icelandair uses here. We have a noontime flight which lands in REK this evening, and board tomorrow. If any of my fellow CCers that are sailing with me are reading this, please post here and help me out! *"Oh, to be young...., and seventy again." Mrs. Odetts (My Little Margie's next door neighbor(American sitcom from the '50s))

There is a very long thread on this topic on the CC British Isle Forum. This post (#639) offers some suggestions. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2662148-transfer-southampton—london-incl-lhrlgw-train-car-other/?do=findComment&comment=65401435

Thank you for this info, Gill. Do you happen to know if Margaret Lynn will be on board for a while now? And as long as I have you on the phone, thanks you so much for your delightful blog!

Last I'd heard it was Andy Heath. @Gilly,can you confirm this?

I think that CR's always available menu is one of the reasons that so many of us love Regent. But that's what makes horse races. Problem solved! Big Vin, thank you for your honest report. It is always nice to hear differing perspectives on this forum. even those that are absolutely wrong. Just kidding!😄

Big Vin, while we appreciate your concern for our sensitivities, perhaps we are not quite as fragile as you may think. We can handle the truth! If it's not too much trouble, mayb you can provide a few bullet points (if possible in language that is not too too weird?) as to what your concerns are. And also if there is any positives? TIA.

Big Vin So sorry that your cruise has gotten off to such a rocky start. Here's hoping that things take a considerable turn for the better once you board. If time allows, please pop in here from time to time and let us know how things are going. Cheers!🥂

I think that we are all in agreement that children who cannot behave, and/or parents that are unwilling to see to it that children are not creating a disturbance should not be on luxury lines.

We were on the lower Mississippi, no issue with phone (Verizon) or internet. Top notch entertainment every night, and interesting lecturers. No days without being in port,no reason to be bored. I did have issues with the service as I have detailed earlier.

In the past, when staying in an included hotel with Regent or any other cruise line, I have not been able to get points or any other hotel membership benefits, as the reservation is through the group.

The circumstances have not changed one bit. The circumstances have always been that G&G do not wish to cruise on a big ship (or as Pcardad would state it, wouldn't set foot on a big ship), and offers to take the family. Nothing more, nothing less. Seriously? Is there a grandparent alive that does not relish in spending time with their grandkids? I think most grandparents think of an occasional babysit to go with the territory, but let's assume that isn't on the table, that one of the parents has to retire on the earlier side each night . So now this constitutes selfishness? ???? Hah?

Let me see if I understand this- Grandma and Grandpa do not wish to cruise on a big ship, only on Regent Grandma and Grandpa offer to take their children and grandchildren with them, and pay their way The children then have the opportunity to cruise on a first class line that they perhaps could not afford on their own, and have Grandma and Grandpa to help with the care of the grandchildren, maybe even babysit some nights so that the children can have a late night out on the ship Said children are very happy to be so accommodated And this makes Grandma and Grandpa selfish?

I continue to be a bit perplexed as to how so many seem to think of “kids” as being a homogeneous group. Kids cannot enjoy themselves on Regent. Kids would be bored on Regent. Kids can’t control themselves for long periods of time. That is surely true for some people’s kids, it is surely not true for others. When my kids were preteens, we started taking them on mass market lines, because that is what we could afford at the time and have taken them on quite a few. Our little birdies have long since flown the nest, and my wife and I are at a point in our lives in which we are so blessed to be in a position in which we are able to cruise on luxury lines. When we do, we so often express to each other how much we would love to be able to share the joys of luxury cruising with our (now adult) children. They would love and appreciate it. But these children now come with their own little ones. So how long must I wait to be able to give my kids this experience and share it with them? When the grands are teens? Some teens would have a great time on a Regent cruise. Other teens would hate it. Teens are also not a homogeneous group. Or do I just have to give up on this idea? Our grandson is now 6 1/2 and our granddaughter is 3 ½. The little boy would do fine on a Regent cruise, and I would have no qualms about taking him. The little girl- not so much. If and when we and her parents think that she is ready, I will absolutely take the entire family on a luxury cruise and will do so without hesitation and without a shred of guilt. Which, by the way, does not preclude me from taking the family to other vacation spots at other times, be it on land or sea. Frankly, I think that calling people selfish because they think that what works best for their families does not coincide with what works best for yours is a bit over the top. But call me selfish if you’d like, I really don’t care. However, I respectfully suggest thinking twice before passing judgment about other people’s choices, provided that it does not affect you.

The same reviewer now has posted a ship tour of the Splendor. For those that have sailed on her, much of it is old hat, but I did pick up on some overlooked gems.