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Live from Regatta June 12-19, 2018--Vancouver to Seattle family cruise


RachelG
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We fly out today for Vancouver, so will "set the table" as my friend MrRumor over on the Regent board likes to say. This will be our 3rd Oceania cruise, 2nd on Regatta. We usually cruise on Regent and Silversea, but have added Oceania to the mix since we learned how to lux things up (penthouse suite, prestige bev package, etc) and still be able to cruise with extended family. My son and his wife (both in their 30s) and her parents will be joining us this time around, so it should be a fun cruise.

 

My son and I are avid trivia players, and we just drag everyone else along for that. We all enjoy the outdoors, good food and drink, and just having fun on the ship.

 

We have been to all the ports (Ketchikan, Sitka, Prince Rupert) before, and hopefully we will be able to get into Tracy Arm Fjord this time round. It was still iced in 2 years ago on our last Alaska cruise at about this time of year, but it is one of my very favorite places in the world, and our daughter-in-law and her parents have not been there.

 

I will be posting every day internet willing, so if anyone has any specific questions about the ship, ports, etc,

just let me know. I will also try to include pictures, again internet willing.

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We had a very uneventful flight from Tulsa to Dfw then on to Vancouver, well except for George somehow ripping a big hole in his shirt while getting the luggage out of the truck. We had just enough time at Dfw to buy him a new one since fortunately our arrival and departure gates were almost side by side.

Going through customs in Vancouver is now much improved as it is all electronic. Way quicker than our last visit.

 

We grabbed our luggage, walked out, and there was our shuttle waiting to take us to the Hampton Inn by the airport. Not a luxury hotel by any means, but the beds are very comfortable and the bathrooms have great showers. Plus it is convenient after a long flight.

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We had a very uneventful flight from Tulsa to Dfw then on to Vancouver, well except for George somehow ripping a big hole in his shirt while getting the luggage out of the truck. We had just enough time at Dfw to buy him a new one since fortunately our arrival and departure gates were almost side by side.

Going through customs in Vancouver is now much improved as it is all electronic. Way quicker than our last visit.

 

We grabbed our luggage, walked out, and there was our shuttle waiting to take us to the Hampton Inn by the airport. Not a luxury hotel by any means, but the beds are very comfortable and the bathrooms have great showers. Plus it is convenient after a long flight.

 

Enjoy the cruise the weather is just starting to turn for the better. Try to spend a few days in Vancouver it will be well worth it, fantastic place

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June12, 2018–embarkation—Vancouver BC

 

Of course, with the two hour time difference, we were awake before the crack of dawn. It looked to be a pleasant clear day with high temps in the 60s. We spent most of the morning hanging around in our hotel room as my DIL had a conference call with her office. George found a huge Asian market across the street from the hotel and killed some time exploring there.

 

At 10:30, we were in our large cab and headed to the port. It took only 30 minutes, though the ride was a little hair raising as our driver apparently had no knowledge of turn signals or traffic lanes. We dropped off the luggage, then went and did Flyover Canada which is actually really well done and worth the price, as well as being right there at the port.

 

Our DIL’s parents were there before us, and while they were waiting, they ran into our Captain,Luksa Kristovic, with whom we have sailed previously. He was out walking with his wife and baby on the pier. He immediately recognized them and asked where we were. He is a great captain as well as a really nice person.

 

The other staff members are new to us: Leandro Roldan is executive concierge, Claudio Melli is GM, and Dottie Kulasa is CD.

 

We walked right on the ship at 12:15 with no lines whatsoever as we are the only ship in port today. Soon holding pen, no lines, just right on and straight up to the Grill for lunch. I had a nice salad while George enjoyed his burger and fries (ok, I stole a couple of fries, but they were perfect).

 

Our rooms were ready by the time we were though eating, so Time to unpack and settle in. We are in a penthouse suite, which is sort of comparable to a regular suite on Regent or Silversea, except without a walk-in closet and the bathroom is smaller. But it is well laid out with lots of storage, a big comfortable couch and 2 upholstered chairs, queen size bed, and good size balcony.

 

It had clouded over and started raining by this time, but slacked off enough by 4 for me to get my steps in up on the walking track.

 

5:15 muster drill. About as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, or not. But at least it wasn’t raining.

 

Our butler came and introduced himself, and kudos to him, he understood immediately when I told him we only wanted club soda, Coke Zero, and Perrier in the fridge and to take everything else away. Others have failed with this request, but he got it straightaway without question. Our housekeeper, from Honduras, and her assistant also came by. She and I had a nice conversation in Spanish, though her English is very good. We kind of popped back and forth with Spanglish.

 

Dinner in Polo Grill was spot on. Every dish was flawless. I had the oysters Rockefeller, Caesar salad, and the veal and lobster surf and turf. Absolutely perfect. Everyone else was also pleased with their dishes. The flow of the meal was just right, and even better, we were seated at the very back table with a view of the rear of the ship which was perfect for sail away. We could see Mt Rainier very clearly which is unusual.

 

The show tonight was a variety sampler sort of show. The band seems really talented. My DIL is a bubbly sort of person, and she was really dancing.

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We had Dottie as our CD on our Alaskan cruise last year on Regatta, she's great. If you're trivia fans as we are, make sure you research phobias as she always throws obscure ones into every game.

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Sounds like you are having a great time. This will be our first time on the Oceania Line. I have a question regarding the Polo Grill & Toscana restaurant. Do you pay extra to dine in these restaurants. If so what is the amount. Is the food more superior in these restaurants than the main dining room. Thanking you inadvance.

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Sounds like you are having a great time. This will be our first time on the Oceania Line. I have a question regarding the Polo Grill & Toscana restaurant. Do you pay extra to dine in these restaurants. If so what is the amount. Is the food more superior in these restaurants than the main dining room. Thanking you inadvance.

There is no extra charge & the food quality is the same all over the ship

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No extra change for Polo Grill or Toscana, but you do have to make reservations for both. Technically you get one reservation for each in a 7 day cruise, but sometimes it is possible to book more once onboard.

 

On our First Oceania cruise, we thought the food in the GDR was not as good as in the specialty restaurants, but last cruise, we were happy with the GDR food though we thought the service was a little lacking. Service last night in Polo Grill was just perfect. Have not eaten in GDR yet.

 

Thanks for the phobia tip!

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June12, 2018–embarkation—Vancouver BC

 

Of course, with the two hour time difference, we were awake before the crack of dawn. It looked to be a pleasant clear day with high temps in the 60s. We spent most of the morning hanging around in our hotel room as my DIL had a conference call with her office. George found a huge Asian market across the street from the hotel and killed some time exploring there.

 

At 10:30, we were in our large cab and headed to the port. It took only 30 minutes, though the ride was a little hair raising as our driver apparently had no knowledge of turn signals or traffic lanes. We dropped off the luggage, then went and did Flyover Canada which is actually really well done and worth the price, as well as being right there at the port.

Will Dottie still be CD on the Aug. 27th cruise?

Our DIL’s parents were there before us, and while they were waiting, they ran into our Captain,Luksa Kristovic, with whom we have sailed previously. He was out walking with his wife and baby on the pier. He immediately recognized them and asked where we were. He is a great captain as well as a really nice person.

 

The other staff members are new to us: Leandro Roldan is executive concierge, Claudio Melli is GM, and Dottie Kulasa is CD.

 

We walked right on the ship at 12:15 with no lines whatsoever as we are the only ship in port today. Soon holding pen, no lines, just right on and straight up to the Grill for lunch. I had a nice salad while George enjoyed his burger and fries (ok, I stole a couple of fries, but they were perfect).

 

Our rooms were ready by the time we were though eating, so Time to unpack and settle in. We are in a penthouse suite, which is sort of comparable to a regular suite on Regent or Silversea, except without a walk-in closet and the bathroom is smaller. But it is well laid out with lots of storage, a big comfortable couch and 2 upholstered chairs, queen size bed, and good size balcony.

 

It had clouded over and started raining by this time, but slacked off enough by 4 for me to get my steps in up on the walking track.

 

5:15 muster drill. About as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, or not. But at least it wasn’t raining.

 

Our butler came and introduced himself, and kudos to him, he understood immediately when I told him we only wanted club soda, Coke Zero, and Perrier in the fridge and to take everything else away. Others have failed with this request, but he got it straightaway without question. Our housekeeper, from Honduras, and her assistant also came by. She and I had a nice conversation in Spanish, though her English is very good. We kind of popped back and forth with Spanglish.

 

Dinner in Polo Grill was spot on. Every dish was flawless. I had the oysters Rockefeller, Caesar salad, and the veal and lobster surf and turf. Absolutely perfect. Everyone else was also pleased with their dishes. The flow of the meal was just right, and even better, we were seated at the very back table with a view of the rear of the ship which was perfect for sail away. We could see Mt Rainier very clearly which is unusual.

 

The show tonight was a variety sampler sort of show. The band seems really talented. My DIL is a bubbly sort of person, and she was really dancing.

Thanks for your post. Looking forward to hearing more. Could you find out if Dottie will still be CD on the Aug. 27th cruise?

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Thanks for your review and pictures Rachel. We are following closely, as we will be on the Regatta in August. Nice of you to take time from your busy schedule to keep us informed of the daily developments. Have a wonderful cruise.

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June12, 2018–embarkation—Vancouver BC

 

Of course, with the two hour time difference, we were awake before the crack of dawn. It looked to be a pleasant clear day with high temps in the 60s. We spent most of the morning hanging around in our hotel room as my DIL had a conference call with her office. George found a huge Asian market across the street from the hotel and killed some time exploring there.

 

At 10:30, we were in our large cab and headed to the port. It took only 30 minutes, though the ride was a little hair raising as our driver apparently had no knowledge of turn signals or traffic lanes. We dropped off the luggage, then went and did Flyover Canada which is actually really well done and worth the price, as well as being right there at the port.

 

Our DIL’s parents were there before us, and while they were waiting, they ran into our Captain,Luksa Kristovic, with whom we have sailed previously. He was out walking with his wife and baby on the pier. He immediately recognized them and asked where we were. He is a great captain as well as a really nice person.

 

The other staff members are new to us: Leandro Roldan is executive concierge, Claudio Melli is GM, and Dottie Kulasa is CD.

 

We walked right on the ship at 12:15 with no lines whatsoever as we are the only ship in port today. Soon holding pen, no lines, just right on and straight up to the Grill for lunch. I had a nice salad while George enjoyed his burger and fries (ok, I stole a couple of fries, but they were perfect).

 

Our rooms were ready by the time we were though eating, so Time to unpack and settle in. We are in a penthouse suite, which is sort of comparable to a regular suite on Regent or Silversea, except without a walk-in closet and the bathroom is smaller. But it is well laid out with lots of storage, a big comfortable couch and 2 upholstered chairs, queen size bed, and good size balcony.

 

It had clouded over and started raining by this time, but slacked off enough by 4 for me to get my steps in up on the walking track.

 

5:15 muster drill. About as much fun as a barrel of monkeys, or not. But at least it wasn’t raining.

 

Our butler came and introduced himself, and kudos to him, he understood immediately when I told him we only wanted club soda, Coke Zero, and Perrier in the fridge and to take everything else away. Others have failed with this request, but he got it straightaway without question. Our housekeeper, from Honduras, and her assistant also came by. She and I had a nice conversation in Spanish, though her English is very good. We kind of popped back and forth with Spanglish.

 

Dinner in Polo Grill was spot on. Every dish was flawless. I had the oysters Rockefeller, Caesar salad, and the veal and lobster surf and turf. Absolutely perfect. Everyone else was also pleased with their dishes. The flow of the meal was just right, and even better, we were seated at the very back table with a view of the rear of the ship which was perfect for sail away. We could see Mt Rainier very clearly which is unusual.

 

The show tonight was a variety sampler sort of show. The band seems really talented. My DIL is a bubbly sort of person, and she was really dancing.

 

love your posts, and the pics are great it is good to hear you experienced our typical Vancouver weather raining one minute sunny the next. only one correction it was not Mt.Rainier ,which you see from Seattle but Mt. Baker common mistake.

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love your posts, and the pics are great it is good to hear you experienced our typical Vancouver weather raining one minute sunny the next. only one correction it was not Mt.Rainier ,which you see from Seattle but Mt. Baker common mistake.

Interesting, because our lecturer said it was Mt. Rainer too. It was really clear yesterday, and it was far away. Anyway, I stand corrected.

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Interesting, because our lecturer said it was Mt. Rainer too. It was really clear yesterday, and it was far away. Anyway, I stand corrected.

I think the only way to see Rainier from Vancouver would be from the air. On a clear day you can sometimes see all three, including Mount St Helens on approach into Vancouver, but from the ground, pretty sure it would only be Baker.

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Thanks RachelG for taking the time to share your experiences. If it's all right, I'd like to tag along to hear about your adventures on the Regatta.

No problem, Ken. Please follow and enjoy. That is what this is all about.

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June 13, 2018–at sea cruising north through the Inside passage toward Ketchikan

 

After a night of very smooth sailing=great sleeping, I awoke bright and early at 5 am. We entered the Narrows at about 4:30, and i think the maneuvering woke my up, but i did not get up to look outside. Partly due to the time difference and partly because it was already daylight outside, I could not get back to sleep, so went up to the horizon lounge while husband continued to snooze. He loves nothing more than a good sleep on a cruise ship.

 

Outside it was very overcast and raining steadily. On both sides were tree covered snow capped mountains capped with low lying clouds. It was very beautiful in a sort of Pacific Northwest kind of way. Since we were sheltered on both sides, the seas were smooth as glass.

 

There are a fair number of kids on this cruise, and the guest lecturer was up in the lounge having an intense discussion regarding whales with a boy about 10 years old. He reminded me of my boys at that age. Hopefully the rest of the kids are as nice and polite.

 

Breakfast in the Terrace buffet was fresh berries and Greek yogurt for me. I am happy to say that they now have proper plain Greek yogurt without sugar readily available.

 

A lot of people had spotted whales while eating, but I did not see any, probably because I can’t spot a whale anywhere unless it totally jumps out of the water.

The lecture was about whales and was quite interesting. I knew most of the facts, but learned a few new things.

 

By this time, it had cleared off to a bright sunny day. Temp outside was about 60F, so I did 45 minutes on the walking track. I did see a few dolphins, but no whales.

 

Lunch in the terrace was Mexican themed, and I have to admit, they have really upped the game as far as quality of the Mexican food. Previously, Mexican was a definite weak link as far as ethnic cuisine, so I went planning on just having salad. I did have a big salad, but with lots of pico de Gallo and guacamole. They were making to order fajitas and soft tacos, but the line was very long with just two servers working it. Looked delicious but not worth the chaos and wait.

 

There was a blackjack tournament after lunch which my son won. My husband won last night at blackjack as well, so they are doing pretty nicely at the casino so far.

 

The afternoon lecture was about glaciers since we will be at either Tray Arm fjord or Endicott Arm Fjord day after tomorrow. We have been to both before, but I am hoping for Tracy Arm as it is much more spectacular.

 

Quick tea at 4:00 since trivia was supposed to start at 4:15. It was late, but we won! Both at trivia and at the Mensa quiz. So we are collecting points.

 

Captain’s welcome at 5:45. We have sailed with the captain previously. He has his lovely wife and cute baby onboard now. Baby looks just like him, and so sweet.

 

Dinner in the GDR was excellent. Cheese soufflé was delish. Red snapper was perfect. I am stuffed. But forgot to take pics.

 

Tonight is a 60s show. Very looking forward to it.

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