Taj Mahal precruise, Mumbai to Bali on Voyager 20 Nov-20 Dec

[jhp]

These pix make me happy, Wes, that you are both having such a great time! Continue to enjoy the whole cruise!

[tallship]

Agreed. They make me happy too

[OrpingtonT]

Me too. I am loving the staff pictures.

[WesW]

Hi everyone, Jhp/Olivia, Tallship/Tina, OrpingtonT/Tom & Barbara, thank you for your kind words and we're also happy to share the pix of the wonderful, happy (almost always smiling) Voyager crew.

 

Fabulous day of snorkeling in the Maldives, will let the pix do the talking:

 

Most of our group gathered at the Maldives pier just prior to boarding our boat, the Sea Explorer (L to R; Ron, Sue Daphne, Wes/Ida, Anneke, John, and seated, Ed and Ellen)

 

 

Kia Orana/Sue and Frank, Ezel/Ed & Ellen gearing up just prior to our first snorkel site. Thanks again to Frank and Sue for organizing

this terrific snorkel adventure:

 

 

Our group jumping into our first snorkel dive site (L to R; Gabriela, Anneke, John, Ron, Sue Dahpne)

 

 

Ida beaming with a thumbs up just prior to snorkeling.

 

[WesW]

Pix of local fish market right off pier in the Maldives (could swear some of the fish were still wiggling)

 

 

 

Do you recognize this beautiful ship? (asked our Snorkel leader if we could sail past the Voyager on our way back to the pier)

 

 

Speaking of the Voyager, let's take a look at another crew member. VCP (Voyager Crew Profile), this afternoon will share Yam Thapa's story. You probably see Yam every time you embark/disembark the Voyager, he serves as a member of the Voyager Security team. Yam is from India, his family lives in Napal. He has three adult children. Yam served nearly 20 years with the Indian Army before retiring. He has served with the Voyager/Regent since 2009. Yam's favorite thing about traveling/working on Regent is the Company is a takes good care of the crew members. He likes serving on the security team since he gets to meet/speak with almost all Voyager guests at each port of call. Pls see pix below:

 

 

[ohhusker]

Hi Wes & Ida:

 

You have been bombarding my memory senses of our cruise in that part of the world and am loving it. Thanks!

 

It's been a number of years since we broke bread with you in Columbus and since we have never met Ida, who knows, maybe we'll come a knockin on your door one day as we can't seem to be able to schedule a "float" together.

 

Here's to ya!

 

Cheers! Ray & Penny

[Sheltieluv]

Hi Wes and Ida

Have been enjoying reading all about your adventures and the pictures add a whole 'nother dimension. They're great!

 

We have always wanted to dive/snorkel the Maldives. Am wondering the water depth you were in, and also the range of visibility, and water temp? I see that Ida is wearing a lycra suit, so I'm curious as to how warm the water was.

 

Continue to enjoy your cruise, and thank you so much for sharing your adventures:)!

[onamountaintop]

Good-morning, Wes and Ida,

 

Since you began posting, the absolute first thing I do each morning is grab my laptop and a cup of coffee. You brighten my day with your words and photos. Continue to enjoy.

[findacruise]

Wes - Thanks so much for your wonderful posts, pictures and crew profiles. I finally caught up! How great to experience your personal touch and join you on this fabulous trip. Have never had the pleasure of meeting you or Ida, but just from reading your posts, I know it would be a delight. Appreciate all the time you take to bring us along. Joanna

[bissel]

Hi Wes, Let me add my voice to the choir! I'm enjoying your journey and am so interested in your photos. It is also great to see familiar crew members and read the short bios.

 

Good work!

 

Carolyn

[Threechicks]

I remember Yam. Wonderful idea to feature crew members. Enjoying your photos. Elsie

[DocDesdin]

Thanks for your great posts; much to our surprise we noticed our friends Ed and Ellen in the pictures, please say hello to them from the Bobs.

[OrpingtonT]

Thanks Wes, Was Ed really as seasick as he looks in the second picture down? Your photos really add colour to your posts.

[forgap]

So, Wes, how was the snorkeling? What kind of sea life did you see?

 

Jennifer & Georges

[NCCruzQueen]

Hi Wes & Ida,

 

I have to check your thread a couple times a day to see what you've posted new. So loving your VCP feature. It certainly is nice to hear that Regent takes care of their employees from a number of your featured staff members.

 

Hope your snorkeling adventure was better than ours a few years back. We found the coral to be horrible and the fish very limited in the Maldives on our ship's excursion.

 

How was Male? Everyone who went into the city said it was extremely hot. Glad we took the snorkel trip even though the adventure wasn't the best.... we got a nice breeze!!

[WesW]

Good Morning everyone, ohhusker/Ray & Penny, sheltieluv, onamountaintop, findacruise/joanna, bissel/carolyn, threechicks/Elsie, Docdesdin, OrpingtonT/Barbara & Tom, NCCruzqeen/Beth; thanks again for your kind words.

 

Ray & Penny, so very nice to see you posting on cruise critic--yes, absolutely, if we can't sail together you're welcome in our metro Atlanta casa anytime. If u recall Ida makes world class mexican fare--as a magnet to pull u to Atlanta.

 

Sheltieluv; Water temp was in upper 70's, air temp about 88 (humid, humid, humid) wore a headband until giant striding in the ocean. Yes, we wore our dive skins, not really for warmth but for protection against scrapping against coral and any sea critters (e.g., jelly fish) we may have encountered.

 

Docdesdin, will be happy to pass your warm regards along to Ezel/Ed & Ellen.

 

Tom & Barbara, Alas, Ed did not feed the fishes but Ellen did and generally had a rough go for the scuba trip. As of yesterday post snorkle, Ed will come snorkeling with us in Phuket, but Ellen will not.

 

Jennifer & Georges, the snorkeling was very good--abundant sea life (e.g saw lots of clown fish, many schools of fish (half dozen different varieties) but the coral was somewhat dull (brown) at the shallow level we snorkled. If I had dived to 50-80 feet, am sure we would have seen vibrant colored coral. We truly had a wonderful time with our collegial group--Sue and Ron served in the Israli Army during the Yom Kippur war in ----we shared vet stories.

 

Some pix from last night (pre dinner drinks in our fav drink location on board (Obsvn Lounge) where Nele (delightful bartendar) makes wonderful martinis (with blue cheese stuffed olives) and a few from our third delicious dinner at Prime 7 with our new cruise friends Leslie and John.

 

We will enjoy another relaxing seaday today highlights: cocktail demo, officer's bbq special, viennese teatime, two enrighment lectures (am lecture on privacy with special guest Capt John McNeil joining Terry Bishop --espect SRO for Terry--delightful lecturer), pre dinner entertainment guitar on edge, then Liars club w/Capt, Terry, and two of our featured entertainers.

 

 

Leslie enjoying Buogono (one of three crew members on board from Jarkarta)preparing her dover sole:

 

[RachelG]

Enjoying your posts. I love seeing the pics of some of our favorite crew members. Was per chance the guy with the snorkeling boat from Oklahoma? We know someone who moved there with his family to do tours.

[WesW]

Good later morning everyone, RachelG/Rachel & George;

 

NCcruzqueen, forgot to answer your Male questions. Beth, was so very, very humid, the moment we entered our tender boat I put on the first of my two headbands. We took a half hour post snorkeling to explore the pier area of Mali. We enjoyed the reasonable clean stores (fish market) and even purchased a few mementos for special friends back home. Ida probably paid a tad more than she should have, but the shop keeper was very friendly, he spoke Italian with me, Spanish with Ida and

he knew a half dozen other languages. Smart guy--as Ida normally is a grueling negotiator--she caved with this shrewd shop owner.

 

Rachel, don't know the hometowns off many folks who were in our snorkeling tour--will find out and get back to you.

 

Voyager Cruise Profile (VCP) Budiono, Prime 7 and Coffee Corner team member.

 

Shown in the pix below is Budiono serving a delicious cappuccino made by the Coffee Corner Barrister Jessie. Budiono provided stellar P7 service to John, Leslie, Ida and me last night--as we devoured our tasty dover sole. Budiono's service was intuitive, engaging and exceptional friendly. His home is Jarkarta, India. Budiono has been on the Voyager/with Regent since 2007 (he is on his sixth contract). Serving guests and seeing the world are his two favorite things while working on board. He is married has two adorable daughters aged 6 and 3. Budiono keeps in touch with his family via frequent emails, Facebook and on occasion skype.

 

[Kia Orana]

Hi Wes and everyone!

 

Here are some fish pix from our Cruise Critic snorkel trip to Banana Reef and Karumbala (sp??). Testing with one first to see that I've got the hang of uploading pix to CC.

 

 

Best,

 

Frank

[OrpingtonT]

Hi Wes and everyone!

 

Here are some fish pix from our Cruise Critic snorkel trip to Banana Reef and Karumbala (sp??). Testing with one first to see that I've got the hang of uploading pix to CC.

 

 

Best,

 

Frank

 

Hard luck. Not this time, yet. Use the "Preview Post" button.

[Kia Orana]

[Trying a different way to upload pix]

 

There are some fish pix from our Cruise Critic snorkel trip to Banana Reef and Karumbala (sp??) at https://www.box.com/s/7xsjrauxikphm3ojckh6

 

Best,

 

Frank

[OrpingtonT]

The link worked and that is a pretty fish. :)

[WesW]

Hi all, Kia Orana/Frank & Sue, thanks for sharing your underwater pix Frank--cool fish.

 

In fact both Ida and I fondly recall seeing Teal Nemo One underwater yesterday :)

 

Below are some pictures taken from today's Officers BBQ held at the pool deck:

 

Smiling Voyager officers serving very hungry guests BBQ'd pork chops, chicken, et. al:

 

 

On the right, Conny Hammelmann (Exec Concierege) and her Voyager team member even served sweet treats to the guests

 

 

Even Paul Reynolds (beaming) our exceptionally friendly Cruise Director dished out the Q (in his case the salad):

 

 

From L to R, cruise friends Daphne, Ida/Wes, and Ron enjoying a relaxed lunchtime conversation on the pool deck today:

 

 

VCP (Voyager Crew Profile) this afternoon features a behind the scenes (in the Galley) crew member Junar. Will endeavor to find crew members that work very hard behind the scenes (that on a daily basis these crew members (e.g. members of the deck washing crew, laundry team members, et. al.,) do not have face to face contact with guests) to make our Voyager cruise so special and include them in our VCPs. Junar makes the delicious finger sandwiches we enjoy. Junar now lives with his famil in Laguna, Philippines. He has three children ages 20, 16 (two girls) and one boy age nine. Junar has worked on the Voyager since early 2010, and his two favorite reasons for working for Regent/Voyager are: to support his family, and Junar likes to travel the world free of charge. Please see Junar's pix below:

 

[xrvlcruiser]

Wes,

 

It's nice to see Heiki (sp?), the Chief Pursuer along with the Executive Concierge.

 

Peggy

[OrpingtonT]

Barbara and I are loving your pictures, Wes and Ida. We feel right at home with the staff and everyone enjoying themselves.