Random Notes, 5/24-6/7/17, Mariner, Rumorlite but LIVE!

[Mr Rumor]

Jean, thanks for your post. Happy to know you'll be traveling along with me.

Tina and Rachel, thank you for your input on Tracy Arm vs. Endicott. Will probably hold off making a decision on that excursion until we get closer to the cancellation deadline and/or Destination Services updates us on Tracy Arm conditions.

Tina, Ginny and I were just beginning to review the Seward offerings when I read your positive comments on the Kenai Fjords Cruise. Right now it's a toss-up between that excursion, which sounds great, and the eight-hour Explore the Kenai Mountains, which includes a 90-minute drive (to and fro) through the Kenai Mountains, a visit to Portage Glacier, an aerial tram to the top of Mount Alyeska, and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Really wish we could do both.

One more thank you to you, Rachel, for the link to your 2016 blog of the same cruise we're embarking on tomorrow. I remember it quite well, as we had just booked this cruise, and your wonderful words-and-pics account confirmed we had made a great choice. I've begun re-reading, and will finish my re-visit of the blog tonight while I still can enjoy fast hotel internet.

 

We had a nice, although wind-buffeted in spots, walk to nearby Robson, replete with shops and cafes, where we feasted on crepes--savory and sweet--at Cafe Crepe. Now, Shauna is entertaining us with her nightly humming as she begins to drift off to sleep.

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

Love + Boat, 2017 edition. Couldn't resist walking down for a quick peek early this morning!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jeb_bud]

I'm really looking forward to your blog. We're on the June 21 departure from Seward and although a lot can happen weather wise in three weeks in June I expect to benefit greatly from your posts.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[RachelG]

Rich, as far as your options in Seward--Shauna would love the tram ride at Alyeska and the wildlife conservation center. But it is a very long day. I personally would do it though as the Kenai Fjords cruise is kind of redundant since you are already seeing lots of fjords on your cruise.

[Mr Rumor]

Onboard!

 

Walking to the ship instead of taking "the 12:45" (bus) + remembering to bring our Global Entry cards = the saving of a LOT of time during embarkation. Ginny was sipping her welcome-aboard glass of champagne at 12:38 p.m.!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mudhen]

aw....pretty cute! Have a champers for me, Ginny! Bon voyage to everyone!

L&J

[Mr Rumor]

Vancouver sailaway. . .

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mr Rumor]

Our early embarkation put us in good shape for powering through our first day punch list after grabbing lunch at La Veranda. Set up internet account--check. Use up some of our use-it-or-lose-it shipboard credits by pulling the old cancel-rebook excursion maneuver at Destination Services--check. Sign up for my three newspapers--check. Finish unpacking before dinner--check!!

 

Having been totally spoiled by the size and layout of our wonderful Explorer Concierge suite, and semi-spoiled by the 50 more square feet of our Voyager Concierge, it took me a while to readjust to our comparatively E cabin. The bathroom especially seems tiny now.

 

But we're cool with kind of tripping over each other and Shauna snoring only a couple of feet from me because we like the Mariner. It has now been our home for for seven of our 15 Regent cruises. It feels comfortable.

 

That said, I realized tonight that this will be our last cruise on the Mariner before its three week re-do in Marseilles next February-March. I spoke to a staffer tonight who will be with the Mariner in drydock and he promised a "full, full makeover. It will be like the Explorer, and more."

 

Dinner was in Compass Rose with our friend, and solo traveler, Cathey, who we met on our Navigator Montreal-Miami cruise in 2013. She immediately took to Shauna, and since then has faithfully been sending our daughter cards for just about every occasion, including St. Paddy's Day. We've asked her to join us at our four-top for each of our four specialty restaurant dates.

 

There were two stars at dinner, by the way: my Pan Seared Fresh Snapper Tail with Chorizo Tomato Chutney and Pesto Mash--triple yum!--and our wonderful server, Risky (Jackie/Dennis and Roberto/Pam, I've already taken the liberty to give her all of your regards). Risky expertly managed our four courses, and we were out the door a mere 90 minutes after taking our seats. The evening's bonus: getting to finally meet fellow Risky station diner and CC member 1teach53 and her hubby. Karen and John, Ginny, Shauna and I look forward to breaking salt sticks with you before you disembark!

 

After dinner, I rushed out to take a few shots of our delayed sailaway. Due to a busy port schedule, loading wasn't completed until 7:30 p.m., two hours and fifteen minutes after our scheduled departure. And then we were delayed another 45 minutes due to a medical evacuation. Fortunately I heard that the stricken passenger, who was only onboard for several hours, is going to be OK.

 

Tomorrow's a sea day, just the way we like to begin a cruise. A definite highlight for me will be my first Terry Breen lecture in exactly three years: "Alaska: The Last Frontier." Salmon Bake BBQ Lunch to follow!

 

Rich

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mr Rumor]

What's even better than breakfast in bed? A present in bed! Early this morning I noticed an envelope addressed to Shauna on our door. Inside: a passel of Regent Rewards Points accompanied by a sweet note from new pals Karen and John. Thanks, guys! Shauna's now set for more Regent bling!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Travelcat2]

That was so sweet of Karen and John to give Shauna Regent points! Wish that they had been able to make it onto the November crossing with all of us. Hopefully we will meet at a future date.

 

Rich, you are definitely taking care of everything early. Thanks so much for giving Risky our regards. If you think of it, could you ask her if she will still be on the Mariner at the end of August?

 

Enjoy your sea day. Hope that the seas are calm and the weather is beautiful (your sailaway looked beautiful but it was coolish last evening in this part of the world.

[Mr Rumor]

Oops, posting fail on my part! Shauna's bounty of Regent Reward Points were actually courtesy of our good Regent friends Karen and Jim, who debarked in Vancouver, and who had left behind the note and points to be delivered to Shauna. Sorry about that, friends--egg on face! Thank you! (And, Karen and John, sorry for my inability to read a signature correctly. . .)

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

The bosses, Big and Little, are napping, so this is a good time to slip in a post.

 

We dropped our Canadian pilots just before noon and will be in open waters until 3:30 a.m., when we enter the Alaska portion of the Inside Passage. There is motion now, with winds gusting to 35 knots, and waves topping out at 11.5 feet. Temp is in the high 50s, but with the wind, the conditions are not ideal for a stroll on the deck. It is mostly sunny.

 

Now to some stats. I learned this morning that Ginny, Shauna and I are among the 123 passengers who booked "Northern Frontiers," or the 14-day Vancouver roundtrip (that number will go up slightly when those who booked the two seven-day segments separately are added in). This leaves 571 who are onboard only until Seward.

 

Of the 694 passengers (we're sailing full, by the way) 366 are female, 328 are male. Americans comprise the vast majority, and judging by the big show of hands at Terry Breen's lecture this a.m., this is the first Alaska cruise for most.

 

Here is the official passenger breakdown by country:

 

United States, 511

United Kingdom, 56

Canada, 32

Australia, 22

New Zealand, 12

Germany, 10

Mexico, 8

India, 7

Switzerland, 4

Taiwan, 4

Brazil, 3

Israel, 3

Argentina, 2

Belgium, 2

Botswana, 2

Costa Rica, 2

Spain, 2

France, 2

Netherlands, 2

Sweden, 2

Venezuela, 2

South Africa, 2

Ireland, 1

Italy,

[WesW]

Wonderfully detailed Mariner Alaska posts coupled with especially engaging Shauna photos (also loved the GGBridge snap too). Thanks so very much for taking your cruise time to share Rich.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RachelG]

Your snapper dish at dinner sounds YUM!

 

And a sea day is the perfect way to start a cruise. It gets you in that relaxed cruising mode quickly.

[xrvlcruiser]

One of my favorite dishes on Regent is the Miso Sea-bass . . . .served in Compass Rose on Seven Seas Society nights. Really good! If you like fish, try it.

 

Peggy

[Mr Rumor]

Now that was a piece of fish-- Fresh Local True Cod Fillet, roasted celeriac, warm ginger and sesame vinaigrette.

 

(Peggy, you can bet I will pounce on the Miso Glazed Bass if I see it on the menu. Such a scrumptious dish.)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited May 26, 2017 by Mr Rumor

[Mr Rumor]

Linda and John, I've been meaning to tell you that Ginny was happy to have a second glass of champers for you almost immediately at La Veranda, after we embarked. Thanks again for the good trip wishes!

 

Thanks for your kind words, too, Wes. It continues to be a pleasure for me to share our Regent journeys with the Regent CC community. And BTW, my bed felt so comfortable at 5:30 this morning when the first rays of light hit my face (didn't close the curtains) that I almost turned on my other side and drifted off again. Yet your good example was the nudge I needed to get up and put a good hour in at the gym (I was totally alone for most of that hour). I wound up laying waste to 448 calories. I think it'll be easier to shake a leg tomorrow early, as we set our clocks back an hour tonight.

 

Rachel, I appreciated your perspective on Tracy Arm vs. Endicott and whether or not I should cancel our Tracy Arm excursion. I was still in a muddle so it struck me during Terry Breen's talk this morning to ask her opinion. Her response: "Keep it. Endicott is the mirror image of Tracy." So I guess we will, in part because we don't have a great last-minute alternative.

 

Jackie, good news regarding Risky. She'll be on the Mariner into November. After only two nights in her section, I can see why you and Dennis and Roberto and Pam love her. She's outstanding (plus she's darling with Shauna).

 

Saw "Tuxedo" tonight. It's the first of four Mariner Production Cast programs that are scheduled for the next five days. "Tuxedo" celebrates "the music of the Rat Pack, the Great American Songbook" and more. Like previous Regent-produced shows we've seen, this one is carefully crafted, and packs the tunes in--27 in 45 minutes by my count (including snippets). And, like previous Regent shows, early reviews were not unanimous. Ginny: "Triple A." Shauna: "Good time." Lady who shared an elevator ride with us: "A bit boring; not enough dancing." Which is why I'm not going to subject you to a review because in the end it's all subjective!

 

I will subject you, however, to one more exclamation: The Regent band continues to shrink! It's now down from seven to five musicians (keyboards, drums, bass, guitar and sax/flute). It was eight strong only a couple of years ago. Yet I'd still describe the sound as full, which means a greater reliance on synthesized, or possibly pre-recorded parts.

 

Turning to tomorrow, good news and not so good news regarding Ketchikan. The not so good: With six ships scheduled to call (not so good news in and of itself), there will be no room at the inn for the Mariner--we'll have to anchor. The good news: The wettest city in the U.S., which gets an average of one inch of rain every two days, will be partly sunny! We've booked for the third time the Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer excursion. We love it, but we don't love the 12:30 meeting time. With having to tender, we doubt we'll be back in time to make our 6 p.m. reservation at Prime 7.

 

Rich

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Zqueeze1]

Rich. Thanks for picking up the baton and running with it. As always, your reports are highly detailed and well put together. We really love to read them. Recommend you get a double order of the Miso sea bass since it is a small portion. I made the mistake of getting only one while everyone else seemed to double up on the night it was served during our dinner with the F&B manager, Donald.

Enjoy your cruise.

 

Z and TB

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning--looks like we'll be Ketching some rays today!

 

(Thanks, Roberto and Pam--glad you made it home safely!)

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mr Rumor]

Still marveling over our sunny Ketchikan morning.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Travelcat2]

Great posts - amazing photos! Thanks so much. Thank you also for finding out that Risky will be onboard when we are there at the end of August. Good to hear that you are dining in her section. Her service, personality and smile are wonderful!

 

Good to hear that the weather in Ketchikan may not be rainy. It does sound that the Alaska crowds have begun already (a little early but this is Memorial Day weekend.).

 

You are so good with numbers....... curious to know how many repeat cruisers are onboard. There tends to be less on Alaska itineraries which make the Gold and above event more special (IMO) than when there are so many that the event needs to be held in the theater.

[Mr Rumor]

Hi Jackie, I'll have the Titanium (and we do have some Titaniums), Platinum, etc. rundown in an upcoming post.

 

I'm biding time until our early (11 a.m.) deck lunch before tendering to the pier for our 12:35 p.m. Misty Fjords and Wilderness Explorer excursion, so I thought I'd slip in another post.

 

It took me a little while to post the first of the two Ketchikan photos earlier because we lost our internet connection for the first time on this cruise. Internet Manager Kushan explained that anchoring often causes connectivity issues. "The ship is always moving slightly, so the connection is never completely stable," he said. So how did IT succeed in getting our connection back? It was a two-step process, according to Kushan. First, Captain Serena slightly repositioned the ship; next, the IT specialist onboard established as closely as possible the location of the ship and "retargeted" the satellite. "We should be OK now," Kushan added.

 

The internet manager had told me shortly after embarkation that I would only be signed out from my iPad and iPhone connections if there was a bandwidth issue on the ship. I haven't been signed out yet, and the connection speed has been more than adequate, so I asked him if, perhaps, our group of passengers weren't big internet users. I thought that might be the case when I checked the computer lab at 2 p.m. yesterday (sea day) and saw that not a single one of the 14 stations was occupied.

 

Kushan laughed: "That's because everyone was on their own devices! From 9 in the morning to eight at night we were steady busy with 400 to 450 users." So, I wondered, since current bandwidth appears to be quite adequate, has his job gotten a little easier? This time I got a chuckle: When the bandwidth is strained, he explained, people notice because they can't stream. But when there's plenty of bandwidth, "people notice that, too, and start streaming again." So, he added, there will always be work for him monitoring the bandwidth and terminating connections when he has to.

 

Rich

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Travelcat2]

Very informative post - especially about the internet that posters on the Mariner have been complaining about. IMO, Regent needs to stop the streaming completely. If passengers want to stream, do large uploads or downloads or do FaceTime, let them pay for it. Easy solution to a problem that is upsetting many passengers. It will be interesting to learn if you lose the internet if the ship is going to Tracy Arm or any other place where the ship is surrounded with mountains. During our last three Alaska cruises (two on Regent), there was a blackout in there was a blackout in these areas.

 

Looking forward to more posts!

 

P.S. With Explorer only having 4 computers in the Business Center (another 2 in the library but you can't print from there), it is nice to know that the Mariner still has multiple computers.

[staysealee]

really, they just got real cell service in sitka 3 or soo years ago...been going there to fish for 20 years...I know some may need to stay in touch but enjoy the calm while you can

[Mr Rumor]

Misty Fjords minus the mist was spectacular today! Even an Allen Marine tour team member was exclaiming about the sunny and conditions at the national monument: "This is some crazy weather for a rainforest!"

 

Here are several favorite Misty snaps, beginning with a shot of New Eddystone Rock, located near the entrance of Rudyerd Bay, where the other photos were taken. Enjoy!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk