A newbie's notes- Voyager Jan 7-17

[vegasdriven]

I will start this and add to it as I go, hopefully I remember the details- this might take awhile as I relive the experience by writing it down, hence you are forewarned🙄 Oh, wait a minute I have to make myself a 🍸, sigh, life was so different only a few short days ago.

 

Jan 7- Embarkation 12:30 smooth as pie. Drinks with newly met friends, lunch at pool grill during which announcement that rooms were all ready ahead of time. So exciting to head down to the 8th deck forward to open the door, and see the room aglow with light from the veranda window-so pretty! Unpacking is so much more fun when accompanied by chilled champagne. Afterwards take our self guided ship tour, then muster, then get ready for the evening, and head up for a beautiful sail away from Miami

[vegasdriven]

Drinks in Voyager lounge, Manhatten for me, Martini for Chris, were accompanied by a front row seat to the pilot boat show out the window. That was fun as it was a bit rough at that point, it was impressive watching that small boat right up close do its thing

[vegasdriven]

Obviously I haven't figured out how to add more text after adding a pic!

 

Dinner was in Compass Rose, everything was delicious, crab salad for me, escargots for Chris and we both had bourbon marinated steak, cooked to order, and supremely tender(we wondered if maybe they did that sou vie(spelling).Dessert for Chris more of the sorbet we had between courses, and for me

[Travelcat2]

Really enjoying your notes.  Hope there is more to come

[vegasdriven]

Raspberry lemon tart. Yum!  

 

After dinner we we went to the show, and enjoyed watching the dancers show off what was in store for us! Ok, just one question- where do they get those people from, there must be a special place where they create these perfect beings. You see them sitting down with people for dinner, but can anyone tell me- do they actually eat? And I went to the gym once, but I didn't see any of them there- I would have thought they would live there😉

 

Ok, champagne, wine, champagne, drinks, wine, drinks- we were ready for that so comfy bed, and very glad we would have a 10am paddle board appt., and not an earlier one!

 

This really is going to take awhile!

[vegasdriven]

Hi Jackie. There definitely will be more to come, I really am enjoying reliving it! It just might be a little sporadic, as real life gets in the way a bit🙂

[RachelG]

Loving your posts!  I have actually seen the entertainers working out, and they do eat tiny bits.

[MalbecWine]

I was told they also have a crew gym as well.

[Hambagahle]

Thanks for the posts - am looking forward to many more!!

[jimbri]

Looking forward to the rest of your notes and photos!

[ronrick1943]

Nicely done, enjoying every word and photo. We have less than 3 months till we join a Regent cruise -until then I'll be reading your   post.

 

Rick

[vegasdriven]

Good morning! Great Stirrup Caye. After a room service breakfast enjoyed on our veranda, we hopped onto the tender (open air ferry kind of thing) for the short ride to GSC. Truthfully, I wasn't expecting much from this port- I had watched some videos, and it appeared to be mostly a crowded beach. Well, I guess we were lucky to be the only game in town that day (hmm, wonder if Regent plans it that way).

Anyway we considered staying onboard, but since I really wanted to try getting up on a paddle board(tried once in the bay of Dubrovnik with absolutely no success) we decided to do that. We would have also liked to do the wave runners, but there was no availability when we booked, and come to think of it, I did not see any of those in action when we were there.

After relaxing for a bit under the palm trees (love the sun, but prefer to have it filtered through some sort of covering, and don't give a darn about a tan anymore, so nice to be older, and not worrying about having the best tan, beach bod, etc. anymore😌) We got our boards, and bit of instruction, and were sent out on our own to sink or swim.

I did both, my first attempt I tried to stand, and fell flat on my back on the board, and then rolled off into the water, not much fun for me, but I'm sure it was for the people on shore.

So, I paddled around, licking my wounds, and shattered ego, and thought maybe paddleboarding's not for me. Chris wasn't going to give it a try after watching my embarrassing display. But, then I thought, if not now, never, so I gave it another go, and amazingly managed it this time, and just as they say, once up it is smooth sailing. Really enjoyed it- hope to do more.

Back to the beach chairs, and oulah here comes a piña colada with my name on it, beer for Chris.My plan was to not drink anything this morning, but it's really hard when it appears in front of you on a tray held by a smiling face- well you just can't disappoint that beautiful face.

I was just finishing that, which by the way was perfect ( I don't bother with subpar cocktails, but I never had one this trip), when the crew appeared in the surf with the champagne, which I did not partake of, but was thrilled to get pics of.

After that a tasty beach barbecue, and back to our luxurious new home.

 

Just a comparison to Windsurf's beach party on St Lucia which is great, as well, we decided this one trumped it- nicer beach, service, and quality of drinks, though I would give a nod to their barbecue- it's one of the things they excel in. However, at that point, I really didn't feel the need of a huge bbcue, so I was happy with the offerings.

 

Early evening we had a meetup with some CCers, which was set up by Bill(uunet). We missed the CC meet and mingle by one person, so we planned our own at Horizon lounge. Nice opportunity to meet some fellow passengers, and we actually had more than enough, but hadn't made it by the deadline. Anyway, we spent an enjoyable time chatting, and then off to our Prime 7 reservation.

We are a bit nervous about sharing a table, but due to logistics, we were forced into it, and while we enjoy dining just the two of us, we would have liked a few more opportunities to dine with others.

Our table mates were an international group of 6- us-2 Canucks, 2 fun Brits, and an elegant, and lovely French Swiss couple. We enjoyed some time with each during the rest of the cruise. This was the only blip in the dining on this cruise- we were expecting great things, and it was enjoyable, but all of us had some little complaint about our mains- mostly overlooked or on the tough side. As I recall everyone was happy with their appetizers, and only two of us partook in dessert ( myself being one, as I would rather give up the main course, than not have dessert).

The British lady ( I am so sorry if you are reading this as your name escapes me, I remember everyone else's name, but for some reason having a mental lapse here) had the popcorn dessert, which she rhapsodized over, and tried to make everyone try it, with no takers, but as she wouldn't take no for an answer I stepped up to the plate. Actually , not my thing, but I am sure lovers of popcorn, ice cream, and chocolate would be in heaven.

We had wanted to take in the show, but as dinner ran late, and we were so full, we decided to take a walk around the deck, and hit the sack. Looking forward to our first sea day on the morrow.

 

[vegasdriven]

Sorry, don't have a pic of me falling off the paddleboard😂

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, vegasdriven said:

Sorry, don't have a pic of me falling off the paddleboard😂

 

I'm just using my imagination

 

We have found P7 (aka Prime 7) to be inconsistent.  On one cruise, when walking out of the restaurant, we were talking about not returning there in the future when the F&B Director came up to us (he overhead what we were saying).  We know him and respect him so when he asked for us to return to P7 with him, we reluctantly agreed.  It ended up being the best meal that we ever had in that restaurant (but one should not need to have the F&B Director with you in order to get good food)

 

Anyway, still loving your posts and photos - keep them coming!

[vegasdriven]

Better carry on here before I lose impetus, or memory, or both. 

Breakfast CR- window seat, and wonderful service, just feeling so spoiled. We were then off to our 10am dance class with the assistant CD Lucy! Met a friendly small group, mostly women, just Chris, and one or two other men in attendance, but we shared what we had, and of course Lucy led all the women in turn, so no one was left out. We did 4 of these classes during the cruise, merengue, cha cha, samba, and jive, and Lucy had us all doing a little routine by the time we were done. Her instructing style was very easy to follow, I just wish we had more opportunity to practice what she taught us. It is too bad that the venue one would use those dances would br Voyager Lounge which has a tiny dance floor. 

The rest of the afternoon was taken up with eating, drinking (discovered my go to pool drink- the Italian getaway- prosecco, Campari, and grapefruit juice, really a delightful combination), and lounging.I think I managed to fit in a scone at tea time as well.

We decided to go to Sette Mari for dinner. We decided to try sitting outside (we were a bit hesitant as we thought it might be too windy, but it was lovely with a view of the moon).

Once again,service was excellent, such a fun friendly waitstaff. We picked at the little bites, and I forgoed  the buffet apps, so I could do justice to the pasta (mushroom with Parmesan sauce, I believe), minestrone for Chris, and lamb chops for me, Swordfish for him. It was all just perfect. I did ask for small portions for myself, so I could have some gelato for dessert.

We went to the show, which consisted of much singing and dancing by the Regent cast. We very much enjoyed it. After that bedtime, I do enjoy all the lovely cocktails, and wine ( we were quite happy with the included wines, but we were careful to order what we liked rather than accepting the featured wine- thank you CCers for the helpful tips that can make your cruise experience exceptional), but it all does tend to make me a wee bit sleepy.

 

What, that's only day 3, I really should find a way to be more concise, or this will go on forever🙄

[crusin7]

Don’t be concise...your writing style is fantastic!  Enjoying every word. Thanks for taking the time. 

[vegasdriven]

Very kind of you Cruisin7.                        

 

A nice relaxing morning, did my first walk around the top deck enjoying the sunrise( there is one thing I think I would pack next time which is a coffee cup with lid, so I could have my walk, and then take coffees back to the room, as I kept forgetting to put out the room service card before bed, and it seems near to impossible to get them on the phone in the morning, understandably).

I wasn't prepared for how beautiful the sailin to San Juan would be. I wish we had just explored on our own. We enjoyed visiting San Christobel, but the Bacardi factory tour was too long, there was some interesting history, but I would have been happier walking the streets of the old town.

Getting back on the ship around 6, we decided to just relax on the pool deck, and have dinner there, 2 burgers and some salads hit the spot, and we made an early night of it knowing we would be off the ship early in Tortola  to do the Baths on Virgin Gorda- something we had wanted to do for a long time.

[PaulaJK]

I am so enjoying your commentary  and photos. Enjoy!

[Travelcat2]

Such a good point about the Bacardi factory in Puerto Rico.  We found it a waste of time - despite the interesting history (and we did it on our own).  

 

Did you take notes?  Either that or you have an amazing memory.

[vegasdriven]

Jackie, I'm sure the British lady wouldn't be so impressed with my memory🤷‍♀️ Interesting, though, we met 3 Claudias on this trip, so my odds were pretty good if I said "Hi Claudia"  that I would be correct. 2 were European and 1 was from Texas- so 2 Cloudias, and 1 Clodia.🙂

[Travelcat2]

4 hours ago, vegasdriven said:

Jackie, I'm sure the British lady wouldn't be so impressed with my memory🤷‍♀️ Interesting, though, we met 3 Claudias on this trip, so my odds were pretty good if I said "Hi Claudia"  that I would be correct. 2 were European and 1 was from Texas- so 2 Cloudias, and 1 Clodia.🙂

 

Your post gave me a good laugh.  I cannot remember names - no matter what I do.  The only things that I am fairly good at memorizing is music and airport codes.

[vegasdriven]

Tortola and the Virgin Gorda Baths- considered staying in the BVIs 25 years ago, but ended up on Grenada for two weeks, which was a great vacay, but it was a treat to get to do the Baths on this trip. I wasn't too sure about the level of difficulty, but found it very easy (provided no mobility problems), and magical. I did get a scraped knee from a wave knocking me down, and ending up against a rock, but no big deal.

Back on ship we repeated all the decadence we were starting to get used to, I kept thinking how are we ever going to go back to real life. Granted, our reality is nothing to complain about, and it does give us something to look forward to.

 

Next day Antigua, and swimming with the Stingrays. Great fun, but it decided to downpour on us just as we were getting in the boat to transport us to the rays. We were soaked and shivering, but all in good spirits. Getting in the water felt great, as it was nice and warm. Within minutes we were surrounded by the otherworldly rays. The Ray Whisperers (my term), were great, and allayed any fears about these graceful creatures. I even managed to hold one which I thought I would have been to nervous to do. Underneath they feel very silky, and if you support them on your forearms they just lay there.

I am trying to speed this up a bit, as work has been busy, and, sigh, real life gets in the way, and I want to finish this, and not just drop it. I plan to give a quick overview of theremaining ports, and then a list of my likes, and dislikes at the end, as well as a fewtips for newbies like us.

 

St Barts- We had a great snorkelling excursion here. We had been hear 2 years ago, and walked the town, and went to shell beach, so we chose snorkelling (truthfully, we had booked an early bus tour, as well, but decided to be lazy, and enjoy the morning on the ship, and yes, we cancelled ahead of time). I was so happy with the snorkelling, it has been a long time since I did this, and I just remember it as being a lovely experience, except for feeling quite uncomfortable with the mask, and mouthpiece. I'm not sure why, but I had no issues this time, and can't wait for another opportunity to do it again.

 

Sint Maarten. Very unfortunately our zip line tour was cancelled for maintenance ( I guess that's a good thing), and being as we spent a couple of days on the island 2 years ago, just prior to Maria, we didn't feel the need of a tour around the island, so we decided to forgo the tour and just do some shopping. We were shocked to see still a lot of damage remaining to a lot of the hotels. I can only imagine what it looks like on Grand Case where we stayed, very sad!

 

A couple of wonderful sea days, and our first Regent experience was at an end. We attended 4 dance classes this cruise, as a tiny attempt to counteract all the decadence- in actuality we love learning to dance(we are the most unlikely couple, having 4 left feet between us, but it makes us happy, and according to our instructor it will help stave off Alzheimer's). We didn't actually dance much in the evening as the music at cocktail hour didn't really lend itself to dancing, and after dinner, and a show, we were just too tired.

 

We visited the casino a few times- I was pleased to see the craps table had a $5 min, so I enjoyed a couple of sessions there, and I entered a couple of blackjack tourneys, one which I actually won😀

 

I have to say say we never found a moment to be bored, we met many friendly people over cocktails, I have to say Hi to Cerinda, whom I met the last afternoon at the pool by chance. I told Chris I was going to go to the observation lounge, as she had suggested I might find her there reading a book, so I thought I will just go see, but none of the women there turned out to be Cerinda. So I came back to my lounger, and just got settled in, when I heard 2 men talking, and one of them said something about Cerinda. So, I gathered my courage, and said sorry to eavesdrop, but did you say Cerinda- I am on cruise critic, and would like to meet her! Well, he was very nice, and pointed her out to me at a row of chairs in the shade, so we got to meet at the last minute. Hopefully we will meet again on a Regent cruise.

[RachelG]

Love your review.  Always nice to hear from someone new.  Question:  how has Puerto Rico recovered from the hurricane?  We loved our land trip there, but that was pre-hurricane.

[vegasdriven]

Likes- What's not to like, but esp.

          Service- an absolute high point! Starting with our cabin attendants who kept our room sparkling, our minibar replenished, and always a cheerful greeting in the hall, to the waitstaff(I quickly learned not to protest when one of them offered to carry my plate from the buffet to the table), to the pool attendants keeping the loungers refreshed, and the drink servers (never went more than a few minutes without being offered a drink, at the pool or in the lounges).

            Room- I think I have already covered this, but to say our suite had everything we needed. I would gladly cruise in this category again (G).

            Food- I am a quality over quantity type, but it was hard to stick to that as there was just too much quality, and I also like to try a bit of everything, well ok, I couldn't try all 12 (I counted) of the cakes at the Viennese tea.

            Entertainment- We didn't get to every show we wanted to see, but we enjoyed every one that we did go to, and of course special mention to Crew Capers- how on earth do those young people keep up such a high level of professionalism in their work, and yet find time to practice and perform in this special show?

            Excursions- more than we expected from the included excursions.

            Drinks- again quality over quantity type of girl, but the quality was always there, and the drinks were always there, so really hard not to overdo it.

            Lounges- Voyager for charming atmosphere, Horizon-area around the bar, and the larger dance floor. Loved the outdoor area, but surprisingly spent very little time there..

            Dining areas- enjoyed all. Every room was very comfortable, and it seemed there were no bad tables (at least none that we came across).

 

 

Dislikes- they kicked us off after 10 days😉

                I'm really having a hard time coming up with some. Observation lounge wasn't to our taste, just not intimate enough, but I'm sure it has it's uses. I would love to make use of the dance floor, but that doesn't seem to happen. Oh, and they didn't have my favourite yogurt (or maybe I just didn't look hard enough). That's about it!

 

Tips for Newbies(now that I'm an expert)- one of the most important things I learned on this site- don't be afraid to ask. If you don't like the proffered wine, ask for something else. Ask for what you would like in your minibar, and in all likelihood you will receive it.

        Don't forget to put out your room service card at night, even if it's just for coffee in the morning, it seems to be hard to call for room service then, or bring a travel cup to go get your own as they don't have to go cups, or trays to make it easy to bring coffee to the room.

 

I would like to post more pics, but the ones I want were taken with DW,s phone, and even though they are on my iPad they won't upload here.

 

Any questions I would be happy to answer if I can. Thanks for reading😍

[vegasdriven]

RachelD- things looked good from what we saw, but we didn't get a chance to wander around as our excursion was 5 hrs, and too much of that was taken up with the Bacardi factory. We were originally going to do the rainforest hike, but after reading how that area was affected we decided to change to the one we did.