Live from the Grandeur Barcelona to Rome

[bebop bonnie]

Good afternoon from the gorgeous Grandeur!  I’ve on occasion written a summary at the end of a cruise.  For years I’ve loved reading so many of your Live reports, so will attempt to start one now. Good chance it won’t be finished until after we’re back home.  But heads up, I can’t possibly come close to the humor of Squeeze.  Please know, however, Karl took my picture at the Pool Bar.  Third seat from the right.  No surprise, the bartender remembered him!

 

Flew American Miami - Madrid - Barcelona.  Miami to Madrid was (after 2 weather related hours on the tarmac) very good.  Madrid was supposedly an easy transit.  Not.  After a stairway to bus to terminal to train, immigration took seconds.  Security seemed to take hours, with tedious inspection of every liquid carried by every passenger in front of us.  We did just make our connection to BCN. Phew.  Excellent car service by Blacklane Limo to hotel.  Only problem was a holiday causing intense traffic and lots of streets blocked off.  As a result, driver could only get within 2 blocks of our hotel.  Lovely.  Fortunately we only did carry on (yup!) but an almost laughable experience navigating cobblestone streets with wheelaboard luggage!  We booked our own hotel at the Majestic which was once again wonderful. Front desk felt our pain upon arrival and upgraded us to an even bigger suite!

 

Arrival at the ship was early and seamless.  Probably the fastest Regent checkin ever!  Didn’t take long to find a table and more champagne at La Veranda.  As others have said, the photos and videos don’t even do it justice.  The ship is magnificent and the attention to details is astounding!  Yeah, the egg is perhaps underwhelming, but everything else is a perfect combination of stunning, elegant and calming.  Compass Rose is breathtaking.  Will get there eventually.

 

Dinner first night was at Prime 7.  The changes from Splendor and Explorer made P7 even more beautiful!  Service and food were excellent.  Last night we had dinner at Chartreuse.  It had previously not been my favorite.  I changed my mind!  Steak tartar was the best ever, as was Dover Sole. And the service could not have been better!  The show last night featured Phillip Browne.  It was probably the best show I’ve ever seen on Regent.  And I was always blown away by David Niven.  Still am, but I really recommend Phillip if he’s ever an option for anyone.

 

Seems like a lot of the staff is new.  But relative to some of the cc posts, I think they all got their ‘sea legs’.  Welcoming, warm and professional.  I have seen some staff from previous cruises and it’s always so fun to see familiar faces!  GM is Stephane and he is quite visible and charming.

 

I’ll skip land/shore excursions as you all do such a great job describing those experiences and sharing photos!  Pacific Rim tonight.  More later. 

XO  Bonnie

 

[Zqueeze1]

Bonnie:  excellent start.  We wish you and Karl an excellent cruise and many new memories.   If you see bartenders Paul and Cy say hello.  Stay in touch!

 

Z and TB

[bebop bonnie]

42 minutes ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Bonnie:  excellent start.  We wish you and Karl an excellent cruise and many new memories.   If you see bartenders Paul and Cy say hello.  Stay in touch!

 

Z and TB

Will do, Z and TB!!  Thanks for giving us an excuse to meet your favorite bartenders

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Bonnie!  Looking forward to reading about your adventures!  I hate that you were stressed and barely made your flight.  Definitely not the way any of us want to start a vacation.

 

Joanie

[bebop bonnie]

5 hours ago, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

Bonnie!  Looking forward to reading about your adventures!  I hate that you were stressed and barely made your flight.  Definitely not the way any of us want to start a vacation.

 

Joanie

Thanks, Joanie ~ We all know there are all levels of stress.  This was definitely a first world problem, and I knew there were multiple later flights to BCN…but still annoying. 

 

Dinner last night at Pacific Rim was once again outstanding!  I agree with other posters that portions are a little smaller which is just fine!!  The duck and watermelon salad and the miso cod were again two of my favorite dishes served on Regent!  Oh wait…also the prime rib at Prime7 and the Dover sole served anywhere…and the steak tartar…and the bronzino at CR….and and and…!   Definitely glad the portions are a little smaller.  Provence today!

[lprp]

15 hours ago, bebop bonnie said:

The show last night featured Phillip Browne.  It was probably the best show I’ve ever seen on Regent.

Philip is DEFINITELY the best! We’ve seen him on Explorer and Splendor, love his voice and his stories about his family and upbringing. Along with his bus driving anecdotes.

Looking forward to your reports. Have a great cruise.

LP

Edited April 27 by lprp

[bebop bonnie]

5 hours ago, lprp said:

Philip is DEFINITELY the best! We’ve seen him on Explorer and Splendor, love his voice and his stories about his family and upbringing. Along with his bus driving anecdotes.

Looking forward to your reports. Have a great cruise.

LP

Thanks…and we had the luck of running into Phillip on our way into a late lunch at La Veranda.  His smile is as big and his voice is as deep and gorgeous up close 🙂 

 

Provence was cold and windy but the sun was shining and so glad we could walk around in Aix En Provence. It was market day so lots of fun. Those kind of markets make me wish I lived there, could buy a little of everything, and go home and learn how to cook!!

[bebop bonnie]

Yesterday seas seemed only a little rough, but clearly it was enough that tendering into St. Tropez wasn’t going to happen.  A relatively minor ‘ship happens’ issue.  But we were able to dock a little earlier in Monte Carlo and the sun made an appearance !  Dinner last night at P7.  The smoked (that really smoked!) salmon was excellent!

 

The only negative on this cruise is that we’re only doing 7 days!  Now I wish we had done a B2B!  Actually I’d most prefer about 60+ days!

[Zqueeze1]

Bonnie:  I did not realize that your cruise is only seven days long.  Do you have any post cruise plans?

 

Z and TB

[bebop bonnie]

16 hours ago, Zqueeze1 said:

Bonnie:  I did not realize that your cruise is only seven days long.  Do you have any post cruise plans?

 

Z and TB

 

[bebop bonnie]

Hi Z and TB ~  Getting ready for a day in Firenze now and tomorrow Roma for 4 days.  Doing my happy dance, even if debark is tomorrow xox

[bebop bonnie]

Yesterday was Firenze … we did the “Florence On Your Own” Tour.  I’ve done this tour several times and yes it’s a long hour and half one way, but for me, it’s the best way to spend even a too quick 6 hours in my most favorite city!  Weather was absolutely perfect.  Today in Rome, not so much 😞 but those tacky plastic rain ponchos do work!

 

CR last night was excellent and I had the beef carpaccio for an appetizer.  It was superb.  Gave serious thought to ordering a second!  I do think it’s mean that Regent provides scales in our suites…

 

Now in Rome for 4 days.  It’s weird how your sense of time gets thrown off when you travel.  Getting ready for dinner, and it’s hard to believe that we really had breakfast this morning on the Grandeur!  Miss it already!!

[RachelG]

Glad you took over with the trip reporting as I am having withdrawal.  I like the smaller portions too.  But I have not seen any scales in the suites.  Is this something in the upper category suites?  I have always thought that if I were to go on a cruise longer than 2 weeks, I would have to bring my own, as I am now working on losing the 5 lbs I gained in 2 weeks. 

[BBWC]

20 minutes ago, RachelG said:

Glad you took over with the trip reporting as I am having withdrawal.  I like the smaller portions too.  But I have not seen any scales in the suites.  Is this something in the upper category suites?  I have always thought that if I were to go on a cruise longer than 2 weeks, I would have to bring my own, as I am now working on losing the 5 lbs I gained in 2 weeks. 

You can just ask Regent for a scale in your suite. We have done it a few times, and now one is always there when we board.

[Paul73]

There's a scale in the fitness center.  It can be adjusted to read in pounds or stone.

[labonnevie]

7 hours ago, BBWC said:

You can just ask Regent for a scale in your suite. We have done it a few times, and now one is always there when we board.

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.
I just can not come up with any reason why I would want a scale anywhere near my suite. 

[bebop bonnie]

Good late morning from Roma!  Small city … yesterday morning, after disembarking, we checked into our hotel, Portrait Suites.  We went up to the rooftop for our (second!) breakfast.  Sat next to the same couple that sat next to us at dinner in Compass Rose the previous night.

 

Then, at a wonderful lunch at Dilla we sat next to a delightful couple and their daughter. Breakfast this morning back at our hotel, was the same couple from lunch yesterday!

 

So,  sail on the Grandeur, then stay at a small hotel in Roma, eat lots of meals frequently, and you’ll continually bump into your new friends!  Only an hour or so til lunch, so gotta go 🙂 

 

ps…scale in our hotel too.  Going to hide it under the bed!

[2012_Alaska_bound]

On 4/26/2024 at 9:06 AM, bebop bonnie said:

Fortunately we only did carry on (yup!) but an almost laughable experience navigating cobblestone streets with wheelaboard luggage!

 

Did a one month trip including a TA on Splendor, a few days in Barcelona, a few days in Madrid, a few days at Alhambra, then on to Lisbon and a river cruise. Planned to do laundry at hotel in Lisbon (they SAID they had a laundry room). Alas, laundry room hadn't re-opened after Covid, so concierge suggest a laundromat just a "short walk" from the hotel.  We piled all the dirty clothes into one of our roller suitcases and headed out. Most memorable "short walk" ever on cobblestones! Who knew they could be so tricky!

[Poppy1966]

16 hours ago, labonnevie said:

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.
I just can not come up with any reason why I would want a scale anywhere near my suite. 

My only reason would be to weigh my suitcases to make sure they’re within the airline baggage weight..😂

[GMIAC]

18 hours ago, Poppy1966 said:

My only reason would be to weigh my suitcases to make sure they’re within the airline baggage weight..😂

When we split a dessert, we have a “you cut, I choose” rule. I’d use it then.  

[bebop bonnie]

40 minutes ago, GMIAC said:

When we split a dessert, we have a “you cut, I choose” rule. I’d use it then.  

Hearing your ‘rule’ made me laugh, a lot!  When my sister and I were little and our mom gave us something delicious to share, she always said ‘one of you cuts, and the other chooses’!  Still laughing about that a zillion years later! 

[GMIAC]

3 minutes ago, bebop bonnie said:

Hearing your ‘rule’ made me laugh, a lot!  When my sister and I were little and our mom gave us something delicious to share, she always said ‘one of you cuts, and the other chooses’!  Still laughing about that a zillion years later! 

Once I split a can on Hi-C Fruit Punch so evenly my brother didn't know which one to choose. Every time he'd go for one, I'd say, "OK," and then he'd re-think his choice. We still laugh about that one!

 

We've amended the "you cut I choose" rule to add, "and you get the plate," since there's usually some gooey goodness left on the dessert plate after splitting the main event.

[bebop bonnie]

Good morning from South Florida!  Just want to add that after 30+ years on Radisson/ Regent, this was the best (though sadly shortest) cruise ever!  And several fabulous days post cruise in Roma was a perfect ending.  Tokyo a year from now.  Not certain I can wait that long for the next Regent cruise!!

[GMIAC]

37 minutes ago, bebop bonnie said:

Good morning from South Florida!  Just want to add that after 30+ years on Radisson/ Regent, this was the best (though sadly shortest) cruise ever!  And several fabulous days post cruise in Roma was a perfect ending.  Tokyo a year from now.  Not certain I can wait that long for the next Regent cruise!!

Which Tokyo? We’re on the 19 March. 

We just finished the transatlantic on Grandeur (plus a week in Barcelona and Madrid) and loved every minute of it. 

[bebop bonnie]

13 minutes ago, GMIAC said:

Which Tokyo? We’re on the 19 March. 

We just finished the transatlantic on Grandeur (plus a week in Barcelona and Madrid) and loved every minute of it. 

You’re first!  We embark April 14!  Needless to say, I hope you’ll post live….and I’ll be reading details of your and all Tokyo cruises from now til we board!  Will you be doing pre 3 day cruise?

I’ll probably wait a bit but perhaps someone, or I, will start some kind of Anticipation of Tokyo kind of thread.  

 

And lucky you, TA and week in Barcelona and Madrid!!