Live from the Voyager (very lite!)

We have had two stops in India so far. The weather is quite warm as this is their hottest month. It is especially interesting to see the changes that have occurred since our last visit in 1997. Places that were small villages are now big cities. It reminds me of our recent visits to Santorini and Venice. It is good when cities are able to save some of the charm of the inner city.

Yesterday was Cochin and we did a long but nice excursion to the backwaters seeing the countryside, small but bustling, busy villages and a relaxing boat ride. I do wish I was able to post photos.

Today was Mangalore. We last saw it as a small town with a town square we visited. Today it is a large commercial city.

It is always lovely to return to the ship. Now for a cool dip in the pool and then Prime 7.

Thanks Eager2Travel/Ann & Shel (in support) for continuing to keep us entertained with your excellent Voyager (in India) posts. Did Shel and you get a chance to visit Cochin's beautiful Synagogue?

Ann, if Shel or you use an Ipad, happy to send you via email, fairly easy to understand instructions on how to post

pictures on cruise critic using the app Tapatalk.

Eager2Travel, I'm enjoying your posts. What was the illness that prompted the code red?

Hi Wes. We both use an IPad however I don't have the app Tapa Talk and I forgot my apple password to get the app while onboard.Thanks for the offer of help.

Swell dame, thanks for the encouraging words. It was an intestinal issue. I have since learned I was not suppose to know it was code red that is an internal usage. I know I saw it posted somewhere as no one told me. Hopefully no one finds out I posted it on Cruise Critic.

Today was a nice day in Goa. This is a beautiful spot. We went to Goa Chitra which has an interesting collection of all types of carriages and tools from early Goa some from the 16th century.Then a stop at a beautiful Taj hotel for the beach and pool including high tea. We are trying not to overdo it with the very high temperatures. Spouse says if he came back to India this is where he would come.We hope to be able to have dinner on the aft deck at Setti Mare. We shall go up before they open.

So good to read you are both having a wonderful time in one of our favourite parts of the world, Ann! Thank you for the ongoing updates - it's a happy picture, imagining life on Voyager, sailing in warm seas under a blue sky. We had dinner with our friend from Dickens St a couple of nights ago - maybe your ears were burning ;-) Hope you made it to the open deck this evening!

Hi Gilly. We did make it to the aft deck for a magical dinner in Sette Mari. It filled very slowly which surprised us. It was a warm, balmy night and we were right by the wake of the ship. It was a memorable evening. The food was also very good. That is great how often you get to see your Dickens Street friends even though you are separated by an ocean.

Wes, we did not make it to the synagogue. Ours was a full day trip to the Backwaters.

Excellent day in Mumbai. We had an outstanding guide on a new 35 passenger bus for 11 of us. The tour was called Religious Beats. It included stops at three Hindu temples each of different forms and visit to a ceremonial flower market.

Next came a delicious buffet lunch at a five star hotel. We finished off the day with visits to a functioning synagogue and a Protestant church. It was an exceptional excursion made all the more delightful by a personable and knowledgeable guide. It felt like a private excursion the way she looked after each one of us.

Excellent day in Mumbai. We had an outstanding guide on a new 35 passenger bus for 11 of us. The tour was called Religious Beats. It included stops at three Hindu temples each of different forms and visit to a ceremonial flower market.

 

Next came a delicious buffet lunch at a five star hotel. We finished off the day with visits to a functioning synagogue and a Protestant church. It was an exceptional excursion made all the more delightful by a personable and knowledgeable guide. It felt like a private excursion the way she looked after each one of us.

Ann and Shel:

Thanks for taking the time to post. After wading through the rancor on other threads about the Regent dress code, it is an absolute delight to get useful opinions presented in an upbeat manner. Again, thanks and best wishes for the remainder of the voyage and the trip home.

Jim C

DeepFreeze63, I couldn't agree more. Ann and Shel, I'm so pleased to read you had a great day in Mumbai and enjoyed the services of such a good guide, too! Thanks for the details.

Thanks again Jim and Gilly for the kind words. It is indeed heart warming to get some occasional feed back.Yesterday the crew outdid themselves with a galley lunch billed as a 25th Anniversary brunch . The displays were charming and some whimsical at the same time. I will eventually post photos. Tapa Talk is not uploading for me on the ship. While the food was exceptional what was most touching was the galley staff. With sincerity and eagerness when complimented several replied, "we did this for you" The galley was decorated so creatively. You could tell it took a great deal of the time. I think it surpassed the famed Explorer Sunday Brunch. We paced ourselves and coupled with a few Mimosas we had a lovely time.Today is our last sea day and then the final 3 ports.

Thanks for taking the time to post. Sounds like you are having a great time. Enjoy.

Thanks 1982cruzstart. Glad to hear you are out there.Tomorrow is Muscat and the Hop On Hop Off Bus. Also Dhow boat if we make it back in time.

Ann - It's a great delight to read your "lite" blog. Thanks enormously for taking the time from your busy schedule of enjoying the wonderful pampered life on Voyager to give us a taste of your trip.

Marvelous to read that you spent the day in Cochin doing a backwaters tour. As you know, that Kerala backwaters tour was the highlight of our recent Voyager cruise.

Have fun at your three Arabian peninsula stops. We look forward to chatting with you & Shel about the cruise when you return home.

And Pat throws in an "amen" to Fred's comments. It's been allowed to be your thread. Delightful!

For anyone thinking of doing this trip at this time of year you may want to consider the weather. No rain but temperature is expected to be 102 tomorrow in Dubai. Oman was a gentle 99 today. Trip is winding down fast. Tonight was Krew Kapers

Thanks for you words Freddie and Pat. We look forward to comparing our voyages.

We did this exact trip last year at the same time and appreciate the reminders of our fun you are evoking.

AND like you, we thought they ran the trip too late. It was just too hot, day after day. And we're used to the heat. For the tour operators we were their last gig of the season and they were eager to go on their own holidays; all commented 'it would have been better two months ago'. The real eye opener was when a woman collapsed in Goa from renal failure attributed to the heat. Her travelling companion could not join her in hospital as they were just friends not relatives, and had to return to the ship. Meanwhile the hospital bed ridden companion's family flew in from the US. We made comments about this to Regent and posted a Cruise Critic review saying pretty much the same thing. But they're doing most of this cruise again next year on the Voyager - guess no-one's listening.:confused:

Thank you for rekindling our memories and enjoy what's left of the cruise.

Today is Dubai. We are going to do the Hop On Hop Off. It is going to be 102. I don't think we will hop off except the Gold Souk is calling to me. We have been to Dubai before. I have done no shopping this cruise except to use SBC on the ship. We are trying to be very cautious with the heat.

Catpow, I am glad we are able to help you rekindle memories. That is a sobering experience about your shipmate. You are correct in that this is not a good time to travel in this part of the world. It is a challenge to see the sights which is a shame

For anyone thinking of doing this trip at this time of year you may want to consider the weather. No rain but temperature is expected to be 102 tomorrow in Dubai. Oman was a gentle 99 today. Trip is winding down fast. Tonight was Krew Kapers

 

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Great words of wisdom in terms of paying attention to the time of the year that you travel. We really enjoyed following your travels. Soon you'll be back in the fairly warm SFV (we are paying attention to the weather there as we will be visiting our family next weekend ..... way too warm for us).

Safe travels home ! :D

Thanks TC. Enjoy being back in SFV.Finally saw the Mosque in Abu Dhabi. It was indeed magnificent and quite different fron the one in Muscat.That's it for now. We have to be up at 3:30 am for our flight home.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your vacation with us. Hope you have (had) a safe trip home.

Anne thanks for your lovely posts. Have a safe flight home, regards to you and Shel . Jean.