cwn

It was empty.almost, night before last when we went. We had the best lamb chops on the ship there. With all the places to eat on the Splendor, I can see why though. Problem is there is no really casual place to eat but there. Now the Navigator really needs the pool grill with only three choices for dinning.

The first night was.interesting and I almost spilled the tea serval times…. Kept forgetting. But it is a pretty cup. Carolyn

Thanks for the kind comments. My thing is taking pictures on our trips and making a book when we get home. Dick and I have traveled together separately for almost 60 years. The photographs have settled lots of arguments over the years😂. Yes they brought bourbon and rum with our requested mixers the first day. In this kind of weather… almost hot 80’s and a little humid we like mojitos and pina collates with a cheese tray to snack on. The balcony is in the shade late afternoon and the wake is so pretty. you can order what you want. They will keep you supplied withOJ and champagne! It is nice with breakfast too!

I almost forgot….from last night…. What is wrong with this picture? Nothing actually if you are right handed! I discovered this on our first visit the first night. Last night they bought me a cup with a proper handle for my tea with out asking….I am left handled…..they didn’t ask just remembered.

Absolutely do something including a harbor tour…lunch tour or the ferry that maxes a number of stops around the Harbor very beautiful ride.

If you like to be herded in a crowd take the Regent bus. We like to go at our on pace without the crowd. The taxi for us was $20 in Miami, skipped the line and on the ship having a bit to eat in about 30 mins from door to door. Worth it for us….. we hate buses!

I would think that would be an important plus for the crew especially the ones that work out of the public eye.

Some pictures from the tour on Dominica. It is a pretty island, not at all touristy. Still suffering from a hurricane 5 or so years ago. There is a lot of evidence of volcanic activity on the island.

And the tea files continue…… It is so easy to get lost in time when you are cruising! Yesterday was a really nice day again. We were in Dominica, according to reports the youngest of the islands….but that is relative! It is another new island for us, so we did a tour….Island Safari. It was in an open bus, no windows but a top so we were out of the sun and nice for picture taking. It was about 31/2 hours and we had a really nice woman guide. She was funny and informative without talking us to death. Made three actual stops that we got off the bus for a walk around for pictures and lots of slow downs for costal shots. Went out to the ismuth between the Caribbean and the Atlantic …..for a change the Caribbean was rough! It had been all the night before also. Then we stopped for a restroom break, Chruch and another beach area. Final stop was a view of the port from a high vantage point and a drive though the Botanical Gardens. We are really being lazy the rest of the time…Dick goes to LaVeranda for breakfast and lunch, I am ordering room service for both meals, then naps!!! We are also having snacks and cocktails on the balcony each night before dinner. We order the cocktails from room service also…. No waiting! We got a return to Chartreuse last night by showing up at the door at 6:30….they seated us right away! I was calling dinning reservations every night including yesterday, only to be told nothing was open and no luck on the waiting list either. I will remember that! As far as the loungers are concerned, they have put the no saving request in Passages twice now and talked about no saving on the morning show, but last night serval couples were complaining about the situation in the afternoon..

It is easier to us to do the transfer yourself. We just did last week in Miami.

You can not go the the cabin decks until they call your level of suite. You keep it with you in the public areas(we did) or it seemed that you could check it in an holding area. We just sat in the Coffee Connection until until our level was called about 2 on the Splendor out of Miami last week. Let the porters have as much as you can. It come on and is delivered fast.

Thank you both. I thought that was the case. I got roaming off now and will try it. As for the tea files, I will ask a friend that cruises a lit if she thinks that will work. Since we travel in steerage so I know nothing about the Lilly machines🙂 We had a nice day with a good tour and guide. Bedtime right now will report tomorrow.

There are no formal optional nights on this 10 day cruise. It was just a cocktail thing for a short while in the Atrium. It was the Pearl Anniversary Party. A few women had sparkly tops, but really couldn't tell much difference from a regular evening. In my time on Regent, I don't remember a costume party. St pat's Da we were encouraged to wear green, Easter Sun...Easter hats which we made on board with supplies from the ship.

Planning something is the best way for the plan to go south. We were trying to pack light haha so we didn't bring all the camera stuff we have in the past to report and post pictures. I was taking pictures with my phone and posting them...doesn't require extra stuff, Dicks idea. He got a message about my usage last night, and he has cut me off from picture posting. He usually researches all this before we leave but it has been a while now...blame it on old age! I will post the best of the pictures when we get back to Miami on the 13th, meanwhile I will just do s report of what is going on and try to answer any questions. We were in St. Lucia yesterday docked in what must be the older pier. It is about a mile from town, there was a big ship at the pier right in town. Most of the tours involved lots of activity,,,ziplinig, water activity or time at a beach, so we did the Trolly around town. It was a "one man" activity starting from the pier! Visited the Cathedral built in 1899 and rode across town to a small well kept beach for a rum punch. A fine short tour until they didn't bring us back to the pier where they picked us up. They dropped at the Market and it was hike back to the ship. For most that wasn't a, but some of us it was. By the time a couple of us made it back to the ship the Trolly had pulled in front of the ship again! Oh well. We went to the pool grill last night. They were setting up for dancing under the stars as we were in port until 11 and it was a beautiful night. Back at the room there was a big post about not reserving the loungers....it is not allowed. The staff must be hearing all the complaining going on about the books and hats and no people on the loungers. We will see what happens next as I don't think this will do any good.

Today was St Barts….a new island for us. After rocking and rolling all night and the “boys” clambering for their bed belts, we woke to a beautiful day. We had canceled our tours for both yesterday and today. I am having some problems walking so we just opted by a sea day both days. Dick is finally getting a routine and doing his thing…. Up early, coffee some where and then breakfast finally showing up back at the room 9:30ish just as I am waking up. I have room service breakfast on the balcony, then we plan our day. Today was a tender port so we caught the noon tender and just walked around the cute town. Lots of big boats and cute houses built up the hillside. I got my granddaughter a pretty pearl bracelet for a reasonable price but things were really expensive basically….38€ for a cotton t-shirt…. Passed on that one. We tried to get something to eat but they would not take credit cards only €s. Took the tender back to the ship and by 2 was settled on the balcony with a wonderful room service lunch and my book …. I was asleep up 2:30! Dick went to the pool grill for lunch and also napped. The ship had a 30th anniversary party at ;5:30 but we skipped that and when to Sette Mari again. I am posting the daily program for those interested and some pictures during the day. Rels posted a great picture of the moon! We also got the Regent 30th anniversary gift on our bed. More importantly I got the grey box with all our laundry pressed and folded! I feel like a queen tonight…a clean IRONED nightgown! Bliss.

More of Dominican Republic

We are in St Barts today. Before we get out, I want to post some pictures from the first few days. Now on I will try to do a better job at a daily report. Start with sai way and cut the tie with the tug,

Thank you, Georgia Peach did the same for me. Hope I am helping future cruisers with the excitement in some little way. The buggy ride was in the Dominican Republic. I always look for this kind of tour. Dick really enjoys the activity and all I have to do is just sit enjoy the ride! There was one in San Juan but we couldn’t do it as 70 was the max age. Bummer!

I like the word tasteful as a description…they do fit the ship’s decor. I just like a bit more color. Need to get our suite decorated with the green and red that I craned in the suite cases.

We were in San Juan today. We have been here before as a stop over on dive trips and on Panama Canal cruises. Had planned to go into old town but my legs were hurting so we just enjoyed the ship with lunch in Prime7 and dinner in Compass Rose. I had a good steak and Dick had Dover Sole. We spent a good bit of time on the balcony just watching the world go by.

I agree about the staff. I got down to deck 4 tonight. They have put out a lot more little things since yesterday afternoon and the lobby area looks more complete and very sparkly. But I still think I like the Explorers decorations better…just a matter of personal taste.

Dick loves trivia and he has missed it every time. I didn’t see it listed today. If it was this afternoon we were again sitting on our balcony watching the huge Carnival ship back out sipping cocktails and a nice cheese tray…thank you service! He will try again tomorrow. l am a little slow these days in more ways than just mental. Hadn’t thought to check with the magnet…. But the bears are wearing the pins.

Finally I think I can continue yesterday report. I hate to say this this early but after a day at sea which was really nice, the port day, yesterday, was a disappoint except for the tour. So far food service has been great, Chartuse was wonderful for both the lunch yesterday and the first dinner. We ate in Pacific Rim the second night and they adjusted the cooking process to avoid cross contaminating as I am allergic to soy bean products (travel in Asia is a real thrilling experience for me). The crab and lobster were great. We went to Setti Mare last night arriving at 6:30 and they were turning people away by 7. It is a favorite of our and we have had many cruise dinners in that venue, it did no disappoint last either. Lunch today was in Prime 7 and the summer rolls were great. Like the way they do the dessert choice too. You can see what you are picking. I had the popcorn chocolate and the blueberry almond cobbler. Dick had the key lime pie and the banana tres leches, there were small serving so we didn’t feel too bad! The suite is very nice but a little smaller than the regular Mariner suite. That is not a problem for us as we go camping doing weeks at a time in a 25 ft trailer smaller than our suite. We love the aft view especially at sail in and sail away! And the balcony is good sized and has comfortable lounge chairs. So what’s not to like……we can’t quite put our finger on it. There are a few staff training issues and it is pain the staff is young and many are new and have a bit of problem with English, but they are trying hard to please. The main thing for us is the ship is too big and too shiny ….crystal, marble, gold and silver. Looks like Carnival’s decorator had a hand in it. (We sail on a smaller Carnival ship with our 7 grandchildren often, it is and easy port for us).There needs to be a third bank of elevators and the two banks the ship has need to go to every floor. But mainly there are not enough bars for the size of the ship. And they can’t all make all drinks…. No blender at one! When we came back from the tour yesterday at 4:15 we went to the pool deck for a drink. Stood in line for 10 min while the 2 guys served people sitting at the bar and one standing in line. Left, went to the room and called room service. By the time we were cleaned up, our drinks and a cheese plate arrived. We were muddy for our tour so we didn’t want to troop through the public rooms. Only pool bar is open before 4. I guess the kid in me was really disappointed when we left the ship they had the decorations up…. What there are of them. The ship is all silver and white and so are the few decorations …. There absolutely disappear into the background. Ugh… one thing I do love is the two puzzle tables!

Wendy we order hot tea every night with dessert, herbal for me and either that or an English tea for Dick. They bring a pot of scalding water and the teas…..Same with Room service. Guess I am not s tea purist as I think it is fine and have to wait till the water/tea cools a bit before drinking.