CruiserFromMaine

@GeorgiaPeach51—thank you! I now have an even greater appreciation for thread-captains (like you!) who post longer and more detailed reports! Yes, terminal J. I’m sorry you had such a long walk after you disembarked. I don’t know the algorithm behind what terminal they use. People on the second cruise got on at B and off at J.

I enjoyed the included Chianti as well. And the Observation Lounge is a great place in the evening if you enjoy piano music—Gino is fabulous! We we’re surprised at the quality of the internet access, considering what we had read. It wasn’t perfect but very good. Food and service were excellent!

I agree that you should explore the River cruise option. Take a look on those forums for ideas. Our go-to line is AMA. Not all-inclusive but excellent food and service.

I had this typed up a couple days ago, and then forgot to post it… Now, sadly, off the Splendor… After packing and snacking with our cheese plate and champagne last night, we headed up to trivia. A first for us on this cruise! We had 2 Regent points and wanted to get more or give away our points. We did ok for a team of two, but gave away our points to a team of ladies who told Ellie she was so kind. They were glad to have them. We listened to Gino in the Observation Lounge before dinner again (of course!) and Ellie had one more gin martini with blue cheese olives. I had a vodka martini. Then off to one more dinner in Compass Rose. It was a lovely dinner again (of course!). I had escargot, risotto and the Thai curry chicken. And the very delicious chocolate coffee caramel soufflé for dessert. Ellie had the porcini crusted salmon for an entree. We also shared some butter pecan ice cream for dessert. I’ll wrap up final thoughts in another post but the food has been very very good on this cruise! After dinner we listened to the first part of the Broadway show/interview but it’s not our cup of tea so we left to hear Gino at 10pm (of course!). We had a chance to chat with him as well. It turns out he will be on the Grandeur next March when we’re on—yay! Also Jorge from Compass Rose will be on then too! More reasons to look forward to that cruise! One more sleep in our suite then up early to finish packing and out by 8am. One more nice breakfast in Compass Rose and then we did self disembarking to meet friends of ours who picked us up around 9am. Clearing Immigration was easy, maybe 5 minutes from getting “binged” off the ship to the passenger pickup area. There was only one other ship in port—a Virgin ship. I’ll post some final thoughts tomorrow.

It was $169 per person last week on the Splendor. You have to book it on board. For us it was on a sea day. It was fun and well-presented with very good food but the wines didn’t wow me. It will definitely be your lunch that day.

On the Splendor. We had a nice dinner in Chartreuse on Saturday. I had a duck foie gras starter and a veal entree, and the floating island dessert. The dessert was excellent and the others good, but I thought my first meal there was better. We had an early start to the day, plus we lost an hour as we set the clocks ahead, so it was an early night for us. Yesterday was Costa Maya. We had a quick breakfast in La Veranda then off to see the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben. I thought this was a fascinating tour, and one I’ve been looking forward to. It was our first visit to Mayan temples. The ride from the ship was about an hour each way, and we had a good two hours there. Ours was the only ship in port so we were able to experience it without crowds. Our guide said some days they have 17 busses of tourists! The “reclamation” is still in its very early stages; the area was discovered only in 1972 and not uncovered until 1994, whereas Pompeii was restored beginning in the 1700s. It is slow work, hindered by the close jungle that has overtaken the area. Still, it is impressive to see the temples that have been restored. A nice lunch with a burger with lobster and corn aioli and a margarita, then relaxing and, frankly, a nap. Then off to the Seven Seas Society reception where Anthony sang for us. We learned there were 671 guests on board for this cruise. We had dinner in Compass Rose. The porcini risotto was delicious and the spicy beef stir fry was very good as well. Not spicy like chile or jalapeño but with some warming spices. My wife had the miso glazed sea bass that was also excellent. We had seen David Nevin’s show in the last cruise and while we loved it, we skipped it this time and headed to a nearly abandoned Observation Lounge so had a nice chance to talk with Gino de Luca. He’s the perfect person to play in the Observation Lounge. We’ve got a late excursion in Cozumel today. A quick breakfast in La Veranda and a salad at the pool grill before we head off for a Mexican cooking class. Photos of Mayan temples and floating dessert

On the Splendor. I’m getting behind again…funny how when you don’t have anything to do, you don’t do anything! After lunch on the sea day, we relaxed around the ship. Of course we visited the Observation Lounge to hear Gino before dinner in Compass Rose. We had a nice dinner there, but unfortunately I don’t recall all of what we had. I know my wife had the duck breast that was very good. Oddly, the duck breast was listed on the spa menu but with 1,310 calories and 91 grams of fat! We were tired from a long day of being at sea, so we skipped the show and retired early. The next day was a sea morning, with a nice breakfast in Compass Rose. I had the waffles and they were quite good. The waffles, pancakes and French toast are all good there and those items seem to challenge some kitchens. Lunch was at the pool grill, featuring a Greek-themed buffet. Quite good. Then we went to the theater for our tour, The Best of Roatan. It took about 30 minutes for our tour to be called, but we finally boarded a really tight van and headed out. The highlight for me was a flat-bottom boat ride around the protected harbor at French Cay. The water was very clear and our guide there was very good. The island of Roatan has some beautiful areas but also seems down on its luck, like many Caribbean locations. Dinner was in Pacific Rim last night—excellent again! I had the soft shell crab tempura, pork dim sum and the barbecue pork ribs. I had the coconut tre leches for dessert. My wife had a wonderful meal as well, including the lobster tempura and raspberry sake sorbet. Our day caught up with us again so we retired early. We woke up in Belize today, at Harvest Caye. A quick breakfast in Compass Rose (cereal, yogurt and eggs) then off to explore Harvest Caye. It’s a well-constructed and well-manicured depiction of Belize. We probably should have done an excursion. Oh, well. We had a nice lunch in Prime 7 then off to the infinity pool. Photos below from Roatan. More later!

Things seem to have calmed down after the first night’s excitement for some people.

After we left the Splendor to get a zero count we took a short Lyft ride to CVS to get a couple items, then back to the ship. We had to wait till about 11 to get back on and there was some uncertainty among the port security when we first tried to get on. The wait was short as it turned out. Back to our suite then onto the pool deck. Yay! We finally got a nice double lounger. The margaritas are still great and we split the truffle burger. It was very tasty. A dip in the pool and the hot tub, then back to the suite and relax on our very nice balcony. It’s really nice to stay on for a back-to-back cruise! I forgot to add that we booked another cruise on board—March 2024 on the Grandeur from Miami to New York in a Superior Suite. We’ll save a fair amount compared to the Concierge Suite so we can pick our own hotel. We’ll lose out on the coffee maker and binoculars. We went up to see Gino play before dinner then off to dinner at Prime 7. We had a wonderful time at a shared table with another couple. The prime rib was good and I got the wedge salad with blue cheese dressing this time, and the popcorn caramel sundae again! The Welcome Aboard show was a little different this time and just as good. Then up to see Gino in the Observation Lounge. The vibe on board is much, much different than the last cruise. What a difference a cruise makes! This passenger mix is younger and more talkative, even too loud. Interrupting Gino while he’s playing to make a request and practically drowning out his playing. And dirty dancing to Elton John (something that may never have been written before!). There are some groups on here with travel agents, a construction company and more. Some families too, including two toddlers. I miss the old vibe from the last cruise. I’ll stick to cruises more than a week long in the future. Today was the wine sampler—most/all of the included wines were available for tastings this morning (morning wine!). If that was offered last cruise, we completely missed it. This cruise it wasn’t in the listing in Passages but rather noted off to the side, so maybe we missed it earlier. The pool deck was very busy so we went to Chartreuse for lunch. That was quieter until someone started a FaceTime call during lunch! I had the grilled salmon and enjoyed it. Then back to the Observation Lounge for some quiet time, and someone was on the phone loudly there too, but fortunately only briefly.

We went to afternoon tea again yesterday. We thought the guitarist from Lemon Duo would be playing but it was Gino instead. That was good too. And just for the record, I left my teabag in the pot and had chocolate treats and not a scone. 😄😄 We met another couple in the Observation Lounge for nice music and pre dinner drinks. I had a “Not Old Fashioned” which was good but I needed to take some of the ice out. Dinner was in Setti Mari with our new friends that we met at the Wine Lunch. The conversation was great and the food and wine was as well. I had the carbonara and the veal al limone. A limoncello at the end was perfect! After dinner we went to the Beatles show which was in the atrium. What fun! The music went until about 10:30 and people were dancing and singing along with all the songs. Then back up to hear Gino again, then to bed. Lots of luggage in the hallways by now. David Nevin had a wig on to look like one of the Beatles. In Miami this morning. Since we are staying on we could be a little more leisurely than most people. Breakfast in La Veranda then those of us continuing on were to meet in the Meridian Lounge at 9:15. Disembarkation was behind schedule though. In Miami, all the luggage needs be off before passengers can disembark. Disembarking started around 8:45am and the last colors were called around 9:45. Everyone needs to get off for at least a short time to get a zero count on board to keep US immigration happy. We got off around 10am.

The Lemon Duo is a good option. In particular, the guitarist is very good. This is their first time performing on a cruise ship.

Yesterday started with a nice breakfast at Compass Rose. The rest of the morning was quiet. Then, the Wine Lunch! It was held in Pacific Rim. We were on the wait list then we’re able to clear it and attend. I don’t remember how many people were there but it seemed like a couple dozen or a little more. The presentation by Georgiana was interesting and covered key ideas of wine tasting and pairing. The food was very good. There is a photo of the menu below. The wines were new to us and it’s always fun to try new wines. But, the wines were good, not great. We’ve had wines with more depth and character at other wine lunches and wine tastings. Of the wines offered, the Shafer Cab was my favorite. We went to the infinity pool after lunch but it was quite the wave pool! It wasn’t closed but we went to the main pool deck instead and tried the hot tub. The temperature is excellent in the hot tubs. Somewhat surprisingly, we found a couple loungers by the pool and hung out there for a while. The pool bar makes a great margarita! Refreshing and not too sweet like some margaritas are. We went to the Krew Kapers before dinner. What a wonderful show! There are some very talented performers outside of the entertainment department and they sang a variety of songs and performed some traditional dances from their homelands. Dinner was a very nice event. We had a hosted dinner in Compass Rose with GM Franck Galzy and another couple. It was a great menu with lobster risotto, beef Wellington and chocolate soufflé and the other couple graciously shared a bottle of a delicious Châteauneuf du Pape. The soufflé was accompanied by a nice glass of a Poesie dessert wine. The show was another very funny performance by Troy Thirdgill. If he’s performing on a cruise you’re on, definitely see his show! After the show, when the CD was wrapping up things from the stage, he asked for applause from anyone staying on for the next cruise. We were the only ones who clapped! On our way out of the theater, we asked the CD how many were staying on—43 total, he said. This was marketed as an 18 night cruise as well as two separate cruises by Regent so I would have guessed more would stay on. We ended the evening with Gino again, and this time with another couple we met at the Wine Lunch. They love Gino as much as we do and we’ll meet them for dinner on the last night of this cruise. Another sea day today as we head back to Miami. We saw Bob Ray’s final music presentation on One Hit Wonders and we enjoyed it. He’s getting off in Miami so we’ll have a new lecturer. Lunch was at the Pool Grill for their Italian buffet that has some nice items—lasagna, polenta, salami, and pizza margherita to name a few. Hanging out this afternoon.

We arrived at Roseau, Dominica this morning. We have visited here a few times so we didn’t book a tour. We got off and walked around the town. We made unplanned contributions to the local economy by purchasing a nice shirt for me and a skirt for my wife. Back on board for lunch at La Veranda and some relaxation. Dinner was in Conpass Rose and it was excellent again, especially the Beef Bourguignon. The show was a comedian, Troy Thirdgill. He was very funny and kept it a PG rated show. I’m looking forward to his next show. The next morning we were in Phillipsburg, Sint Maarten. We knew we hadn’t been there for awhile but after digging through some old photos, our last call was nine years ago! We love going to the Sunset Beach Bar at Maho Beach to watch the planes come in. And Regent had an excursion just for that, so we took it. I have to say, it was better nine years ago when the four-engine jets were more prevalent. It was a short stop in Sint Maarten and we left about 3pm. We’ve left early at every port, this captain doesn’t wait around! (And as far as I know, we haven’t left anyone behind!) There was an early show after we left port, but we skipped that. I’m sure it was great, but it was a Broadway-themed show and that’s not our favorite. Predinner drink with Gino in the Observation Lounge, then dinner in Compass Rose. This time we were asked if we wanted to be seated with others, and we said sure. We were seated with two other couples and had a great evening at dinner, with great conversation. Dinner was a little slow, two hours without dessert, and a couple people said their entrees were not hot. I think handling a larger table slowed things down and disrupted the flow of serving entrees when they were ready. They said the entrees tasted fine, just weren’t hot. The show was David Nevin’s performance, and he gave us a fantastic show. He’s got a great voice and sang country, rock, and opera. Bravo! After the show, we went to the Observation Lounge again. It was Guess That Tune, with a focus on Broadway show tunes. We did predictably bad with that topic but had a good time. One odd thing happened though. One of the servers took our drink order, and then we never saw her again. She just left the the Observation Lounge. I’m sure there’s a good reason but it was odd. And easy enough to flag down another server to reorder. (It was just soda water and lemon.) Two sea days next, with the Wine Lunch! IMG_2741.MOV

I thought the volume in the theater was fine but that may or may not be true for anyone else. We sat in the front lower level for most shows.

I don’t remember but it was probably a French red.

After our tour of Bonaire we had lunch and relaxed. Later, we went to the afternoon tea. The afternoon tea is not Regent’s strong point. There is no place to put your tea bag except right on your saucer. The scones are only average for taste and the tea sandwich selection is short and some have pretty dry bread. Certainly not a huge deal but a missed opportunity for Regent. Pre-dinner drinks in the Observation Lounge with Gino again. He’s good!They have good cocktails there. I liked the Splendor. I also like the chips, pretzels, etc they bring by. The canapés are good too. Dinner in Chatreuse. Wow! The entire experience from start to finish was great. The escargot was a different presentation for me and delicious. The beef was perfect as was the wine, and the service was top notch. I forgot to take photos. We tried to book into Chartreuse again but it’s totally booked until the next segment. Patty Dess did another wonderful show for us after dinner, then more Gino afterwards. The next day, Friday, we arrived in Grenada around 1pm. We had a ship tour of the island with stops at a botanical garden/spice farm, Annandale waterfall and Grand Etang Park. It’s a beautiful volcanic mountainous island with steep narrow roads and a fair amount of traffic; the traffic is especially heavy right in the city. The roads are well-paved. It’s a big island and we only saw part of it. The tour was a typical island overview tour and our driver/guide was very good. Riding on steep narrow roads, on “the wrong side” for us Americans, was an experience in itself! We returned around 6:00 and changed for dinner; Sette Mari tonight. They first offered us the same table we sat at a few nights ago for “the incident”. It was Too Soon for that so we sat elsewhere but indoors. Dinner was good; we’ve sampled many of the items there now. Probably Compass Rose from here on out. Speaking of Compass Rose, we received an invitation to dine with the General Manager on Monday night in CR. In the 25 or so cruises we’ve done, it’s the first such invitation we’ve received, so of course we said yes! Monday will be a big day for us. We cleared the wait list for the Wine Lunch, so we’ll be doing that Monday too! Last night’s show featured the production cast in a show with James Bond-ish plot about a stolen diamond. The singing and dancing were again excellent. We skipped Gino after the show. We were both tired after a week or so of being indulged! Below, the Etang park, a very enjoyable Chianti with dinner last night, the end of the show, our ship at dock in Grenada, and the waterfall

@Wendy The Wanderer Good to know about the concierge vs superior suites. We are new to Regent but the hotel was marginal at best and the transport to the ship wasn’t much better. But we booked with a two category upgrade promotion so presumably we didn’t pay extra. Thanks for the info!

On the Splendor. After lunch in La Veranda yesterday we took the trolley tour of Willemstad. There was a long taxi ride over the big bridge (Queen Julianna Bridge) to the trolley ride start, which was really only a short walk over the floating bridge. We were docked right in the harbor, very convenient. The picture is of the Splendor from the floating bridge, which needed to open to let us in and out. The narrated ride was about 90 minutes in an open air trolley. It was OK but not great. After the trolley ride, we walked over the floating bridge to the ship. We grabbed some savory snacks from Coffee Connection and went back to our room to have them with done champagne. There were no other food options. Before dinner we stopped in to heat Gino at the Observation Lounge, then off to Pacific Rim for a wonderful dinner. I had the Miso Cod with the duck confit spring rolls as a starter—excellent! In lieu of a show in the theater there was dancing on the pool deck since we were in port late. What a fun party. CD David, the entertainers and the orchestra sang and played nonstop for almost 90 minutes. Many folks were there and most danced at least some of the time. We never stopped! It was such fun and a great workout too! The orchestra regrouped in the Meridian Lounge with hardly a break for more music. My initial hesitation about the orchestra is now gone—they are extremely talented plus they work their <instruments> off! Quiet morning in Aruba with no excursion. We ventured into town then returned for lunch in Prime 7. It was very good if a little leisurely but we had nowhere else to be. I had the shrimp and grits starter and the fisherman’s platter. We talked with the executive concierge about our mid-cruise survey. He’d obviously read our concerns about the AKA Brickell and the construction around the elevators. He said others had complained too, and also on previous cruises. He will forward our concerns to corporate. We’ll see what happened next. The hotel was supposed to be finished by now, and Regent books rooms a couple months out so I understand how Regent got caught short, but it was still a rough start to our vacation. Now sitting by the infinity pool enjoying the quiet afternoon. The water view is from our veranda this morning in Aruba.

Yesterday we did the Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class. We made a beef dish, a shrimp dish and a crepe for dessert, plus a mojito to start—at 10am! Chef Kelli (?) Evans did a great job of explaining what to do, and then recapped it for us. I know she was good because what I made came out great, and I’m not a cook. The ship was rocking and a couple folks left early because of that. (The class is on deck 11.) What we made was enough for lunch. Oh yes, a glass of white wine was served as well! The class ended at noon. It was a quiet afternoon. We both took a nap. Going outside was too windy for us, but a lot of people were out. The pool was closed but hot tubs were open. The photography seminar was good. We had a block party, only the fourth on this ship since the restart. We visited the Meridian Lounge where the orchestra was playing for a pre-dinner cocktail was playing and then had our first dinner in Compass Rose. We went with the server’s recommendation, which we often do on a cruise. The corn and chili soup was nice and flavorable, but the chicken Kiev was a bit of a let down. The Malva pudding more than made up for it, though! The service was excellent with several people coming over to make sure everything was good and even remembering our names. Off to the Splendor Lounge for the Lemon Duo. They’re growing on me, the guitarist is really talented. We took a quick detour to observe in the casino, the tables were busy. Then the show with guest performer Patty Dess. Wow, she was excellent! A great singer with an engaging stage presence. She sang some of the best songs from singers such as Whitney Houston and Tina Turner and back to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, and more. Don’t miss it! According to the CD last night, we have 706 guests on board, or 94% full, the large majority from the US. Then we headed back up to hear Gino de Luca in the Observation Lounge. Very small crowd tonight but he did another wonderful set. He a great pianist who loves the extra flourish on the keyboard, has a very nice voice and is also engaging. Breakfast in Compass Rose this leisurely morning and now we’re heading into port at Curaçao. The pilot boat just pulled away. There’s a Royal Caribbean ship and a NCL ship in port already. The internet continues to be quite good. My wife is doing some work and we’ve both had to deal with a few emails and texts.

We had a relaxing afternoon yesterday although my wife did some work. Internet was good enough for that and seems good overall. Captain’s reception was fine. Dinner in Prime 7. I had the wedge salad and surf and turf. Wedge salad had ranch dressing so it’s different but I liked it. I think of a wedge with blue cheese dressing. Steak was good but not great, needed some seasoning. My wife had the lamb and enjoyed it. We shared the famous caramel popcorn sundae and it was really good! Staff seemed hurried but service was good. Our waiter seemed new. Only one sommelier for the restaurant. There were quite a few people with 7:30 reservations. Listened to the Lemon Duo in the Splendor Lounge. I really like the multiple choices for live music but the Lemon Duo didn’t excite us. We’ll give them another shot. Divos and Divas was really good. A couple of the female singers, in particular, have great voices. Went to Guess That Tune after the show. We came in fifth so no points for us. Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class this morning.

Some photos, should upload ok. Internet has been quite good. Miami skyline as we left port. Brunch, two photos. From the infinity pool.

Great Sunday brunch today, serving as breakfast and lunch. So many places to eat! Got coffee at Coffee Connection this am. I’d like then to have to-go cups there but those are single use do maybe that’s why not. I know they’ll deliver and there’s a coffee maker in the room but the in room one makes small cups. I spent too much time on that, it’s a very minor point. The ship is gorgeous. Service is first rate. Went to the infinity pool this afternoon. Now just way for Bob Ray’s photography lecture. Pix to follow later. Internet is good now.

Well, after three years we finally got to board the Regent Splendor! Despite some warnings, we took the Regent bus from the hotel. We arrived about 50 minutes late and joined a big crowd to check in. We boarded about 50 minutes after arriving. Yay! (But lesson learned first hand—just get a ride share to the port.) Had a nice lunch at the Pool Grill, very prompt drink service. Then we toured the ship, got the obligatory photo op outside Pacific Rim. At 2:30 the rooms were ready, so we unpacked. A trip to the hot tub was next. The hot tub temperature is good and hot. Then, uh oh, old school muster drills are back. Everyone tromps off to their assigned station for 30 minutes they’ll never get back even after watching the required video before boarding. That interlude delayed the “Welcome to the Regent Family” party and pool deck sail away. Sail away was great with scenic views of sunsets and Miami. We like piano music so we went to the Observation Lounge for the pianist who played tunes we like a lot. Around 7:00pm we headed down to Compass Rose. Another uh oh—a big line to get in. OK, let’s go to Sette Mari. Got in and started a nice dinner. Uh oh—one of the women at the table right next to us literally starts vomiting on the floor! She finally listens to her table mate and leaves. The staff apologizes to us but really, they’re just as much innocent bystanders as we are. In almost 30 cruises, that’s fortunately a first for us. Concierge suite is great with a huge shaded balcony and nice walk in closet. Plenty of storage. Double sinks in the bathroom. There’s a little vibration now that we’re underway. Still trying to figure out what light switch goes with what light. The first night’s show was good, an overview of upcoming shows. We are already big fans of the pianist, Gino de Luca, in the Observation Lounge. He’s great! The casino is a good size for a ship this size. As a sometimes blackjack player I was glad to see a $10 table and that it pays 3-2 on a blackjack; many ships only pay 6-5. We are waitlisted for the wine lunch. I forgot to sign up until later in the day. We’re supposed to get a call back from the head sommelier about other options. Big Sunday brunch on the schedule for today! Some key people on board: Master—Luciano Montesanto General Manager—Franck Galzy Cruise Director—David Nevin Senior Executive Chef—Dino Schwager F&B Director—Stephane Carriou Guest Lecturer—Bob Ray

Our journey to the Splendor has begun. Our flight from Boston was uneventful. We took a Covid test at the Miami Airport to help us with costs if we get covid onboard. (We were negative!). We took a cab to the AKA Brickell, the hotel Regent assigned us to. A couple notes—check-in is now on the ground floor, no longer on the 25th floor. However, to get to our room we needed to take the elevator to the 25th floor, walk through an area still under construction, take an elevator down the the 20th floor for our room. To go to the pool requires going up to the 25th floor, walk back through the construction area, go down to the lobby, outside across the valet parking area, then up to the rooftop pool. The pool bar looks like it belongs on a Royal Caribbean ship. It’s a big step down from the Mandarin where I believe some people are staying. I’ll let our TA and someone on Regent know.

Thanks @GeorgiaPeach51 and @Zqueeze1! GeorgiaPeach51, I followed your thread here about your cruise and it definitely helped get us excited for this cruise. @Wendy The Wanderer--hope we get to meet on board!