Indochine Illuminations: On board reports

[NCCruzQueen]

Ida and Wes, Bangkok is a fascinating city. Enjoy~Enjoy!!!

[mariners]

Wes, Thanks so much for all of the wonderful posts. It brought back great memories for me.

[WesW]

another very short note as I have to keep an eye on Ida, she did lots of damage at

River City here in Bangkok (3 silk dresses, et al)...beth, all we love Bangkok too...love the Grand Hyatt too...we leave at noon from the GH BKK to start our four flight journey

home (about midnight Tuesday)

 

thanks everyone for your very kind words, encouragment.

 

ps...pls do not share Jim Thompson is in the airport with Ida Karen, good thing she does

not read CC

[elmwood]

Colonel (retd.) Wes, your posts have been an absolute delight to read. I salute you, sir!

[WesW]

Hi, Beth, Kathy, Maria, Gilly, Ann, Paula, Mariners, Karen and Wayne, Elmwood, all;

 

Again, Ida and I sincerely thank you for your very kind compliments, but we thank you for giving us the encouragement to post--thank you.

 

Kathy, we can't wait (esp Ida who loves gardening) to see the blooming dogwoods and azaleas.

 

Maria, thank you sincerely for your support and kind words...yes, now Ida and I will closely look at other exotic itineraries--we like Dubai to Rome beginning May 4 and would book today if Ida did not have to go back to work Wednesday morn--only 3 more months until she retires for the second time. Exotic (So Am, Oz, So Med) itineraries here we come.

 

Gilley, thanks for your personal kind words, and do please enjoy your Voyager cruise...if u have time pls post once or twice here on the Regent board. Look very fwd to reading your blog.

 

Paula, interesting enough, I had two helpings of the yellow noodle soup for breakfast twenty min ago--delicious, Ida then ordered a helping. As beth points out above and we discovered Bangkok is indeed a fantastic city--vibrant, clean, metropolis with the kindest/warmest/full of smiles/bowing people we have met on our Indochina adventure.

 

Ann, so nice to see your post here and thank you too for your kind comments..warm regards to Al.

 

Alas, we depart in 45 min for the Bangkok airport to start our journey home...this maybe our last post.

 

Again, sincere thanks for reading and for most posters genuine/warm encouragement.

[grapejuice]

Wes and Ida - thank you for including us on your journey. What a wonderful couple you are. Hope to meet up with you both on the high seas one day.

Karen and Wayne - thank you as well, have enjoyed every post and blog of yours since you commenced in New Zealand. Loved the pics especially.

Gilly- can't wait to hear of your adventures, that are about to commence

have added site to favs so can keep up to date.

Thanks again for sharing

[WesW]

Hi Grapejuice, all; thanks again for you kind words. We also look forward to meeting you on the seven seas too.

 

We are now in the Hongkong, awaiting our flight to Toronto tomorrow morning. Did want to briefly recap the last excursion we took (Cambodia), Highlights of Sirhannookville. Organizationally, Regent again did an excellent job from meeting in the theater, and then boarding the bus. Problem we had primarily with this excursion deals with the abundant poverty found throughout Cambodia. Every highlight where we stopped (Pagoda, museum, market) we were besieged with begging children and maimed war veterans (they follow the bus from stop to stop). Cambodia is a very poor country...as Mimoto4 said best to me when describing Cambodia, "God where are you."

 

The significant problem that developed was when an irresponsible passenger did not follow our tour guide's very precise time requirements when we were at the market, e.g, you have 30 min, it is now 10:10 am please return to the bus at 10:40am, the tour guide emphasized the time on his watch read 10:10 a.m....alas, 30 min later 25/26 of us were back on the bus at 10:40. Long story short we (25/26 regent pax) waited 30 min (until 11:10 am) finally, the tour guides supervisor told him to leave for our next stop (beach resort). Most of us were very concerned for the welfare of this passenger since the market was teeming with all sorts of folks. Another passenger (Jack) and I tried to assist the frantic tour guide help identify the women and contact the ship. I could easily describe this woman since she speed walked every morning on the pool deck (6:15 am to 7:15 am, when I jogged (5:30 -6:45 am) but I did not know her name but knew the GM did as he relayed her name to me earlier in the week. The speed walker's husband did not accompany the tour as he is confined to a wheelchair. Thus, asked the tour guide to please contact the Voyager--he could not. . Problem is, the tour guide had no way to contact the ship, the buses did not have intrabus communication--so I could not help with identifying our last pax. We went to the resort and 30 min later we found out this passenger just got lost shopping/buying different items at the market. The private tour supervisor coordinated to have the Regent shuttle bus pick her up.

 

The very poor action, others pax on this tour bus and I observed is the Regent escort failed to execute his assigned duties--he never introduced himself at the start of the tour, spent every moment on the bus working on his lap top--he failed (like the other three tour guides on our three previous excursions) to help do a nose count of all pax after every stop. I did go to the GM's office that afternoon and gave Micheal Coghlan my observations.

 

He immediately called Cynthia (Destinations mgr) in to hear my comments. Michael was not very happy that he heard from me four hours after the incident that a Regent passenger was unaccounted for. The Regent escort should have reported the missing pax immeidately to the ship.

 

In sum, we loved 3/4 excursions we had (Halong Bay, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong River Delta), in fact (as I previously posted) MRD was one of the best excursions we have had at sea yet. However, the visit to Sirhannookville was a disappointment not only due to the fact Cambodia is a very poor country, but due to the irresponsible behavior of a fellow Regent guest and the negligent duties performed by a Regent escort.

[OrpingtonT]

We didn't expect to hear from you agai, Wes, until back home after midnight on Tuesday. However it was interesting to hear of your experiences on your excursion. You were at the centre of things in trying to sort it out though.

 

Safe journey home to you and Ida.

 

Barbara & Tom.

[WesW]

If you're on facebook, pix now posted. Will post others directly on CC later.

[WesW]

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/164.jpg

 

shot of fellow CCr's TXlady cruiser and her husband, from L to R; Doug, Wes, Ida and Karen

 

 

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/185.jpg

 

Pix taken after another wonderful dinner in the main dining room with fellow CCr's Aussie cruise friends (from Tasmania) L to R; Janine, Wes, Doug and Ida

 

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/165.jpg

 

this pix taken before outstanding dinner with the Voyager General Manager in the Voyager main dining room from LtoR; the Douglasses, GM (Michael Coghlan), Paula, Wes & Ida

 

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/285.jpg

 

Shot taken after lunch in Veranda, on pool deck with World Cruise Hostess (Dana (Cruise Director--Jamie's wife) second from left and Jamie, third from left

 

 

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/313.jpg

 

Photo of our favorite bartendar on the Voyager (Observation Lounge) Miss Melissa (between Ida and me)

 

 

http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa436/colonelwes/183.jpg

 

Shot taken of Ida and Me in front of famous China Beach

 

 

Special Thanks to Mimito4/T for the cruise pix 101 class..thank you T!

[mimito4]

Great pictures, Wes. What a great looking bunch of people! You and Ida are such a handsome couple, as well as the other CC cruisers Doug, Karen, Janine and Doug! It's always fun to attach a face to the people we "see" around CC so often.

 

Now that you've had lesson #2 though, you'll go back and insert the actual pictures rather than the links, right? ;) I'll check back in on you!

[mimito4]

Like this, Wes.

 

Here, for all the members of your fan club. What a beautiful couple, (inside and out).

 

[OrpingtonT]

Wes and mimito4.

 

What great pictures. I couldn't open the Facebook link but those posted on here were excellent.

[WesW]

 

Professor T; thanks for your pix guidance and way too generous

compliments.

 

Tom, thanks again for Barbara & u'r kind words...now we're looking fwd

to reading about your upcoming Sojourn cruise.

[PaulaJK]

Great photos! Sounds like a wonderful cruise. Paula

[gf]

Thanks, Wes, for the great pix and cruise reports!

[RachelG]

Just got back from Turkey, so I have had to read the last several pages to get caught up. Looks like you had a great cruise.

Sorry to read about the 1 irresponsible passenger on your last excursion. That messes things up for everyone. But glad to hear that the rest of the excursions were outstanding!

[OrpingtonT]

Just got back from Turkey,

 

I hope Wes doesn't mind me going off topic on his post, but I wanted to say "Welcome back" and I hope you had a good conference and the long trip was worth while.

 

We have been reading about the tornadoes in Oklahoma and that Tulsa was on alert. Barbara and I hope you found your home intact when you got back.

[RachelG]

All ok here, though others not so fortunate. GREAT conference and trip!! But I missed all my CC friends.

[WesW]

Paula, Kathy, Rachel--thanks again for your thoughtful/kind comments on pix and cruise.

 

..and Kathy, we're are absolutely enjoying the beautiful dogwoods and azaleas that

are in full color here in metro Atlanta...not enjoying the lawn mowing again :)

 

Tom...no worries..just expect lots of posts from Barbara and u when you are onboard the Sojourn :)

[grapejuice]

Wes and Ida - love the pics, thanks again for sharing. I must add, that I did not think you were both that young!

I know you have the photo on your avatar, but I thought that it might have been one from ten or so years ago. ( as you do, always pick a good one)

Wonderful pics - and thanks again for sharing your journey.

[WesW]

Hi Grapejuice...thanks for your nice comments...we sincerely believe in Mark Twain's saying: "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

 

Did want to share some (many of these below have been mentioned before) Voyager tips that may help others on on their upcoming voyages:

 

--Delicious smoothies are available at Pool Grill ice cream bar (try the Mango Fusion)

--Healthy 6-8oz Juicers (carrots, celery, apples, ginger..et.al.,) available at early riser bkfst at pool grill beginning at 6:30am--the pool grill steward will make your juicer to your specifications.

--Free Sauna, Steambath available at separate men/women's facilities directly behind Canyon Ranch spa counter or access through back sidedoor in fitness facility room (Gatorade is frequently available in the fitness facility fridge). Hours for sauna, steam room posted as 8am til 9pm but you can arrange for earlier start times by speaking with the General Manager.

--u may snag additional rsvns in P7, Signatures by letting specialty restaurant Maitre'D (e.g Marcelo, Bruno, Sandro, et. al) know you would like to be on the wait list for an upcoming night (worked for us)

--enjoy sunsets on the two benches far forward (just fwd of golfing cage) on deck 12.