Live from Mariner Rome to Monte Carlo, June 15-22, 2014

[RachelG]

Kathy, you are correct of course, and I will pass along your greeting.

 

Sarah, the captain's welcome is usually the second night on board.

 

Trvlrs, I would pick the odd numbered suite, not because of view since I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference on your cruise, but because that is the side of La Veranda that is closed in the evening.

 

The computer guys have really been working diligently to fix my problem and I can tell a big improvement in speed. Also they have loaned me a laptop to use in the suite that is Citrix compatible.

[RachelG]

June 18,2014--Cagliari Sardinia

 

A bright sunny morning with temps to top out about 80F. We docked in Cagliari, again right in the middle of town and within easy walking distance of shops and restaurants. The port was a bit larger, but a shuttle bus was provided to take us from the ship to the entrance.

 

In the am, we went on a historical tour of the city. The archeological museum is small but contains some outstanding specimens. Some signage in English.

 

We also drove by the lagoon where some of the few remaining pink flamingos in Europe reside. Some migrate to Africa in the winter, but some stay all year round. They are really pretty, and there were a lot of them, the most I have ever seen in the wild.

 

We then took a walking tour through the old town, a typical Italian city, but with very good views as much is built on a hill.

 

For lunch, George was still in search of a pizza, and this time, he found it. Really thin crust, good tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, and basil! Then we walked back to the shuttle stop.

 

There were flurries of wind and rain as we pulled away from the dock. I was trying to do my traditional sail away walk around, but it had to be cut short due to the weather. Sailing this afternoon has been very scenic with lots of little islands on both sides and some larger in the distance.

 

Lovely dinner tonight with Ken and Sheila from Australia and the GM, Michael Coghlan. Ken is a retired ob/gyn, so we have lots in common, and they love to cruise as well. They had my favorite asparagus soup, plus I had a full order of the delicious rack of lamb, and it did not disappoint. The miso glazed sea bass like they have on Oceania was on the menu, and our waitress was really promoting it. I just don't care flavor or texture, so did not consider it. Ken had it and said it was very good. It is just. It my thing.

 

The show tonight was "Film Flashback". Prior to the show, they served popcorn and showed trivia questions on the screen, sort of like they do at movie theaters, with theme music from various famous movies playing.

 

Awesome show, and brand new at least to me. I really liked that it showed off the dancers talents as well as those of the vocalists. And I like that the dancers aren't anorexic like I have seen on some previous cruises.

 

Anyway, they got a well deserved standing ovation.

[trvlrs]

Trvlrs, I would pick the odd numbered suite, not because of view since I don't think it will make a huge amount of difference on your cruise, but because that is the side of La Veranda that is closed in the evening.

 

Thank you Rachel!! Just received our room confirmation. Two weeks to go!! so looking forward for being in the mediteranean again. I can't believe you are having not so great weather, in June....I am sure it will get better. Loving your reviews....:)

[RachelG]

June 19,2014--Palma de Mallorca Spain

 

The day started a bit hazy, but quickly cleared. Trvlrs, I didn't mean to imply that the weather has been bad. It has been good, just not great. But the temps have been perfect, and it hasn't rained on us while we were out touring. Missing Sorrento was disappointing, but that sort of thing happens.

 

We had a sea morning, so I did an hour up top on the track. I must say that there are more consistent exercisers on this cruise than any I have been on before. Most times, there will be lots of people exercising the first day or two, but it quickly slacks off. Not this cruise. Really a overall pretty fit group.

 

George and I had massages in the spa to use up our onboard credit. Quite nice, and no attempt to upsell or elicit an extra tip (tips are included).

 

We had a quick lunch in La Veranda as the ship pulled into the huge harbor at Palma. Nth is harbor is incredibly wide, with marinas all around. They were having a regatta of really large sailboats, so that was fun to watch. Only one other ship in port today, the costa Serena.

 

Our tour was to Eis Caldalers which is an old estate out in the country and to Bellver castle. Only 20 on a full sized bus, and a pretty good guide.

 

The estate was ok, had some interesting antiques (or junk, as George would say) including a Howitzer. Why they would need a howitzer is unclear to me. The bathrooms were nice and clean and plentiful. Lots of old farm equipment.

 

The castle was very different than most others we have seen in Europe. It had a huge dry moat. A lot of people don't realize that moats often did not contain water. They served as a physical barrier from entering the castle, and if an intruder got into the moat, he was pretty much a setting duck to be picked off.

 

Anyway, the interior of the castle was 3 stories with large decks going out on all sides. The center was only one story and open at the top to make a big internal patio. It was really very interesting structurally. It was situated on a hill overlooking the harbor, so that any invader could be seen well prior to arrival. In addition, the location enabled it to catch the breeze, and it was really quite cool inside even though the temp was in the mid 80s.

 

Dinner in Compass rose with new friends, really nice time. I have the scallops with bacon! Bacon--my favorite anytime. George had some very nice pork. Food and service were spectacular.

[rarin2go]

We were in CR too - and had the scallops! And excellent service but no sign of a cowboy hat anywhere!

[trvlrs]

June 19,2014--Palma de Mallorca Spain

 

George and I had massages in the spa to use up our onboard credit. Quite nice, and no attempt to upsell or elicit an extra tip (tips are included).

 

Thanks...I need to remember no tipping at the spa. What about room service? Glad the weather is good. I can't stop thinking of the raviolis lol....

[RachelG]

Rarin2go, I don't let George wear his cowboy hat to dinner!

 

Trvlrs, no tipping room service or anywhere else on board. Only time you should tip is guides and drivers on excursions as they are not employed by regent. Onboard, no need or expectation for tips as they are already included. And as for guides and drivers, here is Rachel's tipping guide: bad job (really annoying constant talking or forced shopping stops not mentioned in tour description, driver getting lost for 2 hrs) no tip, average job 5-10 euro per person depending on length of tour, excellent job 10-20 euro per person.

 

You will note I used euro as the currency. That is because I personally feel you should tip in the local currency, and we are currently in the euro zone. If you absolutely don't have any euros, using dollars is better than no tip at all and in some countries (not Europe) is preferred. But don't give loose change as there is no way for the person to exchange it.

[trvlrs]

Rarin2go, I don't let George wear his cowboy hat to dinner!

 

Trvlrs, no tipping room service or anywhere else on board. Only time you should tip is guides and drivers on excursions as they are not employed by regent. Onboard, no need or expectation for tips as they are already included. And as for guides and drivers, here is Rachel's tipping guide: bad job (really annoying constant talking or forced shopping stops not mentioned in tour description, driver getting lost for 2 hrs) no tip, average job 5-10 euro per person depending on length of tour, excellent job 10-20 euro per person.

 

You will note I used euro as the currency. That is because I personally feel you should tip in the local currency, and we are currently in the euro zone. If you absolutely don't have any euros, using dollars is better than no tip at all and in some countries (not Europe) is preferred. But don't give loose change as there is no way for the person to exchange it.

 

Thank you. I will definitely remember: No tipping on board and tipping for excursions. We paid a pretty penny for this all inclusive trip so I will remind myself anytime I think of tipping. I agree with you, we always tip in local currencies.

[RachelG]

June 20, 2014--Barcelona Spain

 

A beautiful bright sunny day, just perfect. We were originally scheduled to do the Dali tour, which is one of the extra cost tours, but not enough people signed up. So we changed to the Miro Foundation and Picasso museum. We have been to Barcelona before so wanted something new.

 

We were in a small bus, with 20 on our tour. First we drove up to Moncjunc where the Miro foundation is located. This is up high on a wooded hill with wonderful views and is also where the old Olympic venues are.

 

The Miro foundation is housed in a ultramodern building as fits his work. We had about an hour and a half to explore, either with the guide or on our own. I am not a huge modern art fan, but it was quite educational.

 

We then drove to the gothic quarter where we enter a little tangle of pedestrian streets to get to the Picasso museum. A stark contrast as it is housed in a group of old gothic buildings that have been renovated and restored. His famous painting of his sister's first communion as well as the one of the doctor with patient are here. The paintings are arranged chronologically so that you can see how his technique evolved. I rather like the earlier ones better.

 

The bus dropped those who wanted to stay in town off near Las Ramblas. George and I were in search of one of our favorite restaurants which is located on the back side of La Boquieria, the big food market. I couldn't remember the name, but I could remember how to get there, walking through the aisles of the market with sheep heads and entrails, every fish imaginable, huge counter of olives, cheeses of all types, enormous displays of fruits and veggies. Of course, the place was packed as it was right at lunchtime, but we found the restaurant and got seated right away.

 

It was every bit as good as we remembered. Of course, everything is very fresh as it is right by the market. We had a huge salad and a selection of tapas. The people behind us were enjoying a seafood platter that looked quite exotic, a little too exotic for me. The ladies next to us were eating a huge skillet of paella that looked delicious, but it was really too much for one person. And George has a paella aversion since eating that in Madrid resulted in his losing his gall bladder several years ago. So we stayed safe with tapas we recognized.

 

Regent provided a shuttle bus from the ship to a stop near the entrance to Las Ramblas, so we took advantage of that.

 

The gold, plat, titanium event was a sail away drinks party on the back side of La veranda, but I was still full from lunch. And the view from our balcony is excellent. I do wish they would do something really special or unique for this event. Seems like it is always a drinks party these days.

 

Had a lovely dinner in CR. George had the lobster Thermidor (byw, way better than that in Le Champagne on silversea). I had a pasta dish with sea bass, tomatoes, and olives that was very nice.

 

The show tonight was Cirque rock and roll. Frankly, I was way disappointed. The aerialists were very good, but everything else was just bland. The music was mostly Michael Jackson stuff which I detest. The end with some Elvis was good. But not at all my favorite show. I could have easily skipped this and been happy. And I never skip the shows.

[WesW]

Another wonderful on board report, thanks Rachel.

 

 

Sent from my iPad mini using Tapatalk

[Ms Understood]

Too bad about the Dali trip, The Dali museum in Figueres is a real hoot! Glad you had such a good substitute and nice weather. Barcelona is such a fun city. Thanks for the reports, Rachel.

--------------

Helen

[tallship]

 

The show tonight was Cirque rock and roll. Frankly, I was way disappointed. The aerialists were very good, but everything else was just bland. The music was mostly Michael Jackson stuff which I detest. The end with some Elvis was good. But not at all my favorite show. I could have easily skipped this and been happy. And I never skip the shows.

 

Agree. They debuted this on our April cruise and it was awful. The song mix and quality of singers was poor.

[newlondon]

Rachel, just saw your post about Erice. I can't believe you took a cable car; I would have passed out. We luckily had a bus to take us to the town.

Our visit was exciting as well. The church was locked but just as we got there a vicious thunder storm opened up and we had no shelter. As you know the town is on a pinnacle--we were all absolutely petrified and soaked. Fortunately nobody got electrocuted.

[RachelG]

Newlondon, the cable car was awesome--longest I ever been on!

 

June 21, 2014--Marseilles France

 

Another bright sunny day with temps in the 80's. Seas continue to be smooth as silk as they have all cruise.

 

We docked at the new port in Marseilles somewhat far away from the city center. No worries, as we were scheduled for a tour to St. Remy and Arles, with a Van Gogh theme.

 

We first visited the asylum where Van Gogh spent a lot of time after his cutting off of the ear episode. They had placed prints of his paintings at sites where he placed the easel when he did the painting, which was very cool. We got to see his room as well. This place is still a psychiatric hospital, and patients do art therapy, some of which was displayed.

 

We then went to St. Remy where we had plenty of time to walk around and explore. There was a market going on, so we bought some fresh cheese and bread which was delicious. The timing of this tour could have been better as we had to leave St. Remy at 12:30. The description said we would be able to have lunch on our own in town. And we had plenty of time. The problem was that all the restaurants open for lunch at 12:00, which leaves little time to eat.

 

I had scoped out a restaurant, La Cantina, for lunch. It did not officially open for lunch till 12:00, but the owner graciously allowed us to order at 11:45 so we would have time to enjoy lunch. We had wonderful pizza and artichokes. I highly recommend this place. But if the tour had only started 30 minutes later, which would have still been fine with the ship schedule, we would have had a much more leisurely lunch.

 

After lunch, we went to Arles, where there is a Greek theater and a roman ampitheater. Both well restored. They actually use the roman amphitheater for bull fights, not the sort where the bull gets killed, but rather where the bull is the hero.

 

This is also where Van Gogh drank too much absinthe and cut off his ear. We got to see the cafe where he frequented and painted his famous yellow cafe painting.

 

Back to the ship, I went to the first part of crew capers, which was good, but we had reservations for Prime 7 at 6:30. Outstanding. George and I agree that the food this cruise as been as good as any previous and possibly the best ever. The seafood has been particularly delicious, and the berries are so fresh. We love the proper salad bar at lunch in La Veranda. Wine is of very good quality, and they are happy to find something else if what is poured is not to your preference. A glass never goes dry.

[TedC]

Too bad about the Dali trip, The Dali museum in Figueres is a real hoot! Glad you had such a good substitute and nice weather. Barcelona is such a fun city. Thanks for the reports, Rachel.

--------------

Helen

 

Dali museum is a WINNER - there's always another time!

[RachelG]

June 22, 2014

 

Now waiting in the BA lounge for our flight to LGW. This afternoon we will visit chartwell, churchill's home outside of London.

 

Disembarkation was quick and easy. A lot of people are staying on for the following week, so they didn't make any announcements, just requested you be out of your suite by 8 and off the ship by 9.

 

There was a big traffic jam of the cars and taxis inside the port area, and they would only let a car in when one left. So our driver Alain of dreamtours, who we have used several times previously was stuck outside and very stressed out as he knew we were waiting for him. We knew what was going on, so we weren't worried. He finally got in about 15 minutes after scheduled and immediately spotted me, loaded our stuff in the van, and got us to the airport in less than 30 minutes via the motorway. So plenty of time to spare.

[Mr Rumor]

Rachel, thanks again for the taking the time to blog, and, as always, for calling 'em as you see (and taste) 'em.

 

Rich

 

P.S. Did you know that the Land of Enchantment boasts an even longer tram ride than the Trapani-Erice funivia? It's the Sandia Park Tramway in Albuquerque, which will transport you 2.7 miles over a span of 20 minutes to the top of the Sandias (elevation 10,378 feet). You'll have sensational views to the west, plus there is a great hiking path along the rim. The New Mexican restaurant at the bottom is pretty good, too.

[RachelG]

Wow, Rich. We will have to check that out. I haven't been to New Mexico in probably 40 years.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Too bad about the Dali tour, the museum really is a hoot, has some great Dali stuff and Figueres a pleasant little town, but I feel that the collection in St. Petersburg, FL is actually better, if you're into Dali's art in a serious way. It's also a beautiful building.