Live from navigator February 10-17,2016 Miami to Miami with RachelG

[RachelG]

Has Song of Flower been stricken from the history of Regent? :confused:

 

Apparently yes, since it was not mentioned at all.

[1teach53]

Good l

 

Dinner was very good at Sette Mare with an incredible veal chop and carbonara. The Boss loved the cod wrapped in prosciutto and risotto. However, it was crowded and very loud which made talking difficult. The waiters gave us conflicting info on buffet line procedures: we can make our salad but could not get our own appetizers. Then the assistant waiter wanted to make our salads for us. Twenty minutes after our pasta the waiter told us we had another 15 more minutes to wait since they thought we were going to the buffet. Very bizarre disconnects compounded by expectations and the difficulties of sorting through the various accents through the venue's noise level.

 

After promising to see the shows tonight, we again opted for an early bed time.

 

Little Pink Drink count: six.

 

View of MB from our lounges.

 

 

The Nav from the footpath to MB

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hey guys!!

So happy to hear the weather is good & TB's "little pink" drink count is on the rise:D she must be feeling better!!

A couple times we have had a somewhat similar experiences at SM.

Love your pictures!! Thanks for posting.

Have fun for us too !!!!

Hugs ;)

[RachelG]

March 15, 2015--the Ides of March at sea

 

We decided to sleep in a little today due to the time change and sea day. The seas were totally calm all night and all day, so very restful. I had a bunch of OBC to eat up, so we both had massages in the am. Excellent South African masseuse who understands muscle groups. No trying to sell us stuff, which I appreciated.

 

Lunch on deck was a German grill. I thought this was a bit heavy for a sea day in the Caribbean, but lots of people apparently love it including my son.

 

Lazy afternoon. We watched flying fish and dolphins from our balcony. I hate that the trip is winding down. We came in 3rd at trivia, not bad for a 2 person team.

 

I worked out and actually ran instead of walked on the deck for 30 minutes due to a challenge from my son who said I couldn't do it.

 

Cruise capers was one of the best I have seen. All the crew were happy and engaged. That is something I have really noticed this cruise. All the crew seems very happy.

 

Dinner tonight in CR just had too many great options. I had Dover sole and Jon had beef Wellington, but it was really hard to make a decision as there were so many outstanding choices.

 

The show was "Age of Aquarius", and it was great. In the past, this has not been my favorite show, but the current cast really gave it a pop, and the energy was infectious. The current singers and dancers are among the best I have seen on Regent. I hate the cruise is coming to an end because I have enjoyed them so much.

 

Another setting the clock forward tonight, and we have to do face to face with US immigration in the am at 8:15, so good night!

[gnomie1]

Rachel:

 

Thanks for including us in your travels - I can't believe that the week has gone by already.

 

Have a safe flight home

 

gnomie :)

[RachelG]

March 16, 2016--Key West Florida

 

We were up early as there was a required face to face inspection with immigration at 8:15. Quick breakfast in CR. The customs guys were a little late getting onboard, but once things got going, it was very quick.

 

We had a bicycle tour scheduled for this am. It was pretty good. The bikes were one speed, the kind that you rode as a kid. But multiple speeds are really not needed as Key West is totally flat. The brakes were the back pedal kind, something I hadn't used since I was probably 10. We rode all over the island with our guide stopping and showing us points of interest. It is a tour I would do again. At the end, there was really good key lime pie as a reward.

 

After that, we were hungry, so we went to Meson del pepe for a Cuban food lunch. I had salad with shrimp, Jon had the complete (tons of carbs and pork), and we split a calamari appetizer. Very good.

 

We decided we didn't want to go back to the ship yet, so we walked all over, popping into a shop when we got too warm. Eventually though we had to go back to the ship for the dreaded final day of packing. I am really sad this trip is coming to a close. We have had a great time.

 

There was a sailaway on the back of La veranda for the gold, plat, and titanium cruisers. Apparently only 26 of us aboard. It was pleasant. Jon and I were the youngest there by far, but we had fun talking with everyone. Fortunately Jon gets along with older people really well.

 

Dinner in Sette Mare. The menu was changed up a little. After the appetizers and soup, I had a seafood with pasta dish that was just perfect, not too heavy. Jon had the chicken Florentine which he said was really good.

 

Now we have to pack up. Can't delay any longer.

[Travelcat2]

Rachel - you have me drooling - from the Cuban food to the seafood pasta. We always have Cuban food when we are in Miami but sadly do not have that option at home.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us. I guess that your next cruise is Alaska in May. It is weird that we were booked on two cruises with you and cancelled (still wish we were on the Alaska cruise but will be in New York City for a reunion with Dennis' family - people from France, Australia, England and Germany - something we really had to attend).

 

Safe travels back to Oklahoma!

[Zqueeze1]

Key West:

I've spent a lot of time here on business or with TB so we decided to walk around revisiting old haunts. After 5000 steps (Fitbit count), we turned around and made a couple of stops to cool off. While TB was looking in a shoe store, I snuck into the Old Town Mexican Cafe and had one of the best margaritas ever which was made with key limes. As soon as the second arrived, TB calls with an urgent request for more funds to buy a pair of sandals that are "on sale." I left my new friend by herself, headed to the store, worried about my friend left out in the heat as we waited for the store to fix a computer glitch, and returned to my now melted friend. No worries, she had other friends and I had two more margaritas before floating back onboard after a great day with The Boss.

 

The sail away was bittersweet since our next stop is the Miami cruise port and a return to reality.

 

 

We had dinner at Compass Rose with TB getting a beautiful prime rib while I stared at a paper thin wiener schnitzel. Our waiter saw me and pitied my sad state of affairs and surprised me with a serving of linguini with octopus which was superb. I promised to name our next kitty after him as I happily ate and sang "That's Amore" to The Boss.

 

After dinner, We sadly said goodbye to as many members as possible and TB shed a few tears over hugs. I was in mourning because I was leaving my favorite bar tender until at least November. But, even at this late hour, we still managed to make new friends to include two gentlemen from London who I believe may be the founding members of the TB fan club.

We ran into Rachel and John at Galileo's lounge when we decided to have a final nightcap and to listen to John Barron (CD) sing a few numbers. We shared a few laughs and said our goodbyes.

 

We are about three hours from docking in Miami and back to our three kitties, south Florida traffic, and to start seriously planning for our November TA onboard the Explorer.

 

Thanks, Rachel for allowing us to partake in your ongoing trip report and letting me share some old war stories with your son. Safe travels.

 

Z and TB

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[liptastic]

RachelG and Z and TB very much enjoyed your posts from Navigator. Z your description at Key West of the help call for the shoe sale would be something my husband could relate to with me, it made me smile. Thanks for the great posts. Safe travels home yo you all, Jean.:)

[Gilly]

zqueeze1, I love your spirit! I too have enjoyed reading of fun times from you both - it really did sound like a short but sweet cruise once the motion sickness was overcome. I love the sound of sharing a few laughs over a nightcap - that would round it off nicely for me too.

 

Thank you both for lightening the current tone of the forum! Much appreciated.

[RachelG]

As Z said, after packing we headed up to Galileo's for a nightcap and to listen to music. Had one final drink with Z and Tb as well as our new London friends. I have turned the on to the Regent boards on Cc, so hopefully will be hearing from them here some.

 

Sad farewells with hugs all around.

 

This am, sad day as we were up for breakfast in LV. Disembarked ahead of time at 8:45 (we had signed up for 9, but they called all remaining colors at 8:45). Quick trip by taxi to the airport. $27.00 and it took less than 15 minutes as there was no traffic at all.

 

Now sitting in the centurion lounge awaiting our flight.

 

Once I get home and unpacked I will post a few parting thoughts, but for now, thanks everyone for following along with us. It was a too short cruise, and I would not hesitate to sail on Navigator again.

[Travelcat2]

Z, you mentioned not seeing your favorite bartender until November. Does this mean that she will be on "our" cruise? Also, "octopus" is a weird name for a cat;)

 

Rachel, the Centurion Lounge at MIA is new. What did you think of it? The one in Dallas is fabulous!

 

Thanks again to you both!

[RachelG]

The centurion lounge at MIA is pretty small, but very nice. When we first arrive, it was packed, and it was hard to find a set. Now it has cleared out a lot. Huge spread of really good food. Nice bathroom . Not as chaotic as the admirals club in MIA. All drinks included. One of the best bloody Mary's I have ever had,

[gnomie1]

Key West:

TB calls with an urgent request for more funds to buy a pair of sandals that are "on sale."

 

Lesson to be learned - it is always a great day when one finds the perfect item on sale and sometimes sacrifices must be made!

 

We had dinner at Compass Rose with TB getting a beautiful prime rib while I stared at a paper thin wiener schnitzel. Our waiter saw me and pitied my sad state of affairs and surprised me with a serving of linguini with octopus which was superb.

 

 

Not sure why but CR always has wiener schnitzel on the menu once during any cruise and that is always the last night, no matter how long the cruise is. Wiener schnitzel is absolutely my favorite food (my parents and grandparents are from Austria) and sometimes it is spectacular and other times it is the same as experienced by Zqueeze - I always look forward to it and hope for the best. Sorry you did not get to enjoy it, must have been an off night. Hopefully it will be better on the Explorer.

 

gnomie :)

Edited March 17, 2016 by gnomie1

[Zqueeze1]

Z, you mentioned not seeing your favorite bartender until November. Does this mean that she will be on "our" cruise? Also, "octopus" is a weird name for a cat;)

 

Rachel, the Centurion Lounge at MIA is new. What did you think of it? The one in Dallas is fabulous!

 

Thanks again to you both!

 

Olga thinks that she might be on the Explorer after her break ends in August.

 

Silly Goose. The plate was Octopus and Linguini (awesome). The waiter was Manuel. So, we could potential have Manny the Cat hanging around in the future! You are killing me. :D:D

 

Rachel: Please have another bloody mary for me!

 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

gnomie :)

 

Originally Posted by gnomie1

Key West:

TB calls with an urgent request for more funds to buy a pair of sandals that are "on sale."

Lesson to be learned - it is always a great day when one finds the perfect item on sale and sometimes sacrifices must be made!

-True, but that poor Margarita did not deserve to sacrifice itself for a pair of shoes. I'm still not over it.-

 

We had dinner at Compass Rose with TB getting a beautiful prime rib while I stared at a paper thin wiener schnitzel. Our waiter saw me and pitied my sad state of affairs and surprised me with a serving of linguini with octopus which was superb.

 

Not sure why but CR always has wiener schnitzel on the menu once during any cruise and that is always the last night, no matter how long the cruise is. Wiener schnitzel is absolutely my favorite food (my parents and grandparents are from Austria) and sometimes it is spectacular and other times it is the same as experienced by Zqueeze - I always look forward to it and hope for the best. Sorry you did not get to enjoy it, must have been an off night. Hopefully it will be better on the Explorer.

 

I had the same experience happen to us a few years back on the last day of a Celebrity cruise. The head Chef actually approached me and recommended it. When I got it, it was so thin that I felt compelled to buy it a meal. I picked it up and could almost see the chef through it. It wouldn't qualify as breaking a hunger fast if you ate it.

 

Z and TB

Edited March 17, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Clarea]

Enjoying, and following.:)

[Catlover54]

Originally Posted by gnomie1

Key West:

TB calls with an urgent request for more funds to buy a pair of sandals that are "on sale."

Lesson to be learned - it is always a great day when one finds the perfect item on sale and sometimes sacrifices must be made!

-True, but that poor Margarita did not deserve to sacrifice itself for a pair of shoes. I'm still not over it.-

 

We had dinner at Compass Rose with TB getting a beautiful prime rib while I stared at a paper thin wiener schnitzel. Our waiter saw me and pitied my sad state of affairs and surprised me with a serving of linguini with octopus which was superb.

 

Not sure why but CR always has wiener schnitzel on the menu once during any cruise and that is always the last night, no matter how long the cruise is. Wiener schnitzel is absolutely my favorite food (my parents and grandparents are from Austria) and sometimes it is spectacular and other times it is the same as experienced by Zqueeze - I always look forward to it and hope for the best. Sorry you did not get to enjoy it, must have been an off night. Hopefully it will be better on the Explorer.

 

I had the same experience happen to us a few years back on the last day of a Celebrity cruise. The head Chef actually approached me and recommended it. When I got it, it was so thin that I felt compelled to buy it a meal. I picked it up and could almost see the chef through it. It wouldn't qualify as breaking a hunger fast if you ate it.

 

Z and TB

 

 

There are many variants, of course, but Wienerschnitzel is traditionally SUPPOSED to be pounded very thin, properly made, though carnivorous Americans often are served thickers versions in "German" restaurants here. When DH and I were on a Regent med trip a few years it was served the last night,and was the best meal we had the whole cruise, I thought better than on the German Europa 2 recently ( though I did have to beg the Regent waiter repeatedly to bring enough lemon slices for it).But then to deal with leonine appetites the chefs usually either have a couple separate schnitzels, or a huge solo schnitzel fills the entire plate, but is still very flat and lightly breaded, and accompanied by Spaetzle or potato salad, or green salad. Can be veal ( traditional) or pork.

 

If I had known in advanxe Regent could make a nice Schnitzel I would have asked for it on earlier nights.

 

Getting hungry.

 

http://www.daringgourmet.com/2014/03/12/traditional-german-pork-schnitzel/

[RachelG]

Some things we did not see on our Navigator cruise:

 

Brown water

Non functioning or inadequate air conditioning

Crew members who seemed unhappy or had poor attitudes

Toilets that did not work

 

What we did see:

A nice little ship that is indeed due for some updating, but is still really enjoyable. Most updating is cosmetic only.

Yes, there is some vibration, but only noticeable far aft on the ship.

 

A great cruise eager to please. Best CD ever (John Barron). Great talented entertainers.

 

The incentive group onboard affected us only slightly. They were really noticeable the first few days, wearing nametags. However, this was less as the cruise went on.

 

The most aggravating thing was the closure of some venues as they were having a private party. This is especially noticeable on a small ship such as navigator because there is much less public space. For instance, one night, galileo's was closed all evening . That is the largest bar on the ship. Where is everyone else supposed to go?

 

Also an issue on the pool deck as they seemed to really want to hog the pool loungers and were really loud and boisterous. Lots of drinking. I just stayed away from that, but f I were a person wanting to enjoy a quiet afternoon beside the pool, that would have been terrible.

 

I really wish they would let us know ahead of time ( before final payment) that there would be a group such as this on board, but that will never happen on regent or any other cruise line because they need to fill up the ship.

Edited March 20, 2016 by RachelG

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for your comments. It is good to hear that the Navigator is in good shape - even though she needs some cosmetic updates.

 

Your attitude towards the "group" was much more positive than mine would have been. With Galileo's closed, the only option is the tiny Navigator Bar. And, having a lot of noisy people at the pool is also typical of large group cruises. It is great that groups can go aboard a luxury ship and enjoy themselves, but, IMO, they should be required to lease the entire ship.

 

When is your next cruise?

[RachelG]

Next cruise s the Alaska Vancouver to Vancouver round trip in May. Wish you guys were going.

[Travelcat2]

Next cruise s the Alaska Vancouver to Vancouver round trip in May. Wish you guys were going.

 

I knew that - my brain was taking a nap:-) If we didn't need to be in New York on the 18th of May, we would not have cancelled. Will be thinking of all of you on the Mariner!

[Zqueeze1]

Thank you for your comments. It is good to hear that the Navigator is in good shape - even though she needs some cosmetic updates.

 

Your attitude towards the "group" was much more positive than mine would have been. With Galileo's closed, the only option is the tiny Navigator Bar. And, having a lot of noisy people at the pool is also typical of large group cruises. It is great that groups can go aboard a luxury ship and enjoy themselves, but, IMO, they should be required to lease the entire ship.

 

When is your next cruise?

 

Rachel is right on the money with her observations.

 

There is also the Stars Lounge located on deck 6 which is where Olga worked in the evenings.

 

Z and TB

Edited March 20, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Zqueeze1]

There are many variants, of course, but Wienerschnitzel is traditionally SUPPOSED to be pounded very thin, properly made, though carnivorous Americans often are served thickers versions in "German" restaurants here. When DH and I were on a Regent med trip a few years it was served the last night,and was the best meal we had the whole cruise, I thought better than on the German Europa 2 recently ( though I did have to beg the Regent waiter repeatedly to bring enough lemon slices for it).But then to deal with leonine appetites the chefs usually either have a couple separate schnitzels, or a huge solo schnitzel fills the entire plate, but is still very flat and lightly breaded, and accompanied by Spaetzle or potato salad, or green salad. Can be veal ( traditional) or pork.

 

If I had known in advanxe Regent could make a nice Schnitzel I would have asked for it on earlier nights.

 

Getting hungry.

 

http://www.daringgourmet.com/2014/03/12/traditional-german-pork-schnitzel/

 

Thanks for the info and website. Now that you mention it, I remember going to Germany on business in the 1990s and the wiener and jaeger schnitzels were thicker than the one served by Regent. I will ask The Boss if she can make some at home with her German potato salad which blows Regent's away.

 

Z and TB

Edited March 20, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Mr Rumor]

Just dropping in to thank you, Rachel--and you, too, Z!--for taking the time to share your cruise with us. Newsy and delightful posts and definitely worth the re-read I just gave them as I prep for our Caribbean cruise with Shauna later this week.

 

Rachel, on my first read-through I missed your mention of booking Singapore-Hong Kong for next year. We've put our money down on that one, too! Meanwhile, sorry you had to cancel, Jackie, as a second joint blog including Travelcat2, RachelG and Mr Rumor would have been most excellent. Oh, well, a "Rachel & Rumor" team-up would be pretty special, too! I'm 90% sure we'll follow through and do the cruise.

 

Rich

[Travelcat2]

Just dropping in to thank you, Rachel--and you, too, Z!--for taking the time to share your cruise with us. Newsy and delightful posts and definitely worth the re-read I just gave them as I prep for our Caribbean cruise with Shauna later this week.

 

Rachel, on my first read-through I missed your mention of booking Singapore-Hong Kong for next year. We've put our money down on that one, too! Meanwhile, sorry you had to cancel, Jackie, as a second joint blog including Travelcat2, RachelG and Mr Rumor would have been most excellent. Oh, well, a "Rachel & Rumor" team-up would be pretty special, too! I'm 90% sure we'll follow through and do the cruise.

 

Rich

 

I look forward to your thread from the Navigator and seeing pictures of Shauna! I also will thoroughly enjoy a "Rachel & Rumor" joint blog. Just think...... in November we can do a "Rumor, Zqueeze1, DaveFr, computerworks, Mudhen,, forevertravel, TC2 and about 60 other CC'ers doing one blog:D