Random Notes from the Mariner, Miami-Miami 3/25-4/8, LIVE

[Mr Rumor]

Say, Z, regarding the Valrhona Chocolate Cake, maybe if you were to say pretty please to the Boss, with sugar and gold dust on top, she might agree to look the other way while you have a fling with "Val" on the November Explorer TA.

 

Getting on the first tender this morning in St. George's was such an adventure for several passengers that each received applause from those already seated inside when they finally managed to make it safely aboard between bobs of the tender. We spoke to a couple of folks while waiting for Sette Mari to open tonight who said that they took one look at the wave action and decided to stay on the ship.

 

Then we heard at dinner that at least a couple of folks on the "Clear Bottom Kayaking" excursion took in so much water from the choppy seas that they wound up in the drink and had to be rescued.

 

We didn't experience quite that level of excitement on our 7.5 hour "Discover Grenada" tour but the bouncing around on the island's bumpy, windy roads did grow old after about four hours. By the time of our last stop at the Dougaldston Spice Estate, Ginny, patch and all, had just about had it, and had to take a break while our group checked out spice samples (allspice, bay leaf, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.). Back in our 20-seater bus, she was revived by a nugget of ginger from a fellow passenger, and finished strongly.

 

All in all it was a very good and educational excursion. We returned to the ship feeling we had gotten a true taste of Grenada. I mean that literally in terms of. . . .

 

. . . the 75 percent proof rum we sampled at the River Antoine Estate rum distillery, which boasts a water wheel dating to 1785. "Hot!" Shauna announced after she downed her taste. I know what she meant having felt that warm feeling myself in my chest after downing a couple of shots.

 

. . .the scrumptious sample we got of hot chocolate at the historic Belmont Estates plantation, where we also received a tour of the Coca Fermentary.

 

. . .the fresh, healthy lunch we enjoyed at Belmont Estate, featuring such local specialties as banana soup, fried and breaded fish, spicy and sweet slaw and nutmeg ice cream.

 

But I also mean it figuratively. We were taken by Grenadans' pride in their homeland as expressed by the countless objects--boulders, tree trunks, traffic barriers, rows of tires on the side of a hill--that we observed painted in the yellow, green and red colors of Grenada's flag. According to Lyndon, our guide/driver, the yellow stands for the sunshine (although it was misty than sunny today at our first stop, the Grand Etang Forest Reserve), the green stands for the rich vegetation, and the red represents "pureness, and our love for each other."

 

Rich

[WesW]

Rich, wonderful Mariner posts, thanks for sharing and bringing us along.

[RachelG]

Mr. Rumor:

 

Thanks for recently posting background info regarding the incredible 14 layer cake. I saw it on the Navigator last month and, alas, I did not try it (The Boss told me I need to drop my waistline size from "equator"). Had I known, I would have ordered it and enjoyed every single bite.

 

Z and TB

 

I didn't see it on the P7 menu because I specifically asked not to see the dessert menu. Had I looked, I would have fallen into sin.

 

Rich, Grenada is one Caribbean island I haven't been to, though it sounds very interesting. I would have liked your tour. I would have NOT liked the kayaking if it involved getting dunked.

[Mr Rumor]

Good afternoon from Guadeloupe. It rained some, too! (Hi, Wes!)

[tallship]

Enjoyed reading this thread very much

Thanks Rich and Ann

[RachelG]

FYI, just learned today that Wes and Ida will be with us Singapore to Hong Kong next year, Rich!

[Mr Rumor]

Hi Tina--hope you and mom are doing well! Glad you're been enjoying the blog.

 

Wow, Rachel, you, Col. Wes and ol' Rumor on the same 2017 cruise? This promises to be too much blogging fun!

 

The hottest tables on the Mariner tonight were in La Veranda, as Sette Mare made way for a guest appearance by French Bistro. F&B Director Daniela Ovesea estimated that 160 passengers dined at FB. By 7:30 there was a waiting list of 20 and up to a one-hour wait.

 

The concept was virtually identical to Sette Mari--appetizers, with the exception of Escargot with Garlic Butter and Frog Legs Provençal, and desserts were serve yourself, while soup (French Onion Soup with Gruyere Croutons) and Plats Principaux (including Bouillabaisse, Roasted Cornish Hen, Garlic and Herb Marinated Lamb Rack and Grilled Filet Mignon with Sautéed Foie Gras) were ordered off the menu. The meal was excellent, the company (friends Jim and Karen) even better. It was fun to see Shauna dig into whaI I think was her first Crepe Suzette for dessert. She didn't leave a trace.

 

We had built up a pretty good appetite because the promised "Creole tasting" at the end of our Jardin Botanique de Deshaies excursion was limited to a glass of juice (rum-spiked upon request), some fried fish nuggets with too much filler and not enough fish, and an odd mashed-bean-like concoction in a pork casing that I decided not to deal with. The garden itself was wonderful, and, if anything, the light rain we had off and on added to rather than subtracted from the tropical-garden experience. Ginny, who loves to photograph flowers up close, was happy as a lark (a wet lark).

 

We are due to dock tomorrow morning at 8 in Fort de France, Martinque. We've signed up for an excursion called "Historic Clement's Plantation and Balata Garden." No surprise that it includes yet another rum tasting!

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

General Manager Davor Josipovic and Food and Beverage Director Daniela Ovesea at tonight's French Bistro at La Veranda.

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from Martinique! We're due to dock in just over an hour.

[Mr Rumor]

We have a beautiful day!

[WesW]

Rich, continued outstanding posts with pictures--thanks for sharing. Wonderful description of your special French Bistro experience, think we all would have dug into our crepe Suzette's just like Shauna did.

 

Ida and I look forward to sharing Singapore to Hong Kong with y'all next February.

 

If Rachel and you want y'all can sign up for the Auckland to Hong Kong roll call below (no one yet has signed up :( or y'all can start a separate Singapore to Hong Kong roll call and I will sign up.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2317004

[Mudhen]

Good Morning, Rich and family!

Looks like a beautiful day in Martinique. It sounded like the French Bistro was a massive hit! With that kind of menu, I can see why! What choices! What winners! OMG! Do you have any feeling that we might be in for a similar treat on the Explorer TA? That would be a great and wonderful thing to look forward to! Any thoughts on that?

[Jassy]

Greetings MrRumor!

 

We will be embarking on the Mariner in Miami on April 20 for the Panama Canal cruise (only a couple more weeks to go :D), so I am very much enjoying your trip report.

 

I hope they have the French Bistro on our cruise; it sounded wonderful. I'll be sure to get in line early. :cool:

[Eager2Travel]

We also ate at the French Bistro last night and as Rich said it was a delightful meal. Shel and I both especially enjoyed the excellent Bordeaux wine that was served.

 

Our meal in Sette Mare was also exceptional. All the food and service continues to be tops.

 

Rich your blog is terrific! I feel like I am enjoying the cruise squared.

 

We are so relaxed we could slither away. Am embarrassed to admit we just woke up from a two hour nap. I think the well prepared Mai Tai at lunch with the great stir fry beef dish contributed to the nap.

[Mr Rumor]

Thanks, Ann! So glad that you are Shel are having a great time. Naps are good, by the way!

 

Wes, thanks for the Auckland-Hong Kong Roll Call heads-up. It will be great to keep in touch with you, Rachel and others about our joint upcoming adventure, and I'll figure out by the time we return whether to join the A-HK Roll Call or start a Singapore-HK one. (By the way, the Auckland-Singapore portion of your itinerary looks wonderful. Bali still ranks as one of my favorite places in the whole world, dating back to my Royal Viking Line days.)

 

Linda, a different Regent culinary team is plotting the menu for the new Explorer French restaurant Chartreuse, namely Explorer Principal Executive Chef Aurelien Dumeylet and Executive Chef Jerome Toumelin, but I'd like to think we got a taste of what is in store for us aboard the Explorer thanks to the French Bistro.

 

Having never traveled to the island country of Grenada nor French West Indies territories Guadeloupe and Martinique, I wasn't sure what to expect over the last three days. Our all-day Grenada excursion took us to six of Grenada's seven parishes, but in not one did we see a building taller than several stories, or any signs of a bustling economy. We did see a lot of people whiling away the day and were not surprised when our guide Lyndon spoke of an unemployment rate of 30%. By comparison, Guadeloupe and especially Martinique seem almost cosmopolitan. Today we traveled comfortably in a late-model bus past a mix of old and new buildings, cruised along a highway, and, thank goodness for Ginny's sensitive tummy, had smooth roads as we took a winding route into the mountains.

 

We can heartily recommend our excursion, "Historic Clement's Plantation and Balata Garden." Clement's is a leading rum maker and the company has done a first-class job of turning its distillery into a tourist attraction. Plus, the grounds are beautiful. Of course we ended the visit with a tasting. We had more than two dozen bottles of rum products to choose from, ranging from Clement Cuvée Speciale X.O. Tres Vieux Rhum Agricole (that baby was aged six years--needless to say it was my choice) to a "Pina Colada" flavored "punch" that Shauna made quick work of.

 

I found the mountaintop Balata Garden every bit as lovely as the botanical garden we visited yesterday in Guadeloupe, but with an added attraction: a cool suspension bridge with a strict capacity of two persons per suspended section (when a third passenger decided to join the fun on one of the sections, the swaying increased notably).

 

We returned to the ship about 1:30, so had a light lunch and relaxed until Trivia. In terms of Win-Place-Show, we're doing a lot of Showing, which we did again today. But the Regent Reward Cards are really adding up. Ialmost feel guilty to have Shauna accept any more from our generous Trivia mates, but Shauna doesn't feel guilty in the least, and exclaims over each gift.

 

We needed to reschedule our Signatures dinner to tonight due to our dinner with the captain a few nights back. Really looking forward to it, and then Showtime with magician/comedian Bob Trunell (saw him on the Mariner last fall and enjoyed him). Then, if Shauna, is game, we're going to take her to Stars to see if Janos and Elisabeta of the Tritons Duo just might be willing to humor her with a Beatles song or two.

 

Rich

Edited April 3, 2016 by Mr Rumor

[captjohn]

Greetings MrRumor!

 

We will be embarking on the Mariner in Miami on April 20 for the Panama Canal cruise (only a couple more weeks to go :D), so I am very much enjoying your trip report.

 

I hope they have the French Bistro on our cruise; it sounded wonderful. I'll be sure to get in line early. :cool:

We will also be boarding the Mariner in Miami on April 20th. Rich your posts are great!!

Jassy, hope to see you on board. Christina and I spent most our lives in the SF Bay area.

 

J&C

[WesW]

Rich, your very welcome.

 

We agree Auckland to Singapore is a wonderful itinerary--lets us visit multiple ports we have never been to before. We also love Bali and can't wait to return.

 

Best, Wes

[RachelG]

Rich, your very welcome.

 

We agree Auckland to Singapore is a wonderful itinerary--lets us visit multiple ports we have never been to before. We also love Bali and can't wait to return.

 

Best, Wes

 

Just started a Singapore to Hong Kong roll call

[Mr Rumor]

Thanks, Jassy and captjohn! Glad to have you "aboard" this blog even before you actually come aboard the Mariner in just over two weeks. I especially enjoy, and benefit from, live threads from a Regent ship we're about to cruise on, so I'm glad to return the favor to you.

 

Jassy, I think the French Bistro is here to stay as an occasional culinary change of pace, but the concept has already been tweaked a bit. Really, there was no choice, as French Bistro was a little bit TOO successful the other night. The final count was a little more than 200 diners, or one third of the total passenger count on this cruise. So many diners meant too much stress on the small (by comparison to Compass Rose) galley having to prepare all those a la carte orders.

 

So tonight, when French Bistro returns, it will be totally a la carte, with both sides of La Veranda open. The menu has changed somewhat--for example, Bouillabaisse, Roasted Cornish Hen and Garlic and Herb Marinated Lamb Rack are gone from the list of entrees--but it is still impressive, and will include:

 

Cold Buffet: Assorted Quiches, Foie Gras Mousse on Brioche, Salmon and Duck Rillettes, Salad Nicoise, Mushrooms and Asparagus Sald (and more)

 

Live Station: Escargot "Provençal" with Garlic Butter, Black Mussels "a la Mariniere"

 

Soup: French Onion Soup with Gruyere Croutons

 

Plats Principaux: Filet Mignon "Rossini," Fresh Dorade "Almondine," Herb-Crusted Lamb Chop, and Veal Blanquette

 

Carving: Slow Roasted Goose with Armagnac Sauce

 

Dessert: St. Honore, Raspberry Mille Feuille, Opera Cake, Assorted Creme Brûlées (and more)

 

It will be a tough call for us between French Bistro and Compass Rose, as CR has a fun internationally flavored menu, including Spaghetti a la Napoletana with Meatballs (Italy), Pad Thai (Thailand), Tandoori Chicken (India) and Chateaubriand (France). But you're reminded that life is good when where to eat dinner is your big decision of the day!

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis! We were originally scheduled to dock today, but three larger ships pulled rank on us, so we anchored instead. Shauna doesn't mind--I think she likes to ride tenders as much as buses!

[Mudhen]

To be honest, I'm with Shauna on this one. I never mind the tender ride. If we're on our own, the tenders usually drop us off right in the middle of things. Often times when we dock, it involves quite a hike or a cab/jittney into town.

[Mr Rumor]

It turns out that one of the three bigger ships now docked in Basseterre today is Royal Caribbean's mega-ship (as in 6,000-passenger capacity) Anthem of the Seas, which you may recall making the kind of February headlines no cruise line wants to make: questionable decision to sail out of New Jersey into a big storm, having to cut short its NJ-Bahamas itinerary, injuries, lawsuits. . . . Now I understand why Ginny's "Beach Extravaganza" excursion was pushed back from mid-morning to mid-afternoon (kinda late for a trip to the beach!).

 

Luckily we made it into town before the hordes from the Anthem. We made it past the (polite) tour hawkers and the souvenir and jewelry shops and over to a nice little crafts market, where we found a sweet set of handmade and hand-painted coasters for us, plus gifts for a couple of dear friends who help us so much with Shauna.

 

Shauna wasn't sure about taking the ladder up to the top of the tender for our ride back to the ship, but once she took her seat upstairs she was a happy camper!

 

We're at a table on the Pool Deck now about ready to partake of lunch. Then it will be "Best of St. Kitts" for Shauna and me this afternoon while Ginny gets in her beach time. "Best of Kitts" is today's most popular excursion, with 151 sign-ups.

 

Rich

[Eager2Travel]

Wonderful day today. We cruised over to Nevis for our excursion. It included a bus tour which could have been shorter, an excellent lunch at a rustic resturant with the freshest grouper I have ever eaten, plentiful Carribbean beer and two lovely hours at the beach.

 

Dinner on the aft deck with my favorite date was the perfect way to have dinner. The weather on the aft deck was balmy as the watched the sun set and the lights come on in St. Kitts. Dinner was tasty. The filet was especially good, tender and done just right for our taste.

 

The evening ended with the always breath-taking Cirque show.

 

We weren't sure we would book something onboard but we are unable to resist with this fine an experience the past 10 days.

 

We do not see a decline in the Regent product and yes we have sailed Crystal, Seabourn, Silverseas and Seadream so we have other lines to compare with. Regent is a comfortable and pleasing match for us. Now if only they would do something to improve their marketing practices.

[Mr Rumor]

Ann, I had my camera with me and wished afterwards I had offered to take a photo of you and Shel at your patio table at La Veranda. It would have been a beautiful shot of you two with the lights of St. Kitts as a backdrop.

 

All of the Jean Ann Ryan aerialist teams we've seen over the last six years have been very good to excellent. The Specialty Team of Artur Ulanowski and Laetitia Bouffard-Roupe is sensational. We were lucky to have them last fall on the Mariner headlining the best JAR cast we've seen, and we're lucky that they are part of the new Ryan troupe. Tonight they thrilled in their JAR starring vehicle, "Cirque Rock 'n Roll." The fascinating thing about them is that their roots are not in acrobatics but rather ballet (Artur was the featured soloist in the National Baltic Opera in Gdansk and Laetitia was a soloist with the National Ballet of Nancy, France). Since adding acrobatics to their skill set, they have performed as special event artists for Cirque du Soleil and in programs around the world for clients such as Porsche, Audi and Dom Perignon. For those of you who will be cruising aboard the Mariner between now and October, you are in for a special treat.

 

If you had told me that either Ginny or Shauna and I would be rained on today in St. Kitts, I would have thought it would be Little Boss and me. Ginny, after all, was going to the beach while Shauna and I would be checking out a historic fortress in the mountains as part of our "Best of St. Kitts" excursion. Well, it was Ginny who got poured on (she was given shelter in a sports shop) while we enjoyed great weather save for a few sprinkles at the fort that, in turn, gave us a rainbow.

 

The Brimstone Hill Fortress and National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by the British in the early 18th Century and was used into the early 19th Century. It was a long uphill walk to the citadel, but Shauna was game, so we did it. We were rewarded with beautiful views of the park.

 

One other highlight of our excursion I want to mention is our 34-year-old guide Winston. Once in a while we are treated to a guide who impresses you with his devotion to his job. Winston is one of those guides. He had us engaged with facts and stories about his beloved St. Kitts from the first minute to the last. There was a moving moment when he drove us by his childhood home, a tiny, funky shack that he shared with his mother and four siblings. It was actually an alarming sight, so I think we were all relieved when he added that his mom is doing just fine today in a nice home he and his siblings purchased for her. Meanwhile, Winston savers his own modest home with the "million dollar view." I don't think think I'll be forgetting about Winston any time soon, nor the glimpse he gave into the specialness of the St. Kitts people.

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from our anchor spot outside Gustavia, St. Barts, our final port. I can only give you a peek at St. Bart's as otherwise I'd be photographing directly into the sun!

Edited April 5, 2016 by Mr Rumor