Live From The Mariner, Villages of the Amazon, 26 Nov - 21 Dec

[CRUISEBILL]

We .are going on the Mariner in Febuary from Lima to Miami in a Horizon View suite just like you. We have not been on the Mariner since her renovations to the suites. One question, does the Horizon View Suites have a dining table in the suite. Thanks Bill

[mellapl]

We .are going on the Mariner in Febuary from Lima to Miami in a Horizon View suite just like you. We have not been on the Mariner since her renovations to the suites. One question, does the Horizon View Suites have a dining table in the suite. Thanks Bill

 

We were on the Mariner in May in a Horizon suite and it did have a dining table in the suite

[TahoeTraveler]

Enjoying your posts but have a couple of questions. First, are the JAR entertainers still on the ship or has it changed to the new NCL Production Company (not sure of the correct name)?

 

Also, did you get the feeling that Lorraine is leaving Regent or just going on vacation? Hoping that she will still be with Regent.

 

I honestly didn't think about the entertainers no longer being with JAR. I will try to find out and report back. As for Lorraine, Mike asked her today, and she is definitely staying with Regent. Her contract ends on 17 January, and she is taking her vacation until 29 March, when she will rejoin the Mariner on her new contract. So between 17 Jan and 29 Mar, she will not be on any Regent ship...but will return at the end of March.

[TahoeTraveler]

We .are going on the Mariner in Febuary from Lima to Miami in a Horizon View suite just like you. We have not been on the Mariner since her renovations to the suites. One question, does the Horizon View Suites have a dining table in the suite. Thanks Bill

There is a dining table with two chairs in the cabin, as well as a nice dining table with four chairs on the balcony. Lovely, lovely cabin!!! You will love it.

[TahoeTraveler]

Quick update, as we have to hit the sack for a long day in St. Lucia tomorrow. Last night was the Captains Welcome, and the dinner did not disappoint. Although Mike said his lobster was tough, I found the prime rib to be excellent. We ate with a couple in our trivia team (we got 2nd place yesterday, by the way!), and had a lovely time.

 

St. Barts is beautiful, but really doesn't offer a lot. We had a private tour booked today...or so we thought. The driver never showed up so we just walked around Gustavia. Lots of high end shops (think Prada), but nothing really to see otherwise. An hour or so later, and we headed back to the ship. No worries...we made it back in time for trivia and placed 2nd yet again. This is becoming a bit of an obsession with us!

 

We had dinner reservations for Prime 7, and oh my goodness, what a treat. Mike had the surf and turf, and his lobster was beautifully cooked. I had an amazing NY Strip, which was also cooked to perfection. I have to say...we have had no complaints with the food so far.

 

The Frank Sinatra singer was on again tonight, and he was actually quite good. I think he is very talented...he just doesn't really have the look or mannerisms of a Rat Pack entertainer. But everyone in the theater seemed to enjoy themselves.

 

One thing we did notice tonight was the lack of adherence to the dress code. Okay, I'm not here to be the fashion police. But the dress code is clearly stated, and a hoodie and jeans are NOT appropriate after 6pm. Nor are khaki shorts and a T-shirt...all of which we saw, and all of which were worn by people who were apparently completely oblivious to the published dress code. Did it affect our enjoyment at all? Absolutely not. But it was so out of place, and just seemed a bit disrespectful to us.

 

I will apologize now for not being able to figure out how to post pictures in a larger format. If anyone can tell me how to post larger photos, please do so. I am posting from my iPad so that may make a difference, but I honestly don't know how to put larger pictures on my posts.

 

That's it for now. St.Lucia tomorrow and hopefully more information and photos.

[RachelG]

If you use the tapa talk app, you can post pics in a bigger format. It is definitely the easiest way to post pics.

 

Enjoying your posts so much.

[2old4this]

Quick update, as we have to hit the sack for a long day in St. Lucia tomorrow. Last night was the Captains Welcome, and the dinner did not disappoint. Although Mike said his lobster was tough, I found the prime rib to be excellent. We ate with a couple in our trivia team (we got 2nd place yesterday, by the way!), and had a lovely time.

 

St. Barts is beautiful, but really doesn't offer a lot. We had a private tour booked today...or so we thought. The driver never showed up so we just walked around Gustavia. Lots of high end shops (think Prada), but nothing really to see otherwise. An hour or so later, and we headed back to the ship. No worries...we made it back in time for trivia and placed 2nd yet again. This is becoming a bit of an obsession with us!

 

We had dinner reservations for Prime 7, and oh my goodness, what a treat. Mike had the surf and turf, and his lobster was beautifully cooked. I had an amazing NY Strip, which was also cooked to perfection. I have to say...we have had no complaints with the food so far.

 

The Frank Sinatra singer was on again tonight, and he was actually quite good. I think he is very talented...he just doesn't really have the look or mannerisms of a Rat Pack entertainer. But everyone in the theater seemed to enjoy themselves.

 

One thing we did notice tonight was the lack of adherence to the dress code. Okay, I'm not here to be the fashion police. But the dress code is clearly stated, and a hoodie and jeans are NOT appropriate after 6pm. Nor are khaki shorts and a T-shirt...all of which we saw, and all of which were worn by people who were apparently completely oblivious to the published dress code. Did it affect our enjoyment at all? Absolutely not. But it was so out of place, and just seemed a bit disrespectful to us.

 

I will apologize now for not being able to figure out how to post pictures in a larger format. If anyone can tell me how to post larger photos, please do so. I am posting from my iPad so that may make a difference, but I honestly don't know how to put larger pictures on my posts.

 

That's it for now. St.Lucia tomorrow and hopefully more information and photos.

 

Let me start by saying your reporting is first class, Tami, really good. I like your little additives such as your arranged 'private tour' that never happened and your views of the dress code. I remember our first night on Queen Mary 2 when the greeter stopped the single guy ahead of us from entering that lavish dining room after first looking at the man with a slow viewing which went from toe to head. He said, "There's a burger stand on the pool deck where the dress code is not enforced." The man turned and walked out in his slacks and open shirt and we never saw him again at the pool or anywhere else. We always thought he had jumped over board or was taking his meals in his windowless inner cabin.

 

Regarding your pictures, I once asked you how you did them from one of our trips together. You posted several and had no difficulty back then. Jack

[Travelcat2]

Thanks much for your response. Happy that Lorraine is remaining with Regent.

 

I find your dress code comments so interesting. On this cruise as well as the last segment I would guess that 75 % of men wore suits or sports jackets. Very few polo shirts. Men also wearing long sleeved dress shirts. OTOH, too many people in bathrobes (Regent recommends cover-ups when going to or from the pool or spa). One man popped into a lounge to get a drink "to go" in his bathrobe after 6 pm. I don't understand why it seems so difficult to follow a simple dress code.

 

Agree with you about St. Barth.

 

Keep the reports coming!

[2old4this]

Thanks much for your response. Happy that Lorraine is remaining with Regent.

 

I find your dress code comments so interesting. On this cruise as well as the last segment I would guess that 75 % of men wore suits or sports jackets. Very few polo shirts. Men also wearing long sleeved dress shirts. OTOH, too many people in bathrobes (Regent recommends cover-ups when going to or from the pool or spa). One man popped into a lounge to get a drink "to go" in his bathrobe after 6 pm. I don't understand why it seems so difficult to follow a simple dress code.

 

Agree with you about St. Barth.

 

Keep the reports coming!

 

My guess, Travelcat2, it is mostly about their level of home-grown low level sensitivity. When their lifestyle during their regular days is barefeet on the coffee table while entertaining or drinking milk from the container at the frig, then they don't see why a bathrobe at the bar after 6PM is any big deal. A note reminding these people of the dress codes stuffed into their cabin mailboxs might educate a few.

 

A wiser choice is ignore the man in the bathrobe. Jack

[TahoeTraveler]

Enjoying your posts but have a couple of questions. First, are the JAR entertainers still on the ship or has it changed to the new NCL Production Company (not sure of the correct name)?

 

Also, did you get the feeling that Lorraine is leaving Regent or just going on vacation? Hoping that she will still be with Regent.

 

TC, I asked one of the entertainers about the JAR situation, and here's what she told me. You are correct about NCL taking over. JAR is no longer providing the entertainment for the Explorer or Navigator (and I believe the Voyager is very soon to follow). It has all been taken over by the NCL entertainers. Mariner still has JAR, until 17 April. At that time, the JAR contract with the Mariner will be over and all ships in the fleet will have NCL entertainers. According to the girl I talked to, the only difference really is that JAR prefers very tall, thin, blonde girls on the team, while NCL tends to prefer shorter, not so skinny girls. Not my words at all...I'm just quoting what I was told. In other words, the production shows themselves won't be much different...but the look of the entertainers themselves may. I personally don't care what the entertainers look like, as long as the show is good. I guess time will tell whether or not the new shows will be as good as the JAR ones have been in the past.

[TahoeTraveler]

Lots and lots of rain today. And I do mean lots. We were scheduled to go do the SNUBA adventure, but opted to stay on the ship because we knew there'd be no visibility whatsoever under the water, and therefore no point in the tour. We have been here before, so it wasn't a great loss (we are also certified divers, so have seen some really great diving before). It turned out to be our favorite day so far. We did laundry (we do have a bag of laundry free per week, but I'm a bit hinky about letting others do my clothes), and I took care of some administrative work (i.e...bills) as well. We also hit the hot tub in the rain and it was fabulous! No wins at trivia though...the questions today were really hard!

 

We are on the 9th deck in the aft of the ship (suite 992) and I do have to add this warning. Apparently when the water gets high on the deck behind La Veranda, they use some sort of squeegees to push the water off. Well, guess where it goes...right past the 10th deck, and totally onto the 9th deck. We had "waterfalls" all day today, and it is just lucky that we weren't out on our balcony when any of them happened. The layout of the ship is strange, as the 9th deck sticks out the most, and then the back of the ship goes back in...so any water coming from the top is going to naturally land on the 9th deck. Just a heads up for anyone looking to book an aft cabin.

 

Again, I cannot say enough good things about our butler Charlie. He continues to amaze us, from getting a shore excursion snafu corrected to getting us Prime 7 and Signatures reservations with our new trivia team friends. What an amazing asset to Regent.

 

We have opted to order room service tonight and forego eating in the restaurant, just because we don't feel like going out at the moment. What a great option to have! We will, however, make our way to the Constellation Theater (although in nice clothes, and not hoodies and jeans!!!) later to hear Jeri Sager for her last performance on board the Mariner. She is an amazing performer, and we both look forward to hearing her again, and are sorry to know that she won't be performing later in the cruise. And I'm sorry about my pictures being small...I don't have any apps or anything else to help me make them larger, so the little pictures are the best I can do. Sorry for the inconvenience!!

[TahoeTraveler]

Rainy day in St. Lucia...

[ronrick1943]

They look good to be, thanks for sharing them.

[TahoeTraveler]

Sorry for the late posting. Yesterday turned out to be quite the adventure, and not exactly in a good way. I actually had my post typed and ready to go late last night, and internet went completely down. A fitting end to a strange day.

 

We had booked the 7.5 hour Discover Grenada tour, since we'd never been to that island and wanted to see as much as possible. Boy, did we get more than we bargained for! Our first stop to Fort Frederick was uneventful and gave us beautiful views of the harbor and ship. It was enroute to our second stop, the Grand Etang Lake in the rainforest, where things started to go south. The engine in our mini van seized up, and we found ourselves stranded on a steep, winding hillside road. It took 45 minutes for someone in another mini van to come down the hill and take us up to the top, to wait for our new ride. When the new mini van showed up finally, we had a new driver/guide. That turned out to be a bad thing, as the new fellow was not much of a guide...barely ever told us anything about the area we were passing or things of interest. He also did not take us to the waterfall as was advertised in the tour info. But hey, any day on a cruise ship, or cruise ship tour, is better than one at home, right?

 

Not necessarily. For one thing, we were behind a vehicle after leaving the rainforest whose brakes seized up, and we were stuck for another 30 minutes waiting for it to get towed out of the way so we could get past. Also, for whatever reason, the folks who were put in that particular van were not exactly easy to deal with. The tour was clearly described as having 3.5 hours of walking/standing, and yet a woman who could not walk without a cane and her husband who could not walk at all (had to have his walker to move even a little) were on our van (not sure why Destinations didn't adhere to their guidelines about people with mobility issues not being allowed on the tour, but that same woman was on a zip lining tour the day before and held up the whole crowd because she had to quit early). Another woman could only talk about how we were going to miss lunch because of the break down. Another woman would not stop talking at all, and made it difficult for any of us to hear what little the tour guide did say. Mike and I were laughing all the delays off, and just calling it another day in paradise, but I guess we were just trying to be positive. Unfortunately, not many others on that van were doing the same.

 

Not everything was bad. We got to see most of what was advertised on the tour, even if we didn't hear a lot about it. We did get a good overview of Grenada, and even though it wasn't our favorite island, it was a very nice visit. The tour did end up taking 9 hours instead of the 7.5 hours (in part because we had to keep waiting for the folks with mobility issues), and so we just ordered room service. We have decided that we prefer that over actually going to Compass Rose...it is faster and quite frankly, the food seems better. As I have already mentioned, Charlie our butler is fabulous, and he makes it so very special for us.

 

We also met a super nice couple who we hope to have dinner with tonight. This has been the most "social" cruise for us, as we've met trivia players and others on tours that we have become friends with. It has been a blast so far.

 

I will try to post pictures of Grenada if I can (the internet still seems to be hit or miss today), and will post an update of Trinidad and Tobago (where we are today) later tonight, if at all possible.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

This sounds similar, but longer than the one we've booked for January: "MOUNTAIN RAINFOREST, GRAND ETANG & ANNADALE". Don't see any longer tours listed, actually. It is described as having 1 hour of moderate walking, with some steep uphill walking at Annandale.

 

Sounds like quite the adventure! I'm hoping our shorter version will be less so, but you never know.

 

Glad you saw this in as positive a light as you could, that's the spirit!

[TahoeTraveler]

This sounds similar, but longer than the one we've booked for January: "MOUNTAIN RAINFOREST, GRAND ETANG & ANNADALE". Don't see any longer tours listed, actually. It is described as having 1 hour of moderate walking, with some steep uphill walking at Annandale.

 

Sounds like quite the adventure! I'm hoping our shorter version will be less so, but you never know.

 

Glad you saw this in as positive a light as you could, that's the spirit!

 

It sounds like perhaps they've discontinued the tour we were on, most likely because of issues such as ours. We found the rainforest to be the most interesting part of the tour, so I think you will enjoy your tour. Annandale is one of the waterfalls (wish we could have seen one!), and should be quite nice. If the "lake" they pointed out to us is indeed Grand Etang, it's not much of a lake...but remember, we live near Lake Tahoe, so there's not a lot that's going to beat it! I think you'll have a great time...and as long as you can get a properly working mini-van, it's so nice to have a smaller group.

[Travelcat2]

TC, I asked one of the entertainers about the JAR situation, and here's what she told me. You are correct about NCL taking over. JAR is no longer providing the entertainment for the Explorer or Navigator (and I believe the Voyager is very soon to follow). It has all been taken over by the NCL entertainers. Mariner still has JAR, until 17 April. At that time, the JAR contract with the Mariner will be over and all ships in the fleet will have NCL entertainers. According to the girl I talked to, the only difference really is that JAR prefers very tall, thin, blonde girls on the team, while NCL tends to prefer shorter, not so skinny girls. Not my words at all...I'm just quoting what I was told. In other words, the production shows themselves won't be much different...but the look of the entertainers themselves may. I personally don't care what the entertainers look like, as long as the show is good. I guess time will tell whether or not the new shows will be as good as the JAR ones have been in the past.

 

It is so kind of you to find out this information. Had to laugh about the tall thin blondes😹 The main difference to me is that most NCL performers sing as well as dance. They are all talented young people no matter which group they are with.

 

At the airport on the way home. Keep posting.

[TahoeTraveler]

Am trying to post photos from our day on Grenada, but for some reason (probably this slow internet) I am unable to upload them. Will post them as soon as I can upload them (although this may mean when I finally get home!).

Edited December 3, 2016 by TahoeTraveler

[1982CruzStart]

Thanks for bringing us along. Really enjoying your posts.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It sounds like perhaps they've discontinued the tour we were on, most likely because of issues such as ours. We found the rainforest to be the most interesting part of the tour, so I think you will enjoy your tour. Annandale is one of the waterfalls (wish we could have seen one!), and should be quite nice. If the "lake" they pointed out to us is indeed Grand Etang, it's not much of a lake...but remember, we live near Lake Tahoe, so there's not a lot that's going to beat it! I think you'll have a great time...and as long as you can get a properly working mini-van, it's so nice to have a smaller group.

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Yes, it sounds pretty nice. And I agree, Lake Tahoe is a very beautiful place, lucky you!

[RachelG]

Tahoetraveler, I totally agree with you about destination services allowing people to go on tours that they are clearly unable to physically do. I have long said there should be a fitness test. If the tour is listed as strenuous, they should make you go up and down the stairs. If you can manage that, you can't manage a strenuous tour.

[TahoeTraveler]

First off, I am obviously not going to be able to post any more pictures, at least not until I get home to a real computer. I keep getting an error message from Cruise Critic about some sort of security token, and it simply will not allow me to upload any pictures whatsoever. I apologize...I really wanted to share our experiences visually, but it appears I am going to be unable to do so.

 

I also need to apologize for the late posting of yesterday's visit to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. We have been having such a good time, and have been so busy with activities both on and off the ship, that time has just been flying.

 

Trinidad turned out to be our favorite port so far. We were amazed when we opened the curtains yesterday morning to find a very modern city right outside our balcony. Oil is Trinidad's major source of income, rather than tourism as so many other ports have been, so it is a very industrial, cosmopolitan city. Our tour (which was fabulous, by the way...what a difference a good tour guide makes) took us through the city and then to the botanical gardens, which are just amazing. The developer brought trees from all over the world to put into the gardens, and it is just beautiful. We could easily have spent an entire day there. After the gardens, we drove up to an overlook where we got some great photos of the city and ship (too bad I can't post them, dammit). And then we headed to an outdoor venue where a steel drum band played for about an hour for us. Apparently everyone in Trinidad learns the steel drums at an early age, and it is a bit of a national obsession (steel drums originated in Trinidad). It was a fabulous concert (White Christmas by steel drums is pretty cool!!), and a great way to end the tour.

 

We docked at Trinidad, but our tour guide told us that most tourists go to Tobago, some 22 miles to the northeast. It has the better beaches and is the more touristy island (Trinidad is more industrial/business). Mike and I liked it so much we have decided that we want to plan a trip back sometime. That is high praise coming from my husband, trust me.

 

Back on board, we had a nice dinner at Signatures. It was far too foo-foo for me, and I found the food to be overrated, but Mike seemed to like his lamb. I think I am just more of a meat and potatoes person, and the fancy food there just isn't to my liking (neither is the big production they make out of pulling the covers off the entrees with a flourish...just give me my plate of food for Heaven's sake). But we enjoyed the dining experience regardless and cannot complain (even if it seems like I am!).

 

Last night was the first show by the JAR performers, and it did not disappoint. Although it seemed a bit stale because we have seen it SO many times before (goodness, could they mix it up a bit???), the performers did very well, and Micah, the lead female singer, was fabulous. It was very enjoyable and the place was packed.

 

I will post an update from today (a fantastic sea day!) later...but for now, time to get to the Argentinian gaucho dance show.

[Travelcat2]

Really loving your posts! Can't believe that we'll be where you are in a year!

 

FYI, the good news is that Signatures replacement restaurant Chartreuse doesn't do the silly removal of the covers from the entrees. IMO, it is a much better dining venue.

[TahoeTraveler]

We are enroute to the Amazon, and will enter the delta sometime between midnight and 4am. Interestingly, the waters are fairly shallow there, so we have to go in at high tide, and have to turn off the stabilizers while entering the Amazon.

 

Yesterday was the first of 3 sea days, and was fantastic (we love sea days!). We played in a friendly putting tournament which was quite challenging given the waves and the wind. The first round of a shuffleboard tournament was also going on and looked quite fun. We finished off the afternoon with bingo and trivia...we lost in both!!!

 

We had dinner in Prime 7 again, and it was interesting to share the table with a German couple and a couple who live in Vancouver now, but are originally from India. The dinner did take a long time, which is something we have noticed on this cruise. It seems it is impossible to get done with dinner quicker than 2 hours, regardless of venue or table size. I understand that some people like a long dinner, but we are not in that group, and really wish we could just "get done with it" sometimes. I guess that's when room service is handy.

 

The show was an Argentinian gaucho production, and they were quite good. Very energetic and really got the audience engaged and excited. I enjoyed it quite a bit, although Mike left and hung out at the bar talking to other people. He's not much for the shows, I'm afraid.

 

Terry Breen is on board and has been giving us some interesting information. In her lecture yesterday, she told us something that might be of interest/help to those of you planning to do this cruise in the future. We had been informed on our roll call by people who had been to the Amazon before that we should bring "gifts" to the children of the village Boca da Valeria (things ike pens and pencils, coloring books, etc). So of course I go out and get a bunch of stuff and drag it in my suitcase. Well, it turns out that that village is a bit of a ruse. The "villagers" don't actually live there...they live in a very modern community complete with cell phones and a soccer stadium. Boca da Valeria was built as a replica of what an Amazonian village once looked like, strictly for the cruise ships. The "villagers" travel by boat down a tributary to the made up village when cruise ships are tendered there, and do their thing. Which apparently includes fooling cruise ship passengers into believing it is an authentic Amazon village. Hmph. Looks like I'll be dragging my "gifts" back to the US to give to truly needy kids there.

 

Today was another fun but busy day (and I have no idea where the time goes!). After a 5 mile walk around the deck (that took an hour, because the track is so short), we had lunch and then met with Eddie, the future cruise consultant. We booked a Lima to Buenos Aires cruise for January 2018, but I do need help from you smart CC people. How does the air deviation option work? We already have to pay $300 extra to fly out of Reno, but we don't want to just take any times or connections, because we only get Business class for the international flight, not any flights within the US, and Mike has to have more leg room on flights longer than about 2 hours because of an issue with his leg. I would like to use Regent's air option, because we have booked the Machu Picchu add on tour prior to the cruise, and it would just be more convenient with the transfers. But if they're going to require us to fly to, say, NYC in economy before getting on the Business class international flight, that's just not going to work for us. Any and all info would be greatly appreciated!

 

The crew continues to be exceptional, and I'm already getting depressed because the 2 week countdown to the end is about to start!!! Sigh. It might be because we continue to lose at trivia and bingo though...apparently I am just not a lucky person!

 

I still cannot post pictures and just do not know what to do. I could start a Facebook group (public) and just post them there, if anyone is interested in seeing them. Otherwise, it will have to wait until I get home and then I will have to hope I can upload them.

 

The show tonight features Mikah, the lead female singer on board. I will go see her later and report back when I can.

Edited December 4, 2016 by TahoeTraveler

[Mudhen]

Late to the party, as usual, but thank you so much for posting! We'll be on this same cruise next Nov. It's exciting to read about what we might be experiencing!