Random Notes, Voyager, 11/26-12/6/18, Miami-Miami--LIVE!

[Mr Rumor]

What a bountiful time for Regent CC live-blogs!  Rich and Barbara, and Jim and Margaret (and earlier, Wes and Ida), you've been killing it with your epic "Grand Pacific" blog--and you'll have another week-plus to go even after Ginny and I have disembarked!  Roberto, your Montreal-Miami report was royally entertaining as only a Z opus can be.  And, Jackie, you stoked my appetite for our Voyager cruise both figuratively and literally (those menus--mmmmmm!) with your "mini" report that turned "maxi" thanks to a lot of great reporting.

 

I'm privileged now to add my random voice to the CC blogging chorus.  This will be Ginny's and my 18th Regent cruise (seven on Mariner; four, Navigator, three, Explorer and, now, four, Voyager) and our third Caribbean itinerary.  We went for "Sage Mountain  to Grand Pitons" in part because we've previously visited only one of the five ports (Gustavia), in part because of the two sea days at the beginning and end, and in part because we wanted an easygoing cruise to share with our daughter, Shauna.

 

Some of you know Shauna, 37, who has Down syndrome.  She is a great little (as in 4'6") cruiser who has won crew and fellow passenger hearts on every one of her five previous Regent cruises.  We expect the trend to continue this time!

 

To give you an idea of the following that Shauna has built up among the staff and crew over the last few years, Ginny and I had literally taken only two steps onto the Explorer in June when we heard not the expected "Welcome home" or "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Rumor," but instead a "Where's Shauna?!"  from a surprised crew member who couldn't mask her disappointment.  We happen to know there are several of her staff/crew fans onboard waiting to welcome Shauna on Monday.

 

We're also looking forward to meeting up again with our good Regent friends Karen and Jim, who we haven't cruised with in a couple of years.  The great Regent tee that Shauna is sporting in the photo below is not something you can buy in a Regent gift shop, it's a Karen creation, and gift to Shauna.  If she and Jim, ace Trivia players, will have us, we'll be happy to once again ride their coattails to Regent Reward Points.  It will be for a good cause:  to buy Shauna even more Regent bling!

 

As we have an early Sunday flight, we'll be leaving shortly for Albuquerque, where we have a room near the Sunport.  Miami pre-cruise hotel will be the Kimpton Epic, less than two miles from Terminal J.

 

Great to have you along!  (And, thanks, Gerry, for your and Ken's sweet words!)

 

Rich

 

Voyager,  "R" you ready for Shauna?  She's ready for you!

 

Our itinerary. . .

[WesW]

Fair Winds and Following Seas Rich, Ginny and Shauna.  We hope,  we know your Miami to Miami Voyager voyage will be wonderful.  Looking very forward to following along,  We do know our mutual travel friends in Albuquerque will be closely following along (here and on FB) too.  

 

Am guessing y'all will book another Regent cruise on board too, please if you do not have a Splendor inaugural season voyage booked, Ida and I would love to have you join us for  Splendor's maiden European crossing (NYC to Barcelona, Barcelona to Venice) in April 2020.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Love Miami - Miami cruises. Such an easy and relaxing time for us. Hope you all enjoy. 

Sheila

[ronrick1943]

Looking forward to what you will have to write doing your cruise---knowing you, ginny and Shauna will have a wonderful time.  Take care and relax and have a safe and fun trip.

Rick

 

PS: WesW, always enjoy your writings----we've booked the Splendor for 2020, we'll be sailing Miami to New York to Barcelona with you on the last part of the cruise.

[vitacura]

Always such a treat to follow your travels Rich, Bon Voyage!

[Mudhen]

Enjoy every minute of your cruise! We'll watch for the Voyage and we'll wave too!

See you out there!!

[forgap]

Rich and Ginny, so excited to follow along.  Wish it could be a joint blog again like we did earelier this year!   Perhaps I should just post fake entries ....”yum, CR was phenomenal tonight- ate 12 lobster tails with a side of miso glazed sea bass....then danced until I thought I would drop....slayed all contenders in karaoke!”   Safe travels and thanks for taking us with you!    Jennifer

[Travelcat2]

Rich, Roxanne and her lovely smile (almost as lovely as Shauna's) is excited to meet you.  Things on Voyager are a bit hectic at the moment as the crew prepares for her return to the U.S. after several years (I've heard as long as 7 years but have no idea the exact number of years).  While I have no doubt that she will pass inspection with flying colors, things will be different for the crew during Caribbean season since she will stop in the U.S. frequently.

 

Not looking forward to getting off of the ship but are looking forward to your blog!

[MalbecWine]

Shuana is beautiful and happy with love looking at the photo.

[Mr Rumor]

Wes, Sheila, Rick, vitacura, Linda, Jennifer, Jackie and MalbecWine—great to hear from you all!

 

Shauna went to bed laughing in our Albuquerque hotel room, after corraling me for a hug and then, when she had my complete attention, exclaiming “Beatles tonight!” in my face.  It’s only a ten-night cruise and I understand a new production cast is boarding in Miami, but I’m hopeful that CD David Nevin might be able to buttonhole a couple of the singers for a Fab Four dance night for our little moptop. 

 

Wes, that’s a splendid Splendour back-to-back you booked and we’d love to cruise with you and Ida again, but we’re probably going to stick with our Bucket List choice for that time, Bangkok-Abu Dhabi (15 of the 16 ports will be new to us), plus Angkor Wat pre-cruise.  But we don’t have a Splendour cruise to look forward to yet, so we just might have to do something about that while we’re onboard. 

 

Jennifer, I loved your would-be fake post—you know funny!  Like Wes and Ida, you and Georges are on Ginny’s and my want-to-cruise-again-with list.  Maybe we should compare Bucket Lists?

 

Jackie, thanks for letting Roxanne know that a peppy pipsqueak will be dining in her section soon.  Also, stay tuned for a report on how the Voyager inspection turned out.  I’ll be on it!

 

MalbecWine, your post about Shauna was short but so sweet.  Thank you.

 

Rich

[Zqueeze1]

Rich, Ginny, and Shauna:  looking forward to reading about your new adventures and hope Shauna has a wonderful time. I will certainly enjoy your posts and know that they will counteract my post-cruise depression. I hope you stuffed some Chile verdes in your suitcases for me!  

Z and TB

[forgap]

Rich, we will definitely compare bucket lists!   In 2014 we sailed on Voyager from Bangkok to Dubai.   This was one of my all time favorite cruises.   Email me if you want our impressions on the ports.   I wrote a blog on this trip that you can find here:   https://culinerrion.travellerspoint.com/13/. Have a great trip and much love and light to Ginny and Shauna.  

[Bigdogwon]

Rich, Ginny and Shauna, looking forward to your review as always!  You certainly had a beautiful day here in NM to fly out, with the clear blue skies. We board the Voyager the day you disembark, we plan on doing a “mini blog” as well.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

 

 

 

[Cybercsp]

Looking forward to seeing you onboard!  We have a 6 AM flight from Philadelphia tomorrow, and are looking forward to our first Regent cruise.

 

[Mr Rumor]

 

Z, wonderful to have you along!  

 

Jennifer, thanks for the link to your 2014 Bangkok-Dubai blog!  I took a peak while we were at DFW and wound up reading several choice paragraphs out loud to Ginny.  You really got us with your Mangalore crack (in reference to the stifling heat and all the sweating), “My third eye had run down my nose.”  I think we startled the several folks sitting next to us when we erupted in laughter.

 

Cybercsp/Nancy and Charlie, I’m so glad you posted—welcome to Regent!  Ginny and I are looking forward to meeting you and hope you’ll have a great time on this cruise.  I would welcome your posting anytime on this thread as I, like many other Regent CCers, love to read a Regent first-timer’s observations.  

 

We made it in fine fettle to Miami and the Kimpton Epic in the late afternoon, but not before most of the 211 Regent passengers who are calling the Epic home tonight had checked in and gotten their bus assignments from the Regent Hospitality Desk.  The best the desk could do for us was squeeze us onto Bus Four of five, departing for the ship at 1:15.  No thanks, I said, we’ll be taking a cab!  Happily, Hospitality was hospitable to our leaving our checked bags inside our front door for transport to the hotel.  So we’ll just be taking our carry-ons with us to the ship.

 

We had several options for dinner, with the hotel concierge nudging us toward one of the upscale restaurants in the Brickell neighborhood.  But we decided instead on a short walk to the boisterous Bayside Marketplace where we had a perfectly fine dinner at a Cuban open-air cafe.

 

And now we’re back in our perfectly fine room at the Epic, where the internet is FAST as the hotel wi-fi password promises, and Shauna is humming in bed, just as she is wont to do before finally drifting off to sleep.  We’ll be following her lead soon!

 

In Bayfront Park tonight, looking towards Biscayne Boulevard.

 

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning, Miami—thank you for a glorious day!  Think we’ll take a cruise!

 

Ginny spotted our ship on our morning walk.  Shauna, waving:  “Hi, Honey!”  (Ships are “she’s,” so why not Honey?)

 

Mom and daughter moment on Brickell Key.

[Hambagahle]

Lovely photos Rich!  So good to see Shauna so excited too.   Say hi to Ginny for me...

Gerry

[Mr Rumor]

Onboard and upward!

[Hambagahle]

Lovely photo and a great moment!

 

Jackie reports big delays in passengers clearing Immigration on arrival in Miami this morning - plus a serious (I suppose Coast Guard?) inspection...did this delay your boarding?  Hopefully not.

Bon voyage!  Gerry

[MalbecWine]

Beautiful and touching pictures Rich.

[boblerm]

19 hours ago, Mr Rumor said:

The best the desk could do for us was squeeze us onto Bus Four of five, departing for the ship at 1:15.  No thanks, I said, we’ll be taking a cab! 

Rich, I share your feelings about this, after all the anticipation of a cruise, I don't want to delay boarding any longer than is absolutely necessary!

Hope your boarding wasn't delayed by the issues at the port that Jackie mentioned, judging from your "onward and upward" post , it doesn't seem that it was.

Looking forward to another Rumor trip report!

Bob

[Mr Rumor]

We’re not sailing until at least 10 tonight (was supposed to be 6).  Lots of provisioning still to do! We’ve got to overeat, I mean eat, you know!

[daetchief]

8 hours ago, Mr Rumor said:

Good morning, Miami—thank you for a glorious day!  Think we’ll take a cruise!

 

Ginny spotted our ship on our morning walk.  Shauna, waving:  “Hi, Honey!”  (Ships are “she’s,” so why not Honey?)

 

Mom and daughter moment on Brickell Key.

 

Mahalo for providing me with the perfect backdrop / wallpaper for my computer.

My wife and I will be coming aboard right after Christmas!

[Mr Rumor]

Full first-day report coming later!  Just wanted to mention before our appetizers arrive that we had the longest Regent lifeboat drill I can recall, 35 minutes.  Of course, the Coast Guard was watching!  (They were here all day.)

Edited November 27, 2018 by Mr Rumor

[Mr Rumor]

 

Bigdogwon, I meant to thank you for your Bon Voyage, so thanks now!  I sent you an e-mail before we flew out.  Hope you got it?  

 

Thanks, Gerry and MalbecWine, I enjoy photo taking today as much as I enjoyed reporting and editing “back in the day.”  Words or pics, it’s all about telling a story!  Daetchief, I’m honored that you’ve decided to use the Voyager pic from this morning as your wallpaper.   A Regent cruise is a great Christmas present you’re giving your wife and yourself!

 

Bob, we were quite pleased with ourselves that we went the taxi route.  As we were leaving La Veranda after an unhurried lunch (and where we had our pick of tables), I looked at my watch and told Ginny that if we had been on Bus Four we’d just be leaving the hotel and facing who knows how long a line at the terminal.  

 

Thanks for your questions and concerns regarding today’s immigration situation and our boarding.  It was quite a surprise to arrive at Terminal J at 10:45 a.m. and see Atlantic Crossing passengers still streaming out of the terminal. “Immigration is being finicky,” one passenger muttered as he walked by.  I scanned the group for Jackie and Dennis before reading Jackie’s report.  Jackie, I understand your kid-in-a-candy-store feeling getting to be among the first to disembark.

 

However, boarding wasn’t affected.  We were on the ship by 12:15, a few minutes after passengers in the top suites boarded.  

 

After we embarked, I learned, as Travelcat2 reported, that Atlantic Crossing guests couldn’t disembark before all the luggage had been hauled off the ship, and all the luggage couldn’t be hauled off until most or all of the participating crew members had reported to immigration for his or her I-95 card, or crew member’s landing permit.  Without the card, a crew member would not be allowed off the ship.  A new card is only needed for a “first call,” which the Voyager’s call qualified as.  In fact, the Voyager had last visited a U.S. part eight years ago!

 

But there was something else at play this morning, which I heard also made it tough for disembarking passengers as well as passengers who were continuing on our cruise and who had booked a tour in Miami:  The CBP (Customs Border Patrol) computers went down.  I don’t know how long they were down, but if I understand correctly, Customs wound up waiving computer checks for some passengers to keep the line moving.  Not the best way to end a cruise!

 

And I suppose setting sail a few hours late is not the best way to begin one!  (It is past 11 p.m. as I type this and it looks like the last pallets of provisions have finally been loaded.) Complicating the situation tonight was the need to also remove dozens of very big white trash bags.

 

Still, as of early this evening, Captain Stan (Mercier de Lacombe) sounded hopeful about the Voyager arriving at its first port, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands on Thursday at 8 a.m. as scheduled.  He reported over the PA that “very nice weather” was in the forecast for the cruise with maximum swells of five feet and maximum winds of 25 knots, which would allow the Voyager to cruise along at a 18.4 knot clip.  

 

Well, time for bed as we need to spring ahead—good night!

 

Rich