Random Notes, Mariner, 3/28-4/15/19, Shanghai-Tokyo--LIVE!*

[forgap]

Ha!  I think you are in OUR suite!   Exact pic and I commented to Georges that it just wasn’t my aesthetic!   I managed to ignore it much of the time!

[ronrick1943]

I wasn't going to write this, but after your great comments and really good photos.-I'm going too anyway.  When we when on our first trip to China in late 70's (yes I'm that old), the hotel we stayed in was one of the newest they had builded.  It was the Sheraton-new but what a mess compared to todays hotels in China.  We had hired a car, driver and tour guide for us--the tour guide/interpreter was the same person Nixon used.  We visited The Forbidden City, we spend a little over a 1/2 day it was us and a crowd of about 40 people total---seeing your photos I see you had a few more people to deal with.  Of course Tiana'nmen Square was the same.  We got to go to a city below ground, about an hour drive and a train ride to get too this place--no photos allowed-walked into a store, they pressed a button and the floor opened up-we had read a few spy novels-as we started to go down Ron said are you sure about this?  Sorry to go on, but what a change.

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from the Pool Deck on our first of three sea days (we’re ready for a bit of a breather!). Denver (Philippines, second Regent contract) and Kadek (Bali, sixth Regent contract) from the Restuarant team have collaborated on this cruise’s Rumor Special—skim milk, banana, cantaloupe, carrot.  It’s good—try it!

[HonTri]

Thanks for all the great photos!

[Mr Rumor]

Just popping in on a quiet at-sea afternoon to share what I’ve learned about the internet situation in Japanese waters from GM Franck and Internet Manager Alex.

 

Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications continues to restrict transmission of C-bandwidth, or C-band, signals while ships are sailing within 12 nautical miles of its coast.   However, Japan does allow ships in its waters to transmit signals on another beam known as the Ku-band.   Regent ships are set up with a Ku-band back-up antenna, so it will be a simple matter for the Mariner’s systems manager to make the switch from C to Ku from the Bridge the moment our ship enters Japan’s waters.

 

Ku-band is not the preferred beam as its signal tends to drop out more frequently than C-band  in tough weather conditions such as heavy rain.  But switching the frequency to Ku-band beats the alternative:  no internet connection at all!

 

So, weather permitting, you can expect a better-than-random continued delivery of  Mariner Shanghai-Tokyo Random Notes once we sail within 12 miles of Japan.  Yay!

[EAGLESLOVER]

9 hours ago, Mr Rumor said:

I know that art is supposed to be in the eye of the beholder.  But, still, I’m curious to know if there are any beholders out there who would like to wake up to this artwork on not one, not two, but three Regent cruises spanning at least two different ships?

 

I distinctly remember posting a photo of this piece the first time we encountered it, circa 2016.  It was baaaaaack on our Voyager Caribbean cruise last fall.

 

And here it is again!  Although we haven’t booked a  Splendour cruise yet, I am now resigned to seeing it there.

 

My creative wife did what she could with the artwork the first time it confronted us by draping a colorful scarf around it.  It helped.  I’ve suggested to Ginny that one of the nice silk scarves she bought on the last morning of our pre-cruise Shanghai tour might do the trick this time.  I’ll let you know if she gets inspired.

We have that same “work of art” in our suite

[xrvlcruiser]

Rich,

Love your blog as always! I have the Daisy painting in my cabin - it certainly is cheerier than the one you posted!

Please say hello to Alex and tell him we miss him here. A good guy - knowledgeable and helpful.

 

Peggy

[donnacat9]

Funny—you made me look and I found the same picture in our room!!

Our beginning was a little different -  -our plane was delayed two hours in LAX so we didn’t get to the ship until after 7 pm!!    Jet lagged and had an 8 hours tour

in Shanghai which was fasntastic yesterday.   Today was the cruise critic meet and mingle which I attended for all of 5 minutes and simply said hello before joining hubby at a bridge class.    Because of our late arrival we have a muster drill at 4;30 today.   The sun is shining and it feels wonderful to just relax.   Here’s to a wonderful trip.

 

[Mr Rumor]

Better?

[forgap]

Uh, Rich, you may want to rethink this...looks like a flasher in a sarong! 

[rcandkc]

33 minutes ago, forgap said:

Uh, Rich, you may want to rethink this...looks like a flasher in a sarong! 

Glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that😳

[1teach53]

4 hours ago, Mr Rumor said:

Better?

Yep! 💞💞👍🏻

[Mr Rumor]

2 hours ago, forgap said:

Uh, Rich, you may want to rethink this...looks like a flasher in a sarong! 

And not just any flasher—a one-legged flasher!  Back to the design studio!

[RachelG]

Sometimes I have to just wonder who chose some of the artwork on Regent.

 

loving your posts as they bring back memories of our trip to China.

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, RachelG said:

Sometimes I have to just wonder who chose some of the artwork on Regent.

 

loving your posts as they bring back memories of our trip to China.

 

Easy answer - Frank Del Rio!  I like a lot of the art but dislike some of it (so does he).  If I remember correctly, he purchases much of what he loves and also what he doesn't care for ...... just to meet other's tastes.  Must admit that it is always a conversation starter.

 

In my opinion, any artwork that he puts on the ships is far better than when the art auction people had their pieces on board.

Edited March 30, 2019 by Travelcat2

[DeepFreeze63]

3 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Easy answer - Frank Del Rio!  I like a lot of the art but dislike some of it (so does he).  If I remember correctly, he purchases much of what he loves and also what he doesn't care for ...... just to meet other's tastes.  Must admit that it is always a conversation starter.

 

In my opinion, any artwork that he puts on the ships is far better than when the art auction people had their pieces on board.

You "damn his work selection with faint praise". Many of us remember those awful auctions and displays!

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from the Bohai Sea!  Here’s the view from the Observation Lounge a short while ago. Calm, meditative—OK, actually a little boring, but anything to change the subject from “the sarong”!

 

We don’t dock in Tianjin until 5 p.m. so this is essentially a sea day, our second in a row.  We have two very  good lecturers on this cruise, Clive Leatherdale and Lt. Col. Bill Rothschild, and I’m looking forward to the former’s talk on “Inside North Korea:  The Weirdest Place on Earth” (he visited while teaching in China) and the latter’s  lecture, “Mission to the Moon” (hard to believe this year is the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program).

 

The Pool Grill’s theme today is French, and that theme will carry over to Teatime, when the best crepe maker among Regent General Managers personally prepares crepes to order.  

 

The evening’s guest entertainer, Australian Danny Elliott, takes the Constellation stage before dinner,  and that’s because it will be an early night for the great majority of us due to the early tours tomorrow.  According to CD John Barron, 600 of us will be off the ship before 8 a.m.  Having visited Beijing and the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall on the pre-cruise tour, we are happy to forego the all-day tours for the five-hour “Highlights of Tianjin.”

Edited March 31, 2019 by Mr Rumor

[silkismom]

Following along, 

[forgap]

49 minutes ago, Mr Rumor said:

but anything to change the subject from “the sarong”!

I rather liked this bit!

 

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, Mr Rumor said:

Good morning from the Bohai Sea!  Here’s the view from the Observation Lounge a short while ago. Calm, meditative—OK, actually a little boring, but anything to change the subject from “the sarong”!

 

 

The Pool Grill’s theme today is French, and that theme will carry over to Teatime, when the best crepe maker among Regent General Managers personally prepares crepes to order.  

 

 

 

 

You must be speaking about Franck Galzy.  Agree that he makes amazing crepes.  If he were not a General Manager, he would have made a wonderful Executive Chef!  If you see him, please send hugs from Dennis and Jackie.  We hope to see him on Splendor in 11 1/2 months (but whose counting).

Edited March 31, 2019 by Travelcat2

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, Mr Rumor said:

Good morning from the Bohai Sea!  Here’s the view from the Observation Lounge a short while ago. Calm, meditative—OK, actually a little boring, but anything to change the subject from “the sarong”!

 

According to CD John Barron, 600 of us will be off the ship before 8 a.m.  Having visited Beijing and the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall on the pre-cruise tour, we are happy to forego the all-day tours for the five-hour “Highlights of Tianjin.”

 

I think you made the right choice.......enjoy the day on the ship

 

[Mr Rumor]

GM Franck made this crepe for you, and it just happens to be one of his favorites (strawberries cooked in syrup, drizzle of raspberry sauce).  Go ahead, indulge!

[Hambagahle]

10 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Easy answer - Frank Del Rio!  I like a lot of the art but dislike some of it (so does he).  If I remember correctly, he purchases much of what he loves and also what he doesn't care for ...... just to meet other's tastes.  Must admit that it is always a conversation starter.

 

In my opinion, any artwork that he puts on the ships is far better than when the art auction people had their pieces on board.

Totally agree - and many of the paintings and most of the sculptures are beautiful!

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from Tianjin (Beijing)!  Where’s Wilma?  If you look closely on the right you may be able to see one of our first-departing passengers walking off the Mariner at 5:45 for the 9.5 hour Beijing and Temple of Heaven excursion.  Even the last-tour takers of the day won’t be able to sleep in, as the day’s final tour is scheduled to depart before 8.  It’ll be a largely empty ship by then.

Edited March 31, 2019 by Mr Rumor

[ronrick1943]

5:45AM, no way-that is not a vacation, that would be called work😊