Ramblings from the Sailing the Suez Oct 26 to Nov 16th.

[1982CruzStart]

As you can see i am already late starting this thread, many excuses but no good reason other than i wasn't sure if we would continue on Susan's Musings or start a new one for the continuation of her BTB. 

Now that i have started i am going to bid adieu for now as the M & M is about to start. I will return after and get caught up on our travels to date. 

[1982CruzStart]

This has been an odd cruise starting right from booking through preparation for it and getting onboard.  We found out less than a week before we were to leave home for this trip that my DH was going to be able to get medical insurance to enable us to make this cruise. He is healthy and fine but has had some challenges that made it difficult to get sufficient medical insurance in order for us to feel safe enough to travel half way around the world. 

 

All good now but it put a definite damper on planning and organizing for this trip.  

 

We rarely book a cruise with repeat ports.  Love being on a ship but the purpose for us to cruise is not the ship but the ports. We really enjoy the Regent experience onboard but what we really want are interesting ports and experiences.  We took this cruise to return to Petra and Luxor. I fear that some nutjobs will destroy Petra as they have done other ancient sites in the middlle east so wanted to get back there before that happened or Mother nature and erosion did the job instead.  My DH really wanted to get back to see the ancient ruins of Egypt.  In some places he looks and says "ah more old stuff", Egypt is one of the exceptions. I love old stuff. 

 

As we don't live in a gateway city we always travel there the day before to ensure we are there to catch our Regent flights. Air Canada made a last minute change to our flights out of our home town to YVR and i almost had heart failure when i saw the text alert from them just a couple of hours before our flight saying it was cancelled.  What i hadn't  notice was an email from them regarding the new flight.  We had to re-do our check-in. I hoped that wasn't an indication of issues to come. 

 

Off to lunch so will resume after that. 

 

[forgap]

We did a middle eastern cruise in 2016 and it remains my all time favorite,  we went from Dubai to Barcelona.  It seems that every port had iconic things to see - with the exception of Salalah, perhaps.  I still think about Petra and Luxor!   
 

We are scheduled for a cruise in May that takes us to the pyramids in Egypt.  It will be a long day but i thought the long days to Petra and Luxor were entirely worth it.  I can read on a bus and my husband is like a baby and sleeps best in moving vehicles!  

[1982CruzStart]

After suggesting to another CC member they should take AC over LH, i was close ot eating my words after our first flight from YVR to YYZ. The BC section had pods which we like and was comfortable but the flight attendants were less than exemplary. I pushed my call button 2-3 times and not once was it answered. BC was full but it was after food service was done so didn't think that it was unreasonable to make a request. Oh well it mustn't have been important and it motivated to me to get off my butt and take care of it myself. They were pleasant just not particularly helpful at times. 

 

However AC out did themselves when we got to YYZ. To our surprise Regent had book BC tickets at a level that we had access to AC's new signature service. This is includes being met on the gangway by an AC agent with a sign with our names on it, being taken down to a new mercedes sedan and driven to the closest entry to the new signature lounge.  The new lounge is open only to a certain level of BC ticket. Lovely lounge that provides a served 3 course meal if you have time or if not a buffet along with beverage service right to your table. We didn't have time nor needed any more food but it was a wonderful surprise regardless. Had the chance to have a glass of top line champagne. 

 

The flight from YYZ to ZHR went great, service was as expected and the food was good. 

 

Okay enough rambling about our flights. Stayed at the Four Seasons and though out in the middle of nowhere was a very nice hotel and worked for us.  We were too tired to go anywhere anyways. 

 

Bus arrived on time the next morning to whisk us off to the ship though the whisking part didn't happen. We got maybe half way there and the bus broke down. Mechanic called, new bus requested and we waited. The mechanic arrived first, then the bus and a few of us made the move to the new bus only to be told that the original bus was fixed so back we went. Lost an hour waiting.  Once at the port the check in process went pretty smoothly, a little line up at security by port personnel but the rest of the process went pretty quickly.  As we approached the checkin area we were asked what suite we were in so we could be directed to the peon line. No line ups really so no big deal. 

 

We walked into our suite and looked at each other and said the suite shrunk. We were on Explorer last cruise in an F2 and in an E on Voyager. It is a noticable difference in the size and storage in the suite compared to the F2. The closet is smaller, the bathroom smaller though the sitting area is a little larger.  We are missing the double sinks and the larger closet. My DH however is enjoying the larger sofa right now.  Funny how perception changes becausse when we walked into the F2 last year i thought it looked smaller cuz the bed is closer to the balcony. The E on Voyager is long and narrow where the F2 on Explorer is shorter but wider.  Have to admit i think i prefer the cabin on Explorer. 

 

However i prefer compass rose and the theatre on Voyager as well as the lighter color scheme.  For those that don't like the new carpet, i disagree. I think when you see it in person the carpet is quite nice.  I bet is helps to cover up the dirt and stains. Looks good to me.

 

Dinner was in Compass Rose last night. Forgot to take my phone so no food pictures. Will try and remember tonight.  i had 3 appetizers though our server insisted that i upgrade the beef carpaccio to a double order. He was right, it is a nice appy size but a little skimpy for a main course. Had the beet carpaccio first and then the black mussels. All 3 of them were delicious. Food for the other 3 people at the table seemed to be a hit as well. 

 

CC M&M was at 11 am today with a good turnout of over 30 people. Met up with Flossie009 and had a interesting discussion.  We will get together for dinner sometime during the cruise.  Just have to figure out timing that works for all 6 of us. Looking forward to it. 

 

Tomorrow is our first port and happy to be back in Malta with a chance to see some other parts of the Island. 

 

Have recognized and spoken to a few staff from our Explorer cruise last year. So nice to see familiar smiling faces.  Lovely to be back being well taken care of by such friendly hard working people.

 

bye for now.  

[1982CruzStart]

37 minutes ago, forgap said:

We did a middle eastern cruise in 2016 and it remains my all time favorite,  we went from Dubai to Barcelona.  It seems that every port had iconic things to see - with the exception of Salalah, perhaps.  I still think about Petra and Luxor!   
 

We are scheduled for a cruise in May that takes us to the pyramids in Egypt.  It will be a long day but i thought the long days to Petra and Luxor were entirely worth it.  I can read on a bus and my husband is like a baby and sleeps best in moving vehicles!  

thanks for joining in. Can't wait to see Petra and Luxor again. 

[ronrick1943]

Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to write this report and will be looking forward to more.  Wishing you an enjoyable and a no surprise cruise.  Have a great time.

 

[RJ2002]

Really looking forward to the reports.  This is indeed a great itinerary.  We did a similar sailing just about a year ago on Oceania.  So much history.  Thanks to all for sharing your experiences.

 

 

[1982CruzStart]

Well inspite of my best efforts to try & remember to take pictures of our dinner, the picture below is all I can show for dinner tonight. LOSER. 

 

So this was the Tanzanian chocolate cake and short of licking the plate this is all that is left of it. 

 

I also had crab salad - delicious, a plate of vine ripened tomatoes- also good and beef tenderloin rossini - very good. Melt in your mouth beef cooked perfectly with a small topping of foie gras. Heaven.

 

I will continue to try and do better. 

 

As expected service a little slower cuz it was the Captain's reception so a gang arrived at CR all at once. We were perfectly happy with the service as we were in no hurry but Ed kept apologizing and we kept saying all okay. The only small issue was getting wine.  Gasp. 

 

Tomorrow Malta. Will report after our return. 

Edited October 27, 2019 by 1982CruzStart
Challenges of typing after a few drinks

[Gilly]

I  too am looking forward to sailing this itinerary with you @1982CruzStart.  Thanks for taking us along!

[flossie009]

Thanks to Kathy for leading the blog on this segment of the cruise.

 

As we booked the two segments at different times, we could not secure the same suite; so yesterday we moved a few doors along the same deck.
It was all very straightforward with a steward moving all our belongings as soon as the new suite had been cleaned & made ready.

Some issues with recoding our keycards to match the new suite but soon sorted by reception & security.

About 95 guests are continuing from the last cruise to this one.

 

Today was a lazy sea day:

 

Traditional champagne & caviar Sunday breakfast then a well attended M&M late morning.

We joined a new Trivia team this afternoon, but did not score very well 😥

Due to the expected popularity of Trivia on the numerous sea days, the venue has been moved from the Observation Lounge to the theatre for this cruise.

 

Many guests dressed up for the Formal Optional night and Captain’s welcome reception.

As Kathy reported, service was slow in CR tonight; then we popped into the theatre to catch some of the visiting singer’s numbers.

 

Looking forward to Malta tomorrow 

 

 

[1982CruzStart]

Noticed yesterday morning in La Veranda a significant vibration. Guessing that the Captain was going at just the right speed to cause the vibration.  

 

Woke around 4 to hear some major booming that lasted for the next couple of hours. Was too lazy to get up to see if the lightening was as spectacular to watch as the thunder was to hear.  By the look of our deck there was a lot of rain as well. Cloudy but not raining as we dock in Malta. 

[1982CruzStart]

View from our deck.  The Mein Schiff and a HAL ship are docked at the main dock so we are across the bay and a shuttle ferry service is provided for those that are going into town on their own. 

 

Ok no picture as the uploading has failed twice. 

 

The Vero water system works fine for us.  We asked for 2 bottles for our room and no problem. In fact for me this works better as the bottles are more manageable for my small hands. The bottles are heavier than plastic ones when empty but not sure there is much difference between the weight of the large plastic bottles and the new Vero glass bottles. 

 

For years I have carried my own refillable bottle to take with me so this not a change for me. 

[Hambagahle]

What fun - Flossie's "blog" was great and I love your continuation (and am also looking forward to her contributions).   Tornedos Rossini is one of my great favourites and I was happy to know it was perfect!  Will have to request this on our cruise...

 

Enjoy your cruise and thank you for taking us along!

Gerry

[DavidTheWonderer]

We were lucky to spend a few days in Luxor as part of a Uniworld Nile river cruise: for me that whole trip was one of my peak experiences.  We'll be in Safaga (Luxor) as part of a Mariner world cruise in April 2021 (unless something goes wrong) and are musing about spending the money on the Luxor excursion. So I will be especially looking forward to that part of your so-far excellent discussion of your cruise.

[forgap]

1 hour ago, DavidTheWonderer said:

We were lucky to spend a few days in Luxor as part of a Uniworld Nile river cruise: for me that whole trip was one of my peak experiences.  We'll be in Safaga (Luxor) as part of a Mariner world cruise in April 2021 (unless something goes wrong) and are musing about spending the money on the Luxor excursion. So I will be especially looking forward to that part of your so-far excellent discussion of your cruise.

When we went to Luxor, it was an included Regent tour with lunch on the Nile, Valley of the Kings, and Luxor.  It was a very long day but well worth it, even with an up charge.  
 

[flossie009]

A somewhat “grey” arrival into Valletta this morning:

 

Check in for our excursion this morning turned into a bit of “pot-luck”.

We arrived at the allotted time and presented our tickets for the paid “Go-Local” excursion “Ultimate Piscary Experience” and were given tickets for Bus #1; a good start 🙂

Then 15 minutes later we were called forward to be informed that our excursion had been cancelled due to weather conditions! (odd for a visit to a restaurant!).

We were invited to choose an alternative tour. We chose “Maltese Food & Wine” and were allocated Bus #12.

A little later we were called forward again to be told our bus was full so we were to be moved to Bus #11, but the same tour.

 

So finally we set off but on a different tour to that originally booked and almost an hour later than planned 😕

 

The tour took us around the island of Malta visiting various artisans and tasting their produce.

 

First a small traditional bakery in Rabat:

 

The friendly Baker

 

.... and his assistant

 

The wood fired bread oven

 

 

[flossie009]

Then it was off to a sheep farmer who produced sheep-milk cheese:

Baa.........

 

These two were born 3 days ago

 

Chris, the farmer, offered us samples

 

All the cheese produced is sold locally on the island

 

 

[flossie009]

After a stop to sample some cheese pasties we ended our tour at another farm with some snacks washed down with very quaffable local red & white wines 😋

 

Along the way we saw some of the island’s scenery and for the most part it was a dry & warm day following a grey start and now, as we look out of our balcony, a very rainy end.

 

 

 

 

We should be setting sail soon; a sea day tomorrow; next port is Rhodes.

 

[Hambagahle]

How strange about the original tour!  But how wonderful to have seen and done what you did.  Malta is such a fascinating place and I am sure the local cuisine reflects that.

[1982CruzStart]

This was our 2nd trip to Malta. I thought I had picked a tour to places we hadn't been before.  Didn't quite succeed in that though 2/3rd's was new. Went to Dingli Cliffs which we were told was the highest point on Malta and the most southernly part of Europe. 

Will try and post a picture but if the post appears without it blame it on the internet.  

 

We used the new app and it worked seamlessly for us, not so much for others. I would say about 85% of the group didn't know anything about it or didn't want to use it. 15% had downloaded and were ready to go but half of us couldn't get it to work.  Fortunately the guide had a loud voice so I think most everyone could hear what he had to say. We had to stand away from him or get everything as an echo. 

 

Went to the catacombs next. We were delayed entering and then when finally down there were plunged into darkness for a little while and waited for the lights to come back on. Everyone remained calm with a few turning on the flashlight app on their phones.

 

St. Paul's Cathedral was next and if I can get pictures to upload I will show some of the beautiful interior. 

 

[flossie009]

Our Trivia team did a lot better yesterday managing a creditable second place 😄

 

Leaving Valletta harbour

 

An excellent dinner at a shared table in Prime 7 was followed by front row seats in the theatre to watch another performance by the Production Cast and Band.
The singers, dancers & musicians are truly talented and very entertaining on Voyager at present.

 

 

It is still early but today looks promising for clear blue skies during our day at sea 😎

[1982CruzStart]

Unlike Susan I don't seem to be able to upload any pictures. 

 

We were also in Prime 7 last night. Enjoyed the beef tartare and the 2 lbs of king crab legs. Now that sounds like a lot but I suspect that there is 1.5 lbs of shell and .5 lb of delicious melt in your mouth crab. 

 

It was a fun evening.  

 

Tonight is the block party at 6 pm. We will attend and see how many others on our deck do so. After we will head up to Sette Mari for the first time this cruise. 

 

Going to be a lazy day at sea.  Yahoooooo.

 

[liptastic]

Sounds like a great cruise, thanks for posting and taking us along with you all. Jean.

[Hambagahle]

Someone on a recent cruise said that Prime 7 will take the meat out of the King Crabs claws if you ask...seems like a great idea to me!  I know they will take lobsters out of the shells as well.

[ronrick1943]

4 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

Someone on a recent cruise said that Prime 7 will take the meat out of the King Crabs claws if you ask...seems like a great idea to me!  I know they will take lobsters out of the shells as well.

They will, but part of the fun is taking the meat out yourself. Really😊