Splendor! 14th March 2020 - Live JOINT blog

[bissel]

Thanks again for your help. I wish I could talk with them. Sigh.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

13 hours ago, boblerm said:

There were several couples on our roll call that were planning on celebrating their anniversaries on this cruise that was not to be.

 

So to Mr. and Mrs. Bellagio Cruisers (Sheila and Herb), Mr. and Mrs. Hambagahle (Gerry and Ken), Mr. and Mrs. GOARMY (Jim and Sue) Mr. and Mrs. tnr (Terry and Ray), and any others on our roll call that may have been planning special events on board-

 

we wish you meaningful celebrations at home, lots of joyous commemorations in the future, and many, many more years of happy traveling together.🥂

 

Bob and Jeannie 

Bob and Jeannie

Our anniversary is March 27th. Obviously, we will celebrate in our home by ourselves. 🥂🎂.... it’s ok because we will toast to another year of health and happiness. 

As you know,  several special dinners were planned for aboard Splendor. 
Hopefully, some day the sun will shine again and we will all be able to sail on Splendor and enjoy everything we love about cruising on Regent. 
I think it makes us realize how important it is to live each day to its fullest and savor each moment.  
Bless everyone🙏
Sheila and Herb

[GOARMY]

Reference ronrick's earlier posting as to folks being better off aboard a ship--in this case HA's Zaandam on which my brother and sister-in-law are quartered--than on land:

 

There was that big caveat:  As long as no one is sick.

 

That ship has since sailed.  Within the last 22 hours, numerous passengers and crew reported "fly-like symptoms".  Therefore, passengers now confined to cabins.  All public spaces closed; all food service delivered.  And so-on and so-on.  The problem was, in hindsight:  Zaandam sailed from Buenos Aires on March 7th.  There were several port calls until March 13th.   Also, numerous passengers, including my kin, were already in Buenos Aires having participated in pre-cruise land excursions in Uruguay and Argentina.  

 

All these variables are now playing out.  The Captain hopes to obtain a transit "Reservation" through the Canal to allow landfall at Florida on March 30th.  As of now--that is not a certainty.  We are staying in touch several times a day as this matter continues to evolve.  Even after these persons disembark--anticipate two additional weeks in quarantine.  

 

In retrospect:  it was for the best Regent pulled the plug on our Splendor San Diego-Miami segment before sailing.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[GOARMY]

Reference my last:  Obviously, I meant flu-like symptoms.  Not trying to make a joke out of what is turning out to be another at-sea mess.  Fortunately, my brother and his wife have a veranda.  The ship is currently trying to arrange a schedule for those without verandas to get out of their cabins for at-least an hour a day.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[ronrick1943]

4 minutes ago, GOARMY said:

Reference my last:  Obviously, I meant flu-like symptoms.  Not trying to make a joke out of what is turning out to be another at-sea mess.  Fortunately, my brother and his wife have a veranda.  The ship is currently trying to arrange a schedule for those without verandas to get out of their cabins for at-least an hour a day.  

 

GOARMY!

 

You're right, I was thinking no sick people on the ship.  Didn't read that part on earlier post.  Wish them well and a safe return to the US.  I do think Regent did the right thing, maybe they (and all) should have done it sooner.

[Travelcat2]

I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone!  As mentioned previously, we "booked" a cruise in May (wishful thinking).  After reading on Cruise Critic that some members are booking cruises that they hope will be cancelled and they will get more FCC's, I realized that I did not want to be associated with anyone doing that so I emailed our TA and asked if the FCC's could be applied to one of our 2021 cruises.  Note:  The May cruise was not booked - the suite was being held until they could process the FCC's.

 

This morning I learned that the May cruise was now booked although they did not have all of the FCC's included yet.  Thus comes the Twilight Zone part.  I can now book dining reservations, excursions and likely flights.  I began doing the reservations for a cruise that will probably not happen and I wondered why on earth I was doing it.  At this point, all of the May cruises are "Wait Listed" so no one else can book at the moment.  

 

Since I have nothing better to do, I proceeded with the excursions.  There were very few and two ports had only Regent Choice excursions (not a complaint - just mentioning it for informational purposes.) Istanbul does not yet have excursions to book.   I need to discuss the Regent Choice excursions with my DH - even though this cruise will not happen.  

 

Then I noticed that they have me flying out of Seattle because the border is closed to Canada.  I told our TA that the last place on earth that I want to be is Seattle (the center of the virus) so they are changing my departure to YVR (Vancouver).  Now I suppose that I should find a flight.

 

All of this is surreal.  Since, except for the virus to disappearing, nothing would make me happier than taking this cruise (on Splendor) so I am going through the motions.

 

Just sharing on this thread since we were on the cruise that was cancelled less than 24 hours before embarkation.

 

P.S.  Off topic........ for years I followed psychic Sylvia Browne (who passed away about 7 years ago).  One of her predictions had to do with a severe illness that would affect your lungs would hit the world "around 2020".  This illness would suddenly appear and would disappear just as suddenly only to return in 10 years.  Do I believe it?  Not necessarily but the part about the year and lungs does make me wonder.......

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

11 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone!  As mentioned previously, we "booked" a cruise in May (wishful thinking).  After reading on Cruise Critic that some members are booking cruises that they hope will be cancelled and they will get more FCC's, I realized that I did not want to be associated with anyone doing that so I emailed our TA and asked if the FCC's could be applied to one of our 2021 cruises.  Note:  The May cruise was not booked - the suite was being held until they could process the FCC's.

 

This morning I learned that the May cruise was now booked although they did not have all of the FCC's included yet.  Thus comes the Twilight Zone part.  I can now book dining reservations, excursions and likely flights.  I began doing the reservations for a cruise that will probably not happen and I wondered why on earth I was doing it.  At this point, all of the May cruises are "Wait Listed" so no one else can book at the moment.  

 

Since I have nothing better to do, I proceeded with the excursions.  There were very few and two ports had only Regent Choice excursions (not a complaint - just mentioning it for informational purposes.) Istanbul does not yet have excursions to book.   I need to discuss the Regent Choice excursions with my DH - even though this cruise will not happen.  

 

Then I noticed that they have me flying out of Seattle because the border is closed to Canada.  I told our TA that the last place on earth that I want to be is Seattle (the center of the virus) so they are changing my departure to YVR (Vancouver).  Now I suppose that I should find a flight.

 

All of this is surreal.  Since, except for the virus to disappearing, nothing would make me happier than taking this cruise (on Splendor) so I am going through the motions.

 

Just sharing on this thread since we were on the cruise that was cancelled less than 24 hours before embarkation.

 

P.S.  Off topic........ for years I followed psychic Sylvia Browne (who passed away about 7 years ago).  One of her predictions had to do with a severe illness that would affect your lungs would hit the world "around 2020".  This illness would suddenly appear and would disappear just as suddenly only to return in 10 years.  Do I believe it?  Not necessarily but the part about the year and lungs does make me wonder.......

Hey Jackie

This is why I love you! 
It sounds just like something I would do. 
Love the psychic story....

sheila 

[Travelcat2]

18 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Hey Jackie

This is why I love you! 
It sounds just like something I would do. 
Love the psychic story....

sheila 

 

♥️ 

[daetchief]

I might have found something to look forward to:

 

18 Nights - Miami to San Francisco - Through the Panama Canal.  

18 December 2021- 5 January 2022. RSS Mariner - [Double] Holiday Cruise.

 

It's not Splendor [or Explorer] but it's the closest thing I can find to our cancelled voyage.

 

Tempting...

 

 

[Kiwifromkiev]

On 3/24/2020 at 1:28 PM, Travelcat2 said:

I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone! 

P.S.  Off topic........ for years I followed psychic Sylvia Browne (who passed away about 7 years ago).  One of her predictions had to do with a severe illness that would affect your lungs would hit the world "around 2020".  This illness would suddenly appear and would disappear just as suddenly only to return in 10 years.  Do I believe it?  Not necessarily but the part about the year and lungs does make me wonder.......

There are a lot of various theories doing rounds. One does not know what to believe. However, I do think that humans needed this wake up call to re-valuate our values, what's important and what's not. We are (in NZ) at the end of day 3 of a 4-week (at this stage, could be longer) lock down. And suddenly you understand that so many "important" things are not really matter that much! Today I did not have garlic whilst making an Italian dish, oh shock horror! normally I would have jumped in a car and drove to get it. Today? I just laughed it off and used garlic salt instead. Nobody complained, and the wine tasted even better! (mind you, it was a 2010 Merlot, but who counts, right?  🙂 Hope you and your DH weather this out and enjoy Regent again, soon!