Live from Navigator—Montreal to NYC—September 20 to October 1,2022

[2012_Alaska_bound]

12 hours ago, RachelG said:

 It was a movie that Ray made when the crew were stuck on the ship inMarch 2020 due to covid.

Is this available anywhere for the rest of us to see?

[Jagger 1947]

46 minutes ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Is this available anywhere for the rest of us to see?

I would love to see it too!

[RachelG]

8 hours ago, rich48100 said:

Glad you are making it through the weather and on the backside, if you will, of Fiona.  Don’t know if you have seen the news about all the damage in Canada along Fiona’s pathway, but lots of homes damaged and washed out to sea.   Big trees down and power out.  Good luck the rest of your trip, and hope you will be able to see as much as you had hoped.  Sounds like you are having a good time, and being stellar at Trivia as usual.

 

safe travels back to Tulsa town.

Miss you for trivia Rich.  We have a slot available on our team.

[RachelG]

6 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Is this available anywhere for the rest of us to see?

No idea.  I will ask Ray.

[labonnevie]

Rachel, are other staff officers hosting dinners with guests?

Or are your dinners with Ray just because you know him so well?

Earlier this year there were no staff/entertainers hosted tables. Would love to see them again as we always have enjoyed them and found the hosts interesting. 

[RachelG]

1 hour ago, labonnevie said:

Rachel, are other staff officers hosting dinners with guests?

Or are your dinners with Ray just because you know him so well?

Earlier this year there were no staff/entertainers hosted tables. Would love to see them again as we always have enjoyed them and found the hosts interesting. 

There are no hosted tables.  We just had dinner with Ray because we know him.

[RachelG]

September 26, 2022–Halifax, Nova Scotia

 

Another rocky night though not as much as the previous. I awoke to totally overcast skies.  Everything-sea, horizon, sky-was variegated shades of grey, with fog on one side and rain on the other.

 

We weren’t to arrive in Halifax until 11:00 am.  This was our original scheduled arrival time, not a delay due to the hurricane.  The weather forecast called for temps in the mid 60s and rain.  But first we had a morning edition of trivia.  We came in 2nd—my brain just wasn’t fully awake.

 

When we docked in Halifax,it was still raining pretty hard.  Our Lobsters and Lighthouses tour had been cancelled only a week ago, very annoying as all the other tours I had any interest in were full.  This cancellation thing has only just been happening since covid, and it needs to stop,particularly the last minute cancellations.  At any rate, we have been here before, so are just going to do our own thing.

 

We walked along the promenade by the harbor in the rain.  Not cold at all, just wet.  We headed to Salty’s a lobster restaurant I had found.  George had a 1 1/2 lb lobster while I had crab cakes.  They had 2 lb lobsters on offer too, but George feels the larger ones don’t taste as good.   He thought his was good but slightly over cooked.  It certainly looked good to me, and I don’t even like lobster much as it is just too much work. It poured rain all the time during lunch.

 

The Maritime Museum was close, so we headed there.  It is best known for the Titanic exhibit, which was good, but also has a very in-depth exhibit on the huge explosion in Halifax in 1917 which destroyed most of the city—the largest man made explosion in history until the atomic bombs in WWII.  There are also hundreds of models of every type of ship you can think of, and to top it off, the museum was free today.

 

By this time, the rain had stopped, so we walked to the citadel.  We could see lots of evidence of the hurricane with tree limbs down, leaves stripped off, and flowers destroyed.  

 

The citadel was a functioning military post until not that long ago.  George loves military history, armaments and fortifications, so this was just his kind of place.  We explored thoroughly.  I learned a lot about Canadian military history from the two world wars.  Since my knowledge of the subject was pretty much zero prior to this, it has increased by 100%.

 

We walked back to the ship as it started to spit rain again.  Entire day was grey.    

 

Dinner in Compass Rose was again a mixed bag.  My salad and steak were perfect, but George got this very fishy crab dish that was just nasty.  I had a bite and agreed, not good at all.  But the chocolate soufflé was probably the best either of us have have eaten.

 

And the sad news.  The port at St. John is messed up from the hurricane.  We can’t go there or anywhere else, so tomorrow will be another sea day.  I understand weather, but very disappointing.

 

The show was Broadway in Concert.  I have seen this show many times before, but they are constantly reworking it, so a lot of things were new.  And it was outstanding,

[PhD-iva]

Really enjoying your posts! Am looking forward to my first Regent cruise in early November. 😊

[RachelG]

On 9/26/2022 at 11:33 AM, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

Is this available anywhere for the rest of us to see?

Ray says no, he hasn’t published it anywhere.  He did give a copy to everyone who was in it, so maybe someone has posted it on YouTube 

[RachelG]

September 27, 2022–at sea yet again

 

We were supposed to be in St. John, New Brunswick today, but the captain had announced last evening that it would not be possible due to damage to the pier by Hurricane Fiona.  So we were to have another sea day.  Very disappointing, not that I had big plans for St. John, but we like to get off the ship and explore.

 

So we slept in which was really easy because the ship was going very slowly and rocking a lot.  When I finally got up and looked outside, I could see nothing except a solid blanket of white fog.  The fog horn was sounding every few minutes.  Then it started pouring rain—again.

 

They had a wine tasting (included)at 10:45 which I didn’t attend, opting for another try at bingo, with no win today.  Lunch in La Veranda was Indian themed, which George hates and I love, so he mostly picked at his food and complained while I ate lamb Korma, chicken samosas, raita, lentils, curried shrimp, and cauliflower.

 

Much of the complaining today had to do with the poor quality of the internet service, which was particularly terrible.  I was getting texts from my dentist office with appointment reminders, but couldn’t read emails or log on to the office.  George resorted to using some of our complementary phone time, which we never use, to talk to his office.

 

There was an afternoon show starring Stephanie Baldwin who is the wife of the general manager.  They are onboard with their two young sons, who are super cute and well behaved.  Apparently Stephanie was an entertainer onboard a few years back, met her husband, and now just happened to be onboard.  But she is a great singer.

 

We did terrible at trivia today—very difficult questions.  And almost none in my areas of knowledge.  The foghorns continued to blow all day.  I briefly tried to walk outside on the deck, but it was just too wet to be safe.

 

Dinner was in Sette Mare.  Very slow service, but the food was good once we got it.  George wanted more sauce for this pasta.  It arrived 20 minutes later after he had just gone ahead and eaten the pasta.  Not sure what the problem was.  Staff seemed flustered and unorganized.

 

The show was a guy named Jordan Bennett.  Never heard of him, but he has apparently been on Broadway a lot.  And he is a good singer.  The show was nice.  
 

and to top it off, George won big at blackjack.

[rcandkc]

The fog horn is extremely important but can get so frustrating.  This summer while near Greenland we had Mr. Fog horn all night several nights.   I was getting exhausted due to being a very light sleeper.  So, I tried sleeping in the closet on the floor😳😜.  It helps a little bit.  Being on lower deck or further back in ship would have helped.  Just part of cruising 😀.

[GOARMY]

labonnevie:  

 

Echoing RachelG a bit as to opportunities for evening dining at either Compass Rose, or one of the specialty restaurants, with Regent Officers, Staff, entertainers, and such--

 

Our two 2021 Regent segments did not include such opportunities, for reasons understood by all.  Who knows--when we board Mariner at L.A. next week--there may be a card in our Suite advising an "Invitation" to join with another couple for a dinner with a Regent Officer.  Put this at less than 50%. 

 

So, Spoiler alert:  following history is based on numerous pre-COVID cruises.  However, the ark appears to be a slow by steady return to whatever passes as the new-normal.   

 

Anyway, circa 2018 and 2019 cruises. Yes, dinner with Ray on one occasion at Compass Rose when aboard Navigator--at his invitation.

 

What an "event", long to be remembered.  Ray detailed some of his history-upon-the-stage experiences in England before he decided to seek a more "stable" employment situation as a ship Cruise Director.  I could hardly contain my responses to his refulgent details.  My dear wife had to caution me on several occasions to stay in my chair. I suggested Ray bottle up this history, and use it upon a Regent stage.     

 

On another cruise, my wife noted the Lead Singer whose bio was detailed in "Passages" was a young man who had previously performed in Musical Theater productions with our daughter upon stages at Pittsburgh and Chicago.  So--following his initial onboard show--had a message conveyed to him. 

 

Response:  met him for coffee the next day. How about dinner at Compass Rose?  He had to clear this with Regent, so as not to conflict with rehearsal schedules and subsequent performances.  Result:  a few days later, a very-pleasant dinner with him and the Production Company's lead female singer. 

 

Depending on the stars aligning--yes.  Such opportunities are available.   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[liptastic]

Your live thread is great as always . Thanks Jean.

[2012_Alaska_bound]

20 hours ago, rcandkc said:

I was getting exhausted due to being a very light sleeper.

 

Have you tried using earplugs? After you get used to them (a night or two) they can be a game changer. I always bring plenty for myself and whoever my roommate is, because (ahem) I've been told by my children that I snore.

[rcandkc]

2 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

 

Have you tried using earplugs? After you get used to them (a night or two) they can be a game changer. I always bring plenty for myself and whoever my roommate is, because (ahem) I've been told by my children that I snore.

Thank you but yes.  We even have a white noise machine.  I “feel” the noise besides hear it.  Have same trouble with road noise.  I need constant “noise”.  It’s when it changes I have a problem.  It’s a real pain!  Thank you for suggestion. 

[RachelG]

September 28, 2022–Bar Harbor Maine

 

We gained our lost hour back last night. Very smooth sailing, but the foghorn continued through the night.  And when we awoke, there was still a blanket of white outside, though at least I could actually see the water of the ocean again.

 

We were to be ready to present ourselves to US immigration officials at 8 am.  Ray started calling the groups to present themselves, and we were quickly through.  The captain came on overhead and said the fog had to clear some before the tenders would be allowed to run, so we went to La Veranda for a quick bite of breakfast.

 

The fog was burning off fast, but there were still 10 people who hadn’t gone through immigration.  Ray came on overhead, so politely, to ask them to present themselves.  He had to make 3 announcements to lure the stragglers in.  Finally, he had to call out the individual suite numbers.  Then the captain came on and asked those suite numbers to present themselves immediately. What’s the deal?  It was clearly announced multiple times.  The ship has to be cleared before they can let anyone off.  I just don’t understand.

 

Finally, we were cleared and able to board the tenders, as Bar Harbor is always a tender port.  Our morning excursion took us by bus up to the top of Cadillac Mountain then to Jordan Pond.  The sun had come out, and the views were spectacular from the top of the mountain.  We only had 20 minutes at the top due to the delays—I could easily have spent 2 hours there.  We then drove through the forest to Jordan Pond where we were served iced tea and popovers.  The popovers were very good (and I have baked a few of these over the years).  We had an hour here, so George and I ate quickly, then hiked along the pond.  There is a new boardwalk, which made it very easy.

 

Back to the dock, our original plan had been to have lunch in town then do our afternoon hiking tour.  But we were late for the hike.  Fortunately, they had taken this into account, so we just went directly on the hike.  There was only another couple and us plus the guide.  I had met the lady on my walks on the top deck so knew she was fit. We told the guide we were fast hikers, and she was all in for that.  So we had a great afternoon hiking the ocean view trail.  We even saw a wedding on the rocks.

 

Back to Bar Harbor, George was still wanting his lobster, so we went to Galyn’s, a place we have eaten at previously.  It did not disappoint.  He had a huge lobster with all the trimmings for $31 while I had crab cakes and salad for $18.  It was very delicious and a bargain to boot.

 

We went back to the ship just in time for Cruise Capers, the crew show.  They did a great job.  We were too full for dinner, so George went to lose some money in the casino. I went to the show, The Great American Song Factory, which was basically 50s and 60s pop music. It was pretty well done, but not my favorite.

[irishwitchy]

So happy to hear, it wasn’t raining again!  Love Jordan Pond and the pop overs.  

[Aloha 1]

Rachel; When you find time, would appreciate your overview opinion of Navigator. Thanks!

[RachelG]

A few Halifax pics

[RachelG]

Bar Harbor views

[RachelG]

More Bar Harbor 

[RachelG]

September 29,2022–Boston, Massachusetts 

 

When we awoke, we were already at the seaport in Boston.  We had a quick breakfast then met for our excursion, a walking tour of the Freedom Trail.  It was bright and sunny but pretty chilly to start off with temps in the 50s.  Our guide assured us it would get better with the sun out, and eventually he was correct.

 

Traffic in Boston is always terrible as far as my experience, and today was no different, so it took quite a while to get to our drop off point by the Boston Commons.  I have done this walk several times, but always learn something new, and today was no different.

 

We went by all the usual stops with interesting commentary.  The cemetery was particularly interesting as he pointed out how gruesome some of the headstones are, with skeletons, skulls and crossbones, the grim reaper featuring prominently.  We didn’t get to go inside anywhere.  Since I had done this before, I didn’t particularly care, but if it had been my first visit, I would have been disappointed not to go inside the old north church.

 

At the end of the tour, our guide took us to a spot by the aquarium and said that was where the shuttle bus back to the ship would pick us up, and that it was running every 30 minutes.  George and I wanted to have lunch in the North End, so we just made note and took off.

 

Lunch at Benevento’s was disappointing.  We had a nice salad to start, but the pizza was tough and tasteless, which is weird because we were watching the guys making the crust and cooking it in a brick oven.

 

We decided to have a look at the aquarium.  Pricey but it had a lot of interesting fish and a big penguin exhibit.  We went outside to catch our shuttle, and another guy was there.  He told us this wasn’t the stop for our shuttle, but was for Oceania instead.  Fortunately he knew where we were supposed to go, about 3 blocks away, so we headed over and found it.

 

Back onboard, we came in 3rd at trivia, but we were missing 2 team members, so not shabby.

 

Dinner was in Prime 7.  We weren’t able to get a reservation prior to 8 pm, which is later than I prefer to eat, but George really wanted to eat there again.  We were having a perfectly nice meal, everything lovely, when the man at the table next to us started shouting loudly at the waiter.  Very upsetting.  I don’t know what he was upset about.  His wife seemed embarrassed, but it definitely threw off the evening.  Perhaps he has early Alzheimer’s or something. But it was uncalled for.  Our dinner was delicious.

 

We missed the show due to the late meal and the outburst.  An observation though—as of this evening, all staff are again wearing masks.  We asked why.  Apparently there are multiple covid cases among passengers and staff. I had heard of a couple of passengers with covid a couple of days ago.  George and I feel fine and are double faxed and triple boosted, so I am not worried.

[ON cruiser]

Hope you stay healthy! I am really enjoying your great descriptions and photos of the ports and the ambience of the ship. Thanks for taking your vacation time to do this.

 

ON Cruiser 

Edited September 30, 2022 by ON cruiser
typo correction

[kjbacon]

6 hours ago, RachelG said:

We missed the show due to the late meal and the outburst.  An observation though—as of this evening, all staff are again wearing masks.  We asked why.  Apparently there are multiple covid cases among passengers and staff. I had heard of a couple of passengers with covid a couple of days ago.  George and I feel fine and are double faxed and triple boosted, so I am not worried.

I am sure that you are as well informed as we were, just a quick mention that like you, we were fully vaxxed and boosted but still got Covid on our July/august cruise. On our upcoming February cruise, we will return to mask wearing indoors on the ship. And no more elevators!

[RachelG]

3 hours ago, kjbacon said:

I am sure that you are as well informed as we were, just a quick mention that like you, we were fully vaxxed and boosted but still got Covid on our July/august cruise. On our upcoming February cruise, we will return to mask wearing indoors on the ship. And no more elevators!

I definitely stay away from elevators!