Third time's a Splendor, a "live-ish" report for January 21-February 8, 2023 cruise

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Btw, as to the vibe in our mid-aft concierge on deck 10. It's hardly detectable unless you're lying in bed with your ear to the pillow, and then it's a mere flutter really. Seas are quite calm as we chug south around Haiti heading for Curacao.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Went to a ladies' wellness event today put on by the spa. It was a mini-facial. It was quite fun and very relaxing. Surprisingly not a huge sales pitch, although the products were there to buy.

[CruiserFromMaine]

Some photos, should upload ok. Internet has been quite good. 

Miami skyline as we left port.

Brunch, two photos.

From the infinity pool. 

 

[CruiserFromMaine]

We had a relaxing afternoon yesterday 

although my wife did some work. Internet was good enough for that and seems good overall. 

 

Captain’s reception was fine. Dinner in Prime 7. I had the wedge salad and surf and turf. Wedge salad had ranch dressing so it’s different but I liked it. I think of a wedge with blue cheese dressing. Steak was good but not great, needed some seasoning. My wife had the lamb and enjoyed it. We shared the famous caramel popcorn sundae and it was really good! Staff seemed hurried but service was good. Our waiter seemed new. Only one sommelier for the restaurant. There were quite a few people with 7:30 reservations. 

 

Listened to the Lemon Duo in the Splendor Lounge. I really like the multiple choices for live music but the Lemon Duo didn’t excite us. We’ll give them another shot. 

 

Divos and Divas was really good. A couple of the female singers, in particular, have great voices. 

 

Went to Guess That Tune after the show. We came in fifth so no points for us. 

 

Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class this morning. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

Yesterday we did the Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class. We made a beef dish, a shrimp dish and a crepe for dessert, plus a mojito to start—at 10am! Chef Kelli (?) Evans did a great job of explaining what to do, and then recapped it for us. I know she was good because what I made came out great, and I’m not a cook. The ship was rocking and a couple folks left early because of that.  (The class is on deck 11.) What we made was enough for lunch. Oh yes, a glass of white wine was served as well! The class ended at noon. 

 

It was a quiet afternoon. We both took a nap. Going outside was too windy for us, but a lot of people were out. The pool was closed but hot tubs were open. The photography seminar was good. We had a block party, only the fourth on this ship since the restart. 

 

We visited the Meridian Lounge where the orchestra was playing for a pre-dinner cocktail was playing and then had our first dinner in Compass Rose. We went with the server’s recommendation, which we often do on a cruise. The corn and chili soup was nice and flavorable, but the chicken Kiev was a bit of a let down. The Malva pudding more than made up for it, though! The service was excellent with several people coming over to make sure everything was good and even remembering our names. 

 

Off to the Splendor Lounge for the Lemon Duo. They’re growing on me, the guitarist is really talented. We took a quick detour to observe in the casino, the tables were busy. 

 

Then the show with guest performer Patty Dess. Wow, she was excellent! A great singer with an engaging stage presence. She sang some of the best songs from singers such as Whitney Houston and Tina Turner and back to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, and more. Don’t miss it!

 

According to the CD last night, we have 706 guests on board, or 94% full, the large majority from the US. 

 

Then we headed back up to hear Gino de Luca in the Observation Lounge. Very small crowd tonight but he did another wonderful set. He a great pianist who loves the extra flourish on the keyboard, has a very nice voice and is also engaging. 

 

Breakfast in Compass Rose this leisurely morning and now we’re heading into port at Curaçao. The pilot boat just pulled away. There’s a Royal Caribbean ship and a NCL ship in port already. 

 

The internet continues to be quite good. My wife is doing some work and we’ve both had to deal with a few emails and texts. 

 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We are onboard this cruise, as well.. love this ship..

nothing additional to report. Everyone is going a great job describing the Splendor. 
Dinner in Compass Rose the first two evenings were some of our best dining on Regent. Great service and delicious food. 
sheila and herb

[Gpilon]

1 hour ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

Yesterday we did the Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class. We made a beef dish, a shrimp dish and a crepe for dessert, plus a mojito to start—at 10am! Chef Kelli (?) Evans did a great job of explaining what to do, and then recapped it for us. I know she was good because what I made came out great, and I’m not a cook. The ship was rocking and a couple folks left early because of that.  (The class is on deck 11.) What we made was enough for lunch. Oh yes, a glass of white wine was served as well! The class ended at noon. 

 

It was a quiet afternoon. We both took a nap. Going outside was too windy for us, but a lot of people were out. The pool was closed but hot tubs were open. The photography seminar was good. We had a block party, only the fourth on this ship since the restart. 

 

We visited the Meridian Lounge where the orchestra was playing for a pre-dinner cocktail was playing and then had our first dinner in Compass Rose. We went with the server’s recommendation, which we often do on a cruise. The corn and chili soup was nice and flavorable, but the chicken Kiev was a bit of a let down. The Malva pudding more than made up for it, though! The service was excellent with several people coming over to make sure everything was good and even remembering our names. 

 

Off to the Splendor Lounge for the Lemon Duo. They’re growing on me, the guitarist is really talented. We took a quick detour to observe in the casino, the tables were busy. 

 

Then the show with guest performer Patty Dess. Wow, she was excellent! A great singer with an engaging stage presence. She sang some of the best songs from singers such as Whitney Houston and Tina Turner and back to Etta James and Aretha Franklin, and more. Don’t miss it!

 

According to the CD last night, we have 706 guests on board, or 94% full, the large majority from the US. 

 

Then we headed back up to hear Gino de Luca in the Observation Lounge. Very small crowd tonight but he did another wonderful set. He a great pianist who loves the extra flourish on the keyboard, has a very nice voice and is also engaging. 

 

Breakfast in Compass Rose this leisurely morning and now we’re heading into port at Curaçao. The pilot boat just pulled away. There’s a Royal Caribbean ship and a NCL ship in port already. 

 

The internet continues to be quite good. My wife is doing some work and we’ve both had to deal with a few emails and texts. 

 

Are you aware if Regent is "holding open" any suites on your cruise in case of COVID quarantine? I believe they may be doing that for our Splendor TA the end of March.

 

[crusin7]

My sister and I are also on this cruise.  I agree everything has been great!  We ate at Sette Mari the first 2 nights.  We sat outside with July as our waiter.  The service, food and atmosphere were outstanding!  Last night was our first night in Compass Rose.  Food  and service were both very good.  We have made several deposits in the casino.  Tony is a very friendly casino manager.  
Our internet has been marginal.  Now that we are docked it has improved.  The AKA Brickell was WAY below Regents standards!  I have a broken foot and have one crutch.  We must have walked forever to get to our room.

is this 5 star luxury???

I’m excited to be going on our first excursion…a train ride.  

[kjbacon]

The buffet pictures look delicious!! That’s also a great shot of the infinity pool. Has the pool water been warm?

[PaulMCO]

2 hours ago, Gpilon said:

Are you aware if Regent is "holding open" any suites on your cruise in case of COVID quarantine? I believe they may be doing that for our Splendor TA the end of March.

 

I can tell you from the Nov/Dec TA Barcelona to Miami -- NO.  Ship was full and we quarantined in the suite.  No chance for DW to escape.

[Gpilon]

9 minutes ago, PaulMCO said:

I can tell you from the Nov/Dec TA Barcelona to Miami -- NO.  Ship was full and we quarantined in the suite.  No chance for DW to escape.

Thanks for the answer. And let your Bride know I am sorry………

 

[-Lew-]

Dining al fresco in Sette Mari in Willemstad, Curaçao harbor yesterday evening was magical.

 

Our first Regent cruise, after 60+ on other lines, and loving every minute...

[Wendy The Wanderer]

5 hours ago, -Lew- said:

 

Our first Regent cruise, after 60+ on other lines, and loving every minute...

So glad to hear you're enjoying yourself. We are loving Splendor too, our 13th and perhaps last Regent cruise. I've heard others who seem to want to be very critical but we are blown away.

[CruiserFromMaine]

On the Splendor. 

 

After lunch in La Veranda yesterday we took the trolley tour of Willemstad. There was a long taxi ride over the big bridge (Queen Julianna Bridge) to the trolley ride start, which was really only a short walk over the floating bridge.  

 

We were docked right in the harbor, very convenient. The picture is of the Splendor from the floating bridge, which needed to open to let us in and out. 

 

The narrated ride was about 90 minutes in an open air trolley. It was OK but not great. After the trolley ride, we walked over the floating bridge to the ship. 

 

We grabbed some savory snacks from Coffee Connection and went back to our room to have them with done champagne. There were no other food options. Before dinner we stopped in to heat Gino at the Observation Lounge, then off to Pacific Rim for a wonderful dinner. I had the Miso Cod with the duck confit spring rolls as a starter—excellent! 

 

In lieu of a show in the theater there was dancing on the pool deck since we were in port late. What a fun party. CD David, the entertainers and the orchestra sang and played nonstop for almost 90 minutes. Many folks were there and most danced at least some of the time. We never stopped! It was such fun and a great workout too! 

 

The orchestra regrouped in the Meridian Lounge with hardly a break for more music. My initial hesitation about the orchestra is now gone—they are extremely talented plus they work their <instruments> off!

 

Quiet morning in Aruba with no excursion. We ventured into town then returned for lunch in Prime 7. It was very good if a little leisurely but we had nowhere else to be. I had the shrimp and grits starter and the fisherman’s platter. 

 

We talked with the executive concierge about our mid-cruise survey. He’d obviously read our concerns about the AKA Brickell and the construction around the elevators. He said others had complained too, and also on previous cruises. He will forward our concerns to corporate. We’ll see what happened next. The hotel was supposed to be finished by now, and Regent books rooms a couple months out so I understand how Regent got caught short, but it was still a rough start to our vacation. 

 

Now sitting by the infinity pool enjoying the quiet afternoon. 

 

The water view is from our veranda this morning in Aruba. 

[Roccaforte]

We’re also loving every minute.  The drive from Naples wasn’t too bad.  Our Google Maps got us right to terminal J.  So far we’ve tried Pacific Rim and Prime 7.  Both were wonderful.  We went to lunch at Chartreuse yesterday since we had a later tour.  Loved that one too.  Tonight we’ll try to get into Sette Mari.  Hope it works out.

Since  we’re bridge players we were hoping to find other players.  Turns out there is a director on board so we were able to play two days.  On the second day  we had seven tables!  Very nice crowd and lots of fun and laughs.

Only problem is the time is passing too quickly.  I think, for us, after sailing on Splendor there’s no going back to other lines.   I hope this  isn’t Wendy the Wanderer’s last cruise😩

DH and I plan to continue as long as we’re able.

[cruiseej]

@Wendy The Wanderer I remember you from when I was a fairly regular reader and contributor on this forum a decade or so ago when we did a bunch of Regent cruises. 🙂 Since I know you've cruised on Voyager and Mariner, ships we also previously cruised on, I'd be especially interested in your assessment of whether the additional cost for your Concierge suite seems to you to be a worthwhile upgrade over the smaller Deluxe Veranda like on the older ships.

 

(I'd welcome anyone else's thoughts on Deluxe Veranda versus Superior versus Concierge versus Penthouse as well.)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've never done concierge on the older ships, and no, I do not think it's worth it unless perhaps you're new to Regent. The concierge suite on Splendor is physically the same as the Superior Suite. Higher up, which can be nice, coffee maker, binoculars, and of course the hotel night. Not worth it for us, but it is pleasant to have coffee in the morning on demand. The layout of the cabin is wonderful, btw.

 

Great to be back on RSSC and Splendor is awesome.

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Wendy The Wanderer

[CruiserFromMaine]

@Wendy The Wanderer Good to know about the concierge vs superior suites. We are new to Regent but the hotel was marginal at best and the transport to the ship wasn’t much better. But we booked with a two category upgrade promotion so presumably we didn’t pay extra.

Thanks for the info!

Edited January 26, 2023 by CruiserFromMaine

[-Lew-]

FYI...  For those doing a B2B, there is no requirement to participate in muster on turnaround day if you did so on embarkation day.  This was confirmed with Reception.

[bitob]

On 1/23/2023 at 5:28 AM, CruiserFromMaine said:

We had a relaxing afternoon yesterday 

although my wife did some work. Internet was good enough for that and seems good overall. 

 

Captain’s reception was fine. Dinner in Prime 7. I had the wedge salad and surf and turf. Wedge salad had ranch dressing so it’s different but I liked it. I think of a wedge with blue cheese dressing. Steak was good but not great, needed some seasoning. My wife had the lamb and enjoyed it. We shared the famous caramel popcorn sundae and it was really good! Staff seemed hurried but service was good. Our waiter seemed new. Only one sommelier for the restaurant. There were quite a few people with 7:30 reservations. 

 

Listened to the Lemon Duo in the Splendor Lounge. I really like the multiple choices for live music but the Lemon Duo didn’t excite us. We’ll give them another shot. 

 

Divos and Divas was really good. A couple of the female singers, in particular, have great voices. 

 

Went to Guess That Tune after the show. We came in fifth so no points for us. 

 

Flip Flop Caribbean cooking class this morning. 

In prime 7 I ask them to add blue cheese crumbles and replace dressing with blue cheese dressing. Some classic recipes should not be altered 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Nice meal in CR last night, shared with a couple from London. So far we've enjoyed all the passengers we've met on board. Spent time with the CD, David Neven, and he's a very nice man, and doing a good job. Saw the 'spicy' show, Crossroads, which we thought was very well done. Bought my spices in Grenada today. We've been here before, so no tour. A physically beautiful island, kind of gritty, with lovely people. I like it. 

 

 

[CruiserFromMaine]

After our tour of Bonaire we had lunch and relaxed. Later, we went to the afternoon tea. The afternoon tea is not Regent’s strong point. There is no place to put your tea bag except right on your saucer. The scones are only average for taste and the tea sandwich selection is short and some have pretty dry bread. Certainly not a huge deal but a missed opportunity for Regent. 

 

Pre-dinner drinks in the Observation Lounge with Gino again. He’s good!They have good cocktails there. I liked the Splendor. I also like the chips, pretzels, etc they bring by. The canapés are good too. 

 

Dinner in Chatreuse. Wow! The entire experience from start to finish was great. The escargot was a different presentation for me and delicious. The beef was perfect as was the wine, and the service was top notch. I forgot to take photos. We tried to book into Chartreuse again but it’s totally booked until the next segment. 

 

Patty Dess did another wonderful show for us after dinner, then more Gino afterwards. 

 

The next day, Friday, we arrived in Grenada around 1pm. We had a ship tour of the island with stops at a botanical garden/spice farm, Annandale waterfall and Grand Etang Park. It’s a beautiful volcanic mountainous island with steep narrow roads and a fair amount of traffic; the traffic is especially heavy right in the city. The roads are well-paved. It’s a big island and we only saw part of it. The tour was a typical island overview tour and our driver/guide was very good. Riding on steep narrow roads, on “the wrong side” for us Americans, was an experience in itself! 

 

We returned around 6:00 and changed for dinner; Sette Mari tonight. They first offered us the same table we sat at a few nights ago for “the incident”. It was Too Soon for that so we sat elsewhere but indoors. Dinner was good; we’ve sampled many of the items there now. Probably Compass Rose from here on out. 

 

Speaking of Compass Rose, we received an invitation to dine with the General Manager on Monday night in CR. In the 25 or so cruises we’ve done, it’s the first such invitation we’ve received, so of course we said yes!

 

Monday will be a big day for us. We cleared the wait list for the Wine Lunch, so we’ll be doing that Monday too! 

 

Last night’s show featured the production cast in a show with James Bond-ish plot about a stolen diamond. The singing and dancing were again excellent. 

 

We skipped Gino after the show. We were both tired after a week or so of being indulged! 
 

Below, the Etang park, a very enjoyable Chianti with dinner last night, the end of the show, our ship at dock in Grenada, and the waterfall  

[CruisetheCs]

I'm curious what the opinions are about sound levels in the theater and lounges on Splendor.  On most Regent cruises I find that the sound level has been uncomfortably loud.  In the lounges it was usually difficult to converse.  I haven't been on Splendor yet so wondering if the sound level is annoying loud as it can be on the other ships.

[kjbacon]

We are doing a similar itinerary to yours in just about 10 days so your live from is all the better. We are doing what looks like the same shorex in Grenada so thank you for those great pictures.

 

About Chartreuse, do you remember the wine that you had or which beef dish?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

19 hours ago, CruisetheCs said:

I'm curious what the opinions are about sound levels in the theater and lounges on Splendor.  On most Regent cruises I find that the sound level has been uncomfortably loud.  In the lounges it was usually difficult to converse.  I haven't been on Splendor yet so wondering if the sound level is annoying loud as it can be on the other ships.

The levels were a little loud for the Crossroads show, but the levels in the lounges have been very acceptable.