Rare boblerm Posted September 22 #1 Share Posted September 22 This post was recognized by LauraS! "Thank you for sharing your review with everyone at Cruise Critic. Please consider submitting it to the site for publication as well: Click: Write a Review" boblerm was awarded the badge 'Great Review' This was not a perfect cruise. Here are some of the issues that we encountered: · One night at Compass Rose, both of our soup courses were lukewarm The Seafood Sampler in Prime 7 lacked sweetness and tenderness In Pacific Rim, the waiter tried to take our order before the wine steward offered us wine. That happened again one evening in Compass Rose The veal chop in Sette Mari was prepared properly and was flavorful, but was too fatty for my preference My wife ordered a tonic with lime before the show in the Constellation Theater, and it was delivered,…. (brace yourself), …..sans lime!!!! In the event that my lame attempt at irony is not coming through (likely), let me rephrase. Our cruise experience was, in every respect, as good as it has been on any previous Regent cruise. Or a cruise on any other line for that matter. The glitches, or missteps, as happens on every cruise, were very few and very minor, and did not detract from our having a fabulous time. Some specifics: Cuisine - excellent in all venues. Compass Rose: The aforementioned lukewarm soup event happened on our first visit to Compass Rose. We mentioned this to the “Deputy Head Waiter”, (a position that I never knew existed), a delightful young lady named Misha. She immediately replaced our soups, and then every night thereafter, she greeted us by name and assured us that our courses would arrive hot. And they did; hot and delicious. I don’t think that we had one course during the entire cruise in CR that we did not enjoy. At Prime 7, this is the second consecutive cruise that my wife had the seafood sampler and was disappointed in it. So, I think we are finished with that one. I had surf and turf, filet mignon with lobster tail. I think that I have by now tried all of the cuts of beef at P7, and for me, the filet is the most tender cut. The lobster tail that accompanied it was sweet and tender, much better than the half lobster tail that came with the sampler. Go figure. For the first time ever, we had a second reservation at a specialty restaurant. Normally, one is enough for us since we love Compass Rose so much. But our butler, Bobby, was practically begging us to ask him to do something for us, we are pretty low maintenance and don’t really need all that much from the butler. But he booked us a table for 2 at P7 for the last night, and we didn’t have the heart to tell him no. My wife had the lamb chops, they came perfectly prepared. I had the whole lobster, it was excellent. Between the 2 visits, our appetizers were Ahi Tuna & Avocado Poke, Lump Crab Cake, Goat Cheese Piquillos & Portobello Tart, Diver Scallop, Onion Soup, and Clam Chowder. I don’t think that I would have the chowder again, too much potato, not enough clams. It was offered as a special in Compass Rose one night, and I thought that it was better there. Everything else was excellent. Don’t get me started on the Caramel Popcorn Sundae. Pacific Rim- crab summer roll, veggies pot stickers. duck and watermelon salad, soft shell crab tempura were starters, lobster tempura and Asian barbecue ribs were mains. No regrets about any of these choices. The coconut tapioca pudding for dessert was just ok. Chartreuse- For me, the Beef Tenderloin Rossini is the best cut of beef on the ship. My wife had the Seared Scallops, excellent. The mushroom soup is heavenly. The Crème Brûlée à la Vanille de Tahiti is sinful. We had all of our breakfasts at La Veranda, and lunches at La Veranda or Pool Grill. We find the variety of items offered and the quality to be more than adequate, we never have any trouble finding things that we love. Entertainment- When we cruise, we never miss the evening entertainment, whether it is the production shows or the specialty acts. There were no misses on this cruise, every show was very enjoyable. For the production shows, the Regent singers and dancers in this cast were all outstanding. The arrangements, choreography, sound, lighting and costumes (with frequent changes) never failed to impress. One of the things that make Regent productions unique is the use of LED backdrop scenery which makes for some spectacular effects, although I imagine that some may find it a bit over the top. All but one of the shows were backed by the Regent Signature Orchestra, which I find to be an accomplished group on every cruise that I have taken. The shows for this voyage were Pasión- One Night in Buenos Aires- Tango dancing set to both Spanish tunes and some modern tunes, extremely well performed Icons- Hit songs from various headliners. Frankly, I would have chosen some different icons to feature, but still, the singing and dancing made for an enjoyable show. Marauders Ball- A pirate themed show that is supposed to have a story associated with it. I am not a fan of the story-based shows. I find the attempts at a plot to be lame and dopey, and I can never make any sense of them. Nevertheless, the production elements make for an enjoyable experience. This, however, was the only production to have recorded instrumentation as opposed to the live Regent Signature Orchestra. Ignite the Night In this show, the wonderful singers take backstage to the dancers. It features some very creative choreography and was performed flawlessly. To me, it rivals any show that I have seen at sea. Broadway Unplugged This show is a different concept from the Broadway in Concert show that is featured on the other Regent ships; it showcases popular Broadway tunes reimagined in different musical styles. Very entertaining. The specialty acts were a very funny comic named Corey Kahaney, and a singer/ guitar player/pianist/impressionist named Travis Turpin. Both put on great shows. The Cruise Director, David Nevin, did a show and his amazing voice had the entire audience on its feet. Guest Lecturers – Sandra Cares offered talks on the history and highlights of the various ports. I found her to be interesting and engaging. Cheri Steinkellner is an award winning screenwriter who spoke about sitcoms and Broadway shows, sadly, I missed both of her lectures. Culinary Arts Class- My wife is a gourmet cook (lucky me!!!), and I pretty much know how to boil water. We took the Passport to the North Atlantic course, taught by Chef Kelly, and we both enjoyed it very much. Service- There has been some recent reporting saying that the service on Grandeur recently has been sub-par, and the staff seems to be in need of more training. There are 2 possibilities- a) I was just lucky in not encountering the untrained staff or b)The problem no longer exists I am going with b), since I was served in many different venues (all of them, I’m pretty sure), by many different crew members. While there had been an occasional misstep, they were few, far between, and relatively minor. The crew was uniformly friendly, personable, and very eager to please. For me, the service was as good as one can reasonably expect. The most recent 4 reviews on the Cruise Critic Review section for the Grandeur have been absolutely dreadful. I respectfully disagree. I have submitted this review there, it has not yet been published. 23 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 22 Author #2 Share Posted September 22 I 🧡 cruising out of NY Never fails to give me goosebumps "Water's Soul"- sculpture on the Jersey side. At first, I thought that she was shushing me, but upon further review, she seems to be in deep contemplation Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indigosea Posted September 22 #3 Share Posted September 22 Thank you for your comprehensive review. We board in NY next month. Absolutely can’t wait for this cruise! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liptastic Posted September 22 #4 Share Posted September 22 We were also on this cruise. We had the pleasure of meeting the very delightful Bob and his wife Jeannie. This was our third time doing this itinerary, which we really like. It was a great cruise. We enjoyed the entertainment that we attended, David Nevin show as always was great, and we really enjoyed Travis Turpin both shows and his last evening acoustic set in Meridian lounge. Krew Kapers the highlight of all the shows for us. We didn’t experience any service issues. Weather was fabulous and on the whole excursions were good. Some as always better than others. Jean. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 22 Author #5 Share Posted September 22 1 hour ago, indigosea said: Thank you for your comprehensive review. We board in NY next month. Absolutely can’t wait for this cruise! I wish you a wonderful cruise. I predict that it will be just that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 22 Author #6 Share Posted September 22 1 hour ago, liptastic said: We were also on this cruise. We had the pleasure of meeting the very delightful Bob and his wife Jeannie. This was our third time doing this itinerary, which we really like. It was a great cruise. We enjoyed the entertainment that we attended, David Nevin show as always was great, and we really enjoyed Travis Turpin both shows and his last evening acoustic set in Meridian lounge. Krew Kapers the highlight of all the shows for us. We didn’t experience any service issues. Weather was fabulous and on the whole excursions were good. Some as always better than others. Jean. Thank you Jean, it was truly a pleasure to meet the two of you as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Georgia_Peaches Posted September 22 #7 Share Posted September 22 Thank you for your review! I find that more often than not, people who are disgruntled about this or that are the ones most likely to leave a review...negative, at that. Though I take most with a grain of salt, it is nice to come across a positive one every now and then. We embark Grandeur in April 2025 for an 11 night Med cruise. It's pricey and reading negative reviews one after another can make one who is unfamiliar with the brand, such as myself, begin to second guess. Between your review and a recent posting on Youtube by a very tall travel agent, I'm feeling pretty good about our decision to give her a try. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avidtravler Posted September 22 #8 Share Posted September 22 Hi Boblerm, We very much enjoyed your initial commentary on the Grandeur. Your suggestions on all the various aspects of the ship will certainly come in handy. We are considering this same itinerary of New York to Montreal, and since you did such a great job on the ship, we are wondering whether you might have the time to critique the ports of call. I am sure those interested in the cruise would be most appreciative. Your discussion of tours you took, highlights not to be missed, and any general comments on the excursions would be most helpful. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kjbacon Posted September 23 #9 Share Posted September 23 Great pictures, Bob! Thanks so much for the helpful review (and for making me sooo hungry reading it) 😆 I’m really happy that you and Jeanie had such a great cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 23 Author #10 Share Posted September 23 12 hours ago, Avidtravler said: Hi Boblerm, We very much enjoyed your initial commentary on the Grandeur. Your suggestions on all the various aspects of the ship will certainly come in handy. We are considering this same itinerary of New York to Montreal, and since you did such a great job on the ship, we are wondering whether you might have the time to critique the ports of call. I am sure those interested in the cruise would be most appreciative. Your discussion of tours you took, highlights not to be missed, and any general comments on the excursions would be most helpful. Stand by! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 23 Author #11 Share Posted September 23 Ports and Excursions We have done this itinerary a number of times, and never tire of it. So we have visited some of these ports multiple times. We always try to find excursions that we have not done yet, but frankly, we have no problem repeating some of the great ones. Newport There is so much to do here, which makes it difficult to choose what to do in one day. For first-time visitors, I would suggest touring the mansions, the Cliff Walk, or a historic city walking tour. As we have done all of these in the past, we chose the Schooner and Mimosa Cocktail excursion. We sailed on an 80-foot schooner around Narragansett Bay. The crew raised the sails, and we sailed around seeing the sights and hearing the commentary about the history of the area while sipping mimosas or soft drinks. It was a very pleasant way to spend the morning, and I would recommend this excursion, but if I was visiting for the first time, I think that I would choose one of the ones that I mentioned earlier. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyDol Posted September 23 #12 Share Posted September 23 boblerm, Thank you so much for your Grandeur , "not so perfect review"! It was so refreshing to see that a great sense of humor can still surface on Cruise Critic. Lately I have found myself frustrated with so many negative comments, particularly about Grandeur. Of course, I often remind myself that the site is called, Cruise CRITIC☺️ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackseatCruiser Posted September 24 #13 Share Posted September 24 On 9/22/2024 at 12:29 PM, boblerm said: Perhaps what it means is what happens in New York City stays in New York City! Nice review, Pretty Boy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PaulMCO Posted September 24 #14 Share Posted September 24 Thank you for the review. I always try to leave a review on each cruise, good or bad. It takes alot of effort to write one, if one wants to be constructive. Likely you see more bad ones than good. Good to see you had a great cruise. Most of your favorites at the specialties are ours too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 24 Author #15 Share Posted September 24 (edited) 2 hours ago, BackseatCruiser said: Perhaps what it means is what happens in New York City stays in New York City! Nice review, Pretty Boy. Thanks @BackseatCruiser, and good to know that you recognize good looks. 😳 Edited September 24 by boblerm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoBro713 Posted September 24 #16 Share Posted September 24 We sail out of NYC on Oct 23 on Grandeur. What’s the best lounge to watch the departure? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 24 Author #17 Share Posted September 24 34 minutes ago, MoBro713 said: We sail out of NYC on Oct 23 on Grandeur. What’s the best lounge to watch the departure? thanks The only lounge in which you can watch the departure is the Observation. The good news is that you can see a full view, port, starboard and forward. The bad news is that it is entirely behind glass. If you want an outside view, you will have to go up to deck 12. There you will have port and starboard views, but sadly, no forward view. A design flaw in the Explorer class of ships, IMO. Lady Liberty will be starboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomTN Posted September 24 #18 Share Posted September 24 It was a wonderful cruise for us too, expecially the food and the service. We will likely book a 2025 Alaska cruise on Regent soon. Our favorite cruise line. The only thing we didn't like was Covid at the end of the Cruise. Yuk! Still getting back to normal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RachelG Posted September 24 #19 Share Posted September 24 you are spot on regarding shows which have a story theme. I never understand them, and they just seem disjointed. Would be much better to just let the singers and dancers perform. 1 hour ago, MoBro713 said: We sail out of NYC on Oct 23 on Grandeur. What’s the best lounge to watch the departure? thanks Best place is out on deck if the weather permits. You can go from side to side and see everything well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 24 Author #20 Share Posted September 24 1 hour ago, TomTN said: It was a wonderful cruise for us too, expecially the food and the service. We will likely book a 2025 Alaska cruise on Regent soon. Our favorite cruise line. The only thing we didn't like was Covid at the end of the Cruise. Yuk! Still getting back to normal. Oh no, so sorry to hear this. Wishing you a speedy recovery! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted September 25 Author #21 Share Posted September 25 Boston Truly one of America’s great cities, what to do in one cruise ship stop? We have visited Boston many times , and have seen most of the important sites, such as Quincy Markey, Boston Commons and Public Gardens, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, Cambridge, JFK Library, etc, etc ,etc. So we chose something a little different; Fenway Park Visit. In the interest of full disclosure, having grown up in NYC, I am very far from a Red Sox fan. Still, if one has any appreciation for baseball, or even if not so much a fan of the sport, the history and iconic nature of this landmark makes for a fascinating tour. We had a tour around the stadium, (the oldest in MLB), and our enthusiastic die-hard Red Sox fan guide pointed out the landmarks, and brought us around this classic park, which has changed very little since 1912. We sat is various sections of the park listening to stories and lore of Red Sox history. We sat in the seats above the Green Monster Red Sox championship flags Yankee fans will relish in looking at the dearth of world series championships between 1918 and 2004 (the Yanks won 26!)….. But may wish to divert their gaze from the 2004 + section, (the Bombers achieving only 1). However, as a Mets fan, I should probably shut up and bask in the memory of game 6 of the ’86 WS 🫣 We were told that the scoreboard is changed by hand. How 1912. Unless you are a major Sox fan, and even if you are, you may not know why this red seat is here https://www.fenwayfanatics.com/fenway-park/features/red-seat/ Fenway Farms rooftop garden We visited the Royal Rooters Club, where Red Sox memorabilia is displayed. Afterward, we drove around Boston as our guide pointed out some of the sites Boson Commons and Public Gardens Old South Church Massachusetts State House Kings Chapel Old State House Hancock Tower with Trinity Church in the reflection I greatly enjoyed this excursion, and my wife, who is not much of a baseball fan enjoyed it as well. Note: there is a lot of stair climbing. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankpc123 Posted September 25 #22 Share Posted September 25 As a die hard Yankee fan I suppose I can understand a Fenway tour under the "love of the game" scenario ... but , but ... did they make you sing "Sweet Caroline"? I'd draw a line at that 🙂 Nice pics ! Thanks for sharing, Frank 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaflamingo Posted Saturday at 12:06 PM #23 Share Posted Saturday at 12:06 PM (edited) On 9/25/2024 at 4:51 PM, frankpc123 said: As a die hard Yankee fan I suppose I can understand a Fenway tour under the "love of the game" scenario ... but , but ... did they make you sing "Sweet Caroline"? I'd draw a line at that 🙂 Nice pics ! Thanks for sharing, Frank A bit off topic, but I grew up on the West Coast and now live in Atlanta so not a "die hard Yankee fan," But when I was on a layover (I'm a retired Delta pilot) in NYC we went to Yankee Stadium to watch a game. It was the final year before they tore it down to build the new one (2008 maybe?). It was not a "baseball game" but more of an "experience" of the entire history of baseball. The spirits of all the greats who played there for nearly 100 years of baseball history could be felt. Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, the "Yankee Clipper" Joe DiMaggio, I think I might have actually heard Yogi Berra say "it ain't over til it's over." And we sat in front of 5 or 6 guys who have been coming to the games together for years! They were lamenting about the closing of the stadium and recalling all the moments they shared together over so many years and where their seats will be in the new stadium (they'd had the same seats for years). I count my blessings to have been able to actually sit there, surrounded by all the history, the environment, the people, and yes..even the $9 dollar beers, in the "holy land" of baseball history! Even took the subway, just like a local. Ok.. I've ridden the subway a lot in NYC, but if you're going to experience it, you have to experience it all, no wimpy taxis or ubers for us. 😜 It was a magical night. They should have kept the stadium as a national icon. Edited Saturday at 12:16 PM by papaflamingo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted Saturday at 12:20 PM Author #24 Share Posted Saturday at 12:20 PM 12 minutes ago, papaflamingo said: I count my blessings to have been able to actually sit there, surrounded by all the history, the environment, the people, and yes..even the $9 dollar beers, in the "holy land" of baseball history! Here's how old I am- I have fond memories of watching the Brooklyn Bums play at Ebbets Field. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare boblerm Posted Saturday at 12:22 PM Author #25 Share Posted Saturday at 12:22 PM Portland The excursion that we chose was “Best of Portland & Kennebunkport”. A quibble- I think that this tour is somewhat misnamed in that I don’t think that we got to see all that much of the city of Portland, just more or less a quick drive around. Plaque marking the birthplace of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Statue of same Monument Square Fireman Statue Portland Observatory Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception We drove to Fort Williams Park, where Maine’s oldest lighthouse, the Portland Head Light is located Ram Island Ledge Light We then drove on to Kennebunk, passing by some beautiful homes Wedding Cake House We drove by the coastline Colony Hotel Bush Family Compound We had a stop at Dock Square in Kennebunkport We had lunch at Federal Jacks. We had the Maine Sampler, which is one mini crab roll, one mini lobster roll. I think that this is a minority opinion, as this place is very highly rated, but we were expecting more flavor. Oh well. Then we walked around the area. Back to the pier As we were in Kennebunkport at lunchtime, there wasn’t all that much time afterward to explore. It would have been great to have more time in this charming town. Other than that, we enjoyed this excursion quite a bit, and I do recommend it. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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