DAY 3---AT SEA OFF NORTHEAST COAST OF CUBA

 AS A REMINDER TO BETTER ENJOY MY PHOTOS, YOU CAN CLICK ON THEM TO ENLARGE THEM.

Our position at noon today is at the red circle with yellow arrow in it.  It's mostly sunny and 80 degrees.

We are just 6 miles off the coast of Cuba.  Now we are experiencing a rain shower.

LAST NIGHT

        We headed down to the Mariner Lounge at 6:15 for our cocktail time before going next door to Prime 7 for our 7pm dinner reservation.  I brought several little bottles of Woodford Reserve spiced cherry bitters with me on the cruise for my Manhattan cocktails.  I put our suite number on it and left it with William, one of the bartenders in Mariner Lounge for future nights.  The ship cannot get my preferred bourbon, Makers Mark, now.  Seems there is shortage of stock and they will not supply it to the cruise lines now.  So my fall back bourbon is Woodford Reserve.

        Dominic, the Prime 7 maitre'd, seated us at our usual table in the corner.  Nice that all the maitre'ds know us well and spoil us.  We sat at this table for last year's world cruise and last fall's 43 night cruise off California.  Another reason we like this table is Wayan from Bali is our waiter.

        At the table next to ours were good friends.  Marcia (in suite next to ours) is with her back to us in the photo.  On the other side of the table were Harvey & Richard, two doctors from New York.  It was Richard's birthday.  Also at their table were two Apollo corporate officers:  Enzo and Roberto.  Apollo is the company that supplies Regent with crew members.  We have known Enzo and Roberto for years.

Super nice gentlemen!!

                                                  I started with this delicious crab cake.

Rebecca had this 1/2 of a wedge salad with ranch dressing, bacon, & eggs.  I had half of a Caesar salad with 5 anchovies.  I always ask for 5 anchovies and the waiters know this!

We both had 6 ounce filets for our entrees.  We bring Lawry's lemon pepper with us and have them bring the filets to the table prior to cooking so I can season them with the lemon pepper.  I had a baked potato as side and we shared creamed spinach and sauted mushrooms.  I don't know how the chef does it but the filets always come out exactly how we order them--medium rare.

                                    Best dessert ever--a popcorn sundae.  YUMMY!!!

        It was just after 9pm when we finished dinner.  Rebecca retired back to the suite but I decided to go try the comedian.  I sat on the balcony so I could make an escape if I didn't care for him.

                                I lasted through most of his show before walking out.  He was ok.

TODAY

        We were up shortly after 7am today and I ran down to coffee connection to have Rommel make us two double shot Americano coffee.  I bring the coffees to our room every morning.  Room service showed up as requested on time at 8am with our cereal.  I went up to the track on deck 12 for my walk but it was way too windy there so adjourned back down to the fitness center treadmills.  Rebecca joined me there later.  We both do one hour a day on the treadmill both at home and here on the ship.  

        I am still having problems with internet reception on my two laptops when in our suite.  So I went back down to ask Kus to come by our suite and check out the signal strength.  He said he would be there in 15 minutes but never did show up.  So we left the suite at noon and headed down to Compass Rose for a bite of lunch.  

        I have my laptop with me and am typing this post while waiting on my lunch to be served.  Rebecca always has an Atkins meal bar for lunch at home and here on the ship.  She packed 140 bars in our luggage.  I am having an empanada to start with, then some lasagna.

        Nothing planned for this afternoon.  This evening at 6pm is the "Block Party".  This is unique to all Regent ships.  At 6 a bell is rang over the PA and everyone is to come out in the in the hallway with a glass to meet their neighbors.  The stewards and stewardesses serve wine and canapes while we visit.  The Captain and Cruise Director run up and down all the hallways greeting everyone.  It is really quite fun.

Tonight's menu

        We will probably head down to Compass Rose for dinner at 6:30 because they will be showing the NCAA National Championship game on the suite tvs.  Georgia vs TCU.  Game time is 7:30.

        There is the first production cast show, "Tuxedo", in the theater at 9:30 which we will be missing but they will be doing this show several more times during our 5 months on board.

Our talented crew made this map of our world cruise which is on display outside the entrance to Compass Rose and Prime 7.

JANUARY 8TH---SAILING DAY

        Let me start today's post with last night's Gala event.  We were invited to have our cocktails in the Star's Lounge.  It was a special venue for Commodores (over 2000 nights on Regent) and Diamonds (over 1000 nights on Regent).  Also there were several corporate people from the Regent office.  After that we adjourned to Compass Rose for dinner at Paul Reynold's table (our Cruise Director).

                                      

From left to right:  corporate lady, Peggy Nathan, Malcolm Meyers, Millie, Paul Reynolds, Rebecca with me standing.  Peggy and Malcolm are both Commodores.

        Dinner was very good with 4 courses.  Rebecca and I chose seabass for our entrees.  Service was very good and the chardonnay being served was Talbot vineyards.  Very nice.  Shafer was the cabernet. 

        After dinner we went to the theater for the special gala show featuring two Tony Award winning singers from New York City.  Again we had reserved seats on the first two rows for Commodores and Diamonds.  The new President of Regent Seven Seas addressed the audience to begin with and announced the names of 5 who will be new Commodores and 5 who will be new Diamonds.  Our names were called.

 

        We did not really enjoy the show as the band was sooooo loud.  Almost hurt your ears!  The singers were good however.

SUNDAY

                                       Nice view early this morning when I opened the curtain.

I was awakened at 6am as they were bunkering (fueling the ship from a barge) right below our balcony.

        Everyone is having big issues with the internet.  I am having big problems getting my photos uploaded from my phone to my laptop.  I hope it gets better after sailing.  I have been messing with phone and computer most of the day.

        We went down to Compass Rose for breakfast as on Sunday's they have caviar and eggs benedict.  At 11:15 we had a safety briefing in the theater followed by being led out to the lifeboats.  Glad that is over with.  I thought we were to sail at 1:15 but it's now 2pm and we are still docked.  I think divers are cleaning the hull.

        Rebecca is reorganizing our clothes while I finish this post.  This evening we have 7pm reservations in Prime 7, steakhouse.  Tonight's show is featuring a comedian.  I better get back up and help Rebecca.  My laptop will not work when in our suite so I'm down in Coffee Connection next to the internet manager.  He is on break and won't return until 4pm.  Tomorrow will be a day at sea. 

  

        

BOARDING DAY

         What happened????  Let me begin with last evening.  We started at 5pm with Marcia, Rebecca, and I at a table in bar area.  Then Marge (friend from LA area) showed up.  The friends from Tucson, Paul & Bonnie, pulled up a chair.

Rebecca had chardonnay and I had this drink called a "Smokey Toro Toro" (name of bar and restaurant).  It was basically a Makers Mark Manhattan with smoke from smoldering wood.  Probably best drink I have ever had.   

I had a couple drinks before going in to our special cocktail party followed by dinner hosted by the owner of our travel agency, Craig Pavlus.  There I probably had 3 more of these.

Rebecca and our great friend, Marcia.  Craig Pavlus in black shirt to left of them.  To right is Susan, our travel agent.

It was a nice group of the Pavlus Travel's clients.  On right are our friends, John, Cathi, and Marge.

        Our dinner consisted of hors d'oeurves with cocktails to start with then a 6 course dinner.  WOW! A lot of food and all very good.

                                                                          Ceviche

                                                                       Avocado salad

                                              Forgot name but was octopus with potatoes.

                                                              This was a chicken course.

                Main entree was this beef dish.  Very good but we were pretty full by then.

                                               Not too full for this chocolate cake dessert.

        We had wine with dinner so I was feeling NO pain by the end of the evening.  I think I was still drunk when I woke up at 7am this morning.  It was an incredible evening thanks to Craig.  His travel agency is the best!!  He also returns half of the commissions to his clients.  Our check for this world cruise was over $14,000 returned to us.  Let me know if you want to be clients of his.

        When we looked out our window this morning, there she was--Regent's Mariner.  She will be our home for the next 5 months.

        Alex, senior manager for Regent Operations, showed up at the hotel with our new piece of luggage in tow at 11am.  This is the first time we have met him but I have emailed and talked with him many times over the years.  We had a nice visit up in our room while we finished repacking the bags we had open at the hotel.  I called down for porter to come take our bags down to a taxi.  It took several minutes for him to show up as they were super busy getting bags from all the world cruise rooms.  Then we had to wait for an empty elevator.  All were full going up and down so he took us to the staff elevators.  He had called ahead and a large taxi was waiting out front for us.  T

        The port was very close so it was a short ride.  There were no lines for security and for the check-in process.  We went right on board.  Easiest boarding EVER!

        Dropped our carry on bags in the suite then headed up for some lunch.  Lots of crew members came by our table to say hi.  We are now back in the suite waiting on our checked luggage to be delivered.  I got our phones and my laptop signed in the the ship's wifi.  Problem is I have to have our suite door blocked open to get wifi signal on my laptop.  I am having Kus, the internet manager, check out the problem.  Sure hope he can fix it.

        Tonight we are to have cocktails from 6 to 7:15pm in the Stars Lounge with tonight's gala entertainers.  At 7pm we are invited to dine at the Cruise Director's table.  Paul Reynolds it the CD whom we known for a long time.

         The internet was not working yesterday so I am publishing this post on Sunday morning.  Not much better today.

        

 

 

SHOPPING THEN MOVE FROM DOUBLETREE TO INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL.

         Really enjoyed this big suite at DoubleTree last night.  Very quiet but I was awake from 4:30 until we rolled out of bed at 7am.  After breakfast we took Uber to an Ulta Beauty Store for Rebecca to get more hair spray, etc.  We then walked from there to a Walmart which was a mile away.  We needed the exercise!  After shopping there (more Atkins bars for Rebecca and various other items) we got an Uber back to the hotel.

        We checked out of the DoubleTree at 12:30 even though our scheduled private car pickup was not until 1:00pm.  Sure enough Godfrey showed up a few minutes before 1pm.  

                                                He was a hoot!!  Lots of fun joking with him.  

        We arrived at the Intercontinental Hotel which is located right on the water very close to the Port of Miami and a nice view of it.  Great timing as there was no line to check in.  Patrick said our reservation was for a standard room with double beds so I asked for a king bed.  He started trying to sell me an upgraded room with water view.  Starting at $90 per night and coming down to $60.  I declined and asked for an airline employee discount jokingly.  Great move!!  As he had been a flight attendant for 16 years so I told him Rebecca had been a flight attendant for 37 years and I had been a pilot for 30 years.  Next thing I know he changed our room to a room with a fantastic view of the water and cruise port.

                                                    Views from our 21st floor room.

        The room is very, very nice and puts the DoubleTree suite to shame!  Following are some photos of it.

                                                 TV had my name on it when we walked in.

        Rebecca broke the gold chain to her necklace after getting out of the private car but she had a back-up new one to replace it.  Said the new one has a very difficult clasp so wants a new one.  Figures!  Next we went down to the Regent desk to find out details about tomorrow morning and heading to the ship.  He said they would come to the room to get our luggage at 8:15 and we would be on the 3rd bus to the port at 11:45.  I told him we would not be using Regent's bus and would be taking a taxi instead with our luggage.  Breakfast will be in the ballroom between 8 & 9am.

        World cruisers are getting a $150 hotel voucher for food and drinks while here.  We will not be spending much as the owner of our travel agency, Craig Pavlus of Pavlus Travels, and two of his agents flew here yesterday.  He is hosting cocktails and dinner here in the hotel this evening for his world cruise clients.  I think there are about 20 of us.  Very classy!!!  We will be meeting our Toronto very good friend, Marcia Rector, at 5pm in bar for a "pre" cocktail party cocktail so as to spend some of our $150.  See photos of this evening's dinner party on tomorrow's posting. 

GOODBYE DALLAS--HELLO MIAMI

         After two nights with our long time Dallas friends, Kaye & Carl Hill, we are flying on to Miami today.  Yesterday we drove over to Frisco (northern suburb of Dallas) to get our covid antigen tests.  Of course they were "negative" for covid.  

        Kaye & Carl dropped us off today at DFW at 10am for our 12:45 flight.  It was on time leaving DFW and on time arriving MIA.  Our plane was one of the newest 737's and we loved the first class seats.  Even the tray tables were magnetic so our knife and fork would not slip off of it.

                                                              Our departure gate at DFW

Thankfully American's first class is back up to a high standard.  The service started with hot towels for your hands.  Then hot nuts with our cocktails.  I had Woodford Reserve bourbons and Rebecca had chardonnay.

We had preselected a month in advance of the flight what entrees we wanted for our lunch service.  We both chose the vegetable lasagna.  There was also a cold broccoli salad which was good and good dessert.

        At the Miami airport we only had to wait 30 minutes for our checked luggage in baggage claim.  Then I called the DoubleTree near the airport for them to come pick us up.  The nice man at check-in upgraded us to a suite since I was a HiltonHonors "Diamond" member.  I was also very nice to him!!

        After getting settled in the room we went back down and had the hotel van take us to Costco for a little shopping.  After leaving we walked to what I thought was an Olive Garden restaurant nearby.  Well, it had to be a half mile walk.  We just had the soup, salad, and breadsticks for dinner.  Ok, also a bottle of chardonnay!!  Rather than waiting for the hotel van come back and pick us up I used my Uber app and the driver was there to pick us up in a few minutes.

        We were back at the hotel and very tired by 8:45.  I am chowing down on one of the famous DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies as I write this.  Love'em!!  So happy that we are here in Miami AND so are our bags.  More shopping tomorrow morning with a trip to the Ulta Beauty Store and Walmart.  Now, it's bedtime for Bonzo.

        

LEAVING SNOW COUNTRY

         At long last the day had arrived!  We are heading to Dallas.  I had to clear our and our neighbor's drive the last 5 days as it had snowed overnight.  NO more!  After having weighed our 4 pieces of luggage that we were going to check at the American Airlines ticket counter at least 5 times.  If over 50 pounds there were be a charge for overweight.  All 4 weighed 48.5 pounds by my scales.

        I had planned to ask our next door neighbor, Melissa, to take us to the airport but the roads were iffy with packed snow so I hired Buckhorn Limo to haul us to the airport.  I asked to be picked up at 7:45am and Brett pulled in the drive at exactly 7:45.  Here we are at the airport.

        Sure enough at check-in all our bags weighed 48.5 pounds so we were good.  We were a couple hours early for our flight and TSA was not open yet.

                                               I'm not very good at selfies as you can tell.

        Our inbound flight was on time and we boarded on time.  I few minute delay while they loaded all the luggage.  We could see our bags being loaded so felt good about that.  The flight was 1 1/2 and we landed at DFW airport and was at the gate right on schedule (1:30pm Dallas time).

                                              Rebecca opted for some white wine enroute.

                                   I had a bloody Mary.  Just one mini.  Other one in my pocket.

  Our bags came right out on the carousel and we were out front at curb waiting for our friends.

        Kaye and Carl, our LONG time great friends arrived a short time later.  Rebecca and Kaye used to fly together on trips as flight attendants prior to them retiring.  We will be spending a couple nights with them before flying on the Miami on Thursday, 5th.  Tomorrow we will be going to get covid antigen tested.  Not required by Regent, fine print highly suggested it.

        I feels so good to get out of Durango as winter time travel can be problematic sometimes.  I have been worrying about this flight for weeks.  Don't worry, I will find something else to worry about until we are on board Mariner (our ship) on the 7th.
 

PREPARING TO HEAD OUT

         One would think after packing for three previous world cruises, it would be pretty easy to pack this time.  Not so, as packing is always a stressful time for us.  We actually started the packing process the week of December 19th.  

        The first four pieces of luggage were the ones to be shipped by Luggage Forward via FedEx compliments of Regent (well I know the cost was included in our cruise fare).  Our scheduled pickup of the bags was to be on the 28th but I delivered them myself to the FedEx office in Durango on the 27th as we had hair appointments scheduled on 28th.

                                                    Bags loaded and ready to go to FedEx office

        The Luggage Forward bags are limited to 50 pounds each maximum but ours weighed less than 40 pounds each as they were smaller bags then we fly with.  

        Next up was the four pieces of luggage we will be taking on the flights to Miami with us.  Rebecca discovered a rip in one so I had to order a new one from Walmart.  It arrived via FedEx on December 27th two days early.  We liked the luggage so well that I ordered another today (27th) and am having it shipped to a good friend (and Regent employee) who will bring it to the ship on boarding day.  Really good price of $77 for an American Tourister 25x18x9 suitcase.  Spinner, of course.

                                                                 New luggage delivery.

        Packing is an art for us as we do not put all of one person's clothes in one or two suitcases.  We put each others things in each bag.  Matching outfits go in the same piece.  As we both worked for an airline, we know luggage can be misplaced!  We added Air Tags this time to the bags we will be checking for flights.   

        Also complicating packing is the world cruise Gala cocktail party, dinner, and entertainment will be held the same evening we board the ship.  Normally the Gala is held in the pre-night hotel but not this time.  The pre-night hotel is the Intercontinental Miami.  Not sure why the change but boarding does not begin until noon, then luggage has to be loaded onboard and distributed to each suite.  They expect people to dress very nicely for the Gala so we will have to know which bag has the clothes we plan to wear for that evening so we can get to it first.  I expect a LOT of people complaining about this change!!

        December 30th Update--Good News:  Our FedEx shipped luggage we sent on the 27th has been delivered in Miami to Regent's port agent.  Now all we have to do is get there ourselves!  Just one more bag to pack.

        Our flight to Dallas is mid morning on January 3rd.  Praying the weather will cooperate for our scheduled departure from cold country!  Next post will probably not be until we are in Dallas.  In the meantime, we wish everyone a Happy New Year.  Be safe out there!!

BY THE WAY:  PLEASE DO NOT TEXT ME DURING THE NEXT 5 MONTHS AS THEY ARE EXPENSIVE INTERNATIONALLY!  EMAILING ME IS OK.