Yesterday's full day in Cartagena was delightful. We had an excellent five hour tour that hit all the main highlights and ended with a short local dancing demonstration and a second mercifully brief shopping stop. I think there were about five tours available. We've heard only positive comments. We got back to the ship after CR closed so it was a brief rushed lunch in LV which felt like we were eating (not dining)in Grand Central Station since there were a lot of late diners like us and the crew were rushing to end their shift. Recommendation: if there are going to be a lot of late arrivals due to tour scheduling please adjust the dining hours. Oh, the ribs we wolfed down were rib smacking delicious.
Regent has hired a new production company,the Jean Ann Ryan Singers and Dancers. They staged their first show last night, "On Broadway." It was delightful and very well received. The theater was packed. This is the first of four shows they will be doing throughout the entire Alaska run, a debut. We'll see the other three before we arrive in San Francisco. Can't wait.
Today was a sea day en route to Puerto Limon. We enjoyed Terry Breen's lecture on the Panama Canal and a second superb lecture from photographer David Burnett. We also attended a nice reception for Regent regulars at the gold level and higher. There are 80 of us aboard. We've noticed there are an unusually large number of Brits on board. Had a most enjoyable dinner last night in CR with four women, all Brits and all traveling as singles. They each met one another on the plane flying to the ship and have become fast friends. Oh, several of us, most appropriately, enjoyed English roast beef with all the trimmings. It was superb!
Since my last post we've experienced some dining disappointments. On Sunday night in CR Fred and I ordered the Veal Picatta. We both found it astonishingly weak--two room temperature and nearly flavorless slices of veal plunked down on a room temperature flavorless pile of spaghetti. The service that night was excellent and the head waiter noticed I wasn't eating my entree and made a fuss offering to bring be an alternative but that would have delayed the meal for everyone else so I declined. Every other meal in CR has been excellent, fully up to Regent standards. A couple of the British ladies we dined with last night also ordered the veal and were underwhelmed. Also,on two mornings so far, breakfast in CR has been much slower than the leisurely pace we expect. This morning, after waiting 35 minutes for my eggs to arrive I had to rush up to LV to have a hurried bite in order to make it to Terry Breen's lecture in time. I think the problem is not the wait staff but the galley. It is my guess that CR diners are placed in the back of the line behind room service diners by the galley crew. That is just a guess. There is room for improvement here.
Park West has been low key on this cruise until this morning. But we were presented a Park West surprise this morning that was anything but low key. As we exited Terry Breen's lecture through the Stars Lounge we discovered the room was totally packed with PW "art" on easels. We had to actually navigate our way through the maze and into the hallway. I haven't been bothered by PW in the past because I simply ignored them. But today they were more intrusive than they have ever been before. For the first time ever I found myself thinking "I hope Regent gives PW the boot."
I don't expect perfection on any cruise and the glitches I have described above have been few and far between. Both of us are simply delighted with this cruise so far and are looking forward to the days ahead. We have been particularly impressed by the quality of this crew. It doesn't get better than this. More to come. Pat
