Thought I would start a new thread under Seamail. Everything has been great so far - Malaga, Valencia, and today Barcelona. It just got better as we went along! I have to pinch myself sometimes when I am walking along the avenues of these magnificent European cities. Sometimes I get teary-eyed at how fortunate we are to travel like this.

Then on our way back to the transfer back to the ship, we spotted the first ship we ever sailed on (Silversea's Silver Wind) - had to blow some kisses to her!

This is our first visit to Spain and it has not let us down! It is cloudy and a bit cool but no matter. We are actually visiting 7 countries (8 if you count the Vatican) on this B2B. Once again, I am missing Voyager and VIKING and everyone we were to sail with, but where we are is not so bad!!! There are a handful of Voyager crew who came on to Navigator as we expected. It is wonderful to see familiar faces!

Last night at the SSS reception, the cruise consultant announced that Voyager is headed from Genoa to Reykjavik today, so ING'ers, everything will go as planned! I have to say YET AGAIN what a privilege it is to be part of LCT, because every announcement the CC made, I already knew because of LCT and B&K. (They mainly spoke of the Navigator going in to drydock in January 2010, what it will entail, and talked about included excursions and free air fleetwide)

We finally met Diane yesterday! We are hoping to hook up with her and Marcia tonight. Everyone on board is so delightful! The first couple we met after embarking are B&K clients!!!!!!! Tim and Patty. Patty is actually from West Bend, WI of all places, so of course we hit it off. She has sailed Regent a bazillion times and is less than a year older than we are - oh, we need to catch up!

The food and service are just impeccable. I cannot say enough.

We're looking forward to St. Tropez tomorrow and then on to Monte Carlo where our dearest cruising pals (who we met several years ago on our first cruise) will join us. It just doesn't get any better!!!

I loved your report Kristin as your happiness and enthusiasm is so evident. Just sounds like a perfect trip and I have so enjoyed the ports you're visiting. Keep having fun and know you're excited about your friends boarding.

PS - the CC encouraged us to ask questions and I wanted to ask about Capt. Dag possibly leaving for Seabourn but I thought it would be inappropriate. I also wanted to ask if, when the Navigator gets her own Prime 7, are you going to have more "user friendly" chairs? (It sounds like the ones on Voyager are heavy and narrow) - I refrained! ;)

Thanks, Joanna - you know I am missing you!! :mecry: :hug:

Kristin, thanks for super sea mail..when u see
Diane and Marcia pls tell them hello...and if Diane is still working on this leg, pls politely drop her laptop in the ocean..kidding...best, Wes

Kristin,
Thanks for checking in. Sounds as if your cruise is off to a great start! I'm so glad. Please, keep up the SeaMail. You know we love it!

Kristin, thanks for checking in. I love your enthusiasm and I feel exactly as you do about all those wonderful ports in Europe - I just walk around with my mouth dropping and every port is just as amazing as the previous. We too feel so blessed to be able to travel to these wonderful places and I can never get enough. Ahhhh St. Tropez, one of our favorites, we saw George Hamilton standing right in front of us while there and we just loved sitting in one of the seaside cafes just people watching and drinking wine and having lunch.

Have fun, I agree with Betty keep up the Seamail, those of us stuck at home need our fix everyday. Guess there will be quite a bit of Seamail in the next couple of weeks, between you and the ING'ers, and the rest of Ring of Fire.

Kristin,
I am so pleased to hear you and Greg are enjoying your well deserved vacation. I heard from Scott as he and Shannon were waiting in DC to board their plane to Nice to join you.

Kristin, your seamail is just DELIGHTFUL! I am so glad you are having such a good time!

Kristin - you are killing me here. Why o why did I ever get off that ship? Summer already here in south Texas.
Love your post. Hi to Diane and Marcia and I better add Engelbert also. Don't want to hurt his feelings! ;)

Betty--I tried, how I tried!
Done with work Wes. Had a lovely conversation with director Paul and he told me about this man that reads screenplays on crossings-sounds perfect to me
Anyway, on the 2010 crossing, hopefully no work for me--I've got to learn to cook from Ida!

p.s. posted on old thread re meeting Kristen. So beautiful!

Diane - I will never ignore your advise again. I deserve any swift kick you would care to give me. :mecry:

Diane, you are too kind. You and Marcia are beautiful as well and such a delight. I like Wes's suggestion - let's dispose of that laptop in a proper way! ;)

Betty, I really wish you could have stayed on. I think we would have hit it off quite well. We have been doing nothing but eating, drinking, and sleeping (not necessarily in that order). Haven't gotten out of bed before 11:00am. I keep apologizing to our lovely stewardess Janice. I promised her that on the next leg we will leave the suite at a decent hour, and I have to make good on that promise because we have tours booked that leave at 8:00am!

Mentioned in another post that we had to abort the mission to St. Tropez. Such a shame, but not safe. The seas are very rough. I believe the Captain said we are headed for Villefranche. Would have gone directly to Monte Carlo but no berths available.

We have met so many wonderful people on this cruise, I cannot tell you. What a great group of guests, crew and staff.

Ican't remember if I mentioned how much we LOVE the new format at Portofino. No more song & dance - just a great rotating Italian menu and more great service.

I had to inquire about the chairs that will be in Prime 7 when Navigator goes into drydock. It sounds like they will NOT be the same cumbersome ones as they put on Voyager, so they are making improvements before they even start.

Hi Kristin,

I am so happy for you that you are enjoying Navigator. In many ways she is my favorite. Pls keep us posted!

A detail: the chairs in Prime7 are different than the ones in CR on the Voyager. It is the CR chairs which are the problem. having said that - they are very comfortable to SIT in - just very hard to move.

Bags are packed.
14 months until will be onboard again.
Keep the ship beautiful for me please

Diane, safe travels to you getting home, and thanks for your commentary along the way!

Ditto to what Olivia said.

BTW, I spoke with Betty a couple of days ago and she loved spending time with you and your sister.

Nancy

AHHHH I will miss your posts Diane - safe travels home -

I was mistaken - thank you, Peggy! I had "new restaurant--new chairs" on the brain. :) Monte Carlo has been excellent - 74 degrees and full-on sunshine. They are definitely in full swing setting up for the race next week (I think Sunday?).

I think I forgot to mention, it seems like the menu has expanded in CR since our last time on Navigator. So many choices at both lunch and dinner. I had quail stuffed with foie gras that was seasoned - just excellent through and through. One of those meals that I take tiny bites and stretch them out across time - that good!

The next "cast" is coming on board, including our friends who are unpacking right now. We are SO looking forward to sailing with them again. Rome tomorrow - exhausting but worth every moment!

Kristin, any other ships in port with you? I just checked the Monte Carlo webcams and can't see you!

Editing to add, have you had a chance to sample any of the soups? I thought they were the best of all my cruises! I would of been happy with just soup and those yummy cheese rolls but of course I didn't stop there!

Hi Kristin! Wonderful to read your posts! Really looking forward to hearing about your time in Rome.

Kristen--any news?

Sorry to be so absent - we've been so busy and then the internet is quite slow and patchy. Monte Carlo was abuzz with them gearing up for the race next week. Lots of glitzy cars, let me tell you! Rome was fabulous. We did it on our own (took the complimentary shuttle from Regent) and spent a good 6 hours roaming.

We went to Pompei while in Sorrento yesterday - AMAZING. The mummified dog in particular.

The weather has been perfect ever since Monte Carlo. In fact, it's been downright HOT and sunny. I brought only one pair of shorts (the rest jeans and capris) so I am definitely feeling the heat. It's already 80 degrees at 10:40am in Taormina.

The soups are incredible. I just cannot say enough about the food. It seems to me that they added more choices and also more "exotic" dishes. I have been gushing about it to Fiorian (sp?) the F&B manager. And of course the bars have every choice of beverage imaginable (but we have not partook - YEAH RIGHT). I don't know if they had it before, but I discovered diet tonic so I've been having that with my Bombay Sapphire instead of regular, just like I do at home.

Greg is beckoning me - I better get myself ready for Taormina! More later! Diane, we miss you - hope your trip home was uneventful!

Oh sounds wonderful Kristin. We thought Taromina was just spectacular last year. And Sorrento, well its one of our favorites and next time we are doing Capri. We did Pompei the first time and it is truly amazing isn't it (I remember the mumified dog).

Taormina was spectacular. It ranks up there in the top 5 cities/areas we have visited. first we had the mozarella/tomato/olive oil appetizer at one lovely place with bouganvillea hanging overhead (Greg actually ate tomatoes which is a first for him!) then we mozied on to the place we had pizza the last time we were in taormina. Even had the same waiter. Tomorrow is a sea day on our way to Kusadasi. Life is GOOD!

Kristin, mozzarella and tomatoes are one of my favs, to eat it while in Taormina sounds just PERFECT!!!

Spent 4 days on a land trip in Taormina in March. It is one of my favorite places ever. Just so nice to walk around.
I am vicariously enjoying your cruise.

Sorry I didn't post much after Taormina - so much was going on and when I had the time, the ship's internet was not cooperating.

The weather was very WARM and sunny the remainder of the cruise (sea day, Kusadasi, Santorini, Athens) - Athens was approaching 100 degrees. But we still hoofed it. There is just so much of Athens to see and of course, we had to go back to some of the same places we'd already been. We were there 2 nights (at the Grande Bretagne, of course! I have become spoiled by that place).

Flying home was easier than usual - USAir just started a direct route from Athens to Philadelphia. It's 11 hours, but SO WORTH it, not having to stop in another European airport (with Lufthansa we've had to stop in Frankfurt or Munich). Left at 11:45am Athens time and got back to DFW by 10:00pm. Not bad at all.

We're already missing those Compass Rose dinners. Our experience became much like TomG describes on ING seamail - a group of us would have drinks before dinner, then a 3-hour dinner, then drinks afterward in either the Stars Lounge or Galileo's. Only made ONE SHOW all 13 nights of the cruise (the finale of the Theatre at Sea). But then, we have never been big "show people". Oh, and I even sang a Karaoke song. :ohmy: I must have been having a good time!

Navigator is a great ship but the crew and staff are what makes it great. We were in 862 in the aft, and yes, we felt vibration (particularly when pulling into and out of port). Would we book F aft again? Yes, in someplace as calm as the Med; but would probably require at least an "E" if sailing in other more rough regions.

I think Navigator will be much better when Prime 7 is added. We are booking the 2/4/2010 sailing which I believe is the first sailing after drydock, so we will see!!!

Kristin - I can't believe you are already home. This means if I had stayed on like I wanted, I would also now be home. These cruises go too fast. Thanks for all your seamail. Next trip we will have to coordinate our schedules better. Hope to sail with you soon.

That sure did go fast Kristin. Sounds like you had just the best cruise and the best time. I so love many of those ports you had.

Was Lorraine the CD? She may be on leave, but last I heard from her she was on Navigator. I should have asked you that earlier so that you could have given her a hug from us if she was on.

Thanks for all your wonderful reports. Sure wish you and Greg were going on TUT next year, but sounds like you are excited about your cruise in Feb. Will it be the Caribbean?

JoAnn - Paul Reynolds was the CD.

I think Paul's the same CD we had on SAMBA? I'm not one to remember who the officers were, just whether I had a great time.

JoAnn, I would LOVE to join TUT but we need to see how things play out in the coming months. We still own our home back in California and with this market, I don't think I need to tell you how that is going! :( Oh well. So we'll likely take shorter and less expensive cruises for awhile. And yes, the 2/4/2010 is in the Caribbean. Greg turns 40 on the 7th so we thought it would be a good way to celebrate! :)

Kristin - I'm sure you and Greg will have the best time for his 40th in the Caribbean. And yes I do know with the current economy that one must be prudent and careful and pick the right situations. We had to cancel our big Europe cruise this year for those very reasons. We have booked TUT on good faith so to speak and are hoping that things will turn around enough that we actually make it.

Being from CA originally until we moved to VA in 1985, I certainly do know how things are going with the housing market in CA, and understand your situation. Good luck with that, I hope it all turns out positive for you and soon. Where in CA is your house?

Thanks for the kind words, JoAnn! It's in Desert Hot Springs, just west of Palm Springs.