Pam, read your Voy disembarkation post on CC, describing the chaos, very sorry this happened, would never want a cruise to end this way for anyone...r/wes

Marcie: Is the coffee corner where the computer room was? Are the number of computers greatly reduced? Is the boutique area involved at all? We are anxious to see it all ourselves.

Ardis

No Ardis, the coffee corner is exactly where it's always been....just rearranged (no more Plasma TV on the wall). Other than when you enter or exit Constellation Theater I doubt if there's any "walk thru" traffic. There is a bar where liquor is for specialty coffees, also an island with snacks and goodies like on the Mariner. I will see if I can post a photo. The computer room and boutique are unchanged and in exactly the same location as before.

Marcie --

Glad you had a great day. Thanks for the update. Look forward to seeing the photos.

Best,

This is certainly different from the drawings the architect showed me. It doesn't sound like much of an improvement.


Ardis

I'm really sorry we missed you, Marcie (and Tom).

I ran into Linda and Chuck Walker as they boarded - we had friends coming so we were with them all day. I did walk around the ship to show it off but except for one trip across the pool deck, we were inside and had lunch in CR.

Lots of familiar faces on board - some from last year, others from earlier cruises. Lots on new ones as well.

Ardis: The coffee corner seems to work - it is smaller that the one I saw (briefly, in Bermuda) on the Mariner but so far it seems to be the right size. If the tables are full, people sit on the couches and chairs between the corner and Concierge desk.

In any case, we're off across the Pacific for next 6 days . . . .

Peggy

I'm posting some of the (non-people) photos I took yesterday of the new additions. My camera didn't do so well and everything looks better in person than how it looks here. Except for a few areas such as Constellation Theater, most of the ship looks BRAND NEW ! I think they did a great job giving it a new look.

I added my own captions.
http://picasaweb.google.com/petlovermarcie/DayOnTheVoyager?authkey=NYTK4F1KEYs&feat=directlink

Sorry we missed you too Peggy. We spent time with Linda & Chuck (who were with April & Gordon) at pool bar. We ate in La Veranda with John Fitzgerald.

Marcie, those pix were great! I loved the new cushy chairs in Compass Rose and Prime 7 and I can imagine sitting outside on that wicker furniture having a cocktail!

The new pool lounges look nice, too.

Wow, everything looks beautiful....oh those lucky world cruisers, they are on their way.

Marcie thanks for the pictures...did you see Marc and Harry? they called today but I wasn't home!

Yes, all the chairs look so nice. What a huge improvement. I wish I had gotten a copy of the Prime 7 menu....quite extensive with variety... definitely looked like my type of cuisine.

I think Debbie posted a copy of the Prime 7 menu but I forget where it is, here or on CC?

It's on her blog.

http://www.luxurycruiseandland.com/blogs/media/blogs/rvcc2008/Dining/prime7menu12272008.pdf

Indeed, the chairs both in La Veranda and Compass Rose are very comfortable. Those in CR are a bit heavy to move & some staff joked that they are getting muscles!

Some of the items on the Prime7 menu include foie gras sliders, shrimp cocktail, crabcake,
various cuts of beef [the bone in prime rib being the star], lamb chops, Alaskan King Crab legs, Dover Sole, a 2 lb Maine lobster and veal chop. For obvious reasons I can't recall any desserts!

The disembarkation on 1/12 was a debacle beyond description. Two days prior to our arrival I was told by a senior officer that the doors weren't going to match. I don't know where the error lies but it was a major one as was the alternative plan of off loading the luggage from pool deck utilizing a crane!

Oops...I got distracted by reading the notes.

What I really meant to ask is whether anyone knows why Qatar keeps getting removed from the itinerary....is it a Qatar situation?

Thank you Marcie, for the great photos of the Voyager improvements. WOW!! I want to be there!

We've had our luggage unloaded with a crane from the pool deck quite a few times....I honestly thought on longer cruises (or maybe just on the Voyager) this was the norm ???

Thanks for posting the picture, Marcie - the deck chairs and wicker chairs look very comfy!

I loved your pixs Marcie - thanks for talking time to post - ship looks A plus!!!!

Thanks for the photos, Marcie. Love all the new chairs. They look so comfortable. I can't wait to eat at Prime7.

Maybe Regent had to entertain the WC's at an onboard gala because of the Golden Globes? No rooms in LA? Just a thought.

Marcie - thanks for the photos - it's very helpful to see the changes that have been talked about. That ice cream counter looks very dangerous to me. (I'm an ice cream-aholic)

We had the new deck chairs on our pre-dry dock trip but no cushions at that time. They do look really comfortable - perfect for an afternoon nap after ice cream :)

Dena

Marcie - thanks for posting those pictures. I think everything looks wonderful. Hope we get to enjoy it in person one of these days.

Peggy, as promised here are the links to the blogs I've found. No one is actually posting yet though, so we'll have to wait and see. Happy sailing to you and Cy, Debbie
http://worldwideweldens.blogspot.com
http://cruisingsherry.blogspot.com
http://regentworldcruise2009.blogspot.com/
http://www.photofinnish.com/index.html

Thanks Debbie, I really enjoy reading these blogs and was having trouble finding some this year.

I'm very impressed by all I'm hearing about Voyager. I think the smaller size coffee corner will be better than the huge one on Mariner and the Prime 7 sounds fabulous. I know there is a dress code for Signatures. Is there a dress code for Prime 7?

Stan and I are so anxious. Our passports arrived yesterday and our luggage will be picked up today so we are almost THERE.

Ardis

There has been some (well - alot, really) discussion about the debark in LA. One issue was that when we arrived, the pilot was not ready for us. Another issue was the luggage being brought off by a crane in containers. And that the crane operator was late arriving to start the operation.

The only other time I remember crane/luggage removal on the Voyager was in FtL at the end of the 2008 trip because we were on the dock side of the ship. Honestly, I've never paid much attention before.

It would have been very stressful for the departing passengers with missed flights etc.

Peggy

I was sorry to read about the problems passengers had with disembarking in LA. I know that when we have disembaked in Ftl after a world cruise, luggage has been taken from the pool deck by cranes without a problem. Maybe the POA in LA isn't equipped to do it.Too bad the cruise had to end on a bad note but I am sure that the Captain, Jamie and everyone involved from Regent did the best they could under the circumstances.

Thanks so much for sharing those pics, Marcie! We are eagerly anticipating our next Voyager cruise, that is for SURE.

Excellent pictures Marcie! Thanks . . . now we need to see what the Mainer looks like . . .

Many thanks for sharing the great pictures Marcie.
It looks wonderful.

FYI -- In a msg today from friends on the Voyager, the emergency board on the bridge lists 498 passengers onboard. That's only about 71% full. However,with the normal number of single folks that the percentage of occupoied suites would be higher. (Not aware if the lecturers, dance instructors, hosts, art director, etc., are counted as crew or pax.) The crew number was 447.

According to Guest Services there are 298 full World Cruisers. That's higher than Regent WC mailers stated -- they used the figure of 250 one time and 275 another.

It would be interesting if Peggy has heard a figure.

I also heard that the upcoming Mariner WC has aboout 150 full World Cruisers.

Larry,

I haven't heard any of the numbers except that we were close to 500 . . . the first and last segments are usually the lightest by the way.

Thanks for the information!

Peggy

I believe that the luggage is always off loaded by crane in LAX. Just the way it is done at that terminal. Probably the ship being late and if the crane driver was not there that made the situation chaotic.

Linda was on the Voyager in LAX and is currently on the Mariner. She said the decor of Prime 7, Signatures, Compass Rose, La Verandah and the changes on the pool deck are all the same. So they may have been consistent in this refurbishment for both ships.

For the first time in our history with Regent (Raddison) we received a phone call today from "Destination Florida" to verify our flight times and arrange to pick us up at the airport. I guess this is a sign that Oceania is making some changes.

Ardis

We are sitting in our cabin anchored off Nuka Hiva watching the Inauguration in DC! Ain't technology great!

Peggy

Peggy, Glad you were able to see the inauguaration from the South Pacific. Also, a dear friend, Marcia Marshall, is the art instructor again on the full WC. Even if you art challenged like me, I highly recommend that you get to know Marcia...she's such a doll and lots of fun.

Nancy

Thanks for checking in Peggy! Glad you were able to see the Inauguration, it sure has been crazy here in DC area trying to get anywhere, fortunately we don't have too, and we live in VA, but I feel sorry for all those who could not get to work and such today, or if they did what a mad house it was. Metro lines were hours long apparently and started at 4:00am we heard.

Peggy, that's cool that you were watching the Inauguration this morning, right along with the rest of us!

JoAnn, my advice to you is to stay in and avoid the mess, if you can. It's too cold to be out anyway.

Peggy, Say HI to Manuel at the Tour Desk for me. I hear this is his first time in French Polynesia and he is very happy to be there.

You got that right Betty, it is miserable!

Ahoy, Voyager. Rumors here are that the placques from Song of Flower have been removed from the ship. Is this true?

Ardis