We boarded yesterday at noon and enjoyed a wonderful lunch up at the pool. It was sooo nice to see so many familiar faces among the crew, and to recieve all the wonderful warm greetings. The crew on this ship are a sea of smiling faces.The ship is full with not an empty cabin. There are many families and a total of 50 kids, mostly teenagers. Dinner last night was at Signatures, halibut and a chocolate tart, and it was supurb as always. The ship looks great all done up for the holidays. The new linens and coverlets on the beds are very nice. There is a little new carpeting here and there, but that is all I have noticed that has been redone. It is very windy and cloudy this morning, and we are rocking and rolling a bit. La Veranda was empty at breakfast so I'm guessing there might be more that just a few seasick passengers.

Hi Doris, I am so glad you are on board and happy as a lark! I bet you are entering that windy area that our Captain said had been occurring for 4 weeks now. Don't worry, it gets better!!

I hope you can check in again, I have a desperate need for sea mail right about now!!

Doris,

Good to hear from you! Hope the rocking and rolling ceases and the seas are calm for you.

Have a great time and enjoy spending the holiday on your wonderful cruise!

Doris,
Thanks for checking in - looking forward to your reports about the ship & your cruise.
Hope the seas calm for you & everything is wonderful!

Take care of our ship for us until we get there next week so we can set the stage for the WCers.

Gil

Glad you checked in, Doris. Can't wait for more sea mail. Hope the seas calmn down for you.

So glad you're enjoying the trip.

Doris, Thanks for the SeaMail!!! Love it, especially now, that I am longing to be back on board a Regent ship.
Hope the seas calm for you soon.
Please, report in when you get a chance!!Enjoy!!!

Doris, thanks for checking in with us and I'm so glad your cruise is off to a great start. I hope you have calmer seas real soon.

Nancy

We just finished lunch in Compass Rose. It
was too rough and windy to go up to the pool for the fish BBQ. The seas are not letting up and the clouds are getting thicker, a great day to read and relax.
I forgot to mention that at the 5 PM sailaway
party yesterday we didn't sail
away. "Mechinical problem" we were told. We finally set sail a little before 7.

Doris - good to hear from you. Hoping you soon enjoy calmer seas.

Cheers, Anne

Doris -- Sorry to hear about the winds.

We expereinced similar experiences on a Princess Western Caribbean cruise over Thanksgiving...had to cancel the Grand Cayman stop and people had sea sickness problems on the slow Cozumel tendering and ferries to/from Playa del Carmen.

Hope it clears shortly.

Doris --

If you have the tiime, I'd be interested on a few specifics in prepping for our upcoming world cruise. (Our only RSSC experience was the last Alaskan cruise on Mariner this summer...and reading LCT since January!)

Where did they install the flat screen TVs? Can you describe the specific locations and number of electrical outlets? We are going to be in a regular suite (810). I was wondering if they moved the TV and opened up more flat space and plugs for things that plug in.

Is WiFi available throughout the ship in each cabin? That would certainly help, particularly on an extended voyage...as I could compose my journal at odd hours in odd clothing!

Is their clearance at the top of the walk-in closet door to hang a shoe bag on the interior of the closet?

Would be interested in an comments on the refurbishings that occurred during the extended dry-dock?

And any stories about what actually was the problem with the pods and what was the fix. Hopefully your delayed departure had nothing to do with that. Would like to see a couple of smooth, error free sailings before we head out around the world. (As I know everyone on board now would too!)

Have a great Chrsitmas cruise.

Thanks,

Thanks for checking in, Doris! You know we all love seamail!

Larry,
They did not install flat screen tvs in the suites. We are in a voyager suite so I can't help with the outlets, but I think a shoe bag will work on the closet door. There is wifi in all the suites, I'm on my laptop in the suite right now. The only refurbishing that we can see is the new bedding. We are really rocking and rolling, much more than any of the other trips we have been on on the voyager.

Hi Doris. Who's the captain? also did you find out what the technical problem was?

Arlene, the Captain is Capt. Knute and did not find out what the problem was.....more later

Doris, you should be experiencing calmer seas by now, if not yet it should happen very soon!
I am loving the wifi in all the rooms, we get so many more updates!

Karen, you are right, the seas are calmer and the sun is trying to come out this morning, and all is well on the Voyager. Last night was formal night and the ship was just rocking and rolling.....lots of no shows at dinner as there were still plenty of folks not feeling to well. The menu was beef welington, lobster, veal etc..and lots of chocolate truffles, but still no chocolate souffle. Off to the pool now, more later.....

Glad the seas are calmer Doris! Have fun working on your tan and relaxing!!

I too have a question (that I certainly should know the answer to but don't remember!) Are outlets in cabins the 3 hole ones (grounded) or the 2 hole ones??

Marcie,
The outlets are the three plug grounded ones...Off to lunch....looks like a seafood extravaganza at the pool

Hi Doris,

Calm seas are a good thing!

I have a question too: Is Marco staying on for the WC?

Happy Holidays!

Peggy

Thanks for the sea mail Doris...have a wonderful cruise! :)

thank you Doris. Can't wait to meet you (which also means we'll be boarding the ship later in the day!)

Doris, PCD (post cruise depression) has set in for us SANDie's so we are anxiously reading your seamail and enjoying all the updates. Glad the seas are starting to calm for you.

The weather today is hot and sunny and we are anchored off St Barths and will be here until 5 AM tomorrow. Last night we had another great dinner in Compass Rose and then left a few dollars in the casino. We plan on taking a tour of this pretty island and then lunch ashore and some shopping. Dinner on board and desert under the stars at the pool deck with music and dancing. It all sounds great to me.

Peggy, Yes Marco will be on for the WC. He was so helpful setting up our laptop, such a sweet young man.

Everything has just been perfect so far. Regent is going out of thier way to make sure everyone is happy and content. The food, music, entertainment are all top notch. We couldn't ask for more.

Thanks Doris,

Is there an email address where I can reach Marco - or could he email me? My address is peggynathan@yahoo.com I have a question/favor to ask him.

Much appreciated!

Shopping hint: there is a very nice shirt shop at the end of the area with all the spectacular boats called Coton Club (or something close to that), behind the waterfront restaurant.

Thanks . .

Peggy

Marco is great...he's the one who hooked us up in our cabin on '05 WC and was so helpful in my oh so many questions!!

This was a picture perfect day, sunny and very warm. St Barths is a pretty little island with wonderful beaches and fabulous private yachts docked in the harbour. We spent a quiet day walking and enjoying the beauty of this charming island, a quick lunch at a french restaurant at the marina, and a little shopping. Dinner this evening in Compass Rose was excellent and we are now on our way up to the pool deck for music and desert under the stars. More tomorrow ........

Have fun Doris!! I love those evenings with music and dancing on the pool deck under the stars! Such fun for you!

We just docked in St Maartan and the rain is falling, but I do see clear sky ahead so our day should be fine. We are headed out to the French side first, and then back to the Dutch. This is a fun island to wander about.

Marcie, I do envy you and the exciting trip you have ahead on this great ship. Its our dream trip so maybe one day.......Oh, by the way there are 10 world cruisers on now. They say they are here to settle in for the WC!

Last night the attendance up on the pool deck was very small, not more than a dozen or so people....it was a beautiful evening and we had a fun time with another couple that we met on the tender back from St Barths earlier in the day.

Although ther are 48 children aboard we never see them!!! Regent is doing a great job with their camp program.

This morning as we arrived in Roseau, Dominica there was a beautiful rainbow ahead...the rest of the morning we had times of rain and clouds. This is a very green fertile small island, and the poverty is quite pronounced and disturbing to us. We spent an hour or so walking around the harbour area and then the remainder of our day was spent onboard. The sun did come out in the afternoon, and the pool deck was busy! We have just set sail for Barbados, and we're geting ready for the Amex Platinum party at 6:00 followed by dinner at Lattitudes.

Doris, thanks for letting us all sail along with you!! Have fun at Lattitudes tonight!

I'll add my thanks. I'm anxiously awaiting friday.

Arlene, we hope y'all have a fabulous time! Hopefully the seas will calm down for you guys!

Hi Doris,

So good hearing from you and that you are enjoying your cruise so very much! Continue to have a wonderful time!

Merry Christmas Doris! We miss you but at least us land-lockers have your daily reports!

Speaking of electrical outlets, is there one at the head of the bed? Stan has a need for one there.

Not at the head of the bed. The closest in a normal cabin is on the dressing table near the bed. I carry an extension cord with me so things will reach.

Santa arrived on the Voyager today much to the excitment of the little ones waiting in the atrium singing christmas carols with Jamie. As he came down in the glass elevator the faces on the children were priceless. Of course he had a gift for each child, a digital camera, so there were a lot of photographers runing around the pool later on.
The buffet lunch poolside was the most lavish I have ever seen on the Voyager...From caviar to grilledfoigras on toast and everything inbetween. Also at breakfast this morning at La Veranda they were serving Champagne and caviar, not a bad way to start the day
We were in Barbados yesterday where it rained on and off. The growth and housing development there is amazing. It is a beautiful Island with the most charming people.
Last night was Lattutudes with another couple. This was our second time there and it is better than I can remember. Those of you that are on the next cruise don't miss this GREAT dinner.
Tonight we are going to La Veranda as it's the last night for the Italian steakhouse theme, and we have not eaten there yet. Tomorrow it turns into a French Brasserie.
We will be in St Thomas tomorrow and I understand that we will dock far from the main shopping area, and there will also be 5 mega ships in so we will most likely stay on board and make it a sea day.
There is no outlet at the head of our bed, I just went in and checked.

Thank you, Doris and Ngaire. Stan has an implanted neural pain stimulator for back pain that must be charged periodically when he is lying down. So we will bring a long extension cord.