Final Post

Port of Miami
        We docked very early and were at pier by the time our alarm went off at 5:45 am.  We had our final room service breakfast while getting ready to leave our suite.  Jane came by at 7:30 and we headed to a public area to wait until our time to disembark denoted by the colored tag on our luggage.  I had understood that we would be first off the ship but not true. Passenger disembarkation was to begin at 8:15 but delayed as the crew had not cleared immigration,  All crew had to clear prior to us getting off.  Kind of hard to do when they were still working. 
        It was about 8:45 before we departed the ship.  Was down in baggage area looking for our luggage for 15 minutes before I noticed they had placed our luggage in area with our name but name sheet was turned so you could not see it.  Lost at least 15 minutes there.  So a porter loaded our luggage and Jane's on his cart and we were led through immigration by a Regent representative out to our awaiting limo.
        Off we went for the Ft Lauderdale airport.  Our driver said it would be a 40 minute ride.  We got there at 9:40 so had two hours to get through security and to gate.  Not hard to do since we were ticketed in first class in had TSA pre-check. 
        Our flight left right on time for DFW.  We had a really good lunch on the flight.  I choose the vegetarian lasagna (really delicious) and Rebecca had a grilled chicken Caesar salad.  Our 1st class F/A was best we have had in long time.  Nice guy named Bill.  Rebecca recognized him from her flying days.  He took Jane a glass of wine and cookie back for her in coach. 
        Once we claimed our checked luggage, a friend of Jane's, Bob, was right there to pick us up and take us to Jane's house where we were spending the night.  Only problem was when we got there, Jane could not find her house key.  So we were standing in her front yard for 2 1/2 hours while she tried to find someone who had her house key.  Luckily, it was a nice day.  Poor Jane was very embarrassed but we finally got the key and it was wine time!!
        Jane took us out for dinner and I retired very early as it was a long day.  I think everyone was tired.  I was awake at 4:00 am and could not go back to sleep.  We had the alarm set for 5:45 anyway.
        Jane drove us to DFW at 6:30 and made good time as beat the Dallas rush hour.  Arrived at airport by little after 7:00.  Got through security prior to rush so had plenty of time for Mc Donald's breakfast.  Our flight left gate on time at 9:10.
        DFW had one of their main runways closed for maintenance so took a little longer getting off ground.  Arrived DRO (Durango airport) a few minutes late at 10:30.  We had left my Ford Escape at the Double Tree downtown and had them take us to airport.  I called Wed to tell them we were coming Thurs morning and to pick us up but they were not there.  So it was an hour delay before they arrived.
        After loading the Escape we had to make several stops on way home:  Post Office, Papa Murphy's for pizza for dinner, grocery, and car wash.  So took rest of afternoon to unpack, clean house, dust (Rebecca has dust allergies), open and file mail. etc.
        So by 5:00 we were ready for a glass or two of vino and to relax.  Going to be early bed time as we are exhausted.  Glad to find house and yard in same condition as we left it.  Good to be home but miss our crew friends who took such good care of us.  Not looking forward to weighing tomorrow morning.
        In summary, we had two amazing cruises.  Saw a lot of old friends, both crew and passengers.  Regent's newest ship, the Explorer, was beyond incredible.  Can't wait until next March to board her again in LA. 
        I want to thank everyone who have been following us on our latest adventure.  It was my pleasure to take you all along with us and hope you will come with us on our next trip.  Until then, God Bless you all.

Link to final photos:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/8wtCIn6hXjqwg96B3   
     



        

Day 28--Last Day at Sea

This is our position an noon today.  We have another 250 statute miles to go prior to reaching the Port of Miami early tomorrow morning.  Total number of statute miles from Barcelona to Miami is 5200. Well, day number 28 means this is the last day of our two 14 day cruises.  Biggest problem of getting older is that time seems to fly by faster and faster.  It is a sunny day with light winds and outside air temperature of 70 degrees.  Smooth sailing today!

Last Night:
        Rebecca and I skipped the Captain's Farewell cocktail party and Krew Kappers show but Jane went.  We saw the crew show on Explorer however.  Different cast here obviously but we have seen many of these shows over the years on Regent.  Believe me, they are really great shows.
        Cocktails as usual in Mariner Lounge.  Grace is the lounge waitress that always takes such good care of us.  She was with us last year on our world cruise also.  Love her to death!  Will miss her serving our drinks in the evening when we get back home.
        We then had a very nice dinner in Compass Rose.  We both had escargot as our appetizer followed by beef Wellington cooked medium rare.  It is always cooker perfectly and very tender beef tenderloin.  I was late to the show but did enjoy the comedian, Tom Briscoe.

Today:
        Turned out clocks back again last night so now we are on Miami time.  This morning we both worked out and then finished packing.  Just a few last minute things to throw in after we get back from dinner tonight.  We also checked in online for our flight tomorrow. 
       The ship's internet is intermittent again today as it was yesterday.  Really nice out on balcony today.  May sit out or may watch a movie this afternoon.  We have requested a special dinner tonight of miso sea bass and special salad.  They're showing a movie in the theater tonight.  There is also a Beatles Dance Party at 9:30 in the Horizon Lounge.  Probably will not do either.

Tomorrow's Plan:
        Up early as we are to disembark the ship by 8:00 am.  After claiming our luggage in the terminal we will clear immigration and be led to our limo to be taken up to the Ft Lauderdale Airport.  Since Jane is also on our flight I have it arranged for her to ride with us in our limo.  This is one of our Titanium benefits.  Depending on morning traffic it should be a 45 minute ride. 
        Of course we are flying on American Airlines.  I bought first class tickets for our flight back to DFW.  We are to depart FLL at 11:42 am and arrive DFW at 1:53 pm.  Jane's friend, Bob, will pick the three of us up as we will be spending the night at Jane's.
        Next morning Jane will take us back to DFW for our 9:00 am flight on American Eagle back to Durango.  We are scheduled to land at DRO at 10:17 am (hour time change).  Once there I'll call the DoubleTree hotel to come pick us up as we left my Escape there a month ago.  We'll have to stop at post office to get mail and stop for some groceries so be early afternoon before we arrive back at 310 Horse Thief Lane. Love our street name!

One More Post:
        I will make one more post after we arrive back home to sum things up.  There will be more photos for sure.

Link for today's photos:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/dTK9ImTB9zVP3DyF2

Day 27--At Sea

Our position at noon today is yellow arrow in red circle.  We are about 700 statute miles from Miami now.  Partly cloudy skies, 72 degrees outside, and we have a 30 kt wind on the nose.  Seas are not too bad right now with 6 to 8 foot waves.  Captain Serena says conditions will deteriorate later this afternoon with rain showers and 9 foot waves.  Conditions will improve tomorrow for the remainder of this cruise.

Last Night:
        Before we went for cocktails, we went shopping.  By booking the two cruises on board for the 2020 inaugural season of the RSSC Splendor, we got $200 in ship board credit on this cruise.  So we went down to the boutiques to find something.  We really did not need anything so bought something for our son.
        Then as planned, cocktails in Mariner Lounge and dinner in Compass Rose.  We were sitting on the front row for last night's production show, "Blazing Boots".  It was the first time we had seen this show.  Still disappointed with the singers but liked the choreography, dancing, and songs in the show.  At the end of their show I gave them a standing ovation because I felt they have really worked hard on all the production shows and this cruise was their debut cruise as a cast.  Even though they are not the best we've seen, they certainly gave it their all for us.  I don't think many stood besides us.

Today:
        Prior to sailing yesterday Captain Serena said we will be hitting some stormy seas around noon today.  We had a very smooth night of sailing however.  At 10:00 I met Jim, our neighbor, in Coffee Connection for a chat.  We covered a lot during our hour chat.  At 11:00 I went up to the boutique and got Jeff's gift.  (Can't say what it it as he is reading the blog)  Then I went down to get our passports.  The ship has been holding them since we boarded.
        The theme for today's pool grill BBQ is "seafood extravaganza" so we had to go up and check it out.  Rebecca worked out this morning and I am not sure if I will do mine this afternoon.  We packed one of our three bags this afternoon.  It weighed in at 46.5 lbs so was comfortably under the 50 lb limit.
        This evening is the Captain's Farewell cocktail party in the theater at 6:00 pm followed by the Krew Kappers, the crew show.  We like this night because beef Wellington is always on the Compass Rose menu.  Tonight's headliner entertainer in the theater at 9:30 is a comedian, Tom Briscoe.  Don't think we have seen him before so will try to go.

Here is the link to today's photos:     https://photos.app.goo.gl/3zaK7WCRjmlVDFV92
                   

Day 26--Hamilton, Bermuda (Day #2)

Hamilton
        It's another beautiful day here on Bermuda.  Sunny, blue skies and temperature today to be in low 70's again.

Last Night:
        Cocktails again at 6:00 in Mariner Lounge followed by dinner up in Sette Mari.  We had a delightful young lady (22 years old) who was Italian but lives in London now, as our waitress.  This is Georgia's first contract working for Regent but you could never tell it.  Not only was she a hard worker but her personality was perfect for the job.  I kidded her alot but she gave it right back to me. She really made our dinner special.  Even though veal parmesan was not on the menu last night, I asked if the chef might make it for me anyway.  I told Georgia I had a photo of the way I wanted it prepared on my phone IF the chef agreed to make it.  So I quickly looked up the photo and sure enough out came Chef Uma (the chef from India).  He said he could do it, no problem.  You will see a photo of it in today's photos.  I told him it was just for one person but there were three pieces when it came out.  I gave one piece to Georgia to eat later if they would let her.  I loved it and was much better then the version that Chef Dino made us early on in the cruise.  Jane had veal scaloppine in lemon sauce and Rebecca chose a  braised chicken dish.  After dinner I retired but the girls went to the bar for a nightcap.

Today:
        On Sundays Regent has caviar and champagne in both the Compass Rose and La Veranda restaurant during breakfast hours.  We went up to La Veranda so I could have some caviar.  I also had eggs benedict while Rebecca just had scrambled eggs.
        It was another nice morning so again today I went up to do a 4 mile fast walk up on the jogging track.  That takes me an hour.  Rebecca did her exercise on the treadmill as usual.  We spent the rest of the morning reading.  Now we just finished having room service lunch of grilled chicken Caesar salads.  I finished my book, "Surviving Hell".  Great book!  Then I sat out on our balcony and read today's Dallas Morning News.  We get it printed daily for us as part of our Titanium benefits.
        The ship is sailing at 4:00 pm for Miami, 1082 statute miles from here.  We have two days at sea before arriving there on Wednesday morning.  We have been invited to a special sail-away cocktail party for the top tiers of the Seven Seas Society members.  It will be on the back of the sports deck (deck 12).  Sailing out through the narrow channel is quite nice.
        We'll meet Jane in the Mariner Lounge at 6:00 for cocktail hour as usual.  Tonight we are planning on dinner in the Compass Rose Restaurant.  There is another production show tonight in the theater.  It is "Blazing Boots", billed as a pop country rock concert performed by the production cast and ship's orchestra.  I believe this is a new show for us.  We plan on attending it.

Link to today's photos:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/d41bCpgqRnckjBNx1

Day 25--Hamilton, Bermuda

Our position today is docked at the pier right next to downtown Hamilton on the island of Bermuda.  It is a beautiful day with sunny skies, light winds, and temperature in the low 70's.  Hamilton is the capital of the British overseas territory of Bermuda.  Hamilton's history dates back to 1790 but it did not become a city until 1897.  The city has a limit on the height any building can be.  Buildings cannot obscure the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (Church of England).  Today, finance and international business drives its economy.  Of note is Bacardi rum is headquartered here. 

Last Night:
        We met our Durango neighbors, Jim & Barbara, for a cocktail prior to dinner in the Mariner Lounge.  They are also traveling with Barbara's sister and her daughter.  We then enjoyed dinner in Prime 7.
        Once again we were on the front row for the headliner entertainer, Lovena B. Fox.  This was her second show of the cruise.  WOW!  She blew everyone away with her fantastic voice and selection of songs.  She is definitely in the top five performers we have ever heard on a cruise ship.  She received a well deserved standing ovation.

Today:
        Ships sailing into the island of Bermuda can only arrive and depart during hours of daylight due to there only being a narrow channel through coral beds and shallow rocks.  We picked up the harbor pilot at 6:30 and was not docked until 8:45.  Rebecca had room service again but I went up to La Veranda for my breakfast. 
        We are not going on any tours today or tomorrow as we have been here several times over the years.  I did my exercise by walking 3 miles up on the ship's walking/jogging track on deck 12.  This morning the crew had a emergency drill that lasted nearly an hour.  This involved deploying the life boats on our side of the ship into the water.  I was watching this from our balcony as it was quite interesting.
        I had a burger up at the pool grill for my lunch.  After that I walked into Hamilton which is right across the street from pier.  It is a nice warm, sunny day so good for a walk.  I finally found a big grocery store so bought some tooth paste as not sure we had enough to last until we got back home next week.  Prices here are very high.  Cost $7 for a tube of Crest tooth paste. 
        After returning to the ship I sat out on our balcony and started reading a book that our next door neighbor had given me before leaving on the cruise.  It is titled, "Surviving Hell" by Leo Thorsness.  Leo was shot down in April of 1967 while flying a combat mission over North Vietnam in a F-105 "Wild Weasel" and spent 6 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi.  Leo is also a Medal of Honor recipient.  The book tells his story of being tortured while captive and how he and the other POW's managed to survive.  Leo is related to Melissa our next door neighbor and they recently flew to Washington DC for his funeral with full military honors and a fly-over of Air Force fighters during interment in the National Cemetery.  As a veteran of the Vietnam War and also an Air Force pilot, I have the highest respect for my fellow Air Force, Navy, and Marine aviators who ended up being POW's in Hanoi.  These men suffered severe torture during their captivity.  I am also proud to have played a part in securing their release.  I was a B-52 pilot who flew during the 12 nights of the bombing of Hanoi during December 1972.  This bombing campaign drove the North Vietnamese back to peace talks seriously, thus ending the war.  Our POW's were released a few months later.  I talked to one POW who later was also an American Airlines pilot.  He told me all the POW's were out in the prison yard cheering the nights of the B-52 raids as they knew their release freedom was soon coming.
        Plan for this evening includes cocktail hour in Mariner Lounge followed by dinner up in Sette Mari, Italian restaurant.  Tonight's Compass Rose menu not that interesting to us.  Not much of a show in theater tonight as the ship's orchestra pianist is doing a concert.  I think several folks will be off the ship tonight dining in Hamilton's restaurants.  They are so convenient as just across the street from our pier.  Crew members may be out there after they finish work having a drink and bite to eat also.

Here is the link to today's photos:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/Tn5Vo4tn2stFQm7t2 

Day 24--At Sea

Our position at noon today.  Yellow arrow in red circle heading for the green dot which is Bermuda.  We'll be arriving there at 9:00 am tomorrow.  I guess we are now cruising in the Bermuda Triangle on Friday the 13th!!  It is a sunny day and 64 degrees outside.  Glad to report that the ocean has calmed down some but still some swells.

Last Night:
        We went to the Alford's cocktail party in their master suite at 5:30 pm.  There were 4 other couples plus Jane who were invited to it.  The master suite is on deck 9 at the very front of the ship so their balcony looks out over the bow.  Their balcony alone is twice the size of our suite.  The suite has 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with separate living area and dining table.  There was a bartender in addition to their butler taking care of the party guests.  It was a fun time but the forward location was very not good place to be during rough seas, so it was difficult to stand without holding onto something.  At 6:30 we went down to the Mariner Lounge for another cocktail prior to dinner in Compass Rose.  The girls had duck in orange sauce and I had Dover sole.  All very good!
        After dinner we went to see the production show.  This time we sat towards the back as I wanted to see how the singers sounded back there.  I am still not impressed with this cast of singers.  It was all I could do to sit through the whole show.  Dancers are doing a good job.

Today:
        Once again room service breakfast for Rebecca.  I went up to La Veranda but tables were full so I came back down to the Coffee Connection for coffee and a bran muffin.  Finally ran into Jim & Barbara, our neighbors back in Durango.  We are meeting them this evening for a cocktail prior to dinner.  Jim is also a retired American Airlines pilot.  Barbara said Jim walked out of show last night.  They also have a problem with the singers.  Interesting!
        We both hit the gym this morning and at noon we headed up to the pool grill for the Tex-Mex BBQ.  This is the Regent version of Tex-Mex so not quite what you would expect.  Well, there is finally water in the swimming pool.  It was sloshing around quite a bit due to the ship's motion besides it is too cool to be swimming.  The hot tubs are busy however. 
        Thanks to my suggestion last year on our world cruise, there is now a "classic movie channel" on the tv system.  Yesterday I watched "Fist Full of Dollars", a 1964 spaghetti western starring Clint Eastwood.  Today, I am watching "Bridge Over the River Kwai".  Seen them many times before but still enjoy them. 
        At 3:00 this afternoon there will be a "Country Fair" up on the pool deck.  The different departments, ie, housekeeping, bar, entertainment, reception, restaurant and others, will setup booths with games for us passengers to play.  This will just last 45 minutes.  I have seen many of these on all Regent cruises and pretty sure the crew members have more fun than we do.
        We are meeting our neighbors, Jim & Barbara, this evening for cocktails in the Mariner Lounge at 6:00 pm.  We have 7:15 reservations in Prime 7 for dinner tonight.  After that we plan on going to the theater for headliner entertainer, Lovena Fox's second show of the cruise. 

Link to today's photos:     https://photos.app.goo.gl/ywWb5QbJetvbgV2B2

Day 23--At Sea

They finally got the map on tv fixed.  So our position at noon today is at the yellow arrow in the red circle.  Bermuda is shown as the green dot this side of the USA.  Ship is moving about some with the 12 foot waves today.  Captain Serena says the ocean should be improving later on this afternoon but it didn't.  Not bad though.  Mostly sunny skies with some haze and an outside air temperature of 66 degrees.  We have 885 miles left to travel prior to reaching Hamilton, Bermuda, Saturday morning.

Last Night:
        Last night we went to the Seven Seas Society cocktail party prior to dinner in Compass Rose.  We asked to be seated at one of "Skinny's" tables.  We have known him for a long time and is a very good waiter.  They call him Skinny because he is very skinny.  We all had the miso sea bass as our entree.  It is without doubt our favorite entree on Regent.  They marinade the sea bass in miso for 48 hours prior to cooking.  I had two pieces as they were small.  It melted in our mouths!
        After dinner I did go to the theater to see the comedian/magician's show.  He is a very young man and his show was ok.  The girls stopped in the Mariner Lounge for an after dinner glass of wine.

Today:
        Clocks back another hour last night so got an extra hour sleep.  We are now 3 hours ahead of Central time.  Room service breakfast at 8:00 this morning followed by the gym and getting cleaned up. 
        After some lunch, I watched a movie while Rebecca read her book.  I have also been working on this. Well, at 5:30 we have been invited to have cocktails in the Master Suite (largest suite on the ship).  Dwight & Mona Alford have invited us to see the newly refurbished master suite.  They were one of the other two couples who were invited by Jason Montague, President of RSSC, to dine with him early on in this cruise.  We have cruised with the Alford's before also.  They live in NC.
        Planning dinner in Compass Rose then going to the theater afterwards for the second production show, "What the World Needs Now" featuring Burt Bacharach tunes performed by the cast of singers and dancers.  It is pretty bumpy now so I would not be surprised if the show will be moved to another night.  The dancers will have tough time dancing while like this.

Here is the link to photos for today:      https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pa94q4lREHfGAkLm2