Day 11--Funchal on Portuguese Island of Madeira

OUR 34TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

After 5 days at sea we arrived this morning at the port of Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira off the coast of north Africa.  It is an absolutely beautiful day with calm wind and temperature in low 70's..

FUNCHAL INFO:
       Funchal has been the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira for over 500 years.  The island is on the same latitude as Dallas, TX, is and is located 320 miles off the coast of Morocco in North Africa.  It is 600 miles from Lisbon, Portugal, to Funchal.  Funchal is the largest city on the island with a population of nearly 112,000 making it the 6th largest city of Portugal.  Half of the people living on the island live in Funchal.  It is one of Portugal’s main tourist attractions as many cruise ships make this a port of call.  It also has an international airport for tourists to fly in and out.
       This is the 4th time we have visited Funchal and the island of Madeira.  The island is just 35 miles long and 14 miles wide.   The island was formed by a volcano some 5 million years ago and its volcanic soil is very fertile.  It is a beautiful place and one of my personal favorite ports of call.  The city is very clean and modern with very nice people.  It enjoys very even year round temperatures in the 60’s & 70’s.  Funchal lies inside a natural U-shaped valley with gentle slopes beginning at the ocean and rising up to over 3500 feet.
       Settlement of Madeira began in the early 1400’s and it became an important maritime port between Europe and the Americas.  It had rich soil which produced sugar cane during the second half of the century and onward.  The wine industry also appeared then and today the island is very well known for its unique “Madeira wines”.
       The Funchal Airport is located 8 miles east-northeast of the city.  We have never flown here as all our visits were via cruise ships.  It opened in 1964 with two 5249 foot long runways.  Folks that is VERY short!!  Due to increased tourist demands the runway  length has been extended twice since and is now 9124 feet long.  It is still considered one of the most perilous airports in the world.  The History Channel ranked it as the 9th most dangerous airport in the world.  Pilots must undergo additional special training to land here.  I’ll come by cruise ships, thank you!!

Last Night:
        We had a cocktail in the Meridian Lounge at 6:00.  The band combo toned down the music so we could actually hear each other talking.  The band leader came over and asked if they were doing better so I guess the cruise director did speak with them.  We dined in Compass Rose and think my photo captions will cover our experience there.  Another great dinner!!
        We were waiting for the theater doors to open at 9:00 for the 9:30 production show.  We like sitting on the front row for the shows.  Six singers of the production cast were featured singing many Broadway show tunes.  It was a very good show.  I believe one female singer, Sammie, is talented enough to be on Broadway in NYC.  Prior to the show we struck up a conversation with a couple from San Diego area.  They had conservative views just as we do.

Today:
        My alarm clock went off at 8:15 this morning as room service was scheduled at 8:30.  When I open the balcony door curtains we were just passing by the NCL Spirit cruise ship that was already docked.  Glad we are not on it as it is about 3 times larger than our ship and not nearly as luxurious. Our names were on the tv this morning wishing us a happy anniversary.  Yesterday we decided to cancel our tour for today.  We have visited Funchal 4 times already.  So instead we worked out and then walked into town after lunch.  It is such a great day for taking a stroll.  I even got Rebecca to get off the ship.  So after working out then a long walk, we should be able to eat more in Prime 7 this evening where we will be celebrating our anniversary.  I only had a hot dog for lunch!
        Funchal is a very beautiful town and a VERY clean city.  It is Saturday so many locals and passengers from both ships we sitting out at the many outside cafes and restaurants lining the streets.
        When we returned to our suite there was a nice little anniversary cake and two glasses of champagne awaiting us from the ship's General Manager, Andreas.  I am having the suite steward chill our bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne.  This is another one of our Titanium benefits.  If you are not familiar, this is an expensive bottle of champagne.  We will take it to Prime 7 (steakhouse) this evening as we have dinner reservations there.
        Tonight's show is featuring our assistant cruise director, David Nevin.  He is a singer and his resume includes performing in many musicals.  We will be there!
        We will be departing at 5:00 this evening for our next port of call, Malaga, Spain, which is 775 statute miles away.  So tomorrow will another sea day and the last sea day of this cruise.  We will be spending Easter Sunday at sea.
        Ok, here is the link to the photos I took last night and today.  Funchal is a beautiful place and one of our favorites in the whole world.  As a review, you will have to cut and paste the link onto another browser to open it.  Then click on the first photo to enlarge it.  Then you can read my captions which are very informative also.  Arrow through the rest of photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ue98JxbI4eAf3XBr1

As an extra bonus, I am adding some really good photos of this island I took when here back in November of 2011.  I know you will enjoy these as some are in countryside.

https://goo.gl/photos/4F8dGPi5tAhZPyj37   

Day 10--Cruising in Atlantic

GOOD FRIDAY

This is our position at noon today.  We are now 400 statute miles (350 nm) from our next port of call, Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.  We will be arriving there tomorrow morning around 9:00 am.  It is a sunny day at sea with light winds and an outside air temperature of 63 degrees.  We are starting to get some swells now.  Captain Stan said they will be increasing to 15 feet swells this afternoon and evening hitting the ship broadside on port side (left side) which will create a rolling motion of the ship.  Our stabilizers are deployed but will not be able to fully dampen the rolling motion.  SO, I put on half of a transderm scopolamine patch behind my ear.  Just practicing "safe cruising" as do not want to have sea sickness.  The ocean looks smooth but you can see and feel the swells.

Last Night:
       We went to the Meridian Lounge as usual for cocktail hour.  Elena, the head bartender, arranged to have some cream cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers for us as a hot hors doeuvers with our drinks.  She said we will be having them served to us every evening now.  At 6:30 we met Joe & Allison Trum at the entrance to Compass Rose as we were having dinner together.  They wanted to join us since I had requested veal parmesan again for our entree.  We also had fried soft shell crabs for our appetizer.   We met them back in 2012 on our Circle South America cruise then cruised again with them from Beijing to London in 2103.  They live in Galveston, TX.  Seems we never run out of things to talk about.  It was a great evening!!
        Last night's headliner show was the return of "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere".  We really enjoy this couple and their unique musical style.  They will be leaving tomorrow in Funchal.  After the show I walked out into the Deck 4 atrium and there was an incredible Easter display made by some chefs on board.  Very artistic and obviously a lot of time spent on it.  Photos on today's link.

Today:
        I bought Rebecca some Contact in the shop yesterday to hopefully help with her breathing last night.  It did help.  Hopefully this will run its course soon.  We lost another hour of sleep last night as we moved clocks ahead another hour.  Now we are 5 hours ahead of Central time zone in the US.
        Once again room service brought our breakfast promptly at 9:00 am.  We got our workout in before getting cleaned up for lunch time.  Even Rebecca went for lunch (instead of having her protein bar for lunch) as in La Veranda they had salmon baked in puff pastry.  This is one of our favorites.  Right before leaving for lunch, the Destination Services desk called me to say we would be getting a private car upon disembarking the ship in Barcelona to take us to the cruise terminal for the Mariner. He said we would be in last group off the ship around 9:00 am as they want everyone off Explorer by then.  Will have to wait in the cruise terminal where Regent's Mariner will be leaving from until they start the boarding process later that morning.  They are offering a Barcelona tour for those of us who will be switching ships but we have done the Barcelona tours on previous cruises.  Besides the weather forecast is for rain that day.
        There is a Passover Dinner this evening for those Jewish passengers who wish to attend.  We plan on dining in Compass Rose as have requested one of our favorite salads on Regent.  It has avocado, heart of palm, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, lettuce, and green goddess dressing.  It used to be on the menu but now we have to ask for it.  After dinner there is another production show called "Broadway in Concert".
        Ok, here is today's photos link.  Cut & paste it to another browser to open it.  Then click on the first photo to enlarge it and then you can also see my captions on the right side.  Arrow through the rest of photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/1FTQfUYiLSLsDFqs2

       

        

Day 9--Eastern Atlantic Ocean

Our position at noon today.  Another beautiful day for sailing in the Atlantic.  Sunny skies, 63 degrees, 20 knots of wind, and swell height of 7 feet.  So another good sailing day.  Captain Stan in noon report over the PA said the swell height will be increasing in 24 to 36 hours so our ride will not be nearly as good then.  We are 860 statute miles away from our next port of call, Funchal and will be arriving there on Saturday morning as scheduled.

Yesterday Afternoon:
        I went down to The Cafe for my usual afternoon cappuccino and had a nice long chat with Marlene, a bar waitress who we have cruised with before.  She is also a FaceBook friend of mine.
Then Captain Stan showed up for his usual afternoon coffee so he and I had a nice half hour chat mainly about flying as he does some when on vacation.  He said he now has an ultra-lite plane and was telling me about it.  I warned him they were dangerous machines!  He also wanted to know about stalling characteristics of large airliners.  I told him we only did that in the simulators.  He also wanted to know what I did as a check airman Captain for American Airlines.  We had a great discussion!  After that I stopped by the Executive Concierge's desk to have a chat with Odul.  We have known her for years also and she is such a wonderful lady.  We were having such a good time I looked at my watch and it was already after 5:00 pm.  So I excused myself and said I had to go get ready for cocktail hour.  It was a fun afternoon for me.

Last Night:
       We again enjoyed cocktail hour in the Meridian Lounge at 6:00 pm.  When just the orchestra's guitar player, Eugene, is playing during cocktail hour you can hold a conversation.  Last couple of nights they had drummer, sax, guitar, & keyboard player.  The sax player thinks he is giving a concert and way too loud for conversation.  Some lady at other end of bar yelled out between numbers, "When are you going on break?"  I went down and told her we totally agree with her.  Prior to the show starting later that night, I told John, the cruise director, about it.  (He is their boss)  He said it would be corrected so we'll see.
        Last night we dined in the specialty Asian restaurant, Pacific Rim.  This was our first time to try it.  We are not big fans of Asian food and tried to talk ourselves out of going there all day.  But I said we had to give it a try.  It is a beautiful restaurant and I guess the food was ok but we probably won't return there in the future.  They also have a French specialty restaurant called Chartreuse.  We will not be going there as French food is definitely not something we enjoy.  So we will be sticking with three other fantastic restaurants on board:  Compass Rose, Prime 7, and Sette Mari.
        After dinner we adjourned to the theater for the 9:30 show.  The headliner entertainer was Linda Gentille.  She mainly played the piano but had some funny lines too.  We had seen her show on a previous cruise and knew she was a very talented pianist.  They had a camera focused on her piano keyboard and showed it on three big screens so you could see her fingers flying across it as she played.
        Rebecca's cold is worse and she was having problems breathing last night.  We were awake from 4:00 on basically.  She has to get up and walk around to open nose some.  I think she did go back to sleep after couple hours.  We set clocks ahead another hour so lost that hour of sleep as well.  Room service showed up at 9:00 am but I just stayed in bed until about 11:00.

Today:
        I finally crawled out of bed and showered before starting writing this.  After my lunch break I finished this.  Then I decided to see how long it would take me to do a fast paced walk around the hallways of all the passenger decks:  6, 7, 8, 9, & 10.  Deck 10 was not full length as two of the specialty restaurants were on aft end of that deck.  My phone has "Map My Walk" app but the GPS function does not work on the ship.  So it took me just 17 minutes and says I burned 110 calories.               This evening I have made another special request with the chef for a veal parmesan dinner in Compass Rose for four.  Our friends from Galveston, Allison & Joe Trum wanted to enjoy some veal parmesan with us.  Tonight's show is featuring "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" for their second show.  Definitely want to see them again.
        Here is the link to today's photos.  See end of previous posts to explain how to view it if you need help.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QqJpWoMYc0KhXnh62

Day 8--Halfway Across the Atlantic

Our position at noon today is just a little over half way across the Atlantic Ocean.  We have 1250 miles to go before arriving in Funchal on the island of Madeira, Saturday morning.  It is a lovely day today.  Best weather we have had the whole cruise so far and Captain Stan said we would enjoy another beautiful sailing day again tomorrow.  He has been warning that Friday we may experience some heavy swells however.  It is mostly sunny and 75 degrees outside  I may have to go out after writing this and enjoy some balcony time.

Last Night:
        As I mentioned in yesterday's posting, last night at 6:00 there was a party for all Seven Seas Society members.  75% of the passengers on this cruise have sailed with Regent before and are members.  We were at the doors prior to them opening the theater for the party as I wanted to be up front so I could take photos when our friend, Marcia Rector, was escorted to the stage to receive a toast from the Captain and General Manager for having sailed on Regent ships for over 1000 nights. She officially became a "Diamond" member of the SSS and received her diamond pin to signify this accomplishment.  I have several photos of this on today's link.
        After the party we were honored to have been invited by Marcia to a special dinner for her hosted by the ship's senior officers.  It was held on the side of La Veranda normally closed during the night.  There were 14 of us at the table.  Marcia, of course, and the 3 couples she had invited plus:  the Captain, Staff Captain, General Manager, Chief Engineer, Cruise Director, Cruise Consultant, and Social Hostess.  We had never been afforded the pleasure to dine with so many of the senior officers at the same time.  Everyone had a really relaxed and great time together.  We have sailed with Captain Stan before and have never heard him so open and talkative.  We were served by one of the head waiters and three other waiters.  The Restaurant Manager over saw the whole dinner.  Joliza, the head sommelier served some VERY nice wines (wines from cellar that normally cost extra--Amaroni della Valpolicella was the red $$$$).  It was a special menu with dishes taken from the 4 specialty restaurants.  We both selected "surf & turf" (small filet & lobster tail).  Besides the special cake made for Marcia by the pastry chef, I had a piece of the 14 layer chocolate cake from Prime 7.  OINK!!  I can't tell you how much we enjoyed this VERY special evening.  The highlight of this cruise and of all 87 of our previous cruises!  Maybe someday, we too, will be honored like this.  Only 400 more nights to go on Regent.
        The dinner ran long so the production show had already started by the time we got back down to the theater.  We could not find any open seats left so went back to the Meridian Lounge for a nightcap before retiring for the night. 

Today:
        Up and attem for our room service breakfast at 8:30.  We had a "refresher" lifeboat drill at 10:15 for all crew and guests.  YUK!  I went right from it to the gym as did Rebecca after returning life vests to our suite.  For lunch I went to Prime 7 and had a beef empanada followed by a pulled pork sandwich.  Rebecca stayed in the suite and had a protein bar again today for her lunch.  She has a cold now so is all stopped up and having breathing issues.  So far she had not shared that with me.
        At lunch I was sitting at a window table and saw a couple whales passing by in the distance.  They would dive then resurface a few minutes later.  Guess they were eating also.  The ocean is really nice today with only a 10 mph wind, so as I said, I may go out and sit on our balcony later.
        This evening we have 7:00 dinner reservations in the "Pacific Rim" Asian specialty restaurant.  Not really my cup of tea but have to try it at least once.  After dinner we will head to the theater to see Linda Gentille, tonight's headliner entertainer.
        Here is the link to my photos for last night and today.  Cut & paste the link to another browser to open it.  Then click on the first photo to enlarge it and you will see my captions on the right had side.  Arrow through the rest of the photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/IVZjBe3XNp9xsUks1

    

Day 7--Crossing the Atlantic

Our position today at noon.  Captain Stan just finished making his noon time position and weather update over the PA.  We again have a mostly cloudy day with 25 knots of wind and it is 66 degrees outside again today.  The wave height is a little less at 6 feet.  The ocean depth is now 15,000 feet.  We have 1400 miles left before arriving in Funchal, our next port of call.  He said we will reach our halfway point of the Atlantic crossing tomorrow morning at 7:00 am.

Last Night:
        After cocktails in the Meridian Lounge we headed to Compass Rose restaurant for dinner.  It's interesting to observe the dining habits of passengers.  The first couple nights of cruises everyone seems to show up at 6:30 when the dining venues open for dinner.  Everyone wants to be seated at the same time so there is a line at the Compass Rose entrance.  Then people start to dine in other venues and dine later.  So now the flow is much better for the waiters and kitchen trying to get food out in a timely manner.
        After dinner we went to the theater and grabbed our usual front row seats.  The headliner entertainers for last night's show was "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere".  We had seem them on a previous cruise and knew they would have a good show.  Adam & Tabitha sang and played multiple instruments throughout their 45 minute show.  We're looking forward to another show of theirs in a few days.

Today:
        Moved clocks ahead another hour last night so moved our usual room service delivery time to 9:00.  Worked out as usual in the gym then cleaned up before lunch time.  Every sea day they feature a different nationality food buffet at the pool grill.  Yesterday was a Greek lunch buffet but it was moved inside La Veranda due to the weather.  Today was a Tex-Mex buffet and it was moved down to Compass Rose, again due to the weather.  They keep things pretty mild and not spicy on the ship.  Even today's jalapenos were mild.  I did not want to eat too much.  At home we do not have much at lunch time.
        Just called and talked with my mother.  Think we may watch a movie after I finish this.  Will be going to the Seven Seas Society (Regent's frequent cruiser program) party at 6:00 this evening.  One of our friends, Marcia Rector, is going to be honored at it by the Captain for being elevated to "Diamond" status.  To become a "Diamond" member you have had to sail over 1,000 nights on Regent ships.  It is quite an accomplishment!!  We are now Titanium going over 600 nights on this cruise so still have a long ways to go.  Afterwards the ship's officers are having a private dinner party for her at 7:00 up in the side of La Veranda that is usually closed at night.  Marcia has also included us as guests for dinner.  It's going to be a very special night for sure.  Will have photos of it tomorrow.
        Another production show tonight at 9:30.  Hopefully we will be finished with the special dinner as want to see it.
          Ok, here is the link to last night's and today's photos.  Cut and paste it to browser.  After open, click on first photo to enlarge it and then you can see my captions.  Arrow through rest of the photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HVswXl5GK51ecv3y2

Day 6--Crossing the Atlantic

This is our position at noon today.  Still 2000 miles to go before reaching Funchal.  At noon Captain Stan said it would be two more days prior to us reaching the halfway point.  Weather today is cloudy with early rain showers and windy.  30 knots of wind, 66 degrees, and wave height of approximately 7 feet.  Still our ship is riding pretty well and Captain Stan says weather should improve later on.

Last Night:
        We had pre-dinner drinks in our suite before heading up to Sette Mari for dinner at 6:45.  Basically there are two sides to the La Veranda restaurant.  Breakfast and lunch time buffets are served there.  In the evening one side is transformed into the Italian restaurant, Sette Mari.  The other side is generally closed at night.  As you will see in one of my photos, at night the shutters are raised so you see right into where the chef and cooks are preparing our foods.  Veal parmesan was not on the menu but they did have a veal chop in creamy marsala sauce.  So I went over and asked Chef Ronaldo if he could make me a veal chop parmesan.  He agreed to.  I took a photo of the kitchen team.  We always enjoy dining in Sette Mari.  My veal parm was excellent and Rebecca had the veal scaloppini with lemon and capers.
        John Barron's show was REALLY good.  He could be a full time guest entertainer on cruise ships but guess he enjoys being a cruise director instead.  It was one of best shows we have seen with great singing and British humor.  We turned our clocks ahead again before retiring last night so now we 3 hours ahead of central time zone in the US.  We will change clocks again tonight.

Today:
        Changed our normal routine today.  Rebecca had room service breakfast and went to the gym as usual but I had a cooking class scheduled for 10:00 am.  So I showered and went down to The Cafe for a cup of coffee and danish prior to heading up to the Culinary Arts Kitchen.
        They have cooking classes every sea day at 11am and 4 pm.  Today was ways to prepare fish.  Besides the instructor, Chef Kelly, she was assisted by 3 other sous chefs who cleaned our stations, put out fish for us, and set cooktop to proper temperatures.  It was a very well organized and run school.  My photos will show you what I prepared.  The instructor chef would demonstrate how to do it, then we would go back to our stations and prepare our own.  They had induction electric cooktops for us to use.  I hate my regular electric cooktop at home.  Would prefer gas but no way to get gas line run to the cooking island in our kitchen.  Loved the induction cooktop so will have one installed this summer at home.
        Took some more photos around ship this afternoon:  library, card room, & Explorer Lounge.  Was about to watch a movie on tv and it went black.  Guy at reception said it is a ship's problem and they are working on it.  Hope it is fixed soon.
        Ok, here is the link to last night's and today's photos.  Cut and paste it to browser.  After open, click on first photo to enlarge it and then you can see my captions.  Arrow through rest of the photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/BzAPME5QAyVjrKqW2

Day 5--Second Day on Bermuda

        Today is a really nice day weather wise compared to yesterday.  Sunny skies, 65F, and no wind!
I did get off the ship for about 40 minutes just before noon time to take some photos.  I wore a jacket but took it off as was such a nice warm day out in the sun.

Last Night:
        We had pre-dinner cocktails in the Meridian Lounge again.  Dinner in Compass Rose at 7:00 pm and again sat at one of Eka's tables.  Joliza, head sommelier, said that Bermuda customs made them lock up some of their wine stores so our wine would not be available until we leave Bermuda.  Not sure what that is about but she brought us another very nice California chardonnay to drink with dinner.  Our special request appetizer, french fried soft shell crabs, were really good.  All the food on board has been excellent and ALWAYS served hot!  Once again, I have included some photos of our dinner selections.
        No guest entertainment or production show after dinner.  Instead there was "Dance Under the Chandeliers" in the atrium.  Not my cup of tea so we retired to our suite.

Today:
        Usual routine this morning.  Room service breakfast then off to the gym.  On Sundays they serve champagne and caviar in Compass Rose and up in La Veranda during breakfast hours.  I usually go for the caviar but not today.  After getting cleaned up, I went out to take some photos of the port area.  The weather was fantastic!  Big change from yesterday's nasty day.  Very quiet Sunday morning in port.  Very small mall was opened at 11:00 am.  Nothing I needed there.
        Back on the ship just in time for lunch up in La Veranda.  They had "burger heaven" going on at pool grill today.  A local Catholic priest came on board and held a Palm Sunday Mass at 11:00.  After lunch I took some photos up on the topside outer decks for you.
        At 2:00 we pulled away from the dock and are now heading for Funchal on the island of Madeira.  So now we will have 5 1/2 days at sea to cover the 2400 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots to reach it.  Captain Stan said we should be having nice sailing weather for the next 3 days anyway.  The water around the island of Bermuda is such a beautiful aqua/turquoise blue.  Not sure my photos will adequately show it.  It is a really beautiful sail out today.  We are sailing north up the west side of the island to get around the island on northern side.  Good bye land for a few days!!
        I believe we are going up to Sette Mari, Italian restaurant, for dinner this evening.  Our cruise director, John Barron, will be featured in the theater for night's show at 9:30.  Don't want to miss that.
        Ok, here is the link to last night's and today's photos.  Cut and paste it to browser.  After open, click on first photo to enlarge it and then you can see my captions.  Arrow through rest of the 62 photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eoLdQqyFtcs78f5h1

Heritage Wharf--At Royal Navy Dockyard on Bermuda

BERMUDA        

       Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory with the capital being Hamilton but the island is self-governing with its own constitution and government.  The United Kingdom still retains responsibility for its defense and foreign relations, however.  Although usually referred to as a single island, it actually consists of 181 small islands.  Bermuda is on the same latitude as Charleston, SC, so its weather corresponds to Charleston but its weather is also warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream.  It is coolest during the months of Jan, Feb, and March with average daytime temps then in low 60’s.  There has never been any record of snow, frost, or freeze.  Summer time temps rarely exceed the mid 80’s.  The closest point of land in the US is 665 miles away at Cape Hatteras, NC.  

       The only source of fresh water in Bermuda is rainfall.  Rain water is collected on roofs and catchments and stored in tanks.  Each house usually has at least one tank for storing water, and in fact, law requires that each household collect rainwater that is piped down from the roof of each house.

       Bermuda’s economy is based on offshore insurance and reinsurance, and secondly, on tourism.  Tourists are attracted to Bermuda because of its pleasant climate, pink sand beaches, clear blue ocean waters, and coral reefs.  Scuba divers and snorklers can explore the numerous wrecks around the coral reefs in relatively shallow water with depths typically 30 to 40 feet.  The islands most popular attraction is the Royal Naval Dockyard, where we are docked today and tomorrow.  It is filled with shops, museums, pubs, and restaurants and a popular place for cruise ships to dock.  From here you can take a short ferry ride to visit Hamilton, the capital, and St George on the north part of islands.    Here at the Dockyard you can visit the Maritime Museum; Aquarium, Museum, & Zoo; Underwater Exploration Institute; Botanical Gardens; lighthouses; and underground salt water pools.  You cannot rent a car on Bermuda but there is public transportation, taxis, and scooters for hire.  Cruise ships will generally advise you not rent a scooter due to safety reasons.

       The 2016 census put Bermuda’s population total at just over 65,000, of which, 54% are black, 31% white, 8% multiracial, 4% Asian, and 4% other races.  Native born Bermudians make up 67% of the population.  Bermudians are not taxed on their income, but rather, they have a consumption tax.  Also since there is no corporate income tax the island is a popular tax avoidance location.  Google, for example, shifted $10 billion in revenue to a Bermuda subsidiary to avoid US taxes.  Although legal, I don’t think that is right.  Currency here is the Bermudian dollar.  One BMD is equal to one US dollar.

HISTORY:

       In 1505 the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez (hence the islands name) discovered Bermuda.  Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used the islands as a resupply spot to take on fresh water and meat.  Neither country attempted to make settlements here due to dangerous reefs and frequent storms.  In 1612 the English began the settlement of Bermuda.  In 1615 the colony was passed to the Somers Isles Company who suppressed ship building as it needed Bermudans to farm in order to generate income from the land. The people did not like farming but favored ship building.  So in 1684 the Somers Company was dissolved and agriculture was rapidly abandoned in favor of ship building.  Farmland was replanted with Bermuda cedar trees which grew thickly over the entire island.  As the land became deforested, the salt trade became the world’s largest and remained the cornerstone of Bermuda’s economy for the next century.  Whaling was also pursued.

       After the American Revolution, the Royal Navy began improving the harbors, and in 1811, it started building the large dockyard where we are docked today.  During the War of 1812 between the British and US, attacks on Washington DC were launched from here.  During the US Civil War the Confederate States used Bermuda as a stopping point in running the Union blockades.  The South was delivering cotton to England in exchange for war goods.  At the beginning of WWII the US was allowed to build two air bases which were used for many years as USAF aircraft transport and refueling.  US naval aircraft it for patrolling the Atlantic for German submarines.  Following the end of the Cold War, US forces pulled out of Bermuda in 1995.

LAST NIGHT:

        We met a nice couple who lives in Austin, TX, at the block party last evening.  After that we adjourned to the Meridian Lounge for a drink prior to dinner.  There, we ran into some friends and had nice chat.  Once again we asked to be seated at one of Eka's tables in Compass Rose.  I included some photos of what we ate.  We were very impressed with the veal parmesan that I ordered specially for us last night.  I believe it was the best we have ever had--anywhere.  Chef Sean had the ship's butcher to cut it thicker than normal for us.  It was a 3/4 inch thick bone-in veal chop, perfectly cooked, medium on the inside but still crispy on outside.  It melted in our mouths!  After dinner the chef came out for us to thank him.  While there, I asked if he could prepare some french fried soft shell crabs as an appetizer for our dinner tomorrow night.  We are looking forward to that tonight.

        After dinner we went to the theater to see the first production show of our cruise, "World Beat".  There are 4 singers and 8 dancers in the production show cast.  Actually all 12 of them dance.  This cast is MUCH better than our cast on the world cruise last year.

TODAY:

        We got up a little before 8:00 as I had scheduled breakfast from room service at 8 am. They are very punctual!  When I opened our curtain we were just approaching the Royal Naval Dockyard.  It was very windy (30+ mph steady wind) so Captain Stan had a challenge getting the ship safely up to the pier.

        It was raining, very windy, and cool (57 degrees) so we did not go out on our scheduled tour.  We have been to Bermuda a few times so did not need to get off today.  We will be here overnight and all day tomorrow so maybe the weather will be better tomorrow.  If so, I will get you some photos then.  If not, we will be back to Bermuda on the next cruise back to Miami on the Mariner.

        So we both went to the gym as usual this morning.  For lunch we went up to La Veranda, the buffet.  Agustin was just finishing up cleaning our suite when we returned.  Rebecca is napping now as I work on this blog post.  I'm going to watch a movie on tv after publishing this.

        Here is the link to last night's and today's photos.  You can cut and paste it to another browser.  When open, click on first photo to enlarge it and you can then read my captions.  Arrow through rest of photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/t1y0uTt0JKHJ0Nof2  

      

       

Day 3--Sailing in the Bermuda Triangle

Our position at noon today:   Outside temperature is 74 degrees with 55% humidity.  The ocean has calmed down now with wave height of 7 feet.  Sky conditions is partly to mostly cloudy.  There could be some passing rain showers later this afternoon according to Captain Stan's noon update.  We will be arriving in Bermuda tomorrow morning.

BERMUDA TRIANGLE
        During the past five centuries, over 1000 ships and planes have vanished mysteriously here.  Well, the facts about this may be more myth than truth.  This is mainly due to writers using their imagination making up stories to sell their books or newspapers.  So we are not concerned about sailing out here today.

Last Night:
        As you may recall it was the Captain's Welcome Reception held in the theater.  The line was long so we decided to bypass the reception and go to the Meridian Lounge for cocktail hour.  Actually, we were only there for a half hour enjoying some hors d'oeuvres.  I had a martini and Rebecca a glass of chardonnay, her usual.  Eugene, the ship's orchestra guitar player was playing some nice music.
        At 6:30 we headed to the Compass Rose dining room for dinner.  We asked to be seated at a table for two with Eka as our waiter.  He was a waiter on our world cruise last year and when in Bali, we got to see his wife and little baby girl.  He was a very proud daddy!  Ari, another Bali guy, was our sommelier and brought us the La Crema chardonnay we had Regent specially put on board for us.  You will see some photos of what we had to eat.  We both chose the roasted duck with plum sauce as our entrees.  Quack Quack!!  While I was having my dessert, Sean, the Executive Chef stopped by our table.  He is from South Africa and a super nice gentleman.  I asked if they could prepare veal parmesan special for us the following evening.  He said yes, so I told him how I wanted it prepared.  So we will see tonight if it suits me.  I am well known on Regent ships for being particular with veal parm.
        After dinner we adjourned to the Constellation Theater for the show which started at 9:30.  We sat on the front row so had a little chat with John, our cruise director, prior to the show starting.  The ship's production show cast did a special number prior to the guest entertainer coming out.  They were very good!  Bruce Smirnoff, a comedian from south Florida, is just doing one show as will be departing the ship in Bermuda.  We did not think he was very good.

Today:
        Our clocks were advanced ahead one hour during the night.  Again, we had room service breakfast at 8:00.  This morning we both went to the gym to workout.  We watch Fox News every morning.  After getting cleaned up, I started writing for today's blog posting.  I took several photos last night of mainly crew members.  Rebecca had a protein bar for her lunch.  I had a tuna salad sandwich from room service for my lunch.  In the afternoon I went out to take some more photos of this beautiful ship.  I also called and talked with my mother this afternoon.  As Titanium members we can call free.
        Another 50+ photos on today's link below.  This evening at 6:00 there is an event unique just to Regent.  It is called a "Shipwide Block Party".  At 6pm the ship's bell will be rung from the bridge and everyone is to take the wine glasses from their suite and go out in the hallways.  There our suite stewards will be pouring wine and have some munchies for us while we meet our neighbors.  The Captain, General Manager, and Cruise Director will be passing through all the hallways at a quick pace to greet everyone.  It really is a neat thing.
        Hope you remember how to view the photos in this link.  If not, review last two postings where it is explained.  Important to click on first photo to enlarge it and be able to see my captions on left side.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QljVXVmR7ilrMKbW2
           

Day 2--At Sea Enroute to Bermuda

Our position at noon today.  We have sailed 250 miles since leaving Miami and have another 650 to go prior to arriving at Bermuda on Saturday morning.  It is 73 degrees outside with wave heights of about 9 feet.  Captain Stan said in his noon report that the sea conditions should start to improve this afternoon.  It actually is not that bad here in our suite.  I try to select suites that are mid ship and on a lower deck as that is where the best ride is.

        Let me begin today where I left off yesterday afternoon.  We were about to go for our life boat drill.  Well, this one was not very painful.  On all previous Regent cruises this drill has taken 40 minutes but today it only took 20 minutes.  We had plenty of time to return to our suite and dress for dinner.  We enjoyed happy hour in our suite while dressing.
        At 6:30 we met Allison & Joe Trum in Prime 7 for dinner.  Last time we cruised with them was in 2013 on our Beijing to London cruise so we had a lot to catch up on.  You will see some photos taken at Prime 7 in today's link.
        Room service delivered breakfast and showed up right on the requested time at 7:30 this morning.  Rebecca did her treadmill workout while I showered and went out to take some photos.  I have been having a problem with my foot so did not do my usual hour workout on the treadmill.  Maybe tomorrow!  As you will see, the spa area is huge compared to Regent's 3 other ships. 
        I am also blown away with how luxurious Explorer is.  I'm normally not impressed with artwork but Regent spend a lot of money for the art.  Chandeliers are also impressive.  There's really not much we do not like!
       Agustin is our suite steward from the Philippines.  He came in to clean our suite so we took off for lunch up in La Veranda.  I sent some things to laundry last night and Agustin returned them at noon.  That was fast service!!  We get free laundry service as Titanium members.  This afternoon I went to a 2:00 lecture in the theatre by Dr William Fowler.  Between 1814 and 1914 more than 30 million people crossed the Atlantic to come to America and Canada.  He discussed the greatest migration of people in history.  I enjoyed it as he is a very good speaker and was a university history professor.  After the lecture I went to The Cafe for an afternoon cappuccino.
       Explorer has a culinary arts kitchen which is used just for cooking classes.  I signed up for a class on preparing fish dishes for tomorrow morning.  It is a two hour class and costs $89.  You will see photos of it in today's link.
        This evening is the Captain's Welcome Reception at 6:00 in the theatre.  There is a reception line to meet the Captain but we were advised that there will be no shaking of hands or hugging due to flu back in the US.  We have met Captain Stan on another cruise so may not attend this.
        Here is today's photo link.  I have over 50 photos on it today.  Cut and paste it to another browser, then click on the first photo.  That will enlarge it and you can then see my captions on right side.  Arrow through rest.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/seBOskkKQFWN96Jf2

Day 1--Boarding Explorer

        The day has finally arrived!  We caught a taxi at 11:15 from the Hilton to the Port of Miami.  It was only a couple miles away.  As you will read on my first photo caption, our taxi driver, Wilzaire, took the tunnel instead of bridge so was a longer ride.  He was honest and said for me to pay him just $10 instead of the meter ($15).  I gave him $20 for being so honest.
        They started checking us in for boarding at a few minutes before noon.  We were in right place at right time so was the second couple to board the ship.  I made a sudden stop while boarding which Rebecca did not see and she fell down.  Hurt her little finger on left hand but did not break the finger nail so all will be well.  LOL
        First thing I did after boarding was make a 6:30 reservation for Prime 7 (ship's steakhouse) for us and our old friends from Galveston, Joe & Allison Trum.  We were not hungry so just sat in atrium area until 1:00 pm.  Another of our benefits of being Titanium members (over 400 nights on Regent, we will go over 600 actually on these two cruises), is our suite was ready for us at 1:00.  All others had to wait until 2:30 pm.
        At 2:00 we went up to La Veranda for a little bite of lunch.  Of course we ran into some other crew members we knew.  We also had a meeting with our cruise director, John Barron, and his corporate boss from here in Miami, Pamela Petcash, in the Coffee Cafe.  I made some entertainment suggestions to Pamela during our world cruise last year.  She pitched them to Regent's President, Jason Montague, and some have been instituted.  I had to go thank her!
        Ok, it is about time for our mandatory life boat drill.  We are almost finished unpacking now.  After the drill it will be time for a cocktail prior to meeting Joe & Allison for dinner in Prime 7.  Below is a link to the several photos that I took today.  You may have to cut and paste the link to another browser.  Click on the first photo and you should see my captions on right hand side of it.  Then you can arrow through the remaining photos.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/JK4YkXLAsCjZIAEn2

WE MADE IT TO MIAMI

        Here is the link to photos I have taken of our trip to Miami.  Open link then click on the first photo.  You should be able to read captions I added to each photo as you arrow through the rest of photos.  You will probably have to "cut & paste" link to another browser.  This is the way I will probably be posting photos.  If you can't figure out how to open and use links, just ask your kids or grandkids!!  LOL

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MMAAT0Mf7UT9SoMH2

        We checked into the Hilton Downtown Miami around 7:00 pm after our limo ride down here from the Ft Lauderdale airport.  We decided rather than going out to a restaurant this evening, we would just go to Publix grocery just across street and get couple bottles of chardonnay and chicken tenders from deli.  We'll be eating "high on the hog" for the next 28 nights so just chill'n tonight.
        Our hotel is very close to the port, and in fact, we can see it clearly from our suite.  We'll grab an Uber to port tomorrow around 11:00 am.  LET THE FUN BEGIN!

Oh, no! Snow

        I've had my eye on weather for past week.  Forecast for today, Sunday, 90% chance for snow.  Sure enough we had a good inch or two this morning but roads are good as temperature above freezing.  Our flight to Dallas is tomorrow morning at 10:40.  Forecast is good for tomorrow.  YEA! 
       We packed on Friday in case I decided to drive to Albuquerque on Saturday to escape the snow forecast for today.  Decided to stick it out here but did change our flight from 8:10 am to 10:40 am tomorrow.  While I was at it I upgraded our seats to first class.
        We are so ready for this cruise.  We will be spending tomorrow night with Jane, our Dallas friend.  I factored in two travel days as ship does not leave Miami until Wednesday evening.  We love living here in Durango, but is a bit more difficult to make travel plans.  We do have three American Eagle flights a day to DFW Airport.  There are also two flights to Phoenix.  United Airlines has some flights to Denver.
        Our flight Tuesday to Ft Lauderdale departs DFW at 12:40 pm.  Upon arrival Regent is sending a limo to take us from FLL Airport down to Hilton Downtown Miami for the night.  I am a loyal Hilton hotel guy.  This hotel is very close to the Port of Miami where the Explorer will be docked on Wednesday.
        

Seven Seas Explorer

       Rebecca and I are very excited to finally be sailing on what is said to be the most luxurious cruise ship ever built, the Regent Seven Seas Explorer.  We got to take a brief tour of her last year on our 2017 World Cruise as our ship and the Explorer were in Cabo San Lucas on the same day.  A few of us fortunate passengers were invited to go tour her.  Well, now we will get to spend 14 nights on board this magnificent cruise ship.
       Construction on Explorer began January 2015 in Italy's Fincantieri Ship Yard.  She was completed and christened on July 13, 2016, in Monaco by Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco.  Explorer is the largest of Regent's four cruise ships with a capacity of 750 passengers and a highly trained crew compliment of 552 from countries all around the world.  The ship features all suites with balconies.
        Explorer is 735 feet long and 102 feet wide with 13 decks.  Only 23 feet is below the water line and there is 158 feet above it.  Two fixed diesel electric propellers give it a maximum speed of 23.5 knots (27 mph) but normal cruise speed is less depending on sea conditions and itinerary.  The size of Regent's ships allows itinerary planners to let us call on many ports that the large mega ship cruise lines cannot even think about visiting.
        We have sailed on many Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity ships that carry 3000 to 5500 passengers.  You never see same people twice so don't get to make new friends or get to know the crew members.  NOT SO on Regent ships!!  We have made so many new friends while cruising on Regent's ships.  They, like us, are loyal Regent cruisers so we see them again and again on other cruises.  The best part of cruising on Regent to us is, we have become very good friends with MANY of the crew members.  They are now like family members to us.  They, the crew, keep us coming back to cruise on RSSC.
        During this cruise it is my goal to take many photos all around the ship so you too can see exactly how luxurious and incredibly beautiful she is.  So come cruise with us via this blog.  Glad you are coming along and hope you enjoy another of our fantastic journeys.