OVER THE BOUNDING MAIN

Life aboard the MS Regatta is not at all difficult to take. The stateroom, although compact, is well designed with plenty of space to stow our belongings. Our cabin steward, Joseph, offered services immediately and continues to do so with the assistance of his assistant. The staff come from all over the world and speak English very well. Within a few hours Joseph demonstrated he knew my name and room number. As he saw me walking down the long passageway he waited by the door of our

stateroom, greeted me with his charming smile and opened the door for me.

Two Old Guys Needing Specs

Those of you on Facebook already know of the amazing service we received the first night in the Grand Dining Room when the men forgot their reading glasses. Our host noticed immediately that RP had put down his menu and prepared to leave the table for a return to the cabin. The attentive host made a polite inquiry, suggested RP return to his seat and followed behind carrying a large wooden case filled with reading glasses of every strength. Perceptive, polite and friendly service to the extreme.

Enjoying a few moments breathing tropical air watching for sea life

We sailed south-west the first day enjoying calm seas, gentle breezes and balmy air. Fortunately, the

islands of Cuba and Haiti offer a buffer to the motion of the ocean. The Director of Destinations provided an informative talk about the first few ports we will visit. This information was then used to make a couple of adjustments to our planned shore excursions. The rest of the day was spent exploring the ship and the amenities offered. Our Captain hosted a welcome aboard cocktail party to introduce his remarkably competent slate of officers. The evening ended with an comical ventriloquist show featuring a couple of puppets, allegedly 90 years old, both of whom had a myriad of aging problems to which the audience could relate. The evening ended with the Captain warning the motion of the ocean would change during the night. We sailed off to meet a thunder and lightening storm in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Canyon Ranch Spa

Day 2 we started the rocking and rolling; we were warned it would continue until the early hours of Day 3. The guys did an early workout at the gym as best they could given the rolling of the ship. The girls had booked a relaxing massage at the Canyon Ranch Spa complete with a steam room cleanse. Mine was relaxing with little disruption from the unsteady ship; L's not so much. Be sure, when cruising to bring motion sickness meds or purchase pressure point bracelets.

CHECK

The afternoon was been quiet without much wandering the ship; when we did we tottered like drunken sailors. RP and I had a latte at the coffee bar after lunch and noticed a chess board waiting for action. I wished one of the grandchildren could join Bubba for a game.

Finally, I have caught up on the blog in spite of the WI-FI issues. Hopefully, our scheduled dinner in the Polo Grill will be as pleasant as expected. BON-APETIT!

Tomorrow we visit exquisite Cartagena.