GALVESTON, HERE WE COME, ENGINE OR NO ENGINE

Regal Princess/At Sea  /Gulf of Mexico
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Cloudy, Cooler than yesterday

Fanai (India-hostess), Janie, Giri /Jr Waiter, and Komang/ Waiter

Giri and Komang are from Indonesia

Even though we are still at sea, something came up and just in case someone is watching cruise news and because this item did get national attention in some areas, the blog is back today.

I did not mention these previously because I did not want anyone to be worried.  I truly think everything is going to be fine and we will arrive in Galveston tomorrow as scheduled.

On September 30 we spent the day in the Port of Greenock, Scotland. Later that day, after leaving the port,  we were in our stateroom about 8:30 p.m.  We heard a loud sort of boom. Shortly after hearing that noise, the captain made an announcement that there had been a small fire in the engine room, the fire was out, and no one was hurt.   TK knew and I sensed there was no such thing as a fire in an engine room without consequences, but no one seemed concerned, so we put that out of our mind.   I did think a little bit about sailing the Atlantic for six days and hoped that all was well.

The captain of the Regal Princess is in charge of almost 5000 souls and I certainly count on him to make the best decision.  I base this trust on Captain Walter Rybka, who guided the tall ship U.S. Brig Niagara many times while I was aboard, sometimes as crew, sometimes as a teacher with my students.  He took that role very seriously and I totally believed in him, especially when we sailed the Atlantic Ocean up the Eastern Seaboard to Boston from Philadelphia.  I know I mention that sail often, but if you knew the perils we faced (e.g. sailing through the NY shipping lanes with 24 hours of fog, hitting a port buoy in the Delaware River in the middle of the night with a rookie pilot on board (with some damage to the ship), the  hurricane chasing us, and the VERY stormy night when the sails had to be taken in), you would know why I completely trusted Captain Rybka’s judgment and why those 8 days on the Niagara as crew made such an impact on me. 

Back to the story which I seem to be making a little dramatic.  On the evening of October 24, we were in our stateroom again, about 5 p.m., when the electricity went out, the water stopped running, and the elevators halted.  We were just about ready to go to dinner. Again, the captain made an announcement that they were working on restoring power, and we could proceed to dinner as usual. He cautioned us not to use the elevators.  The ship had alternate power, so the hallways and common rooms were lit.   I did feel sorry for those people with interior staterooms.  By 6:30 p.m. power was restored, water was running, and the elevators were working. 

Last night about 8 p.m. the captain made another announcement that the ship was canceling the next scheduled cruise out of Galveston on Sunday.  The ship needed repairs and would be out of service.  This decision has huge repercussions—first the current passengers are grateful that we made it across the Atlantic with the problems. About 100 current guests were scheduled on the next Regal cruise, and think about the 3500 passengers arriving in Galveston for their cruise with only 2 days notice that it was cancelled. And, the crew!   Flights, hotels, I cannot even think about it.

 Rumors are quite prevalent and many people are upset. Some say the ship is going into drydock.  The Regal was launched in 2014, and supposedly goes into drydock every two years as is the custom with most ships I have been told. Several crew members said they will be doing deep cleaning on the ship while it is under repair.

We have been on the Regal since September 24, and this is definitely the most eventful cruise we have been on—hurricanes, engine fire, and generator problem.  Tonight at dinner TK and I reflected on each port and how much we have enjoyed the itinerary and the crew members who have been so accommodating. 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/10/princess-cancels-upcoming-cruise-onboard-regal-princess/

We did finish packing today and that went quite well. We stuffed everything into our luggage. When TK weighed mine, both were about 46 pounds. His were about that much too.

TK's Takes: He thinks he is becoming a germaphobe. Lots of coughing going on. 

TK has one more "Guess This Dish"

Guess what dish this is!

TK and Janie with Komang and Giri

Janie on formal night

Voice of the Ocean Competition

I like this event--we really get to vote!

Judges have swivel seats

TK's Luggage ready to go!

Janie's Luggage too!

Just as an aside, it probably wasn't a good idea to start reading Clive Cussler's Valhalla Rising,  a book about a luxury cruise liner that becomes a raging inferno and sinks mysteriously.  I finished reading all the books I brought with me, this book was dropped off at the ship's library, and Clive Cussler is a favorite author.   We will be safely in Galveston in about 9 hours.

Aside to Donna:  TK was happy that Mamma Mia was playing today!  Lawrence's favorite movie!

DAYS AT SEA ON THE REGAL PRINCESS! Guess What This Dish Is!

Regal Princess/At Sea on the Atlantic Ocean
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Rain, Clouds, then Sun, 77F

Towel animals are back!

A little doggie!

TK wanted me to blog today because he wants to revive his “contest,” "Guess what this food is." Remember, these are Sea Days and I think he had plenty of time to think about things like that.  I will come back to TK’s contest in a moment.

This morning was rainy, so we spent the morning in the covered back of the ship, overlooking the sea.  So far, the ocean is much calmer than a few days ago.  This was very pleasant, the weather is much warmer now, it was not really windy, and what’s not to like about daydreaming?

Regal Princess-Deck 16 Aft

Wish you, dear Readers, could enjoy this with us!

At noon the Third Mate announced that we have traveled 717 miles away from Funchal, Madeira, so far and we have 2000 miles to go. He speaks in nautical miles, then gives us the data in miles. I wish he had given the depth of the ocean.

One interesting detail is that about every two days we are setting our clocks back an hour--tonight we will be only four hours ahead of EDST.

These are very lazy days – I was looking forward to my highlight of the day: lunch in the dining room with my new favorite, “Colossal Fries.”  Those are my favorite coated fries, hot and crispy, and only served at lunch in the dining room as an appetizer. Next time I am going to order a double! Ann, you know what I am talking about!  To make it seem like this was a real lunch, I ordered deep fried Thai spring rolls with shrimp.  TK, thinking more nutritionally, had some kind of soup and some kind of entrée. I was too busy eating fries.

After lunch we headed to a favorite spot on Deck 17, the Sanctuary—we have talked about this spot before, thickly padded lounge chairs, overlooking the ocean, with attendants attending to any beverage you wish, and tea with a variety of tea sandwiches and petite sweets, including scones, clotted cream, and jam at 3 p.m.  There is a charge for this area, but TK gets a lot of onboard credit that must be used on the ship.

TK daydreams while I read and read and read.

 

Thank you for so many books, Chris!!

I have read these books 

plus 3 others  since the plane ride to London

I have 6 books left...

Back to TK’s contest!

On cruise in 2022, he wanted readers to guess what the first dish was:

Beef Stroganoff on the Regal Princess

November 2022

Spaghetti pasta

Beef Stroganoff on the Caribbean Princess

January 2023

Beef Stroganoff on the Regal Princess

October 2024

TK'S NEW CONTEST

Guess what this dish is:

Janie's

TK's

A SPIRITUAL STONEHENGE! REGAL PRINCESS AT MAYFLOWER TERMINAL!

Regal Princess/Southampton to At Sea
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
Sprinkles, then clear/62F

TK at Stonehenge

International Friends picked us and all our luggage up this morning for a tour of Stonehenge and then delivery to the Regal Princess.  The two hour drive to Stonehenge was peaceful, yet cold. When it was 60F out, it was time to turn on the air-conditioning on the bus.  I feel like the only person on the planet who is cold. Our tour guide Valentina did a great job of preparing us for Stonehenge with another history lesson. I do like this review of English history, the Anglo Saxons, the Jutes, the Picts, Celts, Normans, all after the Romans.

Valentina compared the history of the area of Stonehenge (Wessex) to the Game of Thrones.  There was King Alfred, or Alfred the Great, who brought the languages together into what is now called Old English.  All these things interest me, but before I lose my readers, I will move on.

The stone circle, Stonehenge, predates all of that—estimated to be about 5000 years old, and no one knows how some of the stones were moved from Wales, 150 miles away, to this location to Wiltshire, England. Another fact is that the stones were moved several times over hundreds of years to new configurations.  Scientists think that the stones were a  way to keep track of seasons.

A view of Stonehenge-the Sarsen Circle

Visitors are not allowed inside the circle

Janie at Stonehenge

Another view

Visitors can walk the circumference of the circle

The vertical stone and lintil are locked together 

with a joint like a mortise and tenon

One cannot help but feel the spirituality when looking at such a marvel.   It is a technological wonder that seems to create energy from of the people who built it.  The exhibit hall was very well done, with some artifacts from the archeological sites, including human bones, tools, even pottery.  I am so glad that we visited this site.

The Heel (or Hele or Heal) Stone, outside

the circle

This stone marks the place on the horizon where the summer solstice sunrise appears when viewed from the center of the stone circle.  This one weighs 30 tons.

The Beaker people, so called because of the pottery beakers

found at the site, lived in such huts

Reconstructed

Another type of hut (Beaker people)

Reconstructed

I read reviews online written by people who were unimpressed by the site. I asked TK if he thought he and I could move 30 ton stones over 150 miles—I am impressed just thinking about that.  I can say for sure that I would not know where to start.  The creators of this site did not just move the stones, they shaped them and put notches into them so they would fit with each other (the standing stones and the lintels). [Note: it is estimated that over 400 men moved each stone using wood rails—and boats were used to carry the stones from Wales.] 

TK and I will start this task by walking to Wales from Wessex to find the stones to bring back to Wessex. Tomorrow!

We spent two hours at Stonehenge, then boarded the bus for the Port of Southampton. About an hour later the Regal Princess showed us her profile at Mayflower Marina Terminal.  Ironically, my ancestors sailed out of Southampton on the Mayflower to travel to the new land.

I have been in Southampton twice before, in 1967 and 1968, as I traveled to France for school/1967.  It was the first port we reached from NYC before we left the ship at LeHavre.  When we left LeHavre in 1968, we stopped at Southampton on the way back to NYC. 

By the way, from the middle of the 1800's, Southampton has been famous for being a liner port. In 1912, the world's most famous liner, The Titanic, embarked from here on its fateful maiden voyage, carrying seven hundred Southampton residents in her crew, over five hundred of whom would never return.

This is the 5^th time we have been on the Regal, so we basically know the routine.  Dinner was tasty, steak for me, pot roast for TK, and the most delicious berry cobbler for dessert.  Off to a good start. We are unpacked, ready for a restful sea day tomorrow!

Stateroom Aloha 212 or 12212

A212

Our favorite configuration--a curtain

divides the sleeping space from the

couch, chair, and desk

TK’s Takes:  He saw a raven at Stonehenge and ring-necked pheasants is the field while riding the bus. Stonehenge was a sight to behold.

PACKING OUR BAGS FOR BARCELONA 2022!

At home
Erie, Pennsylvania

October 23, 2022

Janie and TK are ready to cruise again!!

Hello, Readers! 

TK is back at it, making up for lost time! Since 2020, we have had a Mediterranean Cruise scheduled, but the cruises were cancelled for Covid and then an unexpected medical situation.  So in just 9 days, on November 2, we are leaving Erie to head to Barcelona, Spain--we are blessed!

One of our new cruise friends, "JillieBean," created this calendar on the site, Cruise Critic, at https://boards.cruisecritic.com .  This is as big as I can make it, but it is a nice graphic to show where we are going when we leave Barcelona aboard the Regal Princess.

We will leave Erie (ERI) about 6 a.m. on Wednesday, November 2, and fly to Chicago with a layover of about 8 hours. We will fly from Chicago to Zurich, Switzerland, transfer, and fly on to Barcelona, where we will arrive on Thursday, November 3.

After recovering from the long overnight flight, haha, we will enjoy some of Barcelona's culinary delights--TK is watching YouTube videos on where to eat there.  On Friday, November 4, we have a tour scheduled for La Sagrada Familia (The Holy Family) Roman Catholic Church, mostly designed by Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudi. Construction began in 1883 under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar.  The church is scheduled to be finished in 2026, 144 years later.  This spectacular church has intrigued me since I first saw it in 2012 and this will be our third visit. We already have the tickets for a tour of the basilica and tickets for the elevator to tower at the top of the Nativity facade, which represents the birth and childhood of Jesus Christ.    https://sagradafamilia.org/en/ .  

From the website: "The plan for Sagrada Familia, laid down by Antoni Gaudi, was truly ahead of its time. Gaudi’s original vision for the towers includes 18 spires, to represent the Twelve Apostles, Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists, and Jesus Christ. Of the 18, only 8 spires have been completed so far. These correspond to the four Apostles of the Nativity Façade and the four Apostles of the Passion Façade.

The spires, dedicated to the Evangelists, will be surmounted by sculptures of their traditional symbols while the tallest spire, dedicated to Jesus Christ, will be surmounted by a giant cross and will have a height of 170 meters (560 ft). While the towers are a long way from completion, once completed they will make Sagrada Familia the tallest church building in the world."

We also have a tour scheduled for Saturday, November 5 to visit Montserrat, a multi-peaked mountain range near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. My nephew Bob and his wife Katie have been telling us to visit Montserrat for years and this is the year.  We will explore the nearly 1000 year old Benedictine Monastery set high up the mountains, and more spots of interest in that area, about 32 miles northwest of Barcelona.  This is a Viator tour. https://www.viator.com/

We have fourteen tours scheduled during our visit to the Mediterranean, Ionian, and Adriatic Seas. Based on our travel experience, it is best to plan ahead with so many ports. I am very disappointed about our tour in Genoa which was cancelled by Princess tours, a trip to Milan to see DaVinci's Last Supper.  There was no explanation and by the time they cancelled it, there were no other tours to Milan available.

This cruise is exciting for us--there are 6 ports that I have never been to and several that TK has not been to--his U.S. Navy "cruise"  the Mediterranean in the late 60s -early 70s took him to Greece and Gibraltar.  I will also make a reurn to my beloved Aix en Provence, the city I lived in for a year, 1967-1968, my 4th return visit!

Anyway, here is the itinerary--soon we will fly away!

 On another note, I am grateful that son Randy suggested that I use the MS Paint program to resize my Canon T7i photos for the blog, instead of lowering the image resolution on my camera. I am going to practice that. Hopefully this will solve some of the problems of uploading photos to the blog. In September it was painful when one photo would take an hour to upload because of the slow ship Internet. Aargh!

I am also grateful that friend Sue M helped me get around MS OneDrive--it is so easy for me to type my blog in MS Word and transfer it to the blog. OneDrive is not my friend!

Stay tuned for an exciting adventure!!!

TK's Takes:  He is too busy packing--anyway that is what he tells me. He has been packing for 3 weeks. I sure wonder what is going on inside his luggage.

______________________________________________

For Inquiring Minds!  La Sagrada Familia--why is it taking so long to complete this fabulous church? 

(Note: I am not sure if the link below will take you to a 2021 article--I hope!)

Basically, in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, Gaudi's models of his vision for the church were destroyed. Gaudi himself died tragically in 1926, hit by a tram as he walked to his daily confession. He had been working on the church for 43 years.  There was a revolving door of architects and funding problems. Finally, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated it as an official basilica

https://www.euronews.co m/culture/2021/12/05/why-has-barcelona-s-sagrada-familia-taken-over-100-years-to-be-built#:~:text=Construction%20is%20halted%20ever%20further,of%20the%20war%20in%201939 .

This photo was taken in 2013 on our last Mediterranean Cruise. Janie was looking out 

an open window at one of the spires, with Barcelona in the background.

Another photo from 2013--the Tower of the Nativity

La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona, Spain

ON THE SEA AGAIN!

Fort Lauderdale / Regal Princess

Sunday, January 24, 2016

45-52 F / sunny

This morning we awoke in Fort Lauderdale. We had breakfast in Horizon Court with friends, omelets made to order, lovely croissants and other pastries, so many choices from oatmeal and grits to English bacon (I think that is a kind of ham) and lox. A huge variety just for breakfast. Many sad passengers were leaving the ship.

Our job today was to go to the Princess Theater to go through customs as passengers “in transit.” The process was a bit touchy as there were 704 passengers staying on the ship for the 2^nd or 3^rd week. The requirement was that NO ONE could go through customs until all 704 people were in the theater. Apparently two weeks ago a fight almost broke out on the Regal because someone held up the process and did not show up for an hour.  When the last few people came in about 35 minutes late today others starting booing. I do think Princess Cruise Lines needs to revisit this process.

Because the weather seemed so cold today so we could not really enjoy the ship like we planned. It was great to talk with R and B and text B2. It is not easy to be offline without communication for a week! Internet circumstances prevented leisurely reading of emails until today. I cannot even access my Gmail account during cruises because it interferes with my blog and uses up so much time. I cannot imagine the ship’s crew and how little they can communicate with families far away. We see crew members in the ports looking for free Wi-Fi. The crew has to pay for their Internet usage onboard minute by minute just like we do. We think nothing of “googling” information anytime, any day—not an option for anyone on board a cruise ship.

Anyway, after an examination of the blog I realized that I have no trouble putting people to sleep and I better start spicing things up or I will have no readers! After dinner (prime rib) we went to the “Welcome Aboard Showtime,” a show we did not see last week. This week’s comedian was quite funny, mostly joking about plenty of old people on the ship—ha ha!  The cruise director said there were about 3500 passengers onboard this week. That means 20% are repeating from last week.  The top five countries of origin are the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, and China.

I hope this week is a little more exciting. Weather and cancelled tours made a difference last trip. W still had fun though. We have a tour planned in St. Maarten with the gang---a beach near the airport with planes swooping in. Shopping is planned in St. Thomas.

TK’s Takes: Today we saw the most passengers ever staying on a cruise ship for a second week.