Our first of quite a few “days at sea” on this voyage. Actually they are a welcome addition to the schedule as they offer an opportunity to simply relax and enjoy the amenities on the ship. Of course, the cruise lines go out of their way to fill the daily schedule with things to do that conflict with the notion of simply relaxing! And I admit I am vulnerable to their often tempting offerings. There are lectures on various topics. There are games that offer the lure of winning points that can be used to claim coveted (?) Regent gifts at the end of the cruise. There are mind games like Mensa questions and the proverbial trivia contests. There are casino tournaments and dance lessons. Supposedly there is an exercise gym! There is a daily “tea time” at 4 PM.  There is the spa and, of course, a sun deck and pool to gather some quality suntan time. Time will tell what happens to distract me from simply relaxing on a sea day during this trip!

The day we boarded the ship we immediately went to their well stocked library to grab a couple of books to read on the trip. Sad to say I have yet to be open my choices. Perhaps today will be the day to start.

There are multiple eating establishments for breakfast. There is the obvious “buffet” but Regent has elevated its stature by providing table cloths and sit down coffee service. There is an “order your own” eggs, waffles/ pancakes section with the freshly cooked items delivered to your table. There is the main dining room if you want a more quiet, serene atmosphere with menu service. There is the coffee cafe with a limited selection of commonly liked items and there is room service if you wish. We usually rotate venues, depending on the mood of the day. Today involved a trip to the buffet area.

We discovered a major scheduling faux pax on the part of the cruise line as they scheduled trivia at the same time as the lecture on Africa! We selected trivia today because we could watch the lecture on TV afterwards. Turned out to be a mistake as our team only got 8/15 questions correct, while the winning team got 13! Sample questions: What is the biggest member of the deer family? Which mammal has no vocal cords? What bone is a baby not born with? What is Shakespeare’s longest play?  Answers:  moose, giraffe, knee cap, and Hamlet! We missed them all!

Yvonne decided to try bingo and I went along to bring her luck, ha!  Should have stayed away as there was none for us this day. I skipped the Texas hold-em and blackjack tournaments, figuring to save my money for one on one activity with the blackjack dealer later in the cruise. By the way, table stakes have now gone up to $10 minimum- inflation has also hit the casino! Or they simply figure if you can afford to be on this ship you can afford a bit more on the gaming tables.

Later that afternoon Yvonne read and I ended up walking a mile (I think) on the top deck of the ship. The reason I said I think is that because of the ship’s size it takes 7 laps to make a mile and I often lose count of what lap I am on as I walk!

Tonight was the official Captain’s welcome so we dressed up a bit and joined the others in the main theater where the captain introduced his staff as we were served cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. It’s amazing at how diverse the top staff is; they are from all over the world. The various ship entertainers then did quick numbers to showcase their talents and let us know what to expect while on the ship. In addition to these people the ship brings other entertainers on board at various intervals to provide additional entertainment. Lindsay Hamilton was an example of that. She will do two shows and then disembark the ship while others will embark along the way.

We introduced ourselves to the couple sitting next to us; they happened to be from Houston, TX. As the event ended we asked if they had dinner plans; they did not and agreed to continue our conversation over dinner at the restaurant that is set up each evening in the buffet area that specializes in Italian food. He was an executive with oil companies and they lived extensively overseas, including Singapore and Oman so the conversation included a lot of questions by us about their experiences there.

The evening show featured the production cast and focused on the age of Hollywood musicals. These ten young people come from the UK, Australia and New Zealand along with a few Americans. They are super talented and the costumes were elegant. It was a very good show.

Tomorrow we will be the first of our two stops in the Canary Islands, when we dock at Santa Cruz de la Palma.