1/3/2008 & 1/4/2008: Another year, another blog.

From: Sherman rootberg (BiggiRoot)
Date: Jan 5, 2008 12:45 AM
Subject: 1/3&4/08

On 1/3/08 we were taken by SUV to the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. That’s another story.

On 1/2/08 a baggage company was supposed to pick up our luggage at 2 PM. It’s a good thing we took the dog to overnight camp in the morning instead of waiting for after the luggage was picked up, as we originally planned.

When no one had shown up by 3 PM, I started to make phone calls. All I could get, from the phone number printed in our information booklet, from Regent, for the baggage company, was a recording to leave a message. After I had an auto dialer redial the number for three hours, I finally got someone. They said Fed Ex was picking it up. Of course Fed Ex knew nothing about a pickup.

Someone from Regent happened to call about a cruise I was looking for in 2009. He couldn’t get through either. My travel agent, Vicki, had gone to Chicago on an emergency for her mother who was in the hospital. I talked to her and she got through to the baggage company. After telling me they were having it picked up, they told her she never made a reservation. Vicki had a confirmation number. The rep from Regent said they have to stop using them. A lot of good that does me.

I know they read my blog. Read this Regent. I expect compensation for all the aggravation and having to sit home all day and wait for a luggage pickup that never came, if they expect me to take another world cruise next year. My daughter and her kids were in from Chicago and I could not take them anywhere.

Anyhow, the limo company they use always takes good care of me. They showed up with a large SUV that had room for all our luggage.

The Biltmore Hotel was built in 1926. It had been shut down for many years and was refurbished and reopened in 1992 I think. It is very nice. Our room was small but interesting. We were located on the front of the building and we had one of only three rooms on the 6th floor that had a balcony. The iron rails had not been replaced and one bar was missing. The doors to the balcony were anchored shut.

We had dinner in one of the ballrooms and there was an open bar. The food and service was excellent. We sat ourselves at a table for 7. Two other couples joined us and then the CEO of Regent sat at our table. I am pretty sure it was just to be sure I didn’t make any nasty remarks about him. That was a joke Mark.

Breakfast the next morning was also very good and at 12:30 PM we were bussed to the ship and our baggage was taken by truck.

The room was much nicer then the last time we were on the Mariner. Everything was new. The furniture and furnishings were much nicer and there was a lot more light in the room. Our room was one of those that had the bathtub removed and a nice shower put in it’s place. It has a large rain head and a hand held shower head and a nice seat so I can shave my legs.

There was a bon voyage party on the pool deck at 6 PM this evening. It was too cold out for us to attend. At 6:15 PM we had a block party. We take some wine glasses from the room and go out into the hall. We meet many of our neighbors and someone comes around pouring wine and bringing cheese. The people were nice and so was the wine.

We asked for a table for 6 for dinner and two nice couples joined us. The food was as good as usual and the help was excellent. After dinner we re explored the ship. There were a lot of nice updates. Everything was nice. Isn’t that nice? I’m going to barf if I say nice once more.

They always take a picture of us as we go aboard for the first time. We usually buy that picture and another at the end of the cruise so we can see how much bigger we got. Now they wanted $25 for that picture. At that price, believe it or not, even Bobbi wouldn’t buy the picture.

Last but definitely not least. Today was quite an experience. We saw and talked to dozens of people that had been on Regent cruises with us the last two years. Both on the ship and at the hotel, people kept coming up to us and telling us our names, theirs, and saying they had read my blog. The number of repeat passengers and the number reading my stupid blog are astounding. Even more astounding was the fact that not too many threatened my life or said, “I know you. Get away from me.”

Sorry, I can't get it to send pictures.