Unplanned Day At Sea- June 12

Today we were to be docking in Cork, Ireland, but last evening we learned that life would be a bit different on this Monday in June. We had had a lazy afternoon reading and watching a bit of news on the TV. We watched the flags at the port flapping in the breeze- actually standing almost straight out. The shrubbery planted around the buildings waved so wildly we began to talk about them breaking.

We were to sail from Liverpool at 5:00, but at about 4:30 the Captain came on the speaker to  announce that the wind was stronger than they had anticipated and  we were actually pinned into the dock with their force. He said it would take two tug boats to get us free and reminded us Liverpool is a busy commercial and military port. Tug boat requests are honored on a first come first serve basis….got to love those British and their orderly queue process….even for tug boats. We were not going to be able to  be on our way until 10:30 PM.

The Captain

In addition to leaving late, we would not be able to make the 250 nautical miles to Cork in time for any activities ashore so we would have an unexpected day at sea. Plus the Captain said the winds would make for a rough ride during the night- even with the slow pace he would be able to take heading to Dartmouth.

The Captain is a Frenchman who speaks English with a heavy French accent, so just to be sure everyone understood he had the Cruise Director come on the speaker and restate what he had said.  The Captain reopened the gangway and said all aboard was now 9:30 PM for those who wanted to go ashore to sample Liverpool night life. As we headed down to dinner we talked with a couple who were giving that a “go” and heading out into the wind and chill hoping taxis would still be available. Brave souls!

Captain Stanislas "Stan" Mercier de Lacombe joined Regent in 2001. He met his wife aboard the Mariner and he as the first commander of the Explorer he spent 7 months in the shipyard in Sestri-Genova, Italy as the ship was being built. He has also commanded the Mariner and the Navigator. His home is leMans, France. He and his wife have three children. 

We began to talk about all the things that had to quickly change…everybody would be aboard all day for meals, sea day type activities had to be arranged, staff and crew assignments had to be changed. No doubt the Monday edition for Passages had been printed so something different with a different schedule had to be created. But as the Captain said at least three times, “Safety is our first concern.”

We went down to the Explorers Lounge for wine and some music and then to the Compass Rose Dining Room for a delightful dinner- just the two of us. We sat at a table by the window on the port side so we could watch the people returning to the ship being thankful for the comforts offered by the Explorer.

Sure Enough, the nightly issue of Passages contained a generic piece explain how the Housekeeping and Laundry Departments work. Schedule wasn’t really much different- lecture from Sunday evening was moved to Monday morning.

Jim went to about 10 minutes of the evening show. It was a Broadway-like production that was too loud and music was too modern for him to enjoy. When the newsletter said the production included strobe lights and lasers I decided to pass the whole thing. Jim went at 9:20 and was back by 9:45.

Sleeping last evening was great given the slow movement of the ship and the rolling action of the sea. It has continued on this morning making moving around the suite and the ship a surprising affair.

Dr. Ferraro

The lecture this morning by Dr. Joan Ferraro was entitled “ Sexual Unions and the Union of Crowns.” Basically she said the sex lives of the Kings and Queens played an important role in the formation of sovereign states, for royal succession could determine the difference between political stability or civil war and whether a country was Protestant or Catholic. We heard- in a fact-filled and boring way- the story of the English and Scottish crowns and the formation of the United Kingdom via the bed chambers of the Tudor and Stuart monarchs, whose dynastic lines, like those of all mortals, were vulnerable to infertility, illness and childhood mortality. She does know her facts but she certainly delvers them in a most boring and unexciting way. Really too bad!

Mid-morning the Atrium was the scene of a  “Walk Around the World of Wines” with the Wine Sommelier Team presenting a great opportunity to explore the Old and New World Wine collection on the Explorer. 

This beautiful area is filled with art of all kinds, a marble area which was used as a dance floor the other evening and the open area that adapts for events like this wine tasting.  Later this afternoon there will be bowling in the Atrium- can’t imagine.

I guess this sudden sea day causes each department to have to pull out from their bag of tricks something for guests to do. What a great life for the passengers with nothing to do but pick and choose the activities that suit us. 

So grateful to be here!