DAY 3---CHRISTENING CRUISE AT SEA ENROUTE TO FREEPORT, BAHAMAS

 LAST EVENING'S CHRISTENING EVENT

        We began the evening by heading down to the Meridian Lounge at 5pm for cocktail hour.  We had planned to go to Observation Lounge but it was closed due to a private function.  So now Meridian and Grandeur Lounges were packed full. 

                       We were offered canapes but declined.  Very nice presentation however.

        This gentleman was doing a time lance movie of the bartenders and bar folks.  Very interesting contraption to do the filming.  He played some of it back for us and we were in it.

        We had arranged to meet Shelby and Tim Streudle for cocktails.  Shelby is the President of Pavlus Travel, our travel agency.  The owner, Craig Pavlus, had planned on being here but was having some back issues (sound familiar?).  We moved out of the lounge as it was so crowded and noisy to Coffee Connection just outside the lounge.  We had a nice visit with Shelby & Tim.

        At 6pm we went up to Prime 7 as we had been invited to dine there with Pamela Petcash who hosted the table with Pat & Jim Bittle and us.  The four of us have known Pamela for years.  She is the corporate head of entertainment for Regent and Oceania.  We all had a wonderful time.

        This is the evening's set menu for all the dining venues.  You will have to click on it to enlarge so you can read it.

        The diner started with this truffle-potato panna cotta with white sturgeon caviar.

      This is what it looked like after removing the lid.  I really enjoyed it.  I love caviar!!

The next starter was this Maine lobster

                   The last starter was duck confit & foie gras on risotto & mushrooms.

We had a choice of two entrees.  Rebecca chose this miso black garlic Chilean sea bass.  It was on a butternut squash sauce.  She said it was ok but not quite what she had expected.

    I chose the wagyu beef tenderloin with a Bordelaise sauce.  It was very tender and yummy.

They called this dessert "Journey in Chocolate".

        This is what it looked like after breaking into the "egg".  I guess it was to go along with the Faberge egg theme.

                                            By the bull's head art just outside Prime 7.

        After dinner we headed to the theater for the christening ceremony which was to begin at 8:30.  They wanted everyone seated by 8:20.  We had reserved seats for the ceremony.

Marcia, Barbara, and the Todd's sat behind us.

Doug & Mary sat next to us.

Violins playing while everyone entered. 

The first speaker was Andrea de Marco, President of Regent Seven Seas.

Next up was remarks from Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

                                Third up was remarks from Captain Luciano Montesanto.

                    Following the Captain were blessings from a priest and then a rabbi.

                        Andrea returned to the stage to introduce the Godmother of Grandeur.

Sarah Faberge, the Godmother, (and who we had dinner with the night before) making some remarks.

     The ceremonial breaking of the champagne bottle on the bow was shown live on the screen.

        Our cruise director, David Niven, singing while the stage behind the curtain was being set for the featured entertainer.

                 Kristen Chenoweth's performance was simply amazing.  What a voice!!

                        Kristen had two backup singers and her own band.  Loved the show!!!

        The christening ceremony ended at about 10:45 so we headed back to our suite.  We were not that impressed with the christening ceremony.  Best part was Kristen's performance.  There was music being offered around the ship but we wanted to go see what the Cowboys/Eagles football score was.  The game was still in the 3rd quarter.  We could not watch the game as not on the ship's tv but could follow it online seeing the play-by-play.  The Cowboys won 33-13!!

TODAY

        Up by 7:30 and after going down to get Rebecca's coffees as I did EVERY morning, I returned to Coffee Connection to work on this blog post.  By 9:30 I had last night's photos and captions finished.

        Shawn Tuberman stopped by to say hi.  He knew we were on board as he saw our suite door.  Shawn is the head of Regent's commercial sales department dealing with travel agents, etc.

        The Faberge egg was opened up in the display case today.  I ran into Joshua Faberge and we had another nice chat about the dinner we enjoyed with him and his mother, Sarah Faberge.

        I stopped in the theater for a while as there was a panel discussion about how the ship was designed.

        Tonight is another assigned seating night and we had not gotten our card telling us who our host would be, what time, and what restaurant.  So I went down to the "inaugural support desk" outside the Meridian Lounge to inquire.  I was told we would be dining in Chartreuse (French restaurant) at 7:30 and the menu would be the normal Chartreuse menu.  They said tomorrow night we would dine in Sette Mari at 8pm.  I told them we do not care for French food so they told me to go up to the card room as the planners were there.  So I did.  I talked with two super nice ladies.  So now they switched us to Prime 7 tonight at 7:30 and Sette Mari tomorrow night at 6:30.  On the night of the 13th we will be in Compass Rose.  I'm telling you we are sooooooooooooo spoiled by everyone of Regent's team. 

We went to Prime 7 for lunch and I had the veal scaloppini with a mushroom sauce on top of polenta.

        There was an Italian themed buffet at the pool grill and in La Veranda at noon so I went up to get some photos.

        We're just doing a slow cruise enroute to Freeport.  It is only 120 miles from Miami to Freeport and not scheduled to arrive there until tomorrow morning.  Just doing 10 knots and wasting time until then.  At least we are on the protected side of the Bahamas for a better ride.  Basically smooth today and 73 degrees.

        Another lazy afternoon in the suite.  Rebecca is snoring on the sofa.  LOL  I'm going down to get a coffee so I can stay awake.

        We'll have our cocktail hour in the Observation Lounge this evening and may hit the little bar just outside Prime 7 before out 7:30 reservation time.

        The show tonight at 9:30 features John O'Hurley.  He played J. Peterman on "Seinfeld" and also was a host on "To Tell the Truth" and "Family Feud".  We will try to see his show although the theater will probably be packed.