Regent Seven Seas Cruise Director, Jamie Logan's Blog
Veteran’s Day was, as expected, very special! Being able to lend a hand to Rico’s Café as they served up over 500 meals to local vets was an honor! Dana and I want to be a part of this whenever we are home on that holiday; however, next year we’re scheduled to be away. I want to add that many of these vets stayed around and ate for a long time and enjoyed many courses. This observation … [Read more...]
Here is the final segment of this Jamie's Journey to Mumbai. What an interesting couple days it was. The public laundry is an incredible place to see if you can make your way inside. I see all those people working in the chemicals for as much as 16 hours a day and think "What a life!" Stay tuned for this surprise ending... It is amazing what can happen even in a city of 20 million people. The … [Read more...]
Well, here we go with part 2 of these two adventurous days we spent in Bombay! In this segment you'll meet Raj who will play an important role in our surprise ending in part 3. Then we head to Dhobi Gate, the largest public laundry in Asia, where you will meet Samil, a laundry stall owner who will give us a fascinating tour that the tourist do not get to see. This is an amazing travel adventure. … [Read more...]
V Cruisers, As summer begins to wane many of you may be looking ahead to this winter and are considering your travel options. This winter when Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Voyager travels down to New Zealand and back from the Mediterranean it will make two calls to Incredible India. You can check out a couple itinerary options. … [Read more...]
So here we go, our final part. This was shown in four parts because YouTube only let's me show these in segments less that 15 minutes (if you don't know). I actually did another video going to different places in Bali, also very nice, but I'll save that for another time because I've got somewhere else I want to take you! But before I do that I hope you enjoy the rest of this travel … [Read more...]
Now you have seen a bit of the magnificent colors of Bali, Indonesia - from the people to the landscape. Please enjoy more of the the country's beauty - from the people to the landscape. This is truly one great place to visit! Enjoy part 3 of 4 of my Jamie's Journey adventure to this exotic destination. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCQJrJI1-Ng] Happy cruising! Jamie Logan, cruise … [Read more...]
Yes, that Bali is something! So much to see. So much to do. Every time we visit we have a different experience. Here is part 2 of 4 parts of Regent Seven Seas Cruises call to Bali - sailing on Seven Seas Voyager - enjoy! [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iStUpQXYo3U] Happy Cruising! Thanks for checking into my cruise blog! Jamie Logan, Cruise Director … [Read more...]
Bali, Indonesia. This is one of our favorite places! You never know what you'll see or what's just around the corner. Every day spent there is exciting thanks to the incredible culture and the warm and wonderful people. When I hear the word "exotic" Bali is always the first place that comes to mind. How long will Bali remain a paradise? There are some not so good influences creeping in from … [Read more...]
Thank you for the feedback I received from Part 1. The comment section of my is working so I would be honored if you enjoyed the video you take a moment to say so. Borobudur is such an amazing sight! I hope that you will enjoy part 2... [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORtuWMUYq1Y] Next we are going to visit Bali, Indonesia. One of our absolute favorites! Here are a couple more … [Read more...]
I was looking at the Regent Seven Seas Cruises website, which you probably know you can access right through my site and I was thinking about our winter season and all that we are going to see and experience. Now, why I was doing this in July is something I can't explain! Dana and I are scheduled to join the ship January 6th in the great city of Singapore and we'll probably go a couple days … [Read more...]
Day 134 of 145 We just spent three wonderful days Israel! Two in Ashdod and one day in Haifa, just down the coast. Our guests have literally been on the go since we reached Petra nine days ago! But what they have seen and experienced in this time are some of the finest antiquities our great earth has to offer! There is so much to see and do on this journey and doing it all in … [Read more...]
Day 119 of 145 Petra is perfect! Regent Seven Seas Voyager called at Aqaba, Jordan on the 2011 World Cruise and I was fortunate to be able to escort a trip up to this great site which the locals were touting as one of the “New Seven Wonders” of the world in 2007. I agree. However, having now gone online to view the complete list I can’t believe that Luxor, Egypt (our next stop) … [Read more...]
Day 115 of 145 Busy, busy, busy! That’s how it’s been around here! We are now in the Red Sea having passed uneventfully (as expected) between Somalia and Yemen in the Gulf of Yemen and having now “squeezed” through the entrance to the Red Sea - Bab el Mandeb, the strategically important, narrow strait which connects with the Gulf of Aden. In the north, the sea divides into two … [Read more...]
Day 114 of 145 Hello and Good-bye Dubai! As we ended Segment 4 and began Segment 5 of our World Cruise, Dubai seemed to come and go in a flash and we were only able to enjoy it as a distant view from the harbor. The famed QE2 also sits here in port, looking very lonely, as it has been about three years now since it began waiting to see if there will be a next chapter of her … [Read more...]
Day 103 of 145. India and Sri Lanka, among others, are great places to visit but as I remind my guests these are not the "usual" destinations for tourists, they are the destinations for travelers. Tourists visit places that get millions of visitors and everyday the same travel scenarios get repeated over and over again, normally, right down to the well rehearsed and delivered … [Read more...]
Day 94 of 145 It is hard to believe that it was 25 years ago since Dana and I last made call at Madras (now Chennai) on the Royal Viking Sky’s1985 World Cruise. Madras is a big city and not a clean city which has a few sites to see in within the metropolis but to really enjoy all it has to offer you have to get out and away from it. One of the more popular sites is the Church of … [Read more...]
Day 86 of 145 Today there was a slight change in our itinerary. It seems that Phuket, Thailand’s local taxi union was tired of all the tour buses dipping their hand into their rice bowls so they formed a blockade the other day in the port which kept the passengers of another cruise ship (Silversea) from going out on their tours. When our company got word of it we decided to sail … [Read more...]
Day 84 of 145 Segment four of the 2011 World Cruise came to an end and all in-transit guests were treated to one night in Bangkok at the Shangri-La Hotel. This has been a traditional stop for the world cruisers over the years and something Dana and I have always looked forward to. Because this day was also a day of disembarkation for almost 400 of our guests we transferred our guests from the … [Read more...]
Day 79 of 145 - Part 2 The second day in Ho Chi Minh City we were able to get in for lunch and meet our very special friend, Jade. When we saw her last year she was celebrating her first year of marriage. This year she was celebrating her first real job – she is now 24 – and also the first year of being a mother! That sure surprised us but I guess it surprised her too. As it … [Read more...]
Day 81 0f 145 We made our maiden call at Sihanoukville, Cambodia. It was Dana’s and my first visit ever to that country. This is NOT the gateway Angkor Wat but it is the number one beach destination in the country. That being said, I am not sure if there is a number two? I went ashore with low expectations and the mindset of a traveler rather than a tourist. I hired their version of Tuk … [Read more...]
Day 77 of 145 - Part 1 of 2 It was great to be back in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam again. We have always enjoyed our time there. We spent two days there, as we have done each year for the past nine. I like shopping for $8. ties (with a matching hanky included!) and seeing some people that we have known now since 2002. The first fella we saw is a young man named Hue. He is now … [Read more...]
Day 74 of 145 Our second overnight in Hong Kong featured another special World Cruise Event. This one was called “The Rising Dragon” and it was delightful! We gathered our world cruisers and took them by bus under the bay to the Four Seasons Hotel located on Hong Kong side. Several guests looked especially great dressed in their Chinese attire as the event began with a … [Read more...]
Day 73 of 145 Hong Kong has Come and Gone! But it was great to be back – It always is! What an entrance we made though. We were originally scheduled to arrive the following morning but there was a little bit of time padded into this the stretch from Xiamen, China and Hong Kong. A berth at Ocean Terminal opened at 7:00pm and we arrived just after 8:00pm. The Festival of Lights … [Read more...]
“Shanghai Dreams” is the name of International Concert Pianist Tian Jiang’s composition which was used as the theme for the 2010 Expo in Shanghai. Tian is the winner of numerous international prizes and was in the first cultural exchange program with China and won a scholarship to Julliard. He now resides in New York and became an American citizen many years ago. He has become a special … [Read more...]
Day 69 of 145 Loving the Locals! I love it when we have the opportunity to bring local culture on board so that our guests are able to see the costumes and colors, the music and dance of some of the countries we visit. Our company provides cruise directors the opportunity to contract these acts at our discretion. Obviously, we can only do this only when we have late sailings … [Read more...]
Day 67 0f 145 My highlight of this third segment of the world cruise was to visit the rock island of Corregidor, Philippines. If you want to learn more about Corregidor there is, of course, a plethora of information available on the web about this amazing place and what took place there. I encourage all, especially with children (Lori!) to do so. Lest we not forget! In short, … [Read more...]
Day 60 of 145 As I have written before, Dana and I love, love, love Bali! We love the beauty, the people and the exotic nature. The day we were in Padang Bai, Bali, Indonesia was a busy one for us. We were able to jump off in one of our very favorite places for just two hours since practically the entire ship was out on tour. What we chose to do was to visit a resort hotel other guests have … [Read more...]
Greetings from Piraeus (Athens) Greece. We just finished a most awesome voyage (if I say so myself after all these years)! It was truly great - Halelujah! You can view the itinerary from the itinerary page on this blog. This trip there were some truly wonderful highlights. The first day of the voyage we were had to make lemonade out of a lemon. Mykonos was to be our first port, however, … [Read more...]
A nice spot to visit. One of Captain Dag’s favorite cities. I took Dana out along with Diana our videographer and we spent a couple hours touring the town on tri-shaws (bicycle rickshaws). We picked a couple of tri-shaw drivers, all in there early 70’s (I think these are all that’s left of this tradition) to ride us around to the various sections of the city. Penang is a melting pot and has … [Read more...]
As we are now about to leave Asia and cross the Indian Ocean I spent this day laying some of the final planning for this next leg of the journey and could not venture ashore. However, I do know from experience that Port Kelang is the gateway to a couple great places to visit. First on the list is Kuala Lumpur, which is a city on the grow, clean and friendly with the Petronas Towers dominating … [Read more...]
This port is the gateway to Bangkok which is about 2 hours away, depending on traffic and about 45 minutes away for Pattaya, which was famous as an R & R city for various military’s, especially the Americans. All of our guests were offered a complimentary overnight into Bangkok and to stay at the beautiful Shangri’ La hotel. About 120 decided to remain on board (?) while the rest took … [Read more...]
The day began as we sailed up the Saigon River. We always sail with the tide and there is about 2 hours of great sailing (both up and down the river, of course). It doesn’t matter how many times I have done this (maybe a dozen) I get a cup of coffee, or two to watch and enjoy! The sunrises are normally spectacular and watching the traffic and seeing life on the river has made this one of my … [Read more...]
This was our third visit to Nha Trang over the years and it was our best. We got a car and driver late morning and headed out to see the rural life of Vietnam. It was delightful! Nha Trang is growing into a beautiful city with stunning, unspoiled, uncrowded beaches and the genuine friendliness of the Vietnamese people. The detail that the government is putting into this city is making a big impact … [Read more...]
The town of Hong Gai has some souvenir shopping but nothing else of great interest. However, is it the location of Halong Bay – a UNESCO Heritage Site – and a favorite spot of mine. Ha Long – is translated to “Descending Dragon” and that is because the rock outcroppings and islands, which total about 2800 in about 1000 square kilometers. These resemble the back and tail of a dragon … [Read more...]
One of my top ten places to sail into in the world! Also right at the top I might add. So many buildings. So many people. So much to shop for – it is an amazing place. We sailed in late after noon and saluted the “old” Regent hotel which is now the Intercontinental. A lovely place and my favorite cocktail spot in the city, the Lobby Bar. Floor to ceiling glass with light jazz played by a … [Read more...]
As always, time goes too fast and we just finished a day at sea as we make our way to another Chinese port, Xiamen. This is a city I have never been to but my feeling is I, once again, will be very impressed! I believe our guests relished a day to relax though there was an awful lot going on today. The rain has returned but, as for today I don’t think many cared. … [Read more...]
Oh how I love to visit China! Every time I return this country amazes me even more! What makes it a bit uncomfortable is that I feel as though I am looking into the future. The visual affects of a sustainable 9% GDP are so impressive! My first visit was in 1987 when I spent an entire summer cruising here. Back then it was nothing like today. In fact, where all its’ biggest buildings are, back … [Read more...]
Today is the last day it will be warm for a while as we are sailing north to Shanghai and winter is still hanging on. Weather reports for our stay there are not sounding good as we will probably get some rain but definitely some cold. This was our last day of pool volleyball until after Thailand on the next segment when we cross the Indian Ocean. Those will be great days for sure! … [Read more...]
Well, this was a day that our crew were really waiting for! A chance to sail into their home country or even their city. We have a couple hundred Filipinos working on board and most of them had family come to visit. There definitely was electricity in the air. A couple of our guests did a very generous thing and arranged to rent the ballroom at the old Manila Hotel which is just outside the gate … [Read more...]
Muara is a nice little stop. Our guests normally love it because of what they learn about the lifestyle from their guides. Brunei is governed by the Sultan of Brunei who is the richest man in the world. Now, where did he get all that money? I guess he makes sure he is paid a fair salary for a days work… When I hear about how much money he has, I must say it bothers me a bit because of his many … [Read more...]
Well, there never seems to be enough time in Singapore. Then when we have disembarkation and embarkation the stay gets a lot shorter. Dana and I did get out to take a quick look at what is called Sentosa Island, which is just a good golf shot or two away from the ship. To get there we can take a modern train from the Ivo City Mall, which is basically in the terminal area. When I first started … [Read more...]
Some say Singapore has become too sterile and has lost much of it’s old world culture. And while this may be true it is still a lovely place to visit. Ultra clean and ultra modern… and ultra safe. Despite all the building that has and still is taking place here it is a city of trees. I love to look at all the trees in this city. I also love to visit the famous Raffles Hotel where the Singapore … [Read more...]
Semarang, Indonesia is on the Island of Java and has on it the largest Buddhist monument in the world which is so exciting to visit! The structure was built in the 9th century but it is unclear as to why it was built and who built it. Experts figure it took 75 years to build and is made up of 2,000,000 cut stones which were taken from two nearby streams. It has just less than 2,700 reliefs panels … [Read more...]
The second day of Bali was also just a fabulous day. I arrived early at my office, just as the sun was coming up and the magnificent volcano was right there with the rays of the sun shining on her peak. Often that is in the clouds but this morning was what I had hoped for. Well after we tendered out guests ashore, with most of the ship heading out to explore again we were able to head back … [Read more...]
Bali is Shangri-La! It seems the more I go there the more I absolutely love it! It was explained to me by my guide that Bali has no natural resources to sell on the world market but that there culture and way of life is there natural resource and therefore it MUST be preserved even as the world (and their little slice of it) continues to change and become more homogenized. We just love there … [Read more...]
Stopped at the exotic Komodo Island, home of the Komodo Dragon, as it was aptly named in 1926. Basically the dragons are big lizards in the Monitor family. They are about 8-10 feet long and are carnivores… So, don’t stand too close… though they look like they move very slowly, when they want to they can run about 20 MPH and can even stand of their hind legs. A couple moved quickly after us … [Read more...]
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