Celestial Naviigation "When no landmarks or aids to navigation are visible, navigators may use the sun, the moon, or other celestial bodies to fix the craft's position. In celestial navigation, navigators measure the altitude of a celestial body to derive a circle of position. Altitude of a celestial body refers to its angle, in degrees, above the horizon. From every point on the circle of position, the altitude of the celestial body is the same. Celestial navigators use a unique precision instrument tool for measuring angles - the sextant. A traditional sextant cannot be used in dense fog or other times of poor visibility because it requires a clear view of the horizon. The navigator also needs an extremely accurate clock or watch called a chronometer. The exact time of the sighting with the sextant must be recorded to ensure accuracy because most celestial bodies change position in the sky as Earth rotates. A five-second mistake can cause an error in position of 1 mile or greater. After identifying the celestial body, measuring its altitude and recording the exact time the navigator refers to a table in the Nautical Almanac. This annual publication provides the body's exact position at every time of day."
Just a reminder we are on The Mariner, a smaller and older Regent Seven Seas vessel. This vessel is 710 ft in length. There are 700 guests and 450 crew from 38 Nationalities. We are in a Deluxe Veranda Suite.
 |
| |
Cuisine All the restaurants are included, however the Mariner only has two specialty restaurants (Chartreuse & Prime 7) and you do need reservations for those.
Coffee Connection a great spot for coffee and a quick breakfast.
Compass Rose is the main dining room, our favorite restaurant.
 |
| Left side of the menu always available |
 |
| The salted breadsticks are the best |
Each evening there is a featured white & red wine π· π·. There is also the option to purchase a "Reserve" red & white wine. My go to was usually the Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio.
 |
| One of Rob's favorites π |
Appetizers
 |
| Fontana Cheese Ravioli with a parmesan truffle cream sauce |
 |
| Petite Marmite Henry IV Beef & chicken consommΓ©, vegetables & croutons |
 |
| Baby Squid Salad Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, aioli |
 |
| Shaved Fennel & Pickled Pear Almonds, pear, apples cider mustard vinaigrette |
 |
| Ricotta & White Truffle Flocchetti Purses Parmesan cheese & asparagus |
 |
| Pacific White Sturgeon Caviar Smoked haddock parfait & lemon cream |
 |
| Peruvian Style Halibut Ceviche with Avocado π₯, corn, yuzu, orange, chili, red onion, sweet potato & cilantro |
 |
| Salmon Tartare with a Yuzu dressing, ikura (red caviar) & green apple |
 |
| Fettuccine Pasta with zucchini, shrimp & lemon cream sauce |
 |
| Red Lentil Coconut Soup with coriander pesto |
 |
| Butter Lettuce with pickled Bosc pears π, peppers, red wine vinaigrette |
 |
| Whole Dover Sole with potato gratin & asparagus The fish is fileted tableside |
 |
| Seared Cod Filet Lemon butter sauce, baby spinach, roasted pumpkin fennel salad |
 |
| Farfalle Pasta T9matoes, shrimp, pesto & buffalo mozzarella π |
 |
| Cajun Spiced Chicken Breast Black bean rice and Chipotle BBQ sauce |
 |
| Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast with caramelized garlic, Angel hair Pasta & tomatoes π |
 |
| Beef Wellington with puff pastry, mushrooms duxelles, Shiraz red wine sauce, vegetables & fondant potatoes π₯ |
 |
| Thai Red Curry Chicken |
 |
| Golden Fried Weiner Schnitzel with potato salad |
 |
| Chicken Kung Pao with peanuts, pickled cucumber & Hainanese rice |
 |
| Kerti helping an old man see the menu |
 |
| New spicy seasoning |
 |
| Salmon, Baked Potato, Sauteed Spinach |
 |
| Fish & Chips Batter fried cod fish loin, truffle chips with seafood aioli |
 |
| Pork Belly Confit Adobe style poached egg, Jasmine rice & szechwan pepper |
 |
| Apple Rhubarb Filo Crisp with cinnamon ice cream |
 |
| Gran Marnier Souffle |
La Veranda is the ship's breakfast and lunch buffet. Each morning they offer a Special of the Day. Friday morning is Sangria & Frittatas. Saturday is Saturday Mary's. Sunday is Caviar & Champagne.
 |
| Cronut a croissant donut hybrid |
Prime 7 is their version of a steakhouse.
 |
| Smoky Corn Soup |
 |
| Vidalia Onion Soup French baguette & pepper jack cheese |
 |
| Black Angus Beef Tartare Truffle beer bread |
 |
| Seafood Plateau |
 |
| Shrimp π€, lobster π¦, crab legs, & snow crab π¦ claws on ice π§ European & American cocktail sauces |
 |
| Petit Fours |
 |
| Caramel Popcorn Sundae Vanilla & chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, bourbon caramel, whipped cream & salted peanuts π₯ |
We paired our dinner with a Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sette Mari at La Veranda is their version of an Italian restaurant with a first come first served basis. We normally line up about 10 minutes before opening. Service always begins with the antipasti served at your table (bread, olives, cheese, etc.). We normally decline and help ourselves to the buffet.
 |
| Antipasti |
 |
| Polpette Forno Baked meatballs |
 |
| Spaghetti Alla Carbonara |
 |
| Saltimbocca Alla Romana Veal scaloppini, parma ham, sage & veal jus |
 |
| Coda Di Rospo E Cozze Con Zafferano E Limon Monkfish medallions, black mussels, saffron, & lemon π |
 |
| Le Scaloppini Di Vitello Al Limon Sauteed veal scaloppini simmered in a lemon π parsley sauce |
 |
| Costata Di Vitello Alla Parmigiana Breaded & golden fried milk fed veal chop, tomato sauce, mozzarella with a side of spaghetti π |
Sette's left side of the menu is constant and the right side changes Nightly.
 |
| Left side |
Tea Time is held daily in the Horizon Lounge and this segment there are no pictures for health reasons.
- English
- Mediterranean
- Viennese
- Hawaiian
Entertainment
Blazing Boots
Boat Building Competition - will your boat float or flounder. The teams were allowed to use anything located on the ship except for lifesaving equipment. On competition day the boat was judged on appearance, float capability and if it could hold cargo. There were only two teams.
 |
| It held 2 cans |
 |
| It floated |
Clearly this was the winner!
 |
| Definitely floats |
 |
| It held 6 or 8 cans |
 |
| It even came with pirates & wenches |
Boutiques
 |
| Restaurant - Shoot that Ball |
 |
| Deck - Do you know your knots |
 |
| Purser - Horse Racing |
 |
| Housekeeping - How quickly can you put a pillowcase on |
Farewell Reception & Krew Kapers - cheer on the crew in a talent show that will touch your heart ❤️, and close with our crew salute to you! Before Krew Kapers they play the video πΉ of the Block Party.
 |
| Captain & Our Neighbors Diane & Warren |
Guest Entertainer Heather Sullivan
- Ebony & Ivory Legends - featuring the music of piano legends Carole King, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Ray Charles, Elton John and more
- Lady Killers - the great female singers of the 20th century
Lachlan Griffith Broadway from Downunda a Mariner Production Company vocalist singing some standard Broadway hits and nods to Australia Day
Pool
There are other ways to win prize points as games are held daily throughout the day.
- Crazy GolfPing Pong Challenge
- Ring Toss
- Roll-A-Ball
- Skittles - a bowl of fun
- Tic-Tac-Throw
 |
| A list of souvenir items and how many points are needed |
Seven Seas Society - Upon stepping onboard you are automatically welcomed into the Seven Seas Society. The more you sail the more rewards you earn. The party is held in the Constellation Theater and there are so many people invited.
The Speaker Series
Our first speaker was Dr. Sherry Hutt, an internationally recognized cultural heritage preservation expert who has served as a college professor, judge, museum trustee, head of the US cultural property repatriation program and adviser to two US presidents.
- Being Native Hawaiian - while the government legislates identity, Native Hawaiians know who they are
- A Little History Of The City Of Honolulu - be lured to Honolulu for beaches and a city of colorful characters
- A Vision In Pink: The Royal Hawaiian Hotel - enter the glamor age of Honolulu in the venue of celebrities
 |
| I loved her closing picture! |
Dr. Tom Jones is a former NASA astronaut, scientist, speaker, author, and consultant.
- AMorning - Q & A session
- Beyond Earth: Humanity's Future In Space - space tech breakthrough driving exploration, tourism, and commerce
Prof. Michael Sears holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy. A veteran of California’s Silicon Valley where he worked in both large and small technology companies.
- HowcTo Write A Book Using AI - A How To Session - is it legitimate to use AI to help in writing a book?
- Office Hours - Q & A about AI
Lounges
Horizon Lounge
 |
| Setyabudhi |
 |
| Chocolate Martini |
Mariner Lounge
Observation Lounge
Pool Bar
Ports / Excursions
"Hilo, Hawaii is the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, USA. The city overlooks Hilo Bay and has views of two shield volcanoes, Mauna Loa, an active volcano, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano. The Hilo bay-front has been destroyed by tsunamis twice. The majority of human settlement in Hilo stretches from Hilo Bay to WaiΔkea-Uka, on the flanks of the volcanoes. Hilo has a tropical rainforest climate (KΓ΅ppen: Af), with substantial rainfall throughout the year. lts location on the windward coast, makes it the fourth-wettest city in the United States, behind the southeast Alaskan cities of Whitier, Ketchikan and Yakutat, and one of the wettest in the world."
Arrival 11 am Departure 8 pm
 |
| Tugboat guiding us in |
 |
| View from our balcony |
Our excursion is the Volcanoes π National Park.
Our first stop The Big Island Candy Company
Next stop the National Park
Another view of the volcano π.
Kahului, Hawaii according to the United States Census Bureau, the Kahului CDP has a total area of 16 square miles, of which 14.3 square miles are land and 1.6 square miles, or 10.26%, are water. Kahului is located on the leeward side of Maui relative to the trade winds, giving it a hot semi-arid climate with a dry summer season. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from 71.8°F in February to 79°F.
 |
| Bus ride |
 |
| Zodiac |
 |
| Our first whale sighting |
 |
 |
| Afternoon on Waikiki Beach |
 |
| Diamond Head in the background |
 |
| I think these poses were after |
 |
| A Chocolate Martini |
We felt sorry for the crew. This caused a LOT of additional work and additional hours of an already long day.
- Each restaurant had a person standing at the door instructing everyone to wash their hands
- The self serve coffee ☕️ wasn't self serve or the machines were turned off
- All food had to be served (breakfast & lunch has some type of buffet)
- All menu's were paper and print was very small
- Tables were not preset
- The crew was constantly wiping all surface areas
- The waiters had to salt & pepper your food
These are not complaints as I prefer to be healthy versus ill.
Last night of the first segment Miami to Honolulu. Sadly people are being kicked off the ship.
This portioned covered three ports of call and four sea π π days! Miami to Honolulu we traveled 6,335 Nautical miles.
According to little Ms Google, in January, we traveled 7,141 miles by driving, walking, cruising and flying.
Dates: January 25 - 31, 2026
No comments:
Post a Comment