On the Navigator, Feb 9 cruise

[Gardendog]

We are on the Caribbean cruise on the Navigator. This is our second time on the Navigator, and fourth Regent cruise all together.

Embarkation was extremely well done. We arrived at 11:45 and were escorted through the security and then up the escalator to a "holding area". Some guests had been there since before 10 AM. When it was time to board, a few minutes later, we were escorted, row by row in the order we arrived to check in. It was very pleasant and orderly, a top A+ from us.

We were greeted with the champagne of course and had a lovely lunch in La Veranda. We had already booked Prime 7, at midnight when the reservations opened, but went there to confirm.

Right after 2:30 we were able to go to our cabin and shortly thereafter the steward, James, came and asked about drinks in the fridge. We asked for our preferences and later in the evening it was stocked with our requests.

We checked out the gym and spa, and were surprised to notice a few changes that I would like to make you aware of.

First, Raymond, the gym guy has sign in sheets for his classes. They were mostly already full by the time we got there. This morning I was in there stretching when some guests came and did not know that it was necessary to sign up to participate. They were disappointed as would I have been had I wanted to take a class. Raymond only had sign in sheets for a few days since he said that people often sign up for the whole cruise and then don't show up!! Fancy that!

Second change is a great improvement and I wish I had known. They have 5 spin bikes! They will have spin classes which should be fun, but had I known, I would have brought my bike shorts and perhaps bike shoes. That is a heads up to the other bikers out there who sail Regent, at least on the Nav. they have real brand spanking new spin bikes! I am impressed! I am slightly ambivalent about taking the class since last time I went spinning without bike shorts it felt as if I had ridden bare back across Australia!

At 3 we had tea, we don't want to miss out on any meals :), but no trivia as it was the embarkation day. Muster was at 4:15 and by then I had already received our luggage, and put it all away--so ready for the cruise! It's such a chore putting everything away, but the Navigator walk in closet sure helps; there is a spot for everything.

We are in a regular balcony suite, so we do not get the upgrades bath products, just their regular kinds. It's okay with us, since I bring my own Aveda products anyway.

After the muster they had a bon voyage party on the pool deck. Great food (and we needed it since we had not eaten anything for over an hour), and the Regent singers and dancers were mingling, so we chatted with some of them.

Pre dinner music in Galileos with some dancing and then a wonderful meal in Compass rose. The singles group met there as well, and it was a pretty large group.

The show was a wonderful pianist playing tunes from around the world. He was great but the visual was extremely lame. They showed slides from different countries, the slides were out of focus and seemed to be bouncing! Yes, there is some vibration in the aft, but we are on a ship, not a hotel!

I must say that the staff have been EXTREMELY pleasant and have gone out of their way to please. Some of them even know our names, and we are not famous or in a fancy suite, just regular folks.

It's raining today with high winds and waves so the Princess Cay port of call has been canceled. I was looking forward to it, but I don't think I would want to get into a tender in such waves. It is a sea day today as is tomorrow. They changed the schedule and added some things.

Lorraine is the cruise director on this ship. She was the cruise director 2 years ago on the Navigator as well. She does a fine job I think.

We will eat in Prime 7 on Friday the 12. I will report back how it was especially if the weather is lousy. If the sun is shining, I will be on the pool deck.

[Threechicks]

Happy to hear that you received a good welcome aboard and have enjoyed the ship so far. I was on the Navigator from January 23 to February 2 and had a wonderful cruise. I was surprised to hear that the cruise director Dionne has been replaced by Lorraine. Dionne and her assistant Chris were wonderful.

[PaulaJK]

What a fabulous beginning to your cruise, Greta! Have a great trip and keep us posted !

[hondorner]

So far, your experience matches ours on Jan 13 almost exactly! We did have calm seas at Princess Cay, but I don't think you will have missed much, especially if the water is still as chilly as it was when we were there. The watersports equipment must be rented on the Cay, and isn't very appealing if the weather is not perfect.

I hope you continue to enjoy your cruise as much as we did!

[catenai]

"Greta,"
Thanks for the review. I knew you had a cruise coming up this month, but couldn't remember the date. Think of us when you are dancing before dinner each evening. I'll check in every day to see how things are progressing.

On Monday I booked a cruise on the Mariner for Sept. 2011. Yeh!

Your San Diego Pals

[FloatSomeMore]

We are sailing on the Navigator in September 2011 and have booked Suite 601. Has anyone had this cabin before? It is slightly larger than the other deluxe suites, and I'm just trying to see if there are pros or cons. Thanks!

[Travelcat2]

We are sailing on the Navigator in September 2011 and have booked Suite 601. Has anyone had this cabin before? It is slightly larger than the other deluxe suites, and I'm just trying to see if there are pros or cons. Thanks!

We are in 601 in May. All I've heard about it is the noise it makes early in the morning when you are docking or anchoring. It only lasts a few minutes (and is heard from many forward suites). The balcony is wonderful (only viewed it from shore looking up at the ship). I plan on posting from the Navigator while it does it's first Alaska itinerary of the season.

[FloatSomeMore]

Thank you, I look forward to reading your posts. We were on the Voyager in December and had a Horizon Suite. The balcony was really large, we had two chairs, two recliners and a table. The only negative was that the vibration was stronger than what we've felt in aft cabins on other ships. We still love being in the back though!

[Gardendog]

I posted yesterday but unfortunately it is lost somewhere in cyber space, so now I am doing this in word and then copy and paste so that does not happen again.

Captain’s welcome was on day 2 of the cruise. It was sparsely attended. The orchestra played and there were a few couples out dancing by the stage, that was for you Catenai, I miss you guys this year!

The show was a wonderful ball room dancing and then afterwards, Sasha and Ilana, the very talented dance pros, came up to Galileo’s to dance with the guests, but of course we also got to see them dance. It was a late night for us, but meeting good friends is always fun.

We had an extra sea day due to the waves in the Bahamas. Yesterday was a lovely day, with nice sun shine. We had moved our clocks forward so I think everyone slept in. In the late morning, just before lunch, the lounges were at a premium, and I am sorry to say that not all books on the chairs had people holding them! It seemed to clear up later on so around 2 pm, if you wanted a lounge, you had your pick.

The exercise classes are full and you might not make it if you are waitlisted, so if this is something important to you, sign up early and often since Raymond puts out the sign out sheets not all at ones. The machines are still there, 2 elipticals, 1 regular exercise bike, 1 recumbent bike and I think 3 or 4 treadmills. Perhaps later on in the cruise it will not be so crowded up there. DH and I got our machines and had a good workout. We had ordered room service way too early hoping to get into a class, but hey, at least we were up!

We participated in the team trivia which is held in Galileo’s right after afternoon tea. Yesterday’s tea was Strawberry Heaven and it was well attended.

Our team did not win, 5 other teams tied with 8 points (out of 15). They had a sudden death round with one representative from each team getting to participate. This was the first time this had happened we were told. The first one to know the answer to the final question won, and all the team members got the Regent Reward Cards. No more tokens!

Regent reward cards were also given out to people who participated in the pool volley ball, but they really deserved it, it seemed like hard work! They actually drained out some of the water for the pool, but as we were cruising it became a wave pool, at no extra charge!

AT 6 we had the Regent Block party and lots of our fellow guests stepped outside and we got to meet our neighbors. It is such a lovely event and then when you see people around the ship, you recognize them.

We arrived in San Juan in the late evening and the captain announced that we could leave the ship if we wanted to, but we stayed and enjoyed great company at dinner. Sleep was interrupted due to harbor noise, but we still were rested when we finally got up.

Today was then our first port of call. We got changed times for the excursions, since we were there from early on and instead of an afternoon long hike in the rain forest, it was a morning hike. A great improvement. Tour was well organized, they split the entire group into 2 and our little group consisted of 16 with one driver and one rain forest guide. I was impressed with both and most everyone seemed to be as well which was noted since they were given tips by most if not all guests. I would like to note that the tour was not escorted by anyone from Regent, which is just fine by me, and that the bus had lots of extra cold water bottles that we were given.

We arrived back from the tour much later than expected, but the waiters and bar staff at the pool deck could not have been more obliging in getting us our food. We were all very hungry, which is both unusual and wonderful on a Regent cruise.

The ice cream bar is right next to the pool bar, and it’s manned most of the afternoon. There are at least 5 varieties of ice cream and even yogurt. I have been good, so I cannot report back how it all tastes.

The pool deck guys/girls walk around asking about drink orders, “can I get you something from the bar Madam”, and my water has yet to run out. The servers seem most anxious to oblige.

We are trying out Prime 7 tonight. We had dinner at Prime 7 on the Mariner last year, so have something to compare to.

I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have of the ship.

[Gardendog]

I am delighted to report that Prime 7 was excellent. Everything about it was great, the food, the ambiance and the service. During the day we had a reminder card sent to our room regarding the reservation.

Last night was a very fun night with disco dancing under the stars, lots of people participated and some of the guests said it was the most fun of the whole cruise so far. It ended at 10:30 and that is when we were sailing out of San Juan. It was a good thing since we were rocing and rolling last night.

The captain ordered all the balcony furniture to be brought in due to the waves.

This morning we had an announcement that we would not be able to go to St. Marteen due to the high waves. Port for Sunday, St. Barths was also on the chopping block. Instead we have had a sea day and just arrived in St. John's Antigua. We will spend the night here and the crew has scrambled to find shore excursions for us. They finally came up with some and guests were lined up at the "destination" services to get their first choice excursion.

Some of the guests are beyond disappointed, others take it in stride. It will be 3 ports missed, at least for now.

Tonight they are having a movie under the stars on pool deck and swing dancing inside the Seven Seas lounge. We look forward to that. Evenings have been so much fun. Waitstaff in Galileos know our drink preferences, not that we drink that much.

It seemed today that the wait staff on pool deck were a little bit slower than they have been. We actually went up to the pool bar to get our water today. It was better in the afternoon.

Also, there was an empty spin bike for the class, so I guess the lesson is, if spinning is what you want to do, go there at the beginning of class and see if something is empty.

Heading outside to check out the town.

[liindajean]

Greta! thank you for your reports...we leave friday on the navigator and are enjoying postings. thanks again!

[catenai]

Thanks for continuing with your reports. Happy to read that you are getting in lots of dancing. Tonight should be extra fun.
Sorry about the missed ports, but I'm sure that has not detracted from your enjoyment.
Cheers!

[sunsetbeachgal]

Hi Greta,

We have friends on your sailing who e-mailed us the bad news about St. Barths and St. Maarten. I am enjoying your Live From thread.

FYI, the seas were apparently so bad in the Bahamas that one of the Disney ships could not even get back into Port Canaveral on Saturday to end the cruise, disembark passengers and board the next group! I have heard of skipping ports, as you have done, but never not getting back to the home port in time!

[Gardendog]

Today being Sunday there was Caviar and all the fixings for breakfast in Compass Rose. The service there was so outstanding this morning that the waiter fixed our caviar plates before he took our orders. Some people have said that service there is slow but the two times we have taken the time for breakfast in Compass Rose, we have been out in 30 minutes. It is very lovely there for breakfast and of course dinner. We have not had lunch there yet since we are on a warm weather cruise in the Caribbean and have no interest in being inside in the middle of the day.

Today was St John's Antigua. It was not a scheduled stop and some were disappointed by the change in plans. It has been a glorious day with perfect weather. Regent came up with new excursions and yesterday afternoon we handed in our new requests. The Destination desk told me that all requests were filled, no one was waitlisted for any activities.

DH and I and another 60 of our fellow Regent cruisers (only Regent) went on a catamaran for the day with Captain Mango and his crew. We went to a reef for snorkeling first and then to a beach for the beach break. The current in the ocean around the reef was pretty strong and we had to swim a bit to the reef, so it was nice to be served a nice warm freshly grilled lunch on catamaran deck since we had worked up an appetite swimming.

Regent made lemonade out of the lemons, or lemoncilli as someone said.

Tea and trivia continue to be good. Won today (and yesterday), we joined some power peoples today.

Some shore excursions have been canceled for Cayo Levantado, but we got to join others that will be going.

The destination desk has done a fabulous job getting everyone moved around and in to other excursions.

The entertainment at night has been to our liking, yesterday there was a Mama Mia movie on deck and swing dancing in the Seven Seas lounge. Guess what we did.

We were able to eat in Prime 7 again, joining friends who had a larger table. Still excellent food and great service. DH has found a complementary wine that he likes and they happily serve him his choice.

Other guests are great, there is no smoke bothering me at any time, bar waiters keep my water glass filled and seem to do it with a smile and without effort.

[UUNetBill]

Aah, Regent. C'mon, July, get here, would ya? :D

[Cattravel10]

Yes, bring on June. Wonderful to hear such great reports on the Navigator.:) Must say though, am really going to miss the Observation Lounge.:(

[Travelcat2]

The trip sounds wonderful (and we're only waiting until May -- still, it seems far off). Hopefully passengers just accept the missed/changed ports and do not dwell on it too much -- no one can predict the seas so it's better to just go with the flow. Apparently, Regent is doing a great job of changing the itinerary with little disruption to the guests.

The only thing I hope they change between now and May is the darn movie. The Voyager was showing that back in September, 2009. . . . time for something new;)

Keep up the good work with trivia!

P.S. Yes -- everyone will miss the Observation Lounge. I cannot imagine how Alaska will be without it. The best forward viewing spot on the ships seems to be on a treadmill in the gym. I suppose we'll get used to looking at the view from the back of the ship. It may be like watching the view from your car from the rear window.

[RachelG]

Your trip sounds great, even with the missed ports. Regent can't control weather, so hopefully everyone is taking it in stride. (My DH defended American Airlines in a case many years ago where a man was suing them because the weather on his vacation was bad. Fortunately, DH won.)

[hondorner]

Regent came up with new excursions and yesterday afternoon we handed in our new requests. The Destination desk told me that all requests were filled, no one was waitlisted for any activities....<snip>...Regent made lemonade out of the lemons, or lemoncilli as someone said....<snip>...The destination desk has done a fabulous job getting everyone moved around and in to other excursions.

Is Cinthya from Brazil still the Destinations Manager? She was on our Jan 13 cruise, and is the best Destinations Manager we have ever experienced.

[judy&steve]

P.S. Yes -- everyone will miss the Observation Lounge. I cannot imagine how Alaska will be without it. The best forward viewing spot on the ships seems to be on a treadmill in the gym. I suppose we'll get used to looking at the view from the back of the ship. It may be like watching the view from your car from the rear window.

There is so much room outside (in front of the gym) you would think Regent would have been able to add a very nice sized observation lounge by enclosing the area.
　
steve

[PaulaJK]

Clearly I've missed some info...what has happened to the Observation Lounge?

[Travelcat2]

Clearly I've missed some info...what has happened to the Observation Lounge?

Think you just missed the part that this is the Navigator (;)). . the only ship without an Observation Lounge. So, the Alaska viewing will be done from Gaileo's (aft). I think that the last time the Navigator was in Alaska, it will had the forward lounge where the spa/gym currently resides?! Word has it that it was simply way too small. When we did Alaska on the Mariner, it's large Observation Lounge was full to capacity. Anyway, this should be interesting.

[hondorner]

I think it will work out OK. When we did Alaska last August on Celebrity Mercury, almost everyone headed outside to the forward deck for glacier watching and such, despite the fact that it was chilly outside, and despite the fact that Mercury has a fine forward observation lounge on the Sky deck. I think many people on Navigator will head for the sports deck forward on deck 12 or the walking track on deck 11.

[Hambagahle]

I think it is a real shame that when they did the recent refit of the Navigator they did not create a new, forward Observation lounge by utilizing some of the space on the forward deck, and moving the fitness and spa elsewhere. another cruise line (I rather think it was Silversea) added a "superstructure" to one of its ships so this is possible...and it would have dramatically increased the lounge space on the N. which is at a premium.

We did Alaska on the Mariner too, and we loved the views from the Observation Lounge. We also went through the Panama Canal on her and it was fantastic to see the Obs.Lounge FULL of people at 6am!! Same around Cape Horn...a real buzz going on. The Navigator really lacks this and Gallileo's is a poor (and small) substitute.

[mariners]

Greta,
Thanks so much for reporting on the Navigator. It sounds like you are having a great time and the ship is in fine form. As we are on the crossing in November, this is good to hear. Missed ports can be a major disappointment to passengers, but obviously Regent did the best is could under the circumstances. I hope you continue to have a wonderful cruise.

[Gardendog]

Last night being Valentine's day, the women in Compass Rose were given roses wrapped in cellophane. It was busy and we got to wait a bit, but we had great company so we were no worse for wear. The Las Vegas show was glitzy, the kids worked hard. Galileo's was decorated with red balloons and we were greeted with red champagne. The band was playing love tunes.

This morning we moored in Virgin Gorda, BVI where the sun was shining and it was hot, hot hot.

We ordered room service since we had an early excursion, and the food arrived hot and cooked to perfection, but for those who keep score, it arrived 6 minutes early! We were up so it was no big deal.

Regent offered 3 shore excursions, snorkeling, transfer to the Baths and an island tour. VG is a tender port so we had to wait a bit in the SS lounge for our number to be called, but once called, everything went very smoothly.

The tides were high so the Baths were not "open for swimming" due to the danger, but I believe some brave Regent guests ignored that and still went in.

Regent has a tent with water coolers waiting at the tender spot and they had a few chairs set up for guests to wait for their tender ride. It is very nicely done and all who wanted to, got off and then on the ship again. The security officers that greet you when you return do so with a smile and welcome.

We took the island tour as did many. The guides were not stellar, but nice for a simple overview of the island. Of course they deal with many different groups and not everyone is interested in the small details of the island.

The pool deck lunches have been fine, they have some warm dishes, such as fish and chicken with different sauces in addition to the standard hamburger fare. So far, no crab legs or lobster that I remember from last year for lunch.

Again the pool wait staff have been great. In fact today the beverage guy brought me another iced tea without me asking since he saw that mine was empty. Those things impress me and make the cruise so much more enjoyable.

Tonight is the Seven Seas Society party. The captain Igor Bencina from Italy, has been out and about as have other officers.

[Travelcat2]

This cruise is sounding wonderful. The ultra hot weather is interesting. It seems the weather is very "different" this winter -- in many places.

In terms of the Navigator in Alaska, I have to agree with Hambagahle. Having done the Alaska cruise (with another one soon approaching), I cannot imagine standing outside for long periods of time in icy weather (that feels colder due to the ship's movement) to watch anything -- no matter how lovely. On the Mariner, people would go out for a while and back into the Observation Lounge to warm up. The views from the lounge were amazing. We're booked on the longer (14 nights) Alaska cruise and therefore have more sea days. . . . Hoping the fact that we booked a very low (deck 6), very forward suite will help a bit with the view:confused:

[purpleally]

Is Regent offering any compensation for your missed ports? At the very least, the port fees you paid in your cruise fare?

[gldnbull]

It is Cynthia from Brazil. They did a great job with short notice in Antigua for the excursions and yesterday in Grand Turk it was great fun on the Dune Buggies. The ship has been rolling a lot though and the weather today is chilly...quite a shift from the heat yesterday!

No compensation for missed ports...an act of God and not Regent's fault.

[rallydave]

No compensation for missed ports...an act of God and not Regent's fault.

Totally disagree with the above statement about no compensation. Yes, agree it was an act of god but, compensation IS due for the port charges. Regent collects port charges for each scheduled port and if we don't stop in a particular port, the charges are not paid by Regent and should definately be paid back to the customers who have pre-paid these charges.

Fully understand the lack of any further compensation but, port charges were pre-paid to Regent to be paid upon arrival at the port and that arrival never occurred the collected dollars were never paid to the port, so these charges now become additional profit to Regent which is inappropriate to the paying customers.

If this happens on any cruise I was on, I would press for repayment of the Port charges up the totem pole at Regent and if not reimbursed would pursue additional avenues of collection.

[Gardendog]

Again my post from yesterday is out there in cyberspace . . . when will I ever learn, when will I ever learn . . .

The new Regent orchestra a 7 man band (no women) has done a terrific job of playing different music, entertaining outside at lunch time on sea days and then before dinner in Galileo's and again at night, both for the show and then afterwards in Galileo's again.

The show last night, Mo town was terrific and it was followed by dancing upstairs, 50 and 60 rock and roll!

Trivia has been either rather easy (as far as trivia goes) or really really hard. In the beginning we marked the answers on the "honor system" but that was changed by the assistant cruise director who stated that it's not that he does not trust us, but that we do not trust each other! So it's back to scoring the other teams' answers.

The waiters continue to be great as are the bar staff on pool deck, with one of them searching all over the ship for my special beer today. If I had known, I would not have asked him of course.

Today's lunch was tex mex on the pool deck and it was lovely even though it was chilly with fairly high winds. Several guests are feeling a bit sea sick.

Tea today was Chocolate tea and it was packed in Galileo's, probably due to both the chocolate and the cold outside. They now serve tea in individual tea pots for everyone if you so request. They also go around and serve tea from a larger pot. There are sandwiches, pastries and many many nice treats for tea in addition to fruit.

This will be my last post from the ship, the bags are packed and I'm ready to go, but first dinner in Compass Rose and then Beatles pub night with the singers and dancers and the orchestra upstairs.

I have really enjoyed the cruise and would love to go on another Regent one.

Yes, it's Cynthia from Brazil who is the destination person.

[mariners]

Greta,
Thanks for taking the time to write from the ship. It's good to hear that you have enjoyed your cruise and would go back on Regent.

rallydave, Regent substituted another port so there would be port taxes for that port. Almost all of the cruises I have taken have missed ports, changed times in ports, substituted ports, changed excursions, etc. It would be an a bookkeeper/accountant's nightmare to try and keep track of each expense and reimburse or charge accordingly and I wonder how many passengers actually would expect a cruise line to provide reimbursement for missing ports for reasons outside of the cruise line's control. What happens when a ship has to miss a port or change times in port because of a medical emergency onboard? What happens when the government of a country changes the port of entry for a ship? What happens when a port gets hit by a natural disaster and the cruise line is not/chooses not to be reimbursed for port charges? etc.

[catenai]

"Greta,"
Your reviews have been so nice to read. I'm happy that you have had a wonderful cruise, but I can't picture you not having a good time, even with some rough seas and missed ports. Sounds like the band with opportunites for dancing were good. Were there dance hosts on this cruise? Any dance lessons?
Hope we have as good a time on our next Mariner cruise. Any thoughts of a Europe cruise for you?
Safe trip home.

[rallydave]

rallydave, Regent substituted another port so there would be port taxes for that port. Almost all of the cruises I have taken have missed ports, changed times in ports, substituted ports, changed excursions, etc. It would be an a bookkeeper/accountant's nightmare to try and keep track of each expense and reimburse or charge accordingly and I wonder how many passengers actually would expect a cruise line to provide reimbursement for missing ports for reasons outside of the cruise line's control. What happens when a ship has to miss a port or change times in port because of a medical emergency onboard? What happens when the government of a country changes the port of entry for a ship? What happens when a port gets hit by a natural disaster and the cruise line is not/chooses not to be reimbursed for port charges? etc.
Well Mariners, guess we can agree to disagree. Yes, the subsituted port fees should be charged while the 2? missed ports should be credited. Guess we've been on different cruises. DW and I have cruised about 15 times since 1977 and on only one of those did we miss a port and the port charges were credited to our on-board account without any issues. As far as your other examples, yes, for all those would expect a credit except if the cruise line pays a port charge and then skips the port and the cruise line isn't reimbursed. Simply make everyone including the cruise line whole for items easily identified such as Port Charges.

In this computer age, reimbursement is simple. The port charges are a certain value and the ship obviously has a list of passengers. It would be simple for the ship to simply credit the unpaid (by the cruise line) dollars to each passengers on board account. 20 years ago, wouldn have been a problem but, not today. Thats exactly how it happened on our Windstar cruise from hell when we missed the first port due to a late arrival from dry dock. NEVER take the first cruise out of dry dock. The recent Navigator cruise is a good example.

[jhp]

Greta, I've certainly enjoyed your posts. Nice to hear good news from the Navigator, as it in my future cruise plans. Have already done 4 cruises on this ship "before drydock", starting in it's maiden year. I was always lucky, though, and had a low and mid-ship balcony cabin with no vibration or "aroma" issues. Thank you for the time you took to post. You are my type of person, roll with the punches on lost ports or other issues....Regent has always made it up to me in the past with future cruise credits.

[Peek-a-boo]

We are sailing on the Navigator in September 2011 and have booked Suite 601. Has anyone had this cabin before? It is slightly larger than the other deluxe suites, and I'm just trying to see if there are pros or cons. Thanks!
We were in Suite 601 for our Med Cruise last summer. Two adults and two teens. We enjoyed everything about it. All pros - no cons. Any questions, I will be happy to answer them or send pictures.

[Travelcat2]

We were in Suite 601 for our Med Cruise last summer. Two adults and two teens. We enjoyed everything about it. All pros - no cons. Any questions, I will be happy to answer them or send pictures.

Would love to see pictures of suite 601 if you have them. We are booked in that suite in May (used to being in Penthouse or above). Considering that the forward views from the Navigator are limited, we are hoping that we be able to see a lot from this very low and forward suite.

Also. . . really appreciating Greta's posts. The chocolate tea sounds delectable. Can't wait until we are on board.

As far as the port stuff is concerned, perhaps that is something that should be raised with Regent since it really cannot be resolved on a public board. However, I definitely agree with Mariners. . . . ports are missed on a regular basis due to weather, seas, etc. That is the risk you take when you book a cruise. By the same token, if your ship is late getting to a disembarkation port and has to continue feeding passengers, you are not charged extra. It is just common sense.

[rallydave]

As far as the port stuff is concerned, perhaps that is something that should be raised with Regent since it really cannot be resolved on a public board. However, I definitely agree with Mariners. . . . ports are missed on a regular basis due to weather, seas, etc. That is the risk you take when you book a cruise. By the same token, if your ship is late getting to a disembarkation port and has to continue feeding passengers, you are not charged extra. It is just common sense.
Correct that this must be resolved by Regent but, it is something for a public board. No different than all the talk about changing the dress code, whether or not to allow children during the school year, etc.

Risk does not entitle the cruise line to earn extra profit for ports not paid to visit and the late to a disembarkation port issue is an apples and oranges comparison. If the ship is late, the extra food for the disembarking customers is offset by the lesser food for the embarking customers. Also, the extra food is not easily quantifiable while the port charges are a specific amount set by the port and calculated into the cruise price.

It can be done and simply as evidenced by my previous Windstar Cruise. True, Windstar has fewer passengers but, with a computer the number isn't what drives the credit, just program the computer for all passengers and push the button.

[rpjsaj]

I was on the Mariner from Seward to Japan in fall of 2008. We were supposed to stop at Petropavlosk (sp?) in Russia, but were not allowed to because of the ridiculous Russian government. Apparently the Russian president was visiting and no foreign ships were allowed in port. I guess they thought a bunch of senior citizens would launch an attack! Because of this, we missed this port. The worst part was that it was to be a break after several rough days at sea. The port charge for this port was significant, but Regent offered no compensation. While it is true that it wasn't Regent's fault, there is no reason why they should just have pocketed the money!! When I got home I wrote to Regent. I said that if Regent paid the port charges to the Russian government and got no refund, I would understand and expect no compensation. I said that, on the other hand, if Regent didn't have to pay the port charges, then they should be refunded to the passengers. My first two e-mails garnered no response, and really ticked me off! I finally sent one in which I asked to be removed from their mailing lists, because I was no longer a customer. I then received an apology and a check for $100. Our traveling companions didn't send a request to Regent, and received nothing. In my opinion, Regent should have immediately credited everyone with an on-board credit. Although this was not a lot of money, it was the principle of the thing. I am booked on the Navigator in April.

[commodore2010]

Well Mariners, guess we can agree to disagree. Yes, the subsituted port fees should be charged while the 2? missed ports should be credited. Guess we've been on different cruises. DW and I have cruised about 15 times since 1977 and on only one of those did we miss a port and the port charges were credited to our on-board account without any issues. As far as your other examples, yes, for all those would expect a credit except if the cruise line pays a port charge and then skips the port and the cruise line isn't reimbursed. Simply make everyone including the cruise line whole for items easily identified such as Port Charges.


Using this logic, a cruise line that misses a port would be justified in drifting around for an extra day and refund the port charges.

Instead, what Regent did was arrange a non-scheduled port call and give everyone non planned excursions so as to provide a great cruise experience. I am sure 98%+ of the people currently on the Navigator appreciated these efforts instead of the $50 port charge refund.

You can't please all the people all the time.

[Travelcat2]

Using this logic, a cruise line that misses a port would be justified in drifting around for an extra day and refund the port charges.

Instead, what Regent did was arrange a non-scheduled port call and give everyone non planned excursions so as to provide a great cruise experience. I am sure 98%+ of the people currently on the Navigator appreciated these efforts instead of the $50 port charge refund.

You can't please all the people all the time.

It sounds like Regent went out of it's way to provide a port call for their passengers. I'm sure that 98%+ of the people are very happy. . . . and, also, the same percentage of passengers would not make a big deal out of port charges. They miss ports, add ports, etc. all the time. Perhaps the port charge for the non-scheduled port call was more than $50. Should that mean that Regent should charge all the passengers on the ship for the additional money? Don't think so:rolleyes:


Side note: The accounting to begin refunding passengers for missed ports could easily increase the price of a cruise -- especially the longer ones that are bound to have a missed port or two.

[Goofyisme]

Unless I misunderstood what happenned I believe the ship missed 2 ports and found 1 substitute. Under these circumstances I firmly believe RSSC should refund the difference between Port Charges actually incurred and charges collected from the passengers. It would surprise me very much, given my past expereinces with Regent, that they didn't do this automatically.

Although I have never missed a port on Regent (knock on wood), I have missed ports on Silverseas and mainstream cruiselines and in both cases port charges were reimbursed without having to ask for them.

But perhaps I misunderstood the situation.

Anyway thanks Greta for your most enjoyable and informative reports.

[commodore2010]

Unless I misunderstood what happenned I believe the ship missed 2 ports and found 1 substitute. Under these circumstances I firmly believe RSSC should refund the difference between Port Charges actually incurred and charges collected from the passengers. It would surprise me very much, given my past expereinces with Regent, that they didn't do this automatically.

Although I have never missed a port on Regent (knock on wood), I have missed ports on Silverseas and mainstream cruiselines and in both cases port charges were reimbursed without having to ask for them.

But perhaps I misunderstood the situation.

Anyway thanks Greta for your most enjoyable and informative reports.

I've missed ports with Regent, HAL and CCL and never recieved nor expected a refund.
Regent, the day we missed the port, had a lobster and king crab fest on the deck. I'm sure I ate more than my $50 port charge that day :).

I'm just shocked at the number of people who would expect Regent to refund the difference. Maybe its just me, but.......

[hondorner]

I'm a bit surprised by the feelings that the port charges should be reimbursed. I doubt that it amounts to even $50. The government fees, security and handling fee for our similar 10 day cruise to most of the same ports was $204 per person, covering 7 ports, security charges, and other miscellaneous fees. Even if the entire amount was for port fees (which it is not), it would have worked out to less than $30 per port, per person. I'm probably close to the least wealthy person on this forum, but frankly, considering the amount I paid for the cruise, 20 bucks is not worth the trouble. As TC2 pointed out, it would cost Regent more than that to process the refunds. I realize there is a principle at play, but when I have a good time on a vacation, I tend to relax a little regarding the small stuff.

[Gardendog]

Regarding the missed ports:
Princess Cays
St Martin
St Barths

The winds were too strong/waves high for all these ports, other ships also turned around in St. Martin. We spent a night and a day in San Juan instead of the day in Princess Cays. We continued on past St. Martin and arrived in St. John's, Antigua that same day and arrived there in the late afternoon. We then spent the night docked there. There was time to get off the ship and do some shopping that Saturday night.

We were docked next to a Sea Dream ship, I guess they were partying all night long. Fortunately we were on the other side and we did not hear the party, ear plugs also help.:)

After that we missed no other ports, and the cruise followed as planned.

The evening entertainment was mostly good, I particularly liked the Motown show, and all the dances, especially if they started a little earlier, at show time instead of after the show. Many other guests who like to dance said the same thing. When the dance was held before 10 PM it was very well attended and a great time was had by all.

There were no dance hosts on this cruise Catenai. There was a dance competition couple and then of course the Regent dancers (2 boys, 2 girls) and they were out mingling and dancing with guests. There were classes, but it was in the middle of the day and DH and I have an appointment with the sun at that time.

There were 4 dances in particular on this 10 night cruise, the disco outside on the pool deck, the swing dancing the following night in Seven Seas lounge, the Rock and Roll dance from the 50's and 60's and then finally the Beatles pub night the last night of the cruise. Those dances were well attended, in particular the Beatles night when it was packed. I guess everyone feels comfortable dancing to famous Beatles tunes.

We had room service only for breakfast. It arrived hot and everything was there. One morning it came a few minutes early, but usually on the dot.

Service in Compass Rose was excellent, and questions regarding the ingredients were answered (for food allergies and such). If the waiter did not know, they went to check. I prefer Compass Rose for breakfast as well, service then is extremely friendly and prompt. We had breakfast a few times in La Vernanda and it was not as friendly or prompt. We had no dinners there but friends that we met on the ship did, and loved it. I like to be waited on. I don't care for buffets, both picking all the food, but CR is good for portion control and I love the presentation!

The room was spacious, and a spot for everything. The fruit was replenished daily as were the drinks in the fridge. We got the drinks we wanted and when we finished them our wonderful steward replaced them.

DH and I both used the gym but attended no classes so I cannot give a review of them. Others took classes and liked them.

Destination services was run by a group of organized individuals and everything went like clockwork. Lots of people took the tours since they were "pre paid" (not really free), but I never felt crowded. We have gone on many tours similar to these on other trips (not just cruises) and there is always some time wasted going over the rules etc etc, but that is part of a tour.

The only tour that was confusing for some was in the Dominican Republic. There was a beach break excursion that everyone was invited to in addition to the regular tours. Many guests did not know that the plastic bracelet that we got when we arrived included the lunch they served and some of the drinks. Some guests took the tender to the ship for lunch and then came to the beach. I only knew because the destination desk told me. Lunches on the pool deck of the Navigator trumped the beach lunch by a long shot, but people might have wanted to stay on the beach and have an overcooked burger and local beer in a plastic cup just to be on the beach a little longer.

Disembarkation went very smoothly, while we were waiting we had a lovely last breakfast in the CR with newly made friends. The wait staff had the same nice attitude this last morning as they had throughout the cruise. We were all off by 9:15 and there were plenty of cabs since we were the only ship. It was all very civilized and not once did I feel that they could not wait to get us off! Everyone said good bye and come back.

I thing I don't think I have mentioned is that there are no more Regent tokens, instead you compete for the Reward cards. We had a few that we traded in for nice prices, Regent labeled T-shirts, hats, visors and other things for more points than we had, but we came home with some unexpected goodies, thanks to fellow cruisers who had a few extra and willingly shared! We were very lucky.

Again, I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

[hondorner]

Sad that your cruise is over already, but I got to relive mine vicariously through you. Thanks for the reports!

[ededmd]

wonderful review with details of interest.
thanks for sharing.

[gfranzen]

I totally agree that it is ridiculous to assume/ask Regent to refund missed port fees. The arrogant attitude expressed certainly underlies the inability to please some folks.

[yarlenna]

Greta Larsson, I loved your day by day posts. It was a pleasure to share your cruise with us. I hope that all your cruises will be happy ones for you and yours.

[rallydave]

I totally agree that it is ridiculous to assume/ask Regent to refund missed port fees. The arrogant attitude expressed certainly underlies the inability to please some folks.


Arrogant Attitude??? An arrogant attititude is wanting more than you are due. We are simply asking for a refund for services not rendered. If wanting to pay no more or no less than the correct amount, then I am arrogant but, that is not correct.

Others have stated that other Cruise Lines have refunded port charges for missed ports. I have received refunds for missed ports on Windstar and HAL. Why not Regent???

And, as to those whe believe it would cost more for Regent to refund the Port charges than their value. Lets take Navigator 1/2 full. A $50 Port charge refund would be $6,250 and am almost sure it would be more most of the time with the bigger ships and higher occupancy. Really think it would cost that much to put a $50 refund on the account of everyone on the ship? Also, the people on the ship are paid no matter what they are doing so the actual cost to provide the $50 as an OBC would be zero.

[rpjsaj]

Calling people you don't agree with "arrogant" is, in fact, truly arrogant. Those who cannot tolerate a difference of opinion are intolerable! It's this sort of attitude that is encouraging me to abandon this forum, however, that would be letting the very few "jerks" win.

[basedow]

I too see nothing wrong with expressing an opinion on an issue that may be of interest to some. I don't think anyone is being arrogant here.

Even though this subject doesn't really interest me, I am always on the lookout for new cruise related topics to think about. Isn't that why we have CC?

[gldnbull]

This forum/thread was about a cruise experience not whether the line should do something more or less for a particular event or events. I think Greta did a great job and it was very enjoyable to read as I experienced it with her!

[Travelcat2]

I agree, Greta did a great job. gfranzen -- definitely agree with you!

[rallydave]

gfranzen -- definitely agree with you!

Thought you were always saying personal attacks were against CC's rules? Calling a bunch of people arrogant is a personal attack on them. Guess it is OK for you to break CC's rules but, not for others?

If people want to disagree with others about getting/requesting refunds, that is fine but, don't call them names and attack them. We all have different thoughts and sometimes there is no right or wrong thought. People could just as well call you arrogant because you don't ask for a refund and we are not doing that because it is not polite, it is not appropriate to call people names and attack them because you don't agree with them, and against CC's rules?

Other Cruise Lines do provide refunds for missing Ports so evidently some Cruise Lines believe it is the right thing to do.

[Travelcat2]

I'm a bit surprised by the feelings that the port charges should be reimbursed. I doubt that it amounts to even $50. The government fees, security and handling fee for our similar 10 day cruise to most of the same ports was $204 per person, covering 7 ports, security charges, and other miscellaneous fees. Even if the entire amount was for port fees (which it is not), it would have worked out to less than $30 per port, per person. I'm probably close to the least wealthy person on this forum, but frankly, considering the amount I paid for the cruise, 20 bucks is not worth the trouble. As TC2 pointed out, it would cost Regent more than that to process the refunds. I realize there is a principle at play, but when I have a good time on a vacation, I tend to relax a little regarding the small stuff.




Your comments are right on. Are you sure you want to go back to Oceania? We need more people like you on Regent;)

[Delboy1]

Thanks for the daily postings. We will be on Navigator bound for Alska end of May and I have thanks to Greta have picked up a few helpful tips.
On the question of compensation for missed ports. I agree not feasible to refund on individual basis. I feel most people would be happy for the company to donate any savings to the HAITI relief fund.

Ken:cool:

[OrpingtonT]

I feel most people would be happy for the company to donate any savings to the HAITI relief fund.

Ken:cool:

What a good idea.

[rallydave]

On the question of compensation for missed ports. I agree not feasible to refund on individual basis. I feel most people would be happy for the company to donate any savings to the HAITI relief fund.

Ken:cool:

Have no idea why people say it isn't feasible to refund on an individual basis. If you paid an extra $100 or so for a helicopter tour and the weather was bad and the tour had to be cancelled, wouldn't you expect Regent to refund your $100? I'm sure Regent has something in their on-board system to take care of cancelled tour refunds so why wouldn't that work for a Port credit for all on board? We're talking real money here, a full Mariner or Voyager would net Regent $35,000 for a $50 Port fee not paid or refunded.


Regarding the Haiti relief. Yes a good idea if the money goes to Haiti and is used for the people. It was recently reported that the US Red Cross collected hundreds of millions of dollars to be used for Haiti relief and less than $100M has and will be spent. The rest just went into their general fund for future disasters and to bay exhorbitant salaries to the Red Cross Executives. If I'm donating to Haiti relief, I would want my money to go there!

[gfranzen]

Oxfam is a better choice for relief donations. There's a web site that shows how each charity operates: http://www.charitynavigator.org/

[hondorner]

Why stop at how much a cruise line saves by missing a port? Why not consider how much it might cost? In the example under discussion, the ship arrived early in San Juan -- actually the night before -- and may have had increased dockage fees for arriving unexpectedly and early. They also added an unplanned port (Antigua) and may have had unexpected fuel costs for deviating the route. The port charges for that port may well have been higher. Also, consider replenishment of supplies. We were on a Cape Horn cruise that called at the Falkland Islands, where the ship was refueled (by a Russian tanker!) by prearrangement, The Falklands are often missed because of bad weather; how much more might it have cost to make new arrangments for refueling at an unexpected port?

I'm not saying that any of these scenarios actually happened, only that they are possible -- and if the result in higher costs to the cruise line, we do not get a special assessment added to our shipboard account. So, why should we expect a refund for an act of nature?

The cancellation of a tour is a different case. This is a specific event, with a specific cost, which either happens or does not happen,and is isolated from the ship's operating costs. The amounts we pay in our cruise fare for Government Fees, Security and Handling are not precise amounts, but are rather an estimate of what the extra fees might be. Port fees per person are only one component of that fee, and are unknown as a precise amount until the ship actually arrives at the port. In fact, the reason why these charges are no longer labeled as "Port Fee" on your invoice is because in 1997, the Attorney General of Florida labeled "Port Fees" as an unfair and deceptive practice, because not all of the fees are paid as port fees. Cruise lines no longer use the term "Port Fees" or "Port charges", even though most travelers continue to think of the fees in those terms.

Additionally, many ports charge the ship with a fee for having set aside the dock space, even if the ship does not reach port. This is similar to hotels charging a night's stay even if the guest does not show up, regardless of the reason.

The bottom line is that there are many more factors and many more costs that go into running a ship than the average traveler is aware of. Just as we do not expect -- and would be very resistant to -- any increase in the fare if the ship incurs an extra cost, we should not expect a refund of a minor amount, especially one that was never enumerated in the first place.

Finally, I have to question the $50 amount that has been thrown around in this thread -- I thought I had demonstrated the math in an earlier post, showing that the total fees of $204 for a 10 day Eastern Caribbean cruise, with 7 ports, works out to a total of $29.14 per port, even if every penny was a port charge -- which it is not.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Very well said, Horndorner! Don't sweat the small stuff is my attitude, but you explain very well why doing so is impractical and unrealistic.

[jhp]

Greta, I've enjoyed your posts immensely, as I am a Navigator fan with some of my best Regent cruises on her, and I have booked another for the future.

For what it's worth, and this is not to "stir the pot", I've had several cruises where either the whole cruise was canceled or ports were canceled on all the ships now in service. I can't recall that either of them was related to a weather event, which is clearly addressed in the fine print, (along with anything else that could possibly happen). They were all for mechanical problems, and I have always been happy with how Regent handled it, with future cruise credits.

[mariners]

Greta, you have given those of us who will be cruising on the Navigator in the future a terrific overview of your cruise. Thank you, again.

I love how this board has so many people who have different opinions and, as a result, I often look at other cruise lines because of comments people have made. Because of hondorner, I am now interested in Oceania cruises. Because of information posted on the Regent board and then checking out the Crystal board, I know that Crystal is not the line for me.

jhp, I, too, have been extremely happy with how Regent has treated cancelled cruises. Some issues such as missed ports, I have not raised as the only port we missed due to a mechanical failure did not matter to me. I know others who were pleased with Regent's response to their concerns. Other issues that did not matter to fellow passengers, I did raise because they mattered to me and Regent treated me fairly.

[Anna B.]

At the risk of beating a dead horse.......I have a very good friend who was on this cruise. For months leading up to his departure he talked of how he couldn't wait to get back to St. Barths and how happy he was to finally visit St. Martins on a day other than a Sunday. Compensation or no compensation, this was a very disappointing cruise for some people. Antigua is by no means a substitute for St. Barths!

Editing to say thank you to Greta for your reports!

[Gardendog]

I agree with you AnnaB. We would never have booked this cruise if the ports that we ended up visiting were the ones listed.

Missing Princess Cays was disappointing, St. Martin sort of, but mostly because we were finally going to be able to do the America's Regatta. St. Barths is my fav Caribbean island, so that was very disappointing.

St. John's Antigua is one of my least favorite ports in the Carib. So I do agree with all that.

We tend to choose our cruises based on the ship/line more so than Carib ports, since that is pretty much the only place we have cruised and prefer at our age to do independent land trips to other places. We just want to go to a warm destination in the winter to make winter a little shorter and we LOVE to cruise for that winter vacation over going to a resort or hotel. That is why we were not beyond disappointed that we missed those ports. We have been to those places before (except for Princess Cays), so that is perhaps why we did not feel that we missed out.

One person that I talked to on the ship did mention one thing about missed ports that I agree with. On Regent the shore ex are included in the price, so if a port is missed, you don't get a refund, and you lose the money that was included in the fare for the excursion. I do agree with that. I figure that the cruise fares are increased due to the included excursions, but since it's not separate they do not get refunded. How do you refund FREE?

We just loved being on the cruise though, met nice people, had good food but Regent might not be the choice for us for a Carib cruise in the future since all we really want to do and go there for is the sun and the water, and it's so easy just to get a cab to a beach! For a different itinerary I would love to have the included excursions so I don't have to do so much prep work.

[Anna B.]

I agree with you AnnaB. We would never have booked this cruise if the ports that we ended up visiting were the ones listed.

Missing Princess Cays was disappointing, St. Martin sort of, but mostly because we were finally going to be able to do the America's Regatta. St. Barths is my fav Caribbean island, so that was very disappointing.

St. John's Antigua is one of my least favorite ports in the Carib. So I do agree with all that.

We tend to choose our cruises based on the ship/line more so than Carib ports, since that is pretty much the only place we have cruised and prefer at our age to do independent land trips to other places. We just want to go to a warm destination in the winter to make winter a little shorter and we LOVE to cruise for that winter vacation over going to a resort or hotel. That is why we were not beyond disappointed that we missed those ports. We have been to those places before (except for Princess Cays), so that is perhaps why we did not feel that we missed out.

One person that I talked to on the ship did mention one thing about missed ports that I agree with. On Regent the shore ex are included in the price, so if a port is missed, you don't get a refund, and you lose the money that was included in the fare for the excursion. I do agree with that. I figure that the cruise fares are increased due to the included excursions, but since it's not separate they do not get refunded. How do you refund FREE?

We just loved being on the cruise though, met nice people, had good food but Regent might not be the choice for us for a Carib cruise in the future since all we really want to do and go there for is the sun and the water, and it's so easy just to get a cab to a beach! For a different itinerary I would love to have the included excursions so I don't have to do so much prep work.

my thoughts exactly :)

[SuitCaseBears]

Greta,

thanks for the reports! I loved them.

I will be live blogging with pictures from the March 19th Western Caribbean Cruise on Navigator. Because of the slowness of internet uploading, I don't post here, but on my weblog www.slipperati.com (http://www.slipperati.com/). But I do post links here if anyone is interested.

[clo6216]

We are in 601 in May. All I've heard about it is the noise it makes early in the morning when you are docking or anchoring. It only lasts a few minutes (and is heard from many forward suites). The balcony is wonderful (only viewed it from shore looking up at the ship). I plan on posting from the Navigator while it does it's first Alaska itinerary of the season.
We're on the June 9 Navigator cruise out of Vancouver, and I'm looking forward to reading your reports. Your posts are always informative and entertaining. Thank you!

[Travelcat2]

We're on the June 9 Navigator cruise out of Vancouver, and I'm looking forward to reading your reports. Your posts are always informative and entertaining. Thank you!

Hi -- thank you for the kind words! Will definitely be posting from the Navigator starting May 26th (3 weeks from tomorrow -- but, whose counting;). We're really looking forward to being on board. We have friends boarding the Navigator this Thusday and will disembark on the 26th. They will be in contact with us during their cruise which will be interesting.

TC