Ready to X'L TA on Navigator

[travelingduo]

We are booked on a transatlantic sailing on the Navigator but given the recent posts about her, we are thinking we will cancel. We found a substitute cruise on the Mariner and now we are reading concerns about the Mariner (such as smaller suites, no separate showers, inconsistent quality of food and service). We are seasoned cruisers with 50+ cruises and our favorite line has been Silver Sea. However, we wanted to try Regent based on what we have heard about the line. I know all ships have their pluses and minuses and I also realize that every sailing is kind of like a theater performance with a different and new audience. We are not expecting perfection, but would like some advice from the expert CC posters! Thanks.

[Travelcat2]

We are booked on a transatlantic sailing on the Navigator but given the recent posts about her, we are thinking we will cancel. We found a substitute cruise on the Mariner and now we are reading concerns about the Mariner (such as smaller suites, no separate showers, inconsistent quality of food and service). We are seasoned cruisers with 50+ cruises and our favorite line has been Silver Sea. However, we wanted to try Regent based on what we have heard about the line. I know all ships have their pluses and minuses and I also realize that every sailing is kind of like a theater performance with a different and new audience. We are not expecting perfection, but would like some advice from the expert CC posters! Thanks.

Not sure if I qualify as an expert CC poster. . . . however, I have cruised on all Regent ships. It is interesting that you would want to try Regent after enjoying SS (Silversea) so much. We hope to try SS in the future.

First, in my opinion, the Navigator is a wonderful ship. We also read many negative posts prior to sailing on her in 2007. We look forward to our February 2009 Navigator cruise. The intimacy of the Navigator would be much closer to the experience on (SS).

Our first Regent ship was the Paul Gauguin -- our favorite is the Voyager (the Navigator is a close second). Both the Mariner and Voyager are going through multi million dollar refurbishments. The Navigator was refurbished only 2 years ago and will not be done again until 2010.

The Mariner is a beautiful ship. There are suites with a bathtub/shower and some that are shower only. The shower only configuration was done to meet the requests of passengers. There is a choice.

Regent suites are the largest of any cruise line ("regular" suites). The Voyager and Navigator suites are 50 sq. ft. larger than the Mariner. . . however, these are not small suites.

You understand that all ships have their pluses and minuses and that each cruise is unique. Currently there are critical reviews of the Voyager's December 2nd cruise. In October, a dozen CC member (including us) had an almost perfect cruise -- food, service, etc.

My advice is to pick the itinerary that you want and book it. You will get the same Regent experience on all three ships. Go and enjoy yourselves!

[Dreps]

We have been on Regent a total of 71 days (on the Mariner and the PG) and on Silversea (Whisper) for 15 days. We enjoy both lines. After our Silversea cruise from Dubai to Athens in April, I wrote up a comparison of the two lines for our vantage point and would be happy to send it to you. It is too long to post here. The bottom line is that if anything, we have a slight preference for Regent. This is despite the fact that the Whisper has somewhat larger cabins than the Mariner, with separate showers and double sinks. If anything, we thought the food was slightly better on Regent, though that is highly subjective. We also did not like the fact that for the specialty restaurant, Champagne, there is a significant additional charge on Silversea. Staff on both lines have been great. Our experience has been that excursions have been excellent on Regent and usually reasonably priced. On Silversea, it was more difficult to assess, because excursions in the Mideast are very dependent on local conditions. A Silversea pre-cruise we did in Cairo was fantastic and cost-effective. Our experience has also been that Regent's "front office" has been more responsive than Silversea's when issues or questions arose. dreps@comcast.net

[Dolebludger]

I can't speak with recent Mariner experience, but we have cruised on her. Based upon what we experienced, she may well be our favorite ship so far. We have also cruises SS on both the Cloud and the Wind, and liked those very well, too. The base suites on the Navigator are just a bit larger than those on the Cloud and Wind, and they all have balconies. Assuming you book her after the pod problem is repaired, this ship should give you "smooth sailing". As it has been a few years since we cruised the Mariner, I can't speak about food, service, and entertainment. Those things can change.

[DebbieH103]

My comparison to SS is posted here on Cruise Critic in my Regent Voyager Western Med 102007 report.

I like both lines but for different reasons. I like the service and the whole style of operation on SS, but I like the additional dining options on Voyager. Mariner would be the same. Navigator had a bit of an odd layout, but a number of things do feel similar to Whisper and Shadow. You won't have the feel of Wind/Cloud on Regent. However, cabins are quite similar if you are booking verandah on SS, and the offerings for activities are similar. With Regent being a little bigger, there are more people around doing things. It doesn't feel crowded, but it is different.

[LOGHL]

We have had well over 700 days on SS and over 150 on Regent. At the moment we are on the Mariner.. have a Navigator cruise booked in February, a Voyager in May & a Voyager in November. Food & Service are subjective items...so I will not compare...As far as suite size, they are all quite close in size.... The biggest difference, in my opinion, is the LACK of responsiveness on the part of SS, the Mariner has had FOUR lecturers, where on SS one lecturer per day is it. This makes for a more relaxed sea day with lots more to do if you want to., It was a bit different on Regent after all my days on SS (mostly emotionally) BUT.. I can sincerely say that I feel at home here. There are MANY of the staff here that had been on SS , also RAY SOLAIRE the finest cruise director & entertainer (in my opinion) is now working with Regent.
You cannot go wrong with SS but, I would certainly suggest that you give Regent a try.
Please post your opinion, after you try it..
Good Luck

[travelingduo]

Thanks to all of you who responded. We are going to go forward with the Mariner cruise this coming December (a long way off!). I will certainly post a review when we return. I appreciate your taking the time to give me some feedback. :)