Just back from Navigator

[pvgal]

Well, We just got home from our Christmas sailing on the Navigator. What a ship. We had terrific service but I must say, I do have some issues. There were over 50 children on this small ship. Regent has decided to allow children to sail free. So let me tell you about our experience. Children in diapers in the hot tub. Talk about unsanitary. So that meant we would not use the hot tubs at all. And on deck 12, there were at least 12 teenagers messing around up there. While I was trying to walk the deck, I was tackeled by this group and then had a Gatoraide bottle hit me in the leg. There was no supervision of these groups. They were allowed to run the treadmills with no shoes and then did not bother to clean the machines. I do like children but this is not the ship for them. Not enough room for the clubs. Until Regent decides to stop the children free sailings, we will not be using them again. Oceania for us.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

This sounds awful. We got off the Paul Gauguin just before their Christmas cruise, and they were expecting something like that number of kids and teenagers. The staff were girding their loins, for sure. I agree, the "third person free" thing is fine, but they should limit the numbers. Small numbers of well-behaved kids are fine, but 40! And things like you describe should not have happened--babies should not be allowed in pools or hot tubs. Too bad.

[TWG_ag]

I have been on Navigator for the last two New Years and had it booked again this year, but switched to an Alaska on Mariner in September. I love the Navigator crew and I am sure that they were suffering right along with you. Two years ago there were about 15 kids most from two families. Last year only 16 under 21 with about 10 in the 6-14 range. Our post labor day Alaska only had 4 kids. One of things I like about Regent is the lack of little ones so I would never do a Christmas because of the families. Nothing against families, I took mine from the time they were 11, but I managed mine and just don't think most others do.

As for your cruise, my two favorite Regent bartenders are Ricky and Pedro. Got an email from Ricky when he got back on the ship in South Africa coming back to Florida. Hope you got their good service. Any good stories would be appreciated.

Again, sorry about the kids, but I do like the Navigator.

[Travelcat2]

Hope Regent reads this thread. They are putting the Navigator in Alaska in 2010. . . I cannot imagine 100+ kids per week on the Navigator. It just does not work.

While we spent most of our adult lives with our children, we now cruise only when school is in session. The only children on board at that time are the poor little ones that were pulled out of school to make their parents happy (can't imagine they would be too happy since there are few children to play with).

Regent does have a policy about children in diapers in the pool/jacuzzi. This should have been reported immediately!

[mrlevin]

Regent needs to get rid of the "free kids" deals. Only saving grace is that there are not that many three person cabins. I have started booking these three person cabins (e.g., 627 on Navigator) JUST to ensure that there will be no kids nearby. Of course, they could have their own cabin but then the "third person free" does not apply.

I strongly recommend that all other like minded customers also start booking the three person cabins to cut down on kids.

[Travelcat2]

[quote=mrlevin;17473872]Regent needs to get rid of the "free kids" deals. Only saving grace is that there are not that many three person cabins. I have started booking these three person cabins (e.g., 627 on Navigator) JUST to ensure that there will be no kids nearby. Of course, they could have their own cabin but then the "third person free" does not apply.

I strongly recommend that all other like minded customers also start booking the three person cabins to cut down on kids.[/quote

Excellent idea!!!!!

[lborne]

I too just got off the Navigator Christmas cruise. We had two boys with us - 10 and 5. You may remember us as our 5 year old was asked to sing Jingle Bells at the farewell show.

Anyway, I totally agree with you about the teens. I saw a few throwing things into the pool from the upper decks and Ben from the pool bar did give them a yelling. But they just ran off. I did not witness the small child in the hot tub, so can't comment.

There were two families on board with children who had done the Christmas sailings with their children before. They were both disapointed in the lack of quality children's programs compared to the past and they were going to make sure someone was notified. For us, our expectation was very low and our children did have a good time in the club, but it was a bit disorganized and there was plenty of room for improvement.

[mrlevin]

Excellent idea!!!!!

I counted 40 three person cabins on Navigator. If we take up half of those cabins think of how many fewer kids there can be onboard. In addition, if you see kids in diapers in hot tub and you will be in a US port in the near future; go to the hotel director with the phone number for the Centers for Disease Control saying that you will be using a bit of your free phone time to contact them to report the incident so that the hot tub can be inspected. If you are interested, the phone number for CDC is 800-232-4636 or 800 CDC INFO.

I guess you can tell this is a pet peeve of mine. :D

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

PV Gal, sorry to hear of your Nav challenges but it sounds like the CD and staff did not adequately plan for kid's activities and provide appropriate supervision..from the reports
I read, the Mariner in Alaska had a well run kids program....let me provide a similar experience I had on SS in April 06..we chose this sail date after our (US)Easter to hopefully minimize the # of Children sailing..alas, we did not know SS heavily marketed this cruise to their Latin American clients--there were 50+ kids...in hot tubs, screaming/running in specialty restaurant, and taking over the dance floor in the lounge at 11:30+pm...when I got home our TA sent SS a nice, firm letter expressing our expectations of SS standards were not met due to non mgmt of children on board..within two weeks the Gmgr of SS wrote back agreed, sent us a $1500 pp cruise credit and asked us to try SS again where he assured us they would meet our standards...we sailed in Nov again with SS (one of our best cruises)....r/wes

[cruiseluv]

Anybody that has spent 5 minutes on the Navigator knows that it is not suited for young kids. I don't care if Regent claims they have a "program" to keep them entertained. The only thing such programs will do is take space in the public areas and subject passengers to the kids/ teenagers antics when they are not being entertained.

The only place I have ever seen the diaper/ hot tub incident was on a Princess New Years cruise (and that is why we don't cruise Princess anymore!). I guess PVGal's experience proves that classless people are not limited to mass market cruises.

At the prices Regent charges I would be livid if I had to deal with this stuff. I have been lucky in my 4 Regent cruises not to.

[mikeIam]

mrlevin said:
I strongly recommend that all other like minded customers also start booking the three person cabins to cut down on kids. The two of us are booked in a three person cabin on our Feb2009 Navigator cruise. Although we booked this cabin for other reasons (location, availability), I will definitely consider this as a strategy in the future. We had been considering a Regent Baltic cruise in August mainly because our TA is organizing a group departure/excursions. The final straw in deciding not to go on this trip was "kids sail free". I understand that the children free program is an attractive incentive for parents/grandparents, but to us the thought of large numbers of unsupervised kids is enough to exclude the cruise.
On our first Regent cruise to Alaska on Mariner in August last year, we were on the first cruise after the "Club Mariner" program stopped. I talked to quite a few people who had selected the cruise for this reason. Our primary reason for selecting this cruise was our 25th wedding anniversary, but no Club Mariner was a bonus. The few kids on board were just about invisible most of the time, but we did a bridge tour in a small group (15) including four kids who basically ran wild. I don't want to experience that on a larger scale. We are considering a Panama Canal cruise for Dec/Jan 2009/2010, and one of the disadvantages (to me) of both the Mariner and Voyager itineraries had been the Club Mariner program. This program has disappeared on the new website:D, but may reappear when the website is fixed. The result is that we are looking at some of the luxury alternatives.

-mike

[smilingcruiser]

Two years ago, we were on the Navogator for the Christmas cruise with our entire family (including 6 chiodren). There were over 30 kids on this trip and there were lots of planned activities for them to participate in, but they were also well controlled by their parents. There is no way not to expect children on a Christmas (or Easter) cruise, and as wonderful s thjis was, we would never do another unless we had our kids with us.

Badly behaved kids, and especially teens, are the fault of their parents and should be reported to the whomever is on charge.

[mrlevin]

Two years ago, we were on the Navogator for the Christmas cruise with our entire family (including 6 chiodren). There were over 30 kids on this trip and there were lots of planned activities for them to participate in, but they were also well controlled by their parents. There is no way not to expect children on a Christmas (or Easter) cruise, and as wonderful s thjis was, we would never do another unless we had our kids with us.

Badly behaved kids, and especially teens, are the fault of their parents and should be reported to the whomever is on charge.

I have sailed a Christmas cruise on Mariner with around 15 kids and they were all well behaved. I have also cruised Diamond with "kids sail free" and had no problems. Even if it is the fault of the parents, it is more the fault of Regent for not enforcing basic rules and ensuring an enjoyable vacation for ALL of their passengers. They need to start throwing families off mid-cruise if kids (or adults) misbehave.

[Hambagahle]

What a horrible experience! I cannot imagine having a group of unruly teenagers on a luxury ship. I really like the "book a three person suite" plan of attack!! In fact, we are on the Navigator for the TA May 1 (I suppose all the little beasties will be chained to their desks then!!) and we are in 939 which is marked as suitable for 3. There are two of us, so I feel we are going to be doing out bit!
I have only once sailed with Regent when there were a sizeable number of children on board and that was in Alaska. They were no trouble at all, but that was on the Mariner. Last January on the South American cruise there was a little boy - about 3. Only one child on board. He was the best behaved 3 year old I have ever seen. He came to the formal nights dressed in a dinenr jacket and bow tie. He was loved by all. What a shame that bunch spoilt your cruise. I really think it is negligence on the part of the crew not to have stopped them in their tracks!

I would love to hear how you found the Navigator, and what things to look out for and others to avoid...

[linda_22003]

We specifically booked the first Alaska cruise of the season because it did not have the "Club Mariner" feature for kids which begins with the next sailing. One thing I like about Regent is that it doesn't usually attract people with children. That may sound curmudgeonly; so be it. :D

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We'll perhaps hear how the PG Christmas cruise went--the staff said that, despite the alcohol policy (must be 21, no waivers by parents under that age, no liquor setup in rooms with children), teenagers tend to find alcohol and abuse it. They then throw up in their rooms, etc. Not a nice scenario.

That being said, all my experiences with kids on board have been fine. Last year on Voyager just before Christmas there were probably 20 kids and teens. They were all great, well-behaved and sweet. The incident with the hot tub should have been reported promptly, that's all I can say.

I also can't imagine Navigator having the room for a kid's program. What part of Mariner do these use for this in Alaska?

I can't imagine the Baltic being a big kid's destination, despite the kids-sail-free policy.

Marc, if they needed that cabin for a family, wouldn't they just bump you to another one?

[Hambagahle]

Mariner uses Stars nightclub for the kids programme. I don't think this is very suitable, but then I don't think the children and teens should be cruising on Regent!! Sorry, but "I've done my time" with children and prefer adults!!

[mrlevin]

Marc, if they needed that cabin for a family, wouldn't they just bump you to another one?

Wendy, true. They can "bribe" you with an upgrade if necessary. Still, I think it is an effective way to cut down on kids in your vicinity. On Deck 6 on Navigator, there are only three three-person cabins; on Deck 5 only one. The only time we have been "bribed" to give up our cabin was when we sailed with you on PG.

[gdlamberth]

Since my wife works for the school system here we typically cruise during school vacations. I agree with everyone posting about out of control children and babies in hot tubs. We tend toward the 14-21 day cruise and more remote locations that have tended to drive the demographics a bit older..but then again we're getting older too.

All that said, there is a difference between "kids sail free" and "third person free" as frequently offered on PG (and Elise runs a top notch youth program on PG). My wife and I have, for the last three cruises, traveled with our widowed cousin. The 3rd person free on PG made our Tahiti to Fiji trip a bit more affordable. We three are on Navigator this summer for 3 B2B2B seven day segments. The strategy of couples booking the triple suites will, of course, minimize kids in the area; but, also forces us to a higher (read pricier) suite. Not your problem, I understand; but this is an example of "unintended consequences."

While I believe the hot tub diapers are an item I would expect some help from the ship's staff in contolling, I will continue to have a expectation of of reasonable behavior of all fellow cruisers whether they are 8 or 80. I will also find myself disappointed from time to time, but less so on Regent.

Greg

[basedow]

I agree that the third person is not always used by a child. We have occasionally travelled with a third adult relation and would be disappointed that those designated cabins for three used by two adults seem a bit unfair.

[Travelcat2]

Our Navigator cruise last year was while school was in session -- no children's program. As mentioned above, the Navigator is just too small (public areas) for kids. One family apparently took 2 of their 3 children out of school (one too young for school) to go on the Caribbean cruise. They played board games in the library which is unfortunately also next to the computer room and across from the Navigator Lounge. I can't really blame the children for screaming and being loud during the games -- but, it was not fair to disrupt everyone around them either.

During school breaks and summer, I do expect to have children on board -- we don't book these weeks. Our frustration is seeing too many toddlers, home schooled children and children taken out of school on board during the few months when adults can hope to have the ship mostly to themselves.

Parents gets upset when their children get dirty looks for acting poorly. They need to think ahead a few years when their children are away at school or out of the house. Will they still want to cruise with lots of kids???


P.S. There are those perfectly behaved children that we have all seen on board. I wonder how much fun they are having when they have to dress up and keep quiet most of the time.:confused:

[mikeIam]

basedow said:
I agree that the third person is not always used by a child. We have occasionally travelled with a third adult relation and would be disappointed that those designated cabins for three used by two adults seem a bit unfair.When we booked for our Feb 2009 Navigator cruise, it was Regent who suggested the three person cabin when our TA described our preferences for location (deck 8/9 midship). At the time, this was not our first choice, and if a two person cabin that met our requirements had been offered we would have taken it. I am sure that Regent knows the likely passenger composition of most of their cruises and would take that into account in suggesting cabins. Holding a three-person cabin for a three-person reservation might make sense early in the booking period, but as cabin availability becomes limited, I hope that they would give priority to meeting customer location preferences. I do not consider meeting customer preferences unfair.
-mike

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Greg, good point. We cruised across the hall from a couple with their grown daughter just recently. So please don't be too hasty blocking off those cabins. Frankly, I wish they would just do away with the kid's programs completely, or restrict them to a very narrow range of dates and itineraries. Then we could avoid those cruises.

Christmas/New Years seems to be a special case. Last year we saw a fair number of extended families travelling together--I doubt if Regent would want to turn business like this away. And control of teenagers definitely needs some teeth.

[RachelG]

Yes, please don't book up all the 3 person cabins. Our son who is soon to be 18 (no more kids cruise free) still likes to travel with us. He was one of the perfectly behaved little kids, and now he better be a well-behaved big kid or have mom to answer to. But we wouldn't be able to bring him if we had to pay for another cabin with the single supplement.

[Dolebludger]

Our one experience with a Regent "kids sail free" cruise was on the Diamond a few years back (obviously). And there were a LOT of kids for this small ship. Regent shouldn't think because the extra guests are kids and not adults that extra service crew is not needed to provide for them. For example, the kids loved to call room service and order things. But extra room service personnel weren't provided, and at times I found room service to be overloaded and simply unavailable to me.

Simply, I would avoid a "kids sail free" or "third person to a suite sails free" cruise, and book another one.

[pvgal]

I find it interesting that so many people agree with me. Yes, lborne, I do remember your son singing Jingle Bells. I must say that everytime I saw your family together, your boys were well behaved. Too bad I can't say the same thing for your son's "friend" from Florida. What a brat. To say the least. We were on an excursion with them and he kicked me and has yet to say he is sorry. His mother said sorry but she didn't kick me.

Anyway, we will think twice about sailing on a kids free cruise no matter which line it is. We have four wonderful grandchildren but would never consider a Regent, Oceania, Azamara or the like for them. Those lines are better left for adults who appreciate the finer things in life.

[Roland4]

Wendy, true. They can "bribe" you with an upgrade if necessary. Still, I think it is an effective way to cut down on kids in your vicinity. On Deck 6 on Navigator, there are only three three-person cabins; on Deck 5 only one. The only time we have been "bribed" to give up our cabin was when we sailed with you on PG.

Actually they don't have to bribe you. If you read the fine print, all of the lines (including the luxury lines) reserve the right to bump a double out of a triple if the triple is required for a party of three. Don't have to "upgrade" you either. It doesn't happen a lot and I suspect it happens with less frequency on the luxury lines, but it CAN happen.

[lborne]

Yeah, is always someone else's kid that is the rotten one.....

I never said my kids were NOT annoying to someone. In fact, my 5 year old bumped into an older man and he scolded my wife.

First, most parents taking their kids on Regent rather than Disney are going to have fairly well behaved children to begin with, so I hope. We struggled with the idea of having our kids on the ship since we'd been twice before without them and knew it was not really child friendly. However, our TA and Regent assured us we were welcome and our children would have a quality program.

Second, and this has been mentioned before, there are just as many adults who cause problems and are annoying. From the fellow passengers who are in electric carts and run over my feet or blow their horns at me to move quicker in the buffet line, to the ones who are hard of hearing and refuse hearing aids (I assume) because they yell very loudly - usually rude things to their wives, to the lady who annoyed everyone with her petty loud requests that she be served ahead of everyone else, etc. etc.

The bottom line is that Regent should enforce their rules, just like they did when they dropped off the woman smoker in Cozumel a few weeks ago.

[mrlevin]

Boy, you sound like a Grinch! Let me guess.... I bet you have no kids.

Definitely not a Grinch but you are right that I don't have any kids; I am allergic to them. :D

[Travelcat2]

I never said my kids were NOT annoying to someone. In fact, my 5 year old bumped into an older man and he scolded my wife.

First, most parents taking their kids on Regent rather than Disney are going to have fairly well behaved children to begin with, so I hope. We struggled with the idea of having our kids on the ship since we'd been twice before without them and knew it was not really child friendly. However, our TA and Regent assured us we were welcome and our children would have a quality program.

Second, and this has been mentioned before, there are just as many adults who cause problems and are annoying. From the fellow passengers who are in electric carts and run over my feet or blow their horns at me to move quicker in the buffet line, to the ones who are hard of hearing and refuse hearing aids (I assume) because they yell very loudly - usually rude things to their wives, to the lady who annoyed everyone with her petty loud requests that she be served ahead of everyone else, etc. etc.

The bottom line is that Regent should enforce their rules, just like they did when they dropped off the woman smoker in Cozumel a few weeks ago.


You seem to be the right person to ask. . . . did you child(ren) have fun on the cruise? Did you feel that Regent really had the best program for your child(ren)? Why did you select Regent over cruise lines that have wonderful programs for children??????

We have only been on 5 Regent cruises in 4 years. . . we do have children. . . and we have never seen/heard adults that we felt were acting inappropriately. I do not consider seniors in wheelchairs or those that are hard of hearing to be in that category. Although I have not walked (ridden) in their shoes, apparently neither have you.

Clarification: Regent did not drop the smoker in Cozumel a few weeks ago due to smoking (although they probably should have). She was put off of the ship for throwing a drink in the face of a Regent employee. Fortunately, those of us who prefer adult cruises are not suggesting the same fate for the person who put a baby in diapers in the pool or jacuzzi. A stern warning would have sufficed.

You mentioned that you were aware that Regent was not particularly children friendly. . . . . . so, the obvious question was why you would make such a poor decision.

[Dolebludger]

Well, maybe Regent wants to provide some cruises with children, and some with none (or very few). Don't we all have the option of booking a cruise where kids DON'T sail free, and not encounter many of them? Or, am I being overly simplistic in this solution?

[englandsrose]

Goodness me - I have been following these boards for the last few months having booked Navigator Athens to Istanbul next August - with my 14 year old son.

After reading this thread, I am beginning to wonder if just by the nature of the fact that we have the audacity to bring a 14 year old with us, we are going to be ostracised by the average Regent passenger. Not all children are little horrors, mine has been cruising since the age of 6, enjoys adult company, and is fully aware of how to behave. I am concerned that one poster asked another to "justify" why they had chosen Regent......

The reason I chose Regent is because I have "done" the larger cruise lines, who seem to be dumbing down on standards etc., and decided that I wanted to try the "finer things in life" - we also very much liked the itiniery which will take in lots of interesting ports, which in themselves will be educational for my son. Regent has marketed this as a kids cruise free, but to be honest, we would have booked it even if we had had to pay for him, as I do not want to holiday without my son. My husband and I both work extremely hard, and our holidays are when we ALL get quality time together, and enjoy one anothers company.

Please rest assured my son will behave himself and is certainly not anything like one of the teenages the original poster experienced, and has been bought up to respect his elders. Indeed did he misbehave himself on any cruise line I would fully expect to take responsibility for his actions and deal with him appropriately.

Rant over, I am just concerned that this board seems to think that families have no right to cruise on Regent, even though we all work hard and deserve to holiday when and where and with whom we want to.

[canadagal]

Englandsrose, rest assured that you will not be ostracised by other Regent pax for bringing your well behaved child with you on the cruise. A cruise is a great way for a family to spend time together. Because there have been problems on certain cruises with unruly children I tend to agree that there should be a choice of kids allowed cruises and those that are adult only in order to make both camps happy. Unfortunately it's the lazy parents that have caused this problem but please don't fear that you will get any flack from other Regent pax before you even board the ship as I'm quite confident that it won't happen. Enjoy your cruise!
Pat

[mrlevin]

Goodness me - I have been following these boards for the last few months having booked Navigator Athens to Istanbul next August - with my 14 year old son.

After reading this thread, I am beginning to wonder if just by the nature of the fact that we have the audacity to bring a 14 year old with us, we are going to be ostracised by the average Regent passenger. Not all children are little horrors, mine has been cruising since the age of 6, enjoys adult company, and is fully aware of how to behave. I am concerned that one poster asked another to "justify" why they had chosen Regent......

The reason I chose Regent is because I have "done" the larger cruise lines, who seem to be dumbing down on standards etc., and decided that I wanted to try the "finer things in life" - we also very much liked the itiniery which will take in lots of interesting ports, which in themselves will be educational for my son. Regent has marketed this as a kids cruise free, but to be honest, we would have booked it even if we had had to pay for him, as I do not want to holiday without my son. My husband and I both work extremely hard, and our holidays are when we ALL get quality time together, and enjoy one anothers company.

Please rest assured my son will behave himself and is certainly not anything like one of the teenages the original poster experienced, and has been bought up to respect his elders. Indeed did he misbehave himself on any cruise line I would fully expect to take responsibility for his actions and deal with him appropriately.

Rant over, I am just concerned that this board seems to think that families have no right to cruise on Regent, even though we all work hard and deserve to holiday when and where and with whom we want to.

In the past, it was always nice to have teenagers aboard to help out our trivia team. They have been great additions to the team as they have brought a different background and less alcohol induced memory loss. As we will be on the sailing with you and your son next August, we would welcome his participation. He just better know any answers relative to English Premier League and other sporting events in Europe. :D

[mariners]

Unless a cruise line states “No children under ...”, there is always a possibility a child will be on a ship. Since our first RSSC on Song of Flower, up until this past cruise on the Navigator, we have always had at least one child onboard RSSC ships.
A couple of years ago, we had a family cruise to Alaska on Regent. We planned it before it became “third person free”. We didn’t plan it because of the children’s program offered by Regent; we chose it because of the experience and options Regent offered our whole family (grandchildren to great grandparents). It was a great choice and has created a lifetime of memories! For those of you considering a cruise with children on Regent, as long as your child is well-behaved and is not running wild, they will be welcomed by crew, accepted by most passengers, and tolerated by any other passengers. A few exceptions to this can always be found; don't let them ruin your cruise or vacation.

[yarlenna]

Goodness me - I have been following these boards for the last few months having booked Navigator Athens to Istanbul next August - with my 14 year old son.

After reading this thread, I am beginning to wonder if just by the nature of the fact that we have the audacity to bring a 14 year old with us, we are going to be ostracised by the average Regent passenger. Not all children are little horrors, mine has been cruising since the age of 6, enjoys adult company, and is fully aware of how to behave. I am concerned that one poster asked another to "justify" why they had chosen Regent......

The reason I chose Regent is because I have "done" the larger cruise lines, who seem to be dumbing down on standards etc., and decided that I wanted to try the "finer things in life" - we also very much liked the itiniery which will take in lots of interesting ports, which in themselves will be educational for my son. Regent has marketed this as a kids cruise free, but to be honest, we would have booked it even if we had had to pay for him, as I do not want to holiday without my son. My husband and I both work extremely hard, and our holidays are when we ALL get quality time together, and enjoy one anothers company.

Please rest assured my son will behave himself and is certainly not anything like one of the teenages the original poster experienced, and has been bought up to respect his elders. Indeed did he misbehave himself on any cruise line I would fully expect to take responsibility for his actions and deal with him appropriately.

Rant over, I am just concerned that this board seems to think that families have no right to cruise on Regent, even though we all work hard and deserve to holiday when and where and with whom we want to.

Don't worry. I think you would not be ostracised. I think the problem is that some cruisers just drop their kids somewhere in the ship and tell them to have fun. A teen's idea of fun may include things that make the rest of want to jump ship. If a cruiser wants "get quality time together, and enjoy one anothers company" he will surely get that and more. Enjoy your cruise.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I enjoy seeing a few children on board, and am in awe of their good behaviour most of the time. I wonder if they do get bored, however, depending on the ports--I know I would have been at that age. But a cruise with 40 children or more wouldn't suit me I think. Unless the children's program was run extremely well, which I'm hearing is not necessarily the case.

So don't feel ostracized, your well-mannered child is welcome, at least by most. Most of us have grown children of our own and many have grandchildren, so we enjoy seeing the little darlings once in a while, just not great hordes of them! I myself would hesitate to book a "kids sail free" trip, but that's my choice.

[Dolebludger]

Yes, Wendy, there is a "critical mass" factor at work regarding children on Regent ships. Up to a certain number or percentage of guests, it is great to have some children aboard. But above that number or percentage, all havoc can break loose. There isn't enough for them to do. They find things to do, and we adults do not always like what they find. This usually happens only on "kids sail free" sailings. Regent ships are neither designed nor staffed to handle a relatively large number of children. That, IMO, is the problem and not the children themselves.

[Travelcat2]

Just want to reiterate that most of us have no problem with children/teenagers being on cruises during the summer and school breaks (which takes up almost half of the year). There is little for children to do on board during the months when school is in session. It seems that parents that take their children out of school for a cruise are thinking more about themselves than their children. If you think back to your childhood, would you want to be the only child on board a ship with much older people? Does not sound like fun to me. JMO

[englandsrose]

Hi - thanks for all the reassurances, I am sure we will have a great time. My son tends to stick to us like glue most of the time, and the particular cruise we are on has a port every day, so we are not going to be onboard that much anyway.

As for assisting with the quizes on English football (soccer) and sports, my husband will certainly be up for that, and my son has an excellent knowledge of all things to do with Chelsea FC, astronomy, computers and gaming, as well as the Simpsons and Pokemon (a Japanese cartoon character for the unitiated....... :)).

Anyway I shall carry on reading the boards with interest, as this is our first Regent cruise, although about our 20th overall cruise. Having been with P&O, RCL and Cunard over the past few years and witnessing how much they have changed, we decided we wanted to try something smaller and more intimate so we could spoil ourselves.

Happy Cruising and a healthy and prosperous New Year to you all.

Best regards
D

[lborne]

You seem to be the right person to ask. . . . did you child(ren) have fun on the cruise? .

Yes. And they have been on Disney as comparison. They were disapointed there was no slide and the pool was small, but they made friends and that's really all they needed.

Did you feel that Regent really had the best program for your child(ren)?

Not on this cruise. The ones featuring Ambasodors of the Environment programs are excellent, but was not offered on this cruise. But the cruise itself was best for them as they got to visit other countries and see different cultures. They spent minimal time in the kids club as we were ashore every opportunity.



Why did you select Regent over cruise lines that have wonderful programs for children??????

Its not ALL about the kids program. A lot more goes into deciding a cruise than that. First, we had sailed them before and knew we were going to have a great cruise experience. Since they do everything first class, one would assume they would also do the kids program first class if offered. Second, we actually looked at Disney first, but the ports of call were not that great and it was only a 7 day. Our TA convinced us to go on Regent as they were offering a good deal and kids sail free. Finally, due to good reviews for the Mariners Club, it looked like something our kids would enjoy - and they did.

We have only been on 5 Regent cruises in 4 years. . . we do have children. . . and we have never seen/heard adults that we felt were acting inappropriately. I do not consider seniors in wheelchairs or those that are hard of hearing to be in that category.

Neither do I, unitl they bump into me on purpose (accidents are no problem), or they are being so loud as to get stares from other people at other tables and still continue to be loud talkers. I don't really know if it is because of hearing problems, but I was giving them the benefit of the doubt. I really think he was just someone who liked dominating the conversation and being the center of attention.

The difference is, with kids, they are still learning social graces and act on impulse often. I find it easier to accept a kid who kicks the back of my plane seat (although I will still turn and ask them to stop), than say a passenger who is being rude to a flight attendant who should know better.


Clarification: Regent did not drop the smoker in Cozumel a few weeks ago due to smoking (although they probably should have). She was put off of the ship for throwing a drink in the face of a Regent employee. Fortunately, those of us who prefer adult cruises are not suggesting the same fate for the person who put a baby in diapers in the pool or jacuzzi. A stern warning would have sufficed.

You mentioned that you were aware that Regent was not particularly children friendly. . . . . . so, the obvious question was why you would make such a poor decision.

It was not a poor decision in our case. I answered previously that it was the assurance of our TA that Regent could handle it. When they are offering kids sail free and Mariners Club, then one assumes it will NOT be a problem for children to sail on Regent.

If an adult wishes to sail without kids on board, then the obvious question to ask is why sail when the Mariners program is offered and when kids sail free is offered.

I have a problem with people coming on the board and saying "The kids on my cruise were bad and I am not sailing Regent until they don't allow kids.". I would give no credit to that kind of post. However, if someone posts, "There were some problem kids on my cruise and I notified Regent staff 2 or more times to correct the problem and it was not corrected, so I refuse to sail Regent again." then I would take notice.

You can't blame the parents cause they are not with the kids 24/7. You can't blame the kids because they are kids, and as I said, I've seen my share of rude adults. But you can blame Regent because they knew there would be a lot of kids and they should be especially watching out that they are not disturbing the older cruisers.

Disney actually does a great job of keeping kids out of the adult areas.

Also, a bit of trivia - there were several families on our cruise with children who worked for Regent.

[lborne]

Goodness me - I have been following these boards for the last few months having booked Navigator Athens to Istanbul next August - with my 14 year old son.

After reading this thread, I am beginning to wonder if just by the nature of the fact that we have the audacity to bring a 14 year old with us, we are going to be ostracised by the average Regent passenger. Not all children are little horrors, mine has been cruising since the age of 6, enjoys adult company, and is fully aware of how to behave. I am concerned that one poster asked another to "justify" why they had chosen Regent......



No need to worry. Other than the one gentleman who reprimanded my wife for letting our son accidently bump into him, every other person who spoke to us regarding our children were amazingly nice. Everywhere we went, guests were talking to our children and would come up to us to say how glad they were to have children on board. If there were others who felt our kids were behaving badly, they did not tell us. Since the kids program only kept the children from 7-9 and we were never finished dinner by 9, we would bring them into the dining room for dessert. There was one old couple who outright told us they did not like children at all, so obviously we did not bring the kids back to that table. Irronically, they had 4 of their own children but told us it was terrible.

Its not like little kids are running around freely. We did let our boys take the stairs rather than the elevator, and I'm sure they went "too fast" for most people's taste and made some older folks nerveous. But otherwise, they pretty much stayed with the club group or with us.

The main scuttlebutt of our cruise was an older woman who dressed like she was Brittney Spears. But she did not bother anyone.

[Peek-a-boo]

We are leaving in only two short weeks! This will be our first Regent Cruise and I am hoping that we will not encounter too much negativity on board.
The posts that I have been reading lately have made me second guess my decision as I truly enjoy our family time together and I would be very sad if our shipmates were upset with us for "overcrowding" the ship with our two extra passengers. :(
I am trying to be optomistic and hope to write of a very positive experience when I return. :)

[Travelcat2]

We are leaving in only two short weeks! This will be our first Regent Cruise and I am hoping that we will not encounter too much negativity on board.
The posts that I have been reading lately have made me second guess my decision as I truly enjoy our family time together and I would be very sad if our shipmates were upset with us for "overcrowding" the ship with our two extra passengers. :(
I am trying to be optomistic and hope to write of a very positive experience when I return. :)

As you know, I am one of the few people who are very upset with Regent for overbooking the ship by up to 100 people. You have to remember that people on this board represent less than 5% of the people cruising Regent. The reports (good and bad) that you've heard about the Mariner in Alaska this summer total less than a dozen. This summer, over 5,000 people have sailed on the Mariner Alaska cruise -- we have not heard from them. Please don't judge the cruise or cruise line by the few reports you have seen on CC.

Some of us want Regent to read what their passengers are thinking. We use this board as a way to do that. Again, at least 95% of the passengers on your cruise won't even know what CruiseCritic is and definitely will not be negative.

Go and enjoy -- I have no doubt that your you and your family will have a great time:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We are leaving in only two short weeks! This will be our first Regent Cruise and I am hoping that we will not encounter too much negativity on board.
The posts that I have been reading lately have made me second guess my decision as I truly enjoy our family time together and I would be very sad if our shipmates were upset with us for "overcrowding" the ship with our two extra passengers. :(
I am trying to be optomistic and hope to write of a very positive experience when I return. :)

Don't worry, you will have a great time. As long as your kids are well-behaved and under control, most people will be charmed by them.

[jhp]

Peek-a-boo, I don't think I've read a bad report this season from parents who brought their children aboard and were disappointed with the cruise. Just go and have a great time!

[freddie]

Olivia - Of course you have not read a bad report from parents who brought their children aboad; but how about those others without children who booked passage on a cruise assuming that there would be no more than 700 people aboard and found that there were 750 or more??

Here is the statement on Regent's website regarding the capacity of Mariner:

"Passengers: 700"

There is no asterisk with a note at the bottom suggesting that they might add another fifty or sixty persons to the ship over that number; and certainly there is nothing in our experience on our many Regent cruises to suggest that the line will add crew personnel to deal with that significant additional number of passengers over the nominal maximum passenger contingent.

This is not an anti-kids post. Rather, it is emphatically an anti-going-over-the-reasonable-capacity-of-the-ship post. We have sailed on Regent ships at near or full capacity (meaning the nominal capacity, not some peculiar excess over that) and found the staff to be stretched to their absolute ability to offer a luxury experience. It is simply preposterous to propose that a ship that is staffed to deal with 700 passengers can as easily serve 750 or more without lapses in service (or major stress to the wonderful staff), even if many of the extra pax are less than 5 feet tall. They none-the-less occupy chairs in the dining venues, lounges by the pool, etc.

As long as Regent pursues this absurd policy of selling more berths than the advertised capacity of the ships, we will avoid any trips advertised as "Kids Sail Free" or "Kids Sail Cheap". We are booked on three Regent cruises at the moment, none of which is subject to that threat of selling more berths than the advertised capacity of the ship. Sadly, it appears that Regent is doing its best to drive many of its loyal clients into the welcoming arms of Silversea and Seabourn, neither of which has, as far as we can determine, developed a pattern of selling more berths than the advertised capacity of the ships.

Cheers, Fred

[jhp]

Fred, I was merely wishing peek-a-boo a bon voyage given the "second thoughts" sentiment in the post. His/her cruise is all paid for, the family is going, and that's that. I hope they have a wonderful family week together.

[rbm]

Just catching up on this thread... we're booked on the Navigator in Feb/2010 (E. Carib) for my wife's 30th hoping for a QUIET & RELAXING cruise before embarking on parenthood ourselves. I now fear that Regent may not provide that environment. Should we consider another line or are there fewer children on the S. Carib routes?

Like many other posters have stated, we are by no means 'against' children, it just isn't the type of vacation we're looking for.

Thanks. Ron

[Travelcat2]

Just catching up on this thread... we're booked on the Navigator in Feb/2010 (E. Carib) for my wife's 30th hoping for a QUIET & RELAXING cruise before embarking on parenthood ourselves. I now fear that Regent may not provide that environment. Should we consider another line or are there fewer children on the S. Carib routes?

Like many other posters have stated, we are by no means 'against' children, it just isn't the type of vacation we're looking for.

Thanks. Ron

First I would check the calendar to see when the President's week holiday is in 2010 and then when Spring break is (can be different for high schools and colleges). We managed to to sail to the Caribbean this year in February on an "off" week -- it was wonderful! As a side note: there were no children on this cruise.

If your wife's birthday is during a school break, suggest you look at Silversea or Seabourn:)

[Travelcat2]

It was too late to edit my last post. . . . I did a couple of searches for school holidays in 2010 -- the only period of concern is February 13 - 20th (President's week).

[Island Cruiser]

Peek-a-boo, if your cruise is overcrowded it won't be your fault it will be Regent's fault. Regent shouldn't overcrowd her ships with passengers of any size or age. I seriously doubt you will encounter anything but exceptional cheer and good will from your fellow passengers. Any ire because of overcrowding will be directed toward Regent on comment cards and, perhaps, later on these boards. I do hope you will report back regarding your specific experience. Pat