Navigator Trans Atlantic May 1 2009

[Hambagahle]

I have tried to post something on this twice and got cut off by the ship's internet connection ... so will try again, but a very short one!

Boarding was a smooth process. We had to fill out a little questionnaire re the Swine flu (had we been to Mexico? Do we have cold/flu symptons etc?) and then had to disinfect our hands three times in the boarding process - and were eating lunch at Portofino at 12.30

Portofino is now open seating for dinner. Paolo is there, and much in evidence, making sure that everyone (or so it seems) is OK and has what they want. Food at Portofino this am was hot hot hot! So I assume the March problem re the hot table/cold table is fixed.

Compass Rose last night - service great, frequent wine pouring and really good food.

We had a problem inour suite with the toilet not flushing yesterday - and no water in the bathroom, except in the loo, in the night. I was told they had been working on the plumbing problem, and it is now fixed. Let's hope!

Now i will try to get this post onto the Board, and hope it works. If so, I will try again with updates as I am able to. If anyone has questions I would be glad to try to answer them.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks for the report, and I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

[Travelcat2]

Glad you started this thread! Also very happy to hear that the hot/cold problems that we experienced in Portofino has been fixed. Having food at the correct temperature is so important.

You mentioned frequent wine pouring -- just curious if wine was only being poured by sommelier or if servers also poured.

Hope they have solved your plumbing problems by now. The poor Navigator -- they are working so hard to fix plumbing, electrical, etc. She is such a lovely ship -- just in need of the 22 day drydock. If they can't fix it, they should move you to another Navigator suite (1125 is great) or, a Master suite would be nice:)

Looking forward to all your reports.

[azgkrudi]

Great to hear from you - we look forward to boarding Navigator May 10th after almost a month of angst trying to get re-booked after finding out the bad news of our May 8th Voyager sailing being cancelled. Hopefully the "lemonade" is awaiting us - we are ALMOST there (although I admit, I am perpetually "glass half empty")! We'd sure love to see some familiar faces in the crew!!!

[RachelG]

Great to hear you are off to a wonderful trip. Keep us up to date and have a super time.

[scuba diver]

See if you can figure out how I can gain access to the deck on the port side of deck six so that I can use the largest balcony on the ship.

Enjoy your cruise and keep us posted.

[Hambagahle]

Travelcat - frequent wine pouring is by the sommeliers, not the waiters. There seem to be more than an adequate number of them (sommeliers). Last night's CR dinner was superb! Soft shell crabs, divine salad of citrus and avocado, beef wellington done to perfection with a sauce périgourdine...and lovely wines - Italian Chardonnay and full bodied red assemblage.
Evening entertainment was "Motown" - not my cup of tea but most seemed to enjoy it. Today we have our first "Theatre at Sea".
Will check out the access to the deck on 6, portside...meanwhile blue skies, and sea, hardly any movement of the ship and we will be in Bermuda tomorrow am.

[NCCruzQueen]

[QUOTE=scuba diver;19364921]See if you can figure out how I can gain access to the deck on the port side of deck six so that I can use the largest balcony on the ship.QUOTE]

Scuba diver, As I remember, there are doors on the deck 6 port side around th elevators that lead out onto the deck walkway. The deck is blocked off by rope so you can't go down very far.

[Pincus]

Thanks so much for posting.

I'm especially happy to hear that Portofino is open seating for dinner; that's very good news.

Have a wonderful crossing.

[JoAnne B]

Glad you are having a good cruise. Not all of us are experiencing such wonderful service.

I arrived at the ship and boarded quickly at 1 pm. From then on it has been a sad litaney of service lapses and just plain terrible service. The ship is not fully booked with about 400 passengers, so the public areas are not overwhelmed. But there are so many new ineperienced faces and nobody seems to know how things should be done or what is expected of them. They are trying, but with such an obvious lack of training the odds are against them. The dining room in particular is horribly understaffed. How they will manage if faced with the stress of a full ship is a mystery. Last night's dinner in my part of the dining room was more like a keystone cops comedy than 5*service. I will wait until the end of the cruise to post a comprehensive report so that all is in perspective. And hopefully, things will smooth out so that it is a more positive experience as the cruise progresses.

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

JoAnne, hope the Nav service improves and you enjoy your crossing..seems like
yesterday, Ida and I were with you on the Voyager Crossing in Nov/Dec 08 and in the Le Cordon Bleu graduation dinnner..pls keep the updates coming..r/wes

[Travelcat2]

Glad you are having a good cruise. Not all of us are experiencing such wonderful service.

I arrived at the ship and boarded quickly at 1 pm. From then on it has been a sad litaney of service lapses and just plain terrible service. The ship is not fully booked with about 400 passengers, so the public areas are not overwhelmed. But there are so many new ineperienced faces and nobody seems to know how things should be done or what is expected of them. They are trying, but with such an obvious lack of training the odds are against them. The dining room in particular is horribly understaffed. How they will manage if faced with the stress of a full ship is a mystery. Last night's dinner in my part of the dining room was more like a keystone cops comedy than 5*service. I will wait until the end of the cruise to post a comprehensive report so that all is in perspective. And hopefully, things will smooth out so that it is a more positive experience as the cruise progresses.

JoAnne -- unfortunately, what you are experiencing is very similiar to what we experienced in February/March on the Navigator. Another board claimed that everything was corrected within two weeks of our cruise -- I did not believe it then, and certainly do not believe it now. TA's and their staff have a totally different experience than regular passengers. They post how wonderful a cruise is when, in fact, they are making commission off of Regent sales and hope to find everything "wonderful. Regular passengers like us try to let Regent know when there are real problems. While I do believe that "known" travel agents are treated differently than the rest of us, experienced TA's should be more saavy about the fact that the wool is being pulled over their eyes.

In any event, I truly hope things improve and also look forward to your comprehensive report. I am watching threads regarding the Navigator very closely since we are booked on it next year. Either the third time will be the charm, or, it will be the end. Time will tell.

[bettywh]

Joanne, I can't begin to imagine what you are finding objectionable with the Navigator service. I am also on this cruise and I haven't had a single problem with service.
Yes, there was no water the 1st night out.....at 2:30 AM. (Yes, I was up that late.) When it came back on less than 1 hour later the water was brownish until you ran it for a few minutes. No water problems since then!
All wait staff have been wondefrul - even the new people that let you know they are new are trying their best to give you the Regent service you are used to.
I am truly baffled by your poat.

[nancygp]

Betty, so glad to hear that everything is super and you were able to go on the cruise.

Hugs, Nancy

[Travelcat2]

Joanne, I can't begin to imagine what you are finding objectionable with the Navigator service. I am also on this cruise and I haven't had a single problem with service.
Yes, there was no water the 1st night out.....at 2:30 AM. (Yes, I was up that late.) When it came back on less than 1 hour later the water was brownish until you ran it for a few minutes. No water problems since then!
All wait staff have been wondefrul - even the new people that let you know they are new are trying their best to give you the Regent service you are used to.
I am truly baffled by your poat.

Just curious -- is this your first Regent cruise? The only reason I ask is that people new to Regent tend to find everything perfect (comparing it to other cruise lines). I agree that Regent does an incredible job. However, the Navigator has some issues (the brown water being the least of them).

It is possible that Joanne was seated in the section of Compass Rose where we were two months ago where we waited up to 1/2 hour for service? Keep in mind that everyone on board the ship has different expectations and, at least on the Navigator, where you are seated can mean the difference between 6 star service and worse than coffee shop service.

[nancygp]

TC, Betty has been on many Regent cruises! I'm sure she'll get back with you later!

Nancy

[cruiseluv]

JoAnne,

I know you make this trip pretty much every year and from reading your posts throughout the years I know you don't exagerate and are balanced in your opinions. I am sorry that so far the cruise is not meeting your expectations. I look forward to reading more of your posts to see if this was a blip or if it continues to be disappointing.

[Pam]

TCat, I was on that cruise right after yours (the one the group was on), not a TA or a staff member. Had no water problems and service by everybody was great.

We became Gold on the SS tier, on that trip, if it matters to anybody.

[jhp]

Joanne, I know you sail on the Navigator alot. I think the GM (is it Englebert) would appreciate hearing from you onboard to correct these matters from happening to you and others in the future. I know you shouldn't have to do this, it should be good without saying a word. But no sense allowing it to continue without bringing it to his attention!

[Travelcat2]

TCat, I was on that cruise right after yours (the one the group was on), not a TA or a staff member. Had no water problems and service by everybody was great.

We became Gold on the SS tier, on that trip, if it matters to anybody.

First, and most importantly, congratulations on becoming Gold:D We have to wait until our April 2010 cruise to reach that level.

The cruise after ours was the charter -- then the one where there was the group escorted by an employee of a TA (books a huge amount of Regent cruises). You were fortunate not to have water problems. It seems that most cruises either have water, electrical or engine problems. Unfortunately, these issues cannot be addressed until January (although they do bring people on board during cruises to work on them -- we had electricians on our cruise).

The group on board knows the head of Compass Rose very well. I'm not surprised to hear how wonderful the service was in that dining venue. In fact, I'm not surprised to hear about excellent service on the Navigator. We experienced that as well. Unfortunately, we had to wait for service in Compass Rose for 20 minutes on two nights and 30 minutes on another. Depending upon what area you are seated in could make the difference in service.

If our butler had not delivered crab that had black "something" growing inside (the Chef was even shocked to see it -- ended up dumping the entire batch of crab), and meals that were not hot enough, my CC review would have been higher.

People's experiences are what they are -- I fully believe that what is posted on CC is exactly what occurred. For that reason, we need to look at both the positive and negative and go on from there. We'll be on the Navigator next year -- after drydock:)


P.S. Nancy, thanks for the info.

[bennett2005]

Travel Cat,

Just to be accurate as you are so bent on doing. The March Navigator cruise you referred to as escorted by a TA employee is incorrect. The TA rep. was on board but the cruise was NOT an ESCORTED CRUISE as that term is used by the TA.

We experienced generally very good to excellent service. We did experience some air conditioning issues with our cabin but the staff did an outstanding job of doing their best to solve our issue. This was our second cruise on the Navigator and we are also booked on the Navigator Alaska cruise next May. Issues do happen and the key is the reaction of the staff when brought to their attention.

This was our seventh cruise on Regent and they continue to meet or exceed our expectations. Maybe we are just easy to please as we have been involved in the hospitality industry for over 10 years, but not in the travel agent area.

[Travelcat2]

Travel Cat,

Just to be accurate as you are so bent on doing. The March Navigator cruise you referred to as escorted by a TA employee is incorrect. The TA rep. was on board but the cruise was NOT an ESCORTED CRUISE as that term is used by the TA.

We experienced generally very good to excellent service. We did experience some air conditioning issues with our cabin but the staff did an outstanding job of doing their best to solve our issue. This was our second cruise on the Navigator and we are also booked on the Navigator Alaska cruise next May. Issues do happen and the key is the reaction of the staff when brought to their attention.

This was our seventh cruise on Regent and they continue to meet or exceed our expectations. Maybe we are just easy to please as we have been involved in the hospitality industry for over 10 years, but not in the travel agent area.

Not being in the travel industry, I am not aware of the difference between an "escorted" cruise and one where an employee of the TA is on board with clients of the TA. In the context of this thread, it does not change anything. This group is "known" (in a positive way) by Regent and are treated accordingly.

The Navigator cruise was our sixth Regent cruise. We find our Voyager cruises to be exceptional, the Mariner and PG cruises were great (just wasn't fond of the small cabins). . . this was our second Navigator cruise. As I have said before, our last Navigator cruise, had some of the best and worst service that we have experienced to date on a Regent ship.

[Pam]

I was part of that group, TC. Our stewardess couldn't have known of an "in group", nor could the nurse when my husband had a life-threatening emergency in the wee hours of the morning. I'm not at all trying to be argumentative, that's not my nature, but I do have to agree that having a person from the agency on the cruise doesn't constitute an "escorted" trip.

We do have our long-time favorite waiters in Compass Rose, so I can't speak of unfamiliar people there. Was that where your main problem was?

[Travelcat2]

I was part of that group, TC. Our stewardess couldn't have known of an "in group", nor could the nurse when my husband had a life-threatening emergency in the wee hours of the morning. I'm not at all trying to be argumentative, that's not my nature, but I do have to agree that having a person from the agency on the cruise doesn't constitute an "escorted" trip.

We do have our long-time favorite waiters in Compass Rose, so I can't speak of unfamiliar people there. Was that where your main problem was?

I certainly hope that your husband has completely recovered from his life threatening emergency.

In my opinion, being unfamiliar with staff on board any ship should not be a problem. Since it was two years since our first Navigator trip, we did not know anyone in Compass Rose. This should not have been an issue. The three nights when it took 20-30 minutes to receive service happened to be in the same section (note: one night we were one other CC couple -- another we were two other CC couples -- this is not something that just happened to us). We changed areas and subsequently had exemplary service.

Again, I feel strongly that service should be the same for everyone. Having favorite servers in Compass Rose is fine -- however, does that mean service for other people should suffer?

If I had to identify specific problems, it would be: 1) inedible food served by Butler in our suite (note: this is not something that is subjective -- the food was not fit for human consumption); 2) extremely poor service three nights in Compass Rose; and 3) Staff in Portofino for dinner paying 100% atttention to return guests and completely ignoring the rest of the guests.

These issues were covered indepth in my review. Perhaps we can now get back to the thread regarding the current Navigator cruise. Once again, there are some passengers receiving excellent service and others with difficulties. It is sad to hear that this uneven service remains -- 2 months after our cruise:(

[Hambagahle]

It seems that Joanne and I are not on the same ship! We continue to experience excellent, prompt service no matter where we are. I didn't get back onto this site until this am since we were very busy yesterday in Bermuda revisiting old haunts!

Last night we arrived at the CR with 6 other friends (two we are travelling with and another couple with whom we cruised 37 years ago !! and their friend). It was 7.30pm and the dining room was busy. I asked for a table for 7 and we were seated immediately. Our wine was poured promptly and our orders taken within a few minutes of being seated. With 7 people there were understandably many different orders. All were served correctly and the food was beautiful to look at and very tasty.

This is our 6th Regent cruise, and I have to say that the food in the CR is among the best we have ever had. In fact I am eating far too much.

My only criticism yesterday as of the Trivia. The questions were impossible...hardly any team did well and it was really not much fun at all.

The "Theatre at Sea" had its first show on Sunday night. This was amazing. Absolutely top notch and we can't wait for the next. Sort of sadly it makes the Regent singers and dancers pale. But when you have Broadway and film stars entertaining I suppose that it inevitable.

[benbax]

It seems that Joanne and I are not on the same ship! We continue to experience excellent, prompt service no matter where we are. I didn't get back onto this site until this am since we were very busy yesterday in Bermuda revisiting old haunts!

Last night we arrived at the CR with 6 other friends (two we are travelling with and another couple with whom we cruised 37 years ago !! and their friend). It was 7.30pm and the dining room was busy. I asked for a table for 7 and we were seated immediately. Our wine was poured promptly and our orders taken within a few minutes of being seated. With 7 people there were understandably many different orders. All were served correctly and the food was beautiful to look at and very tasty.

This is our 6th Regent cruise, and I have to say that the food in the CR is among the best we have ever had. In fact I am eating far too much.

My only criticism yesterday as of the Trivia. The questions were impossible...hardly any team did well and it was really not much fun at all.

The "Theatre at Sea" had its first show on Sunday night. This was amazing. Absolutely top notch and we can't wait for the next. Sort of sadly it makes the Regent singers and dancers pale. But when you have Broadway and film stars entertaining I suppose that it inevitable.


So happy to hear you are enjoying your cruise. Thanks so much for the posts - all of this information is extremely helpful. :D

[Phylhering]

Hi JoAnne - I am so jealous. Sorry to hear about service. Who is in the dining room? Is Mickey there? Who is the CD? Is Guiseppe on?

Did you like the stop in Bermuda?

Have you found Trivia partners? Are the questions really ridiculous?

Have a great rest of the trip.

Phyllis

[judy&steve]

Unfortunately, we had to wait for service in Compass Rose for 20 minutes on two nights and 30 minutes on another. Depending upon what area you are seated in could make the difference in service.

We have booked the Nov 30th Navigator cruise and this is our first with Regent (we love the grills on Canard). Can you tell us what sections of Compass Rose to avoid?

Thanks;
Steve

[Travelcat2]

We have booked the Nov 30th Navigator cruise and this is our first with Regent (we love the grills on Canard). Can you tell us what sections of Compass Rose to avoid?

Thanks;
Steve

Steve, I am not familiar with all of the sections. However, I can tell you the section where we received excellent service. It is in the center section of Compass Rose -- not too far from the Captain's table (the large table in the very middle). We would actually sit as close to the Captain's table as possible. The server that we developed a wonderful relationship with was "Leo". Don't know if he still will be there in November. If you find a server you like, ask for his section.

Enjoy your cruise!

[jhp]

Would love to hear from JoannaB again as to her continuing experiences on the Navigator.

TC, your cruise was a a long time ago, those waiter stations may have changed as far as getting a good one. I know I avoided one of them after a night on the Navigator more recently. If he is still employed, I am sure it is in a different section!

Like you said, find a good one, and make him/her your own favorite and sit there every night.

[Travelcat2]

Would love to hear from JoannaB again as to her continuing experiences on the Navigator.

TC, your cruise was a a long time ago, those waiter stations may have changed as far as getting a good one. I know I avoided one of them after a night on the Navigator more recently. If he is still employed, I am sure it is in a different section!

Like you said, find a good one, and make him/her your own favorite and sit there every night.

We got back from our cruise March 6th -- I really don't consider that a "long time ago":confused: Service crew contracts are for several months at a time. In terms of waiter stations, it made sense to us that service near the Captain's table might be better. We were right. On the other hand, I'd pick Leo's station -- wherever it is.

I agree -- would love to hear from Joanna.

[judy&steve]

Steve, I am not familiar with all of the sections. However, I can tell you the section where we received excellent service. It is in the center section of Compass Rose -- not too far from the Captain's table (the large table in the very middle). We would actually sit as close to the Captain's table as possible. The server that we developed a wonderful relationship with was "Leo". Don't know if he still will be there in November. If you find a server you like, ask for his section.

Enjoy your cruise!

Thanks so much we are really looking forward to this cruise in fact we switched from Cunard to Regent as it was the same price plus the all inclusive was too attractive to pass up.

[JoAnne B]

I have waited until midcruise to post again as I believe it was best to wait and see how things settled out. While others may have been having a cruise worthy of great praise, I have been keenly aware of the changes and lapses that brought the cruise down from enjoyable expectations to an unsatisfactory reality. Curiously one fellow passenger who gushed to me about his cruise had previously sailed Oceania and been very happy. Never having sailed Oceania, my perspective was quite different. I suspect that those happy with Oceania may be more pleased right now than those with a large number of nights on Regent.

After one mediocre meal in the CR, and one totally unacceptable service, plus a number of other preventable problems, I informed the front office that I would be disembarking in Bermuda and flying to Funchal. I did not ask for any changes to the way the ship is run, but rather indicated that the service was not acceptable to me on any level. I have to say that the response was almost overwhelming. My complaints were listened to and since that time service has been impeccable, if not doting. It is clear that feedback was given to every level of staff with communication that service that was not up to Regent standards would not be accepted. I trust that this was extended to all passengers, not just to the "messenger". Regardless, service has been much improved and I am glad that I stayed aboard.

I do believe that the ship's staff is struggling with a number of cutbacks, changes, and some new inexperienced personnel, and training, training, and more training is in order. The General Manager is very experienced, and although not yet fully immersed in Regent's paradigm, I believe that his standards are very high. I personally saw him respond to what he felt was a minor lapse by a rather high member of staff, and I would not have wanted to be the recipient of his steely and directed eye contact. I have high hopes that the current problems will be resolved.

With the exception of "off" fish the first night, the food has been very good and the presentation excellent. While the menu appears to have been cut back somewhat, the selection is more than adequate....definitely a wider variety of fish options which makes me very happy. I still see some harried dining room service in one particular section of the dining room, but I suspect this is limited to a new waiter or two and hopefully they will improve. Portofino's is open-seated dining and quite popular. Haven't made it there yet, but there is still time. My room stewardess is very personable, but only after she got past her admitted "shyness". She manages to maintain the room with a rather heavy work load and is always cheerful and helpful. The interactive service is finally up and running. Some improvement could be given to the choice of movies, but there are a few more recent releases to balance the generally lackluster selection. The daily menus are still missing, but hopefully they are working on this.

I hope this puts all in perspective. I would not suggest that others avoid the Navigator. She is the same, proud ship and capable of providing an excellent cruise experience. Instead, immediate communication and feedback on any lapses is the path best taken.

[Hambagahle]

I am glad to hear that things are going better for JoAnne - but I have to add that our cruise continues to be great - and we are about to be "Gold" members of the SSS at the end of this leg of the cruise (we are on board until Monte Carlo)
To my husband, our friends (also Silver SSS) and me, the service has been uniformly excellent and the food superb. One of us had fish the first night and raved about it. I had it the night before last and it was excellent. We ate at Portofino last night. The food, wine and service were impeccable but given the smaller menu and totally Italian focus, I don't think we will eat there more than once more before disembarking. We live in Europe and the more "international" focus of the CR menu appeals to us all more.
The service in the CR has been near perfect - and we haven't been paying any special attention as to where we are seated. I haev noticed that on the pool deck there are few waiters until noon when suddenly more appear. This seems normal to me, as more people appear then too...
Any problems - like yesterday our holder for the shower head broke - have been dealt with quickly. So far we have not had any more problems with the loo or the water in the bathroom, so I hope that is now over.
My only complaint is that the questions at Trivia time are too hard! Or is it that I am getting older and forgetting more?

[Peek-a-boo]

Thanks so much JoAnn and Hambagahle! I have been waiting to hear about your cruise....so happy to hear that you are all having a great time. Please tell more about the Portofino Restaurant. I am making dinner res now for my upcoming cruise, and they make it sound just wonderful. They describe the atmosphere and the music. Do they still have live music in that venue? Thanks for the info and enjoy! I look forward to your posts and wish I were there with you....dreaming...in cold and murky NJ.

[Travelcat2]

JoAnn, I am so pleased that things improved after making it clear the problems you had been experiencing were unacceptable.

Hambagahle, it's good to hear that you are enjoying your cruise. Those of us at home look forward to hearing updates from you and JoAnn.:)

Peek-a-Boo, Portofino has changed quite a bit in recent months. They no longer have live entertainment, nor do they have the wine tasting. Portofino is now like La Veranda on the Voyager and Mariner.

[NCCruzQueen]

The daily menus are still missing, but hopefully they are working on this.

JoAnne B, I was on 71 nights of the Discovery Collection this past fall and many of us mentioned not seeing the daily menus on the TV. Not sure why they were never added.

Beth

[bettywh]

Sorry - I can't remember who asked if this is my 1st Regent cruise. The answer is NO. That pleasureable experience goes to 7 days in the Batlic in 2000. I am gold level. And I have 2 other cruises planned for this year. This is my 1st time on the Navigator and must admit to some nervousness after reading all the negatives posted this winter/spring. Not only have I failed to find a negative, I plan on booking 2 segment of the Grand Asia for 2010 while on board.

[SnoBirdCruiser]

Hey Betty....way to go!!! Which two segs are you looking into? Glad you are having a great time on Navigator.
I turn gold after Norway this summer.

[Hambagahle]

To address a couple of things: Portofino is now open seating. Get there as soon as you can after it opens and you will have a table. They are honouring reservations already made, but from now on there is no need to reserve. It is really quite good - as good as La Veranda - and there is no more singing and music.
Last night 6 of us ate at the CR. It was very crowded when we got there. We were seated in a few minutes and menus and wine arrived right after that. Food was lovely - good beef stroganoff, nice fish and a great Rasam soup. We continue to be very pleased - I could even say delighted. Our two friends travelling with us were just on a Crystal cruise and they feel we are eating even better than they did. Quite a comment.
The entertainment is sheer bliss. Shirley Jones with a one man show last night, telling us all about her career and even singing a bit. Donna McKechnie did the same today, reading from her book with interspersed comments and music. Tonight Carol Lawrence does a one man show...so need I say more! We feel truly priviledged to be here on the Navigator.
the only thing I miss from the Mariner and Voyager is Signatures. But I have only one complaint about this ship - the Trivia questions are getting very hard to answer!!!

[Travelcat2]

But I have only one complaint about this ship - the Trivia questions are getting very hard to answer!!!

Really enjoying your updates. Regarding the Trivia questions. . . is the same person doing them every day? On our last Navigator cruise, they had 3 or 4 people who took turns hosting. One young man in particular asked questions that were almost impossible to answer. We did have at least one day when the questions were fairly easy.

Are they still giving tokens out for the winners? There was a recent post from Voyager passengers saying that they are doing away with them.:confused:

[Hambagahle]

Hi TravelCat2
Miracles DO happen. Yesterday Trivia got a bit easier! At least, so it seemed. Yes - they are still giving out tokens. Yesterday these were paper tokens!
Dinner last night - Captain's farewell - was magnificient. Seared foie gras delivered piping hot to the table and delicious. A very very tender chateaubriand with béarnaise sauce was perfect. And we got there late (8pm) so the CR was full. No wait for a table for 4, and no wait for service. We were delighted to find Garry, who was on the Mariner in Jan 08 in South America. He is a great waiter and I had no idea he was on board.
Theatre at Sea continues to delight us. Today Patricia Neal is giving a talk entitled "As I am". This will be interesting and undoubtedly heart-wrenching. She is one plucky woman! Funchal tomorrow, then on to Spain!

[JoAnne B]

Well, tomorrow is disembarkation day. I understand that there is a full ship for the rest of the crossing so service is sure to be stretched.

If I had to rate CR service I would have to say "okay", certainly not great. There seems to be a long delay between early courses and the main course, and even arriving at 7 it has been hard to make the shows on time. Portofino's seems to be very popular. I'm not fond of the buffet appetizers and salad, but that is a personal preference. I ordered the snapper in Portofino's, but after the first night's experience I was leary and told the waitress that if it was strong smelling not to bring it. She returned to suggest that I order a different main course. Two people at my table took one whiff and sent it back. We concluded that they were using a west coast snapper that is much stronger than the east coast variety. My substitue course was very good so I was not terribly unhappy.

I do miss having the menus on the television and was not successful in finding out why they disappeared. Communications are still spotty. Twice I planned to go to Portofino's based on the menu at the reception desk, only to find out that it was closed for a private party. I don't have a problem with the closing, but it should have been noted either on the daily schedule or in the menu itself. I did not appreciated making plans then arriving only to find that it was closed.

Another common complaint has been the availablility of alternative wines if the chosen one is not to your liking. I have been relatively satisfied with the pre-selected wines, but twice others at the table were told that there simply was no satisfactory alternative available. These folks were not being overly choosey, one night a couple was told that there was no pinot noir available, and the following night another passenger was told that there was no cabernet sauvignon available. This seemed highly out of the ordinary as many people do not like Shiraz or claret. Not sure what the problem was, but it seems they are taking on a new stock in Barcelona.

The schedule has been fairly busy, but a number of traditional activities have been missing from the schedule. Specifically the gala lunch and Country Fair were noticeably absent. The interactive movie selection was changed midcruise, which improved the choices with a few more recent releases. Otherwise the same three movies are repeated around the clock on the other channels.

I do agree that the trivia questions have been overly challenging. However we did manage to get 14 of 15 right one day and still not win tokens. So I guess there are some really smart people on board.

Now, back to packing.

[Travelcat2]

Portofino's seems to be very popular. I'm not fond of the buffet appetizers and salad, but that is a personal preference. I ordered the snapper in Portofino's, but after the first night's experience I was leary and told the waitress that if it was strong smelling not to bring it. She returned to suggest that I order a different main course. Two people at my table took one whiff and sent it back. We concluded that they were using a west coast snapper that is much stronger than the east coast variety. My substitue course was very good so I was not terribly unhappy.

I do miss having the menus on the television and was not successful in finding out why they disappeared. Communications are still spotty. Twice I planned to go to Portofino's based on the menu at the reception desk, only to find out that it was closed for a private party. I don't have a problem with the closing, but it should have been noted either on the daily schedule or in the menu itself. I did not appreciated making plans then arriving only to find that it was closed.

Another common complaint has been the availablility of alternative wines if the chosen one is not to your liking. I have been relatively satisfied with the pre-selected wines, but twice others at the table were told that there simply was no satisfactory alternative available. These folks were not being overly choosey, one night a couple was told that there was no pinot noir available, and the following night another passenger was told that there was no cabernet sauvignon available. This seemed highly out of the ordinary as many people do not like Shiraz or claret. Not sure what the problem was, but it seems they are taking on a new stock in Barcelona.

.

We had the same experience as you did in Portofino in terms of food. I am a bit surprised that they would close Portofino twice for private parties. After all, at the moment, the Navigator only has one alternate dining venue. With that closed, there are no choices. It will be nice when add prime 7.

Glad to hear that Trivia is getting a bit easier and that they still have tokens. For those of you on the next segment, we'll look forward to your posts.

JoAnne, safe travels going home. Looking forward to reading your review:)

[jhp]

Joanne, thank you for your further comments. From my impressions, it may be time for you to consider another line? Silversea, or perhaps Seabourn comes to mind, as you are used to dining "when you want". One of the only reasons I would not do Crystal.

I am so sorry to read that, for you, seems things are not really as they should be in your mind. Fortunately, other cruisers on the same cruise have had different experiences. Thanks you for your posts, it is always nice to hear from various cruisers on the same ship and itinerary.

[Hambagahle]

Again, Joanne and I are not on the same ship! Last night 7 of us had pre-dinner drinks in our suite and left for the CR at 7.45pm. We were seated immediately, even though the restaurant was full. We were served very promptly and 4 out of the 7 made requests to change the wines which were quickly and nicely complied with (and not all to the same wine I might add!) The food was served quickly and we were in the Show lounge before the show started at 9.30.
One of our group eats a lot of fish and she has been raving about it! I have had fish twice as a main course, and it was very nice.
I suspect the closing of Portofino on the evening that Joanne wanted to eat there was because the entire "Theatre at sea" group - there are about 60 of them including the actors - was eating there, as a group. I really don't have a problem with this as they have to eat somewhere and it is not as though the restaurant is being "taken off line".
We had 100 passengers leave the ship today in Funchal, and 100 are joining us, according to the Captain who told me this this morning as we ate breakfast on the fantail at Portofinos. So net/net we are at about the same number of guests - 390 - as we were out of FLL.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Sound like you continue to have a great time, hope the next leg is just as good!

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

JoAnne, thanks for your candid posts...know that you have many crossings on Regent--so your posts reflect a dining, service standard you have experienced multiple times on Regent before..we enjoyed sailing on the Voyager cross last December with you
and look forward to sailing with you on the SS Spirit Maiden crossing in January...r/wes

[Travelcat2]

Joanne, thank you for your further comments. From my impressions, it may be time for you to consider another line? Silversea, or perhaps Seabourn comes to mind, as you are used to dining "when you want". One of the only reasons I would not do Crystal.

I am so sorry to read that, for you, seems things are not really as they should be in your mind. Fortunately, other cruisers on the same cruise have had different experiences. Thanks you for your posts, it is always nice to hear from various cruisers on the same ship and itinerary.

Just want to add a couple of things. JoAnne is a seasoned Regent cruiser -- her experiences and observations on the Navigator should definitely be given credence. Unfortunately, we know first hand that it is not unusual for some people to have exemplary service and others to have very poor service (and/or food) on the Navigator. This type of thing has happened on other ships and other cruise lines (Silversea, for instance, had difficulties last year on one of their ships that was detailed on CC). Since Regent reads these threads, posting information about negative as well as positive experiences is important (and does not necessariliy mean that anyone is leaving Regent for another line). I am confident that Regent will fix the difficulties that some people experience on the Navigator.

Hambagahle, you are fortunately having a wonderful experience on the Navigator. Can't wait to hear about the next leg:)

[Hambagahle]

Bst news of all is that this morning we receved notification that we are now Gold SSS - very exciting!
Funchal yesterday started off OK but the weather quickly deteriorated and it rained off and on most of the day. Once we sailed we were quickly out from under the clouds and today (sea day) has been clear, warm but not hot, and nice. We had lunch at the CR today and had a great lobster Caesar salad! There was lobster on the menu last night (along with Beef Wellington, which I chose) and so I assume the lobster salad was making use of the left-overs. Good idea! Lunch on the pool deck was paella and bouillabaisse etc.
Theatre at Sea this pm was Noel Coward. A bit long on the talk, for my taste, and short on the songs but nonetheless well done. Tonight is the Captain's welcome party (informal, no formal evenings on this cruise segment) and the Regent Orchestra playing jazz. Last night's entertainment was only a film, and I don't "do" films so we didn't go. But dinner was great and so was the service/wines etc. And a soufflé for dessert! Trivia this afternoon got a little easier (good thing!) but still not "easy-peasy"!
I am really sorry that Joanne didn't enjoy her cruise, but everyone we meet is really happy, and for us, that is nice!
Tomorrow is Malaga and we are bound for Granada.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Have a great time in Granada, it's really special.

Congrats on going Gold, we will get there on our next cruise (we're 3 days short I think.) But won't get the benefit on that cruise--let us know what wonderful Gold event that you participate in. I've always thought it would be just a milestone, with a few more pressings I guess.

[Travelcat2]

Want to add my congrats on attaining "GOLD" level:D We have to complete our Alaska cruise next year to get there.

I believe you mentioned that this segment of the cruise is full. Do you notice any difference in service with the added passengers (assuming last segment was not full)?

[DaveFr]

I believe you mentioned that this segment of the cruise is full. Do you notice any difference in service with the added passengers (assuming last segment was not full)?
It was JoannB who speculated that the cruise from Funchal to Monte Carlo was full. Hambagahle said: "We had 100 passengers leave the ship today in Funchal, and 100 are joining us, according to the Captain who told me this this morning as we ate breakfast on the fantail at Portofinos. So net/net we are at about the same number of guests - 390 - as we were out of FLL"

Dave

[JoAnne B]

Yes, I did say that the next leg of the crossing was sold out. And it is. I have it on first-hand authority that the fnc-monte carlo leg is sold out, but not everybody was boarding in FNC, many are coming on in Barcelona. So, there will be a lag of a couple of days before the ship is fully occupied. And many of those boarding in Barcelona are staying for the next leg, which is also sold out.

Now, that my portion of the cruise is complete I still feel that this cruise was not up to Regent standards. Yes, we have seen many times before that different guests have different experiences. That does not diminish either experience. Nearing Platinum status, I think I have enough trips under the belt to notice changes, both positive and negative. And after about 13 crossings on different Regent ships, changes in service, food, etc. are quite noticeable. This crossing was certainly not one of the best. I do not feel that I need to justify my opinion, nor do I necessarily feel that I need to move to another line. If the fall crossing is similar to this, I may well do that, though.

After the dismal service the first night and a number of other avoidable problems, I did have the opportunity to speak to the concierge and express my dissatisfaction. From then on, service improved dramatically. Most of the problems were addressed and not repeated. Actually, I was addressed by name no matter where I went on the ship, and service personnel took a personal interest in my satisfaction. I did not ask for it, and at tiimes it was a bit of overkill. But I did notice that while I was addressed personally at every seating in Compass Rose, nobody else at the table was. I should not have been singled out because I complained...that is the level of service that was typical of Regent in the past.

Objective information: although I was seated shortly after 7 every evening, dinner was not completed in time to make the start of the show even once. There was typically an interminable delay between starters and the main course that dragged the dinner out. Several evenings we had to request wine service or refills, even water. I had the opportunity to speak to one particularly frantic waiter alone one evening. He told me that he felt pressure to do everything more quickly. Food was generally very good, with the exception of the strong red snapper and some tough steaks.

Fact: I know that some individuals were able to substitute wine selections. But I was at the table in both Portofino's and Compass Rose when diners were told that there was no Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon on the complimentary list. John is a very good sommelier and I trust his selections. But the simple fact was that they were taking on wine once they arrived in Europe, meaning that they ran out of popular selections. I would guess that this was a decision made on the basis of cost.

Fact: There was an admitted shortage of personnel....Regent decided not to bring new staff aboard in FLL or FNC, but to wait until Spain to take advantage of lower air fares. Again, a decision made on the basis of cost not need.

Fact: Typically there is a notice posted in the daily schedule or on the television when Portofino's is going to be closed. It is not uncommon to have a closure for a special group or just a night off when the ship is not fully booked. I would assume that THeater at Sea booked the room for two nights, which should not have been a problem. But this is the first time there has been an absence of notice. Of course it would help if the menus were once again posted on the television, but that is not the case at the moment. I was told by reception that they had a number of complaints by people who looked at the menu at the reception desk, then arrived at Portofino's to find it was closed for a "private event".

Fact: Many of the traditional crossing activities were missing. The gala luncheon and the country fair are only two that come to mind. Those new to the crossing did not miss these fun events. To others it appeared to be a cutback and disappointment.

Fact: There were plumbing problems, flooding, and numerous complaints about air conditioning. I've sailed in the same cabin enough times to know how to adjust the settings and I always pack a sweater. And I know when I see the big fans in the hallway that somebody's cabin has flooded. Some people were moved because of flooding with the promise that they would have their new cabin for the entire cruise (in some cases all the way to Athens), only to be told at the last minute that they had to move again.

If I were the only one disappointed, then I would say, perhaps it is time to move on. But I wasn't. If some were quite happy, I'm glad for them. Everybody has different standards. But Regent is trying to position itself as a "luxury" cruise at a luxury price. That designation does not leave much room for lapses.

Cheers to those who are happily still sailing. Hopefully the weather improved after Funchal. After two chilly, drizzly days we have the sun back here as well.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

JoAnne, thanks for your objective account of the details. When I told my husband about your initial report that you complained to management and afterwards were treated very well, he was very disturbed, since you should not have to complain to get good service. And this sounds like what happened to you. I'm keeping an eagle eye on these guys: I won't give them my money if they are going to be so uneven. I also don't like hearing about cost cutting measures such as the ones you mentioned. No chardonnay at dinner? Ridiculous!

[Travelcat2]

JoAnne, I also thank you for your report. I printed it up for my DH -- he has the following comments:

"I couldn't agree with her more"

"Right on"

"Staff is noticeably frustrated as they cannot give the level of service they attained in the past."

"Lack of attention to detail"

"Lack of food quality"

He just walked in and added:

"There is the fact of loyalty to Regent. Even at this time, when we're booked later this year and next year, we are looking at alternatives".

[petlover]

JoAnne, I've followed your postings while you were on the Navigator. We have most of our nights with Regent on World Cruises and the full South America (mixed in with quite a few short cruises) and so we really have been spoiled by the treatment we've always received on these longer cruises. I can't believe you had to complain before they called you by name....that's not right.

I dread the problem if there are not decent wines (like good Cabs) to choose from on the complimentary wine list. My husband is REALLY into his wine with dinner....if this continues, our Regent days could be short lived. There should
ALWAYS be choices in all the dining venues and the various bars.

We will be boarding the Voyager on May 21st and looking forward to a great cruise with the quality Regent has always provided us (and especially now with the $$$'s charged). My husband has owned restaurants and if there's glitches in the dining room, he'll immediately pick up on these. We are not overly picky, can deal with mishaps here or there and roll with the flow....just hoping that the service and quality doesn't disappoint. We can't wait to board !!

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience on the Navigator.

[Pincus]

I've read this thread with some alarm, but mostly appreciation.

For a very long time Regent was our favorite cruise line, and we recommended it to anyone who would listen. During these times, Regent's advertising often touted "the tao of Regent." And indeed it was there.

We are still loyal to Regent, but have begun to seek other alternatives. We've sailed Crystal and will take a Silversea cruise later this year.

We have bittersweet feelings, but the mixed messages here -- from two reliable posters, Joanne and Hambagahle, means that the Regent experience is also now mixed, and that is not a good sign.

Inconsistency is not the mark of a luxury ship.

Thanks for all of the above posts.

[bettywh]

Same song, second verse.
Joanne - I just can't believe you and I were on the same cruise. I found everything to be absolutely wonderful. I was called by my name without having to complain. My beverage of choice was remembered. The food and service and the staff/crew were great. What more could I ask for?
Dinner menu on TV? If this has been a feature on past cruises, I never was aware of it. And not a reason to abandon Regent. Walk pass the CR during the day and look at the menu. It's always posted.
Venues closed for private parties? Happened on every cruise I've taken since beginning with Regent 10 years ago. It even can happen at a favorite restaurant where I live.
No country fair during the day? Please....you & I both live in Houston. We could attend something similar every weekend of the year in this city. I much preferred the stop in Bermuda.
Trivia questions too difficult? Easy trivia questions is a consideration in choosing a cruise line? I can't even say that is at the bottom of my list. I would never consider putting it on a list. And there certainly was an abundance of laughter during the trivia games - hard questions or not. Who couldn't love that the team of officers that final day only got 5 out of 15 correct. You don't enjoy laughter when playing games with your fellow passengers? I do.
Gala luncheon? This was only my 3rd Atlantic crossing (also did a Pacific crossing 2 years ago) and somehow I managed to "miss" the gala luncheon on all 3 occasions. Reason - I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm surprised I've never heard it mentioned after "missing it" each of those trips.

Hopefully I've made my point without going on with trivial complaints. This was one fantastic cruise and everyone I talked to agreed. And those of you that know me, know that I do manage to talk to more than my share of passengers on any cruise. JoAnne - for some reason I've never met you.
Pincus - I will admit to having trepidations about this ship before the cruise after all the negative posts this year. I certainly wasted a lot of time and brain power doing that.
I booked 35 nights on the Navigator yesterday for 2010. I can't promise this much time will actually occur on the ship, but I certainly hope it doesn't need to be canceled. If it is, it will be due to something other than the past 10 days.

[Travelcat2]

Same song, second verse.
Joanne - I just can't believe you and I were on the same cruise. I found everything to be absolutely wonderful. I was called by my name without having to complain. My beverage of choice was remembered. The food and service and the staff/crew were great. What more could I ask for?
Dinner menu on TV? If this has been a feature on past cruises, I never was aware of it. And not a reason to abandon Regent. Walk pass the CR during the day and look at the menu. It's always posted.
Venues closed for private parties? Happened on every cruise I've taken since beginning with Regent 10 years ago. It even can happen at a favorite restaurant where I live.
No country fair during the day? Please....you & I both live in Houston. We could attend something similar every weekend of the year in this city. I much preferred the stop in Bermuda.
Trivia questions too difficult? Easy trivia questions is a consideration in choosing a cruise line? I can't even say that is at the bottom of my list. I would never consider putting it on a list. And there certainly was an abundance of laughter during the trivia games - hard questions or not. Who couldn't love that the team of officers that final day only got 5 out of 15 correct. You don't enjoy laughter when playing games with your fellow passengers? I do.
Gala luncheon? This was only my 3rd Atlantic crossing (also did a Pacific crossing 2 years ago) and somehow I managed to "miss" the gala luncheon on all 3 occasions. Reason - I have no idea what you are talking about. I'm surprised I've never heard it mentioned after "missing it" each of those trips.

Hopefully I've made my point without going on with trivial complaints. This was one fantastic cruise and everyone I talked to agreed. And those of you that know me, know that I do manage to talk to more than my share of passengers on any cruise. JoAnne - for some reason I've never met you.
Pincus - I will admit to having trepidations about this ship before the cruise after all the negative posts this year. I certainly wasted a lot of time and brain power doing that.
I booked 35 nights on the Navigator yesterday for 2010. I can't promise this much time will actually occur on the ship, but I certainly hope it doesn't need to be canceled. If it is, it will be due to something other than the past 10 days.

As a reader of this thread, the points we have taken away from JoAnne's posts are not the ones you listed. My take on her comments is that the service is lacking, there is a shortage of personnel, the wine choices have diminished, the plumbing remains an issue as does the air conditioning. If you add that to the items mentioned above, the essence of the Regent experience is considerably diminished. IMO this is not trivial in any way.

My feeling is that no one can argue with an opinion or an experience. It is what it is. Posting your postive experience on CC goes a lot farther than challenging someone else's experience. I think it's wonderful that many people had a great cruise. Unfortunately, there are some whose suite flooded or who did not have air conditioning, etc. whose experience was not acceptable.

[bettywh]

For the 3rd time - service, water issues, AC problems. It sounds like a totally different cruise than the one I just experienced. And I do keep wondering why I didn't hear these issues talked about with the friends I made who had cabins all over the ship. Not just my deck!

[Travelcat2]

For the 3rd time - service, water issues, AC problems. It sounds like a totally different cruise than the one I just experienced. And I do keep wondering why I didn't hear these issues talked about with the friends I made who had cabins all over the ship. Not just my deck!

In this instance, it sounds like you and JoAnne have vastly different experiences. The Navigator does have electrical, plumbing and engine issues -- that is why it's going into drydock for 22 days. You have probably read about it over the past several months -- especially about the intermittant brown water and the few times when the ship was without power for hours at a time.

Regarding service, as I mentioned in my review of our Feb/March '09 Navigator cruise, we sat in one small section of CR for 3 nights. This is where we had terrible service. For seven nights we sat in a section with exemplary service. It was like being on two completely different cruises.

Perhaps people should post which cabin they had a good or less than good experience -- it would be helpful to others who are booking the Navigator. I hope that you and JoAnne post reviews on CC -- so few people do. In a month, this thread will be long gone while the reviews are always there for people to review.:)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The Navigator does have electrical, plumbing and engine issues -- that is why it's going into drydock for 22 days. You have probably read about it over the past several months -- especially about the intermittant brown water and the few times when the ship was without power for hours at a time.


Travelcat, I don't believe Navigator is going into drydock to correct engine problems. Presumably plumbing problems will be addressed while they do a major refurb including reconfiguring La Veranda and gussyin things up like they did on Voyager and Mariner. Am I wrong?

[Travelcat2]

Travelcat, I don't believe Navigator is going into drydock to correct engine problems. Presumably plumbing problems will be addressed while they do a major refurb including reconfiguring La Veranda and gussyin things up like they did on Voyager and Mariner. Am I wrong?

I know that they have been working on electrical problems (sounds like they haven't fixed the air conditioning). When we were on board, we learned that the brown water (rust colored sediment at the bottom of the water tank) gets swirled around when the electricity goes off and on and ends up coming out of the faucets in the cabins. One passenger told us of a shower head pipe coming off in their hand due to rust. That problem sounds quite significant.

Last year there was a lot of talk about an engine problem. I'm not certain if the problem still exists. The Voyager and Mariner had their complete refurb in 2 weeks (forget the exact length of time) and reportedly look great. If I were a betting person (and I'm not -- well, not too much) -- I'd bet that they do not replace the carpeting on the Navigator. It was installed at the end of 2006 (still smelled new in March, 2007). The Voyager and Mariner kept the same carpeting for considerably longer than that. From what we saw recently, they have done a lot of "soft goods" work on the Navigator and have replaced some furniture.

So, they need to add Prime 7 and separate the space off from Portofino -- put in new tables, chairs, etc. They will no doubt clean and replace items on the ship as necessary. I would love if they would expand/move the computer area (don't know where to -- it just isn't great where it is).

It is interesting that Regent has not advertised the cost of the Navigator refurb like they did with the other ships. The sense I get is that, aside from Prime 7, the focus of the drydock is to fix the electrical, plumbing and IF there is an engine issue, fix that as well.


P.S. Wendy, I just did a search of some older threads. On December 17th there was a thread discussing some issues that could be attributed to the engine -- someone else said it wasn't. There was some type of clutch problem -- a power outage, etc. There was also a post about the Navigator being the only ship of the three that doesn't have pods (that might be a good thing given the pod problems that both the Voyager and Mariner have had in the past two years).

[Hambagahle]

I have been trying to get the shipboard internet to allow me to post this for several days! Hope it works this time (in fact the only complaint I have about this cruise is that the internet seems to cut off momentarily, and then re-connect, so posting and e mails can be problemmatic!)
I will be writing a full review when I get home - we disembark tomorrow and then drive home. But I have to say that I was really, really concerned about this cruise before departure, having read attentively all the postings re the Navigator in Feb and March...I need not have worried. We have had an absolutely marvellous time. In my opinion (and it is mine, I am not speaking for anyone else) the food and service has been superb. We generally get to the CR around 7.30 or 7.45pm. We have never missed the start of a show and a good thing too since the Theatre at Sea has been amazing! The food in the CR is even better than I have experienced on the Mariner and the Voyager in the past. There was one evening (and only one) when Jan, the sommelier, said he couldn't get us a Pinot Noir because they were all out...last night he saw us, and brought over a bottle with some flourish. New stocks came on board in Barcelona.
We have had to miss St Tropez due to bad weather. Infact last night was very very rocky! Now the weather is clearing and we are to anchor in the bay at Villefranche. It is too bad for the people who really wanted to see St Tropez. For us it didn't really matter since if we want to go there we can get there in a day. What does matter is safety and it was on those grounds that John McNeil cancelled St Tropez.
So more news when I get home! Right now I am a very, very happy customer!!

[benbax]

I have been trying to get the shipboard internet to allow me to post this for several days! Hope it works this time (in fact the only complaint I have about this cruise is that the internet seems to cut off momentarily, and then re-connect, so posting and e mails can be problemmatic!)
I will be writing a full review when I get home - we disembark tomorrow and then drive home. But I have to say that I was really, really concerned about this cruise before departure, having read attentively all the postings re the Navigator in Feb and March...I need not have worried. We have had an absolutely marvellous time. In my opinion (and it is mine, I am not speaking for anyone else) the food and service has been superb. We generally get to the CR around 7.30 or 7.45pm. We have never missed the start of a show and a good thing too since the Theatre at Sea has been amazing! The food in the CR is even better than I have experienced on the Mariner and the Voyager in the past. There was one evening (and only one) when Jan, the sommelier, said he couldn't get us a Pinot Noir because they were all out...last night he saw us, and brought over a bottle with some flourish. New stocks came on board in Barcelona.
We have had to miss St Tropez due to bad weather. Infact last night was very very rocky! Now the weather is clearing and we are to anchor in the bay at Villefranche. It is too bad for the people who really wanted to see St Tropez. For us it didn't really matter since if we want to go there we can get there in a day. What does matter is safety and it was on those grounds that John McNeil cancelled St Tropez.
So more news when I get home! Right now I am a very, very happy customer!!

Thank You. :D

Thank you for being the last post I'll read as we are getting packed and ready for our flight to Monte Carlo (via Frankfurt) where tomorrow we board the Navigator for our Mediterranean cruise ending in Athens.

Like you, I have been just a tad concerned after reading a lot of posts these past couple of months - but now I am totally optimistic that this will be a wonderful vacation.

Best wishes to all.

[Hambagahle]

I am now home (having survived a fire in a tunnel on the Italian autostrada which was very dramatic!!) and would like to add that Capt McNeil mentioned, several times, the plans for the drydock. He gave a figure which if I recall correctly was $10 million in cost. He said nothing about the pool, nor redoing the suites but he did say that the public spaces are going to be re-done (and in fact I saw Engelbert (the GM) in the Stars Lounge with someone who was measuring up, with plans in hand...I longed to see what the plans were, but didn't quite dare!

The Cruise Consultant at the SSS party talked about the drydock too, and when asked if the work to be done would fix the vibration on the ship he said "No". In fact I think he said "we have to live with it". It didn't bother me, but we were amidships. I did feel vibration some nights but it sort of lulled me to sleep so I can't complain. It is quite loud though in the theatre and must be also loud for the aft suites.

But I did see for myself that during our voyage new carpeting was being installed in some suites. (Presumably in empty ones!) In Funchal they took off stripped off carpeting into large bins on the dock, and then I saw a roll of new carpeting sitting on the 7th deck. Since it was identical to that in my suite, I assume it was destined for suites, and to replace that carpeting that had been torn out.

I will be writing a review in a day or so, and hopefully it will get posted!