Navigator Review

A couple of weeks ago I posted "live from the Navigator. . ." and was notified this evening that the review written over the weekend is already on posted under Member Reviews ("OliverHazard", you asked me to do it and I did;) )

I feel the need to make a couple of additional comments about the review. When I started writing the review, I pretty much was thinking that the cruise should be rated "5". By the time the review was completed, it really was fair to only rate it "4" (there was no choice of 4.5) due to some food issues and service in Portofino in the evening.

For those cruising on the Navigator in the future, I have no doubt that, with the return of the head chef, everyone will once again be dining on great food. As far as Portofino restaurant is concerned, you'll either love it or hate it. In any case, it's difficult not to love the Navigator.

Hey TC2

I did read your review but want to reread it. Very busy.

Did not want you to think it was not important!!

OH:cool::cool:

Thanks for this, I'll study your review tonight! I was on Navigator in December, and enjoyed the cocktail phase of Portofino's with the wine and cheese tasting, thought the Italian food was pretty okay, but hated the overall experience.

I'm sorry to hear this as we are booked on the October crossing from Monte Carlo to Ft Laud. This will be our 4th time on this ship; hopefully it will regain its ability to serve excellent meals.

I'm sorry to hear this as we are booked on the October crossing from Monte Carlo to Ft Laud. This will be our 4th time on this ship; hopefully it will regain its ability to serve excellent meals.

We were on Navigator last March. The food was excellent Sometimes there are hiccups but considering the challenges of provisioning for entire cruises with no options to recover once you've left port, I think they do quite well. Not haute cuisine by any means but really rather nice.

Travelcat2, I am surprised by your comments about Guatemala. It was one of my favorite ports 10 years ago. We did the trip to Tikal and loved it. Are you saying that no one took the flights to the Mayan ruins?

There are at least four trips on the Regent web site that interest us. Were they all canceled due to lack of participation, if the majority didn't book an excursion?

If this is the case, then I am discouraged. I believed Regent had a passenger mix that would opt to do significantly adventurous excursions. If they have degraded to the crowds that "walk around" in port, then I guess my days on them are numbered. That's the reason we moved up from HAL, because HAL had degraded from what they originally were.

There were more than 200 of us in 1998 that opted for the flights to Tikal out of 1200 on the ship. I would have thought that Regent carried that level of adventurous traveler because that's what we encountered in Europe on Diamond.

Travelcat2, I am surprised by your comments about Guatemala. It was one of my favorite ports 10 years ago. We did the trip to Tikal and loved it. Are you saying that no one took the flights to the Mayan ruins?

 

There are at least four trips on the Regent web site that interest us. Were they all canceled due to lack of participation, if the majority didn't book an excursion?

 

If this is the case, then I am discouraged. I believed Regent had a passenger mix that would opt to do significantly adventurous excursions. If they have degraded to the crowds that "walk around" in port, then I guess my days on them are numbered. That's the reason we moved up from HAL, because HAL had degraded from what they originally were.

 

There were more than 200 of us in 1998 that opted for the flights to Tikal out of 1200 on the ship. I would have thought that Regent carried that level of adventurous traveler because that's what we encountered in Europe on Diamond.

Annierie, it's good to hear that your experience in Guatamala was a good one. If we had booked an excursions (private one), we would probably have had a much more favorable experience. The people selling tours on the dock, etc. are probably not representative of the rest of the country. When we stopped in Roatan Island, the tour operators appeared less aggressive -- it could have been the language barrier in Guatamala (in Hondurus, everyone seems fluent in both English and Spanish).

Please don't give up on Regent because of excursions. They did state on their excursion literature that the snorkeling tour in Key West was not inclusive to Regent. We just did not expect to have only 7 Regent passengers and 117 from Carnival. The free flowing beer could have precipated the loud craziness on the boat. Regent was aware of the "problem" as they called and told us that the tour was crowded and asked if wanted to change to the 12:30 p.m. (but would not allow a refund - they called us 12 hours after the deadline for cancelling the tour). Since this was our last day, we did not want to miss lunch (not that we needed any more food;) ).

We still feel that Regent is an excellent cruiseline -- even with the head chef gone and the drunks on the catamaran, I'd pick Regent over 95% of other cruiselines.

Thanks for the review.

As many know, I had some problems with Regent's tours in Europe last summer (Bordeaux and, to lesser extent, Cadiz). While perfection is not expected, providing what is advertised is.

I can't imagine Regent - which is known for its high quality, low density, tours combining with Carnival for any reason. That was an economic decision. In the past, Regent would have booked its own tour...period.

Tour cancellations are a frustration. I am not sure if Regent let it be known how many had to book in order for the tour to operate, but again, it is hoped that Regent isn't increasing the numbers based upon revenue expected from each tour rather than the entirety of the tours. (Lack in interest should result in future tours being dropped, not yours...unless it was really minimal interest.)

I know the chef is wonderful and I am sorry for personal troubles, but there are quite a few chefs and cooks and there is no excuse for the food to suffer to that degree because one person is ill or off the ship for a personal matter or on a break between contracts. There is something else going on there; a breakdown in the team.

I'm glad the vibration didn't bother you. As I said it is mostly aft in Portifino and the Galileo Lounge. Other parts of the ship (aside from the far aft cabins) are pretty much unaffected.

Other than the food and the Portifino waiters rudeness (yikes!) how was the rest of the service in the Compass Rose and other areas.

Hi Eric, as always, your replies and posts are great! I want to be honest about the service. . . on the other hand, I love Regent cruises -- have already booked my next one and do not want a few poor experiences to turn others away from trying this cruiseline.

Okay -- having said that . . . here is our "service" experience. Our first night in Compass Rose we were very impressed with "James" (aka "James Bond") and his staff and therefore requested his section every night. The second night my husband's drink was put in front of him almost immediately -- without even asking. Truly top notch service. Although their attitude did not change, the service did. I realize that there is really no alternative to eating in Compass Rose (except the one reservation you may get in the other restaurant so you can be treated rudely -- sorry for the barb but it's deserved). Compass Rose is always filled to capacity and there does not seem to be enough staff. Everyone seemed to appear at 7:00 p.m. on the dot (not sure why or if this is typical) so they were jammed.

Service was very slow at times -- more than once people at our table (we sat with different groups each night) waited for dessert -- it did not show up. So, the servers were great but overworked. The food was great some nights but not others. The last night food was being returned by many passengers as they were unable to eat it (not that anyone went hungry)

Portofino -- the only female server, Maura, was wonderful -- a shining rose in the middle of thorns. Plates of food were practically dropped on the table. The food (particularly the risotto) was very good. The wine tasting prior to dinner was fine -- no problems with service at that point. People trying to get dinner reservations in Portofino during lunch were spoken to quite rudely.

We did not have a Penthouse suite this time so no butler, but the room service was prompt and usually accurate. The Stewardess did a great job. The service in the Showroom was also very good.

Really hope this doesn't show Regent in a bad light. This was just our experience on this particular cruise. Some weeks people have wonderful food but can't enjoy it because of rough seas or the vibration of the ships. :)

Hi There!

Unfortunately you seemed to have run into the same experiences I had in the Compass Rose last August. (You can look up my posts and unfortunately, see the consistency.) We had to wait for a table, service was very slow, desserts never came, some food was not correct in presentation or quality, and there was little polish most of the time.

I just got off the the Queen Mary 2 in Princess Grill and found the service to better and the food of equal to better quality (though not a single meal was memorable). I wasn't really impressed, though. It is not really meant to compliment Cunard or criticize Regent, but rather to say there somewhat of a slippage in service where service is most important.

It is frustrating when your expectations from past performance and marketing (i.e. my first time on the QM2) make you expect a 8-9 and you get a 5-7. I am on Regent again this summer with the hopes and desires that my going in expecting a 7 will be wrong...and I will get back to the 9-10 experiences that I had on the Diamond cruises.

Also, you should have your loyalties to yourself, let the cruise lines earn your loyalty; not feel guilty if they don't meet expectations. There are alternatives that might (or might not) be worth at least looking at. That's why I cruise many lines.

Interesting comments.

My experience with ship excursions was mixed, and with the exception of the Jean Leon winery tour, mostly negative. I think this is a weak link in Regent service that should be addressed.

I'll be onboard next week and hope I won't be disappointed with Portofino's. I agree people either love it or hate it. I'm one of those who generally love it. I usually have to skip a course or two because I don't eat most meat dishes, but never leave hungry. Service in Portofino's has always been excellent...very personal. Even one woman who was quite rude because she wanted a meatless dish from the Compass Rose instead of the menu course was treated very respectfully by Alex. I'm wondering what has gone wrong.

Well, I'll find out soon enough.

Cheers.

JoAnne B

JoAnne, I am looking forward to your take of things. Keep us informed!

Is Portofino just a renamed Don Vitos (or whatever it was called)? The one with the Italian food and the goofy show? I hated the almost harassment the customers got at the tables. People being dragged up front and asked to do goofy things. It was just kind of rowdy and crude. I much prefer a nice relaxing dinner or dinner with a show. I don't want to be harassed and dragged up front to be part of the act!

As of last August it was a very toned down version. Still informal. Still singing and some (that is some) audience participation, but much more subdued.

Is Portofino just a renamed Don Vitos (or whatever it was called)? The one with the Italian food and the goofy show? I hated the almost harassment the customers got at the tables. People being dragged up front and asked to do goofy things. It was just kind of rowdy and crude. I much prefer a nice relaxing dinner or dinner with a show. I don't want to be harassed and dragged up front to be part of the act!

My family and I went on the Navigator at Christmas, and while I have no basis of comparison to Don Vitos, we had such a great time in Portofino that we went a second time. I don't recall anyone being dragged up front or asked to do goofy things. There were six kids with us, and they sat at their own table near the stage, and Jerry and Alex made a big deal of them and paid a lot of attention to them. The food was great, and the singing was a ton of fun, though to each their own.

Alan, I endured the original Don Vito's and Navigator's version is nearly as bad. There's not that much audience participation, although they did have a member of the audience singing the refrain of one tune. I still disliked it intensely because it was very loud. Still lots of goofy sounds, impressions of musical instruments and the like. I can completely imagine a family having great fun there, and many others with us enjoyed it very much too. Mona Lisa, the girl singer, is quite good. Never again.

I had a very nice time in Portofino - it reminded me of a restaurant in Rome we went to on our Tauck Tour - singing waiters with accordian and waving of napkins in the air while singing and dancing in good spirits. And I was at the next table in a large group with Wendy. Yes, it was a bit goofy, but all in fun. Service could have been a bit better, but, it was a full house in there. Food wqas good but quanitiy overwhelming.

That being said, I do like the Italian Steakhouse theme they did on Navigator (and still do on Voyager and Mariner) - it was classier. If they had more dining venues, then Don Vito's would be a good option, but, with only two places to eat, there should be a less captive option to Compass Rose and a bit more elegant to match the brand of Regent.

I had a very nice time in Portofino - it reminded me of a restaurant in Rome we went to on our Tauck Tour - singing waiters with accordian and waving of napkins in the air while singing and dancing in good spirits. And I was at the next table in a large group with Wendy. Yes, it was a bit goofy, but all in fun. Service could have been a bit better, but, it was a full house in there. Food wqas good but quanitiy overwhelming.

 

That being said, I do like the Italian Steakhouse theme they did on Navigator (and still do on Voyager and Mariner) - it was classier. If they had more dining venues, then Don Vito's would be a good option, but, with only two places to eat, there should be a less captive option to Compass Rose and a bit more elegant to match the brand of Regent.

ChatKat, I agree that the singing waiters were entertaining -- goofy but entertaining. Did you do it more than one night? If you did, you may have found it overly repetitive like we did. Even if we wanted an "instant replay" of our experience at Portofino, it would have been difficult to book the 2nd night at that restarant. We felt quite fortunate to be able to book a 2nd night -- then we found out that it was the same as the last time. It could be that we were there on an "off" week (due to the absence of the Head Chef) -- however, I think that the Navigator, being a smaller ship than the Voyager and Mariner, should have truly unique options instead of different versions of the "same old thing"

In the case of our tour, it would have been GREAT to have "local" presentations. For instance, foods from Mexico one night, Belize or Honduras another night -- any speciality from the location the ship has docked. This would have made the choices much more acceptable. During our March, 2007 cruise, it was either Compass Rose or repetitive entertainment/food at Portofino.

As it's been said, different strokes for different folks........I'm with ChatKat and the others who enjoy Portofinos. It is tamed down from when it was Don Vito's on the Diamond (they don't ask any individuals to stand up and do silly things, or sing solos into the microphone). I've never been there with a large group or a family (that would be fun!), but I've always loved it! On the Diamond and now on The Navigator, I always have to have at least one night in Portofinos, I love the food and the entertainment and the ambiance. I'm back on board in June, and for sure will be there again one night, it's one of my favourite parts of the ship! Whether it's Roberto or Alex hosting, featuring Gerry or Pietro, Monalissa, I love it all.

As it's been said, different strokes for different folks........I'm with ChatKat and the others who enjoy Portofinos. It is tamed down from when it was Don Vito's on the Diamond (they don't ask any individuals to stand up and do silly things, or sing solos into the microphone). I've never been there with a large group or a family (that would be fun!), but I've always loved it! On the Diamond and now on The Navigator, I always have to have at least one night in Portofinos, I love the food and the entertainment and the ambiance. I'm back on board in June, and for sure will be there again one night, it's one of my favourite parts of the ship! Whether it's Roberto or Alex hosting, featuring Gerry or Pietro, Monalissa, I love it all.

Actually, you made my point....... Portofino is fine for "one night" -- the problem is that there are no choices on the Navigator for other nights (sorry if I'm repeating myself but . . . the Voyager/Mariner have 700 passengers and 4 restaurants (plus, the pool restaurant for lunch) while the Navigator has 490 passengers, 2 restaurants -- one of which is nearly impossible to get into -- plus the pool restaurant for lunch).

For me, though, while I always love at least one night in Portofino, sometimes I do two, if the mood strikes. The entertainment is the same of course, but the menu is different (or has been for me). But having said that, I'm always somewhat reluctant to leave Compass Rose because I love it in there. I love the food, the ambiance, I love Miki (or Franco) and Arnold and all the great service. I'm o.k. on this small ship with the two dining options, because they're both so good! Also, on more than one of my cruises, they've had one "dinner party" night on the pool deck (although dining in Compass Rose was still optional), as well.

It's wonderful to have these boards, they're so helpful, because anybody considering booking a Regent Cruise would know that, if they prefer more "dining options" they really should book The Voyager or The Mariner. And it's all because of good discussions and fabulous reviews, such as this one. It really gives you a sense of what would most meet your needs.

Cheers! Here's to cruising!