Gator73

On 1/5/2024 at 11:05 AM, UUNetBill said:

No reviews in yet on 800 on any of the three Explorer class ships, unfortunately - but from looking at the deck plans it appears to have a smaller balcony.  And other front-facing cabin reviews have complained about the wind, which I personally think would be a definite issue.  If you plan on using the balcony, especially if you have a lot of sea days, I'd probably opt for a standard side-facing PH cabin.

As others have commented, wind is a huge issue underway (we visited a Grand Suite Forward while underway and the wind made the expansive well-appointed veranda literally useless.  In addition, the x00-series Penthouses have solid bulkheads facing forward (vs glass on PH's with side views); this means that when you're sitting down on your veranda, you can't really view much but the inside of a solid bulkhead.  The interior of these suites is a bit larger than other PH's so the question is whether the extra interior space outweighs the veranda shortcomings. 

On 4/3/2024 at 10:38 AM, seniormom said:

• Navigator, Suite 1125 (Navigator Suite)
• March 4-22, 2024
• Bathrooms - 1 (not 1-1/2 as spreadsheet currently states)
• Separate tub and shower (no bidet as pictures from the other Nav suites show)
• No noise issues, even though there is a "secret door" to the walking deck.  If you are standing in your closet and someone is sitting on the chairs right outside your door, you can hear muffled voices, but can't hear it anywhere else in the cabin.
• Recommend -- absolutely!  We loved this cabin.  Even while going through Tropical Cyclone Megan, we didn't have major issues being this high (with the help of dramamine of course!)  The separate living area is a nice size, and there are curtains that block off the bedroom completely, to allow for coffee delivery from butler without being awake 🙂
• I wouldn't hesitate to book this again.  Easy access to every floor as the elevator is right outside the room (but absolutely no noise issues).
• I took pictures and am happy to share with someone, as I found limited pics when I was doing my research precruise.

 

 

Would love to see the pics if you have time . . . we're in 939 Navigator Suite for the 24 Feb 25 MIA to MIA via the Windward/Leeward Islands and Amazon; tho not the same door number as yours, some recent pics of a Nav Suite vs the stock photos would satisfy some curiosity on our part.

4 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

In line once for Compass Rose, I heard the gentleman in front of us being told that a collared shirt was required but the Regent person told him that he couldn’t stop him from being served in CR. It sounded like a suggestion not a hard fast rule. The man’s shirt was very classy and looked expensive and he politely apologized and went and changed his outfit to comply with the dress code. In another situation, there was a different man that didn’t have a collared shirt but he didn’t care. It didn’t bother me but I couldn’t believe the amount of disgusted stares that guy got from other tables. Regent doesn’t seem to want to enforce their rules, so some people will always try to push the envelope. Yes, I am talking to you chair hogs. 

Well-said . . . the reason enforcement is lax has no other explanation in my mind than Management has indicated to the front line staff (i.e., Maître d's, host/hostesses, bar staff & servers) that they're at most empowered to mention the dress code to those not in compliance but otherwise are not to make a fuss if someone refuses to comply. [The same applies to the deck & pool bar staff vis chair hogs.]  Personally, this regularly divisive dress-code issue is one Regent needs to diffuse as it impacts the civility & community experienced aboard ship as well as in forae such as these.  And, the only way to diffuse it is either

a) stick with the policy & empower front-line staff to enforce it (that means these employees know Management will unequivocally back them up) letting current & potential future customers know what's expected of them as well as what won't be tolerated, or

b) do away with the policy entirely and hope existing customers who value some basic qualities in evening attire will still remain loyal to the line when "anything goes" varied evening garb becomes the "norm.".

On 4/9/2024 at 8:47 AM, Sunprince said:

It would be nice to have expansive open aft deck public spaces that feature open dining, bars or other public spaces with shaded lounges or places to relax (away from the crowded pool deck).  Also an outdoor forward viewing space which is currently lacking would be nice.

I'd love to see some open deck forward space - we transited the Panama Canal on Christmas Day 2022 aboard Splendor (i.e., add to this configuration all Explorer-class ships - Explorer, Grandeur & Splendor).  It was a very special transit and day . . . BUT, unless you had good friends in forward-looking suites, you had no means to see the transit from an open-air forward-looking space (the only public forward-looking space was the enclosed Observation Lounge).  Entering Amsterdam in Aug 2022, such spaces were available on Voyager as we transited the locks from the Baltic.

On 4/9/2024 at 9:24 AM, Pies4u said:

Interesting development, given that a few weeks ago they announced major refits for Mariner & Voyager in late 2025. Several Voyager cruises were then waitlisted but they’ve now re-appeared on the website.

 

There seems to be a slight lack of clarity and some uncertainty about what is actually happening with existing ships, never mind new ones! We’ve cancelled a cruise on Voyager scheduled for 2026, because of the changes made  since we originally booked. It would surely help prospective sales, and customer relations, if there could be some confirmation that if you book a cruise on .voyager, it will go ahead. 
 

The posts regarding which ships might be sold exacerbate the uncertainty. I appreciate that they are not “official” but if people imply that they are “in the know” it may make some - me included - slightly nervous.

.

 

 

 

I've seen nothing official from NCLH or Regent indicating they're dropping Voyager (or any other ship) in 2026, so I'm curious where those making this statement are getting their information?  As of right now, this is what we Navy veterans call "scuttlebutt" - unsubstantiated speculation, aka "a wild ass guess."

On 4/9/2024 at 9:40 AM, Scout16 said:

I noticed in the press release that the two ships are going to Oceania.  I believe that both the size and the passenger size are within their standard sizes. 

NCLH (the holding company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania & Regent) announced EIGHT new ships, four of which are going to Norwegian, two of which are going to Oceania, and two of which are going to Regent.  The two ships going to Regent are detailed in other contributions to this thread, but they are 38% heavier in tonnage & will carry 14% more passengers. 

The "hybrid" character reported for these two Regent ships may mean that the 38% "weight gain" is not just SIZE-related.  I'd suspect that weight gain is apportioned between a) supplemental alternative propulsion characteristics (e.g., perhaps, engines to burn ultra-clean LNG for transiting sensitive areas . . . maybe even augmented by batteries (which are VERY heavy) added atop the standard bunker fuel & low-sulfur diesel engines) and b) additional space onboard to accommodate 100 additional passengers.