naplessailor

So sorry. Yes, 5/5.

See you on board. We are boarding in Cape Town on 5/7.

We took your recommendations and contacted the onboard guest services contact. They informed us that we will have six formal optional nights. I am glad I checked because my travel companion was going to go with all resort casual nights and would have felt “underdressed” on those nights. Thank you Keith for your suggestion. I hope they fix the glitch so this information is accurate. It is a great feature on the website. Looking forward to getting back on Serenity.

We will be cruising on 3 cruises BTB on the Serenity starting May 5. This will be our first cruise on new Crystal after cruising more than 250 nights on the old Crystal. I just saw the dress code for the entire 3 segments (each one 11-12 nights) and they all say “Resort Casual”. Seems like that is an error since we have multiple days at sea on each segment and it is the revised end of the World Cruise. I don’t want to pack incorrectly but in a quandary as to what is the correct dress code. Anyone have any insight?

I no longer even try to fill out the survey as I am usually too busy during the last few days enjoying my cruise to take the time to fill it out. I feel sorry for the staff because I try to recognize the outstanding staff that went above and beyond. And then on a back to back cruise, you need to do it before that cruise ends and I am too busy. Would be nice to have the window expire a few days post cruise as most cruise lines do.

We were in Japan after a transpacific voyage so we did not have any Yen. At our first two stops there was a small currency exchange set up on the dock to exchange money ( and the exchange rate was pretty reasonable). In some of the smaller ports, many small shops, vendors and restaurants did not take credit cards so Japanese Yen was a must have. My friend exchanged on the pier and was happy. I went to a 7-11 and had no problem exchanging money with a BofA card. Other passengers with other cards (Chase and Truist) were not able to get currency as their cards were rejected. Not sure why. Probably best to get some before you travel if you are going to smaller destinations. In the large cities, credit cards are widely accepted but not by smaller vendors.

Ours have always been delivered into the cabin. I think that is typical. It probably depends if the door is locked and who is the one to deliver. If they have a key to get in or if the cabin attendant needs to deliver. Sometimes (depending on the port) it is delivered before the luggage we brought with us.

We have used Luggage Forward (and Luggage Free at times) for years. We have always been pleased with the service. Maybe we have been lucky, who knows. Now, we do usually ship one bag and take another with us. Part of this is because we enjoy exploring an embarkation port for a few days prior to boarding and do not need all those clothes on land and it also gives us peace of mind with tight connections getting to the ship. When in a hotel prior to boarding, I don’t want to have the extra bag making a trip hazard in the room. And, if you travel internationally and need to collect luggage for customs and then immediately give back to the airline for a connecting flight, it makes it much easier to navigate a small bag when one has a bad knee and back. So I am a big fan of shipping luggage ahead of time for us. We also only ship clothes so have not had a problem with excessive screenings. If you look at the snafus that have happened recently with airlines changing schedules, short staffing issues and large numbers of people flying post pandemic, I feel this is a good way to go. I hope this gives you some comfort. We are leaving again in two months and we are ready to book our luggage shipping soon. Good luck and safe travels.

We have sailed on the Quest and are currently on the Odyssey. Both ships have Amaretto DiSarrono as that is my brother’s preferred drink. He orders it every night. Hope that helps.

We have used Luggage Forward with Seabourn and Regent (who recommends the same service) with excellent results. We have an upcoming trip and I would not hesitate to use them. There are times that they do not recommend shipping to a certain port ( Buenos Aires in December, Peru last year) so we just take luggage with us. With all the luggage issues on airlines (and cargo) I am sure you can run into issues but thankfully we have been spared. This past July we used LF to ship two suitcases to the ship embarking in London. With all the lost luggage earlier that month we were worried but it made it. Now, we usually ship one bag (each) and bring one bag with us so that makes us feel more comfortable and still makes it easier to maneuver through cabs, airlines etc. And we usually travel on the ship over a month each time so two suitcases are pretty much needed. So, I would continue to be confident in this service.

Disappointing for sure. Not a big gambler but will definitely be a factor in deciding to try the new Crystal. I consider it “entertainment “. But, there are other luxury lines out there that still have a casino.

I was on a recent cruise on the Mariner for the holidays. I gave up trying to find a lounger by the pool unless I went very early. So I just sat in a chair instead and would eye the unused loungers with books on them with envy. Then I started to see several people who sat in the sun for an hour or so and then would go over to a “reserved” lounger in the shade for awhile before going back to the lounger in the sun. I understand that one needs a break from the sun but they were using two loungers for one person and this happened every day. Not fair since there are not enough loungers in the shade for everyone.

On most Regent cruises that I have used the hotel the night prior, they have arranged to pick up the luggage late the night before embarkation and it is delivered directly to your cabin on the ship. There may be ports where this is not allowed but it is what I have experienced. We are currently sailing on the Mariner and that is how it was handled in Buenos Aires. I hope that is helpful.

We were in Port Royal last year on a different line and we participated in a tour to Bob Marley’s house which is now a museum. Although I cannot say I am a huge Marley fan, the tour was very well done and very interesting. If it is not offered through the line, I am certain you will find a taxi or tour guide to take you.

This change makes me very uncomfortable. Cruise ships have people in very close quarters for long periods of time. Once the restrictions allow unvaccinated travelers, to me it brings more risk for the older and/or potentially immune compromised passenger. Having at least all passengers required to be vaccinated at least makes me more comfortable that there is a bit less risk of infection. I will continue to vaccinate myself and wear a mask if I feel the need, but at least I know others have some layer of protection against a severe infection that can be transmitted to me as well. In addition, it will only be a matter of time, IMO before the restrictions for crew are reduced as well that gives another layer of worry as well. The youthfulness of the crew may mitigate severe infection for them but they may then bring more virulent strains of infection to the older more sensitive passenger base of Regent. I have five 21+ day cruises booked with Regent in next 12 months and I am seriously considering canceling all, even though three are past the final payment stage. This is a game changer for me I think. I hope this policy is reversed before September 3.