golfgirls

Just to have a little fun with it...will we soon be calling it the RSSC Spender?

Somehow saying that 'I will be sailing on the Explorer or the Mariner' has a much more compelling appeal that 'I will be sailing on the Splendor'. Disney like perhaps?

Oh well, we are anxious to see when we can book the maiden voyage regardless of her name!!!!

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Great to hear Bill. This will be our first crossing as well.

Btw, I think we will be sailing together this January as well from Singapore.

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We are booked on this cruise plus the crossing afterwards from Cape town to Rio.

Where do I start? We had the best ever trip to South Africa about 10 years ago. Golf, wine, touring, it doesn't get any better than that.

In regards to Cape Town, it is absolutely one of our favourite cities in the world. It has all of the beauty(plus) of San Francisco, Rio and/or Vancouver and so much more. Ocean, mountains and so much to do. Plus the food and wine are out of this world. We can't wait to get back there. I agree with TC, would go there every year in a heart beat if it was not so far away.

We have elected to do the Regent pre cruise tour Winelands... for two reasons. First is because we have decided to carry on and do the Cape Town to Rio crossing. Second reason is that we had a once in a lifetime safari experience at Sabi Sabi years ago and just don't think it could be repeated. So we will enjoy, Cape Town, some of the beautiful wine country and a bit of game viewing before we embark.

Added bonus is that we will be cruising at Christmas. Really hoping John Barron and family will be aboard!

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Echo the appreciations of your Mariner on board posting—thank you. Look forward to reading more. WE board the Mariner for our first time in January and your post is helping frame our suite expectations.

 

Hope the new meet & mingle registration procedure LauraS (CC Community Manager mentioned in an earlier thread today) helps ensure those Regent cruise critics who registered to attend the meet & mingle get their formal invitation on embarkation day. Very nice to hear that the Mariner leaders/staff also attended your m&m.

 

For out January Mariner voyage, we learned this week that the Captain then will be Aivo Palm, HD Michael Coghlin, tho still no word on who our CD will be. If you get a chance, can you please ask your CD (believe it is Lorraine) who will follow her as CD in the New Year

 

 

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Wes, Lorraine will be onboard to Lima and then believes that Paul Reynolds takes over from there.

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Stay on a few more weeks & we can revive our (partial) Trivia Group!! My dad & I will be on the Mariner over Christmas. Glad to hear the ship is doing well & we’re ready to see it soon!! :)

 

 

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Well we would love to be with you but won't be cruising at Christmas this year. We will be back on the Explorer for Christmas 2018, Capetown to Capetown. Join us then!

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I haven't commented on entertainment yet for two reasons. First is that the cast, brand new to the ship, haven't been able to perform due to poor sailing conditions. Let's hope that they are able to get the show on the road tonight, so to speak. They are ready and eager to entertain us.

Second reason is that the 'other' entertainment has been a pianist and a ventriloquist. Not our cup of tea but I am sure they were fine.

I will take a moment to comment on two great events so far from an entertainment perspective. Our first night was a Dance Party hosted by Lorraine(CD), David(ACD) and Marla(SH). It was a ton of fun and they all sang some great dance songs. They are all very talented and had the crowd moving and grooving. We are always a bit reluctant to get up on the floor but we were very happy that we did.

Last night, the same trio hosted a fabulous Halloween Dance Party. The entertainment crew, including singers and dancers, were all decked out in fun costumes. Stars Lounge(a bit of a weird venue from a design perspective) was transformed into a spooky site with lots of great decor.

Should also add that the menu at CR last night also had a spookilicious theme, with a menu decorated for the event and some cleverly themed specials and desserts. We also enjoyed seeing spectacularly pumpkins carved at both entrances - I must say they were the most beautiful, creative pumpkins that we have ever seen.

Bottom line is Halloween was/is alive and well on Regent if you want it to be and our Entertainment staff has made this cruise a lot of fun thus far.

Still a lot of days to go before Miami and am sure lots more fun ahead.

Wes, I will find out the answer to your CD question asap.

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We are currently sitting in the Observation Lounge looking over the harbour in Halifax. A sunny but crisp fall day, very enjoyable.

My review of the cruise thus far would be very positive. Although we all know that the Mariner is long past its refurb date, it is really in pretty good shape. We have previously stayed in the Horizon View suites on Mariner, which are fantastic and have been more recently upgraded. This time, we are in a Concierge suite. Although we find the cabin a bit too small for our liking, it is in pretty good shape and there really isn't anything that I would complain about regarding the condition of the suite.

The service onboard has been very good, from the bars to the dining venues, it really has been very nice with a concerted effort to greet passengers by name in a very welcoming fashion.

Our real treasure this cruise is Captain Serena. She is a very engaging character with a wealth of information to share and a passion for what she does. It is really nice to see a Captain that enjoys engaging with her passengers. She is also extremely safety conscious and steered us clear(well as clear as could be) of some pretty ugly weather on the east coast yesterday.

The one disappointment I would say so far was the attendance at the CC Meet and Mingle on Sunday morning. Regent pulled out all of the stops with many more officers than CC posters attending - less than 10 of us. Not sure if it was due to conflicts in scheduling or miscommunications, but it was unfortunate. We had the opportunity to meet with many of the officers and staff and really enjoyed the Meet and Mingle and the effort put forth by Regent.

Off to St John soon!

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I kind of like the look of the new site but there are many issues to resolve. After too many Page Not Found responses, I have exited the app and will try it again tomorrow.

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We will be boarding the Navigator on September 1st. Do you know if Jamie and Dana will be the CD and assistant CD then? Thanks.

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Totally agree to check prices in both currencies. Apparently Regent has recently changed the exchange rate which makes CAD much less attractive. Best to look at all of the options. And isn't it nice to have options!

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We are Canadians and also use a US based travel agency. We found the same issue initially - that our TA could not sell to us in CAD because they were not authorized to do so by Regent. However, our TA did go back and get this approval, though I think it took some time, and can now sell to us in USD or CAD depending on what works best for us.

I agree with other posters that for some reason, we receive much better incentives from US based TAs than from those in Canada. Too bad for Canadian businesses I suppose.

Bottom line is your TA might be able to do the CAD bookings if they pursue it with Regent, though it might not get put into place until your next cruise.

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I find the Cruise Director likes/dislikes very interesting and there are clearly different strokes for different folks. We absolutely loved John Barron on the Explorer at Christmas last year, really liked Jamie on the Amazon for New Year's the previous year. Margaret and Lorraine are just fine. I honestly don't understand why Ray is so popular, we find him way over the top and a bit condescending. He is our least favourite on Regent for sure. We will be on the Voyager for 34 nights next January and are really hoping that Paul Reynolds will be the CD!

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Yes we were just on Mariner in a beautiful suite just below the Veranda. No issues in the evening but yes, some noise early in the morning. So I suspect from a noise perspective, a similar comparison to your suite, but we would say the aft deck and view far outweigh any noise from above.

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Very late picking this up but Jim_Iain, do you have to pay for your 'fishy' site or am I looking in the wrong place? Thanks

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We were on the Mariner to Cuba the previous week and had a wonderful time. Cuba was very interesting, the cars in Havana truly make it seem 'lost in the fifties' but fun with all sorts of colourful convertibles that you can hire to tour the city. We had a terrific trip to the farm where Hemingway lived while in Cuba. We had one of the best tour guides ever at the site, which made it very interesting and informative. The previous day we did the rum, cigars and art tour. It was a so/so tour but we were glad we did it as we saw most of the city along our route.

The Mariner is certainly in need of the refurb though the common areas still seem to be in good shape. We were delighted to see some of our favourite Regent folks onboard. Alain, the head waiter as mentioned above, is fabulous and looked after us(and everyone else) very well. Kas, our favourite sommelier and Salvadore, our favourite waiter were delightful and attentive. We really enjoy the new Compass Rose menu, didn't even bother with Prime 7 and had a surprisingly great dinner in Signatures. Setti Mare is always a must for us as well.

We enjoyed ourselves so much that we booked the October 27th cruise from Montreal to Miami while onboard!

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What is great about John? Well aside from the fact that he has a wicked(delicious) sense of humour, he is the most 'present' CD that I have ever run across, knows his guests, is always out and about onboard, he is hugely talented with great stage presence, a beautiful voice and a warm heart. I can't say enough about how much of a positive impact he makes on a cruise...Happily/sadly we won't be on the Explorer for a while, so hopefully we will have an equally great CD....and John, I really hope you are our CD for the Capetown to Capetown in December 2018 with your beautiful family!!!!

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Thanks Wes regarding the Sapphire card, we will definitely enjoy our benefits and I appreciate your detailed response.

Travelcat, you will note that I inquired about a consortium, not TA as I know that is off limits for CC. Appreciate the responses in that regard so will do some more research. Thanks.

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WesW, we have been following your escapades faithfully, but your latest post is where you really have my attention to ask a question or two. Do you really mean cash back from Chase Sapphire Reserved, or travel points? If really cash back, please educate me. Wow, the SBC you get seem great, how do I find my way to your travel consortium without breaking any Cruise Critic rules?

And Emdee, we are also Canadian but do now have the CSR card, perhaps because we have a vacation property in Florida? At any rate, just received it and are looking to enjoying its benefits.

And off topic I know...but I am sure helpful for all.

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Yes we really objected to the ball caps in particular, really that shouldn't even be a thought in a dining venue in my opinion. Totally support a more relaxed attire at lunch.

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We have experienced a scenario where the 'lounger hogging' was dealt with quickly, discreetly and effectively. The assistant F&B director, I am embarrassed to say I don't recall his name, but a lovely man from Turkey, watched the pool area like a hawk on sea days. If seats were left vacant for a period of time, he removed the items and put them on a table to be retrieved. He also dealt with the passengers personally if they were fussed and did not leave his pool staff to deal with upset passenger issues. We actually told him how much we appreciated his attention and commended him on the handling of the situation.

As far as dress code, it is definitely a slippery slope. I do think the maitre d's handle this reasonably well in evenings. Lunch in the specialty dining rooms is a pet peeve of ours. There is no reason for wearing a ball cap in a dining room ever. Don't we all have our opinions! [emoji846][emoji483]

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Mr Rumor, we are considering a similar trip in 2018. I am interested in your flight arrangements. Did you use an air deviation to get to Singapore and Cathay Pacific flights...or just a good TA? Thanks.

Enjoying your posts.

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Lots of favourites, Pat's would be the lobster tail and small filet mignon in Compass Rose, which is available anytime. My absolute favourite is the veal parmigiana in Sette Mari. Though I confess to have new favourites most everyday....And if you will be on the Explorer, definitely try Prime 7 and Chartreuse for lunch, wonderful.

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Not surprised that there is no rebate possibility but thought I would ask and honestly we would not want to opt out unless doing something better ourselves.

On the other hand when considering flights to Kruger or Port Elizabeth, 2 nights safari, another night in Johannesburg or Capetown, the original cost ($799 or $1199 depending on the destination) is pretty darned good, but don't quote me on that as Regent really misrepresented this whole pre and post experience and I am expecting my TA to challenge that.

Still looking forward to a fabulous experience all around. Safaris in South Africa are number one on our travel experience list and we are delighted to have the opportunity to do that again in 2018. How lucky are we do the 'once in a lifetime' type of thing twice! Let alone the Explorer, hopefully Emirates, etc.....

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And if I am not mistaken, I think some of the post safari trips are now $2899/person online when last week they were minimal, if any at all, cost. Again it will be fabulous but wow has this been a mismanagement of expectations!!!!

Just thinking out loud, if one doesn't take the 'included' pre or post tour, is there a rebate offered? I don't think anyone could do their own additional trips anywhere near the cost for Regent so just curious if it is a possibility...

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We are currently booked at the Kariega Ukhosi Lodge in Kruger Park. I was expecting it to be $0 based on the website info but apparently it is supposed to be another $1199 each, not happy and challenging that.

Having said that, thinking back to how fabulous South Africa and the Explorer are so will think only good thoughts about all of it. Also hoping to do an air deviation to fly Emirates and I would really be doing a happy dance. It's a long way from now til 2018 so we will see how it all unfolds while keeping our fingers crossed!

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