Scout16

I may be a bit old fashion, but I still would rather wash my own socks and underwear.  I also make sure that I do not tie up the machines by leaving lothing in the washer or dryer after it is finished. 

I do not move very quickly myself, but in the past i traveled with my aunt and wife who had mobility problems.  We mainly did sign up for the easier tours, but I wonder if there is a way that when there are multiple buses on a tour if one could be offered for those with mobility concerns.  Hopefully they could have an understanding guide (one who does not jog from point to point) and admit that some places on the tour may be called short if needed due to delays.

Since the topic has come up, I am asking for tipping thoughts on events once you are on the cruise.  What is the customary tip for tour guides, bus drivers, taxi drivers, and people in on shore restaurants and bars.  I know that it varies by country but is there some place where the suggested amounts are listed?  This might be a useful item to include with the shore tour paperwork.  i ave also heard that in many countries you should use only the local currency.

The other item that I am not sure about is the tipping for pre or post cruise tours.   

The comment on dying s I see it is that for the most point SSS nights are not inheritable.  I will admit that I received credit for a cruise my father took prior to his death   in 2004, but that is due to having the same name and problems when they began officially counting nights.  The discussion has nothing to do with dying on a hip it is just that many of the SSS members are moving on with age. 

I am also glad to hear that the muster drill has been changed, but I have never been forced to spend extended time on an outside deck on Regent.  Normally you would be seated in the theater or a restaurant for the bulk of the time and on occasion be led out on deck for a brief time. 

I agree that it would help to have suggestions about proper tipping, do you think the Destinations area could publish a short note in the daily paper?  I also would want suggestions for the proper tipping for pre and post cruise tours.  

I gave up on going to tea in 2019 on the Navigator since tea was on deck eleven beginning at four in the  lounge and trivia began a four thirty on deck six in the Stars Lounge with a short session to cover the daily puzzles before hand. 

A question, what is this about having to download the Regent app and needing ear buds to hear the tour guide.  I was last on a cruise in the spring of 2019 and I normally do not carry any electronics with me on tours. 

I was a solo traveler on the the Navigator for the last two legs of the world cruise in 2019 and we we at Prime 7 several times with I believe the hostess arraigning the reservation at the last moment.  I am not sure if this works for all cruises and restaurants. 

Due to the lack of current cruises I have gone to videos of past cruises by others.  I found one which has an equator crossing on the Voyager (January 2011 Hawaii & French Polynesia).  The video covers the entire trip so if you only want the ceremony you need to search though the video.  The video is at Getcruising.com - Ann's Cruise Video -then under select video yo look under Voyager and select the January 2011 one.   

I agree that deck seven is the best choice, I was comfortable in 71 for many cruses. The last time I was on the Navigator was in 2019 and I was in 941.  once or twice I heard noises from Prime 7 but I noticed move ships movement on deck nine than of deck seven,  I had to hang onto the grap bars to take my shower one morning while mid Atlantic.  I try to get rooms low and central on all the ships.

I just hope that the laundry rooms will be open so you can still do limited items, I still prefer to do my own socks and underwear. 

I have gone through Regent for the pre-night stay since 2009 when weather delays and an error by the airline in not entering the booking of the replacement flight in the computer caused us to have to join the ship on the second day. Regent handled an overnight motel at the airport, a local flight to the next port, and transportation to the ship (all at the expense of Regent).  I like the feeling that once I get to the airport at Washington DC I can let Regent handle most, if any problems.  I have known people who had problems getting on the buses but they either had extra help or could upgrade to a private car.  Finally, I really have little that I want to do in Miami prior to a cruise so hotel location is not a great concern to me.  

I joined with the Social and Solo program on the Navigator in April/May 2019 for the last two legs of a world cruise.  Several of the passengers with the group were world cruisers so I am not sure how many people are normally part of this group.  One thing this gathering did was it caused me to attend several performances which I normally would have skipped just to see the performers I had met through the gatherings.      

I have not had problems signing up for the shore trips since I replaced my ten year old computer, but my major delay is reading about each shore trip and the time it takes for each description to pop up.  I wish they could provide access to a list with descriptions like the one you receive with your paperwork when you board the ship. I would much prefer to print the document and see what there is before trying to sign up.  My only problem with my current booking is that two ports still have no shore trips listed.  

I believe that with Regent you can go to a full service restaurant for every meal except maybe for lunch on boarding days.

The March 2022 canceling of the Voyager is due to the repositioning to the Med and not any problems with Brazil.   The Navigator is doing a Miami to Miami trip up the Amazon April 18 to May 13, the entire ship is wait listed.  I had to go to June until i found something I wanted to replace the February March Voyager cruise. 

I asked Regent in February about the Yellow Fever shots and they replied that they were not currently required for the cruise which goes up the Amazon.  I am going to look at the CDC site and ask my doctor for her views on the shots.  We will not be spending more than a few hours at a time on shore, all except a snack will be eaten on the ship, and unless you leave your door open you will not have to worry about bug bites at night.

I was on the Navigator April and May 2019, as part of the Social and Singles group we often went to Prime 7 with just a phone call from a staff member just before dinner.  I would guess that here were nights that were full, but most likely there will be tables open most nights. 

I wonder if there may be some way to arrange small group tours for the less physically able.  I have been on m many tour when I was was with my aunt or my wife trying to keep track of the guide who was off at three to four miles an hour and my companions who were going at one mile an hour.  I know that the tours might need to miss some locations but it would be nice to not have the feeling that you were delaying the tour. 

I know that the system did this when I signed up for a 2020 cruise, which was cancelled.  I am not sure if it did this in 2019. 

As far as the vaccinations go, be sure to to let those who are telling you what is needed know what you are doing.  There is a big difference on what is needed if you live and eat on a cruise ship and just make limited trips off to living on shore with the local people away from the cities.  In February I was told that there was no current requirement for even Yellow Fever for the planned cruise up the Amazon in 2022, I am continuing to check with my doctor what is suggested.  

To get away from the current problems, remember the good times in the past and to look to better times in the future, I ask what was your favorite cruise?

  Mine was on the Voyager in 2010 from Copenhagen to Copenhagen along the coast of Norway all the way to Spitsbergen.  The ship was comfortable, the weather was cool (the summer before I had been in the Med with near one hundred degree high humidity), the country of Norway was clean a beautiful, and  the guides were all easy to understand.

To get away from the current problems, remember the good times in the past and to look to better times in the future, I ask what was your favorite cruise?

  Mine was on the Voyager in 2010 from Copenhagen to Copenhagen along the coast of Norway all the way to Spitsbergen.  The ship was comfortable, the weather was cool (the summer before I had been in the Med with near one hundred degree high humidity), the country of Norway was clean a beautiful, and  the guides were all easy to understand.

I try to do back to back cruises. I was scheduled to go around the Bay of Biscay and then around the British Isles in April 2020 on the Explorer and then Lima to Rio on the Voyager in February 2021.  I used the FCC  To go from Santiago to Miami in February 2022, with the permission of the governments.