Borna

Just booked navigator penthouse cabin 910.  Any intel?  thx

thx, recommendations for travel insurance?

Is the insurance through Regent usually less expensive than getting insurance on your own?

I''m about to book my first cruise with a family member (in same cabin) on Regent's Navigator trip.

I've heard that if a prior voyager on Regent refers me to Regent, both the referring voyager and I receive some small discount/compensation from Regent - is that true?  

The deluxe veranda and penthouse are the same size.  Main benefit to penthouse appears to be pre cruise hotel for 1 night.  Any thoughts on any other differences between the veranda and penthouse?  I don't really care about the cabin location.

My family member will likely require a wheelchair.  Does Regent have wheelchairs on board that we could use for excursions?

thanks for your input, experienced Regent voyagers.

We (two people) are about to book our first Silversea cruise.  Kindly explain about receiving a discount or credit for the cruise, for both my fellow passenger and me, and the past Silversea voyager.

The cruise we are planning to take is just two months away.  If we are unable to make a reservation online, will we have difficulty eating in the restaurant of our choice?

Thanks for your assistance.  

On 8/27/2021 at 7:52 AM, GrandCru said:

@Borna,  if you are still reading the Seabourn boards,  would you please confirm what I think you stated earlier in this thread.  I'm interested in what you did to help expedite your Barbados airport arrival test.   You uploaded the BIMSafe app showing your 72 hr prior to arriving negative test, you typed out your name, and email address for the Barbados arrival test results to be sent, and had your original vaccination card.

 

Did I miss anything?  Is there something else you would suggest to help make this process go smoothly?

We all appreciate your input and information.

Thank you!

 

Also brought copies of everything: covid vaccination card, passport page, negative test result, the code Barbados sends you after you upload your pre-flight negative test result to show/give to the airport Barbados authorities.  

I did not mind at all that Odyssey had less than capacity.  We never waited for anything, easily found pool chairs, gym was usually empty or maybe 1-2 others.  We could dine as often as we wanted in the Keller grill restaurant.  (We still took most meals in the Restaurant though).  

We went to Harrison's cave with a private driver  (arranged through Seabourn) on the middle Sunday of our two week Seabourn cruise.  We saw the other sights in Barbados before and after the cruise, which we arranged on our own.  Harrison's cave, I guess, is worth it.  If you like caves with the water formations (stalactites and stalagmites), then you'll enjoy it.  When I travel, I like to see all the sights and not miss anything.

At Harrison's cave, you'll be with others who purchased tickets to see Harrison's cave, watch an approximate 15 minute video, then take an approximate 20 minute tram through the cave.  The whole experience is about 1 hour.  

Yes, Cruiseej, we went to Harrison's cave.  Oddly, we did it through Seabourn.  Let me explain.  During the 14-day cruise, the middle Sunday is a stop in Barbados - no excursions offered.  I asked, and Seabourn did a private excursion just for my traveling partner and me to Harrison's cave.  Otherwise, passengers continuing on the 14-day cruise are not allowed off the ship on that middle Sunday, and I was not allowed to arrange the Harrison's cave excursion on my own with an outside vendor (which I could have done for far less than Seabourn's charge).

As for Bequia, the stop is on a small, but pretty, stretch of beach at the Plantation house hotel.  The area where Seabourn passengers can go is roped, so you are only allowed on a very limited area of the beach area of the hotel.   There are really guards around the ends of the roped area to ensure that Seabourn passengers don't go beyond the limited area. 

The one Bequia excursion offered was the catamaran.  Those who take the excursion get to walk the pretty 10 minute St. Margaret trail to meet the catamaran.  I could not take the excursion due to my traveling partner, but arranged for Seabourn to allow me to walk the St. Margaret trail supervised by the local guards!

In Barbados, we toured the capital Bridgetown to see its landmarks (Independence arch, Chamberlain bridge, Parliament, dolphin fountain, Independence square); Bathsheba beach, shopping at Limegrove shopping center, Sandy Lane hotel area (Tiger Woods and Rihanna have homes there - I don't care but the driver was impressed to show them to us), George Washington house.   

Oddly, while I had the original physical COVID vaccination card with me, nobody ever asked to see it and was satisfied with a photocopy of the card.

I'd recommend having the original card and many photocopies.  

No, we did not stop at Jost Van Dyke, BVI.  Jost and Tortola were cancelled.  On those days, the ship tendered off the coast of Peter Island (near/connected to Jost, BVI) and guest could do water sports from about 1 pm - 3 pm from the ship/tender.  You could NOT go onto land.  Some guests did water sports, e.g., banana boat.  Most stayed on the ship.  

Hello:  Just took my first Seabourn cruise and am eyeing the 30-day Caribbean cruise in January 2022 on Regent.

I have several questions and appreciate those who take time to answer.

1  For those who have traveled on both Seabourn and Regent, please tell me the differences.  

2  I was not wowed by Seabourn; certainly, the service was superb.  The food, I found to be average.  While I love lobster, I could never get a full lobster on Seabourn.  Can you order a full lobster on Regent?  Seabourn did not have a variety of tropical fruits and fruit juices - no mango, guava, papaya, dragonfruit, rambutan.  Are any of these available on Regent?

3  Does Regent have daily team trivia?

4  Does Regent have daily name that tune?

5  I understand that excursions are included?  Are the times staggered, so that I could take more than 1 excursion a day?

6  Can I arrange private excursions with Regent?  What is the typical cost of a 1/2 and full day private excursion?

7  Regent only provides economy air domestically, while I want to fly first.  Is there a way to get Regent to pay for first, or do I need to just pay the "upgrade?"

8  If a past Regent sailor sponsors me, do both that person and I receive a benefit?  A shipboard credit?  Amount?

Thanks for your information.

Just arrived home, 2:40 a.m.!

Happy to answer any questions about Barbados and the cruise.

FYI - for those staying in Barbados post-cruise, you will be covid tested on SB, so you can enter Barbados. Barbados's website commands the deep nasal or oral covid test and prohibits a nasal swab.  SB does a nasal swab test.  I brought this issue up to Seabourn square who assured me that Barbados has been accepting their PORT arrival COVID test and there was no issue entering Barbados from the port.  The port entry was all done by SB prior to any guests disembarking and entering the Barbados port and there was never any issue or inquiry when we disembarked to enter Barbados.  NOTE this only applies to the port entry; the airport entry requires the deep nasal PCR test.

Additionally, since we stayed a night in Barbados post-cruise, we expected to be tested by Barbados in the port and undergo the same quarantine as we did when we flew in.  There was NO on arrival test at the port and no quarantine!.  Seems to be a loophole in Barbados's system or we, and others who did the same, just got lucky.  So, it seems it's easier to stay in Barbados after the cruise!

As for the airport arrival in Barbados at the start of the trip, as I previously reported, the on arrival airport test in Barbados was pretty smooth.  There is no real communication between the airport testing authorities, the approved transportation, and hotel.  So, while the transportation drivers are supposed to take you straight from the airport to your hotel to quarantine (or to the ship if you arrive the same day as the cruise starts), you could ask the driver to take you for a bit of sightseeing on your way to the hotel or ship.  There is no tracking device on the ribbon bracelets that the airport puts on your wrist (green for staying on the island before the cruise, yellow for in transit straight from the airport to the ship).  

FYI - some of the SB passengers who arrived a day or more before the cruise, received their results in 24 hours (I received mine in 11 hours); others never received theirs - probably because the airport authorities incorrectly wrote the passengers' emails, to which the results are sent.  

While in the US and before arriving in Barbados, I typed out my name and phone number and email and typed please email my test results to my email and handed it to the Barbados airport authorities when I was given the on arrival test.  I also had printed many copies of my passport, COVID vaccination card, and COVID test result taken before arrival into Barbados, which made the arrival process simpler and which the airport authorities appreciated.  Nobody ever asked to see my original COVID vaccination card and they were satisfied with the copy - I, of course, had the original with me if they wanted to see it.  

More details to follow.  

Don’t know why some of my posts disappear.   Two weeks cruise is over.   Great service and crew, most of whom remember and call you by your name. They remember your favorite food and drink orders too.  
 

stayed one night post cruise at cobblers cove hotel.  Pretty hotel.  
 

The covid testing on seabourn was quick and results given the same day. 
 

more to follow 

Trying again 

Herald.  Had difficulty posting yesterday 

Herald

On tenders, excursions, and the carambola beach, guests are supposed to wear masks.  I’d estimate that many wear masks on tenders in case island authorities can see.  When going through a port terminal, guests wear masks.  But on the excursion vehicle and on carambola beach, few wear masks

Arriving and departing at port terminals has been easy.  Quick temperature checks and required hand sanitizing.  

Service aboard the ship has been super.  
 

Ive never sailed with seabourn before and chose this cruise because of the itinerary and Seabourn’s reputation.  I have been surprised to meet people on board who never getting off, except for carambola beach.  Shows the love of those guests for seabourn.   

On tenders, excursions, and the carambola beach, guests are supposed to wear masks.  I’d estimate that many wear masks on tenders in case island authorities can see.  When going through a port terminal, guests wear masks.  But on the excursion vehicle and on carambola beach, few wear masks

Arriving and departing at port terminals has been easy.  Quick temperature checks and required hand sanitizing.  

I was told tonight that there will be 75 guests on the august 8 sailing. 

Herald 

The islands would allow private exploration, seabourn won’t.   

The herald 

Just been told no private excursion allowed in st kitts, our second time there during the two week cruise.  On our first stop in st kitts, we did the group excursion to rodney manor and brimstone hill fortress where the views are grand.  Had hoped for a private tour on our second visit, oh well.