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I described the design as “loaded diaper”.

I’ve posted before on destination services. Even in the face of undeniable hardship, DS kept a poker face as to making it right. An example: our recent Regent pre-cruise to Iguazu Falls had 80 plus passengers spending the night in the rinky dink airport with molded plastic seats due to a problem with the aircraft. Our tour guides said this was the first time a low cost carrier was used by Regent. Our tour guides pivoted to make it as pleasant an unpleasant situation can be, but we ended up missing a night in Buenos Aires in a nice bed in a nice hotel with a nice breakfast and a tour of Buenos Aires. I asked at DS if we would be compensated and they said no but I could make a formal complaint, which I did. I presume enough people did the exact same thing and we were compensated with a nice OBC. One of our fellow Igauzu refugees called Regent Air, and, as expected, no answer for the 24 hour number. And another pre-Covid example: We booked a pricey overnight on a junk boat in Ha Long Bay. Sounds romantic, right? Wrong! We were late boarding, then they served lunch rather than cruising around the bay. Then a transfer to a small boat to see a floating village, then back to the junk boat for a fruit carving demonstration, then dinner. Did we see Ha Long Bay? No. The free tour saw more iconic formations than we did. To make matters worse, the cabins were at the water line, the loud generator was on all night producing a diesel smell. The smell, the noise, and the worry about Asphyxiation resulted in a sleepless night. The next morning at 7am we docked in order to endure the long bus ride to Hanoi. But first, we had to rendez vous with our guide’s relative as he forgot his official guide card. Then we had an hour stop at a nearby Pearl factory. That was our longest stop during our very rushed tour of Hanoi. Again, I filled out a complaint form and we got some of the cost refunded because everyone else complained loudly. Finally, we are adults, can’t we just find our busses on the pier, turn in our tickets and GO?

The excursion desk has always been the weak link on Regent cruises. There also seems to be little knowledge about the excursions offered, a dismissive attitude when there are legitimate complaints, a cumbersome and maddening assignment protocol in the theater with no willingness to revisit the long waits to be called, and, finally, little accountability when things go very wrong. I don’t think they have an idea about on-going refinement and improvement.

Never noticed the music in the dining room and we are lifetime subscribers to our symphony orchestra. That being said, the playlists for all the bars are dreadful. Light pop or very loud pop. Difficult to hold a conversation. There is absolutely no reason for the pianist in the observation lounge not to include ONE classical piece. Or, how about having different musical genre in each lounge so all tastes are accommodated…..classical, jazz, pop.

Massive flooding at the pier in a port in Indonesia. We waded knee deep through water to get to the gangplank. Here is Ray greeting us. Gotta love it!

Very fair review. We have been on all the Regent ships except Splendor and looking forward to a cruise on Splendor this September. I think that La veranda and the pool grill are training grounds for new staff, hence the inconsistent service issues. I hope that Regent can get a handle on the chair hogs. Fortunately, the pool area is never a destination for me but self centered entitlement makes me want to be equally impolite. As my husband often has to say to me. “Take a deep breath…”

I’m curious as to how Regent followed up with you after your horrible trip home which you described in your “live” travelogue. I think it gave many of us chills and, I know, prompted me to check my flights repeatedly. I hope you and your mom are well and completely recovered from the ordeal.

I always read ratings and reviews on Amazon before buying an item. I find it helpful. We read excursion descriptions but the descriptions are often not accurate. As an example, in Hawaii we hiked a volcano crater. Three man rating but five man rating should have been given with a stern warning that the hike was for the seriously fit. Slippery and jagged lava on the downhill and a strenuous hike up from the crater in the heat. Another excursion recently in Ushuaia. This was a catamaran to a penguin rookery. Not much walking except to and from the catamaran. The problem? regent stuffed four cohorts on the boat. The boat had enough seats but they were 5 across and stuffed together so in reality not enough seats. It was cold and windy. The excursion was about 5 hours. We were in the forth cohort boarding so stuck outside until the return ride when we stuffed ourselves inside by asking people to move their gear. Plus, inside the catamaran was a high risk Covid environment (low ceilings, no ventilation, no masks, cruise cough) Very unpleasant.

Wouldn’t it be great if Regent implemented an easy rating system for excursions in each port? Then, when booking excursions, we could look at the description and the ratings from passengers that have done the excursion, and make an informed decision. This could be a simple star rating in several categories such as quality of the site, quality of the guide, and physical ability as described. This could also be a way for the excursion desk to jettison the real clunkers as it seems that the menu of excursions for cruises stays the same year after year,

I plan to post my blog on our recent Antarctica cruise on Voyager when it is finished. In the meantime, I wanted to post my thoughts about the Voyager and daily life on this cruise. I also posted this on FaceBook. We last sailed on Voyager in 2018 and I was impressed with how good it looks after five years. Even the “loaded diaper” carpet design is well maintained and not showing its age. Our cabin was also in good shape. Food was very good in Compas Rose, and less good in La Veranda. There are always dishes that bomb but those were the outliers. We did not get the Sunday brunch extravaganza which was a minor disappointment and our last formal night was scheduled after a full day of excursions rather than on Valentines day the night before. My only real complaint was the entertainment. With all the talent that exists in the world, I just don’t see the allure of jugglers and ventriloquists and second tier vocalists. We have had some fantastic entertainers on previous cruises, but Las Vegas lounge acts are just not my cup of tea. We also have a continual complaint of contending with amplified music during cocktail hour which makes conversation very difficult. Even the piano in the Observation lounge was very loud. The duo in the Voyager lounge was very talented but it is a small room and the amps were cranked up. The staff was lovely and really made our voyage very enjoyable. I think that Davor runs a tight ship and everyone seemed relaxed and happy and very excited to be on this epic voyage to Antarctica!

The Falkland Islands - 02/03/2023 It was an unusually beautiful day in the Falklands. The wind was modest, the skies were blue and in was a balmy 70 degrees. The Falkland Islands are treeless with large expanses of rocky fields, including rivers of rock leftover from the ice age. The geography is very interesting with ridges of rocks that resemble dinosaurs. Most residents farm cattle or sheep. We took an excursion to Bluff Cove to see Gentoo and King Penguins. We loaded into minibuses and traveled about 25 minutes out of Port Stanley, along a gravel road to the lagoon where the penguins hang out. When we arrived at the penguin colony, a naturalist met us and then let us explore on our own. There was a nice colony of King penguins and a larger colony of Gentoo penguins. We were in the breeding season and we were able to easily see young penguins in various stages of growth. Since it has been a warm and dry summer in the Falklands, the penguins are having some difficulty adapting. We hiked for a bit and went down to the water edge to see some adolescent Gentoo penguins learning how to navigate the water and waves. Then it was time to go to the café for tea and scones and retail therapy in the gift shop. The wind and waves were picking up in the afternoon and we are heading to Antarctica. The captain expects some rough weather and warned us to be vigilant about holding on as we go around the ship.

Sea Days en route to the Falkland Islands – 02/01-02/2023 One would think that sea days are for rest and relaxation which is often not the case as the daily agenda is packed with activities for every interest. I never miss a lecture and we are fortunate to have an Antarctic team with us. The team consists of experts in photography, history, ornithology, and glaciology. All have spent their adult lives immersed in the study of Antarctica. The lectures have been outstanding. I was particularly impressed with the lecture on photography with specific tips on composition, scale, and rhythm in setting up photographs. Last night was the Block Party which was well attended in our section of the deck seven. It is always such a pleasure to meet people living right next to you that you can somehow miss for the entire cruise. I also finally stayed up for an entire 9:30 show. Cory Kahaney is a stand-up comic who entertained us on a previous cruise. She is very funny. The previous night, the entertainer was a juggler and comedian (I think) but his show was not my cup of tea so I only hung in there for five minutes. We have arrived in the Falkland Islands this morning. The sky is blue and the wind is minimal. This is a tender port and we will see penguins this afternoon.

RSSC Voyager in Uruguay, 1/29-1/31/2023 We have had two days in the tiny country of Uruguay, and two cities and two tours that could not have been more different. Our first port was the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo. We didn’t have high expectations for our tour, “Discover Montevideo Like a Local”, but it ended up being both delightful and informative due to the irrepressible humor and energy of our tour guide, Vincente. Vincente regaled us with facts and opinions about Uruguayan culture and customs and left us with a very favorable impression of the people. Our matte swigging guide, Vincente: Montevideo is not a particularly beautiful city but it is well maintained with parks strewn throughout the city. Some factoids for your enjoyment: · Uruguay means “river of the painted bird” in the Guarani language, which I thought was poetic. · Each neighborhood in Montevideo has its own pulse and identity. · Every Sunday a fire is built in a park and up to 70 drummers convene to play and socialize. · BBQ is a main event. · Uruguayans eat more meat then Argentinians. · Even though surrounded by the sea on three sides, no one in Montevideo eats fish · Football (soccer) is almost a religion and the Uruguayan team is always the underdog, winning occasionally (through cheating and biting, according to Vincente). · Matte is the national drink and there are customs and rituals surrounding drinking it and sharing it. · Uruguay is the largest exporter of blueberries. · Uruguay has national healthcare, progressive social policies, and free education through the university level. · In the mid 19th century half the population was African. In the latter half of that century and in the early 20th century there was heavy immigration from Europe. Since there was racial intermarriage, the country prides itself on being one people. · Uruguayans are easy going and abhor “showing off” with possessions or wealth. The Baroque building depicting heaven, purgatory, and hell. A mural of Einstein (I think) who visited Montevideo back in the day and had a 12 hour conversation with a Uruguayan philosopher: Sculpture of the African Goddess of the Sea, Yamanja. There is a yearly festival in her honor to let go of the bad and bring in the good: Well, I could go on and on. This tour was one of the most enjoyable on which I have ever been, in marked contract to our tour in Punta del Este. Punta del Este is just up the estuary from Montevideo. I can only describe it as the Miami Beach of South America. High rises border the beach and beautiful homes with lush landscaping reminded me of Carmel, California. Unfortunately, we had a horrible guide. The first problem was that the mic in the bus didn’t work. She talked anyway. She acquired another mic at our first stop at an ocean car park. We could now hear her commentary, but she sounded like a mosquito buzzing in your ear due to static on the mic. She also held the mic to her lips so it was a mosquito with a back beat complicated by an indecipherable accent. We drove around, understanding one word out of twenty. We saw an undulating bridge. We saw a hand in the sand: We parked in front of the Ralli Museum but didn’t go in. Another bus arrived with a better sound system. We switched busses and went on the Casapueblo villa. This is an interesting, sculptural home built by an artist who was influenced by Gaudi and Picasso. It was packed with tourists, and I admit I’m not at my best in crowded places. We toured quickly and went back to the bus. A photograph of the artist and his villa At this point, I think our guide could guess the mood of the bus and we were already behind schedule so we were given a choice. Go back to the ship or visit the Ralli museum that we missed due to the bus transfer (at least I think that was the choice…again I was having trouble with the accent and my husband had given up and had closed his eyes.) We voted to go back to the ship and a mutiny was avoided. We had the Captain’s welcome reception that evening. Very well done and it was nice to see almost everyone dressed up. As expected, Compass Rose was slow going due to many descending on the place after the reception. We missed the show again as we are still recouping from our pre-cruise.

I have no idea. The place was well taken care of and had a kind of zen ambiance. Mind you, we arrived well after dark and left at 7:30 am. Rooms were nice and spacious, shower was wonderful, and the AC worked spectacularly. Since you will be on the Brazilian side be sure to enquire if you will be on the zodiac tour with all the steps.

Waiting for fellow passengers and our bus has decent internet! Some more pics: Toucan in the jungle at Loi Suites a bird i haven’t identified Monkey business at breakfast at the Loi Suites Tango at iguazu falls leaving Buenos Aires

We did our tour through Regent. There were two choices. The one you have picked was a day longer. As far as the steps are concerned, going up and up in the heat of the day with high humidity made it difficult. I heard that the zodiac trip from the Brazilian side has many fewer stairs. we stayed at the Loi Suites and I would book there again in a heart beat. Very beautiful.

I posted in detail on Facebook about the pre-cruise trip to Iguazu Falls. I’m posting here as some readers may not follow FB. Buenos Aires to Santiago, 2023, RSSC Voyager This is a rather long post but I wanted to chronicle our pre cruise and what became a full blown cluster *%$*. Unfortunately, RSSC can't control the weather or flight schedules. We were fortunate that our group was well behaved and understanding. Our tour managers were tremendous in making the best of a very difficult situation. Pre Cruise to Iguazu Falls “Red skies in morning, sailors take warning” What I thought was a beautiful sunrise gave way to an ominous wall of gray menacing weather coming from the west. In short order there was torrential rain and lightning that I thought would pass quickly as our flight from Buenos Aires to Iguazu would leave in several hours. Not to worry, right? Wrong! We arrived at the airport to learn that there was a ground stop in progress and our flight would leave later than planned. An hour later, the skies were lifting, and planes were taking off. We finally boarded our plane, sat for a bit, then barreled down the runway and climbed through clouds for an hour of turbulence before the sky cleared. We were already considerably behind our tour schedule. The agenda for our first day was to see the falls from the Brazilian side. The river that feeds the falls is also the border between Argentina and Brazil. It was almost 3:30 by the time we reached the river side restaurant for lunch. Once fed and watered, we drove a short way to a path down to a viewpoint. One group hiked, the other group of the less agile or more easily fatigued, took an elevator to the viewing platform. The falls were thunderous and impressive. The water levels were high due to recent rains and the volume of water coming over the falls was more than twice what it should have been. The “devil’s gorge” was like a cauldron of raging water and mist. Back on the bus, we traveled back to Argentina which should have been a relatively short drive but the border officials had other ideas. Our passports were collected and our local guide, Alex, left the bus to navigate the system for us. We had been warned that sometimes it is a short process and other times not so much. Unfortunately, this was one of the times that took Alex an hour and a half to complete the process. It was now nightfall and we were tired and hungry. Our hotel, the Loi Suites, was not very far away, and located in the jungle. This was a beautiful hotel and our only disappointment was having time to really enjoy it. The architecture fits into the jungle with the use of natural materials and wooden suspension bridges that connect the various buildings. At breakfast, we observed toucans, other birds, and monkeys in the tree canopy. Our tour on this day was to see the falls from the Argentinian side. We started at 7:30 am in an attempt to beat the heat, starting with the upper trail. The walk is impressive, and you can choose a path that suits your level of fitness and heat tolerance. Those of us without any physical limitations opted for zodiac ride beneath the falls. We took an open air truck through the jungle to the cliffside. There we had to navigate 260 steps down to the zodiac launching point. It was relatively easy going down, not so easy coming back up. The ride was exhilarating. We traveled up the river to view the devil’s gorge from a distance, then the fun began as we raced underneath a series of falls. Yes, we were soaked. Yes, we had been warned and brought along a change of clothes – not an easy task in a miniscule stall in the restaurant bathroom. After lunch, we went to the airport for our flight to Buenos Aires. This is when the vagaries of travel got ugly. We arrived at about 2:30 pm for our 4:55 pm flight. The flight was delayed. Our tour leaders couldn’t get any information. By 7:55 we knew there was a technical problem and another plane was coming in from Buenos Aires. Sol, our tour leader, and her colleague who was leading the two-night Regent pre-cruise, were faced with the difficult task of keeping us informed with little information and figuring out what to do next. We were already on a tight schedule as we had dinner and a tango show booked in Buenos Aires. It was clear that we would never make it when we were informed that we would not fly out until 2:30 am. So, they pivoted and booked a tango show in Iguazu. Off we went, driving into the city, taking in a vista of Paraguay along the way. The show didn’t start until 10 pm but we were all feeling much better after eating and a couple of glasses of wine. After midnight, we were back at the airport. Mind you, we may have been in dry clothes but we were not exactly clean after our “shower” in the river. So, 2:30 rolled around and the new plane also had a technical issue. Sol said it was missing a bolt and rolled her eyes. Yet another plane was coming from Buenos Aires to get us. Yes, we spent the night on hard plastic chairs in the Iguazu airport. And, yes, our 7:55 am flight did not leave until 9 am. Another pivot, as check out time at our hotel was 11 am so the planned shower and shuttle to the ship was cancelled. We arrived in Buenos Aires at 11 and went straight to the ship. We must have looked like a motley crew – dirty, wrinkled, bedraggled, exhausted after 20 hours in transit. I called us the “Iguazu Refugees”. Fortunately, the ship was notified and the Voyager General Manager, Davor, said that cleaning our cabins were made a priority and we should grab a glass of champagne and go directly to our rooms. For this, Davor will always have a special place in my heart! After a nap, and a shower (yes, that is an indication of how utterly depleted we were that sleep trumped cleanliness) we were restored. Cocktails and dinner capped the evening. The staff were beyond wonderful to us, on our first night back on Voyager.

Scopolamine patches work well cut into quarters and changed every two days.

Leave jewelry and fancy watches in the hotel safe. Use credit cards for purchases but the “blue” market gives you the biggest bang for the buck but this is a sketchy endeavor. Motorcycle thieves will slash purse straps and ride away . I think the usual drill in any big city.

We have arrived in Buenos Aires and have a lovely room at the Emperador Hotel. Regent reps met us outside of the baggage claim and our group was rounded up and we headed to the bus. Claudio was a delightful short term guide as he gave us much needed tips about money, eating, and safety in BA. Flying all night never results in stellar cognitive skills but we managed to muddle through the hotel registration and instructions on the logistics for the next day’s flight to Iguazu falls. I must have appeared pretty dull as the rep rattled off departure times, suitcase logistics (what stays, what goes, how it’s labeled….), and what time we need to be in the lobby or be left behind. That got through the fog! The rep said there are 46 on the precruise and we will be divided into two groups. I’m not sure why all the salient points weren’t written down and handed to us. Seems like that would be easier than retaining the info in a jet lagged brain. We had lunch at the hotel and our room was ready when we finished. We both got a short nap and then deconstructed and reconstructed the suitcases so we will have what we need until we board the ship. Stay tuned!

Yes, today in particular was vehicular Armageddon!

We are on this cruise as well. Do you mind if I chime in now and then? We are waiting for our LYFT ride now. We travel ATL to MIA then on to EZE. We are doing the Iguazu falls pre cruise. We don’t have much wiggle room in MIA if the flight from ATL is delayed. Fingers crossed! Our suitcases are cumbersome as we had to pack for three seasons. I’m also not good at editing my choices. We have many Regent cruises under our belts but I am still as excited as a school girl on a field trip! jennifer

This is why buying a policy to supplement CSR is in order. The minimum amount you can insure is $1000 pp as the trip cost. This will cost you about $200. Although trip cancellation will be limited to $1000 pp, all other medical, evacuation, delay, lost luggage, etc., will remain at policy amounts.

One card insures $10 K each with a maximum $20 K so, $20 K for the couple. We then insure the overage if we don’t want to stomach the loss. Our latest hack is to insure the minimum amount at booking to cover preexisting conditions and to ensure medical coverage and evacuation. This usually costs under $200. This worked well for our last cruise and Covid costs were covered completely. Of course, the cancellation provision only rembourses for the amount you said the trip costs, in the case of my hack just described, it would only reimburse $1000 for cancelation.

Listen to Wes! He is my credit card points guru!