Apparently there is something going around the ship (illness) because the guests are now being asked to disinfect their hands prior to walking into the restaurant (which they should be doing without being asked) and food in La Veranda is being served to you rather than helping yourself. It reminds me of being on Oceania. Hopefully the illness will be contained and not spread further.
Wendy: Two things: First, it was not the staff that I was having issues with - it was management (the men in the black suits that look like Mafia). After discussing it with a few people, I have not seen the "black suits" bossing around staff and/or interrupting staff when assisting guests, since Christmas Day.
On another note, the salt sticks have improved about 70%. They are a little larger are are no longer hard like a rock. Cheesecake, Key Lime pie and a few other items are still not Regent quality. I have a feeling that this problem will disappear when the pastry chef goes on vacation.
We were on board for the Istanbul/Dubai leg and were astonished at the lack of hygiene on the part of the passengers. In fact, we were so concerned that my wife counted the number of passengers who used the hand wash on entering La Veranda one morning over the course of 15 minutes. Only 2 people used the hand wash and this was at a busy time in the morning. We then looked at the other restaurants and they were all the same - few people using the hand wash and no one asking them to do so! The staff regularly cleaned stairways etc so they cannot be blamed - it is the lack of thought on the passengers part. This only changed at the very end of our cruise when staff started reminding passengers to use the hand wash when they entered the restaurants so maybe something was starting at that point - one couple we dined with previously were confined to their cabin due to sickness.
As to the "mafia" managers - we also witnessed this once in La Veranda but the manager took the person aside away from passengers to give the dressing down. Based on the variability of service between members of the crew, they may be there to bring service levels up to a more even level. Most of the staff are good, some excellent (and when you found them you asked for them by name or sat at their stations), but others, I am afraid to say, were not up to the mark. In general, we found the Veranda/Sette Mari managers very professional and friendly and they would always welcome you/speak with you.
As to the pastries and biscuits (cookies), we found them much too sweet for our British palates and the biscuits were quite soft - we are used to biscuits that are crunchy but this is a personal observation - it probably suited American palates.
Christmas/New Year's - LIVE - Voyager
in Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Posted
We were on board for the Istanbul/Dubai leg and were astonished at the lack of hygiene on the part of the passengers. In fact, we were so concerned that my wife counted the number of passengers who used the hand wash on entering La Veranda one morning over the course of 15 minutes. Only 2 people used the hand wash and this was at a busy time in the morning. We then looked at the other restaurants and they were all the same - few people using the hand wash and no one asking them to do so! The staff regularly cleaned stairways etc so they cannot be blamed - it is the lack of thought on the passengers part. This only changed at the very end of our cruise when staff started reminding passengers to use the hand wash when they entered the restaurants so maybe something was starting at that point - one couple we dined with previously were confined to their cabin due to sickness.
As to the "mafia" managers - we also witnessed this once in La Veranda but the manager took the person aside away from passengers to give the dressing down. Based on the variability of service between members of the crew, they may be there to bring service levels up to a more even level. Most of the staff are good, some excellent (and when you found them you asked for them by name or sat at their stations), but others, I am afraid to say, were not up to the mark. In general, we found the Veranda/Sette Mari managers very professional and friendly and they would always welcome you/speak with you.
As to the pastries and biscuits (cookies), we found them much too sweet for our British palates and the biscuits were quite soft - we are used to biscuits that are crunchy but this is a personal observation - it probably suited American palates.