Cerinda

On 1/26/2023 at 4:31 PM, Pcardad said:

I love HAL, but I also Like Navigator over Splendor so I am a little weird.

Now that they’re grown and pay their own bills, they’ve started joining us on Regent! Navigator/PG fan here, too; Splendor transatlantic next up.

Strange as this may sound, our kids really enjoyed their multiple port-intensive HAL cruises. They were already seasoned travelers, however, and had plenty of opportunities to visit land-based theme parks for their "bells and whistles" fun.  

We took our first cruise, a RSSC Navigator 7-day Alaska one, to celebrate our 20th anniversary when we were barely 45.  We were two of only four people our age on the ship. We saw the other couple regularly on the more demanding shore ex, but they were very involved with their multigenerational family and we didn’t miss them at all!
 

Fast forward 20 years, to just before the pandemic. Our youngest, then 22, asked for a Regent Caribbean cruise to celebrate his college graduation. He found no shortage of congenial company across the whole age spectrum.  In fact, we found the party-hearty crowd we were with poolside and late night were many of the same people he was hanging out with on his own.  Conviviality breeds conviviality!

You will stand out, however.    Other passengers will notice you, approach you, and engage you in conversation.  You will attract attention, attention of the most congenial kind.

My TA told Regent about my life-threatening food allergies well in advance of our cruise on Voyager last month. Every evening, the next day's menus --for all the venues save the pool grill-- appeared on our door.  I'm sure they will be able to accommodate you.  And FYI, there were always gluten free breads and desserts on the buffets in La Veranda; sorry I didn't notice the pasta.

Ditto back in the day when the Paul Gaugin was still  a Radisson/Regent ship. They were painfully easy on the eyes, and generally kept to themselves. One member of the support staff rescued me from a potentially devastating wardrobe malfunction on Motu Mahana.  

We're considering the Scarlet Lady (no, our TA isn't booking it).  The number of "Sailors" is primarily what puts us off.

And thanks for unpacking those stats, David.

Hi, Bill.  Hope this comes across correctly. Thanks for your great work on this.

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Bill, were you actually onboard?  Debra and I finally met the last sea day, but I was thinking you'd gone AWOL.  We had the same sort of wonderful voyage you describe.

Our experience in Compass Rose was delightful! Minor hiccups counted for very little. We loved the food in Chartreuse, but not the service.  Found Prime 7 something of a mixed bag.  We also loved both food and service in Sette Mari (though I probably wouldn’t order veal anywhere on the ship again). La Veranda offered some lovely curries (so did CR); the cooked to order breakfasts and croissants were particularly good; food was refreshed up until the very last minute; and service was always sharp. Culinary highpoints included lamp chops, foie gras, and leek quiche in CR, Floating Island, sole and scallops in Chartreuse, and foie gras, steak tartare, and lamb chops in Prime 7. The hors d’oeuvres served in the lounge were really tasty and tea featured good hot tea, and marvelous scones and clotted cream (and generous, though somewhat dry, savory sandwiches).

Kudos to Regent for handling life-threatening food allergies so gracefully! There was but one tiny problem at the pool grill, and it was easily fixed. For anyone with similar issues, I encourage you to enjoy yourself, explore the menus, and try the untried. If you do not pre-order, just stay vigilant.

We found the passengers so extraordinarily congenial that we spent very little time on our balcony and missed the shows and lectures entirely. 

Disappointments?  Minor.  The uneven quality of included shore excursions, the service at the pool bar, the duo and the orchestra.

A wonderful ten days!  Oh, dear, I hope I remember how to make my own coffee...

We keep returning to HAL and Regent.  We started cruising Regent in our 30s, and most of the time Regent's small ships still win for us: fewer passengers, better food, smaller ports, a more intimate social environment.  But because we generally prefer two-week warm weather itineraries between November and March, HAL's Mexico itineraries (and easy west coast departures) often grab us.  When our children were young, we cruised HAL more because there was so much more for them to do.  Also, we have found the perks and service staying in a HAL Neptune suite ALMOST comparable to staying in Regent's most basic accommodation; often HAL costs us considerably more. YMMV

A few years ago, I took a Regent excursion from San Tomas de Castilla to Tikkal; the following year, repeated the excursion with HAL.  The HAL excursion offered mediocre food and a listless guide, but the chartered aircraft was visibly better maintained and I felt NO FEAR for my personal safety.  So I recognize that there are occasionally some economies of scale to think about.

Poss, for us, it's all about the ship and the weather.  We generally choose November 1 - February 1 Caribbean itineraries to get out of the rain.  I prefer an itinerary that includes Barbados, but my husband likes St. Barts and the BVIs.  Next month, we'll sail Miami - Miami on Voyager (San Juan, Tortola, St. John's, Gustavia, Phillipsburg).  In general, I prefer Silver Seas' itineraries but the vibe on Regent ships.

Wendy, maybe I should have specified danceable arrangements of popular music.  We'll dance to anything, though I admit we find hip hop particularly challenging and big band particularly natural.  We grew up rockin' and rollin' (we're late Baby Boomers) and started swing and ballroom because we had so much fun dancing on our first cruise (Radisson Seven Seas Navigator) nearly 20 years ago. We've found Silver Seas the most dancey ships, HAL the least, and Regent right in the middle.

Yes, I'd love a classical quartet or a concert.  But even more, I'd like more dance music, as opposed to contemporary pop.

I'm having trouble, too, but farther down the pipeline.

.

We booked everything the moment the website opened for business; everything worked perfectly. 
Then one of my son's excursions disappeared from the website and from our itinerary (within the "booked cruises" pulldown at the top of the webpage).  Our TA called and was told all was well.  Now another excursion has disappeared from the website, but this time remains on our itinerary.

Count us among regular Regent passenger just giving up on booking excursions online.  It's not a problem for us because this is an itinerary we repeat regularly.  But I can see that this would have a negative impact on people sailing once-in-a-lifetime and world cruises.  Step up, Regent; if you enter the 21st century, then bloody well enter the 21st century!

Can anyone comment on Pilates equipment or classes?

Does anyone know the depth of Voyager's pool?

TIA!

Is there a Pilates Reformer in the Voyager gym by any chance?  

ETA:  Can one walk on the jogging track, or is that just asking for trouble?

Ours arrived Monday!!!!  See you soon!

Vegasdriven, if we can find each other onboard --I'm often found in the Observation Lounge with my nose in a book-- I'll happily share my TA contacts with you. Looking forward to it!

Thanks for all your good info! Going to see what magic I can work with Delta.

Hello, everyone! We haven't sailed on Regent in more than a decade, and never on Voyager, so I'm asking for the benefit of your experience.

Voyager is scheduled to dock in Miami at 7am on a Monday, and Cruisecal.com shows no other ships in port that day. What is the earliest reasonable (i.e. a nice breakfast and no crazy rushing) time to be checking in at MIA? Is self-disembarkation an option? Taxis generally available? How long do ship's transfers generally take in Miami?

Is Voyager close cousin to Mariner? About how deep is the pool? What kinds of fitness classes are likely be offered on a 10 day Caribbean itinerary?

Thanks, all.

Our whole family celebrated Mom's 80th on Mariner. We all brought birthday cards from home, a few cards from from friends, and asked our room steward to coordinate with HER steward to have them put on her room service breakfast tray. The staff were VERY accommodating, and she just loved it.

Just what I needed: thanks, all!

What kinds of maintenance, updates, and upgrades has HAL been putting into Vista class ships in 2014? What’s in store for the Zuiderdam?

Recent CC reviews have been pretty mixed, so I’m concerned about the state of the ship. We’re sailing shortly after the drydock, so I’m trying to be optimistic.

Please tell me about your experiences transiting the Canal. We’re really conflicted about whether or not we need to take an excursion to have a great experience. The Canal is, after all, the reason we chose this cruise.

Has anyone done both HAL’s eco-adventures near Barulio Carillo National Park and the ones at Veragua? I’m not finding a lot about them on the boards. I’m also hoping that this season’s cruisers will report in.

FLL Embarkation: when does the initial rush let up? Our last HAL Caribbean cruise was several years ago, and it was crazy until well after noon, maybe even after one. And that was on an S class ship!

Formal nights: a 10-day Canal cruise has only two? Really? DS19 will be most disappointed!

Thanks for your help, everyone! I post very little, but I do try to keep up.