zimmer46

Hello travellers, 

Joining Explorer on 12th May at Istanbul.  Can't wait after a two and a half year pause in our cruising, and keeping  figures crossed our pre departure  Covid test is OK.

Hoping to see some familiar faces among the crew, but does anyone know who the current cruise director is on Explorer?    

Zimmer

Thanks for sharing Flossie009 and keep it coming.   Glad briar14 directed me to your blog as we join Navigator for the next leg of her northern journey

Thank you briar14 😎

1 minute ago, zimmer46 said:

We join Navigator in a couple of weeks for the Grand North Crossing from Amsterdam to New York.   It's been a few years since we were last onboard so looking forward to seeing the refurb.  The fact that Regent have refurbed her and there are plans to do more, I suppose that is a positive sign that Regent intend to keep her.     As said already, Navigator does enjoy some interesting itineraries due to her small size, the grand crossing being a case in point  -  we booked that this one almost two years ago !  

Sorry meant to add..... does anyone know who the key officers and staff are on Navigator at the moment ?    It seems to be information that is very difficult to find, but I am sure some of the "well connected" people on here will know.

We join Navigator in a couple of weeks for the Grand North Crossing from Amsterdam to New York.   It's been a few years since we were last onboard so looking forward to seeing the refurb.  The fact that Regent have refurbed her and there are plans to do more, I suppose that is a positive sign that Regent intend to keep her.     As said already, Navigator does enjoy some interesting itineraries due to her small size, the grand crossing being a case in point  -  we booked that this one almost two years ago !  

20 hours ago, JC in CA said:

 

RonRick - when / where did you find out about this and sign up for it?  Sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

-Jerie

They did this when we were on Mariner's "Radiant Amazon" Nov/Dec 2017.    It's a fantastic spread.  Be warned tho, get in quick as the queue thru the galley was huge.   There are also food stations around the main dining room too, so you have other options if the queue is too long.    

I agree with the comment about why have Prime 7 as the only speciality restaurant when you can get just about anything "Prime 7 ish" in Compass Rose.   To be honest Prime 7 has never been my favourite.   I think Pacific Rim would be a perfect option given you have CR and Setti Marie covering western/european cuisine.    We have not had any issues getting another reservation, but if you share you will have a better chance.    

We were on Mariner about a year ago and had a bridge, galley and back stage tour.    They are all worth doing, but ask and sign up as soon as you get onboard.     I do hope Regent continue these  -  I only mention that as we were on Oceania Riviera recently and they said there were no bridge or galley tours as that was company policy.  Was our first time on Oceania, so cannot comment, but was surprised given it is Regents sister company.

We have been on Navigator three times, although maybe 3 years since last on board.  There's no doubt it does have a bit more vibration / noise, compared to the larger modern ships, but remember it originally was not a cruise ship.    It's more apparent when the bow thrusters are in use or in heavy seas and also if you are low down towards the stern.   To be honest we have never found it to be an issue in the suite.     Put it this way, it has not put us off..... we are on Navigator for 20 days later this year.

Thanks to all for the feedback. It seems the "rules" are fluid, if you will forgive the pun ;-)

It's quite likely I could carry the small amount of liquid and not have a problem, but we all see inconsistencies in the enforcement of these rules, so with three internal flights, it's a high risk and could end up with the med being confiscated. Decided to play safe and the doc has given me the tablet form for this trip.

Now that that's sorted, looking forward to a great trip and experience, and I will report back here with anything I can update.

Thanks again for the information. I think we will make do with our one checked case each, and a small backpack as carry on plus my wife's hand bag.

However, one other question about liquids. OK I understand all liquids are to be in your checked bag. What about a liquid medication ? I carry a small GTN spray ( maybe 25ml ) due to a heart problem some years ago. It's prescribed as a precaution and never had to use it, but sods law if I do and it's in the hold ! It occurs to me that I could talk to my pharmacist and get a tablet form for this one trip, but I can't be the first person to travel inside China with such medication. It's never been an issue as anywhere else operates a 100ml liquid contain limit ( or similar ) in carry on.

Thank you for the helpful responses Caribill and Mitina.

Regards the external battery packs. Is this referring to the fairly substantial external packs that some DSLR cameras use ? I just carry a small pocket Lumix camera but was planning taking a spare battery ie the small internal battery.

My wife and I are on the Imperial Jewels of China tour startingin Beijing on 25th April. Weare really looking forward to the combination of a land program and a cruiseelement. Although regular ocean cruisers,this will be our first river cruise. Having read through this thread I am impressed by how Viking ( via theirtour guides ) seem to have most things down to a “T”. Thanks also to the many contributors on thisthread. It has been very helpful.

I have a few questions which I appreciate have been askedbefore, but this thread goes back 7 years and I would be interested in anyfeedback from more recent travellers.

Luggage

We propose trying to travel a bit lighter than usual given the number oftransfers and also the internal checked limit of 20kg ( so much for the 2 x32kg long haul allowance ;-) ). However, the carry on limit of 5kg suggests using our small roller casesa waste as they would be almost empty to remain within limit. Is it better to avoid roller cases forcarryon and stick with a small back pack ? Also, does the one item include my wife’s handbag / purse ?

For the internal transfers from hotel – airport or ship etc, is the luggagecollected on checkout or collected the evening before ?

Money

We will probably pay on board tips on our account, but regards the Tour Guide ,is it OK to tip entirely in US dollars, and if so are larger bills a problem? I think we may take fair chunk of dollarsand set this aside for the tour guide tip and change more to Yuan for localuse. We have a two day extension onShanghai after we disembark so want to hold on to some local currency.

For local use, what typical denomination of Yuan would yousuggest ?

First afternoon / evening in Beijing

We arrive Beijing early afternoon. Arethere any activities that evening, or are we left to ourselves ?

Dining Onboard

I read that although we are in groups, you can dine with anyone onboard. On our cruises we always look to share atable at dinner and meet new people. Howdo they deal with the seating as we all arrive for dinner, or have peopleeffectively sorted out their table guests at pre dinner drinks ? We wouldn’twant to offend anyone in our group nor would we want to cause a problem if wewere imposing on someone else. Not sureI have explained that very well, but I am sure you get the idea.

Medications

Unfortunately I need to carry some meds. The guide from Viking says these need to be in their originalcontainers. For trips I usually carrymeds in there metal strips ie they are all marked with their names and brandand dosage. I just dispense with the carton/ box and leaflets that usually tell you all nasty things these drugs also doto you !! Makes it less bulky.

All feedback appreciated.

Enjoying reading and keeping up with this thread mainly because we are on the Mariner at the moment. Pretty much agree with most of what you say Travetcat2 . I think you may have been on the table beside us when in Signatures. We are fairly new cruisers and all bar one with Regent. We like the overall package and the very eclectic nature of things but we're a little surprised at the priority embarkation lines for the top end suites. But hey .. that's life I suppose. We all get perks as we move up the loyalty ranks I suppose but just never seen it quite so “in your face”.

We had read about the code reds on Mariner before we came on board and we're a little concerned so the info about the additional precautions was good to hear and so far everyone is healthy. But Navigator on code red … oh dear !

The great thing about these threads is the inside info from those more connected and you learn new hints and tips. Keep it coming 😀

Thanks for the reply 555lavan1t.

I agree, a lot depends on the band. On our first Navigator cruise in 2013, the house band were fantastic. I think because we got up to dance on our first evening, the band seemed to make point of playing something suitable for waltz, foxtrot or cha cha cha when ever they saw us arrive each evening. On that cruise there were maybe 3 or 4 couples who danced, and as you say, the Regent floors are not large !! Certainly makes for good practice at leading your partner and following a line of dance. ( for leading read evasive action ! ) After all, ballroom is a contact sport haha !!

I liked your idea of requesting your table and then heading off for a dance. Must try that.

We are scheduled to depart on Voyager in a few weeks. It will be our 4th Regent cruise, but first time on Voyager having been on Mariner and twice on Navigator. We like to take any opportunity to dance ballroom or latin, nothing grand but we get by. Navigator had a small floor in Gallileo's which was fine, but really depended on the band. One cruise the band were superb for dancing, and encouraged it with their repertoire. Another, they were content to play jazz which was not suitable.

Just wondered what Voyager has in terms of venue, and what previous cruisers have heard regards music etc.

Thanks all

Just going off topic slightly and to pick up Robroy's point about smoke. On our recent cruise smoke from Connoisseurs was not a problem EXCEPT in the morning. On a couple of occasions we went into the Navigator Lounge for coffee and the stale smoke smell was overpowering. Not sure if it was perhaps a caused with doors to the smoke lounge being left open at night ?

I prefer the Regent way of the tips being included. Saves any angst, and I suppose it means something gets to every crew member rather than just those you may chose to tip directly. I wasn't aware of the "crew fund" option, but I like the idea of that and will bear it in mind fir the future. As for guides etc. I noticed on our recent cruise, Passages did make specific mention that guides and drivers were not Regent employees and tipping was optional but appreciated by the guides. I was happy to show some appreciation where earned, and would also suggest if tipping, make sure you give something directly to the driver. Don't assume the guide will share the tips.

Just back from cruise on Navigator. We sailed from Nassau to Bermuda (800 miles)in what were described as heavy seas. Our suite was quite far forward and on Deck 9, so we did get quite a bit of motion, but not rolling, so the stabilisers seemed to do their job. As for vibration, certainly in the heavy seas there was quite a bit of vibration aft, particularly in the theatre, but nothing significant elsewhere.

Just back from a 10 day cruise on Navigator, and yes we had a block party. It was at 6pm on day 2. These "parties" are a great way to break the ice and get to know some of your neighbours.

We have been on Navigator twice, and had a block party each time. However, three years ago we were on Mariner and I can't recall having one. Is it standard on all Regent ships ? We are sailing on Voyager in September and hope they have one.

The Pool Grill does light breakfast and lunches and there are some outdoor tables in La Veranda again for breakfast and lunch. Not sure if they use the outdoor tables for dinner when its configured for as Sette Mari in the evening tho.

We have tried forward, mid-ships and aft. We were in an aft suite on the silhouette recently and loved it. Our suite was on the corner so you got a good view and a lot larger balcony. I have read that some people complain about engine rumble in aft cabins, but I can't say we had any issue. We were on Deck 10, but I could understand rumble perhaps being more of a problem on lower decks.

Well pleased to report that common sense prevailed. Regent finally agreed that we could pay an element of the balance up front which covered the cost of the upgraded seats flying BA. Booking was confirmed, eticket issued and we were able to pre book our seats via the BA Executive Club in the usual way.

The when to book question is an interesting one. Our TA is quite clear that you should book as soon as you can to ensure you get what you want. Sure you can wait, but your choice of suite may be limited. That said, I do get irritated when I receive emails and glossy brochures almost on a weekly basis telling me about savings and reduced fares !

Our last Regent cruise was booked 11 months in advance, but the price dropped before the final payment was due. Our TA got onto Regent and we were upgraded.

It also occurs to me that timing may also be a factor on book now or later. We are tied to school vacations, hence we need to book early to guarantee the cruise we want, and probably more important, the transatlantic air travel.

Firstly, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to respond, and secondly my apologies for not replying before now. We have been away for a few days, but I have been catching up on the thread.

Going back to my original post. I referred to a telephone call with Regent. That call was actually made by my TA who told Regent she was not at all pleased. Since then it has been escalated within Regent in the UK so we are waiting to hear what the outcome is.

Reading through the various points made. The first thing is - these flights are not a deviation. They are included in the cruise fare and booked through Regent. Their preferred airline from UK to the US is United, but they allow BA as an option although it is more expensive. We have looked at excluding the flights and booking them ourselves, but it works out a lot more expensive. I cannot say if Regent have actually got confirmed seats for us, albeit in Economy. We have asked Regent to book World Traveller Plus as an upgrade. That may well be the issue, since as has been suggested, BA do not issue an eticket or allow seat booking until the full fare has been paid. However, as I said in my original post, I have no issue about paying the full airfare upfront to allow me to book my seats. Even then it will cost us £35 per seat, per leg to pre book. We will wait and see what Regent come back with. I am hoping a compromise ie we will pay the full air fair element up front and book out seats and pay the cruise balance at the appropriate time. After all, Regent has been sitting with our £1500 deposit since April 2013 !

Watch this space.