Question to all RSS Cheerleaders

As this line offers such excellent facilities and great comfort, do you tend to stay onboard much of the time, or do you take the excursions?

The reason I ask, is that in many ports and particularly on port intensive itineraries, tours last all day (10-11 hours sometimes), meaning that pax aren't able to relax in their luxurious accommodations and eat and drink what they have paid for.

Tim, Hi

It varies with us. We love sea days but also want to see special places around the world. we tend to not sign up for 10 hr tours - too long for us. There are exceptions (Florence) but most of our tours are about 4 hrs which puts you back on the ship for lunch. Perfect!

I agree with Patti. We tend to choose shorter excursions so that we can return to the ship or explore on our own too. I really try to avoid the super long excursions, unless they are really special or the only option.

Hi Tim

For us personally, it's all about "balance." We tend to like the shorter excursions because it gives us some independent time to wander around ports to shop and see things on our own. (I understand that in some cases/countries longer excursions are the norm.)

We also try to schedule a.m. excursions so we have the afternoon to do what we want in port, or just return to the ship and enjoy our balcony and/or being spoiled rotten by the wonderful crew!

In the end, it's all a matter of choice--and how fortunate we are to be in the position of being able to take advantage of what Regent offers.:) If you like the longer excursions, then you have that option, and most people feel they get quality even though it may mean sacrificing some shipboard time.

Thanks for your prompt replies. My wife and I tend to prefer the shorter trips and often do our own thing.

Do RSS still offer free transfers to the city centres?

RSSC often does supply a shuttle to a city, if appropriate, yes.

I agree it's about balance. We do excursions most places, but aren't wedded to it, and like a seaday once in a while to balance. And sometimes we just take off on our own--take a cab, rent a car, whatever. It's rare that I don't at least get off the ship in a port.

We are currently on a port intensive cruise and also believe in balance. Some of the excursions are exhausting (especially the long ones -- if they give too much free time and drag the day out). By the time you wait in line to get your bus tickets and finally get on the bus, it can take a toll on your nerves (at least on this cruise). There are some ports that are "must see". Athens, for example, is an important port to see IF you have not been there previously. We have and will not get off of the ship tomorrow. l The following day we'll take the shuttle into town. There is much to be learned from walking around the towns, speaking with the residents and trying the local food (JMHO):)

Because my wife has mobility problems, we tend to opt for cruises with plenty of sea days and in ports we take a short excursion if there is a suitable one available. Sometimes if we dock close, we have a walk around. At least I walk and push the wheelchair.

Tim, Hi

It varies with us. We love sea days but also want to see special places around the world. we tend to not sign up for 10 hr tours - too long for us. There are exceptions (Florence) but most of our tours are about 4 hrs which puts you back on the ship for lunch. Perfect!

This :)

I also am one who hates missing a meal on board! :o Not because I'm cheap, but just because it's such a special place to be. But I do take full-day excursions sometimes.

I agree with most everything that others have said. Only thing I'd add is that for our rhythms, it'd be much better if we could take one of those shorter excursions in the afternoon rather than morning. Just don't enjoy hauling out of bed real early, having to rush through bkfst, etc. Really enjoy the rare times when we can book a 4 hour (or so) excursion in the afternoon rather than 8:00-8:30. But most of Regent's excursions start in the morning, alas. (Even when ship is in port until quite late.)

We only take a long excursion if it is a place we have never been. On our last cruise this was Rabat. the original excursion we signed up for lasted 7.5 hours and included lunch. Then when on board I saw that there was to be a shorter excursion - 5.5hrs- same things to see but no lunch. We did that.

We generally like a 3-4 hour excursion but only if we haven't been to the place before or if something we want to see is offered. Otherwise we create our own seaday by staying on board, having a nice lunch and enjoying the ship!

We do both, and just don't sleep much!

On cruises where you have to travel long distances just to get on the ship you almost feel obligated to take long tours otherwise you could stay close to home and stay on the ship. For us Europe, Australia, and Asia (and others) we want to take tours even if they are long. However, Hawaii (from the US), and Mexico more ship time is preferable.

Perhaps a crossing would be a good option for the OP as that affords plenty of time to enjoy the ship and all it offers.

On cruises where you have to travel long distances just to get on the ship you almost feel obligated to take long tours otherwise you could stay close to home and stay on the ship. For us Europe, Australia, and Asia (and others) we want to take tours even if they are long. However, Hawaii (from the US), and Mexico more ship time is preferable.

I agree, that's why I am more and more thinking of crossings and repeated Caribbean tiineraries, where the ship can be the main destination.

We love Regent but we also do enjoy the daily excursions. On our August cruise to the UK, we stayed too late in the piano bar every night and I actually had a couple of afternoons where I napped for one to two hours - something I've never done in my life! Thus, we would love to have the opportunity to accept more afternoon excursions.

We were in the Baltic a few years ago on the Mariner. It was a one week cruise with 3 days in St. Petersburg. We arrived in Copenhagen first and spent 3 days there before boarding the ship. In Russia during the 3 days, we did a tour the first day and the 3rd day but we were so tired that middle day that we didn't get off the ship. Probably a little strange as we were in Russia and tours are included, but we were beat.

Best thing was, though, that the day before when we were sightseeing Catherine's Palace, the Hermitage, etc., there was so much history. The day we took off and didn't go off the ship, they showed Dr. Zhivago. It was so interesting in that places we had seen the day before and the history associated with them were referred to in the movie! It was really fun to just be where some of the history in the movie was taking place and realizing how that tied in to Russian history. A neat experience.

Taking that time off just make the rest of trip that more enjoyable!

I agree, that's why I am more and more thinking of crossings and repeated Caribbean tiineraries, where the ship can be the main destination.

That is our plan for the future. The ship will be our destination. If we spend the $$$$ on Regent in Europe, I would feel like I HAD to take the longer, included excursions, even if we had been to the ports before. (And, I would feel like I had to drink more, too!!) Nothing is more perfect than a Regent cruise in the Caribbean!! It's better than being at a 5* resort!

We were just talking about that during dinner at home. We have been on 11 cruises now, 9 in the Caribbean, 1 in Mexico and this last one in the Med.

We do feel that it was a rather strenuous cruise, up, dressed and pressed, breakfast eaten and in the theater by 8. It was wonderful, much was experienced, but rather exhausting. Not much time to enjoy the ship.

Next time we are going for a relaxing cruise in the Carib, since we don't have time for a Transatlantic, still working and all.

Get up when you want, take an excursion--or not, come home from the beach to tea and trivia, get ready for dinner, now that is a relaxing cruise. If in addition we go to islands we have been to before, you know the drill. If it's an island that you don't care for, or have seen many times, no nice beaches etc, stay on the ship and use it as a resort. AND it is a very nice resort!

Yes, I agree. And here I am about to embark on a very port-intensive cruise to Alaska! But of course, we have several sea days, plus the Hubbard Glacier day, so it should be a decent balance.

Wendy-

Can't wait to hear about your trip

Wendy-

Can't wait to hear about your trip

Thanks, depending on my mood, I may be posting from the ship or not. Perhaps I will do smartphone tweet-style sound byte postings on sea days.

I'm excited about your upcoming trip, Wendy! You probably remember that we had pretty awful weather (may yours be lovely), and yet we adored that trip. It's for sure a WOW itinerary!

I'm excited about your upcoming trip, Wendy! You probably remember that we had pretty awful weather (may yours be lovely), and yet we adored that trip. It's for sure a WOW itinerary!

Thanks Poss, the weather reports look bad--May is supposed to be the driest month, but you'd never know it from the forecasts.

Guess it's time for me to start a new thread so I don't derail this one!