SeaDreamers on Regent

[zqvol]

Teresa--

On the Navigator pool deck, each morning we would visit the small buffet set up there and have fresh-squeezed juice. They would squeeze any combination of juice you asked for---my favorite was orange/pineapple. One of the officers would always ask for carrot juice!

Don't know if it will be possible during the Alaska cruise or not because of weather, but if it is, check it out.

Also, the home-made ice cream was wonderful. Different flavors each day!

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Thanks for the wishes. We have returned already. Fresh squeezed juice was not available, and the "homemade" ice cream was not home made, though ice cream was available, but the station was in the middle of the smoking area. Another example of poor planning.

[frequent traveler]

I don't think ZQ Vol visited the pool deck bar for breakfast, but correction - when staffed, fresh squeezed juices and smoothies were available. But until the bar is staffed, the blender is not set out. The ingredients were always set out for you to choose from. We were up and about to get off the ship early most mornings but during first hour or half hour the pool deck buffet breakfast opened, no one was available to make the combination juices or smoothies. Typical pool deck hour breakfast opened at 6:30 but usually no one was behind the buffet line until 7:00 or 7:30. A couple of times pool deck buffet was cold continental buffet for first hour, then warm items were added later (I ate there twice - liked it much better than Verandah - and it was definitely calmer. When it opened early, officers were there also. I ate next to Captain and first officer two mornings) Compass Room didn't open for breakfast until 8 or 8:30 so we were usually forced to go to Verandah in order to get off ship to do sightseeing before our excursion.

 

Mimi - I think us sharing common first names might confuse a couple of people, including my own DH!. Oh well, off to work.

 

FT

[mariners]

mimito4, I sailed on a Regent cruise to Alaska before shore excursions were included. Friends have been trying to talk us in to taking the American Safari Cruise and the reviews I have read, including on CC, appear positive.

 

FT and zqvol, it's great to read the different experiences that you both had as well as your different perspectives on the cruise. It really shows how people can be on the same cruise and not have the same viewpoints or experiences. Thank you for taking the time to make the posts.

[frequent traveler]

thanks for the feedback - by the way, when I finish my review I will have actually priced comparable excursions from the actual vendors we used to finish my cost/benefit analysis (I'm very fact driven) on total all inclusiveness. "included excursions" are most base level with a price point of $60 to $100 per person if done direct, some as low as $45 (without commission -w hich I don't object to since it costs to run an excursion desk) -- for example our Mendenhall Glacier Float did not include the Salmon Bake at the end that the Princess Cruise did . . . spent a lot of time on buses with Princess folks going to and from Denali lodges.

 

FT

[zqvol]

Hi FT

 

Have been enjoying your Alaska posts very much. Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

We were on the Navigator in April and Raj was our butler. All of our requests (including Prime 7) were dealt with professionally by Raj. Sorry to hear you didn't receive the same and that your experience was less than you expected. I truly hope you enjoyed the vast majority of your cruise. Alaska is amazing, isn't it?

 

I'm posting on the SD board because we have come VERY close to booking a Caribbean cruise with SD. My main concerns are 2---

 

1. We enjoy a balcony and think we would miss having one. We are not anti-social by any means :D but like to have a quiet space to read and just be quiet at times.

2. The size of the suite is much smaller....would love to have a Commodore configuration but I don't think our budget would allow!

 

We are still thinking about booking a 7-night with SeaDream. Are my concerns above unfounded?

 

Any SeaDreamers out there, feel free to comment.

And, FT, having just come off the Navigator, I'd like to hear your opinion. Thanks!

Welcome home!

 

I will chime in with this one. Suite size difference is VERY misleading. There is probably less than 10 sq ft difference in the suite itself. Regent is very deceiving in that regard as it includes a huge closet and a much larger bathroom in its suite size on Navigator than SD has. Those two items alone make up almost the total size difference.

[zqvol]

Here is a link to the entire collection on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/8259823@N06/collections/72157626911233564/

 

Mount McKinley (or Mt. Denali as the natives prefer) is only seen by 30% of the visitors to the area because of weather. This view is typical of what we had all three days we were there.

 

[Jim Avery]

Fantastic pictures! ketchikan takes me back to working days. :eek:

[mimito4]

Absolutely breath-taking! I looked at your pictures (didn't have time to get through all of them), and as a result I'm officially journey-proud now.

 

Thanks for sharing.

[whatnot]

What a STUNNING photo! Hope I get to see the same next June when we do Alaska. I'm getting ready for SD in the Baltic so I'll look at your photos in depth when I return. Thanks for posting them!

[zqvol]

Here is the link:

 

http://www.pvavalides.com/cruises/regent_611/regent_alaska_index.html

 

If given the choice, it is not close SD wins hands down, but realizing that SD does not go to Alaska, if you want a small ship (FT does, I don't care) then Regent is not a bad choice.

[Jim Avery]

Thanks for all your effort ZQVOL. Very helpful info should we plan an AK cruise. We had thought of Regent but are not sure. Really have seen bad reviews on the Holland America site. Maybe Seabourn will put one of the new ships (450pax.) on the AK run. Next though, SD in the Caribbean.:D:D

[linda_22003]

As a cruiser who has had only four cruises, ALL very happily with Regent, I've been reading this board with interest. We've been considering trying SD, possibly next year. We have no issue with Regent's service level; if they lose us it's going to be because they are switching to cruises of longer duration, and my husband and I are still working and have limited vacation time. They seem to be catering more to the retiree market now.

 

What would you recommend as a good SD itinerary? Caribbean or Europe, and why? :)

[Jim Avery]

Hi Linda. For a first SeaDream cruise, I recommend the Caribbean. Why? Because absolutely no one does the Caribbean better than SeaDream.:D That, plus the price point and airfare to and from are a bit more reasonable than Europe. There is a contingent of Transatlantic vets on this board that will chip in with that option but we have not done a SD transat so far.

J.

[linda_22003]

Thanks for the input. :)

[knotheadusc]

I agree with Jim. You're more likely to find a less expensive cruise in the Caribbean, which will give you the chance to try it before you drop a really big load of cash. My husband and I did our first SD cruise last year after we found a great guaranty fare. The cheaper fare was still expensive for us, but we enjoyed ourselves so much that we had no trouble putting down a deposit for our next cruise. And now that I know what we're getting, I (and more importantly, my husband) have a lot less of an issue with the prices, nor can I stomach the thought of taking another mass market cruise! :D

 

We're taking our next SD cruise in November and if it goes as well as I think it will, I think we'll be headed to Europe for our third SD experience!

[frequent traveler]

As a cruiser who has had only four cruises, ALL very happily with Regent, I've been reading this board with interest. We've been considering trying SD, possibly next year. We have no issue with Regent's service level; if they lose us it's going to be because they are switching to cruises of longer duration, and my husband and I are still working and have limited vacation time. They seem to be catering more to the retiree market now.

 

What would you recommend as a good SD itinerary? Caribbean or Europe, and why? :)

 

Wow, this is interesting . . . .catering to the retiree market - maybe that was the problem with Regent in Alaska -- I would say more than 75% of the passengers fit the active and on the go mode with about 60% being 45 and under. Navigator's gym was packed on sea days. Dining room had a lot of late diners and service was not good. So if this was typical, you will love SD. For us in the Caribbean, SD is more the destination -- not the ports. in the Med, SD is more the moving hotel to get us from place to place - and some very unique ports that you will not see on just about any other cruise line (like Sifnos in Greece). Nothing like having dinner while sailing up the Dardenelles under the full orange moon though. :)

 

FT