Just disembarked Navigator

[TrulyBlonde]

I must say this is all very interesting and I thank all of you for your input and honest (I think it is) reviews. At the same time, I left a message for my TA to look into canceling my Apr 2016 Navigator cruise. I will determine what "luxury" is for me and this is not it.

[TahoeTraveler]

We were on the Navigator in November, on a 10 day Caribbean cruise, and I have to admit that if it had been our first Regent cruise, it probably would have been our last, based on the experience. However, that was strictly due to the passengers, not the crew or ship.

 

I do not know if the NCL buy out had anything to do with it (coincidentally, or perhaps not, the transaction was completed while the cruise was underway), but the majority of the passengers on the cruise were first timers with Regent, and first timers with any luxury line. Most of them were NCL and HAL regulars. And unfortunately, many of them brought with them habits and ideas of what a mega-line cruise should be, NOT what a luxury cruise entails.

 

For example, the chair hogs. People would place their personal items on lounge chairs at the pool (usually in the very limited shady area), and then leave them there for hours. After many of us complained, the staff finally put a notice in the daily bulletin stating that personal items would be removed after a time if no one sat in the chairs. Well, that started a whole new firestorm. Whenever the staff would enforce that rule, the people being "displaced" would literally berate them, and not quietly either. People across the pool deck could hear the poor pool bar staff getting yelled at. One woman in particular was so loud and obnoxious that she was asked to leave. She did...and went immediately to Reception and started berating them (funny enough, we talked to her husband, who claimed he'd never seen any cruise line do this in all of his 74 cruises. We asked him how many of them had been on Regent...he answered "none." Yep, could have figured that one out on our own). One day there were two chairs next to each other, and my husband and I headed for them. Right as we got to them, a woman in the chair next to them threw her scarf on one of them. When I asked her if the chair was taken (even though clearly no one was there), she of course said yes. So, I took the other chair and my husband went back to the cabin. The chair never did get occupied...the woman's husband showed up and they immediately went to lunch. Honestly, I've never seen such rude behavior on any Regent cruise.

 

Next: the drunks. If the food, service, cabins, etc hadn't been so darn good, I'd have sworn we were on a Carnival ship. One guy in the casino got so drunk that he was falling all over us, displacing our roulette chips and just generally being obnoxious. It wasn't until he actually fell over onto the table itself that Security came by and escorted him back to his cabin. Someone else was literally falling down drunk in Compass Rose, and had to practically be carried out of there. Again, nothing I've ever seen on Regent, and nothing I ever hope to see again.

 

Finally: the ones unable to adhere to the rules, especially the dress code. Now I know a lot of people get upset when someone posts about being annoyed whenever someone doesn't follow the dress code. However, I think everyone here will agree that shorts, t-shirts, running shoes and boonie hats are NOT appropriate attire in the Stars Lounge at 8:30 at night. Yes, it happened. Again, a first timer with Regent. Why the staff allowed this is beyond me, but I can only think that perhaps they were just exhausted trying to enforce all the rules with people who obviously had no desire to follow them. There were also a LOT of smokers on this cruise, and while they tried to follow the rules to stay in the one area of the pool deck, I'm not so sure they followed the no smoking in the cabins rules. We smelled smoke coming through our ventilation system numerous times.

 

My point with all this is that, with the exception of allowing people to get too drunk, as well as allowing them to disregard the dress code, the staff itself was doing pretty much everything they could to make it a great cruise. And it was. The food was without a doubt the best we've ever had on a Regent ship. The service was exceptional. We met Franck Galzy, and talked to him at length about several concerns with the NCL buyout. He reassured us (despite the passengers on this particular cruise) that Regent would not be lowering itself to NCL standards (apparently he was part of the team that met with the NCL folks during the negotiations). One negative: the entertainment was boring, as it was exactly the same as the previous year; Regent just needs to force JARyan to come up with some new shows for the Navigator. So I spent far too much time and money in the casino! But we had a great time, despite the issues.

 

I firmly believe that the price of this cruise is what caused the passenger demographics to be what they were. Being a Caribbean cruise, it was less expensive than one to Alaska or New England. And therefore, people who perhaps would have found Regent to be too cost prohibitive on other itineraries were able and willing to try it. Many of the first timers told us that they figured in the price of booze, shore excursions, and airfare, given the size of the cabins, and realized they could do this cruise as cheaply as one on NCL, Celebrity, or HAL (in a comparable cabin)...apparently especially when they took into account the free booze. Unfortunately, many of them also failed to realize that acceptable behavior on a luxury line is different than on a mega-ship.

 

We've booked a 14 day cruise on the Mariner to Alaska in May of 2016. We are hoping that it will be too early for a lot of kids to be on the ship, and too cold for chair hogs to be an issue. However, it is actually two back to back 7 dayers, so I'm not sure if we might encounter folks trying Regent for the first time who don't get the difference between luxury and the mass market lines. We would love to try the Explorer, but have to cruise in North America because of my husband's job. I've heard she might be coming here to do the Caribbean after her launch in the Med. If so, that's too bad. I'm not sure we could justify another Caribbean cruise, given how that location seemed to attract the people that it did on our last cruise.

 

Sorry for the long post. I just hate to hear people say that Regent isn't luxury or "worth it" when, at least in our case, it was the behavior of many of the passengers on the ship that caused the issues, not the staff or the ship.

[RachelG]

Totally agree Tahoe Traveller. And looking forward to meeting in May 2016 as George and I are on the Alaska cruise.

[PaulaJK]

Tahoe T, You have written a very good note pointing to the behavior of the pasengers. At the same time, it leads to the question of whether one would consider this a 'luxury' experience while on board.

 

I understand some reluctance on the part of the crew to intervene when it will result in their being loudly berated. But if Regent doesn't tighten this, then it will become the upscale NCL. Yes, we also had shorts in public rooms after 6pm...and men in dress shirts [not finished bottom/hemmed] for dinner..and a few baseball caps here and there.

[Travelcat2]

I must say this is all very interesting and I thank all of you for your input and honest (I think it is) reviews. At the same time, I left a message for my TA to look into canceling my Apr 2016 Navigator cruise. I will determine what "luxury" is for me and this is not it.

 

portofinoitaly - really sorry that reading this thread caused you to cancel your cruise. While I am not doubting the stories, there is more to the stories than meets the eye. Firstly, on Regent's less expensive cruises (typically Caribbean - sometimes Alaska), "regular" luxury cruise passengers are simply not there. The passengers you see are usually either new to Regent, taking their family on a cruise and/or cannot take vacation any other time than during school breaks and summer vacation. In terms of children, on our last two Regent cruises there were no children. Prior to that there were less than 10 on the entire ship. Passengers that prefer not be around children on vacation book luxury cruises when school is in session (note: referring to the U.S. as Regent ships are not typically impacted by school holidays in other countries). So, to put it mildly, the passenger experience on Regent ships (particularly the Navigator) during school breaks and summer does not remotely resemble their normal cruises.''

 

Sewage smell. I'm certain that I dislike that smell as much as the rest of you but realize that plumbing issues and blockages (caused by both crew and passengers) is an issue while at sea. They can't simply suck everything out into a truck and leave.

 

pies4u - what people can and cannot say to children in the U.S. is very limited. If an adult (like the drunk described in an earlier post) gets unruly, security can physically remove him/her and take them back to their cabin. A child could be standing on their head, throwing water balloons, etc. and that child has legal protection under U.S. law (despite their flags, Regent does have to follow some U.S. laws). I'm not sure if you could even try to hold their hand and walk them back to their parents lest someone think you are dragging them by the arm. So, IMO, rules should be set but the parents need to be the ones affected if their child does not follow the rules. Regent may not be able to punish the child but they sure the heck can punish the parents.

 

It is so important to do research before cruising (which goes hand and hand with having a good TA). I feel badly for people that end up on cruises that make them unhappy. One summer we read about a couple celebrating their 50 anniversary on board the Navigator. Unfortunately, it was when school was not in session and the dance floor - even late at night -- was taken up by kids.

Edited January 13, 2015 by Travelcat2

[TahoeTraveler]

Hi Rachel, Mike and I are looking forward to the cruise, and to meeting you as well. I love the itinerary, and the fact that we can fly round trip into and out of Vancouver. So convenient.

 

And Paula, I agree, because of the issues on board, the cruise definitely did not have the luxury feel, at least when we were on the pool deck, or watching the drunks running around. However, I think I need to clarify that the crew on our cruise definitely did intervene, at least when it came to the chair hogs. And when someone had gone overboard (so to speak) with their drinking, they were removed to their cabins. I think the crew on our cruise did as much as they possibly could, given the behavior of some of the passengers. Based on the prices of the first voyages of the Explorer, if she does go to the Caribbean, she's going to be pretty expensive, which will hopefully discourage some of the folks who want a Carnival experience on a Caribbean Regent cruise. Only time will tell though.

[pingpong1]

Hope this won't sound like I'm quibbling too much but I don't think we should be too eager to blame every recently highlighted problem on a particular passenger demographic that was on a particular cruise ship (Navigator) in a particular region (Caribbean and Alaska). I don't even think that was the cause of the majority of complaints we've been reading about lately.

 

A substantial number of complaints mentioned by posters had nothing to do with (and were not the fault of) any conduct displayed by "non-Regent-type passengers" or a high number of unruly children. The problems that have been discussed have occurred on all 3 ships, sailing in various regions, and at different times of the year.

 

Tough steaks, cold soup, dining tables not cleaned, shabby furniture in staterooms, slow wine service, "boring" entertainment, the infamous "brown water", unsatisfactory flight connections, sewage smells in staterooms, poor customer relations skills on the part of reception/destination personnel, lack of timely response from Miami hdqtrs to individual customer queries, unsatisfactory pre-cruise accommodations, rapidly rising fares (with a judgment among many that "the product is no longer worth the cost")......all these things (and more) that have been recently discussed have nothing to do with the number (and conduct) of children or drunken adults onboard a particular cruise, or whether a particular ship was sailing in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Alaska, or off the coast of Italy, or during a time when American schools were not in session.

 

If we were to "buy in" to the premise that customers should have no reasonable expectation of enjoying the same "normal Regent luxury cruise experience" in the Caribbean (or Alaska), on the Navigator, during summer school breaks as you would on all the other Regent cruises, then it only seems reasonable and fair that Regent should state in their advertising that mature/seasoned customers wishing to avoid those particular annoyances should plan their cruise schedules and itineraries accordingly (to avoid those aggravations). It seems to me that TC and a few others are essentially saying that problems (caused by "cheap fares" and lots of kids) on certain cruises are "unavoidable" and that everyone should know in advance that they will not all enjoy the same Regent-advertised "luxury experience" on all cruises at all times.

 

Are we suggesting that Regent should "raise the fares" even more than they are already :eek: (for those Caribbean and summertime Alaska itineraries) in order to price out the "undesirables" (Carnival types and kids) so that Regent can reasonably maintain the "luxury standard" they advertise for all of their cruises? Taking that direction still wouldn't address and correct all the other complaints that have recently been discussed and people would feel even more strongly that the fares have just gone too far into the stratosphere.

 

Regards.

[TrulyBlonde]

TC2...thank you for your response. I have cancelled this cruise and part of it is because it is such an old ship with issues. I would prefer to wait for the new ship, and itinerary is what does it for me when selecting. Also, I would never choose to cruise over the Holidays due to the fact that luxury to me is having as few children as possible. Also, no Summer cruises for the same reason. Therefore, I highly doubt we would have been subjected to this in early May in Croatia. The Caribbean brings out all sorts and hard to avoid on any cruise in that area. It is much cheaper for North Americans due to flights and time constraints if not retired, and not unexpected. But, this trip to Europe was not cheap and we have the time and $$ to not make a mistake and these reviews were my due diligence and do not want or need the stress or potential nightmares. Thank you for your concern...and like you, never say never😃

[TahoeTraveler]

Hope this won't sound like I'm quibbling too much but I don't think we should be too eager to blame every recently highlighted problem on a particular passenger demographic that was on a particular cruise ship (Navigator) in a particular region (Caribbean and Alaska). I don't even think that was the cause of the majority of complaints we've been reading about lately.

 

A substantial number of complaints mentioned by posters had nothing to do with (and were not the fault of) any conduct displayed by "non-Regent-type passengers" or a high number of unruly children. The problems that have been discussed have occurred on all 3 ships, sailing in various regions, and at different times of the year.

 

Tough steaks, cold soup, dining tables not cleaned, shabby furniture in staterooms, slow wine service, "boring" entertainment, the infamous "brown water", unsatisfactory flight connections, sewage smells in staterooms, poor customer relations skills on the part of reception/destination personnel, lack of timely response from Miami hdqtrs to individual customer queries, unsatisfactory pre-cruise accommodations, rapidly rising fares (with a judgment among many that "the product is no longer worth the cost")......all these things (and more) that have been recently discussed have nothing to do with the number (and conduct) of children or drunken adults onboard a particular cruise, or whether a particular ship was sailing in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Alaska, or off the coast of Italy, or during a time when American schools were not in session.

 

If we were to "buy in" to the premise that customers should have no reasonable expectation of enjoying the same "normal Regent luxury cruise experience" in the Caribbean (or Alaska), on the Navigator, during summer school breaks as you would on all the other Regent cruises, then it only seems reasonable and fair that Regent should state in their advertising that mature/seasoned customers wishing to avoid those particular annoyances should plan their cruise schedules and itineraries accordingly (to avoid those aggravations). It seems to me that TC and a few others are essentially saying that problems (caused by "cheap fares" and lots of kids) on certain cruises are "unavoidable" and that everyone should know in advance that they will not all enjoy the same Regent-advertised "luxury experience" on all cruises at all times.

 

Are we suggesting that Regent should "raise the fares" even more than they are already :eek: (for those Caribbean and summertime Alaska itineraries) in order to price out the "undesirables" (Carnival types and kids) so that Regent can reasonably maintain the "luxury standard" they advertise for all of their cruises? Taking that direction still wouldn't address and correct all the other complaints that have recently been discussed and people would feel even more strongly that the fares have just gone too far into the stratosphere.

 

Regards.

I guess I didn't make myself clear. I was not attempting to address any issues that anyone else has encountered on any other cruise. I was simply stating what I saw on the one particular cruise we were on. For us, the food was the best we've ever had on a Regent cruise. We saw no brown water, smelled no sewer smells, had excellent service, to include Destinations and Reception, and found the ship to be in excellent condition. When a fellow Cruise Critic member read that we were having issues getting a reservation at Prime 7 for our anniversary, he contacted Regent on our behalf. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Kunal Kamlani had contacted the ship personally (not to mention posted on Cruise Critic) to ensure that we were appropriately taken care of. Others may have had a lack of a timely response from HQ in Miami, but we were absolutely blown away by that effort from Regent and Mr. Kamlani himself.

 

As for raising the fares, that is not what I am suggesting. I am simply saying that this particular cruise was filled with many first timers (HAL and NCL regulars) who did the math and discovered that yes, they could afford Regent for this particular itinerary. This is not speculation on my part...we talked to many newbies who told us just that. And my comment that if the Explorer is more expensive, less people may come to the conclusion that Regent is basically the same price as NCL or HAL, is based on those conversations.

 

Any and all issues we had on board our cruise were strictly caused by the passengers cruising with us. Apparently that has not been the case for others; however, my intent was not to "blame every recently highlighted problem" on the passengers. They were the cause of OUR issues...period. Otherwise, it would have been an absolutely fabulous cruise. As it was, it was still a great cruise, and we did meet some wonderful people who we hope to cruise with again (obviously not the drunk folks:eek:!).

[janecambridge]

We were on part of the cruise with TahoeTraveller and I think we have said and agreed on similar things.

However can I just say that my husband and I were first time regent travellers.We were at a luxury cruise travel show.We went to many talks about luxury cruising and decided Regent sounded just perfect.Having spoken to the Regent rep,we felt even better about the booking this experience as they had an offer on.So we did book at a cheaper rate then others I expect.What should we have done,?Turned down the offer of a taste of Regent because it was reduced?

We are not carnival or HAL cruisers.We have used Princess and Cunard as they sail from Southampton,always having a high price cabin.We do not hog chairs,get drunk,shout,dress inappropriately,blow our noses on our napkin or smoke.

We did pay extra for a penthouse..

What is the difference between someone who regularly sailed with Regent having the lowest priced suite and a newbie who pays top whack for a higher level suite?

It really upsets me to read such snobby attitudes about first time Regent cruisers.Do not tar everyone with the same brush.I saw regular Regent cruisers blowing their noses into napkins and leaving them on the table for the waiting staff.I also saw regular cruisers clicking their fingers to staff to get attention and never saying thank you.How rude.

If newbies are hogging seats it is wrong but provide more seats then just the ones around the pool.Avoid the confrontation in the first place..Alot of people need shade in the Caribbean.

For the reasons mentioned and certain attitudes,my husband will not go with Regent again despite the staff and ship being very good.I am still out on that one and read all the postings with interest.

[Zqueeze1]

We were on part of the cruise with TahoeTraveller and I think we have said and agreed on similar things.

However can I just say that my husband and I were first time regent travellers.We were at a luxury cruise travel show.We went to many talks about luxury cruising and decided Regent sounded just perfect.Having spoken to the Regent rep,we felt even better about the booking this experience as they had an offer on.So we did book at a cheaper rate then others I expect.What should we have done,?Turned down the offer of a taste of Regent because it was reduced?

We are not carnival or HAL cruisers.We have used Princess and Cunard as they sail from Southampton,always having a high price cabin.We do not hog chairs,get drunk,shout,dress inappropriately,blow our noses on our napkin or smoke.

We did pay extra for a penthouse..

What is the difference between someone who regularly sailed with Regent having the lowest priced suite and a newbie who pays top whack for a higher level suite?

It really upsets me to read such snobby attitudes about first time Regent cruisers.Do not tar everyone with the same brush.I saw regular Regent cruisers blowing their noses into napkins and leaving them on the table for the waiting staff.I also saw regular cruisers clicking their fingers to staff to get attention and never saying thank you.How rude.

If newbies are hogging seats it is wrong but provide more seats then just the ones around the pool.Avoid the confrontation in the first place..Alot of people need shade in the Caribbean.

For the reasons mentioned and certain attitudes,my husband will not go with Regent again despite the staff and ship being very good.I am still out on that one and read all the postings with interest.

 

Kudos. I agree with your comments regarding attitudes about first time Regenters. Furthermore, I wonder how folks knew that the drunks, complainers, chair hogs, etc., were first time Regent cruisers? The bottom line is that rude people are not defined by their economic status, but by their upbringing and attitude. If that were the case, I might as well go back to Celebrity.

 

Z and TB

[Emperor Norton]

Sheehan didn't leave, he was ousted.

 

Pity. I would've liked to have seen him clean house.

[Travelcat2]

Pity. I would've liked to have seen him clean house.

 

Which house would you have liked to see him clean? Just curious.

[Emperor Norton]

Which house would you have liked to see him clean? Just curious.

 

Regents mostly.

[Travelcat2]

Regents mostly.

 

Thanks for your response. From my perspective, as a Regent long time customer, we were ready to walk away from Regent if Kevin Sheehan, with his background (or lack thereof) was put in a position of power above Regent. I spoke out loudly against some policy changes made by PCH when they purchased Regent 7 years ago. However, IMO, that is nothing compared to what could have happened to Regent if someone without the right background tried to take the reigns of either Regent or Oceania.

 

Having said that, I still do not agree with many policies currently in place on Regent but find that, at least for us, it is the best fit. Thankfully we have enough loyalty nights on Regent that we can overlook some of the issues on Regent that bother us. I have lots of opinions but will try to keep most of them to myself ;)

[Emperor Norton]

I think it would've been interesting to see what Sheehan had planned.

[gwain6]

Let me comment that we have been doing New Year's sailings for many of the past 30+ years.....first with our young children on lines such as Sitmar ,RCCL and then on to Celebrity. I expect there to be families and I expect there to be children. Clearly I do not think that R or SB are good destinations for children as they lack facilities or programs...but I did expect there to be children.

 

This cruise beat them all. I asked 3 staff members how many were on board and received answers of 24, 34 and 54. Day 2 we were at sea and then again on day 3 [missed Turks,Caicos] .It is amazing that no children were hurt as the older children dove and cannon balled into the pool. Several people must have complained because eventually safety officers arrived and spoke to them...which meant a short break in the action. The REALLY BIG problem was the number of infants and toddlers, in pampers. Their parents had them in the pool, along with their rubber rafts. They totally occupied the whirlpools, including a young boy with his yellow rubber ring! By day 9 everyone you came in contact with on pool deck was complaining about hygiene and behavior. Multiple people complained, by phone and in person. Something must have been said to the various families because some were not in the pool in pampers on days 10 & 11 [both sea days as we also missed Costa Rica]. A couple of the families were 'inventive' and changed their children from pampers into a bathing suit for the pool and then back into pampers. There was no evidence of the hotel director or senior staff observing this and a complete failure of Regent to enforce its own posted rules.

 

 

Six stars? Luxury? Don't think so.

 

Just found this photo from my Navigator Cruise, I am sure that the same rules apply for all Regent Ships it quite clearly states "No children/adults in diapers or who are not toilet trained are permitted in the pool or whirlpool"

[aylgo]

We were on the Navigator on January 17th out of Miami. We had a wonderful time and can't wait till we sail on her again to Alaska in June.

At first, we had some complaints. We felt we were not being given enough personal attention and certain matters were not being attended to. After I filled out the mid-cruise comments and my husband spoke with the GM, service for us greatly improved. Of course, this should not have been necessary. However, it did make a difference for us.

We enjoyed dining in all the venues, sometimes sharing and meeting new folks. There were always many choices. Service was extremely wonderful. My husband requested special items not on the menu on several occasions, and his requests were always granted.

We enjoyed all the shows, even the cabarets. I like to be busy and there were not enough activities for me on board.

I was seasick for the first couple of days until I got my sea legs and Dramamine.

We enjoyed all the shore excursions we went on and I appreciated not having to do all the research myself.

I loved the interaction with the staff all of whom were very friendly.

We had a great experience on the Navigator.

[O-Town Travelers]

Glad to hear of your positive experience on the Navigator. We depart in 18-days and the last time we sailed Regent (Mariner in Alaska) was 14-years ago when the line was owned by Radisson. I always believe that the attitude you come in with will have a profound impact to your overall experience. The mind completes the picture.

[2old4this]

I must say this is all very interesting and I thank all of you for your input and honest (I think it is) reviews. At the same time, I left a message for my TA to look into canceling my Apr 2016 Navigator cruise. I will determine what "luxury" is for me and this is not it.

 

Don't move away from Regent too fast, Portofinoitaly, based on our comments, at least. Some of us have enjoyed Regent's small fleet many times and are going back to them in the months ahead. I, for one, 4 times with Regent, and while I have shared some of the complaints stated in this thread, I can't wait to vacation again with this line. I have used several of the other lines in my sea travels and remain to this day devoted to Regent, its service, fine foods, and its rich smallness. Jack

[TrulyBlonde]

Don't move away from Regent too fast, Portofinoitaly, based on our comments, at least. Some of us have enjoyed Regent's small fleet many times and are going back to them in the months ahead. I, for one, 4 times with Regent, and while I have shared some of the complaints stated in this thread, I can't wait to vacation again with this line. I have used several of the other lines in my sea travels and remain to this day devoted to Regent, its service, fine foods, and its rich smallness. Jack

 

Thank you Jack..greatly appreciate your feedback. My concern with Regent was only with the Navigator and did not feel this would be a good fit for us based on many of it's reviews (brown water, babies in pool etc.) I like the concept, all inclusive, and the idea of the larger suites. If the itinerary suits us, one of their newer ships would most definitely get us excited. We are still very much interested in Regent, just not that ship for that cruise.

[Travelcat2]

Thank you Jack..greatly appreciate your feedback. My concern with Regent was only with the Navigator and did not feel this would be a good fit for us based on many of it's reviews (brown water, babies in pool etc.) I like the concept, all inclusive, and the idea of the larger suites. If the itinerary suits us, one of their newer ships would most definitely get us excited. We are still very much interested in Regent, just not that ship for that cruise.

 

Good to hear that you are still interested in Regent. Please keep in mind that some negative comments are specific to the Navigator. In term of babies in the pool, we have not seen this - ever (but accept that it did happen - on a holiday cruise). On all but one cruise (Christmas), there were less than five children on board the ship (none on most).

 

Just received an email about included Business Class air for all categories (Baltic cruises) and $499/person each way for some other itineraries.

[TrulyBlonde]

Thank you TC2. I was just reviewing my replacement cruise booked today on the O Riviera for Adriatic (Aug 31 2016) vs my Regent one on the Navigator. I love the Riviera. Also, just booked on O Insignia Oct 2016 Lima to Buenos Aires plus deluxe pre trip to Machu Picchu. I will have to look at Spring 2016 for Regent and what itinerary may interest us because 2015 is totally booked for us, as well.

If not it will have to wait until 2017, but it least I am keeping in the family ;-)

[Baggywrinkle99]

We are Regent fans but avoid Navigator if possible for reasons that have been endlessly discussed here. Voyager and Mariner are a lot more "user friendly" for us and the new Explorer should be an exciting addition to the fleet. We're booked on her maiden voyage next year and can't wait!

[OctoberKat]

Looking forward to learning about your experiences, Baggywrinkle.