Live from Voyager Transatlantic Mar 22 to Apr 5

[Mark99]

Day 2 of the 6 day crossing between Bermuda and Madiera, the weather is really cooperating. The sun is out and it is about 70 degrees. It is windy as expected and the swells are about 6 ft. I’m very surprised because all of the outside decks are closed. The full deck 5 as well as the entire deck 12 (jogging track and forward putting area) are roped off with warning signs. This is a surprise and quite a disappointment. I can’t imagine spending the next 5 days of the crossing inside. The nice lady at reception informed me that it is because of “safety”. I’ll admit I’ve been on a couple of other cruises (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity) where the lower decks were closed, but those rare instances the decks were pitching and waves were breaking onto the deck. I can’t ever remember a time when the upper level jogging track was closed. There isn’t anything ominous here. Winds are maybe 20-25 kt and as I said, 6 ft swells, and minimal spray. Honestly sitting inside, I can hardly feel any rocking.

 

I suppose safety is relative, and there is a lower threshold on this cruise line because of the more elderly demographic.  I am wondering if this more conservative approach is typical of Regent.

[Mark99]

After reading the contentious threads about the dress code I too was a little apprehensive about being “properly” dressed. Remember that all my comments are based on my single experience on this cruise, a 14-night transatlantic, which may not represent the demographic profile of your cruise. By observation, I guess that the median age is around 80, composed mostly of retired American and European passengers. Also remember that because of the cruise length, all evenings are designated “elegant casual” so I cannot comment on evenings designated as “formal.” First, I’ll repeat what’s printed in the “Passages” daily handout to save you looking it up again: “A skirt or slacks (no jeans) with a blouse or sweater, pant suit, or dress for ladies; slacks (no jeans) and collared shirt for gentlemen. Sports jackets are optional. (no jeans, t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, or baseball caps).” Notice that they printed “no jeans” three different times.

 

As an overview, I would characterize this as a non-issue that has been way overblown on the boards here. Everyone seems to be generally respectful of the printed code, and no one seems to care. One possible issue, if any, would be whether you feel comfortable being typically dressed or coming to a venue feeling underdressed. Again, emphasize this is how you might feel and not a reflection of what others are thinking about you (because I would argue that how you are dressed does not rise to any level of importance in their minds). I am going to limit my comments to menswear, so ladies will have to draw their own parallels. So from my observations, at dinners in the Compass Rose and Sette Mari, you will feel typically dressed in any pants with a crease (even dark colored Dockers), and a long sleeved dress shirt. Some men wear a sport jacket; very few wear a tie. A few men wear collared short-sleeve shirts and more casual pants, but no jeans. In the specialty restaurants and at the Captain’s reception, you will be typical with dress slacks, dress shirt and a sport jacket, and about half the men also are wearing a tie. A few men wear dress slacks and long sleeve dress shirts without a jacket. Dress at the 9:30 pm shows are just a reflection of what everyone wore to dinner, so you will see the most variation there from minimum to the max.

[Mark99]

22 hours ago, eliana said:

Reverting to coffee. A fellow passenger who seems to know about coffee told us that Regent use a Robusta blend as it is much cheaper than the much more pleasant and drinkable Arabica, and that accounts for its bitter taste.

I think our butler got tired of refilling the allotment of 4 pods in the box and he left us the full can of the pods. It is Illy 100% Arabica, medium blend. I'm not used to espresso, so I'm not sure what part of the taste might be bitter and what part is just strong. It does pack a powerful punch in a minimum volume, though.

[Kwaj girl]

7 minutes ago, Mark99 said:

I think our butler got tired of refilling the allotment of 4 pods in the box and he left us the full can of the pods. It is Illy 100% Arabica, medium blend. I'm not used to espresso, so I'm not sure what part of the taste might be bitter and what part is just strong. It does pack a powerful punch in a minimum volume, though.

Just get a medium-size cup from machine in Coffee Connection and hit the 'full cup' button twice.  Voila!

[Tucson54]

Is it difficult to get early dining in Copper Rose?  Like 6 or 6:30??

[Tucson54]

OOPs - sorry   - Compass Rose??

[GrJ Berks]

Does not open till  6-30pm, usually very quiet in first 25 mins, busy after 7 till 8 , then might have to wait for tables to clear, but might then be a rush to get to 9-30 show if desired, if having all courses at dinner.

[poss]

Mark99,

First I want to say again that I'm appreciating your thread.    Am I correct in understanding that you said you got a significant reduction in price for the cruise, i.e. that you paid less than the brochure fare?    I didn't think that fares could be discounted, except by Regent itself.   From whom did you receive this big reduction?   I must be misunderstanding, yes?

[Mark99]

Hi Tucson- As noted above, all the restaurants open for dinner at 6:30 PM. I do not see any crowds at Compass Rose - we just walk in for either a 2-person table or larger shared table- your choice. There are plenty of both types and on this cruise it looks like you could get either pretty much any time throughout the dinner time. There are less 2-person tables in Sette Mari so if you wanted that you might want to arrive in the first 15 minutes or so, or take your chances an hour or so later when the tables turn over. Getting a 6:30 reservation in the specialty restaurants, especially 2-person table, seems to be the most challenging. If you want that you should try to book it on-line in advance. We did get additional specialty reservations for later in the cruise via the butler, but they were for later times (like 7:30) and at shared tables.

 

Hi poss- yes we did get a discount and everything was through Regent directly. The first booking in Concierge was a "special" according to the agent and it was below brochure price. The upgrade to SS suite came a few days before departure and again was in response to an email directly from Regent. The total at the end was a slightly higher percentage below brochure price than after the first booking.

 

In response to our devolving direction about the dress code, and again as a first time Regent cruiser, I have to emphasize how much of a non-issue this is aboard the ship. I don't sense that anyone cares. It is chilly inside and I personally am very comfortable in a long sleeved shirt and a sport jacket- probably more than in just the shirt. If we were in the tropics and it were hot out, I'd probably just wear the short sleeved collared shirt and light slacks. Maybe in that weather the entire group of passengers just starts to get a little more casual, and more casual wouldn't seem out of place. Here on the TA cruise it would. I have to also give credit to Regent in that they are upholding their end of the bargain quite well. The ambiance of the restaurants including table settings, decor, servers, food and drinks is all very upscale, and is the opposite of t-shirt and shorts.

[Mark99]

Just awaking to day 4 of the 6 day crossing, and 7 nights until Barcelona. The cruise is half over. It seems like just yesterday we were in Miami, and at the same time I can’t remember not being on the ship. One thing about a TA- it is so much boat it will shake the urge to cruise out of you for a while. There are a lot of things to do, but nothing of much consequence. Eating seems to be the main pastime, with drinking coming in a close second. There are not-well-attended other things, like bingo, board games, bridge lessons, exercise classes, trivia, and slot/blackjack tournaments. Each day there are two specialty lectures in the theater- one on forensics and one on oceanography. The VOD system has about every first-run movie you could think of, as well as some older ones and classics. They played the movie Green Book in the theater a couple of days ago and are playing Bohemian Rhapsody today. The Pool Grill has been having themed lunches each day (like Mexican, Thai, seafood, and today is Satay). Last night La Veranda had an Indian menu rather than the Sette Mari. Evenings are usual cruise fare entertainment, such as specialty acts (musical and comedy) and production shows. Everything is at 9:30-10:30, which is a bit of a challenge because of the time changes. The lounges have live music- either the orchestra (usually as a trio) or the lounge piano player (who is different than the concert pianist who is the “band leader” who plays with the orchestra). We have had a couple of 6 pm pre-dinner special shows- one was a classical concert by the band leader, and the other was a vocal concert by the cruise director and his wife, who are a professional singing duo.

 

Just a shout-out to our co-travelers on the Explorer Miami to Lisbon cruise who are three days behind us. I saw your note about the weather. We had some substantial wind the first night out of Bermuda but since then the seas have been almost flat and the wind max at 15kt. The largest swells I see now are coming from the ship’s wake. If the ship would stop we could go swimming. It is cloudy today but yesterday it was sunny and 70 degrees all day. I know I talked about aft vibration in one of the earlier posts, but we are puttering along at 15kt. and in the cabin there is virtually no sound and just a very gentle creaking and rocking.

 

Got to leave now for the AM lecture, but stay tuned- we still have to discuss the butler- I have a conclusion on that, and also I wanted to mention something about unlimited shore excursions. Thanks for reading.

[ronrick1943]

9 hours ago, Mark99 said:

 The cruise is half over. It seems like just yesterday we were in Miami, and at the same time I can’t remember not being on the ship. One thing about a TA- it is so much boat it will shake the urge to cruise out of you for a while.

Got to leave now for the AM lecture, but stay tuned- we still have to discuss the butler- I have a conclusion on that, and also I wanted to mention something about unlimited shore excursions. Thanks for reading.

 

 

This is why we (and I think most people) go on a TA, doing nothing at all or doing what you want without the rushing around.  You have time to enjoy the ship as cruising should be.  To be honest if I want to really see a city, I'll fly into that city and spend the needed time. When we cruise it's all about the ship, service, food and having the time to meet and socialize with those people you enjoy.  You sparked my interest with "discuss the butler".  Thanks for taking the time, I've enjoyed your trip.

 

[UUNetBill]

23 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

You sparked my interest with "discuss the butler". 

Mine too.  Waiting for the details.

[Travelcat2]

Before even reading what will be written about butlers, I can say that all butlers are not created equal.  We have had a butler on almost all of our cruises and have twice had to ask for our butler to be changed (not bad considering how many cruises we have taken).  Most of the time we hope to get a butler that we have had previously because they are so good and proactive.  In my opinion, they enhance our cruise and they are lovely human beings! 

[boblerm]

10 hours ago, Mark99 said:

Last night La Veranda had an Indian menu rather than the Sette Mari.

This is something new to me, although I have never done a crossing.

Is this a common occurrence on crossings?

Bob

[Brownie54]

We had this happen on our recent Singapore to Hong Kong cruise on the Mariner, and it was delicious!

i would suggest that Regent properly let passengers know of the 1 night change. It was “ buried” on the back page of Passages with the restaurant hours. As we were enjoying our Indian dinner, we watched many fellow passengers come in, surprised/disappointed that it was not Sette Mari and left. It’s too bad they didn’t give it a try!

[boblerm]

4 minutes ago, Brownie54 said:

We had this happen on our recent Singapore to Hong Kong cruise on the Mariner, and it was delicious!

i would suggest that Regent properly let passengers know of the 1 night change. It was “ buried” on the back page of Passages with the restaurant hours. As we were enjoying our Indian dinner, we watched many fellow passengers come in, surprised/disappointed that it was not Sette Mari and left. It’s too bad they didn’t give it a try!

I totally agree, I love the fact that Regent is adding yet more variety to their offerings. But they surely should be making it well known, so those who are interested don't miss out! 

[DeepFreeze63]

1 hour ago, boblerm said:

I totally agree, I love the fact that Regent is adding yet more variety to their offerings. But they surely should be making it well known, so those who are interested don't miss out! 

 I found the comment after our Ocrober 2018 Athens to Athens: "A “shout-out” to Danelle. She arranged two special dinner nights in La Verandah (not Sette Mare) – a Italian Buffet and a Mediterranean Buffet. Both were marvelous; DW found the veal dishes superb! I loved having “skillions” of different sumptuous vegetable dishes." 

Now that I think about them, I don't think that they were well publicized!

[Kwaj girl]

A side note about Trivia....it really IS a packed house ..we are very competitive!  

[Mark99]

Day 5 of 6 day crossing- The swell and wind picked up a bit- seas are 3-5 ft and choppy but no whitecaps. It’s cloudy now but it was sunny and clear yesterday afternoon. We are in the middle of a high-pressure system so no thoughts of rain. I have not attended trivia but it is good to know that is where everyone else is, since I do not see too many people walking around the ship. This just may be a newcomers impression, being used to the RCCL and Celebrity crowds. It’s different not having to arrive early to get a seat for meals or a show.

 

We just finished a special lunch buffet and galley tour- the buffet was set up in the galley just forward of the Compass Rose, and it was extensive. We got our meals and took pictures as we visited the galley stations and ate in the restaurant. An instrumental trio was playing live and there was a very large dessert buffet set up in the restaurant. Another great event put on by the galley staff and the chef. On this trip the chef is much more visible than I have seen on the other lines- it looks like he comes out at every venue and every meal to inspect the food and visit with the passengers.

 

For the new Regent cruisers, I wanted to point out some fine print regarding the “unlimited shore excursions.” If you are planning to take more than one excursion in a day, the ending time of the earlier one must be at least 75 minutes before the scheduled starting time of the second one. For our 3 stops, that effectively means one per day, because the early excursions do not quite leave enough time between, even though they both depart and arrive back at the same point (the pier in most cases). So that would be important if you are comparing a la carte fares on other lines vs. the “all inclusive” fares on RSSC.

[cwn]

17 hours ago, Brownie54 said:

We had this happen on our recent Singapore to Hong Kong cruise on the Mariner, and it was delicious!

i would suggest that Regent properly let passengers know of the 1 night change. It was “ buried” on the back page of Passages with the restaurant hours. As we were enjoying our Indian dinner, we watched many fellow passengers come in, surprised/disappointed that it was not Sette Mari and left. It’s too bad they didn’t give it a try!

On the 2018 WC Sette Mari was changed to a themed night frequently and was always noted in the center section of Passages the day before and the last page the day of. The CD mentioned it at some of the live programs also. I have learned one have to read Passages thoroughly or one are going to miss something.

[cwn]

Just now, Mark99 said:

…...….....This just may be a newcomers impression, being used to the RCCL and Celebrity crowds. It’s different not having to arrive early to get a seat for meals or a show.

 

This is why we went with Regent and Seaborne after many years on HAL, Celebrity, NCL and Princess. No rushing to get a seat, no lines for dinner and getting on and off the Ship, and no crowds at activities. Just a lovely relaxed pace all around. We still cruise on Carnival and RCCL with our children and grandchildren because they offer more shorter cruises and more life after 8PM and children's activities.

 

 

We just finished a special lunch buffet and galley tour- the buffet was set up in the galley just forward of the Compass Rose, and it was extensive........On this trip the chef is much more visible than I have seen on the other lines- it looks like he comes out at every venue and every meal to inspect the food and visit with the passengers.

 

The Galley Lunch is one of our favorite things! If you haven't had the chef fix a special meal for you, you should. Our favorite is shrimp and vegetable tempura with a sweet and sour sauce...divine! we had it several times on our last cruise.

 

For the new Regent cruisers, I wanted to point out some fine print regarding the “unlimited shore excursions.” If you are planning to take more than one excursion in a day, the ending time of the earlier one must be at least 75 minutes before the scheduled starting time of the second one. For our 3 stops, that effectively means one per day, because the early excursions do not quite leave enough time between, even though they both depart and arrive back at the same point (the pier in most cases). So that would be important if you

are comparing a la carte fares on other lines vs. the “all inclusive” fares on RSSC.

 

When first booking excursions pre-cruise, the Regent program will not let you book an excursion less than 90 minutes apart. We have done two excursions a day at some ports, but it generally makes for a long tiring day. 

 

When we compare two similar cruises between Seabourne and Regent  before booking, we figure one excursion on ports days at a value of $125pp to compare.  Seabourne almost always comes out at a better price than Regent even adding more cost to the tours. If Regent is offering special amenities like they do on Grand Voyages and the WC, they are hands down the winner even for lines like HAL and Princess (they are much too big for our taste anymore).  

 

 

Edited March 30, 2019 by cwn

[Hambagahle]

On 3/29/2019 at 10:24 PM, Brownie54 said:

We had this happen on our recent Singapore to Hong Kong cruise on the Mariner, and it was delicious!

i would suggest that Regent properly let passengers know of the 1 night change. It was “ buried” on the back page of Passages with the restaurant hours. As we were enjoying our Indian dinner, we watched many fellow passengers come in, surprised/disappointed that it was not Sette Mari and left. It’s too bad they didn’t give it a try!

would suit me to a tee if la Veranda had an Indian menu every single night.  I don't like "Sette Mari" at all so do't go there.  Indian food - I love all of it, northern, southern, Bengali etc!

[Mark99]

Last day of the 6 day crossing- we arrive in Madiera tomorrow am. I can't even remember when we last set foot on land. Weather is about the same as yesterday, moderate wind and 4-6 ft swells gently rocking the boat. It's a little more misty and wet today- they picked up all the exposed towels from chairs on the pool deck. Tonight is special Mediterranean night in La Veranda (no Sette Mari again)- we are looking forward to that. We had dinner last night in Sette Mari- I had an excellent Cioppino last night- besides the usual fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels, there was half a lobster tail. I love this restaurant, but in small doses. It is very rich food.

 

The time changes are a killer- we have had three nights of one hour forward in a row (making 5 total since leaving Miami). I thought we were going to get off easy, since the US had a daylight savings time bump early and Europe had not when we left. As it turns out, today is the time advancement for them, putting them back to the usual 6 hour difference. So we now match Madiera, and will have one more advancement before Cadiz. This is something to think about, since it looks like the upcoming crossings following the same route make an overnight in Hamilton, and then make the crossing in 5 days. That would make for 4 time bumps in the 6 nights, instead of 7 nights.

 

And now to the subject of the butler. It is that as a new Regent cruiser, I’m not sure what is available and that makes it harder to decide what I want. When we have taken cruises on the other cruise lines (like RCCL and Celebrity), we take what they give us, and that is well defined.  So the ability to ask is new, and the options are unknown. Your suggestion to be proactive is a good one. I admit additional research here would likely have turned up many suggestions, and maybe with that my perspective would be different. We are supplied with a folder titled “butler menu,” but is only a menu for the different canape selections. Perhaps one explanation for the lack of a real “butler menu,” that is, providing suggestions as to any specific tasks the butler could do, is a little too bourgeois.

 

Our butler is a very personable fellow, and he appears like clockwork every day about 5 pm to deliver us canapes. I think he is the one who is keeping our wine, water, and coffee pod supplies up. Every day he asks us how our day went, and if there is anything else we need. Usually that has been no- everything is OK. He did make us the additional reservation in Chartreuse (which we ultimately cancelled- more on that later). A couple of days ago we asked him whether it would be possible to get any “behind the scenes tours.” He was able to get us a reservation for a bridge tour on one of the upcoming port days, so that was nice.

 

I think my final assessment is that butlers are excellent customer service assistants and can do many things that you could easily do for yourself. I assume since the in-cabin beverages are included for all categories, that your stateroom attendant or room service would be restocking or providing those. Reservations for shore excursions and specialty restaurants you can make for yourself. In-suite parties you could throw yourself – just order extra food and drink from room service. Canapes- do you really need more food just before dinner? Upgrading to penthouse is not only about the butler, but also the location and increased room size.  Just consider that with such a high level of customer service and amenities already included, I am not finding that the butler provides a big value-added.

[hypercafe]

Hi, first thanks for taking the time to tell us about your trip. Sounds like its great, wish I was there!!  As for the butler, I have not sailed on Regent yet however I have on Silversea where everyone gets butler service. They have proven helpful when things went wrong and have saved me trips to the front desk. They make the room service nicer and seem happy just to stay and talk. With that said I also don't find them as a big asset.

[ronrick1943]

On 3/29/2019 at 3:54 AM, Mark99 said:

 The cruise is half over. It seems like just yesterday we were in Miami, and at the same time I can’t remember not being on the ship. One thing about a TA- it is so much boat it will shake the urge to cruise out of you for a while.

Got to leave now for the AM lecture, but stay tuned- we still have to discuss the butler- I have a conclusion on that, and also I wanted to mention something about unlimited shore excursions. Thanks for reading.

 

 

This is why we (and I think most people) go on a TA, doing nothing at all or doing what you want without the rushing around.  You have time to enjoy the ship as cruising should be.  To be honest if I want to really see a city, I'll fly into that city and spend the needed time. When we cruise it's all about the ship, service, food and having the time to meet and socialize with those people you enjoy.  You sparked my interest with "discuss the butler".  Thanks for taking the time, I've enjoyed your trip.