Currently on Navigator Miami to Montreal

[ChucktownSteve]

We're on our way to Bermuda tomorrow for three days before heading further north and colder weather.

 

The best part of this cruise is so many other passengers who are extremely friendly and inviting into conversations.  I've never experienced that as much on any other cruise line although Azamara was somewhat similar in nature.

 

The entertainment is wonderful.  Cruise Director Ray surprised me with how good he is and can really sing!

 

The excursions so far have been well organized.  The crew attitude is very friendly. Even the senior staff are engaging.

 

We're beginning day four and the food has been hit or miss...especially in Compass Rose.  Twice I had a waiter that didn't pay much attention to the tables because he was too preoccupied with slips of paper and doing busy work.  I noticed several other servers telling him how or what to do.  We never got coffee even after ordering it three times.  So finally last night I asked another server if the first guy was on his first contract.  I discovered it wasn't but he was just promoted to server.  There appears to be a lot of new crew in positions learning how to do their job to the apparent Regent caliber.

 

In speaking with the F&B Manager he shared that there are a lot of new crew and they're having some challenges in receiving items due to supply chain difficulty.

 

Several regular Regent cruisers say this cruise is not the standards they've been used to and many of them have complained.  The Compass Rose galley, IMO,  is the weakest of the venues in their execution. So I don't feel as bad that it's not just my expectations that haven't been reached yet.  However they are improving.  The F&B Manager did admit they've received a lot of complaints.

 

I like the menus and diversity but nothing that outstanding except Prime 7.  We were able to get an extra available slot the first sea evening. Service was impeccable. Food was hot, cooked properly to temperature and very tasty. 

 

Yesterday my DW asked me what was so special on this cruise we hadn't received on some of our other cruises to justify the added cost.  I couldn't answer her question yet.  I do like the overall caliber of the cruise but waiting to see the wow.  It's not a bad cruise but just hasn't lived up to what you experienced Regent loyalists have been accustomed to. Our best cruise of all time still is the Azamara Baltics cruise pre pandemic.

 

We covid tested yesterday as required by Bermuda before docking. It was handled very efficiently.  I did find out seven people tested positive although none of them showed any symptoms. That was admitted to me by a senior staff member when I inquired.

 

The Navigator being the smallest and oldest Regent vessel is not the smoothest sailing. There are a lot of vibrations throughout the ship when were booking it or docking.

 

These are my initial observations.  I'm sure they will be improving.  Our next Regent cruises are in September to Alaska and then the Panama Canal in January.  The ships will each increase in size.  Thus I should gain a good comparison before determining my final Regent opinion.  Here's hoping it just gets better and better.

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[royallondon]

Thanks ChucktownSteve for your posting and initial impression’s.

As big Azamara fans and future first time Regent cruisers, (same itinerary/ship next May) your experience holds much interest.

 

It often takes us a few days to “settle into” a cruise and hope your sailing just gets better and better.

 

Regards

 

 

[briar14]

ChuckTownSteve, thank you for this posting. We board Navigator for the first time in July. After many Regent cruises on all their other ships, we experienced our first disappointing one on the December Mariner cruise. I will be very interested in your thoughts. Have a wonderful trip!

Edited May 17, 2022 by briar14

[ChucktownSteve]

I forgot to mention embarkation in Miami was horrendous. It took us almost two hours of standing on line before getting cleared to board the ship. 
 

it would have taken us longer however during a conversation with a regular standing in front of us I mentioned that I hoped it wouldn’t be much longer since my glucose level was close to reaching my low limit alert. 
 

He knew one of the senior staff who working the line and was  letting people with walking, medical or standing difficulty use the priority lane. 
 

He shared my situation with the senior staff member who invited me to use the priority lane. 
 

That was my first experience on how friendly and helpful the other cruisers are to each other. I never would have asked the advantage for myself. 
 

I know the check in people work for the port and not Regent. They were under staffed and not well trained.  I heard from others it was their worst Regent embarkation. It certainly was mine for any other cruise line too. 
 

Our first night we came back to the cabin about 9:00pm, noticed our Concierge suite had not been turned down or the towels we used to shower had not been replaced. Shortly after we got undressed for bed, the cabin Steward rang our doorbell.   Not a good impression. Needless to say I declined service because we didn’t want to get dressed again for that. 
 

The cruise before ours was 25% capacity. Our cruise is full capacity. I believe some staff may have had difficulty adjusting to the much higher workload and hadn’t gained their rhythm yet. We haven’t had a problem since because we communicate now with the refresh or privacy door hanger. 
 

I hope you don’t take my comments as complaining. I’m trying to share my observations as a first time Regent cruiser. 

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[ronrick1943]

Thanks for posting, it’s sad to hear about the problems.  With a band name it would seem Regent isn’t doing the cruise you paid for—that i really sad at best.

[DISNEY GIRL]

We too are on this Regent sailing and it is our first experience with Regent, as we are looking for a replacement for the wonderful Crystal Serenity.   Unfortunately, Regent Navigator is not it!!! Checkin took 2 hours, lady in front of us fainted... not impressed.

 

Have complained twice about the service in Compass Rose.  However our biggest bugbear is the vibration throughout the ship. Frankly, it's like being on a car ferry.  

 

Will be trying Seabourn next.....

[ChucktownSteve]

2 hours ago, DISNEY GIRL said:

However our biggest bugbear is the vibration throughout the ship. Frankly, it's like being on a car ferry. 

 

We're center ship deck 8. Several times a day we hear what I suspect are stabilizers being extended or retracted.  Very noisy and vibrates even this high.

I received a bottle of veuve clicquot champagne after I commented to a guest services staff about Compass Rose's problems the first night.  Too bad I can't drink wine or Champagne. lol  Guess I'll offer it to my cabin stewardess.  With all the ship vibrations, I hope it hasn't shaken the bottle too much. 🤣

 

If we book Regent after the current set of itineraries, it definitely won't be on Navigator.

Edited May 17, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[Sunprince]

1 hour ago, DISNEY GIRL said:

However our biggest bugbear is the vibration throughout the ship. Frankly, it's like being on a car ferry.  

 

47 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

If we book Regent after the current set of itineraries, it definitely won't be on Navigator.

I wouldn’t disagree regarding the Navigator vibration issue.  But I’m just curious, DisneyGirl and ChucktownSteve, if you were aware of the Navigator vibration issue prior to booking your cruise?  Some Regent cruisers love Navigator and others do not…and  the vibration has been a well known issue discussed on CC for many, many years.  Sorry to hear it is impacting the enjoyment of your cruise.  Hope it improves.  

[bayonejoe]

I’m curious. Is the vibration issue universal around the ship . Or is it more 

pronounced forward or aft?.

we are booked on Navigator in September. So I guess we will have a first hand experience.

Hopefully , the problems in Compass Rose will be resolved by then.

[mrstanley]

We board the Navigator in July.

Hopefully things improve.

[ChucktownSteve]

2 hours ago, Sunprince said:

 

I wouldn’t disagree regarding the Navigator vibration issue.  But I’m just curious, DisneyGirl and ChucktownSteve, if you were aware of the Navigator vibration issue prior to booking your cruise?  Some Regent cruisers love Navigator and others do not…and  the vibration has been a well known issue discussed on CC for many, many years.  Sorry to hear it is impacting the enjoyment of your cruise.  Hope it improves.  

sunprince, I understand many people prefer the Navigator. I’m fine with that.  this is ourfirst Regent cruise. 

 

Yes people mentioned the vibrations however until this particular cruise, how could I know how much it would impact our experience?

 

I’ve usually experienced vibrations at stern cabins on other ships.  We are midship and relatively high. I didn’t expect it to be the whole ship. 
 

Guess it’s my fault for booking this cruise. I promise you I won’t have this problem again.  
 

Btw I’ve only been reading Regent’s board for a little more than a year. Searching on CC boards isn’t necessarily the easiest way to find things.  Why didn’t you warn me this past year? You knew long ago. 😁

Edited May 17, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[NCCruzQueen]

1 hour ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

 

Btw I’ve only been reading Regent’s board for a little more than a year. Searching on CC boards isn’t necessarily the easiest way to find things.  Why didn’t you warn me this past year? You knew long ago. 😁

1 -  Good qualified Luxury Travel Agents know of the vibration issue on Navigator.

 

2 - By reading UUNetBill’s Suite Guru sticky, tells it all.

 

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by NCCruzQueen

[takemewithyou]

24 minutes ago, NCCruzQueen said:

1 -  Good qualified Luxury Travel Agents know of the vibration issue on Navigator.

 

2 - By reading UUNetBill’s Suite Guru sticky, tells it all.

 

 

The one at the top of the page with 377 posts, started in 2017?

 

Do the other ships, such as Mariner have the vibration problem……or just.Navigator?  I almost booked Navigator once and would have been a new Regent cruiser?

Edited May 18, 2022 by takemewithyou

[mrstanley]

I have been on this ship 4 times. Obviously the vibration issue that people talk about didn’t bother us . I do remember that we had a cabin towards the rear of the ship where we heard a lot of noise when the ship was docking. This coming cruise we r 

midship. 

[cruiseluv]

5 hours ago, DISNEY GIRL said:

We too are on this Regent sailing and it is our first experience with Regent, as we are looking for a replacement for the wonderful Crystal Serenity.   Unfortunately, Regent Navigator is not it!!! Checkin took 2 hours, lady in front of us fainted... not impressed.

 

Have complained twice about the service in Compass Rose.  However our biggest bugbear is the vibration throughout the ship. Frankly, it's like being on a car ferry.  

 

Will be trying Seabourn next.....

The Navigator has been around for over 20 years, and it’s a well known issue that it vibrates, mainly aft. We’re you not aware of that before booking the cruise?

[cwn]

We did a world cruise 137 days in the Navigator and love her. We would do another long cruise on her. Yes there is some vibration in the rear at some speeds but it wasn’t a problem for us. 
The suite guru sticky is a great resource. There are many threads on CC  over the years and recently about the Navigator… history and vibration.

Edited May 18, 2022 by cwn

[cruiseluv]

3 hours ago, bayonejoe said:

I’m curious. Is the vibration issue universal around the ship . Or is it more 

pronounced forward or aft?.

we are booked on Navigator in September. So I guess we will have a first hand experience.

Hopefully , the problems in Compass Rose will be resolved by then.

It’s aft. I’ve  been on Navigator three times, always in cabins towards the front and you can’t feel any vibration on those. In the public areas while I’m awake it doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the trip

[ChucktownSteve]

1 hour ago, NCCruzQueen said:

 

 

2 - By reading UUNetBill’s Suite Guru sticky, tells it all.

 

 

 Since you're the long time expert here, would you please find the link to UUNetBill's guru thread post on Suite 834 that could have warned me? I couldn't find it before or again just now. 

[NCCruzQueen]

3 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 Since you're the long time expert here, would you please find the link to UUNetBill's guru thread post on Suite 834 that could have warned me? I couldn't find it before or again just now. 

Chucktown,

 

It’s cruisers like you and me who fill out the Suite Guru thread.  If we don’t write reviews after each cruise, you may not know the pros and cons to each individual suite.  I tend to read the reviews in the area of the suites I book to look for issues.

 

Again,

1 -  A good qualified luxury travel agent would have steered you away from troublesome suites on Navigator.  Most of us seasoned Navigator cruisers know not to book aft suites.  That information is widely published here on Cruise Critic.  
 

 

[NCCruzQueen]

4 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

The one at the top of the page with 377 posts, started in 2017?

 

Do the other ships, such as Mariner have the vibration problem……or just.Navigator?  I almost booked Navigator once and would have been a new Regent cruiser?

Look at the Google docs attached to the first post.  Pick your ship, then select your deck and scroll until you find your suite.  Look for reviews around your suite if no review is written.  
 

If you still can’t find a review, go back and read a few screens/pages or start your on thread about your ship and suite.  People here are happy to help you.

Edited May 18, 2022 by NCCruzQueen

[flossie009]

8 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

Yes people mentioned the vibrations however until this particular cruise, how could I know how much it would impact our experience?

You certainly could not have done, and you obviously chose the position of your suite carefully to avoid the reported stern vibration.

 

12 hours ago, DISNEY GIRL said:

However our biggest bugbear is the vibration throughout the ship.

If the vibration is throughout then it has certainly got considerably worse since we were last on board Navigator, one of our favourite ships.

 

7 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

Do the other ships, such as Mariner have the vibration problem

In our experience Mariner has no vibration issues.

There have been recent reports of vibration on Splendor, but we were not impacted by anything when we cruised on her last December.

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by flossie009

[flossie009]

17 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

I hope you don’t take my comments as complaining. I’m trying to share my observations as a first time Regent cruiser. 

It is good to hear live balanced reviews from first time Regent customers such as you and @DISNEY GIRL

I hope your experiences improve over the coming days

 

 

[FengShui@Sea]

7 hours ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 Since you're the long time expert here, would you please find the link to UUNetBill's guru thread post on Suite 834 that could have warned me? I couldn't find it before or again just now. 

Here is the link:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2393020-regent-seven-seas-suiteguru-quick-reviews-ratings-of-regent-seven-seas-suites/

 

Thank you for your observations and information about the Navigator, greatly appreciated.

[ChucktownSteve]

Thank you for the nice comments.  The smallest ship I've sailed to date is an Azamara R class twice.  Once aft facing.  The only vibrations on that ship was when we reversed the props to slow and dock. It was for only a short time.

 

Who would have thought a mid ship suite on deck 8 would be as bad even though some vibration is expected.  Fortunately the Captain has slowed to a moderate pace so the vibrations have disappeared.  We were booking it in 3-5ft seas when the problem occurred. I'm sure the seas where the itinerary sails is  also a contributing factor. 

 

I'm not having a bad cruise.  There is a higher quality of service and offerings than other lines we've sailed.  Whether the added price is justified, the jury is still out for me  But that is a subjective opinion that only each person can determine for themselves. I do have the rest of this cruise (we're not even half through it) and the two additional ones for better that later. I've run into countless people who have a preference to Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruises. I feel if that's what they enjoy good for them. 

 

Until now we've only sailed Oceania and Azamara in the premium sector.  So we stepped up to Luxury to form our own opinions. 

 

On this cruise, we just have happened to be exposed to some of the newly trained crew that obviously haven't grown yet into their position. The attitudes are positive across the entire crew.

 

Prime 7 last night was par excellence. Double cut lamb chops were cooked perfectly to temperature and flavorful. Service was quick and impeccable.

 

I wish F&B would understand the difference between "no sugar added" and "sugar free" for those of us who have to watch our glucose levels.  Recently in Celebrity's Edge class Laminae and Azamara's sailings, they made really good sugar free, diverse deserts. Even though I've requested here, all they serve on Navigator for sugar free is mixed berries.  I'm berry, berry tired of berries for dessert every evening as the only option despite my multiple requests.

Edited May 18, 2022 by ChucktownSteve

[ChucktownSteve]

11 hours ago, NCCruzQueen said:

2 - By reading UUNetBill’s Suite Guru sticky, tells it all.

 

 

I wonder what this tells us all about the suite we're booked mid-ship on the port side, "Not yet reviewed"?