Regent Voyager Eastern Caribbean Trip Report 12/18 - 12/29/08 (Extremely Long) Pt 1

[DebbieH103]

This is extremely long, and I hope people will just read the sections that interest them, rather than blast me for the length.

 

Seven Seas Voyager Eastern Caribbean Holiday Cruise December 18 – 29, 2008

 

Summary

We had a great cruise. It was different being on a ship for Christmas, and I brought a tiny little tree for our room. We really enjoyed the dinners at all of the restaurants. I enjoyed all of the specialty restaurants a lot, and Todd’s favorite was Prime 7 by far. The dinners were good at Compass Rose, but they were starting to become similar after some time, as were the lunches. I enjoyed seeing what they were having on the pool deck lunch buffets, but Todd did not like the crowds.

 

There were some service glitches, but nothing that we hadn’t heard about in recent reviews or expected, and there was nothing even close to serious. A few people went out of their way for people, while some did not try at all and did not take ownership of the Regent experience. Most others were efficient. I never expected everything to be one person’s job, but having people willing to pick up the phone to help was appreciated when it was done and noted when it was not.

 

The cabin was very comfortable. Motion did not bother us. People in cabins around us were of no bother to us. We encountered no problems with smokers or children or rudeness.

 

We enjoyed the daily activities a lot and noted they were sometimes stingy with the tokens, but we know they may go away this year and hope that will not happen.

 

The evening shows were not spectacular, but we enjoyed what we saw.

We left more relaxed than we came, and I did not feel like quality had gone down from last year. Todd didn’t have any complaints except a thing here or there about the pool deck. We really enjoyed the other guests that we encountered on board, and everyone seemed to mix quite well.

 

Embarkation and Cabin

We had heard a number of stories about post dry-dock cruises and potential problems, but we had booked the cruise over a year in advance and did not even know about the dry dock at that time. We were looking forward to Christmas onboard and experiencing the new upgrades to the ship. There are still some areas where they were drilling and finishing things, such as the coffee corner, Signatures, and the walls in the hallways. This was pretty much wrapped up the first day.

 

We flew non-stop from Houston on Continental, so we were down to Fort Lauderdale by 10:30 and over to the terminal fairly quickly. We were allowed to line up for boarding promptly at noon. Only one family arrived before us, and we were second in our line, but they were a family of six (3 cabins), and there were a lot of problems with the new computer system. It took quite a while to get the photos taken and to get the cards done, but they got it all going. There was confusion with new staff in how to handle the fact that Todd had never sailed Regent and was rooming with me, but they straightened that out, too.

 

We kept a carry-on and let them take the two large bags. We were greeted politely and immediately were handed champagne and told that lunch was “upstairs”. I remembered everything about the ship, so no problem there. We headed straight to our cabin and found the stewardess and asked to leave our carry-on bags in the cabin and went up to La Veranda for the buffet lunch. There was already a line of about 20 people up there, but soon we were relaxing, and Todd was already bragging about the lunch buffet.

 

We went around the ship taking pictures of the newly redone areas. We’d been handed our Signatures reservation card at boarding. I made that reservation on the internet. Prime 7 was not available on the internet for booking, and the phone reservation I did never came through. None of the room requests for pillows or drinks came through, either for any rooms on board. At 2:30, they got the new computer system up, and while the staff learned how to book a restaurant, I waited over an hour to get a similar Prime 7 reservation to the one I had “confirmed” on the phone.

After that, we went to our cabin (category G, cabin 651) a little before 3 p.m. and she still was not ready, but Todd went ahead and changed in the bathroom, and we went out on the pool deck till the announcement that the rooms were ready.

 

By then, it was time for the muster, which was at 4:15 in Prime 7.

After that, almost nobody had their bags, and by about 5:40, Todd went after ours and waited 30 minutes while they searched one by one. We then were able to get ready for dinner.

 

I had given embarkation a poor rating before on my other Regent cruises because I would like to see more fanfare with canapés and would like a cabin introduction, baggage assistance, etc. However, it was nice to just go about becoming a resident this time and just get on with having a good time.

 

Our stewardess explained that drydock was why there was no lotion in the room (and got some later) and what drinks they had available after I hunted her down over the lotion. Some pretty standard liquor was considered “premium” (like Jack Daniels and Gray Goose), and two of those could not be ordered. You could get one of those or two “regular”, so Todd chose Myers rum and Stoli. The fridge was stocked with Coke brand products, along with Miller beer, club soda, and tonic water. We took out what we didn’t want and put it in the cabinet next to the fridge.

The drapes were new in the cabin, and they were nice and thick. They were brown. They did a good job in separating the room areas and blocking light so that one of us could stay up or get up early. The new flat screen TV (not added in drydock but added since my cruise last year) was around 27 inches, and it swivels nicely for viewing in the sitting or sleeping area. There were 148 movies on it on demand, along with CNN, Fox News, TNT, and ESPN and the ship channels. It was 4 days into the cruise before the dining menus started showing up on TV. Our DVD player did not work, and it took 3 days to get it fixed. This was not a big deal except that there was a holiday DVD I wanted to see. We loved the interactive movies because it saved our place if we did not watch the whole thing, and you can do that with more than one movie so that if you each had started something, you could select and go back to either one. The system is like what I have seen on Delta and other airlines with the video on demand.

 

Our cabin worked very well for us, and our stewardess, Maria and steward, Nelson were excellent. They were so accommodating, and they adapted to our schedule and needs and were always there if we needed them and away if that is what we wanted. The bed had a nice green throw that we used on the couch a lot. We had plenty of hot water for two baths or showers back-to-back, and Todd is 6’ 3” and mentioned nothing other than that the shower was a little claustrophobic but fine.

I covered the cabin description in my previous review last year, and it was very similar. I had wondered if the closet would work as well for us together, but we did just great. Because there was a lot of other storage around the room, we managed to carry on in an organized fashion without having all of our stuff scattered and in the way. It was just a really relaxing setup.

 

Toiletries are now the “R” Regent brand and are much more generic than the former Aveeda that I loved. I liked the new grapefruity lotion, though some don’t. I also received an Anichini lotion that was less scented. The sizes were 2.7 oz., and they set them out at the tub, the sink, and the shower.

 

Room Service

We used this 3 times for breakfast and once for lunch. For breakfast, it routinely came 10 minutes before the time block that we selected. For lunch (mid-afternoon), it took almost 80 minutes. The variety was good. I missed the tomato basil soup, but most of the other selections were there from before. I like the curry vegetables and pesto pasta, along with the salad greens. Todd liked the grilled ham and cheese and the chef salad. Make sure for breakfast you select the number of items vs. putting an “x”. If we did as instructed, the order was perfect in every way. You can call for a bottle of wine any time, and there is a short list of wines available or just ask them what they have or order a type if you are not too choosy. Everything tasted good to us. When I Googled the in-room wine list, items there were mostly about $15 retail, but some were brought to us that were not on the list that were about $10. None of that mattered to us, I only looked them up for the report.

 

Daytime Activities

The main leaders of the daytime activities were Elda, the Assistance Cruise Director and Amanda, the Social Hostess. They are joined sometimes by the Regent Singers and Dancers. Very occasionally, Lorraine, the cruise director joined them, but she was more visible at night and also was trotting around being more of an architect, always on top of details. The social staff organized the games for tokens, such as Skittles, Bocci, 10-pin bowling, golfing into the net, Top Toss, Crazy Golf, Crazy Darts, various Baggo games and a number of deck game tournaments like ping pong, shuffleboard, and table tennis. Of course, there was the daily trivia during tea time. We attended at least 4 activities a day in the 11 day cruise and ended with 44 tokens. We were able to get a tote bag, two visors, a magnet, and a bookmark. There is talk (even in writing) that the tokens may go away in 2009, so I hope not because we loved working on getting things, and those on board were not competitive and enjoyed meeting up for these games.

 

The other daytime activities included a Caribbean lecture series of port talks and history and an art series and a couple of political lectures. There were daily bridge games, board game meets, needlepoint, and organized socials for a number of affinity groups (such as veterans, solos, etc.). There was also an Imax deep sea video that was well attended. The video was beautiful, though the ship did not have capabilities to represent an Imax experience.

 

A separate program was going on for Club Mariner, the holiday program for kids. They had games such as a scavenger hunt and who am I, and they also did singing and instruments, and they even performed for us. Almost 10% of the guests onboard were children. The children were from diaper baby to teenage. Except for the diaper babies in the pool and the occasional squawking, the kids were no bother at all and mixed well with each other and the adults. There were also a number of guests in their 20s, and everyone I talked to had been to many places.

 

There were several fitness activities each day that included walking, weights, step, cardio, Pilates, and Yoga. There were also dance lessons held a number of times in the fitness center. The gym has a number of machines that have the satellite TVs attached, and they give out the headphones.

 

I’d have liked to have seen a cooking demo or wine and food lecture, and several other guests mentioned it. At the very least, I would have loved a handout on what went into making the gingerbread houses.

 

Evening Activities

Almost every evening after trivia for me (except the night they were broken) started with the hot tub before dinner. Sometimes Todd joined me, and if not, someone else was usually there or joined me. I would stay 30 minutes to 90 minutes. They close the pool bar at 6 or 6:30, which was a bit inconvenient, and if he chose, Roman would close 10 minutes early or so. Now and then, we would go to the casino at this hour. They closed the tables until 9 pm if you did not catch them in time.

One night was the captain’s welcome. The party had gone on an hour before the captain arrived at the end. Another night was the Seven Seas Society party. They had a huge bowl of caviar and shrimp cocktail that were self serve, and they had staff passing out wine, champagne, and kir royales. The international ballroom dance champions performed briefly at this party.

 

Another night, the crew capers show was early in the evening (last night). This was one of the best shows of the cruise, and I cried like a baby. The crew did dances and numbers local to their countries, and there was a parade around the room with so many proudly walking for us. They received a couple of standing ovations.

There was also a captains farewell party.

 

Each evening, the observation lounge had a cocktail hour, and they had appetizers there. The same ones were served in Voyager (and probably Horizons). I went there one night in Curacao to watch the sunset over the harbor and chatted for an hour with Brigette, one of the dancers in the shows. She is from Missouri, where my family lives, and we had a nice chat. They had some tasty little burritos. I also enjoyed listening to Jerry with his singing and guitar. One night, he had a Beatles show that was very good. There was also piano up there sometimes.

 

On Christmas Eve, there were carolers before dinner. They performed in the atrium in the old time costumes, and they included guests in some of the singing.

 

The 3 song and dance shows from the Regent Singers and Dancers were a jazz show, Listen to the Music (70s), and Champagne (30s and 40s). We enjoyed them all. Todd really liked the jazz show, and we both liked Listen to the Music. The costumes were not very elaborate, but the shows were entertaining. There was a pianist a couple of nights, and he was included in some of the other games around the ship sometimes, as was Jerry. There was a comedian, Steve Middleman one night. I enjoyed it. Todd didn’t think he was that great, though I must admit that I feel asleep the last 5 minutes! There was a soprano one night, accompanied by a clarinet player, and he played another night, as well. The last night, there was a flutist. The international ballroom dancers were incorporated into a couple of the shows.

 

Late one afternoon, they showed Mama Mia.

 

The weakest show was the holiday show. There was not anything that was elaborate. Amanda did read the Bible story from Luke, which I appreciated, and the Club Mariner group performed for us.

There were services early in the evening for mass and Hannukah, and then there was a crew and guest interdenominational service late at night on Christmas Eve (that was mostly a mass) and another on Christmas day.

 

We attended a couple of the late night activities – Name That Tune Murder Mystery and Liar’s Club. Those were quite enjoyable, and we were glad we stayed up for them.

[DebbieH103]

Public Areas

I thought they really had done a nice job with the new public areas. The coffee corner was a nice place. We don’t drink coffee, but this was a great area where continental breakfast was served in the morning and cold cuts after that. There were a number of tables there and a coffee bar and also the coffee machines with choices.

 

The travel desk has been replaced with “Destination Services”. They are the true tour desk, and if you want the concierge services, you ask at the front desk or at the desk nearby. The travel desk seemed to be open more often than I had seen on my previous two Regent cruises. The staff was a bit arrogant, but at least they were there. The front desk staff was very attentive and some of the most impressive staff I encountered. The concierge was quiet and non-committal, but I gave him a list of thing that needed correcting (like pool deck service), and at least while we were on board, the change was a drastic improvement the next day.

There have been a few leather couches and chairs added around. We liked the one on deck 6, and there are two tables there.

 

The library on 6 was popular, and often every seat was taken.

The computer center was large. There are two rooms, and one can be closed off for classes.

 

The new pool deck chairs are very comfortable with thick cushions, and the old furniture is on deck 12. Towels on the pool deck are nice and soft, though they are unavailable after 5 p.m. There are more tables and chairs now for dining. One small thing is the clock is now blocked by an umbrella. On sea days, there were anywhere from 150 to 200 people out, and it was difficult to get a seat anywhere. On the last day, there were people agreeing to take turns with seats and setting hours to meet and trade!

The pool bar remains unchanged. The new ice cream bar is very popular. This opened on the third day of our cruise. There were 6 or 8 types of ice cream and yogurt. They had sugar cones, fixings for sundaes, and they could make milk shakes.

 

Horizons lounge now has the new seating outside, so you can sit there as if on a yacht. Similar seating is outside La Veranda and was popular for reading, waiting for others, or getting out of rain or wind.

The other lounges looked similar to me, though I know they were refreshed.

 

Signatures was completely modernized in its look, and we really liked it.

Prime 7 doesn’t look a thing like Latitudes, and there is an open area from the kitchen where you can watch them. This room has a clubby look. It gets quite loud in there, but it is very comfortable.

La Veranda has been redone. One side is seafoam, while the other is blue. I liked the seafoam side. It was soothing. Seats are comfortable and practical.

 

Compass Rose now has very thick chairs. They are hard to move, but they were comfortable. A very large person would have some need to sit forward there and at Prime 7. I thought Compass Rose had improved the sound and that it was quieter.

 

In general, things looked in top shape. The pool deck bar needed painting, but that was done right before we left, or they were doing something there, maybe scrubbing.

Dining

 

Breakfast

We did not go to Compass Rose for breakfast, and I covered room service in another section.

 

On the pool deck, there was a healthy breakfast that consisted of juices made from fruits or vegetables while you wait, fresh fruits, dried fruits and nuts, cold cereals, and yogurt. This was pulled at 9:30, and one day at 9:36, a guy grabbed the dried apricots out while my spoon was in the bowl attached to my arm!! They should have left this option open till 10:30 since lunch out there starts at 11.

 

The coffee corner had a full continental breakfast in the mornings with muffins, pastries, fresh and dried fruits and nuts, along with juices, hot chocolate, coffees, and cereal and yogurt. There was also food in the observation lounge, but we did not check that out.

 

At La Veranda, the buffet had either strawberries or mixed berries every day, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, plums, sometimes papaya or mango, grapefruit, and pineapple, and whole fruits. There were also canned fruits like prunes, apricots, and peaches. There was fresh cheese. They also had a variety of juices, and the grapefruit and orange were fresh squeezed. They had hot cereals, European cured meats, smoked salmon, yogurt, cold cereals, and hot American items like sausage, THE BEST bacon, ham, eggs, canned beans, and hash browns.

 

You can order omelets, eggs to order – fried, boiled, scrambled, poached, and also egg white or egg beater omelets. They are fussy about you having a table number before you order, so order from your waiter or sit down first and get a table number before you go up. I was scolded when I did not do so. Also, for boiled eggs, you need to know your number of minutes. We got raw eggs when we said hard boiled, but 10 minute produced a perfect egg. We were also scolded that we wanted fresh scrambled eggs and not the runny ones on the buffet. They kept going on and on about us wanting “well done” eggs, but they were perfect, though served with attitude. Also on the buffet were extremely fresh bagels, toast, muffins, and pastries.

 

Lunchtime on the Pool Deck

On the sea days and a number of other days, there was a buffet from 12 pm to 1:30 on the pool deck. There was music out there on those days that would start sometime between 11:45 to 12:45. There was a fish grill one day where there was a beautiful display of fresh fish on ice, and they brought out several types of grilled fish and also chicken, and there was a huge pan of shrimp. They were not grilling the fish at the buffet like on my Med cruise.

 

Another day, there was a curry and tandoori lunch. I really enjoyed this. There were hot curry dishes and wonderful kabobs that had been cooked in advance but were warmed on the grill, along with chicken breasts, and there were also cold dishes on the salad bar and all the chutneys and spices to accompany this.

 

One day, there was a “Tex Mex” buffet. This was mostly a big vat of taco meat and a couple of other things. I had wanted the refried beans with cheese on top, but they ran out 30 minutes early and did not replenish it. I’d have loved to see fajitas, and they would work well in those big paella pans they use. They had ribs a couple of days, but this was not one of them.

 

Another day, they had a Christmas buffet with glazed ham, roasted chicken, and pan-fried frog legs, along with lobster.

 

There was a build your own sandwich day where they grilled steaks.

Near the end of the cruise, they had an international buffet with a few dishes, ribs, a pasta station, huge sausages and pretzels, and a very generous cooked to order fois gras station, and a suckling pig.

 

Every day, they had hot dogs that looked great (wish I’d have had one), burgers (Todd finally had one), shrimpwiches, wraps, gourmet sandwiches, fish, and a few other things, along with fresh pasta salads, other cold salads, fruits, and a chilled soup.

 

Lunchtime at La Veranda

They have added the pizza window here. This was opened for the first time on the 3rd day of our cruise. I tried it once. They will slice off any size. It was not thin marghareta pizza like I like, but was not thick and doughy, either. The other days, they never really had it out and were taking orders. It was nothing special but would do for someone wanting something different.

 

On the first 3 days, they had a delicious pasta salad that I loved. They never had it again. Every day, they had several types of greens and the makings for Caesar salad. They had a number of cold salads. There was always a shellfish bar that was just heaping. They always had at least two of these items: large mussels, baby shrimp, cocktail shrimp, crab claws, crab legs cut in half. There was smoked salmon and cured meats and sometimes turkey, roast beef and pastrami.

 

There was always a carved meat. One day it was roast beef that was just so good. They always had a fish, a few starches, a beef and/or veal dish, etc. Mostly, they had what was on the sit-down menu at Compass Rose. There was always a hot soup and a cook to order pasta station that was the same every day and not particularly creative, but the pasta was fresh and well-prepared. There was fresh fruit and cheese and many desserts.

 

They were always pouring a white and red wine, and they had a few different types if you wanted something else, and tea and water were readily available. They would bring anything that you wanted, too.

 

Lunchtime at Compass Rose

We tried this twice, and I thought this was the most disappointing. I love sitdown meals with service. There were always maybe 10 tables occupied, but it took a very long time to get a menu and then to get served. We dined here because one or two selections looked appetizing, but they never really were what they were supposed to be. A cob salad was a few ingredients (about a cup of American cheese!) on 4 endive leaves. The seafood platter was some fishy fish (two tiny dollops), two soggy scallops, and two overcooked shrimp in a tortilla shell with a mountain of fries.

 

Dinner at Compass Rose

Each night, there were about 4 appetizers, 3 soups (one chilled, one consommé, and one other soup), two salads, fresh pasta, a sorbet, and around 8 entrees. This included the simplicity items that were available every day and specials of the day. There was a no salt added menu and a light and healthy menu that was sometimes an overlap of the regular menu and other times was different. For dessert, there were 3 “Sensations”, always crème brulee and cheesecake, sugar free, and frozen sherbets, ice creams and yogurt and some special frozen dessert of the day.

 

My favorite appetizers were the mussels they had on the first night and the fruit appetizers. Todd liked the seafood rendezvous, the spring rolls, and the satay.

 

For soups, I really liked the sweet potato soup, the butternut squash soup, and a similar soup they had the last night (I had that as my entrée). Many of the other soups were just OK and not so imaginative.

The salads were often nothing special, but my favorite was the spinach with bacon and eggs.

 

We both thought they did a wonderful job with fish both at lunch and dinner. The only one I did not like was the night they were serving it in coconut sauce. I ordered it without the sauce and received it smothered in the sauce. I didn’t eat any of it, and the waiter disappeared for 30 minutes, so I could not order something else. The lobster on the first night was my least favorite. It was cooked as medallions in some sort of brown sauce, but they were generous with it and were going around with dishes of it passing it out to anyone that wanted it, no matter what entrée they ordered. The lobster served in the tail on Christmas was more what we are used to.

 

I really liked the sorbets. They were different every night.

Todd usually had one of the two beef dishes, and he was always very pleased.

 

For dessert, sometimes, Todd would have ice cream or whatever came with it. I would get something fruity. My favorite, by far was the frozen puree of mango, passion fruit, and kiwi. I’d heard about it from another cruise, and I had to try it. I ate every bite. Some nights, we just nibbled on the petit fours, and they were always different every night, with at least 3 types served.

 

On Christmas Eve, one of the choices was a traditional goose. We did not try that. On Christmas Day, they had turkey and dressing, and I chose that over surf and turf!! It was quite good. My only complaint was that super-delicious dressing was a small dollop!

 

Dinner at La Veranda

We dined here twice. Up at the antipasto bar, they have a number of salads, Italian cured meats, traditional antipasti, a huge round of the freshest Parmesan that you just cut your own from, a seafood bar, and a soup.

 

With the entrée, they bring around battered onion rings, mixed vegetables, and potatoes. The highlight of the meals up there for Todd was the onion rings, and for me it was the antipasti bar.

 

The first time, I ordered Osco bucco. This was very well prepared and not as enormous of a portion as I’d had last year at Compass Rose. Todd had the scallops. He did not like them at all, but I tasted them and thought they were wonderful. They were in some sort of brown glaze. For dessert that night, we really enjoyed the blueberry/peach warm crisp from the self-serve bar.

 

On our second night, Todd had a ribeye, and I had the roasted chicken. I really enjoyed that, too.

 

A lot of families dined up here since so much was self-serve, and it was more casual. On Christmas, they had a family dinner up there that you had to sign up for a day in advance. I did not hear from anyone that did it.

Dinner at Prime 7

Since the online reservation system for this restaurant was not open yet (this is the first cruise where the restaurant was offered) and those who called did not have their reservations honored, it was necessary to stand in a long line on the first day. They had two lines going, but the staff was learning the system, and they were allowing people to look through every day of the 11 days and go day by day to wherever they wanted to go. Some were also studying the menus at the time others were waiting for them to get through. We did get a table for two and close to my original time that I had selected. We dined there on December 23 and then once later in the cruise. It was difficult to make a second reservation because nobody was ever clear on where and when, but finally it was obvious that lunchtime at Compass Rose was the place to do this. I got a second night at a table for 4.

 

They brought out meatball slider amuse bouche both nights. I did not like it the first time, so I asked not to have one. Both nights, I asked for the fois gras without a bun. I did not want the slider. They brought a small portion, but it was beautifully presented. One night, I had a crab cake, and Todd and our table mates had it the other night. I thought it was enormous and full of crab, while our tablemates thought it was small (it was the size of a large fist) and not as full of crab as they would have liked. This shows how food is subjective.

 

Todd liked the soups and had both the clam chowder and French onion both times. I had the clam chowder both times. It had large clams and bacon and was not too rich.

 

I had the chop house salad both nights, and it had bacon, egg and cheese and was very good.

 

The entrees are served with two sides, and when we dined with the other couple, they served them family style. I was not into sides because there was butter in everything. Todd tried the broccoli, the cheese mashed potatoes, and onion rings. One night for entrée, I had the whole lobster. I was full by then and took everything out of the shell and chilled it for breakfast the next morning. The other night, I had the bone-in ribeye. It was just incredible. I could only hold 1/3 of it. Todd had prime rib one night and a steak on the other. Even he did not finish, but he would love to have dined there every night. The days we went, we ate very light the rest of the day so that we could enjoy as much as possible here.

 

Dinner at Signatures

I really enjoyed Signatures. Last year, my food was too salty, but this time it was perfect. I liked the new surroundings, and the staff was friendly and attentive. We dined here on December 26.

 

I had lobster salad with mango fondue, crustacean bisque, peach sherbet with champagne, and veal medallions. I also ordered the crème brulee with strawberry compote. The consistency was perfect, but I did not notice it was cinnamon, and I don’t like that in my crème brulee. The veal was so tender.

 

Todd ordered the scallop appetizer, which were served in a very unique presentation in some cups of mashed potato. He also ordered the crustacean bisque, the peach sherbet, the beef filet topped with fois gras (I ate the fois gras, which was beautifully prepared), and the baba cake with aged rum, pistachio cream and red berries. They also brought out a plate of truffles.

 

Todd left the ship saying that meal was OK, as he still had Prime 7 on his mind, but I thought Signatures was a highlight.

[DebbieH103]

Dress Code

There were 2 formal nights, which were the 2nd night and Christmas. Todd wore a tuxedo on these nights. There were 2 informal nights and 7 country club casual nights. There were a very few golf shirts at La Veranda and a few at Compass Rose under sports jackets. Informal attire was required at Signatures. Jackets were mostly worn by men at Prime 7 and by some of the men at Compass Rose. Todd wore a jacket most nights and had either a button down dress shirt with no tie or a silk tee or on one occasion a golf shirt under a jacket. To signatures, he wore a jacket and tie, and I believe he wore a tie the second night at Prime 7 when we joined others.

 

During the day, people were dressed in resort casual wear. Women mostly wore capris around the ship, and men wore mostly golf length shorts with t-shirts or polo shirts. Docker type pants were also worn.

One or two times, we saw nice jeans at La Verandah, even at night, but people around the guests (young people) were talking about them so loudly that they must have heard.

 

Generally, people looked very nice. There were a few gowns on formal nights, but glitzy tops and skirts were more common, and on informal, there were many slacks worn, and some ladies wore them on formal nights.

 

Other Guests

There were 655 guests onboard, and we saw everything from stroller babies to guests in their 90s. We met a number of people from the U.S., Canada and Europe. Over 400 guests were returning Regent guests, while the remaining were new to the line. Everyone we met was well-heeled, and most were not new to luxury travel and had done either luxury land or cruise trips or both before. There were a few solos and one family of 22, so groups were all sizes. Some were there to celebrate Christmas, while others were there for Hannukah. There were a number of services and festivities for both groups.

 

Staff and Service

There were 450 crew members on board from over 40 countries. Some had come from Mariner and Navigator. Others had been on Voyager before. Still others had come from Oceania. The ones that seemed to work the hardest were those that had been with Regent a while. Some did not look very happy, and a few even complained that they were afraid things were going to get worse for them and guests.

 

We were very pleased with our steward and stewardess. We found the service at Compass Rose to be mixed. At lunch, it was terrible, with it taking 20 minutes or so to get a menu and no customization request was filled correctly at all for simple things like a different salad dressing or leaving off one ingredient. At Compass Rose, on two nights, we also had a lot of trouble and delay with service, and the times that I customized my food in there, it was never honored or done correctly. I would think that simple things like sauce on the side would be quite common. Wine service was better than the wait staff service, and we had no trouble with that anywhere no matter whether we ordered the pour of the day or something else. Only once in 11 days did a glass get empty, and that was for one or two minutes, and a big apology was given.

 

Up at the pool deck, the bartenders were often alone with no help. There were never more than 3. Down at the end by the ice cream place, there was a station serving tea, water, and limited wine. They were mainly set up to serve the tables, and if they did not have what we wanted, they told us to go to the other end and get it ourselves.

 

The staff at breakfast at La Veranda was sometimes surly and scolding, but at lunch, the same people were usually friendly and just fine. I never understood it, but it was no big deal.

 

The pool deck guys mostly just cleared glasses and picked up towels and grabbed the loungers at the end of the day. There was little interaction with anyone and no service till the last day when all sorts of people were brought out to take drinks, bring cold towels, and assist with loungers. That was the night after I met with the concierge with my list of what needed fixing, and he’d taken it to the general manager. It certainly made a difference.

 

Ports

We embarked and debarked at Fort Lauderdale. We had been to a number of the ports before, and we were more interested in enjoying the ship on this trip since we go to the Caribbean on a lot of land-based trips.

Aruba – Here, we went to the Marriott by cab and walked up and down Palm Beach and toured the hotel and casino. We saw the beaches for Radisson and RIU, and we quickly saw just how very crowded that beach is and how commercial. We did not see any annoying people running up and down, but there were quite a few stands for various watersports things. After that, we hired a driver to take us around to a number of the sites. We opted for only one hour vs. the two hour tour that would have gone to the major things all around the island. The guy asked for $35, and we gave him $50. He took us to the rock formations, the chapel, the California lighthouse, a few beaches, and Tierra del Sol for pics, and we also got pics of the Haystack. We did all of this for $64, and this was much more relaxing and personal than the ship tour. Right at the pier, they were offering tours for $11 per person, but you had to wait for 6 people. We also stopped for souveniers near the pier, and things were cheaply priced.

 

Bonaire – I wanted to do the double dip snorkel, but it was advertised as an advanced snorkel, and that scared me off. Instead, it was just a walk around town for some pictures and souveniers. They offered taxi rides for island tours ($15 pp) and golf cart rentals and rides to beaches.

Curacao – we had stayed on the island before and done most of they things they were offering for organized tours. We had done them with locals before or on our own. I had decided we should try the trolley for photos and to hear history. This was our one organized tour that we did with the ship and was $39. It was poorly executed. Regent sent an escort, and she took names for a sheet and did take attendance at one or two locations. However, she did not look after anyone’s comfort. They herded 44 people into vans where they filled every jump seat and even the front seat. Then they put us all in one trolley, and some people had to sit backward. I told Todd I could not. Todd sat backward or sideways and just looked down. He was miserable. We did get some good pictures. In the end, you could walk back or take the already paid for cab. We rushed onto the first van, and Todd said “no more Regent tours, you hear me?” I did tell the host that we thought the tour was awful and about his discomfort, and she said he could have had her seat, well, that was easy to say later, and a number of people were in the same boat.

 

St. Lucia – we were supposed to be in port from 1:30 to 6:30, but they told us at noon that we would not arrive on time due to rough seas. We were told that we would be there from 3 to 8. Several of us asked for them to push back the Christmas carols, but they refused. We were able to get off the ship at 2:40, and we took a cab to Sandals Regency. Todd played 18 holes there at the golf course, and he had a caddie and cart. I went up and hung out at the hot tub at the bluffs after walking around a bunch, and we met up with another couple I had met and had a wonderful marghareta pizza made fresh from the brick oven. It rained off and on there. We stayed at Sandals as long as we could, and then we went back to the ship. We gave our driver some chocolate santas. He seemed pleased.

 

St. Kitts – the sea was too rough for us to dock here, so we had to tender. Todd had a tee time over at the Royal Club golf course. We arrived at the Marriott a few minutes late, but they took him right over in a golf cart. I had arranged this with the Regent concierge, and he set up cart, club rental and green fees for $125. There was no caddie, and some of the holes were right on the ocean. Todd really, really enjoyed this course a lot. Meanwhile, I walked around the Marriot and spent some time at one of the pools in a lounger. They do not heat their hot tubs. I was disappointed in that. It was very windy, and it rained a bit. I walked the beach past their property and found a lovely place to layout on my towel and watch the high waves. This was a beautiful beach but rough. This would have been a nice place to bring a picnic. When we were ready to take the tender back, some people asked about the ferry and almost ended up on the ferry to Nevis! It was quite crowded on the tender because we happened to get back right when a couple of the tours were ending. I know more people wanted to do deep sea fishing than the ship’s tour could hold, but the concierge arranged for a few on their own. I know one family caught a fish over 300 lbs. I think it was the highlight of their trip, though they said there was not enough adventure on the trip!

San Juan – here I walked around the old town for some time until it rained, and then I went into the Sheraton. I called all of my family since it was local for t-Mobile. Over at the casino, there were a lot of the crew at the tables.

 

Grand Turk – here it was very windy, and we just walked around the shops and along the beach by the dock. It was very pretty there, and some of the passengers went swimming. The organized tours went out, and I think it would have been cold for snorkeling. A number of people walking around had on jackets and sweaters.

 

Debarkation

The last night of the cruise, we did not start our packing until late, but we barely got our bags out for 11 p.m. I woke up quite early and used the rest of our internet minutes. Then I took a nice soak in the bathtub. We had a leisurely time in the cabin and watched a movie and vacated at 8:30.

 

We went up to La Veranda and had a full breakfast. By 9:20, we noticed that no colors had been called. They called green, and that was it. We went out and sat on the pool deck in the sun and relaxed. There was an announcement that there was a luggage delay. They called our color after 10 a.m., and we went down to the coffee corner and sat until there were just about 4 in line and then got off the ship at about 10:25.

We were directed to our bags, and we were able to immediately get a cab. We got in line, but it was too late for the earlier flight, as there were no seats. Our flight was at 2:25. We just sat around. The plane was full, but we got back to Houston at about 4:15 with no issues.

[HappyCruiser44]

Debbie -

 

Thank you for your informative and detailed review. I felt as though I had been on the cruise with you.

 

hc44

[Travelcat2]

Debbie,

 

Without a doubt, that is the best, most balanced review I have read on CruiseCritic. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and your photographs. We are definitely looking forward to our Voyager cruise (unfortunately, it is not until September).

 

Jackie

[Hambagahle]

Thanks, Debbie -

Great review, giving exactly the kind of information one needs. And very balanced so that when you say something is good, we know it is so, and when it needs work that is true too. An overall impression is that things are very good on Regent (no surprise) but that perhaps the "new" staff need more training, especially in the Regent culture.

 

By the way, what is a "slider" - I can't figure it out!!

[DebbieH103]

Sliders are a thing on a mini bun. In the blog, I have a slightly blurry pic of that meatball slider. They are kind of a bite, but 4 bites for me. Think of a Whitehouse burger but smaller by quite a bit. Meat and a bun. The fois gras there on the menu is slider, and the amuse bouche is the meatball one. Both times for the fois gras, I ordered it w/o the bun. They bring the small fois gras then and not the generous portion they serve elsewhere, but it is tasty.

[blackpool uk]

I had intended on returning from this trip to do a ''Virgin Voyager Report'' Being new to the line) but Debbie yours is so good and comprehensive ....with the added bonus of pictures, that it would be superfluous.

I am sorry we did not get to meet over the trip...........even tho we did play trivia (not very well) every day........but guess you must have been in the computer room a large amount of the time !

Like yourselves we had a great trip and whilst there were some problems they did not spoil our enjoyment.

Chris and Sheila

[canadagal]

Very nicely written! The good and the not so good with lots of detail. Thanks Debbie for taking the time and I didn't find it too long to read at all. I'd rather read detail and a longer review then left wondering what it is people were trying to say.

Pat

[clubtraveller]

Thank you for such a detailed balanced informative review. I am taking my first cruise on Seven Seas Voyager next week- 18-28 Dec 2009 and look forward to it . I normally cruise on Crystal Serenity but it will be lovely to discover the world of Regent Cruising too especially the relaxed dress code and all-inclusive alcoholic cocktails!:)

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you for such a detailed balanced informative review. I am taking my first cruise on Seven Seas Voyager next week- 18-28 Dec 2009 and look forward to it . I normally cruise on Crystal Serenity but it will be lovely to discover the world of Regent Cruising too especially the relaxed dress code and all-inclusive alcoholic cocktails!:)

 

I do hope you enjoy your Christmas cruise. Things have settled down on Voyager and the hiccups experianced just after that extensive drydock have been overcome, judging from later reviews. Do write and let us know how you feel about Regent when you return.

[Travelcat2]

Oh yes -- I remember that review from last year. Fortunately, things have calmed down considerably. Service in Compass Rose is excellent (although I still do not recommend piling in there after the Captain's Reception -- it can be overwhelming to seat over 400 people at once).

 

Clubtraveler, it will be particularly interesting to read your review since you typically sail on Crystal -- a very different experience than Regent. Have a great cruise!