Very negative 7/9 Voyager review posted

[vrhiatt]

I am a long time Regent cruiser currently on the Mariner. I love Regent, but the economic issues are taking an obvious toll on the cruise line and a lot of the staff. Honestly, there are some serious declines in the quality and selection of the food, the service levels and the attitudes. I guess with the reduced prices, it cannot be avoided, but I am sorry to see it happen.

[Host Dan]

Just a FYI- The reason the reviewer isn't found on the member list is because they haven't posted on the message boards. They are, however, registered users. That being said, it appears that the reviewer may have a personal vendetta against Regent. I would look at his review with open eyes and a grain of salt.

 

Host Dan

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm of the opinion that service probably has been impacted in some minor ways because of the economic downturn--how could it not?

 

But...I think the staff still go out of their way to do their jobs heroically. *If* you are nice to them--if you are nasty, it may be that you get treated with a somewhat "work to rule" attitude. There are always a few pax like this who make the staffs' life hell. So perhaps he's one of those--just speculation, because usually the staff go out of their way to treat these folks with polite acquiescence, but sometimes it perhaps wears thin.

[greytstuff]

I just got around to reading that review and as far as I'm concerned it's

a bunch of "hogwash". Not to say that he isn't entitled to his opinion but

how can one person be so far off base? As stated here by one poster,

you just can't please everyone and some people seem to take pleasure

in finding fault with just about everything in their life.

Case in point: When we were on the Voyager Trans Atlantic Crossing in Nov. '07, we were having breakfast one morning in La Veranda. This guy a couple

tables over started having a "hissy fit" because they didn't have any grape

jelly. He became very loud and verbally abusive, would never sail with Regent

again etc. etc. Good riddance as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I can't

stand grape jelly.

[Island Cruiser]

vrhiatt, I do hope when you get home you will take time to post a well supported review of your current Mariner experience. If you do it constructively, and I'm sure you would, it could help. The opinion of Regent regulars (like me) does matter. I am, for instance, seriously concerned about Regent overloading the ships. Next summer, all three Regent ships will sail with a kids cruise (almost) free promotion. Lots of people don't really understand what this means. It means Regent is willing to add two kids to each cabin that is furnished with a convirtible sofa as an overload. That means a potential overload on Mariner of 118 kids (59 cabins X 2 = 118). On Voyager 98 kids. And on Navigator, a significantly smaller ship, 70 kids. Now, many parents or grandparents who take advantage of this incredible deal will travel with only one kid. So the maximum will probably not be achieved. But there will be a lot of extra passengers cruising almost free as an overload particularly if Regent promotes this heavily in Europe where the dollar exchange makes Regent an even better value. This is a great deal for families with kids. But a stinker for many others who believe the Regent ads that tell them they will be cruising with no more than 698 (698 + 2 = "700 guests") passengers on Mariner or Voyager or 488 (488 + 2 = "490 guests") on Navigator. Pat

[RachelG]

island cruiser, while I do share your concerns about over crowding the ship, having sailed with 2 kids, I think that the situation is not as dire as your math indicates.

 

In the regular suites with a convertible sofa, you can only have 1 extra person, not 2. These are generally suites ending in "7". And there are people who book these suites with no intention of bringing on an extra person.

 

The only ones where you can have 2 extra kids are the larger ones where a rollaway can be brought in. At least, this was the case a couple of years ago when our boys could be considered "kids".

Unless there has been a change in policy, this should still hold true.

[vrhiatt]

The cruise I am on has 730 people. There are about 150 kids. I love kids, and I enjoy having them around. I don't know if the extra people are really impacting the staff or not. I think the Regent staff is fantastic, and I often wonder if corporate realizes how much of the Regent experience is due to the excellent staff. I do know that it seems the ship has not well anticipated the impact of the children. It could be that what I am seeing are just economic changes. Here are some examples.

 

The pool grill lunch buffet is so crowded you cannot walk through it or get your food. It is only open on one side, not both sides as it has been in my experience. There were easily 30 people waiting in line for food today. With children, many more people eat outside. Bingo and tea time are very crowded. They had crepes one day and there was a 30 minute wait.

 

There are in fact multiple kids in many of the suites.

 

I have had to get my bill corrected several times. There is a lot of confusion on the prepaid shore excursions.

 

I am a Regent gold member and have really received no attention for that at all, something very unusual in my experience. I don't really mind, but it is a change.

 

The back veranda has been locked almost all mornings, preventing you from eating outside. It has not been all that cold.

 

The overall food selection and quality has decreased. I have seen that happening over the years, but this has been by far the most obvious decline. There is no proscuitto just regular ham as an example.

 

The staff seems to be a little at wits end, although this varies from person to person. The automatic response seems to be no instead of yes. Yes has been my prior experience. I have the overall feeling the staff is working very hard.

 

Again, I love Regent. My family has had many happy experiences cruising with Regent, and I have brought my own kids (in their own room) on over 10 cruises. I think there is just no way there can be more people on the ship and cheaper prices without us seeing cuts in many areas and stress on the ship's staff. I just hope it doesn't mean the end of the Regent I know and love. As sorry as I am to say it, I have found this cruise much more comparable to a mass market cruise than I would like.

[Travelcat2]

While I have not done the math, I would like to know how 748 people were allowed on the Mariner this summer (there were more than that on one voyage). Does anyone know the "normal" total capacity for all dining venues?

 

Not sure why Regent does not understand that their repeat customers (a huge percentage of their passengers) are very concerned.

[PaulaJK]

vrhiatt,

 

Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Without becoming a black cloud, I have been concerned about some of the same issues. On my last 2 Regent cruises [Dec 08/Jan 09 & April '09] I also felt that there was a decline in cuisine [quality & preparation]. I had been buoyed by some recent comments about good/very good cuisine so I am a bit dismayed to read your coments which adds a historial perspective.

 

In January, the ship was full. There were some inconsistencies and short falls in service which I attributed to the crew being stretched/stressed out. But holiday cruises cost top dollar and one has to wonder if the pax are supposed to suffer through 'stretched thin' or the company collecting the top dollar is supposed to staff sufficiently.

 

In April...on the 'damn pod' cruise, there was no gold event; obviously this would have been the perfect opportunity for Regent to express its thanks to frequent pax.

 

Also on the April cruise I had a conversation w. a crew member who expressed his dismay that Regent was now instructing them to tell pax 'no' when previously the answer had been 'yes'. I didn't write about that here because the 'damn pod' cruise had so many pax and staff issues. [my perception]..I hope that these 'no' answers are in response to pax unrealistic demands to have every wish granted....some of which you find expressed on various boards...and perhaps even abetted by enthusiastic responders who support the idea that you can have whatever you want!

 

I have not been aboard this summer when crowding or overcrowding appears to be an issue that will bring shivers to Regent lovers. The comments from recent sailors have all been very positive about the children, so the question would seem more to be abot crowding.

 

I realize that these are tough economic times. I also feel that there is no free lunch so when tours are added, something will be subtracted.

 

Like most of you posting here, I frevently hope that Regent will not become Oceania or Azamara or Holland America,et. al..

[cruiseluv]

vrhiatt,

 

What ship are you on?? 150 kids!!! That is unsustainable! Those ships are not geared for kids. In my Regent cruises there have only been a few kids you barely saw. I can't even fathom 50, much less 150!

[verdl]

Just a FYI- The reason the reviewer isn't found on the member list is because they haven't posted on the message boards. They are, however, registered users. That being said, it appears that the reviewer may have a personal vendetta against Regent. I would look at his review with open eyes and a grain of salt.

 

Host Dan

Hi Dan,

Seems to issue of men's attire is once again confusing alot of us. Please re-post the criteria that alot of us remember seeing but can no longer find.

 

Thanks so much!!

 

jj