olindacat

My wife and I did our second Regent cruise in November on the Mariner. We had a great time and thought the staff really slaved to make people as happy as possible. Ours was from NYC to Miami, and very affordable in relative terms. There were complaints about the heads not flushing well on many floors, and we had the problem here and were, but it was resolved quickly. The activités on-board were enough. We participated in everything we could and enjoyed the cruise director's sense of humor and really all of the workers. The food and beverage was great. Yes, we found some differences between the last trip (pre-Covid) and this one. The ref in Prime was so tough we just didn't finish our meals. We dined there 3x and struck out each time. Others were happy as larks, so everyone's mileage may vary. On Silversea, if I recall correctly, and our pre-Covid Regent trip: I think the wines might have been better, there was Caviar liberally served. This trip they had Caviar on Sunday morning in the buffet, and each serving was one spoonful given to us by a server at a station, so we would've had to make spectacles of ourselves if we wanted more 'helpings'. I noticed that detail. There was a huge outdoor dinner by the pool one night. An ambitious effort with so many lobster tails running off a BBQ even the most diehard seafood fanatic would have needed their stomach pumped if they went bonkers! The drawn butter was missing bowls in which to ladle the stuff. I asked a man, and it turns out he was the executive chef! Super nice, went crazy himself trying to find a solution. That's how hard they tried on our 'cheapo' cruise! The F&B director, Nico, was always around. Very friendly, made a call to get us a table at another specialty restaurant personally. Having lived on Maui for decades, we are spoiled when it comes to things like sashimi. They tried, but the tuna was soggy and nothing close to what we've had before on Regent or Silver Seas, but whining about this is a cheap shot really. When you think of three meals a day, plus snacks in between meals, bars and other things happening, for so many people it is massive. They did an exceptional job. Just go to a Marriott and compare! But seriously, if we were to really focus on every single little F&B aspect, we could spend hours doing so. Food is very subjective. The alcohol options were aplenty. Premium brands of every imaginable liquor was there for unlimited consumption. There was always a sommelier hovering to provide wines, even if some were not our favorites so what? They were included, abundant, and we could have anything else if we wanted too. The wines were fine. The shows were great, there were changes in who did what, and even a movie (Barbie) with popcorn! Regent includes free laundry, and you do not have to have sailed on their ships 20 times to get this treat. If we go Silver Seas we can possibly get this comped depending on who sells us the ticket, or the mood of someone behind the scenes, but I do not think this is 'included' for everyone. Not having to sit by a washer/dryer on my vacation was nice as that is the point, for us. To do as little domestic work as possible. We went on many free excursions. Lots of snorkeling to see turtles and sea life. We know the Caribbean well, having been to the BVI and other West Indies since we were teenagers in the early 1970s. The loss of sea life, coral reefs looking bleached, etc., were so sad to see. We booked our cruise about two months ahead of the travel date. Most of the excursions were booked solid by then. While on board the man in charge of these was Axel, and he managed to always find a way to fit us onto a snorkel boat as stand-bys. We followed their online site for the cruise pretty closely. I do not recall ever seeing any mention of dancing specifics, or who would be performing what. I'd give Regent high marks for our two experiences on that line, with our most-recent just a month ago. No, we have only done 10 cruises, but we have traveled the world in our lives, and stayed at some pretty nice places, enjoyed many fine restaurants and hospitality experiences. These are ships! Amazing what they do on them. I had been eyeing Crystal during the pandemic, and when they went under I was bummed for them and their loyal following. We were literally reaching into our pockets around the time this all went down. I'm back here reading this thread now because I'm still curious. This line, and Seabourn are next for us. I really do not want to do loads of laundry so have been hesitant to book Seabourn as I am not paying $50 per load/bag, which is what I think they charge. I'll see what Crystal's deal is regarding same. I hope Crystal does very well. Having four competitors in the 'six star' arena is good for us, methinks. We have cruised on Oceania four times. That line nickel and dimed us to death, but these were all pre-pandemic. Perhaps they have stopped those practices, but we will avoid that line in the future as a result of our own experiences. Just not worth the hassle of combing though hundreds of posts to see if they've improved their game. The 'blew it' with us... for now,

There was a big dinner buffet poolside last night. A ton of food, and everyone in the F&B dominion breaking their butts to pull off a daring event. A Brit head chef was so personally dedicated toward making things right. Impressive was he, and every worker on this ship. The staff doesn't get the praise they deserve. Really hard work, but they don't make you feel bad ever. I have so much to say and will, as the comments upthread are all valid points but considering the strong positives, all mostly can be figured out, and worked around. We worried the cabin and boat would be in poor condition, and yet this vessel is so beautiful compared to anything else we've seen along the journey.

Thanks! (I never knew what a roll call was as I'm not here often. So helpful.)

Wondering if I missed any threads on this cruise? Can anyone tell me if so? Or, if not, may I ask: 1. Anyone do this before, and do you recall what excursions you did and liked, any we should avoid? 2. Dining: I'm aware I ought to have booked all of these things sooner, and am behind. Having never been on this ship, am wondering about dining venues that people liked and/or disliked most, availability, etc.? Thanks for helping.

I was thinking of booking the Sept 7 Alaska to Japan trip, but the reviews on the review section of this site have scared me to death!

I don't have to shop, cook, clean, or fold laundry so it'll be fine....

Geez. Yesterday Marie and I booked the NYC-Miami 10/31 trip after I did some hunting for deals out of the Big Apple. I'm kind of bummed to hear this ship is in this condition, and some of the comments about the food and service upsetting to read. Should I jettison my reservation? (I think I can still back out.) We did a fall RT out of NYC in 2017 on the Navigator and thought the whole thing was great.