ysolde

That's what the rep said: the cruise would arrive in Lisbon before midnight.

We had a pretty good experience with Custom Air. For reference, we live in Scottsdale, so our closest airport is PHX. We have a cruise in the spring from Rio to Lisbon. We are in a concierge suite this time (oh, I know, la dee DA), but it matters, because it means Regent has to fly us in the day before our cruise. I had done some research, and when I called, I told the rep that, going from PHX to Rio, I liked the AA flights best. She looked them up and at first it looked like there would be a fee for those flights, but then it turned out the Regent preferred flights would not get us into Rio until the day of the cruise, so she booked us onto the AA flights. Then there was the issue of the flights from LIS back to PHX. There was a pretty good set of flights, leaving LIS at 12:45, going to YYZ and then to PHX. But there was a deviation fee (not the end of the world), and it was on AC (not our favorite airline) and AC Rouge (really not our favorite airline). I asked what our options were. Here's the schedule: LIS-FRA at 7:30 am on LH. Arrive FRA at 11:30. FRA-YVR at 1:20 pm on LH (this seems tight, but if something goes wrong, we figure LH will re-book us). Arrive YVR at 2:15 pm. YVR to PHX at 4:55 pm on AC. Arrive PHX at 8:00 pm. This is far from ideal, but, again, we figure LH will re-book us if something goes wrong.

We were on a TA on Regent. My husband wore short sleeved (polo) shirts by day and long-sleeved casual collared shirts by night, always paired with khakis. He did mention that he might bring a jacket to our next cruise, just to have options, and because it does get chilly in the public spaces.

Shockingly terrible excursion. Really bad.

On our (altogether awful) excursion to Cadiz last spring, DH tipped the guide and driver 20 Euros each. He was out of cash and gave them an extra $10 each for their assistance in getting my wheelchair out from under the luggage area of the bus at the end of the the excursion (it was the driver who assisted, the guide just stood around looking annoyed). When DH gave them each the extra tip, the driver said, "Thank you," while the guide spat out, "And what are we supposed to do with this currency? Wait until our next vacation in America?" We would have been shocked, but it was par for the course with that gem of a guide.

I'm pretty paranoid about this stuff. One thing I noticed about Regent is that they may bill themselves as a luxury cruise line, but the initial flight arrangements they made for us going back from BCN to PHX were ridiculous and involved so many tight connections we would no doubt have missed a flight somewhere along the line. I had to do some research to find flights DH and I found much more suitable. I will never understand how they initially made arrangements for us with three connections (all of them under an hour) when there was a flight with just one connection (via EWR, so several flights to PHX available once in EWR) available for the same price. So do your research, find the flights that work for you, ask Regent to put you on them (via deviation, if necessary), then stay on top of any scheduling changes with the airlines. And remember, trip insurance is a good idea.

I have a shellfish allergy. They gave me the next day's menus to the MDR for lunch and dinner and Sette Mari (the buffet restaurant that becomes an Italian restaurant) for dinner each afternoon. When we had reservations at a specialty dining restaurant the following evening, they gave me the menus to those venues. I would make lunch and dinner selections from them (I would select one dinner venue, obviously), and drop them off at the MDR or Sette Mari that evening (that is, the evening before I would be eating at the venues). The next day, my allergies and food choices would be confirmed with me at lunch and dinner. And @cwn is correct: nothing is guaranteed at buffets, though they do their best.

I have gotten the keratin treatment on cruise ships several times. I have long, color-treated, curly hair with a tendency to frizz. The keratin treatment is nice -- smooths it (but does not make it stick straight) and keeps it from frizzing. It lasts about two months. I have not had a bad experience with this on a cruise ship.

This. We have traveled, and continue to travel, around Europe extensively. My husband and I travel by rail and plane, depending on our itinerary and the time of day that we are traveling. We would not rent a car when traveling around Europe, as driving is not necessarily as convenient in Europe -- planes and trains get you where you want to go more smoothly. I think if you are traveling with several small children and need to take a lot of their accoutrements with you (strollers, diaper bags, etc.) it might be a different consideration. But as to us, we travel with my small, collapsible wheelchair. When we are on a cruise, we don't pack carry-on only, but we do take everything we want and more in a medium sized suitcase each, an underseater with a sleeve through (makes it much easier to manage in airports and on trains), and my trusty crossbody bag.

This would make my husband so happy. He likes his travels to Europe, but absolutely hates to fly. Of late, we have been taking a TA as a one-way passage to/from Europe. If he could do a TA both ways, he would be thrilled. Hmmm . . .

We crossed on NCL's Encore in 2019 (maiden voyage). Loved every minute of it. In 2022, we did a TA on Escape. That was an amazing itinerary, which started out as a Mediterranean cruise before crossing the Atlantic. What's not to like? In 2023, we crossed the Atlantic again, this time on RSSC's Voyager. Fewer ports, but an incredible introduction to RSSC. We loved it so much we have since booked three more RSSC cruises, including another TA. We'll be doing another amazing cruise on NCL's Viva that begins as a Mediterranean, going to ports we have never visited, crosses the Atlantic, and ends up in the Caribbean, visiting ports DH has never seen. We are very excited for that. Sometimes it's all about the itinerary. Sometimes it's all about the ship. Sometimes it's both. And while we love cruise, there is something utterly relaxing and incredibly romantic about a TA crossing. We tend to default to it.

Under My account, you will see Booked Cruises. There, you will see your upcoming cruises. Click on the cruise you are trying to see the balance for. On the right, you will see, "My To-Do List". You will see Final Payment Due, and a date. Click on that. This will show you how much you have to pay off your cruise, and allow you to pay it off. If you are not seeing your cruise, you may need to add it on. You will need your booking number.

Bill, I really want to thank you for this resource. We are fairly new to Regent, and have just booked a cruise on Mariner. It's a ways away, and (because I have a mobility impairment), I requested a shower-only cabin. I was still a bit nervous about our cabin (752), but, when I saw the review it got here, it set my mind at ease. I have to say, our Regent cruise consultant has been really good thus far. It seems she really listens and understands, and knows the ships.

I don't know. We ordered room service dinner to our cabin a couple of times on Voyager, because we were a bit tired, and because DH really liked one of the items on the room service menu. We found eating in our cabin to be prompt and comfortable. And quite frankly, when we were really tired, nothing was better than eating in and watching movies on our television.

Thank you, all! This is exactly what I was looking for. It looks perfect!

We booked a Christmas cruise on Mariner for 2025, in part because we liked the itinerary, in part because it seemed like a reasonable value for what Regent is charging relatively speaking, and in large part because I have always wanted to go on a cruise over the holidays. Yes, I am a child at heart. The thought of gingerbread houses decorating the ship, Yorkshire pudding and a nice beef dish, and silly songs being sung at the fireside seems idyllic to me. I am a woman of simple tastes, always have been. So I guess I am hoping for gingerbread house decor somewhere and Buche de Noel for dessert at some point and maybe some Yorkshire pudding as a side dish and I don't know holiday cheer. It's a 21 day cruise so I guess there will be plenty of time to fill my tummy with the things I love. And if I see an ugly Christmas/Hanukkah sweater or two, that will definitely make me smile. So, those of you who have been on Regent's Christmas cruises, tell me, what should I expect?

That makes me feel better. We chose a cabin that is shower-only, as I have a mobility impairment and would not be able to get in and out of a bathtub. Thus far, we have been on a TA on Voyager, which we thoroughly enjoyed, even though it was older. We will be on a short Caribbean cruise on Splendor in February (replacing a cruise we were supposed to be on last year, when I was felled with the dreaded Covid), so we will get a sense of what the newer ships are like. We will then be on Voyager again in March for a really interesting voyage that begins in Rio, takes us around Brazil, then across the Atlantic (with several stops) to Lisbon. As I said, we really enjoyed Voyager, so an older ship doesn't bother us. Hoping that Mariner, with its quirks and issues, is as lovely to us as Voyager has been.

Barcelona is very accessible: the buses, the metro (subway), the sidewalks (even in the historic (Gothic) area), the taxis, the buildings. Everything is easy to maneuver in and from a wheelchair. Bear in mind that you may have to enter some buildings from side entrances, and that some (especially historic) sites may not be 100% accessible. I recall that there is a Roman era site in the historic district that you can enter, but when it comes to actually viewing the Roman ruins, you have to go down some steps, so my husband went down and took a bunch of photos for me. Progress, not perfection. In general, though, I found Barcelona to be about 95% accessible, which is pretty darn incredible.

Wow. Definitely need to take a look at Silversea. We have a LOT of AA Loyalty Points.

We are scheduled to go on a 21 day Caribbean Christmas cruise on Mariner at the end of 2025. This makes me wonder whether it will get cancelled.

Agree on the mushroom soup at chartreuse, as well as the tenderloin Rossini. Both were excellent.

The only place I saw a specific opportunity for an additional tip was at the spa. They hand you a bill there, and there is an included tip (18%, I believe), plus a line where you can add an extra tip if you desire. For room service, basic bar service, restaurant service, etc., they don't hand you a bill. So I guess you could tip them in cash, if you wanted. Again, there is no expectation there, so don't stress about it.

What a lovely trip! Looking forward to following along . . .

I mean, there didn't seem to be any expectation for a tip when we ordered room service, but perhaps we misread the cues.

@slidebite, we lost people on our Panoramic tour of Cadiz, too! Well, first, I started to notice that people were falling asleep on the bus. Then, we took a really long stop for photos at a fairly random place, because we were going to be returning to the port too early. That's when some passengers decided to return to the ship on their own.