ysolde

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.

Interesting. We are doing a TA that starts out as a Med cruise on NCL Viva at the end of 2024. It is an interesting itinerary (with stops in Europe, North Africa and the Canary Islands before crossing and then stops on the Caribbean). We are in a Junior Suite, but it seems spacious. And this new Prima class seems different.

Yes. There were nightly shows: A comedian (we skipped him, as we heard he was mediocre); the in-house singers and dancers (quite good); the singer (really good), the pianist (funny and quite good). Everyone was up more than once, as it was a two week cruise, but they never repeated an act. This was very different from a TA we did on NCL last fall, also two weeks, where they simply repeated the same acts (presumably because there were enough things going on each evening that you never saw the same thing twice). But really on a cruise that long there are nights (especially when you have an early excursion in the morning) when just turning in early to watch a movie seems just right.

Took our first Regent cruise (a TA, lots of sea days), earlier this month. Just returned this past week. It was a 14-day cruise. Overall, it was very good. Embarkation was less chaotic than most, but still chaotic. We were advised prior to our cruise that the original embarkation time we had been given had been pushed back by an hour and a half because the Coast Guard had to inspect the ship. No worries. Nonetheless, when we arrived at the port, there was a huge mass of people and embarkation seemed to be at a standstill. We got through the process fairly quickly, though the long line of people on the gangway after we checked in and were told to embark was a bit daunting. Once on board, we immediately checked in with our muster station (we had already viewed the safety video on-line several times), and then we went to our cabin. The Voyager, like most Regent ships, is an all-suites configuration. We were not disappointed in our veranda category suite, with its comfortable bathroom, walk-in closet, spacious bedroom area (with cozy vanity area where I did my make-up every day), living room area with sofa, table (large enough for in-room dining), desk (over which the television -- all programming included -- is), and veranda. We used the veranda more on warm days. Once it began to rain, we looked out the sliding doors from the couch. It was an efficient use of space -- we never once tripped over anything. I have a shellfish allergy, and got menus the day before. This made me realize they were going above and beyond for my safety. All restaurants (including specialty restaurants) are included. I liked the French restaurant best. DH liked the steakhouse best. TBH, the main dining room was usually excellent, though the menu could get repetitive. Some of the specials in the main dining room (Compass Rose) were excellent. They had a fantastic Angus beef empanada as an appetizer at lunch several times that was amazing. They always had great quality filet mignon. And simple things, such as consommé, they just nailed. Delicious. We usually went for coffee at the coffee shop (Coffee Connection) in the afternoon. They make all kinds of fancy concoctions, but I stuck to an espresso (excellent, not bitter), while DH had his usual Americano. They have service in the cabin twice a day, with an excellent team of cabin stewards. One thing I appreciate, as a person with a mobility impairment, is that they still provide individual toiletries. I know this is controversial and possibly bad for the environment, but my hands are not large or strong enough to squeeze out those large bottles they put in the showers in hotels and cruise ships, so I usually travel with my own toiletries. When a hotel or cruise ship still offers individual toiletries, it makes me so happy, because it means I can use their toiletries, and save my own stuff for the next trip. Regent's toiletries (L'Occitane's Jasmine and Bergamot) are a neutral scent that works for both men and women. I shower at night, so I did not find it clashed with my perfume in any way. I had heard bad things about the entertainment on Regent. It's low-key. There was a piano player who was reminiscent of Victor Borge. A good singer (lots of Bette Midler with some Barbra thrown in there, so I was happy). An evening of 70s singer-songwriter covers. IOW, they know their target demographic. By day, there are afternoon teas (themed), jigsaw puzzle tables, needlepoint, speaker series (very good), games, trivia, etc. It's easygoing fun. The other thing to know is that it's a small cruise. You get to know your fellow passengers. People talk to each other. The spa is excellent and friendly without the hard sell that can make spas on other ships a bit discomfiting. This place was an oasis of calm on an already quiet, laid-back ship. The only thing that was a bit of a letdown was the excursions. There simply were not enough excursions for people with mobility impairments: One in Bermuda, none in the Azores, one in Cadiz. The one in Cadiz was awful (we had taken a better HOHO tour in Cadiz in November). Disembarkation was a simple, no-nonsense process that had us off the ship and on a transfer bus (provided by Regent) to BCN in about 20 minutes. The trip home (BCN-EWR-PHX), while long, was pleasant. Regent's included business class airfare meant we got to fly United's Polaris to Newark and first class to Phoenix. Not a bad way to end the trip, all in all. So now we understand what all the fuss is about. If you are looking for a quiet, no fuss (no go-karts, no rock climbing walls, no zip lines, no Broadway shows) cruise, with friendly passengers, this may be the cruise line for you. We have already booked two more cruises and are looking to book a third.

DH and I were on the same TA crossing, and had some of the same quibbles re: laundry (picked up very early in the morning and not returned until late the following evening, usually when we called to inquire where it was). On the first day of our cruise, we asked our steward to remove all the alcohol from our mini fridge and replace it with Diet Coke. This was not done until we reminded him (twice). He said he would try, as he was not sure whether Diet Coke was available on the ship. Which brings me to the constant Diet Coke debate on NCL cruise ships (this seems to happen across the board, whether on NCL or on Regent). On Day 2 of our cruise, I asked for Diet Coke at lunch. The waitress came back with Coke Zero, saying there was no Diet Coke available on the ship. I was floored. A few minutes later, the head sommelier came over, asking if I wanted anything. I told him I had just been informed there was no Diet Coke on board, even after they had just provisioned in Miami. I did not understand how that had happened. He told me the waitress was misinformed, and I should always ask for drinks from a sommelier. Are you kidding? We're talking diet soda, not Chateauneuf du Pape. Anyhow, he got me the Diet Coke. But for the rest of the crossing, it was an issue, the Diet Coke "not always being available," depending on who you asked. Terribly annoying. Other than that, a really remarkable trip that surpasses any other cruise we have taken to date.

Ship - Voyager Sail Date - April 5, Miami to Barcelona Suite 654, midship Separate shower and bathtub Noise issues - None Would book again? - Absolutely Great suite and location. Excellent for a TA. Wonderful, unobstructed views from the veranda. Quiet location. Very stable, even during minor weather events.

We just flew in from Barcelona. It’s w good airport. However, we were on the noon flight (United) and while we made it to the airport in plenty of time, we were thankful for the porter who helped with our luggage. After checking in our luggage, making our way through security was fairly straightforward. However, we thought we would have a bit of time to relax in the lounge. This was not the case. The airport is large and a bit difficult to navigate. Lots of elevators to take up and down to get where you’re going. Especially tiring if you’re in a wheelchair or use a walker. Preboarding is also a lengthy process than expected, with no place to sit, so those that have no problem walking but have difficulty standing should consider requesting a wheelchair at this airport.

Just back from our TA. Three ports. The first was Bermuda. The excursion was on a small van that operated as both a cab and a tour bus. The operator was warm and friendly and knowledgeable. She placed my small, collapsible travel wheelchair in the back of the van and had me sit in the passenger seat, which was easy enough to get in and out of. She gave us a log of information and was good about answering questions. Regent did not offer any excursions that were suitable for wheelchair users in the Azores. We found a “Lagarto” bus, open sided and very long trolley, basically, that pipes in a pre-recorded guide to what you are seeing as you are being driven around. Not what we wanted to see but it was something. And anyhow beggars can’t be choosers (and it has been made clear to me by some of the comments on this thread that people with disabilities are little more than beggars in the eyes of some, who should be thankful to be allowed to participate and be quiet about the rest). The folks who run it had no problem with the wheelchair, no problem helping me on and off the trolley. In Cadiz, we took the only excursion available to wheelchair users. My chair was stowed under the bus and I climbed in. The bus had partial visibility from its windows. The guide was repetitive and mediocre. We got more out of a HOHO tour of Cadiz last November. All in all, if these are the only offerings available to passengers with mobility impairments at over half the ports, I think Regent has a serious issue on its hands that it needs to address.

That depends on the airline you are flying, whether you have a credit card with them that allows you to check luggage free of charge, whether you have elite status with them that allows you to check luggage with them free of charge, etc. When you fly back to the US in business class, you will probably have two checked bags allowed per person.