flossie009

I agree. It always seems to us that Explorer has the worst connectivity around the ship of any of the Regent fleet. When we were on Explorer earlier this year, we were told by the Internet Manager that the Wi-Fi infrastructure on Explorer would be renewed/enhanced during the May refurbishment. Was this work completed? Has it made any difference?

When I saw your Swan confusion (Cob, Pen & Cygnet) I thought you were channeling another Hans Christian Andersen fable, made famous by the Danny Kaye rendition Happy Anniversary & thanks for your blog. Glad to see the Scandinavian weather is behaving well thus far.

When I enter Dublin (Dún Laoghaire) as a port of call into the "Find a Cruise" section of the Regent website, it returns 25 possible cruises (https://www.rssc.com/cruises?p=DLG) Dublin Port website still lists a number of cruise ships berthing, but no Regent ships 🤔

Expert Flyer can be useful to check airline seat availability.

Often an officers v guests daily challenge. shuffleboard, baggo & the like. The casino usually has some tournaments. As you are on Splendor, an occasional long leisurely lunch in Chartreuse or Prime 7. If one of the sea days is on a Sunday you may have an extravagant brunch in compass Rose.

Chartreuse & Prime 7 speciality restaurants are open for lunch on Splendor & Explorer, with a lighter lunch menu. Both restaurants are open on sea days; only one on port days (alternating between the two). Compass Rose is not open for lunch on Splendor & Explorer (except for a Sunday Sea Day brunch). On the other ships (Navigator, Voyager & Mariner) Compass Rose is open for lunch daily; not the speciality restaurants. The menu usually has some dishes from the Splendor/Explorer lunch menus and from Pacific Rim. No reservations are required for lunch on any of the ships.

Newcastle: Beamish open air living museum is worth a visit (https://www.beamish.org.uk/) if it is still on Regent's list of excursions.

Only if you are booked on a Regent pre-cruise land tour.

The air deviation benefit is no longer shown as a benefit on the relevant page of the UK website, although it was listed in the past 🤔

That is why many guests choose the shower-only suites on Mariner (marked with an asterisk* on the deck plans). In those suites the shower occupies the full space previously allocated for the unpopular tub/shower combos. We prefer a PH or Horizon suite on Mariner as they are very spacious and well configured .............. but again opting for those with a shower-only bathroom. Sorry your Regent cruise did not meet your expectations.

We have always found that any issues raised on board Regent ships are discussed and addressed promptly. We have never had a letter of the generic type posted; only letters of apology sent to all guests when an unscheduled event occurred, such as a missed port. I had never previously heard of a “bed bug” letter and assumed the title of this thread was designed to be provocative, for whatever reason 🤔

Regent cruise prices for guests booking in North America include Business Class international flights. Regent cruise prices for guests booking in the UK include Economy Class flights (Business Class for PH & above, for cruises beginning or ending in Europe). Regent(UK) will price extra-over for Premium Economy, Business or First Class if required & available.

14 years so far …………..,. and still working for us You already have that choice

………… in your opinion For us, we still favour the Regent offering of fully all inclusive. Our recent experiences of Regent cruises, and the included excursions, have not changed our thoughts.

Agreed. The layout of the public spaces on Mariner is the best of any of the Regent ships. We sailed on Mariner last October and had no issues with the ship, its maintenance or the service we received. We like the dragon on Splendor; much better than the "prayer wheel" on Explorer. Not sure that the Fabergé egg will be much of an enhancement for the new ship. As to its cost, it is a minute fraction of the cost to build Grandeur .............. and the egg will probably increase in value over time, whereas Grandeur will start depreciating as soon as she is launched.

Would a nineteen day cruise from Abu Dhabi to Athens in the Spring of 2024 be suitable for you? https://www.rssc.com/cruises/NAV240425/summary ......... or eighteen nights , Dubai to Athens in 2025: https://www.rssc.com/cruises/VOY250516/summary You might have to waitlist.

Just for clarity, in how many ports have you found excursions to be unavailable or subject to late cancellation on your past or future Regent cruises?

Here is a photo from 2018 of Mariner docked adjacent to Front Street, Hamilton: ……… and a view from the ship:

Security, yes; immigration & customs, no Heathrow Flight Connections British Airways recommends a minimum of 1 hour for connections within the same Heathrow terminal BA Flight Connections (This advice obviously does not allow for the possibility of any delay to your incoming flight)

No need to bring your own. Often they are available as you exit the ship for your tour, if you have forgotten to bring one from your suite ...................... and umbrellas are available for those rainy days

Ah, the old “computer says no” syndrome. Perhaps @Mike Moore can develop a solution for future B2B bookings.

My favourites in Chartreuse are the Foie Gras Terrine, followed by the Beef Tenderloin and finally the Crisp Apple Tart 😋

"Shore excursions are capacity controlled on a first come first served basis. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking" Did you enquire about excursion availability before booking? Hope you have a fabulous cruise, and are successful in clearing the excursion waitlists; .......... although a day on board during a port intensive cruise can be very enjoyable

In the past we have joined a segment of a Regent World Cruise and thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, there is the risk of some excursions being waitlisted and not being able to get your first choice of speciality restaurant dining times, but we do not recall this being a huge problem. Are you able to change without penalty? I assume the World Cruise is on Mariner. A concierge suite on Mariner is significantly smaller than a PHC on Voyager, plus you will not have the services of a butler. Although we prefer Mariner to Voyager (better layout of public areas), we find the suites D-H a little snug. If you do change the booking to Mariner, I would keep an eye out for a Penthouse C coming available.

Not surprising given the short time until the cruise. Only suggestion is to waitlist what you can, then visit the Destinations Desk when you are on board. Finally, if there is a specific excursion you would really like to do, go to the theatre before tour departure as some guests may be no-shows, and the excursion staff may be able to allow you to join the tour. Best of luck 🤞 How have you got on with advance bookings for the speciality restaurants?