mj_holiday

As I have said before, I find the "included" and extra priced differences etc difficult to understand. What you get at a bar (don't know about the new Onward bar) is easy to understand- there are a couple of sheets in the bar menu that lists what is included and the prices of the other ones. There will be wine/beer/soda in your cabin, but what is included and what is extra depends on your cabin level (I think?) Having wine delivered with a meal to your cabin depends on the liquor package you have (not included with the basic package) DH was not satisfied with the basic/included selection and I didn't understand that one person in the cabin could upgrade drink package without the other in the cabin upgrading (probably my fault in reviewing the paper in the cabin) So each night after dinner DH wanted a nice after dinner drink (choice not part of included) so he would order one to bring back to the cabin that he would sign for. After a couple nights I noticed the bill had a line for tip and DH was generous. From reading the literature, the tip is included in the price of the drinks purchased. We enjoyed our first Azamara cruise and have one booked for next spring. But I do find the various rules for what's included and what is extra and where you can get something delivered etc more than I want to worry about. (paying for a drink will not cause us to miss a meal when we get home) So for our next cruise we will be in a Club Continent (CC) and purchase the first level (or second level) drink package. (of course recently I have read posts about CC no longer having some of the access that was part of the description of the cabin extras) The end of my whining

the salted, caramel, popcorn sundae is one of the best desserts I can recommend.

Have not seen Gordon NA Gin, but will look for it. In addition to Monkey NA Gin making a good G&T, it makes a martini that for me satisfies me. When ever DH had a martini I would take a tiny taste. But with a Monkey NA martini (dry with a twist) I really don't care to take a sip from DH.

I will have to try Seedlip. Our cruise is in December and will definitely report the NA situation.

Our last Regent cruise (pre-COVID) was 2019 and the NA beers they had were O'Douls (cans for refrigerator) Heineken 0.0 and Buckler (not much of this). I have given up on the NA wine. When I had gotten it served in CR, someone was always refilling it (good service) with real wine. Too much trouble all around for something that I didn't care for that much. We have been to various parts of Europe several times since I can no longer have alcohol, and I have been able to have an NA beer where ever we have gone, and many times a local NA. So for onboard Regent I will be asking for Monday NA Gin to be available.

It has been mentioned that Fever-tree tonic is now onboard. Hope that is still true. There are a couple of NA beers on board which is nice There also is NA wine on board, which I really don't care for I am wondering how to get an NA gin called "Monday" served in Regent bars? Do we just get passengers to start requesting it? I will request it for our cabin, but would rather enjoy it in a more social setting. Monday and Fever-tree tonic makes a very good G&T, especially for those of us who cannot have alcohol.

The specialty restaurants are a nice change when on a longer cruise. But we really enjoy the Compass Rose menu as many have stated here. I will make our one reservation per restaurant when it opens up on line, but not really concerned if we get another reservation during the trip. We really enjoy not being on much of a schedule (except excursions and trivia) and specialty restaurants add one more schedule item to plan for (Regents does send a nice reminder the day before the scheduled reservation).

Thanks for telling us about your trip. Will be anxious to read about your days onboard. Was your test from Walgreens USA the only test for COVID you needed to get on the ship?

I am on a trip around Japan Embarking April 1, 2024 and would be interested in info. So some specific questions would be: Did you stay in a hotel pre-cruise and what hotel, interesting restaurants What was your favorite excursion of the excursions you took in Japan. Were there any destination related activities on board Thank you in advance

Also, on day one - it is a good idea to double check your booked excursions. You should find your tickets in your cabin when you arrive. You can then double check that you are reserved for the excursions you booked. There should also be an errata sheet on any changes to the excursions since they were published on the web. There may be changes, so need to review the list. I have found the usual changes are to the activity level of the excursion. But it is always good to check this sheet.

Embarkation - When you get onboard, while waiting for the cabins to be ready, we always go to the pool grill for a nice lunch. We are not buffet people, so enjoy the table service at the Pool Grill. We have a couple of beers, text our TA to let her know we have arrived, and enjoy our first couple of hours on board. Usually by the time we have finished the cabins are open to us and we head to our cabin, and usually our luggage has already arrived. Your room stewards should stop by shortly after you get in your cabin. You can then make sure your bar set up contains what you want. We usually have beer, club soda in our refrigerator and a bottle of red wine and some type of after dinner brandy.. After unpacking, it is time to explore the ship.

I think the cost is impacted by port. I asked for cost of a private car while in Vancouver for a cruise now cancelled. 4 hours was $1,100.00 and 8 hour was $1400.00. We decided we would do the Hop On Hop Off bus. But then cruise got cancelled. Your TA should be able to get you a cost.

You will find lots of tips throughout this forum. If you ask some specific questions, that will help get some additional info. The topic "What I've learned on this thread" would be a good start. What is embarkation port?, What category of suite?

One of the things we did before our first visit to Monte Carlo was get the movie "Grand Prix" from the library (that is probably the only place to find that very old movie) and watched it. It can get kind of boring but still interesting and get an understanding of the Grand Prix.

We have been to Monte Carlo and were fascinated with the Grad Prix track (streets) etc. I found the cruise that overnights in Monte Carlo. So from what I gather, you can either get an Azamara excursion with a seat ticket or purchase your own ticket. Sounds simple enough, and what fun.

I have found (pre-COVID) that the list of excursions listed with cruise itineraries is fairly accurate. But I always compare the list I have used for selecting excursions with what finally comes out as "official" for our cruise. Then when you get on board, look for an "errata" sheet that will list any changes to the excursions since they were made available for selection. Pre-COVID, these changes were mostly changes to the activity level of an excursion. But no telling now what changes will be.

We enjoy going up to the pool grill where there is table service, order a drink and lunch sit back and take it all in. I will send a quick note to our TA to let her know we are on board. We usually stay here until our suite is ready.

On a normal sea day we would get up and have coffee in our suite. After we got ready for the day, DH would head to the library and read the latest newspapers. We would also get the latest Mensa test. We were pretty low-key during the morning. After lunch we would walk around the ship enjoy the view and talk with new friends. I schedule did include Trivia where we would also turn in the Mensa test. As you can tell we are not go get them competitive busy people we really enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of see days.

We were on Navigator in 2018 and did not need any boots. I think if any thing like that would be needed for an excursion, it would be called out in the description.

Yes, thank you very much for showing us this info.

I am also interested in knowing how Regent handle this. Our cruise is in December and understand alot can change every month, but will still like to have an understanding of how to get the test before boarding.

Anxious to hear more of your review. And will you have pictures?

I agree with this pick also, thanks for posting a picture.

I just read an Avalon review that said dinner was from 7 - 9 and you could be seated any time within these times for dinner. DH and I are not fans of dinner seating at one time.

Thank you for the info on the dining room and bistro.