FengShui@Sea

We are sailing on the Journey in November 2024.  Does anyone know if the bathroom in the Owners suite will have been updated by then?  It goes into dry dock in December of this year, but I can’t find any information on what will be done.

This is the second time they have cancelled our Explora 1 itinerary.  This April 2025 cancellation really stings because it dovetailed to follow a transatlantic on Silversea that disembarks in Lisbon, and we don’t do any cruises fewer than ten days.  Below is the email I received from my TA on Friday.
 

“I just received a call from Explora regarding your April 2025 cruise. Explora will be redeploying both Explora 1 and Explora 2, and the itineraries will not be exactly as you are booked. The Explora 1 new itineraries are out, and being loaded on the website soon. The Explora 2 itineraries will be loaded within about 2 weeks.

If you move to a new voyage, they will give you a 30% additional credit to be used towards the new sailing, or you can take a full refund.

They recommended that you wait until the Explora 2 itineraries are out before making a decision. They did say that both ships will still be in Europe during that time, but the itineraries will not match as previously listed.”

1 hour ago, 39august said:

Sorry, too late to edit. I was in this suite on Equinox, so maybe not the same?

You are absolutely correct.  Viewing a video of the Equinox it is a bump out on the wall.  Somehow that seems far more acceptable than a ‘pole’.  This will be Willi’s side of the bed and I worry he will have a ‘run in’ with the pole during the night.  We debated if he should wear a helmet to bed.  😂
 

1 hour ago, bigbenboys said:

#2125 is not a Aqua Sky Suite. AS are mostly under the carpeted area of the OVC. 2115-2123 and 2114-2122 on Solstice. We have stayed many times in these cabins. 

No one said 2125 was an AS suite.  We were simply debating wether or not the floor to ceiling cylindrical object with high gloss paint next to the bed in the video was a ‘bump out’ in the wall.  
 

Here is a YouTube video by Jim Zim of Sky Suite #2125.  I am pretty sure that I see a pole.

3 hours ago, 39august said:

Aqua Sky suites do not have a pole. The corner  Sky suites do. 

AS #2118 Definitely has a pole between the bed and the wall.  I have seen videos of that suite.  As far as I can tell #2114 and #2120 don't.  

Are there any Aqua suites on the Solstice that don’t have the pole between the bed and the wall?   Of the few photos I have found online they all had the pole.  However, a panoramic shot from Celebrity shows one without the pole.  Perhaps they may have photoshopped it out?

On Celebrity's website these are the options for Edge Villa dining:

World-class cuisine

• Choose from Luminae at The Retreat, the main restaurant, specialty restaurants, or in your suite
• Unlimited lunch and dinner in all specialty restaurants.
• Preferred seating in specialty restaurants

They mention the main restaurant, but not Blu.  I recently searched the dining options for Sky suites (S1 and Sunset) and they no longer offer dining in Blu as an option.  Only the Aqua Sky suite offered it on a 'space available' basis.  I believe some changes have been made recently because as of tomorrow Sky suites will not longer have a dedicated Butler.

20 minutes ago, abbydancer said:

I'm confused.  I thought the Sunset Suite is what used to be the S1s, and dining in Blu was always subject to availability.  And why is breakfast in Luminae not an option?  (Maybe I'm missing something here).

Dining in Blu is no longer an option for S1 or Sunset suites.  You need to be in an Aqua suite.  Luminae is only open for lunch on sea days and dinner.  

Thank you both for your comments.  I did a search and found out a few things that have changed since we were last in a Sky suite.  In a Sky suite we used to be able to dine in Blu for breakfast and/or dinner (space permitting).  Apparently this is no longer the case.  Unless we are in an Aqua suite if we don't want to have the Elite breakfast in Tuscan Grill our only other option would be main dining room or buffet.  We normally would not do dinner in Blu (which was previously a Sky suite option) but that option now no longer exists.  

Here are some of the other 'perks' that don't appeal to us but do justify the additional cost:

• Spa concierge, in-room fitness classes
• Unlimited access to the Persian Garden
• Complimentary fitness classes
• Spa Credit
• Dedicated Spa Concierge: Personal Consultation
• Priority Spa Reservations*
• Exclusive spa treatment package discounts*
• 2 Bottled waters in room - daily
• 2 Yoga mats
• In-room fitness amenities
• Eco-friendly natural ingredients shower amenities
• Option to dine in Blu based on availability
• Full In-Suite Menu (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) Featuring clean cuisine from Blu
• Dedicated pre-cruise Retreat Concierge

I am contemplating upgrading our Sunset suite to an Aqua suite for a 26 night B2B sailing on the Solstice.  For one leg the cost of upgrade is very reasonable ($200 for 17 nights).  However on the nine night leg of the B2B the cost to upgrade is $800.  We aren't spa users, and usually enjoy the Elite breakfast in Tuscan Grill.  Are there any other advantages to forking our almost $60 a day to be in an Aqua suite?

We are very grateful for all of your comments and recommendations.  
 

We live in a beach resort community right on the Pacific Ocean and enjoy an oceanfront, very large balcony 365.  Therefore a bigger balcony (especially when sailing in cold Antarctica) is not a big priority for us.  However, engine noise and vibration is a major deterrent.  It is important for everyone to do their research and assess what pros and cons are acceptable to them. 
 

Oslo Dutch — Thank you for that information.  If Aqualina is available for breakfast that will definitely be our ‘go to’ choice.  We try to be low maintenance for the butler as they seem stretched pretty thin these days, so in-suite dining is unlikely.  

Regent offers suite guests lunch in one of their specialty restaurants on port days, which was my favourite feature of sailing with them.  But their prices have been in the stratosphere recently, so now we get to try Azamara!

11 minutes ago, lisiamc said:

If the issues were from a few months ago, I would expect them to be fixed by now, unless it was something like a permanent stain on the carpet. Things like a broken hinge on a cupboard door or a blocked drain should certainly be fixed quickly.

 

Also for other lunch options, the Mosaic Café has very tasty little sandwiches during the middle of the day. The Living Room has the same little sandwiches too.

They mentioned the curtains were very difficult to close as they would stick along the railing, the sliding door to the balcony off of the bedroom wouldn’t close, the headboard squeezed, and the sofa was very worn.  Personally I would have asked for maintenance to address all but the sofa issue.  I viewed a video of 8091 and the sofa does look like it has seen better days.  I am sure that will be addressed in the 2024 dry dock.
 

Thank you for the alternate lunch suggestions!

Thank you Host Jazzbeau.  I read about some maintenance issues with our current suite from a few months ago that have me concerned as well.  Since we have already made final payment and our documents have been issued I am not even sure if we will be allowed to change locations, but will reach out to our travel agent today.  Thanks again.

Thank you both for the information.  We would be at the very aft of the ship so there are many things to consider.
 

Dr, H - Other than in-suite dining I am assuming the only options for lunch on port days will be the buffet or pool grill?  
 

We will be embarking on the Quest in a few months and (since there is still one suite available) I am wondering if it is better to be on deck 6 with close access to the dining room.  Do they serve lunch in the dining room every day, or just on sea days?  We are currently on deck 8 for a 20 night sailing, but taking stairs would be preferable if most meals are served in the dining room.  Since my husband can only manage one flight of stairs our current location will have us taking the elevator down from deck 8 for every meal.
 

12 minutes ago, Kitekat said:

Good luck with renewing your passport, we'd hate you to miss the cruise!

Thanks Kitekat.  We did Willi's passport earlier this year, which in a third world country like Panama takes an act of government (literally 🙄).    But that is the price we pay for being a guest in their country.  On the bright side after jumping through all of the hoops the new passport came in about three weeks. 

Many thanks Snocat.  I was afraid of that but better forewarned. 

Can anyone please advise if my passport needs to be valid for six months from the last day of the cruise?  If so I will be short by 20 days for our cruise this December.  🙄

From personal experience I would avoid any cruise with a private interest group.  All that I have been on have never turned out well.  It definitely changes the dynamic of the cruise.  My advice would be to avoid.

Just now, Sunprince said:

We were not on this cruise, but did receive the heavily discounted offer from the agency mentioned here. This was their “President's Cruise”, where the agency buys a block of cabins from Regent at a significant discount. Regent is an active partner in this type of scheme, so although it is annoying to be impacted when you are not part of the group receiving special attention, it would be fruitless to complain to Regent as they are direct supporters of it. 

In the interest of full disclosure I have been a past client of this travel agency, and find the President a charming and funny guy.  But with fewer than 70 clients on board, less than half of whom seemed to attend these 'special events', it doesn't exactly give me warm and fuzzy feelings knowing that they most likely paid far less than we did for our suite, but are given preferential treatment.  As of now Regent is off of our list of lines we are willing to cruise.  I can only speak with my wallet, and am not attracted by loyalty pins and trinkets to earn my business.  

I also wanted to recognize some staff members in the survey, but unfortunately the only internet service I was able to get in the last three days was when having lunch at Bubba Gumps on Fisherman’s Wharf.  There were definitely some outstanding staff members, such as our cabin attendant Gregory, Monica at the Specialty Dining Reservation desk, and ‘Bar’ the bartender from India in Horizons Lounge was very talented and personable.  We only encountered one dud.  Anne the hostess at Compass Rose would tell you there were no tables available on starboard side when clearly there were, but would begrudgingly sit you there if you insisted.  We joked that she was so unfriendly and un-accommodating she would be better suited for working in the morgue.  

Regarding clothing I found several interior venues quite cold.  I wore either leggings or plaza pants with a top, a light sweater, and sandals.  But the lifesaver was having a scarf handy for those occasions when the air conditioners were set to cool; which happened in almost every venue once or twice throughout the cruise.

45 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

Especially on Mariner which has Stars Lounge.

Exactly our thoughts.  Willi spoke at length to the two officers 'guarding' the entrance to the Cruise Connection private function and it was quite obvious that they didn't give a rat's a$$ that we were not happy.  This is why I have long given up (after 70 + cruises) doing post cruise surveys.  They only want to hear the good stuff.  And quite honestly if I could have given my opinions in a survey, I wouldn't be venting here.  But still 'first world' problems, and I am willing to give Regent another chance.  

4 hours ago, edgee said:

We just boarded Mariner this afternoon. We filled out form saying we have been vaccinated and indicating brand of vaccine and dates of both original shots plus booster. However no one looked at our documentation. We were given a red wrist band to wear during embarkation registration process...that's it.

I hope you enjoy every minute of your cruise.  
 

Willi was not happy with some of the inconveniences.  One was when they closed off the Observation Lounge twice for a ‘private function’.  The first was advised prior so fair enough, but the second was not noted in the program and while the president of Cruise Connections addressed a group of 20 odd people occupying the entire lounge, the rest of us were turned away.  This is the second Regent cruise where popular pre dinner lounges were closed for special interest groups.   That, along with the plumbing issues, the inconsistent service in Compass Rose, and non existent internet service has him swearing off Regent.  
 

I am slightly more forgiving, but must say I am also getting a bit weary.  What I find ridiculous is how you are supposed to complete an online survey rating your cruise experience, but you don’t have any internet service to connect and do the survey.  I can’t help but wonder if they know that they are messing up, and really don’t want to hear about it in your review.  
 

However I think overall we enjoyed our cruise, and left feeling that we had been pampered, and were happy.