Regatta - SF to NYC - the saga continues

[Delta Queen]

We just returned from the Sep 9th – 30th Panama Canal cruise on Regatta. Most people know that Oceania cancelled Cabo San Lucas, then reinstated it & cancelled Acapulco instead. What you might not know is that the day before we sailed we got an email telling us that Savannah was cancelled. This port was not the only reason we booked this cruise but it was a significant contributing factor.

 

Our flight arrived early into SF airport along with some others & it was far too early to go to the ship so the agent decided to put us on our bus & arranged with the driver to take us on a tour of San Francisco. This was a lovely experience as the driver was very knowledgeable about SF.

 

This was one of the bright spots of the cruise as was the trip through the canal itself. There was a commentator on board who explained what we were seeing & doing for the whole passage. It made the passage much more interesting to know what we were looking at.

 

The provision of free soft drinks & bottled water, especially in the fridge, was a welcome addition to passenger amenities as was the provision of free bottled water when going on shore & the provision of towels when near a beach.

 

The service in Terraces was very inconsistent – either there was an abundance of waiters, carrying your plate, pulling out your chair etc or you couldn’t find one at all. Some of them had an inadequate knowledge of English & it was difficult at times to make them understand what it was you wanted. Occasionally there was a surly response to a request for more of what ever they were serving.

Service in the GDR, especially at dinner, was very slow. There appeared to be fewer staff than previous cruises.

Room service, however, was prompt & the menu choices were excellent.

Also there were many staff members who went out of their way to serve &/or help you.

 

The incessant playing of music every where is a nuisance, especially on the pool deck. The only quiet places were the library & our cabin. It would be nice to have some quiet while out on deck.

 

We noted a general air of dissatisfaction among the passengers, no doubt initiated by the frequent port changes & cancellations & the manner in which the information was communicated & handled. It wasn’t until a large number of passengers complained in writing that a future cruise credit was offered for the cancellation of Savannah. Not much comfort to the large number of Australians & New Zealanders who sailed with us.

 

We found the food to be far too exotic, although we have really enjoyed the food on our other cruises with Regatta. It would be nice if one could have just a plain sandwich at lunch time in Terraces. The conversion of the breakfast omelet station to a Sandwich bar with a variety of breads & cold cuts would be a welcome addition.

 

The laundry room was a joke. One of the washers was constantly breaking down – our wash came out sopping wet & had to be wrung out at the sink before going in the dryer. Four washers & dryers are not enough for a full ship. The ironing boards are too small & slope towards the floor & the irons kept cutting off & water came out instead of steam. (and yes, we knew how bad the laundry facilities were from previous cruises, but they are worse now than they used to be).

 

Although our complaints taken individually are not significant, taken together they made for a less than desirable cruise.

 

Overall there appeared to be a significant dilution of the normal excellent level of service expected from Oceania, this was disappointing to say the least. Needless to say we will not be sailing on Regatta again.

[happy cruzer]

Thanks for your review.

 

Not sure that I agree with your request for a sandwich place. Waves is a good choice for a warm sandwich. We would not care for a plain sandwich at all, bread and cold cuts are not that healtly. We like a salad if we want something plain or comforting. Plus there are cold sandwiches from room service.

 

We too experienced the slow service in the MDR.

 

Sounds like Regatta is going through some staff growing pains caused either by transfers or turnover.

 

We never count on getting a port visit. I canceled a cruise I had planned for this Dec. because I realized that I was really counting on and paying to see the ports, will opt for a land trip in those instances.

[LHT28]

I found bread & rolls, cold cuts & cheese in the Terrace for lunch..You can make your own if you want

:confused:

 

Still rooting for a Barristas on the R-ships :D

 

After as while I do not notice the music by the pool unless they crank it up loud

 

Lyn