Why should I cruise on Regent?

[Travelcat2]

A hearty welcome from me as well. You have discovered everything that is right with Regent and you did not go onboard the ship with negative expectations. Bravo!

[buzzybuzzbuzz]

I am a new cruiser only having done my 1st last year, but I am looking to do the Baltics in 2014.f we will

 

I appreciate the true cost of comparison idea but like the OP wondered if we would fiy in with Regent.

 

I asked for advice over on the Celebrity board and as someone previously pointed out it develops into a contest, when I am looking for peoples experience.

 

My biggest concern is that I will be able to fill my time on sea days.

 

I am considering Regent Voyager and Celebrity Eclipse, Regent it would seem is all in, where Celebrity would probably end up the same overall cost once I add drinks excursions etc...

 

Any constructive advice would be welcome.

[Travelcat2]

Hi and welcome to the Regent board:) First of all, you really cannot compare the Regent experience with sailing on Celebrity. If you want to compare price, simply take the Celebrity fare, add in airfare, tips, alcoholic drinks (and any other drinks with a cost -- like speciality coffee drinks), speciality restaurant charge and excursions. While you will have to estimate some of these costs, you will have an approximate comparison of the cost between Regent and Celebrity.

 

Our first "real" voyage on Regent (then Radisson) was in the Baltics. It was quite port intensive and wore us out (but we absolutely loved the itinerary). We had excursions all day -- every day and could barely stay awake to have dinner. If you have sea days, they will be welcome. I am posting live from a Mariner transatlantic cruise with many sea days. On another thread I have posted activities for the first three sea days. You may want to check it out. On the other hand, you may be content to sit by the pool, relax and have a few drinks.

 

If you enjoy the activities on Celebrity, by all means, go with them. Regent is more sedate and the Voyager only holds 700 passengers. Also, everyone is treated the same on the ship. In other words, there is no special pre-boarding or special areas for passengers in upper level cabins. As you know, every suite on the Voyager has a balcony (strongy advise a mid-ship cabin on the Voyager due to an aft vibration).

 

This should not be a contest. It it should be about things that are important to you. I suggest that you read questions and answers on the Regent website where you will learn more about things like the dress code (Elegant Casual) and smoking policy (no smoking in suites, balconies, lounges or restaurants). Then decide if this works for you. Of course price is also an issue.

 

Hope you enjoy whichever choice you make.

[jeeee]

I am a new cruiser only having done my 1st last year, but I am looking to do the Baltics in 2014.f we will

 

I appreciate the true cost of comparison idea but like the OP wondered if we would fiy in with Regent.

 

I asked for advice over on the Celebrity board and as someone previously pointed out it develops into a contest, when I am looking for peoples experience.

 

My biggest concern is that I will be able to fill my time on sea days.

 

I am considering Regent Voyager and Celebrity Eclipse, Regent it would seem is all in, where Celebrity would probably end up the same overall cost once I add drinks excursions etc...

 

Any constructive advice would be welcome.

 

We cruised sf to nyc with lots of sea days. I took bridge lessons in the am and played in the pm. my husband went to lectures on the next port of call. the chef had cooking demos. there was a movie every pm at sea. if you are into bingo (i am not) it is there. also a book group meets to discuss what they read. there is always something to do. I loved it. hope this helps.

[LindaM]

I am a new cruiser only having done my 1st last year, but I am looking to do the Baltics in 2014.f we will

 

I appreciate the true cost of comparison idea but like the OP wondered if we would fiy in with Regent.

 

I asked for advice over on the Celebrity board and as someone previously pointed out it develops into a contest, when I am looking for peoples experience.

 

My biggest concern is that I will be able to fill my time on sea days.

 

I am considering Regent Voyager and Celebrity Eclipse, Regent it would seem is all in, where Celebrity would probably end up the same overall cost once I add drinks excursions etc...

 

Any constructive advice would be welcome.

 

We cruised sf to nyc with lots of sea days. I took bridge lessons in the am and played in the pm. my husband went to lectures on the next port of call. the chef had cooking demos. there was a movie every pm at sea. if you are into bingo (i am not) it is there. also a book group meets to discuss what they read. there is always something to do. I loved it. hope this helps.

 

Voyager and Eclipse are going to be a totally different cruising experience. If you have never been on a small ship, you may be unhappy. You must be planning on staying in the most expensive suite on Celebrity, otherwise, the cost will be less than on Regent, even with excursions and drinks. Don't believe the hype---it's only when you are comparing the best accomodations with the standard cabins on Regent (which are wonderful). I am not one for activities, so Regent is fine for me. However, a friend didn't have enough activities on his 2 Regent cruises and is now booked on Celebrity. If I were you, I would try Regent on a port intensive itinerary!

[8dimsum]

We had a chance to visit the Navigator when it was berthed at SF as guests of our TA & Regent. Our visit started with wait staff offers of wine/mimosas prior to entering the theater. For non alcohol drinks, we had to flag down a waiter. Trays of canapes were brought around before the Regent presentations. A former Gourmet staffer who is now a Regent employee made a mini presentation about Regent's cruises and food experiences. Then there was the sales staff pitch. The visitors were then divided into smaller groups to tour the ship and to see the suites and get a sense of the range of amenities. We then had a 4 course lunch (with wine) in the ship's main dining room. Sales personnel milled around to be available to answer questions about Regent and hopefully have folks sign up for a cruise. --The Navigator has a 490 passenger capacity.

 

Our lunch companions were fond of Oceania and have extensive cruising experiences. We have cruised on different lines and of late, with Crystal which is now AI. We all decided to book a cruise...the sales pitch is catchy.

 

Misgivings: Oceania is a "sister" company, has comparable cabins/suites at different price point. Daily included tours- book early for choice or be waitlisted for the big buses. Ship escorts not a given on tours. No dance hosts. We would miss having a sushi/Asian restaurant for dining. Included alcohol is not a big deal for us.

 

Bottom line: we have a booking and if the hasty decision doesn't fit, we do have time to change the destination and date. More discussion with our TA will need to happen to better understand Regent's policies and product. --Reading CC message board is also part of the research!

 

Regent's marketing brochure has comparisons with HAL and Princess. Clearly the ambiance will be different!

[8dimsum]

additional thoughts: Lunch experience was similar to one on Princess as a visitor. Pre fix menu, wine, OK service. DH noticed no cups were set up and no hot beverage was offered. Oversight?

 

Initial impressions: comfortable feeling. nice suites. I used the handrails when climbing the stairs, so was keen to locate the stand alone hand sanitizers. They are scattered about. service - OK, not particularly attentive. Included tours was emphasized for the destination ports.

 

The earliest we will be able to cruise with Regent will be 2014 Fall. Plenty of time to read up on Regent.

[LindaM]

additional thoughts: Lunch experience was similar to one on Princess as a visitor. Pre fix menu, wine, OK service. DH noticed no cups were set up and no hot beverage was offered. Oversight?

 

Initial impressions: comfortable feeling. nice suites. I used the handrails when climbing the stairs, so was keen to locate the stand alone hand sanitizers. They are scattered about. service - OK, not particularly attentive. Included tours was emphasized for the destination ports.

 

The earliest we will be able to cruise with Regent will be 2014 Fall. Plenty of time to read up on Regent.

 

I think your observations are spot on. Although Regent is very nice and hopefully we will sail with them in the future, it's really not the "wow" experience people might expect. And, most people I spoke with on our last cruise felt the same way. I just didn't notice any difference in service with the mainstream lines. To me, this is where Regent is superior.....size of cabins (walk in closet and bathroom),beach towels and water at disembarkation area, room service selections, not having to sign for drinks/sodas, pool area lunch menu, stocked fridge/choice of alcohol in cabin---and I love the layout of Navigator (especially the rear deck behind Galileo's.) We did get to know some of the staff (who went out of their way) and I did mention them by name in our evaluation.

[Travelcat2]

8dimsum: First, a warm welcome to the Regent board:) My views are a bit different than the previous poster in terms of the Navigator. First of all, the Navigator is quite different than Regent's other two ships. She is obviously considerably smaller but, most importantly, does not have a forward observation lounge which we miss when we sail on the Navigator. Also, when the ship is full, it can get extremely crowded in some areas. The suites on the Navigator are the same as on the Voyager but public areas on the Navigator pale in comparison. IMO, the Navigator works well for the Caribbean and Alaska as they are port intensive and is isn't necessary to a lot of sea days on board. You would not be on the Navigator in the Baltics so you may want to concentrate on reviews of the Voyager and Mariner.

 

In terms of your lunch, it does not sound like it was representative of what you receive on Regent. If you were in Compass Rose, you would have a full menu -- from a choice of appetizers, soups, salads, main course and dessert, you could order any drink you wish -- alcoholic or non-alcoholic (and certainly coffee -- whatever preparation you enjoy).

 

When you dine in La Veranda, you have a lot of choices. It is buffet with great salads, sandwiches, hot dishes, made to order pasta, etc. Some people go out to the pool deck, pick up a burger and take it in to La Veranda. On sea days there are specialty lunches on the pool deck (Mexican, Seafood barbeque, etc.) that you can eat by the pool or, again, in La Veranda (al fresco dining also available in La Veranda).

 

As a long time Regent customer, I find the comparisons with HAL and Princess a slap in the face to Regent. While I understand that Regent is trying to compare prices of their regular suites to HAL and Princess' upper suites, there is always some readers that believe that experience on these cruise lines will be the same. They definitely are not.

 

Regent has never been a "wow" experience -- nor is it meant to be. There is enough lights, glitz, glitter and "wow" on mainstream cruise lines. Regent is more like a country club environment. Very laid back elegance. There is nothing wrong with passengers who prefer the larger cruise lines and everything they have to offer. Regent only has one boutique and one rather small pool (without a slide into the pool:-)

 

I'm glad to hear that you will be reading the Regent board to get a better idea of what the "Regent Experience" is.

[8dimsum]

Thank you for the welcome. You have me thinking about the other two ships. I would like to experience an onboard visit on either one.

 

We had the lunch in Compass Rose: a pre fix menu was waiting for us. No choices for the appetizer, soup, and dessert. For the entree: filet mignon, halibut, or a vegetarian layered item. The white wine was presented and named; not so for the red. Different wait staff came by to serve and remove dishes. The visitors were asked to sit anywhere which had a menu as part of the place setting, and not to sit at two seat tables. Still puzzled why we missed out on having a hot beverage to complete our lunch. Did anyone else get coffee or tea?

 

We, too, love the mini fridge that is stocked with what we like, fresh fruit bowl, available water bottles as we go on tours, great bistro coffees and teas, lovely afternoon teas, lido buffet salads and grill items, charming bar staff, great room service items to chase away the munchies, ice cream in waffle cones or milkshakes, ah! luxury cruising..

And no waiting for a check to cover drinks for self and others while on an all inclusive cruise ship.

 

I forgot to turn on a TV to "see" the quality. The hardware looked great! Of course with so many people milling around in the open house suites, it is hard to focus and easy to miss details.

[RachelG]

The tv quality itself is very good, however, if you are watching anything that is dependent on satellite for the feed, quality is totally dependent on how good the satellite connection is. For the movies, you don't have that issue and get great picture and sound.

[LindaM]

8dimsum: First, a warm welcome to the Regent board:) My views are a bit different than the previous poster in terms of the Navigator. First of all, the Navigator is quite different than Regent's other two ships. She is obviously considerably smaller but, most importantly, does not have a forward observation lounge which we miss when we sail on the Navigator. Also, when the ship is full, it can get extremely crowded in some areas. The suites on the Navigator are the same as on the Voyager but public areas on the Navigator pale in comparison. IMO, the Navigator works well for the Caribbean and Alaska as they are port intensive and is isn't necessary to a lot of sea days on board. You would not be on the Navigator in the Baltics so you may want to concentrate on reviews of the Voyager and Mariner.

 

In terms of your lunch, it does not sound like it was representative of what you receive on Regent. If you were in Compass Rose, you would have a full menu -- from a choice of appetizers, soups, salads, main course and dessert, you could order any drink you wish -- alcoholic or non-alcoholic (and certainly coffee -- whatever preparation you enjoy).

 

When you dine in La Veranda, you have a lot of choices. It is buffet with great salads, sandwiches, hot dishes, made to order pasta, etc. Some people go out to the pool deck, pick up a burger and take it in to La Veranda. On sea days there are specialty lunches on the pool deck (Mexican, Seafood barbeque, etc.) that you can eat by the pool or, again, in La Veranda (al fresco dining also available in La Veranda).

 

As a long time Regent customer, I find the comparisons with HAL and Princess a slap in the face to Regent. While I understand that Regent is trying to compare prices of their regular suites to HAL and Princess' upper suites, there is always some readers that believe that experience on these cruise lines will be the same. They definitely are not.

 

Regent has never been a "wow" experience -- nor is it meant to be. There is enough lights, glitz, glitter and "wow" on mainstream cruise lines. Regent is more like a country club environment. Very laid back elegance. There is nothing wrong with passengers who prefer the larger cruise lines and everything they have to offer. Regent only has one boutique and one rather small pool (without a slide into the pool:-)

 

I'm glad to hear that you will be reading the Regent board to get a better idea of what the "Regent Experience" is.

 

TC,

 

We don't miss a forward observation lounge in the least. There is one on another of our favorite ship's---Prinsendam. We just don't use it much. We enjoy the "outdoor" experience of a cruiseship---being out on deck. That is the reason we love being in back of Gallileo's. We didn't have a balcony on our last Navigator cruise, but would walk out on the deck outside our cabin to get some air, at times. At home, we have been "boaters" most of our lives. We don't like to be inside much of the time! Maybe you are in a different age group. We all have our different likes and dislikes. I just don't understand why you feel your opinions are the be all and end all of this board. You are very experienced with Regent, but they are your opinions, at the end of the day. Just sayin..... One more thing....I really believe what may set Regent apart from the other luxury lines may be the lack of "over the top" service. I've been on around 25 cruises, so I know what service is supposed to be. A country club would have enough staff for a 400 person venue even if the show was not one that may be well attended. One is not enough!

 

To the OP, Regent uses a white table cloth for in room breakfast service. I don't remember getting it when we ordered lunch---I am quite sure we didn't. I do like the TV movies available. There are a lot that are usually at the art theaters at home (which we have already seen.)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...We don't miss a forward observation lounge in the least. T... We enjoy the "outdoor" experience of a cruiseship---being out on deck. That is the reason we love being in back of Gallileo's. ...

 

I do agree with you about Galileo's--I loved it, and found the deck out back to be a wonderful outdoor spot.

 

I also agree with TC that Navigator can get very crowded. On our Alaska cruise last year the weather was quite bad and there were times when the the outdoor areas were not viable at all. I remember particularly our Hubbard Glacier approach--I would pop out for a minute to take a photo, then come back inside. There we did miss the forward observation lounge, although Galileo's was great once we got to the glacier and the ship turned. There were times in this weather when that back balcony off Galileo's was the absolute best place to be, and the only place out of the wind and rain.

[Travelcat2]

TC,

 

We don't miss a forward observation lounge in the least. There is one on another of our favorite ship's---Prinsendam. We just don't use it much. We enjoy the "outdoor" experience of a cruiseship---being out on deck. That is the reason we love being in back of Gallileo's. We didn't have a balcony on our last Navigator cruise, but would walk out on the deck outside our cabin to get some air, at times. At home, we have been "boaters" most of our lives. We don't like to be inside much of the time! Maybe you are in a different age group. We all have our different likes and dislikes. I just don't understand why you feel your opinions are the be all and end all of this board. You are very experienced with Regent, but they are your opinions, at the end of the day. Just sayin..... One more thing....I really believe what may set Regent apart from the other luxury lines may be the lack of "over the top" service. I've been on around 25 cruises, so I know what service is supposed to be. A country club would have enough staff for a 400 person venue even if the show was not one that may be well attended. One is not enough!

 

To the OP, Regent uses a white table cloth for in room breakfast service. I don't remember getting it when we ordered lunch---I am quite sure we didn't. I do like the TV movies available. There are a lot that are usually at the art theaters at home (which we have already seen.)

 

Wow -- rather harsh. I certainly do not think my opinion is the "be all and end of the board". It sounds from your posts that you have only sailed on the Navigator (which is fine). I'm giving an opinion of the other ships -- especially the ship that the OP will be on. You can certainly go outside in the front of both the Mariner and Voyager. We have sailed Alaska on the Mariner and did enjoy sitting in the Observation Lounge after an hour or two of being outside. The OP will be in a warmer climate and should enjoy the forward Observation lounge.

 

I am sorry that you feel that Regent service is not "over the top" and that this sets it apart from other cruise lines:confused: This is certainly not an opinion shared by Regent customers. If someone shared your opinion, they would more than likely not sail on Regent in the future.

[LindaM]

Wow -- rather harsh. I certainly do not think my opinion is the "be all and end of the board". It sounds from your posts that you have only sailed on the Navigator (which is fine). I'm giving an opinion of the other ships -- especially the ship that the OP will be on. You can certainly go outside in the front of both the Mariner and Voyager. We have sailed Alaska on the Mariner and did enjoy sitting in the Observation Lounge after an hour or two of being outside. The OP will be in a warmer climate and should enjoy the forward Observation lounge.

 

I am sorry that you feel that Regent service is not "over the top" and that this sets it apart from other cruise lines:confused: This is certainly not an opinion shared by Regent customers. If someone shared your opinion, they would more than likely not sail on Regent in the future.

 

Many of the people on my cruise were not impressed with the service. I wasn't impressed this time, BUT I would sail with them again, for the reasons I have previously mentioned. I would think sitting outside on a forward deck would be extremely windy! I am confused as to why you think the service on Regent is superior to other lines, if you're only experience is on luxury lines. Please answer this question....is one bar steward enough in the show lounge? I'm not saying this was every night, but 2 of the first nights on the cruise. Perhaps you are seeing things through rose colored glasses. Maybe the staff knows you are CC Regent's biggest cheerleader, so they bend over backwards for you!!

[Travelcat2]

Many of the people on my cruise were not impressed with the service. I wasn't impressed this time, BUT I would sail with them again, for the reasons I have previously mentioned. I would think sitting outside on a forward deck would be extremely windy! I am confused as to why you think the service on Regent is superior to other lines, if you're only experience is on luxury lines. Please answer this question....is one bar steward enough in the show lounge? I'm not saying this was every night, but 2 of the first nights on the cruise. Perhaps you are seeing things through rose colored glasses. Maybe the staff knows you are CC Regent's biggest cheerleader, so they bend over backwards for you!!

 

Agree that one bar steward is probably not enough for the show lounge (not sure if you are talking about Stars Lounge outside of the theater or people being served in the theater). Regent does need to hear about things like this. If you are posting about Stars, it was a half smoking lounge until recently and I rarely saw anyone in there except smokers. Sounds like there are more people visiting the lounge and they need more assistance. Hope you mentioned this to

 

As you may know already, the Voyager and Mariner have both forward and aft lounges so there is always a choice of which view you prefer. Guess it is just a matter of taste. We fine it windy outside of the ship in all areas but find the forward view more interesting. management so that they were able to correct this issue while you were on board.

 

Definitely am not seeing through rose colored glasses..... I have had less than perfect cruises on Regent (always on the Navigator for some reason) and have posted reviews that reflect my disappointment. However, when we see a problem on board, we talk with the appropriate person and have not had the problem reoccur. Management on board the ship get frustrated with hearing about a problem for the first time on CruiseCritic (or anywhere else) after the cruise is completed. They truly want an opportunity to fix the problem. Obviously this is impossible after the cruise is over.

 

Yes -- I am a Regent cheerleader and also like Silversea. I recognize that other people may not like or dislike the same things that I do. In terms of CruiseCritic, I try to avoid making statements that are so negative that they make people booked on Regent question their booking. The fact that we do not care for the Navigator (the ship - not the staff) does not mean that others will feel the same.

 

As long as I'm a roll here...... no two cruises are alike. You honestly state your opinions as I do mine -- but we are only giving our opinions of service and food for the time we were on the ship. Opinions differ so much. I was told a story on our last cruise about a couple that split a steak in Prime 7. The husband loved it and the wife didn't. Go figure. The only things that don't change much is the aft vibration on the Navigator and Voyager and the fact that regular suites are too small on the Mariner. Hmmmmm, managed to badmouth three ships in one sentence:confused:

 

P.S. You asked me to if I have cruised non-luxury cruise lines. Yes, Disney and some smaller ships in Fiji and Egypt.

[the big roxy]

Just finished 18 days on Navigator and yes service is slipping compared to our previous Regent cruises, shortage of serving staff, also not well trained, there appeared to be a lot of training going on as we cruised. On several dining occasions we were not even sure who our waiter and wine servers were. For this quality of service we will take a 5 star resort in Cancun and save a pile of money.

 

The staff in the suites were excellent as always, the ship was spotless clean although now getting a bit dated.

[LindaM]

TC---there was one waiter in the show lounge. There were 3 in the lounge you were speaking of. There are more people in there now that it is non smoking. I think it was an issue of those waiters wanting to stay where they were and not going into the show lounge---which is harder work.

 

Thanks to the poster who substantiated my experience. I agree that the service in the suites was wonderful. All I had to do was leave a note and our wishes were fullfilled ASAP.

 

So, if Navigator is the only ship with these issues, why doesn't Regent get on the General Manager or whoever is responsible? Obviously the employees know they can get away with slacking off.

[Travelcat2]

TC---there was one waiter in the show lounge. There were 3 in the lounge you were speaking of. There are more people in there now that it is non smoking. I think it was an issue of those waiters wanting to stay where they were and not going into the show lounge---which is harder work.

 

Thanks to the poster who substantiated my experience. I agree that the service in the suites was wonderful. All I had to do was leave a note and our wishes were fullfilled ASAP.

 

So, if Navigator is the only ship with these issues, why doesn't Regent get on the General Manager or whoever is responsible? Obviously the employees know they can get away with slacking off.[/quote

 

Just read yesterday that there is a new GM (new to Regent) on the Navigator -- not sure how long he has been on board. Hopefully this will be brought to his attention and he can insure that there are enough servers in the show lounge.

[LindaM]

If I were a betting person, I would bet that a new GM was brought on to clean up Navigator. You can't have a luxury cruiseline with one rogue ship---where the employees seem to be running the show. It's not that it was bad.....just not what one would expect from a luxury line. And, I am being perfectly honest when I say the people we met on our last cruise were not impressed. I polled most people we met, just out of curiousity. I'm not shy--I talk to a lot of people!!

 

I am willing to bet that the number of negative reports on Navigator will be tapering off in the months to come. That makes me happy---I love the ship.

[Travelcat2]

If I were a betting person, I would bet that a new GM was brought on to clean up Navigator. You can't have a luxury cruiseline with one rogue ship---where the employees seem to be running the show. It's not that it was bad.....just not what one would expect from a luxury line. And, I am being perfectly honest when I say the people we met on our last cruise were not impressed. I polled most people we met, just out of curiousity. I'm not shy--I talk to a lot of people!!

 

I am willing to bet that the number of negative reports on Navigator will be tapering off in the months to come. That makes me happy---I love the ship.

 

If I were a betting person I would bet against you. When a ship has a problem, it is known by upper management -- that is where the direction comes from. Franck Galzy is the G.M. sent to the ships when they are going to be refurbished and sees them through the process. He apparently is the one who sets the standard for GM's on Regent. They need a seasoned General Manager -- one who knows exactly how Regent is suppose to be run -- not a "newbie".

 

IMO, the Navigator is too small for the number of suites on the ship. Silversea has two ships the size of the Navigator. They hold a maximum of 383 passengers while the Navigator holds 490. I suspect that there are not enough crew quarters to accommodate the number of crew members needed to run the ship efficiently.

 

If you read reviews of the Navigator going back 3+ years, they are dramatically worse than they are now.

 

To get back on topic ......... Franck Galzy was G.M. on the Mariner for quite a while and is now G.M. on the Voyager (when he isn't on vacation:-) Both ships run very well. The issues of slow service in Compass Rose on some nights is well documented and there is not much than can be done about it that has not already been done.

 

LindaM -- it's nice that you enjoy the Navigator...... but, until you sail on other Regent ships, it is difficult to understand how much better the experience can be.

[TahoeTraveler]

LindaM -- it's nice that you enjoy the Navigator...... but, until you sail on other Regent ships, it is difficult to understand how much better the experience can be.

We have cruised on both the Mariner and the Navigator...and our experience was MUCH better on the Navigator. In fact, we have ranked our last cruise on the Navigator as the best one we've ever taken by far. But that was just our experience, and our opinion. YMMV.

[Travelcat2]

We have cruised on both the Mariner and the Navigator...and our experience was MUCH better on the Navigator. In fact, we have ranked our last cruise on the Navigator as the best one we've ever taken by far.

 

Really interesting input. What was it that you did not care for on the Mariner? Was it the ship or the crew that were onboard at the time? Our favorite ship is the Voyager....... however, we had one of our best cruises ever in March, 2013 on the Mariner -- entirely due to the officers and staff on board. The chef was over the top wonderful, the pastries were to die for, the G.M., Captain and Cruise Director were warm, friendly and very accommodating.

 

Do you feel that it is the crew or the ship that makes the cruise what it is? For us, the Navigator is too squished and there is nothing anyone can do about it. La Veranda is too crowded, Prime 7 was too small (but has been made larger in the past year -- probably making La Veranda even smaller). The suites are the same as the Voyager. So, my answer to the question is that the crew makes the experience exceptional, good or poor. However, for us, the Navigator -- the ship-- and passengers on Alaska itineraries keep us sailing on the Mariner and Voyager (and I'm certain to be flamed on that comment):confused:

[TahoeTraveler]

Really interesting input. What was it that you did not care for on the Mariner? Was it the ship or the crew that were onboard at the time? Our favorite ship is the Voyager....... however, we had one of our best cruises ever in March, 2013 on the Mariner -- entirely due to the officers and staff on board. The chef was over the top wonderful, the pastries were to die for, the G.M., Captain and Cruise Director were warm, friendly and very accommodating.

 

Do you feel that it is the crew or the ship that makes the cruise what it is? For us, the Navigator is too squished and there is nothing anyone can do about it. La Veranda is too crowded, Prime 7 was too small (but has been made larger in the past year -- probably making La Veranda even smaller). The suites are the same as the Voyager. So, my answer to the question is that the crew makes the experience exceptional, good or poor. However, for us, the Navigator -- the ship-- and passengers on Alaska itineraries keep us sailing on the Mariner and Voyager (and I'm certain to be flamed on that comment):confused:

No flaming! It was indeed the crew that made our Navigator to Bermuda cruise the best we've ever had (and trust me, it was rocking and rolling all the way). They were exceptional, and we really felt special onboard that ship. We also like the smaller size of the Navigator over the Mariner. It wasn't that we didn't like the Mariner (we did...loved it in fact). It was just that "something" that I cannot pinpoint (mentioned on my Crystal vs. Regent comparison) that made our Navigator cruise so special. It might very well just have been the passenger demographics on that particular voyage. I just know we felt very, very comfortable (when we weren't being slapped around by the waves, that is!!) on the Navigator, and cannot wait to return to her in October.

[RachelG]

I actually like navigator better than mariner too. But I would sail either in a heartbeat. Like the regular suites on navigator better as they are larger. The crew is same IMO but navigator crew gets to know you better as it is smaller.