Navigator...not so luxurious....we are not happy cruisers at the moment

[Suite Travels]

Angry..??? Perhaps you misread my post. I felt that you made a poorly thought out post or should I add IMHO.? I spent too much time below decks to let never mind. There is no reasonable way to disagree with you. That is why this board gets so arbitrary and the Oceania board does not.

 

AWED, you really know how to clear a room.:eek:

[8dimsum]

Apologies to the OP-- I had missed your later post that indicated a change in stateroom and downgrade.

 

I will be calling my TA re future booking.

[rosewood jo]

Same thing happened to us...that's why I posted our experience. We have over a 100 days with regent....we will NEVER sail them again!

[TV Dad]

Wow! There are a lot of angry people posting here. I have never cruised Regent Seven Seas. I am here for the first time researching a possible cruise on Navigator this fall. BUT if there is brown water coming out of the tap, and staff says there's nothing they can do about it, and seasoned Navigator passengers say not to worry about it, I'm re-thinking this supposedly upscale line! If you're paying that much money for a cruise, they damned well better have crystal clear water! There are no excuses. They should dry-dock the vessel until they correct the problem.

 

And to everyone who posted about well water being rust colored and nothing to worry about. . . I'm no engineer and I'm no sailor. BUT I'm pretty sure this ship does not have a well. So any comparison to well water seems kind of foolish. Just one guy's opinion.

 

I think I'll go see if Seabourn and Crystal offer passengers brown water.

[pingpong1]

TV Dad - Welcome to the discussion! As a new poster (and not a previous Regent customer) I think you grasped the essence of the point (and some of the frustration) that some of the rest of us were trying to get across. A few of the posters are so "in the tank" for Regent, and have so totally "bought into" Regent's masterful marketing theme (the aura of "luxury cruising"), that they simply don't see how irrational their rationalizations can sometimes seem to the rest of us! ((disclaimer - I don't believe a cruise is necessarily "luxury" just because Regent, the company, says it is!))

 

Saying things about the (brown) water situation like, "it's always been that way" or, "it really can't hurt you" or, "there's nothing that can be done about it" or, "we used to live in a town/house that also had cloudy/brown/iron water" or, "it also happens on other ships/cruise lines" seems to imply that Regent can do (or not do) virtually anything they want to, will still get the same old stalwarts back and signing up for the next cruise, time after time, and don't have to sink (excuse the pun) any really serious maintenance/refit money into their fleet to fix these problems - once and for all. What a great business position to be in! ((BTW - Regent ships are obviously not drawing their water from a well :p The problem is being caused by rust somewhere in the water delivery system and is entirely fixable and should not be an ongoing occurrence)).

 

When I see problems in my own house (like brown well water caused by iron), I immediately spend the money, install the appropriate filters, and thereafter enjoy crystal-clear water. End of problem. When/if my car's engine started running "rough" or developed some unexplained vibration or noise going on - the car would immediately go to the mechanic/dealership and be fixed (if "unfixable" - the car would no longer be mine). If I were to go to a restaurant and receive lousy service, cold/undercooked food, or paid far more for the meal than what I thought it was worth - I would never give that establishment my money, business, or the chance to "screw me" again! I would never go back on the hope that "next time" might be better. And having a "bad" $100 meal certainly is not in the same realm of experience as having a "bad" $20,000 cruise! :eek:

 

I have not yet personally encountered any of these sorts of problems on a Regent cruise. But others have. And apparently, more than once! For now, I'm pleased with the product/service I have received (for the price) on the two Regent cruises I've gone on (with one more booked). And I already know at this point that the next cruise might very well be my last - even if through no fault of Regent. I take them "one at a time". I certainly have never thought of Regent as my only choice in cruising. I'm not even sure I'll continue to do any cruising in the future. I have read many negative reviews and posts on other boards for many different cruise lines (including Regent) so I'm well aware that "problems" don't just happen on Regent. But Regent advertises itself as being so much better and far more luxurious than those other cruise lines (and sets it's price structure accordingly). I think Regent needs to continuously meet or exceed the very expectations and standards that they themselves have advertised and set for themselves. Calling themselves a "Luxury cruise line" imposes metrics on every phase of their own business that other lines (Carnival?) don't have to meet. I wouldn't defend for a moment the occurrence of brown water coming out of a tap on Carnival's "Fantasy". I especially wouldn't do so on Regent's "Navigator".

 

A lot of former customers have walked away from Regent because the cruise failed to meet (or no longer met) their expectations. Plenty of past comments and reviews document this. I have no doubt that even some of the "cheerleaders" privately question their own continued/future patronage and whether they feel they're still getting the "value for the price". They just might not admit it openly. Many posters have stated that as a business model, Regent may simply think that they'll have enough new, first-time customers in the future to "replace" the disgruntled or disappointed past customers who no longer choose to sail with them. They are certainly entitled to make that decision.

 

If any of these negative things ever happened to me (poor/under-cooked food, surly/snippy service, brown water in the taps, etc.), Regent (or any other cruise line for that matter) would never again have another chance for my business. It's awfully hard for me to swallow (apologies, again :D) the assertion that "all" ships occasionally have brown water coming out of their taps and that we (as customers) simply have to "accept that"!

 

For some posters, it would seem that their desire to cruise on Regent is so great, that virtually nothing so negative could transpire that would dissuade them from continuing to defend and to further patronize Regent in the future! If I owned a business (like Regent), I would love to have those kind of customers! I could treat them any way I wanted and charge them virtually anything for my product - and they would still keep coming back! Wow - What a great business model!

 

I guess I'm just not a dedicated enough cruiser. :( Best Regards.

[funny26]

Wow pingpong, what an absolutely fantastic post. You eloquently covered so many recent posts on varying but, similar subjects so well.

 

Not sure how anyone could find fault with what you wrote but, sure some will. Regent certainly needs to address and solve the complaints that seem to reoccur on a regular basis lately and the one most obvious problem that needs to be addressed immediately without any delay and without any attempts at rationalization even if it mean taking the Navigator out of service is the completely unacceptable water issue.

[hypercafe]

you said what I was thinking, I have cruised on Oceania and am going on Crystal soon. I find it hard to believe anyone who pays the price of Regent would expect brown water in their room, I have sailed on two star ships that did not have that problem. This reminds me of the HAL board where the devoted people think it is ok not to have AC or a toilet that work. Must be nice to have money to throw away!

[Travelcat2]

I am one of the posters that tried to make the OP feel better by explaining that the water isn't as bad as they may be thinking (what flows out of the toilet, for instance). Pingpong1, I do not think that is okay that the Navigator has brown water. Although I am considered a Regent cheerleader, I have posted numerous times over the past couple of years that we will not sail on the Navigator (well, unless the itinerary was more than we could resist). You are correct that the problem can be fixed if the ship is dry docked again.

 

In terms of vibration, unfortunately, the vibration on the Voyager is not something that can be fixed. On the positive side, it only affects the aft of the ship. The Mariner as no issues that I am aware of and we will be looking at more Mariner itineraries.

 

I appreciated the last line of your post. For better or worse, we went on enough wonderfully enjoyable Regent cruises that we have benefits afforded to Platinum Seven Seas Society members. It is difficult to go on Silversea (which we really like) or even Oceania when we must do without free laundry, several hours of telephone calls, etc. While we have used the free telephone rarely, it is amazing to have in case of an emergency - something we do think about. The benefits do play into why we are as loyal as we are.

 

If/when we have undercooked food, snippy service, etc. on any cruise line, we will first return it and try again. It does not take much for us to request a meeting with the Director of Food and Beverage. We make sure that the General Manager on board is aware of any problems as well. While this paragraph sounds as if we have problems all of the time, this is not true. We simply do not want to be miserable on a cruise. Of our sixteen Regent cruises, there have been two that we were less than happy with. The first was on the Navigator and was totally food related. The second was our last cruise on the Voyager. If our March cruise on the Voyager resembles our last one in any way, I will rethink our future cruises.

 

Pingpong1: When and where is your next Regent cruise. You may have posted it but my memory is lacking at the moment -- the last 6 weeks have not been the easiest for us but we are fortunately back on track:)

Edited January 28, 2014 by Travelcat2

[hornscruiser]

I just got off the same cruise on the Navigator, deck 6. Fortunately, we never had any discolored water.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Pingpong, great post!

[pingpong1]

TC - I very much appreciate your very considerate, moderate, and well-balanced response to my post. I wasn't quite sure how it might have been received. I have always looked forward to reading your reviews and observations while you've been on your cruises. Actually, it was from reading one of your posts a few years ago that initially even got me interested in Regent, in the first place :)

 

I have some (but certainly not a "ton" of) disposable income to use to enjoy some ocean cruising experiences. I certainly don't think I could afford to go on more than one cruise per year - not unless some heretofore unknown "rich uncle" happens to pass on and leave me his estate! That's why each and every one of those selected cruises simply has to be "top notch", with no room for error! ;)

 

Your commentaries, along with Col Wes', Tom O, RachelG, and many others, induced me to try Regent for my first/only cruising experience in the first place. So far, our 2 cruises on Regent (Navigator to Alaska, and Voyager to the Med) have been very good experiences and we enjoyed both of them very, very much. Our next cruise (the 3rd one) departs on Voyager out of Stockholm on June 14 and ends up in Copenhagen 7 days later.

 

I want Regent to STAY at the "top of their game". Always. No exceptions. I don't want to see/experience any "dumbing down" of the brand or of the quality. If they can maintain their self-proclaimed standards WHILE controlling their costs, they'll probably see me back again on a future cruise. Perhaps that unrealistic? Only the future will tell. :D Best Regards.

[Travelcat2]

pingpong1: I have the highest respect for the posters you mentioned. We have cruised with two of them (still hoping to cruise with RachelG).

 

Just wanted to comment that our first "real" Regent cruise (not counting the Paul Gauguin) was the itinerary you will be doing (in reverse). There are few things are wonderful as sailing out of or in to Stockholm. Totally amazing. Your itinerary is a tiny bit different than ours but looks wonderful. A highlight on that itinerary is Tallin. Hope you have the opportunity to experience it fully.

[jhp]

TV Dad - Welcome to the discussion! As a new poster (and not a previous Regent customer) I think you grasped the essence of the point (and some of the frustration) that some of the rest of us were trying to get across. A few of the posters are so "in the tank" for Regent, and have so totally "bought into" Regent's masterful marketing theme (the aura of "luxury cruising"), that they simply don't see how irrational their rationalizations can sometimes seem to the rest of us! ((disclaimer - I don't believe a cruise is necessarily "luxury" just because Regent, the company, says it is!))

 

Saying things about the (brown) water situation like, "it's always been that way" or, "it really can't hurt you" or, "there's nothing that can be done about it" or, "we used to live in a town/house that also had cloudy/brown/iron water" or, "it also happens on other ships/cruise lines" seems to imply that Regent can do (or not do) virtually anything they want to, will still get the same old stalwarts back and signing up for the next cruise, time after time, and don't have to sink (excuse the pun) any really serious maintenance/refit money into their fleet to fix these problems - once and for all. What a great business position to be in! ((BTW - Regent ships are obviously not drawing their water from a well :p The problem is being caused by rust somewhere in the water delivery system and is entirely fixable and should not be an ongoing occurrence)).

 

When I see problems in my own house (like brown well water caused by iron), I immediately spend the money, install the appropriate filters, and thereafter enjoy crystal-clear water. End of problem. When/if my car's engine started running "rough" or developed some unexplained vibration or noise going on - the car would immediately go to the mechanic/dealership and be fixed (if "unfixable" - the car would no longer be mine). If I were to go to a restaurant and receive lousy service, cold/undercooked food, or paid far more for the meal than what I thought it was worth - I would never give that establishment my money, business, or the chance to "screw me" again! I would never go back on the hope that "next time" might be better. And having a "bad" $100 meal certainly is not in the same realm of experience as having a "bad" $20,000 cruise! :eek:

 

I have not yet personally encountered any of these sorts of problems on a Regent cruise. But others have. And apparently, more than once! For now, I'm pleased with the product/service I have received (for the price) on the two Regent cruises I've gone on (with one more booked). And I already know at this point that the next cruise might very well be my last - even if through no fault of Regent. I take them "one at a time". I certainly have never thought of Regent as my only choice in cruising. I'm not even sure I'll continue to do any cruising in the future. I have read many negative reviews and posts on other boards for many different cruise lines (including Regent) so I'm well aware that "problems" don't just happen on Regent. But Regent advertises itself as being so much better and far more luxurious than those other cruise lines (and sets it's price structure accordingly). I think Regent needs to continuously meet or exceed the very expectations and standards that they themselves have advertised and set for themselves. Calling themselves a "Luxury cruise line" imposes metrics on every phase of their own business that other lines (Carnival?) don't have to meet. I wouldn't defend for a moment the occurrence of brown water coming out of a tap on Carnival's "Fantasy". I especially wouldn't do so on Regent's "Navigator".

 

A lot of former customers have walked away from Regent because the cruise failed to meet (or no longer met) their expectations. Plenty of past comments and reviews document this. I have no doubt that even some of the "cheerleaders" privately question their own continued/future patronage and whether they feel they're still getting the "value for the price". They just might not admit it openly. Many posters have stated that as a business model, Regent may simply think that they'll have enough new, first-time customers in the future to "replace" the disgruntled or disappointed past customers who no longer choose to sail with them. They are certainly entitled to make that decision.

 

If any of these negative things ever happened to me (poor/under-cooked food, surly/snippy service, brown water in the taps, etc.), Regent (or any other cruise line for that matter) would never again have another chance for my business. It's awfully hard for me to swallow (apologies, again :D) the assertion that "all" ships occasionally have brown water coming out of their taps and that we (as customers) simply have to "accept that"!

 

For some posters, it would seem that their desire to cruise on Regent is so great, that virtually nothing so negative could transpire that would dissuade them from continuing to defend and to further patronize Regent in the future! If I owned a business (like Regent), I would love to have those kind of customers! I could treat them any way I wanted and charge them virtually anything for my product - and they would still keep coming back! Wow - What a great business model!

 

I guess I'm just not a dedicated enough cruiser. :( Best Regards.

 

PingPong1, I cannot find fault with a word you say, that is your opinion, and for sure you are entitled to write all you wish. As much as you wish to validate other's concerns, I am still entitled to my opinions as well, based on my own experiences, as I have completed 33 cruises since Navigator's maiden year in 2000. So, not much I read here "registers" with me as to whether I will book another cruise, although I am aware when I get on any ship, and "on the lookout" for all negative comments others have made. I went on the Navigator for the very cruise you are taking next June (my second, in 2001), fortunately the ship was small enough to dock somewhere in town along the Neva river, not out of town like now with the Voyager. One of my best cruises ever, to this day. Remember Peterhof, Church of Spilled Blood, St. Isaac's, the fortress, Catherine's Palace, the Hermitage, so much more, all of it in St. Petersburg with a local guide and driver on my own, so cheaply, and had to get my own visa (not a one-click thing).

 

But, I am guilty of being a "dedicated cruiser", as you say, and so far, dedicated to Regent, although I have cruised twice on Silversea, and 1 Disney cruise with my grands and family. I do land trips as well, mostly with family. Before I ever book a cruise on Regent, I always check out the pricing and itineraries of competing luxury lines and go from there. Important to me when I book are itinerary, accommodations (particularly space, i.e. sq.ft. not only my cabin, but ship-wide per person), service, excursions, price, food quality like everyone does (but so subjective). And I never have felt that Regent treats me "any way they like". Believe, me, I could be "dissuaded" if and when they fail me. Spending way too much to not be satisfied. It is because they have treated me well that I return. I have had cruises canceled twice (even one time when I went all the way to the port in Athens!), ports canceled, disappointing days when we could not tender for safety reasons. These things can happen to anyone going on any line. But Regent has always come to the plate and compensated for major problems that were connected to the ship, and not weather. If they didn't, I may go elsewhere.

 

People have left for one reason or another, mostly because they don't want to be paying for excursions they don't want or need (and find no fault with that), or to move to other lines for lesser prices (because they don't want or need the larger standard suites they pay for on Regent). Before that, there was a demand for "all-inclusive", meaning alcohol, and a huge debate/poll on this board, same with dress code. So Regent/Raddison, whatever it was back then, complied. It keeps going round and round. Yes, I gripe privately about the prices, until I search another line and want to get all-inclusive.

 

Best regards to you, too. I hope you love your Baltics cruise, 7 days just not enough time there~ We had an extra day in St. Pete, so much there! Then a float on the Kiel Canal and ended with a huge festival in Hamburg.

Edited January 29, 2014 by jhp

[newlondon]

jhp, I agree with you that Regent always tries to make things right and even when it is no fault of theirs but rather weather. I submit as an example the SYD-SGP cruise 1/13-2/13. We were subjected to a typhoon as well as other problems and missed two ports and were shorted a day in Bali. We were compensated with 50% of our fare towards another cruise; imo a generous offer.

TBH the passengers did need to raise a hue and cry and hold management's feet to the fire; but in the end my read was that most were very satisfied.

Brown water is another issue entirely and from my read of this thread I think Miami has a problem.

I am definitely not a Regent cheer leader, my favorite ship is Silver Whisper, but when looking for good cruise experiences I always include Regent in the universe.

[Sunprince]

I'd just like to add re e brown water situation on the Navigator. When we did the galley tour I was told that the drinking water (ie tap water that they serve in the DR) is freshly loaded in Miami and held in separate tanks than the water used for bathroom, shower etc in suite. I was told the suite water was desalinated on the ship and held in separate tanks from the restaurant water. Not sure if this is correct but perhaps the brown water issue relates to either the desalination or the tanks in which it is held. I can also add that when they refilled the pool water (after emptying it due to very heavy swells) they had to do a few tries as it was extremely dirty!

Edited January 30, 2014 by Sunprince

[computerworks]

... I was told the suite water was desalinated on the ship and held in separate tanks from the restaurant water. Not sure if this is correct ...

 

Before we start a class war, the term "sweet water" has been used to describe fresh water in contrast to salt water, when talking 'tech' to desalination people.

 

Not "Suite water." :cool:

[Sunprince]

Before we start a class war, the term "sweet water" has been used to describe fresh water in contrast to salt water, when talking 'tech' to desalination people.

 

Not "Suite water." :cool:

 

I think most people will get the point...meaning the water in the room/suite is desalinated. Not sure about the "tech" talk but I am no expert in that subject as noted

[computerworks]

I think most people will get the point...meaning the water in the room/suite is desalinated. Not sure about the "tech" talk but I am no expert in that subject as noted

 

I am far from an expert either...but I remember during a 'behind-the-scenes' tour, they talked about brine water and sweet water.

 

I just didn't want to leave the impression that the 'good' water gets to the Suites, and the others get the crappy water. :cool:

[Travelcat2]

I am far from an expert either...but I remember during a 'behind-the-scenes' tour, they talked about brine water and sweet water.

 

I just didn't want to leave the impression that the 'good' water gets to the Suites, and the others get the crappy water. :cool:

 

Fortunately all "cabins" on Regent are "suites" so they all either get crappy water or 'good' water:D

[vitacura]

After 23 nights on the Navigator I have not experienced any brown water in our suites. Have another 36 nights booked for this year on the Navigator, hopefully it will not affect us. If it does, we will try to let the water run a bit and see if it clears up before showering/brushing teeth.

[jongbj]

I am far from an expert either...but I remember during a 'behind-the-scenes' tour, they talked about brine water and sweet water.

 

I just didn't want to leave the impression that the 'good' water gets to the Suites, and the others get the crappy water. :cool:

 

Just for information: Brine water is water with a high content of salt dissolved in it, mostly saturated with salt. It is used to e.g. to regenerate de-calcifyers.

As the ship would use sea water to manufacure drinking water, the salt removed to make the drinking water would be disposed through the brine water and probably fed back into the ocean.

Naturally it is very important to keep those seperated.

[harrodsfan]

Pingpong, great post!

 

i agre ping pong.. that was a great post.

 

We have been on two Regent Cruises. And many other cruises on Many other lines. we tend to cruise based on Itinerary.

 

I tend to not be a cheerleader for any cruise line. All have good points..And all have sone issues that could be handled better.

 

Our first cruise on Regent was almost perfect. Amazing captain, cruise director etc. Perfect weather, calm seas, interesting itinerary and we made friends for life. Our second cruise was about as different from the first one as a cruise could be: Horrid weather, rough seas, i got food poisoning on the ship (snails)..and the passengers were just snobby. They kept complaining about how Regent wasn't as good as other lines.

 

No brown water though. Even in India where they did say to not brush our teeth or get the shower water in our mouth.

 

I would think twice about being on the Navigator for a while.

 

Would I cruise Regent again.. sure if I like the itinerary. There are a lot of things that cause a good or bad cruise. its not just the cruise line.

[Baggywrinkle99]

We also had our best and our worst cruises ever with Regent and for similar reasons to harrodsfan. It's often just the luck of the draw and the reasons for the "bad" cruise were entirely beyond Regent's control. Unfortunately they can't pick and choose the weather or their customers.

 

The brown water may look unappealing but it's not contaminated with sewerage or anything dangerous or nasty. It's a bit of rust or sediment from the pipes or holding tanks that gets stirred up in rough weather and it's perfectly safe, if unsightly and probably unpleasant tasting. So don't drink it! Use bottled water for drinking or brushing teeth. It's desalinated seawater anyway which many people would baulk at drinking but it's perfectly OK for ablutions. Welcome to life on the ocean wave.

Edited February 12, 2014 by Baggywrinkle99

[yarmyob]

A recap of what happened on this, our final Regent cruise ...

 

Severe brown water in Navigator (cabin 724) during 10 day Caribbean cruise January 14-24, 2014. Over the first 4 days, reported problem to reception. In each case a plumber was dispatched instructing us to "just flush the lines and it will go away." Problem kept recurring and recurring and recurring. It was disgusting, ranging from pale yellow to the color of dark iced tea. Existed in sink, bathtub, shower and toilet.

 

On day 3 met with Executive Concierge & Chief Engineer and was told, all is well and the water is "safe for us to drink." When I presented a sample collected that morning to the Chief engineer he nearly fell off his chair and instructed us to not use that water at all. He asked for access to the cabin to further investigate. On day 4 we were approached by the General Manager who offered to relocate us to another cabin (862). The good news is that the brown water was gone. The bad news is that the vibration, motion (aft cabin) and noise (just above the lounge) made this a less than desirable cabin. We made the best of it. The General Manager tried to help us to the extent of his ability but staff on the ship have no authority. All is controlled back at Miami HQ.

 

Overall we paid a premium to get the mid ship cabin and ended up in a 2 level downgrade after enduring 4 days of brown water misery.

 

We have asked for a credit back to our credit card for the fare difference between the cabin we paid for and where we ended up. We have asked for nothing for all of the brown water misery. Regent HQ offered a future cruise credit. We are not interested to cruise with them again to recover what we have already paid for. What we are asking for is one third of the amount offered by Regent in future cruise credit. For whatever reason, Regent has refused to work with us other than in terms of a future cruise credit.

 

So, after more than 100 cruise nights each on what had been a first class cruise line, we realize that Regent of today is a mere shadow of the Regent we came to love a few years back. Posting shrill comments on a cruise review board will not resolve much of anything. We love to travel, including cruising and are willing to pay a little more for a real high quality experience. Unfortunately, in our experience, that is no longer reliably available through Regent.

 

So we are off to find another cruise line on which to continue the journey. And we encourage others to do the same.

[CruiserPK]

Just so people do not think the above post is from a "troll", it is not. My husband started his own cruise critic account and wrote our final conclusions to our cruise from December. It is quite sad that after so many wonderful Regent cruises, our last few were not up to prior standards that we had come to love about the brand.