Questions for Experienced Navigator Guests

[TV Dad]

We are experienced cruisers on mass market ships with well over a dozen cruises under our belts on HAL, Princess, Carnival, etc.. The Mrs. wants to try one of the luxury cruise ships to celebrate her 50th birthday. Based on her birthday and our travel schedule, we have narrowed our choices town to Regent Seven Seas Navigator R/T out of Miami and a Seabourn Legend cruise in November.

 

Imagine my surprise when I started reading reviews and comments on Cruise Critic. Based on what I've read, Navigator is a former Russian weather ship that pitches, rolls, bounces in anything but calm seas. It has unbearable vibrations all over the aft part of the ship. The food is mediocre. The service is rotten. There is brown water gushing from stateroom sinks. The free shore excursions are no good. The public rooms are over-crowded. And there is no room at the pool. :eek:

 

So help me out. . . . Is there anything good about the Navigator? Can some of you experienced travelers say something to make me WANT to sail this ship?

[mrlevin]

We are experienced cruisers on mass market ships with well over a dozen cruises under our belts on HAL, Princess, Carnival, etc.. The Mrs. wants to try one of the luxury cruise ships to celebrate her 50th birthday. Based on her birthday and our travel schedule, we have narrowed our choices town to Regent Seven Seas Navigator R/T out of Miami and a Seabourn Legend cruise in November.

 

Imagine my surprise when I started reading reviews and comments on Cruise Critic. Based on what I've read, Navigator is a former Russian weather ship that pitches, rolls, bounces in anything but calm seas. It has unbearable vibrations all over the aft part of the ship. The food is mediocre. The service is rotten. There is brown water gushing from stateroom sinks. The free shore excursions are no good. The public rooms are over-crowded. And there is no room at the pool. :eek:

 

So help me out. . . . Is there anything good about the Navigator? Can some of you experienced travelers say something to make me WANT to sail this ship?

 

Wow, that is not the same Navigator I have sailed to Bermuda, From Montreal to Ft Lauderdale, or through the Greek Isles. Yes, there is a bit of vibration you will feel in theater or aft cabins but she was never a Russian Weather Ship (only keel), food is fantastic, service is great, and free shore excursions are good value if you use them (Caribbean should be perfectly great). I have never seen brown water but know that it can exist, there are not a shortage of public rooms unless you get an "exclusive" bridge group that takes up space, and I have never had a problem at the pool (but that is probably because i rarely sit by the pool).

 

No guarantees but I will give you good odds you will enjoy either the Navigator or Seabourn trip.

[Travelcat2]

She is a beautiful ship that does not have "unbearable vibrations". Yes, there is an aft vibration but is certainly not unbearable -- in fact, the vibration is slight to medium and is not felt throughout the rest of the ship. She is smaller than her sister ships and therefore feels the "motion of the ocean" more, however, I would guess that the even smaller Seabourn ship would feel the sea even more.

 

The only time the Navigator feels crowded is when there is a sea day and it is raining outside so all passengers huddle inside. And, the service and food is no worse than the other ships. I suspect that comments made about "no room at the pool" were from people sailing during the holidays (the worst time of the year to sail on any ship - in my opinion).

 

I just went to the "reviews" section of Cruise Critic and read what you may have read. Keep in mind that the reviewer is used to much larger ships (Cunard and Crystal). Also, this is the opinion of one individual. The Navigator generally sails full which says a lot more than the fact that it receives occasional negative reviews (it seems that all ships receive these reviews form time to time).

 

This months marks 10 years since we took our first Regent cruise. We will board our 17th Regent cruise in two months. I am one of the people who do not like the included excursions. They aren't bad -- I simply do not want to be forced to take excursions in ports that we have already been to (well, we're not exactly forced but we do pay for them - even if we do not take them:-) We also don't like to go on bus tours. This does not mean that other people do not enjoy them (actually most do).

 

Food is subjective. I had to laugh that the poster with the less than favorable review of the Navigator did not like the food - except in Prime 7. We enjoy the food on the Navigator - except for Prime 7 - a dining venue that we do not care for. Just another illustration of how individual tastes vary.

 

It is important to note that the Seabourn Legend was sold to Windstar in February 2013, and will be renamed, refurbished and enter service as a Windstar ship in April 2015. This is a mere 5 months after you may be sailing on her. I wonder what the condition of the ship will be after being sold and 5 months before refurbishment!? I also wonder what the attitude of the crew will be. I'm not predicting a negative cruise on Seabourn but probably would not choose to sail on one of the ships that have been sold.

 

Really hope that you give Regent a try. The worst that can happen is that you will be hooked and will have to book more Regent cruises.:)

[Sunprince]

We recently spent 12 days on the Navigator over the Holidays. I would not say the ship was at its best, due to the time of the year but we did enjoy ourselves and met some lovely people. My advice to you would be to take a pass on the Navigator, simply because this is a special occasion for you and you will likely be disappointed given your higher expectations for this special type of trip Yes, the Navigator has a lot of motion and I would describe it sailing like a older ferry. But this can vary given the seas and the itinerary. The mid centre decks however are not affected much by motion. I thought the food and service to be "good to very good" but not extraordinary. But for the price at over $1500/night for a suite with a butler is not great value. We could stay at Sandy Lane in Barbados for that amount per night and eat fabulous food in their restaurant L'Acajou over looking the mahonogy grove the beach. I have not sailed on Seabourn, but would suggest you post on the Seabourn page as I know there are some very loyal Seabourn people who love the ships being sold to Windstar and they highly recommend sailing on them before they leave the Seabourn fleet.

[Cruising Librarian]

I was on the Navigator for 17 days in 2012 and will not sail on the ship again. We took a Panama Canal cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco and experienced several days of rough seas. Not only was there the often mentioned vibration issue, but I found the grinding sound produced by the stabilizers was almost unbearable in our suite. I wore earplugs in the suite when the stabilizers were on.

 

We were on the 6th floor, center ship, and were not seasick, unlike many on the higher floors. We also had one of the few suites without a balcony, as we had expected to find plentiful public spaces to enjoy the many sea days. Instead, the few shaded spots were saved early on and the deck was very crowded. We tried a couple of times to enlist the assistance of pool staff, but they were not eager to set up new chaises or to enforce the no saving rule.

Inside lounges, especially the coffee connection, were also crowded, even on sunny days! There is no forward observation lounge, and the back one (where we often went) shared the space with the smoking area.

 

Several other issues involving service that i won't bore you with, but the cruise had a very different vibe from the 5 other Regent cruises I taken.

 

We were very excited to try the Navigator because the non balcony suites can be quite reasonable and we generally love the "Regent experience" and were hoping to take advantage of the lower prices. We also like smaller ships and the motion of the ocean.

 

I seldom post about our disappointing cruise on the CC board, but I felt compelled this evening after reading post #3 from TravelCat, urging you to sail the Navigator.She has stated several times on this board that she will not sail the Navigator and I am quite taken aback at her hearty recommendation of the ship to you given what she has posted other times in this forum.

 

Sorry I can't give you a reason TO sail, but the Navigator has several fans on CC you will likely hear from, too! Best.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've been on her twice. She has some short-comings, but I love her intimacy. Yes, if the weather is bad, on a sea day things can get crowded. But the staterooms are lovely, and the staff usually wonderful. Perhaps the service and food is not quite as consistent as on the somewhat larger Voyager, but still very, very nice.

[Travelcat2]

I have stated that I will not sail on the Navigator again but not for the reasons stated. I miss having a forward lounge and find the ship does not have enough public spaces (I compared the Navigator to Silversea's Whisper and Shadow -- almost identical size as the Navigator but holds 100 less passengers.)

 

The reasons that we personally do not sail on the Navigator has nothing to do with service, vibration or food which is why I feel comfortable recommending the ship. Perhaps you didn't know that you can't "save seats" on the pool deck. Items are removed after a half an hour or so. If the staff doesn't notice, if you tell them that the lounges have gone unoccupied for a period of time, they will be happy to clear the lounge for you:-)

Edited February 2, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Mjflowers]

I have stated that I will not sail on the Navigator again but not for the reasons stated. I miss having a forward lounge and find the ship does not have enough public spaces (I compared the Navigator to Silversea's Whisper and Shadow -- almost identical size as the Navigator but holds 100 less passengers.)

 

The reasons that we personally do not sail on the Navigator has nothing to do with service, vibration or food which is why I feel comfortable recommending the ship. Perhaps you didn't know that you can't "save seats" on the pool deck. Items are removed after a half an hour or so. If the staff doesn't notice, if you tell them that the lounges have gone unoccupied for a period of time, they will be happy to clear the lounge for you:-)

 

After elimination, recommend but never again Navigator:confused: Experience on last Voyager sailing not so positive. RSSC Explorer better get here real soon,

or somebody may not be sailing Regent for a while. Myself included.

[fizzy]

We love the Navigator. 3 years in a row N.Y. to Bermuda and would reserve in a heartbeat if that trip ever came back. I expect some movement on a ship and the Atlantic Ocean can be a rough ride. I can't remember a lack of public spaces and found that we spent a lot of time relaxing on the cabin balcony. I honestly did not realize there was such a huge vibration issue until it was pointed out....over and over and over on this board. Our only complaint was having to demand that the diapered babies be removed from the pool, more than once, and learning that the offenders were families of Officers. The pool staff were clearly reluctant to do anything and it took a trip inside to have the rules enforced. We are not demanding people and would have to work at it to find fault. I will say that if I was finding brown water that did not run clear quickly, I would have some complaints...especially if it was an ongoing problem. I would not expect management to be selling cabins known to have ongoing water problems. It may be a good thing that few people know about Cruise Critic and they don't embark already expecting bad things.

[forgap]

We sailed Navigator to Alaska last August. We liked the ship a lot and did not experience any of the complaints that have been mentioned. There is an aft vibration but we ARE on a moving vehicle so I didn't find it out of the ordinary. The ship is not as spacious as the Voyager but it is definitely not crowded in the public spaces. Full disclosure, we had beautiful weather and calm seas. I also agree that the cabins and balconies are large and I found nothing better than to sit on the balcony and sip champagne with my sweet husband.

 

Jennifer

[solysol]

My husband and myself were on the Navigator last August and sailed from Alaska to New York 30 days and had a wonderful time we did notice any vibration and the food was excellent, the cabins are very spacious, the trips were very good, the entertainment was excellent, we cannot wait to take another cruise with Regent later this year on any of the ships including the Navigator

[LoonCall]

TV Dad

 

Correct, Navigator's hull was meant to be a Russian "weather" ship. Does it pitch and roll in anything but calm seas? Yes. It's a small ship and its ability to handle rough seas compared to Mariner or Navigator is a fact recognized and acknowledged by many who have sailed her.

 

Is there an aft vibration? Again yes. I personally don't know how anyone would say otherwise. It may not bother some to the same extent but it is most definitely present.

 

IF the ship is at capacity and IF the weather is bad, the inside spaces will be crowded. IF the weather is good, the pool area will be overcrowded and people will be marking their territory quite early, particularly on sea days. And no, this was not during holiday or peak travel times.

 

I did experience the brown water but only coming from the tub spigot and only during the ship's "pitching and rolling" episodes.;)

 

Is the ship itself lovely? Yes.

Are the suites spacious? Yes.

Is the food mediocre? Not consistently. It can be, it can also be wonderful depending on the menu selections. My complaint is that it is often bland and unimaginative in presentation and heavily salted. Although I acknowledge, it is hard to effectively satisfy the tastes of 500 people.

 

Is the service rotten? Not in my opinion. Crew is a fabulous group of impressive hardworking young folks. Do they get stretched thin occasionally? Yes, that can happen but it's not, in my experience, an ongoing issue.

 

Would I book the Navigator again after my prior sailings? For me the answer is no. There are not enough pros v cons.

 

I would suggest you read this board with a critical eye to separate the wheat from the chaff. There is a lot of helpful information here but there are ardent cheerleaders and there are just as ardent detractors and you will find some posters contradicting their own prior posts depending on the day.

 

Good luck in making your decision.

[juli2020]

We recently spent 12 days on the Navigator over the Holidays. I would not say the ship was at its best, due to the time of the year but we did enjoy ourselves and met some lovely people. My advice to you would be to take a pass on the Navigator, simply because this is a special occasion for you and you will likely be disappointed given your higher expectations for this special type of trip Yes, the Navigator has a lot of motion and I would describe it sailing like a older ferry. But this can vary given the seas and the itinerary. The mid centre decks however are not affected much by motion. I thought the food and service to be "good to very good" but not extraordinary. But for the price at over $1500/night for a suite with a butler is not great value. We could stay at Sandy Lane in Barbados for that amount per night and eat fabulous food in their restaurant L'Acajou over looking the mahonogy grove the beach. I have not sailed on Seabourn, but would suggest you post on the Seabourn page as I know there are some very loyal Seabourn people who love the ships being sold to Windstar and they highly recommend sailing on them before they leave the Seabourn fleet.

 

Since I have sailed on the Seabourn Legend and the Navigator....here is my take.

 

Navigator:

There is a lot of vibration on the Navigator and the ship does not seem to ride well in rough seas compared to other small ships that we have sailed.

 

If the weather is not conducive to sitting outside on a sea day...the public lounges do get very crowded. There is no forward lounge on the Navigator.

 

The ship carries 490 passengers.

 

There were times at tea time where you could not find a seat.

 

BTW we did not sail during a holiday time or summer vacation.

 

We did experience brown water more often than not coming out of the sink and bath tub.

 

Food was good but at lunch the buffet got crowded and there were not enough tables. The staff would open Prime 7 to seat the people who could not find places to sit and eat. Not everyone wanted to eat outside.

Seabourn Legend:

On the Seabourn Legend you almost feel like you are sailing on a private yacht. It never felt crowded. The staff/crew address you by name.

 

If you are doing a Caribbean cruise and one of the ports is Prickly Pear....it is an event not to be missed. The only other line that does anything quite like their beach party was on the Paul Gauguin. There is no charge for the beach event. You will spend the day at Prickly Pear(BVI).

 

The Seabourn Legend carries 208 passengers.

 

The ship rode well...no vibration at all.

 

One other thing that all of the Seabourn ships offer is the marina (off the back of the ship) which has different water sports. Great for the Caribbean.

 

I would think that Seabourn would keep up the Legend until it goes to Windstar...they do not want their reputation tarnished.

[Travelcat2]

Good write-up for the Legend. We have not had most of the experiences described above on the Navigator. It seems that all of the ships gets crowded in La Veranda in the morning and sometimes at lunch. If you take the time to "dine" in Compass Rose, there is plenty of room on all of the ships.

 

The main reason we would not sail on the Legend is the small size. If we wanted to sail on a yacht, we would do so. Smallish cabins -- no "real" balconies and reports indicate that the ship is showing signs of age (particularly in the bathrooms). This is not surprising since the Navigator is 10 years or so newer than the Legend. Also, the Legend was last refurbished in 2008 (according to the Seabourn website) and the Navigator was refurbished in either 2012 or 2013.

 

I do understand why Seabourn loyalists are interested in sailing on the three ships before they leave (hasn't one gone to Windstar already?). If the Navigator is ever sold, we would want to do the same thing. But, for someone new to luxury cruising, I would pick the Navigator over the Legend (and Silversea's Whisper or Shadow over the Navigator)...... just trying to be 100% honest.

[jhp]

TV dad, not sure I can be too convincing here, given the previous negative posts which seem to prevail on this thread. You can't go wrong with either line. Both have pluses and minuses. Have no idea what kinds of cruises you've experienced, except they were on large ships. For all I know, you may not enjoy either of them because they are small. All these details to come are no interest to most reading this, but you have a big milestone for your cruise! And so it is special.

 

I have cruised 5 times on the Navigator. First in her maiden year, (actually, my first booking of the Panama Canal was cancelled) and I rebooked. To the Baltics, I think, my very first cruise.That was way long ago in 2000. Then another one the next year, Alaska my first trip there, out of three. I know these were my first 2, but could have been in opposite order.

 

Third one was my first trip to the Norwegian Fjords 2005, likely one of my best cruises ever (haha, perfect weather and the locale sure helped) and I now have 30+ cruises on Regent/Radisson, all the ships including the old Diamond, Paul Gauguin and a ship they charted for Antarctica.

 

My 4th was a crossing between Cape Town, South Africa and Rio, one of my longer cruises. I don't remember that I got seasick, and there were long sea days.

 

My 5th, and last, was on a cruise from Montreal to Florida. A great itinerary, and so easy to do with flights etc. They still do this itinerary, but not the other ships with Regent. That was. The one cruise where I noticed any crowding in public areas. It was cold for a big part of the trip. Don't know how it would be on the Legend.

 

I will tell you that I was always low and smack in the middle for my cabin for most of them. Love Deck 6 near the action, on the balcony side, but know I have been on Deck 8. Yes, I could hear a hum, but not a real vibration. And I am seasick prone, and there is not one ship on Regent that I have escaped mal de mer in some of my travels. First time I went up to La Veranda on the Navigator, or whatever they call it now on that ship, I felt like I had 3 martini's because it was so high, and so were the seas in the Gulf of Finland. Ate downstairs in CR the next times we were at sea. I get it so easily. And I have had brown water on one of my Navigator cruises, but it was taken care of, not immediately, but within a day. Not so with friends of mine, on a different cruise I shared with them. but there was a compensation of some sort to them after some appeals as they were so upset, agreeably so. I do love the relatively new Prime 7 for dinner,but it takes away the space for the lunch buffet area, which most people prefer instead of Compass Rose. It can definitely get crowded in not so warm itineraries.

 

You are considering two lines, and the smallest ships of each of them. I have never cruised Seabourn, but this is truly a luxury line from many years of observation, and I would never give an "opinion" as I've never cruised them. Just the facts as I know them. But I'm sure you will be well taken care of, no matter your choice. Close friends from Regent have taken one, however, and give good reports on the Spirit, if that is the one where Captain Dag, formerly at the helm on the Voyager as the first Capt.

 

The triplets seem to be able to get into very small ports in Europe. That will not affect you in the Caribbean as the islands are accessible to both ships. The ship you are considering on Seabourn is even smaller than Regent Navigator. To begin with , for cabins, a true balcony is my base minimum. May not be important for you. If a "French" balcony suites you, fine. But you won't be able to sit out there. These cabins were retrofitted years ago to provide a little pop-out from the cabin is my understanding as it was happening. It basically enlarged the view from the window to the floor, and out a bit. I have seen them in ports.

 

I would suggest you go to each website and look at the public areas and deck plans. See what you think suits you for dining, after-dinner venues, for entertainment, both the size and what you enjoy. And look at the images each site shows, of the cabins and public areas.

 

And check the Seabourn board on CC, like a previous poster suggested. There some pretty avid lovers of those small ships who will soon leave the fleet. I have no idea what the circumstances were for TC's reason for not booking the Navigator any longer. For me, it is because I don't do Caribbean cruises anymore, and have done the other itineraries now offered.

Edited February 3, 2014 by jhp

[jhp]

Deleted

Edited February 3, 2014 by jhp

[juli2020]

Good write-up for the Legend. We have not had most of the experiences described above on the Navigator. It seems that all of the ships gets crowded in La Veranda in the morning and sometimes at lunch. If you take the time to "dine" in Compass Rose, there is plenty of room on all of the ships.

 

The main reason we would not sail on the Legend is the small size. If we wanted to sail on a yacht, we would do so. Smallish cabins -- no "real" balconies and reports indicate that the ship is showing signs of age (particularly in the bathrooms). This is not surprising since the Navigator is 10 years or so newer than the Legend. Also, the Legend was last refurbished in 2008 (according to the Seabourn website) and the Navigator was refurbished in either 2012 or 2013.

 

I do understand why Seabourn loyalists are interested in sailing on the three ships before they leave (hasn't one gone to Windstar already?). If the Navigator is ever sold, we would want to do the same thing. But, for someone new to luxury cruising, I would pick the Navigator over the Legend (and Silversea's Whisper or Shadow over the Navigator)...... just trying to be 100% honest.

 

Jackie,

BTW I am not a loyalist to any cruise line.

 

Both the Legend and the Navigator are about the same age. Both came from different owners before sailing under Regent and Seabourn.

 

The OP asked to compare the Seabourn Legend with the Navigator.

 

You state that the suites on the Seabourn Legend are on the smallish side....the suites on the Legend are 277 square feet and the suites without a veranda on the Navigator are 301 square feet. Not much of a difference.

 

Seabourn has only suites....not called cabins as you refer to them.

 

You really do not miss a veranda when sailing on the Legend. You just walk right outside to the deck.

 

The small Seabourn triplets are getting great reviews from passengers that have sailed just recently.

 

I am surprised that you would recommend Silversea(Silver Shadow) with all their cutbacks. I would never pick the Silver Shadow over the Legend...Been on both and it is like comparing apples to oranges as you would say in regards to food, service etc.

 

I would never tell someone to sail or not to sail on a ship that I had never been on.

[jhp]

Juli2020, well, I am a Regent loyalist, and admire the Seabourn line as well. However, the Legend I believe was built in 1992, a full 8 years before Navigator came to the Raddisson line as a new ship. It was a shell, an ice breaker as I remember, and yes, Russian when purchased. But it had never sailed for any line is my impression, was never a cruise ship before the shell was bought and the hull turned into a cruise ship. So it was not ever sailing for another line. I believe Legend was part of the Sun Viking line. Please give us your own version of the history of both.

 

I would not tell anyone to not sail on a ship I had never been on either. As per my comments above. I'm sure she is a lovely ship. I just like my balcony!

Edited February 3, 2014 by jhp

[Sunprince]

Perhaps you didn't know that you can't "save seats" on the pool deck. Items are removed after a half an hour or so. If the staff doesn't notice, if you tell them that the lounges have gone unoccupied for a period of time, they will be happy to clear the lounge for you:-)

 

I can say that this was certainly not the case when we were on the Navigator. Staff made no effort to clear the pool chairs if someone tried to reserve them. If fact, they did not even remove dirty towels off of unoccupied pool lounges for several hours (making it difficult for passengers to know which ones were being used and those that were not). As for saving seats at the pool, I hate this practice, but have to admit that we left a book or something on our pool chairs while we went to lunch. If we didn't, then there would be zero chance of finding a vacant seat on the 11 deck after lunch.

[Travelcat2]

I can say that this was certainly not the case when we were on the Navigator. Staff made no effort to clear the pool chairs if someone tried to reserve them. If fact, they did not even remove dirty towels off of unoccupied pool lounges for several hours (making it difficult for passengers to know which ones were being used and those that were not). As for saving seats at the pool, I hate this practice, but have to admit that we left a book or something on our pool chairs while we went to lunch. If we didn't, then there would be zero chance of finding a vacant seat on the 11 deck after lunch.

 

Sorry to hear that you had this experience. We were recently on the Voyager and a passenger was complaining that the book they left on the pool lounge when they went to lunch was gone (they did get it back). Sometimes the staff need to be told when a lounge or chair is unoccupied for a half an hour or more. The only way this problem will cease to exist is when the staff follow through with their policy.

[taxare]

Hello, we were on the same cruise as Sun Prince this past holiday season. I believe based on both of our postings we had a bit more favorable view of our cruise, but generally consistent. We have sailed on Celebrity, Oceania and Regent. This was our second Regent cruise, and we are going on the Navigator again at the end of May for an Alaska voyage. As many have said, "luxury" is in the eye of the beholder. Since I travel extensively for business let me put my view in terms of hotels. I would view Four Seasons, Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Oberoi hotels as luxury. Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, etc just a tad below that, depending on the property. As one who stays at Marriotts a lot, their top tier below RC is their JW Marriott brand, then Marriott full service hotels, etc. I would put the Regent ships in the category of a JW Marriott. Are there hints of RC type service, yes, but it is not as consistent. Do I think that Regent has the best value of the lines we have been on, no. However, it is very comfortable for us. Was there some significant rocking and rolling on our holiday cruise, yes. The swells were 10-12 feet the first two days and my wife was miserable (we were deck 7 mid ship), it didnt bother me. So why do I continue using Regent?

 

1. Overall we found the service to be very good and the crew very friendly. Our stewardess this past voyage was the best we have ever had. In a very personal point of view, we believe the service you get depends on how you treat the staff. We were disgusted to see passengers snapping their fingers or whistling at the staff because they didn't immediately refill their wine glass. Other passengers were quite rude and derogatory to some of the staff. A few kind words, a compliment or a reasonable request goes a long way.

2. We enjoy the size of our cabin. While we didnt spend a lot of time there, having the room, with the balcony, a walk in closet and decent size bathroom and shower is important to us.

3. Relaxed dress code. We dress up at home, we enjoy not having a required coat and tie in the evenings.

4. The food was good to very good. Our experience with Oceania was that their food was a bit better and had more options, but the food on Regent was fine and we found the Prime 7 to be excellent.

5. We found the free excursions to be good plus. On this latest voyage we found the excursion desk and staff to be not up to par, but the actual excursions were fine. In our mid cruise comments, we raised issues about the excursion desk and we received two calls from officers apologizing and indicating they were on it.

6. We found the embarkation and disembarkation very civilized

7. Finally, again on the value side, I don't drink alcohol, however, we really enjoy not having to worry about signing chits, just order what you want and you get it.

 

TV Dad, I hope this is helpful and I wish you a wonderful birthday celebration. We would not hesitate to go on Regent. However, is it luxurious, not in my humble opinion, but very comfortable and enjoyable.

[juli2020]

Juli2020, well, I am a Regent loyalist, and admire the Seabourn line as well. However, the Legend I believe was built in 1992, a full 8 years before Navigator came to the Raddisson line as a new ship. It was a shell, an ice breaker as I remember, and yes, Russian when purchased. But it had never sailed for any line is my impression, was never a cruise ship before the shell was bought and the hull turned into a cruise ship. So it was not ever sailing for another line. I believe Legend was part of the Sun Viking line. Please give us your own version of the history of both.

 

I would not tell anyone to not sail on a ship I had never been on either. As per my comments above. I'm sure she is a lovely ship. I just like my balcony!

 

jhp,

Here is the information for the Navigator:

Name: Seven Seas Navigator

Owner: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (1999-2006)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (2006–on)

Operator: Radisson Seven Seas Cruises (1999-2006)

Port of registry: 1999—2012: Hamilton

Builder: Admiralty Shipyard, Leningrad, Soviet Union (hull)

T. Mariotti, Genoa, Italy (superstructure and outfitting)

Laid down: 12 April 1988

Launched: 23 August 1991

Completed: 25 August 1999

 

Here is the information for the Seabourn Legend:

The ship was originally named Royal Viking Queen, and operated on various crossings for Royal Viking Line, a Kloster subsidiary.

 

In 1995, the vessel's name was changed to Queen Odyssey after it was assigned to Royal Cruise Line, another Kloster subsidiary. It remained in operation for Royal Cruise Line until January 1996, when it was sold to Seabourn and joined its sister ships with its current name.

 

1996-2015: Seabourn Legend

1995-1996: Queen Odyssey

1992-1995: Royal Viking Queen

Owner: Carnival Corporation & plc

Seabourn Cruise Line 1996-2015

Port of registry: Nassau Bahamas

Builder: Schichau-Seebeckwerft

Laid down: 1990

Launched: May 1991

[Travelcat2]

Not trying to argue "facts" but, according to the Seabourn website, the following is the information on the Legend:

 

Ship's Registry: Bahamas Guest capacity: 208

Crew members: 164 Tonnage: 10,000grt

Length: 440 feet Breadth: 63 feet

Cruising speed: 15 knots Guest Decks: 6

Maiden Voyage: 1988 Refurbished: 2008

Christened by: Aagot Byrnestad

Acquired: 1996 Formerly: Royal Viking Queen

 

The keys dates to me are the date of her maiden voyage (1988 - not mentioned in the above information) and the fact that she was refurbished in 2008.

 

Regent long timers (and newbies) still talk about the Navigator's history. She sat (as a hull) until purchased by Radisson. Not certain what "laid down" means and not sure how some website thought she could be launched as a ship when she was still a hull in 1991. Seriously, she was launched, as stated, in 1999. So, the Navigator's maiden voyage was approximately 11 years after the maiden voyage of the Legend (according to Seabourn and Regent).

 

For years many of us thought that the Navigator was meant to be a spy ship. Most of us didn't realize that a spy ship really meant an ice breaker. And, we do wonder if some of her problems stem from the fact that the hull was never meant to be a hull of a passengers ship. There have modified the ship since it has been under PCH ownership (thankfully PCH had the money to invest in a ship that really needed some help).

 

Again, the fact that the Legend has not been refurbished in over 5 years (Regent does not allow its' ships to go that long) while the Navigator was refurbished last year (someone help me here...... was it 2013 or late 2012?) Reviews have mentioned how dated the bathrooms on the Legend are.

 

Anyway, just trying to set Regent and Seabourn facts apart from other facts that can be obtained on the internet.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Travelcat2]

oops - repeat of last post

Edited February 3, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Sunprince]

Sorry to hear that you had this experience. We were recently on the Voyager and a passenger was complaining that the book they left on the pool lounge when they went to lunch was gone (they did get it back). Sometimes the staff need to be told when a lounge or chair is unoccupied for a half an hour or more. The only way this problem will cease to exist is when the staff follow through with their policy.

 

Thanks, it was not a major deal, but certainly not the "luxury" experience. I will add that late in the voyage, a blond Eastern European staff member ( sorry cant remember his name) appeared and got things into order. Not sure if he was a supervisor or just a great member of the staff. But he certainly paid attention to the details I just wish here was there on day 1!