Reflections on Regatta 4/23 - 5/9/15

[Toranut97]

I do not typically write reviews. We recently returned from the Tropical Transit itinerary on Regatta, April 23 - May 9, 2015. This is a Miami to San Francisco cruise through the Panama Canal.

 

We were in a Concierge level cabin, 7074, and it was our 6th O cruise.

 

Prior to the cruise there were some concerns. This forum has tilted strongly toward the negative at times,and had instilled doubts and questions about the O experience. We also were aware of a large number of alumni groups booking this trip and were concerned about the implications of that.

 

Sorry to disappoint many here, but the cruise was, FOR US, a delight. We make no pretension of being "foodies," and we found the food wonderful.. The service was simply outstanding -- no deterioration of service from prior cruises was sensed. We did not perceive any lessening of morale among employees. From our stewardess - who was on duty and visible from day one ---- to the captain (who was more visible and present than any captain I had previously seen on O) the staff was beyond excellent where we were concerned.

 

David Patterson was the CD. Highly visible, friendly, frequently seen sharing meals with passengers in various venues - he was great. Ran a mean trivia game. We had 12 - 14 teams every afternoon.

 

My DH and our traveling companion couple adore the string quartets. Bellissimo was the quartet here. They did a great job. (Now I know all you music snobs will deride them, and rip the inadequate performances. My DH plays violin, but he wasn't in a national esteemed symphony orchestra, just university level. He liked it. So did our friends. It was pleasant music and we enjoyed it).You can't always have Joshua Bell performing, you know. These young ladies were spirited, friendly and delightful.

 

The pianist was Adam Kowalski, a real pro. He ran a good "Name That Tune" game, too. There were the four Regatta Singers, a magician, a Sinatra-style crooner -- folks seemed to enjoy the evening shows, and they were well attended. As is our custom, we did not attend any of these except the string quartet show. But the word of mouth was good.

 

After two cruises on Riviera, we wondered if we would be happy on an R class ship again. Well, we were, and we felt we had plenty of space to stash things and to relax in our cabin/on the veranda.

 

The alumni groups were pretty visible but not really a problem. There will always be pushy, nasty people, and we had our share. I do not attribute these to any particular university system.

 

We made the mistake of being in the hallway across from the laundry room. NEVER AGAIN. There were loud groups congregating in the hallway as early as 6:30 a.m. on sea days (yes, the room opens at 7:30. Go figure). People can be thoughtless and rude over laundry. Seriously. And yes, we did have the $25/ 20 item deal on this trip. I don't blame people for using the laundry room (I did a load myself) but please, have a heart. I stuck my sleep addled head out the door to wish the noisy stinkers a "good morning" and scared the life out of them. They deserved it.

 

Something to think about. After our stop in Cabo, we hit the California Current and rough seas. There were two rough sea days and time was lost. (We heard that a Royal Caribbean ship actually ended its trip early in Sand Diego and bussed pax to Long Beach. Nightmare!) The second sea day we were informed that our arrival in San Francisco would be delayed and many flights would have to be rescheduled.

 

Destination Services sprang into action, and reorganized the entire disembarkation process. Those of us who had made arrangements through O had our flights rescheduled for us. In our case, we left at 4:05 p.m. instead of 1:15. It was about as smooth as could be.

 

For the other folks, who made their own arrangements, internet access was made free to all as soon as the delay was announced so they could rearrange their flights. I say this is "something to think about" because, if you lack internet capabilities, rearranging flights on the quick can be difficult. So think this through in advance.

 

There were plenty of announcements by the captain and the CD throughout the cruise and especially the last couple days. We really appreciated it!

 

So I guess now I am an official O "cheerleader," if I was not already. I sure hope we can manage to take another O cruise in the future. We are ordinary people, and were treated like special guests the entire 16 days. It seemed that staff could not do enough for us. If anyone has any questions for me, I can try to answer them.

 

Donna

[cruisingxpert]

Thank you for your comments and review. Really appreciate it as I will be on Regatta next month.

I'm not sure but I think you may have meant David Peterson was the CD - not David Patterson.

[LHT28]

Thanks for the review

We have not been on the R-ships since 2010 ..maybe time to go back ;)

 

 

Lyn

[Toranut97]

Thank you for your comments and review. Really appreciate it as I will be on Regatta next month.

I'm not sure but I think you may have meant David Peterson was the CD - not David Patterson.

 

Yes! My husband just corrected me. Sorry!

[cruisingxpert]

Yes! My husband just corrected me. Sorry!

 

No problem. Just mentioned it in case some "wolves" pounced on you:D

Not sure if wolves 'pounce":D

[Toranut97]

No problem. Just mentioned it in case some "wolves" pounced on you:D

Not sure if wolves 'pounce":D

 

Around here they do!

[TrulyBlonde]

Good morning from Regatta,

Sailing into Juneau this a.m. with blue skies and calm seas. We agree with the many delightful things you mentioned in your review. This little R ship is a real Gem. We took an upsell to a VS and well worth it for Alaska, especially yesterday for Hubbard Glacier where the Captain got us up close and personal with this fabulous iceberg. After that experience, I emailed my TA and upgraded my South America Oct 2016 cruise to a VS.

Embarkation in SF was delayed, but we still set sail at 6pm. Due to the late arrival from rough seas, along with the Coast Guard check, they did an amazing job of pulling it off. Some passengers were upset about having to wait in the terminal for so long, but these things happen and you cannot control weather.

Nice polite passengers, excellent crew, good food, superb service, and the beauty of Alaska makes this a very special cruise.

Thanks for the review and also keeping us updated thru CC regarding the SF delays.

[Paulchili]

Around here they do!

 

No pouncing here, just a thank you for this balanced review. :D

We have not lost faith in Oceania either and continue to enjoy our experiences on both the R and O ships.

[Jancruz]

Thanks Donna,

Stu and I are sailing on Regatta in June and am very excited..we were on her in December and several people told me they would be back so looking forward to seeing old friends..since this s our 6th Alaska..beside a few fun things (Crab Feast, etc) we will probably stay on board and just relax..loved your review and hope to do the same when we return..

Jancruz1

[SellaVee]

Glad you had a great time. Like you we went from Riviera to an R ship and wondered how we'd find it. We loved being back on a small ship and we also felt special.

 

Thanks for the review.

[katmat]

We also were on this same wonderful cruise & I agree with everything Donna wrote. The captain and staff were seen many times walking about and we all enjoyed the captain's sense of humor! Our room stewards did a fantastic job! The string quartet was fabulous....we spent many evenings enjoying their music. The food was great. However, we did find that the Terrace was quite popular and at times it was very crowded. We ate in the MDR often because of this and were very pleased with the food, the service and the ambience.

 

We did have one hiccup though. We were in a group of 10 cruise critic people that had taken several wonderful private tours together and wanted to have lunch together in the MDR. We couldn't do dinner because some of us had reservations in the specialty restaurants. One member in the group arranged with the staff for this lunch to happen two days before the day we agreed to meet. However, when we arrived, the maitre d' would not let us sit at one of the two tables for 10. One table is in the rear and the other is in the center. He explained that these tables were only used for the evening meal. He didn't give us any other explanation. We were all very disappointed and were seated at a table for 6 and a table for 4 next to each other. When we left, most of the tables in the center raised portion were full......except for the table for 10. We didn't let this put a damper on the cruise but we did want one last hurrah enjoying each other's company as one group.

[Hawaiidan]

I am taking my first Regatta cruise having spent time on Marina and enjoy the smaller ships and the feel and ambiance.

I am anticipating a great cruise to Alaska Vancouver to SF I cant imagine any problem that I would let diminish my trip ,or that I would allow it to!!

 

Interesting take on cabins.... Normal like verandas like B#3, However, having been to Alaska and the Antarctic regions before I would opt for an inside cabin for both

 

Why?

 

Well the midnight sun is one reason... another is the heat sinkwe could never get the cabin warm in the artic waters(even with the heat on full!)

But the best reason for an inside to me,on those locals is that it gets you up and out of your room on deck to drink in 360 degree fiews not 90 degree veranda peeks

[grmmybtty]

Hi Donna and Kathy. We were on this cruise and the Miami-Miami before and the following San Francisco-Vancouver route. Wonderful 38 days aboard the Regatta. Great captain and crew. Food is good as always. Service attentive and friendly. Weather has been unusually good in Alaska, with sunny days throughout. We went kayaking in Sitka and whale watching in Juneau on independent tours - really great, saw lots of whales and wildlife. Took the bus to Totem Bight State Park and wandered around Ketchikan on our own. Now headed for Victoria. Love the small ships, although we could feel turbulence more than the larger ships.

[fred 15]

how were the lectures?