New to Regent with some questions

[rsail203]

We will be taking our first Regent cruise out of Miami on the Mariner in Oct. 

 

What is the earliest time we can arrive for embarkation?

 

We can book specialty restaurants next week. What restaurants are available for reservations and what are their hours?

 

Are there shows every night?

 

Do they have trivia during sea days?

 

What is their Meet N Mingle like and when is it held?

 

What time can we get into our suites?

 

What is open for lunch when we first get on board?

 

What is the dress code? I know no shorts and t shirts in the dining room. Do I need a jacket and tie for dinner?

 

Thank you advance for any info. Rich

 

[Travelcat2]

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

We will be taking our first Regent cruise out of Miami on the Mariner in Oct. 

 

What is the earliest time we can arrive for embarkation?

 

Embarkation typically starts at noon (unless there is a ship inspection).  They begin with top suites which only takes a couple of minutes.  We like to arrive at the port around 11:30 a.m. as we like to get on the ship, have lunch and some drinks ASAP😄

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

We can book specialty restaurants next week. What restaurants are available for reservations and what are their hours?

 

There is Prime 7 (also known as P7) which is a steakhouse with amazing crab (I know - why does a steakhouse have great crab?).  Actually, you can get a great steak in CR (Compass Rose) - the main dining room.

 

There is also Chartreuse which is a French inspired dining venue.  Each night there is one item from P7 and Chartreuse on the menu in CR.

 

Recommend reserving your dining reservations as soon as they open (even if the means staying up late) because you will be able to select the day, time and table size that you wish.  If you book late, you will likely have to share a table (not a big deal but it is something to be aware of.

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

Are there shows every night?

 

There are shows must nights - beginning at 9:45 p.m.

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

Do they have trivia during sea days?

 

Wish I could give you a definitive answer.  They have trivia on most days - even if it is a sea day.  

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

What is their Meet N Mingle like and when is it held?

We are not Meet and Mingle people but Regent decides when and where this event is held.  IF you sign up and they meet the 12 person minimum, you will be advised of the date and time.

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

What time can we get into our suites?

Another non-definitive answer.  If you are in certain higher level suites, they can be ready by 1:00 p.m.  Most passengers can access their suites at 2:30 p.m.  It will be announced.

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

What is open for lunch when we first get on board?

La Veranda (the buffet restaurant) is open for lunch as is the Pool Grill and Pool bar.  There is more than enough food and drinks to keep you going until you can get into your suite (where a bottle of champagne will be awaiting you).

 

What is the dress code? I know no shorts and t shirts in the dining room. Do I need a jacket and tie for dinner?

No jacket or tie is required at any time.  Many men like to dress up a bit for the nights of the Captain's Reception and when they go to specialty restaurants but, again, it is not required.  The "official" dress code is pasted below:

 

Attire ranges from Casual to Formal Optional. Casual wear consists of resort-style outfits; some examples are jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. Casual wear is appropriate for daytime both on board or ashore. Casual wear is not appropriate after 6:00 PM, with the exceptions of while dining at the Pool Grill or Pool Bar and on the final evening of the cruise. On the night prior to disembarkation, guests may need to pack their luggage early due to morning flights the next day. With this in mind, on the last night of every voyage, we will relax the dress code for dinner to Casual. 

Otherwise, the recommended onboard dress in the evenings is Elegant Casual. Dinner dress for ladies includes a skirt, or slacks with a blouse or sweater, a pant suit or dress; slacks and a collared shirt for gentlemen. Sport jackets are optional. Casual wear is not to be worn at dinner, once again with the exceptions of while dining at the Pool Grill and on the final evening of the cruise. Ties are not required.

 

On sailings of 16 nights or more, Formal and Semi-Formal attire is optional on two of the evenings. On the two Formal Optional evenings, guests are welcome to dress as per the elegant Casual dress code or opt for a more formal choice of clothing including gowns and cocktail dresses for ladies; tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with tie for gentlemen.

59 minutes ago, rsail203 said:

 

Thank you advance for any info. Rich

 

 

Hi and welcome to the Regent board.  I will try to answer the questions above - in red above - under each question.

 

It is difficult not to fall in love with Regent ...... if you are ready for a cruise line that is not a party cruise - does not have wet t-shirt contests and is more about friendly passengers, incredible service and great food.  The one negative is that you may become addicted (which happened to us 33 cruises ago).

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Brownie54]

I'm pretty sure the shows begin each night at 9:30, not 9:45.

[rsail203]

Travelcat2-Thank you very much for all that great info. I really appreciate it.

 

One more question. What time are the dining rooms open for dinner?

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, rsail203 said:

Travelcat2-Thank you very much for all that great info. I really appreciate it.

 

One more question. What time are the dining rooms open for dinner?

 

All dining rooms open at 6:30 p.m.  One thing that I failed to mention is dinner at the Pool Grill.  Weather permitting, you can dine outside at the Pool Grill.  You can even wear jeans or shorts there (however, after dinner, if you want to go to the show or to a lounge, you would need to change clothes).

 

Brownie54 - of course you are correct - shows do begin at 9:30 p.m. - not 9:45 p.m.

[mj_holiday]

Trivia - We have met some really nice people by being on a trivia team.

Our last cruise had trivia every day but expected fewer participants on port days.  This time was something new for us.  Your team accumulated points on all sea days with some type of awards on the last day to the top so many teams.  It was all in fun.  So many people would show up that they had to bring in additional tables.  People started coming to trivia 45 minutes early to get just the table they wanted.

[BamBamG]

Trivia is usually VERY popular and daily after tea time.  There is also a Mensa quiz you can pick up in the Library that is fun to do. And Bingo will sometimes follow trivia.  Tea, trivia, bingo and the mensa quiz are always a very fun part of cruising on Regent for me. There's also a puzzle put out at the beginning of the cruise on deck 5 that's fun to work on whenever you pass by.  Usually a few puzzles are complete by guests working together per cruise. Enjoy! You will LOVE Regent 🙂

[Camillus112]

I will also be new to Regent (Explorer) next February and have a question.  Are ballroom (or regular) dance classes offered?  This is one of my favorite activities when I cruise.  Thanks!

[JerryAM]

My wife and I usually like to eat late -- what are the latest seating times for the Compass Rose and specialty restaurants?  Looking forward to our first Regent cruise in February!

[flossie009]

47 minutes ago, JerryAM said:

My wife and I usually like to eat late -- what are the latest seating times for the Compass Rose and specialty restaurants?

9pm, I think, for all venues

[GrJ Berkshire]

1 hour ago, JerryAM said:

My wife and I usually like to eat late -- what are the latest seating times for the Compass Rose and specialty restaurants?  Looking forward to our first Regent cruise in February!

We also quite often eat later , but have found 8-45 is about the latest to easily fit in most courses unless you wish to trim the Dining experience and have a shorter meal.

Also with the show at 9=30pm it is hard to eat at the end of CR dining and get to this.

[rcandkc]

Last 2 cruises we have been on ...11/18 and 5/19...trivia and tea were being held in different locations.  I preferred the old way but I think true tea people prefer it this way.  Compromise to make different folks happy. Understandable. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

15 hours ago, rcandkc said:

Last 2 cruises we have been on ...11/18 and 5/19...trivia and tea were being held in different locations.  I preferred the old way but I think true tea people prefer it this way.  Compromise to make different folks happy. Understandable. 

 

I actually like that idea.  In the past, we've wanted to sit during tea and the lounge has been packed with trivia people.  Last cruise we were in the other camp, enthusiastically involved with trivia, and our trivia games completely took over the Observation Lounge on Mariner, with tea being held at the back, in the Horizon Lounge, aft.  It worked well, and I managed to avoid Tea most of the time, which for me is a good thing. 

 

BTW, on the subject of dining, it used to be that the kitchen liked orders for dinner in by 9, am I wrong?  I remember getting into trouble once for lingering too long; we had guests come on to the ship, and they were late--waiter was a bit rude (he got chastised for that later.)  That was a few years ago, on Voyager, so things could be different now.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[Hambagahle]

Boarding time --  your information packet you will receive from Regent about a month before sailing will make reference to this.  But normally they say 1500.  We always get to the ship at 1130 and then sit and wait for boarding to start which is noon. You will be given a health information form to fill out which you present at check in.  Your credit card (for any onboard charges) will be taken and in most cases your passport too.  CC is returned right away passport very often kept for the Clearance Officer until you disembark at the final port.  A picture will be taken of you for your suite / ID card which is what you then need to get off and back onto the ship as well as to get into your suite.  In my case I had to give a copy of my ESTA but if you are a US citizen or live in the US you won't have to do this.

 

 Our next cruise we are in a Grand Suite on Splendour and Regent, Masters and Grand suites get priority boarding and access to the suite at noon.  (That is on the Regent website...) But there are few of those suites and very likely you will be on board a few minutes after noon.  Unless you are in one of those "top level" suites you won't be able to get into your suite until 1430.  Announcements are made on the public address system on board as soon as the suites are available.   Meantime have lunch and then sit comfortably in one of the lounges.   The la Veranda restaurant gets very very busy on boarding day and so the earlier you get there the quicker you will be seated.   Pool grill is also an option and that will be very busy too.  We have found in the past that it is really pleasant to find a seat in one of the lounges and just read a book rather than sitting around a table in the restaurant (plus this frees up tables for others).

 

A really nice touch when boarding Regent ships is that you are handed a glass of champagne as you board!  That is class!!

[JerryAM]

A couple more food questions for our first Regent cruise (10 day Caribbean this Spring):

 

1.  Is there a particular evening that the pool deck BBQ is held?  It looks like fun, so I don't want to schedule a specialty restaurant that night.

 

2.  Are stone crab claws typically served during a cruise?  I ask as I would like to avoid paying for them at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami before we start the cruise!

 

Thanks.

 

Jerry

[rallydave]

1 hour ago, JerryAM said:

A couple more food questions for our first Regent cruise (10 day Caribbean this Spring):

 

1.  Is there a particular evening that the pool deck BBQ is held?  It looks like fun, so I don't want to schedule a specialty restaurant that night.

 

2.  Are stone crab claws typically served during a cruise?  I ask as I would like to avoid paying for them at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami before we start the cruise!

 

Thanks.

 

Jerry

No and No

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, JerryAM said:

A couple more food questions for our first Regent cruise (10 day Caribbean this Spring):

 

1.  Is there a particular evening that the pool deck BBQ is held?  It looks like fun, so I don't want to schedule a specialty restaurant that night.

 

2.  Are stone crab claws typically served during a cruise?  I ask as I would like to avoid paying for them at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami before we start the cruise!

 

Thanks.

 

Jerry

#2 question, wouldn't that be NICE-but😂

[2012_Alaska_bound]

It seems like Pool Deck BBQ is scheduled for a night where the ship leaves port very late or overnights in a port.

[bebop bonnie]

In my experience, the food on Regent is consistently outstanding.  However, even if Regent could manage to serve stone crabs, it couldn't top Joe's!

[JerryAM]

Thanks for the responses.  I had my first need to call Regent today and it was a pleasure.  My request to switch cooking classes was immediately handled as well as my request for a specific stevia based soda.  It was nice to call a company's customer service and actually receive excellent customer service from the first person I spoke with.

 

Jerry

[John G]

On 11/14/2019 at 2:54 PM, JerryAM said:

1.  Is there a particular evening that the pool deck BBQ is held?  It looks like fun, so I don't want to schedule a specialty restaurant that night.

 

I'm pretty sure that on nights when they have a deck party that all of the specialty restaurants are closed (La Veranda, too).  Compass Rose is open, but they close the other restaurants to allow those servers to help out on the pool deck.

Edited November 20, 2019 by John G
typo

[flossie009]

On 11/14/2019 at 8:54 PM, JerryAM said:

Is there a particular evening that the pool deck BBQ is held?  It looks like fun, so I don't want to schedule a specialty restaurant that night.

Deck BBQs are great events and not to be missed. However, they are not staged every cruise.

As others have advised, if a Deck BBQ is to be held it will be on an evening when the ship is docked until late in the evening (10pm or 11pm).
All restaurants apart from Compass Rose will be unavailable on the evening of the Deck BBQ  and the Pool Deck will be cleared from mid afternoon to allow the event to be set up.

[kjbacon]

Would love to hear more about the pool deck bbq’s since we didn’t have one on our first 2 Regent cruises. Sounds great! Is there music or dancing and what do they serve? Counting down to January!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

This pool deck bbq phenomenon is separate from the newish ability to have a casual dinner on deck on nice nights, I assume?

[rcandkc]

15 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

This pool deck bbq phenomenon is separate from the newish ability to have a casual dinner on deck on nice nights, I assume?

Totally.  It is a party with food, drink, and music.  In 10 cruises we had 1.  It was great fun.