Impressions of our recent Voyager cruise, Buenos Aires to Rio

[boblerm]

Our cruise was March 5 to March 15, Buenos Aires to Rio.

The itinerary:

1 Buenos Aires, Argentina

2 Montevideo, Uruguay

3 Montevideo, Uruguay

4 Rio Grande, Brazil

5 At Sea

6 Porto Belo, Brazil

7 Santos, Brazil

8 Ilha Grande, Brazil

9 Buzios, Brazil

10 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 

A 3 day pre or post land package was included, we chose the pre- cruise “Authentic Buenos Aires”.

 

Here is what I loved:

 

Food!!!!

For me, Regent remains the standard for cruise ship cuisine, and Compass Rose remains as my favorite cruise ship venue, whether it be a specialty restaurant or main dining room.  We always visit the specialty restaurants once, but do not see any need to try for additional reservations, because CR is so good.

 

Just a few thoughts-

Early in the cruise, we asked the head waiter in CR if any Pacific Rim items might be offered during the cruise (Pacific Rim is only on the Explorer and Splendor).  He asked us what in particular we might be interested in, and we told him that we love the lobster tempura.  The next night, he had special ordered it for both of us.

 

 

 

Fish dishes are consistently prepared great in Compass Rose, whether it be on the left, or always available side, or the right, or daily special side.  I especially enjoyed the Black Sesame Crusted Local Red Snapper with Panko Rice Cake and Miso Buerre Blanc

 

 

 

Many of us love the Miso Glazed Sea Bass that is offered on Seven Seas Society evening, but I have always found the sticky rice that accompanies is to be rather blah.  My wife suggested substituting the vegetable fried rice, and I enjoyed the dish that much more.  She had the cauliflower rice, and that worked out well also.

 

 

 

Soups in CR are always great, even those that are labeled “consommé”.  I would never order something so labeled, as it conjures up for me something bland, thin, and tasteless.  But my wife ordered it several times, and lo and behold, it was very flavorful.

 

On the rare occasion that something is not up to par (it happened only once on this cruise,) substitutions are made in an efficient manner.

 

In Prime 7, the crab legs are no longer available as an entrée.  However, there is “Seafood Sampler”, ironically offered under the “Small Plate” section that comes with 2 legs.

 

 

 

  I imagine you can ask for an extra leg.  Or 2.  It normally comes with 1 scallop. we asked for 3.

 

The only dining hiccup for me was in Chartrouse,  I ordered the Baked Lobster Tail with Scallop Mousse, which I remember enjoying on my last cruise.  It was tough and chewy, especially compared with the Lobster tail that Jeannie had in CR the night before, which was tender and delicious.  OTOH, Jeannie had the lamb chops, which were much thicker and leaner than those that I had in CR that night.

 

 

We had all of our breakfasts and lunches in La Veranda, we find that the variety and quality of the items offered there to be exceptional.  At lunch, the soups of the day are consistently good, as are the pastas of the day.  Pizza is served on the starboard side, thin slice pizza, and is excellent, provided that you grab one hot off the grill.  If it has been sitting for even a few minutes, it loses quite a bit of its charm.

 

I thought that the coffee in La Veranda was much better than I remember from my last cruise.

 

At the Pool Grille, the Impossible Burger was strangely better than the regular burger.  Go figure.

 

 

Service

In a word- phenomenal.  Throughout the ship, we were greeted warmly with smiles, most often enthusiastically.  These amazing individuals work so hard for such long hours day after day, and still manage to maintain their upbeat mood.  I just don’t know how they do it.  Service in all venues was very efficient, never had any trouble ordering drinks in any of the bars or at the pool.  Bartenders often remember what we ordered last night, and offer to bring it.

When we find a waiter that we love in Compass Rose, we will ask to be seated at his or her station at each visit, and that was the case on this cruise.  It was our pleasure to be served by a lovely gentleman from Bali name Gede (pronounced G’day).  His personality and efficiency made what is always a special evening even more special.

 

 

Entertainment

When I last cruised on the Splendor last year, I was somewhat disappointed in the evening production shows.  They seemed to be moving away from the tried and true formulations of familiar music, to what seemed to be an attempt at avant-guard type productions, shows with indecipherable story lines, and music that was obscure, at least to me.  In addition, I thought that the voices of the lead singers to be a bit on the weak side.  I was delighted to find that the production shows on this cruise returned to the style that I love, familiar music from Broadway, Hollywood, and pop songs,  (due, no doubt, to my post cruise comments last time 😊 ).  In addition, the singers were top notch; I often got chills listening to them.  The dancers are always phenomenal. The shows were “The Hollywood Musical”, “Rockin’ Soul” “Broadway in Concert”,  and “Dance to the Beat”.  I loved every one of them.   Guest comedian Darrell Joyce did 2 shows, very funny.  We had seen Darrell last year on the Splendor, I figured that he would do the same shows, but the material was all new.  (Yes, yes, I would not likely have remembered them if they were exactly the same, but Jeannie would, and she assures me that it was all new).  Assistant Cruise Director Richard Rubin did a delightful show of piano, comedy and shtick.  The Academy Awards was shown live (snooze).

 

In the Voyager Lounge was “The Natural Duo”, Denis and Elena from Bulgaria.  Denis is a phenomenal guitarist, and Elena has a pleasant voice. 

 

 

Brand new to Regent in the Observation Lounge was Abner Sanchez, from Mexico.  I predict that Abner will be with Regent for some time to come, he is very talented. 

 

 

 

 

The Regent Signature Orchestra, always great, played in the Horizon Lounge.  Is it my imagination, or is the Orchestra shrinking?

 

 

 

 

 

The Ship

My last several voyages have been on Explorer/Splendor, and I do love the environment on these ships, so I wasn’t sure how well I would appreciate being on Voyager.  But I found that the Voyager has held up very well, and very much enjoyed my time there.  While it lacks some of the glamour of its younger siblings, it is still luxurious in an understated way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did miss the cavernous storage space that one gets on Explorer/Splendor, as well as the nicer bathrooms and double vanities.  But the Voyager does have some advantages as well, namely an outside forward viewing area, and more convenient restrooms adjacent to Compass Rose. (On E/S, if you are seated in the inner recesses of Compass Rose, you may need to pack a snack to bring along on the journey to the facilities😊).

The hallway carpeting, however, was the stuff that nightmares are made of.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some things that I did not love-

 

The Ports

Since I began my cruising life 30 or so years ago, this is definitely one of the more disappointing itineraries that I have experienced.  I thought that Buenos Aires and Rio were magnificent, (we loved our pre cruise in BA), and Montevideo well worth the visit.  As for the other ports, for me, they ranged from, “pretty, but not especially inspiring” to “why is it that I am here, exactly???”

 

Accordingly, the excursions that Regent forces us to pay for in our cruise fare did not represent a good value, IMO.  We almost always take Regent excursions, and almost always choose the included ones.  For the most part, we have been pretty well satisfied with the quality; sure there is a clunker now and then, but they have been the exception.  But on this cruise….let’s just say that if you are taking a tour called, “Highlights of XYZ”, but “XYZ” does not have much within it that might meet the Merriam-Webster definition of “highlight”….you are likely to be disappointed.  If I was planning this itinerary, I would have had overnights in BA and Rio, a stop in Montevideo for sure.  Including Porto Belo and/or Buzios would be fine.  The others, I would remove and be sailing.  Just my opinion.  I hope that others who have done this itinerary will chime in here with their impressions.

 

I will provide more detail about the ports of call over the coming days.

 

 

Internet

Really bad.  I found that there was often no signal, when there was it was frequently dropped.  When I had a signal, it was generally at a snail’s pace.  If someone was planning  on doing some work from the ship, it was likely a frustrating experience.  If I was trying to do a live trip report, I fear that my fellow passengers may have been treated to some rather colorful language .

 

 

 

[Kissing Seahorses]

Thanks for your review.

 

I was on this itinerary as well and I agree with your observations about 98%, I think I enjoy all the restaurants more than you although I think Compass rose is probably the best "main diningroom" in the business. 

 

Your comments on the ports were spot on.

 

My experience with the internet/wifi was much different. I paid for the upgrade, $9.99 per day but I think it makes all the difference however you are only allowed to be on one device at a time per suite so if both are heavy users it won't work well because you would be constantly kicking the other person off.

[RachelG]

Thank you for your review.  And I agree with pretty much everything you said.  My husband I call the carpeting in the hallways the dog barf rug.

[ronrick1943]

Very nice and easy to read report of your cruise.  I enjoyed very much, thank you for taking the time.  Haven’t cruised Regent for awhile, now cruising Silversea—but will be back reading reviews like yours.

[cAPS lOCK oN]

4 hours ago, boblerm said:

When we find a waiter that we love in Compass Rose, we will ask to be seated at his or her station at each visit, and that was the case on this cruise.  It was our pleasure to be served by a lovely gentleman from Bali name Gede (pronounced G’day).  His personality and efficiency made what is always a special evening even more special.

 

In my opinion this is the most valuable CR tip of them all. On Splendor earlier this month we were seated in a quiet section on the side the first night and had a perfectly paced meal served by Andreas. From then on we always asked to be seated in Andreas's section and every meal was a treat.

 

Due to miscommunication we were seated in Rea's section one evening. We decided to roll with it but it wasn't the same.

[kjbacon]

Thank you for this balanced review and the great pictures!! Ahhh lobster tempura, delicious 😋 

 

We are going on the South American itinerary later this year so your info on the ports is very helpful. I’ll look forward to your more detailed port report.

[forgap]

13 hours ago, RachelG said:

Thank you for your review.  And I agree with pretty much everything you said.  My husband I call the carpeting in the hallways the dog barf rug.

I described the design as “loaded diaper”. 

[DeepFreeze63]

boblerm posted: " As for the other ports, for me, they ranged from, “pretty, but not especially inspiring” to “why is it that I am here, exactly???”

 

Years ago, on a Regent cruise, we stopped at Rio Grande. After our excursion, I asked the Mariner's CD why we stopped there. He responded: "Jim, if I only had one day to live, I'd want it to be in Rio Grande - it would seem like forever!"

 

Thanks for the great photos

[maryogreen]

@boblermSo happy to see you and Jeannie traveling again! Your review was delightful and wonderfully informative, as always. Herb and I were glad to hear that the Voyager lived up to your past expectations, in spite of the carpeting 😊. The disappointing ports would have upset me as well. Itinerary is always the driver for us when selecting a cruise. I will be interested to read more in your upcoming posts!

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

[slidebite]

Thank you so much for the review! It was well written and easy to follow. We're leaving for 2 weeks on voyager in (checks calendar.....) 2 Weeks! Even more looking forward to it now.

 

She was my last Regent cruise as well (staying 2 doors down from our old cabin) and so very looking forward to getting reacquainted.

 

I'm actually glad they're changing up the entertainment. I always found they old entertainment formula to be a weak point.

 

And I absolutely concur about dining. I actually was just speaking to Mrs. about this the other day that we really need to make a point of dining more at Compass Rose. Her reasoning against it is that it takes so long, but I am pretty sure we can speed that up a bit if she doesn't want to make it a 100 minute+ dinner. Chartreuse was easily my least favorite venue but we'll try it once. I kind of wished they changed that up to something different, maybe next refit to a Pacific Rim?

[caviargal]

We enjoyed Compass Rose in terms of food and service - with the exception of one night when both were off - however, the lighting (Navigator) was so bright as to make the restaurant's ambiance unappealing.  They need to tone it down.  We referred to is as the "helipad", especially in the center areas.

[boblerm]

7 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

Years ago, on a Regent cruise, we stopped at Rio Grande. After our excursion, I asked the Mariner's CD why we stopped there. He responded: "Jim, if I only had one day to live, I'd want it to be in Rio Grande - it would seem like forever!"

Good news!  I will be posting about our day in Rio Grande in  few days, so you can relive your day there!  No doubt it will bring back some.....fond??....memories😁

[boblerm]

6 hours ago, maryogreen said:

@boblermSo happy to see you and Jeannie traveling again! Your review was delightful and wonderfully informative, as always. Herb and I were glad to hear that the Voyager lived up to your past expectations, in spite of the carpeting 😊. The disappointing ports would have upset me as well. Itinerary is always the driver for us when selecting a cruise. I will be interested to read more in your upcoming posts!

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

Mary, the saving grace was that I got to see a part of the world that I haven't seen before, we did visit some great ports, and lived the life of luxury on board!

[Kwaj girl]

On 3/19/2023 at 3:34 PM, Kissing Seahorses said:

Thanks for your review.

 

I was on this itinerary as well and I agree with your observations about 98%, I think I enjoy all the restaurants more than you although I think Compass rose is probably the best "main diningroom" in the business. 

 

Your comments on the ports were spot on.

 

My experience with the internet/wifi was much different. I paid for the upgrade, $9.99 per day but I think it makes all the difference however you are only allowed to be on one device at a time per suite so if both are heavy users it won't work well because you would be constantly kicking the other person off.

Paying for the upgrade absolutely does NOT give you any extra speed or bandwidth.  The only thing it does allow is streaming.  Do NOT waste your money.  Just saying...

[boblerm]

Pre-cruise in Buenos Aires day 1

 

We were put up in the Sofitel Buenos Aires Recoleta, which was very nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first day of touring took us out into the countryside to visit an “estancia”, or cattle ranch.  We first stopped for a walk around a pretty little town called San Antonia de Areco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on to the estancia, we were met at the edge of the property by gauchos, who led the way in. 

 

 

Our host, Francisco “Pancho” Guevara , greeted us as we got off the bus.  (Our tour guide told us that it is rumored that Pancho is a distant relative of you-know-who, but that he does not like to talk about it.)

 

 

 

Pancho and son #7 (he has 8 ) were very gracious hosts.

 

 

 

As we entered, we were offered fresh hot empanadas

 

 

 

 

First we viewed a demonstration of gaucho skills in the form of competitions. 

 

In the first one, a small ring is suspended from a crossbeam, and the rider has to gallop at high speed, and spear the ring with a thin stick

 

 

 

 

 

In the next one, they had to ride past a post, and throw their bolas around it

 

 

 

 

The last was an old fashioned horse race

 

 

 

 

The show was a lot of fun, punctuated with commentary by Pancho and son.

 

They cooked us a lunch of grilled meats.  The lunch was nothing to write home about.  So I won’t.

 

 

 

 

While we ate, we were entertained by dancers demonstrating traditional folkloric dances

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pancho joined in with the singing

 

 

 

 

Everyone seemed to have a really nice time on this tour.

Edited March 20, 2023 by boblerm

[ysolde]

I love Buenos Aires!  It's a lovely city with so much to see and do. That gaucho event looks like such fun!   I will admit, though, that I have never really enjoyed an old-fashioned Argentine parrillada.  The meat itself is fantastic, but I don't like the way they are prepared.  Just a matter of taste, really.

[boblerm]

56 minutes ago, ysolde said:

  I will admit, though, that I have never really enjoyed an old-fashioned Argentine parrillada.  The meat itself is fantastic, but I don't like the way they are prepared.  Just a matter of taste, really.

I found the sausage too salty, the chicken dry, and the beef on the tough side. 

Still enjoyed the experience! 

[boblerm]

Pre-cruise in Buenos Aires day 2

The next day was a tour of the city of Buenos Aires.

 

We started with a visit to the Recoleta Cemetery, where the rich and famous of Argentina like to go to rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t cry for her.

Or, cry for her if you’d like.  It’s fine either way.

 

 

 

They brought us to an historic café where we were offered coffee and a donut filled with dulce de leche or a croissant.  Or both.😉

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We visited the Cathedral Metropolitana

The remains of General Jose de San Martin, liberator of Argentina are guarded by soldiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casa Rosada or Presidential Palace, where Eva spoke to the people from the balcony, and  Madonna sang to them

 

 

 

Plaza de Mayo

 

 

 

 

We stopped for a visit to La Boca, a funky colorful neighborhood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some other sights in BA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the evening we were taken to a tango hall, where we had dinner, (not so great) and a tango performance (ultra- great!)  The dancers, singers, musicians, and other performers were top notch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a truly memorable performance to top off a memorable day.

 

 

 

 

[PatriciaF]

Thank you for posting this.  We were on the same cruise but did the pre trip to Iguazu Falls and stayed at the Belmond Das Cataratas.  Stunning … the falls and the hotel.  Agree, with you about 99% on the review..but we really liked Chartreuse.  I had planned to do a live from post but that requires a working internet..that was not the case in our suite.  I love that Regent expects you to do an online customer survey..but near impossible to get a good enough signal to complete.  Compass Rose does has the best main dining room food in the industry.  I loved it for breakfast.  

[kjbacon]

We will be in Buenos Aires later this year on our South America cruise so your port reviews are all the better for me! Thanks so much for the great pictures and descriptions. 

[boblerm]

10 hours ago, PatriciaF said:

 I had planned to do a live from post but that requires a working internet.

@PatriciaF, please feel free to add any comments or pictures that you have, it would be great to see what you experienced on the cruises! 

[maryogreen]

@boblerm How fun to relive our time in Buenos Aires through your terrific photos! It was six years ago already, but reading your trip report made it seem like we were there last week 🙂  So glad your tour spent time in the ever-fascinating Recoleta Cemetery. Thanks for sharing...looking forward to the next installment!  

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

[Snackdaddy]

Thank you for your review.  

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Wow! What a great summary!  I picked up a few dining tips from you.  Glad you had such a great trip and appreciate you taking the time to post.

 

Joanie

[boblerm]

1 hour ago, maryogreen said:

@boblerm How fun to relive our time in Buenos Aires through your terrific photos! It was six years ago already, but reading your trip report made it seem like we were there last week 🙂  So glad your tour spent time in the ever-fascinating Recoleta Cemetery. Thanks for sharing...looking forward to the next installment!  

 

Mary

Travel Blog: https://www.themodernpostcard.com

For anyone who is interested in a deeper dive into the Recoleta Cemetery and Buenos Aires in general. you may want to have a look at Mary's excellent reports here

 

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/buenos-aires-day-1-la-recoleta-cemetery-la-casa-rosada-a-starry-touch-of-russia/

 

and here

 

https://www.themodernpostcard.com/buenos-aires-day-2-el-ateneo-grand-splendid-teatro-colon/

 

Mary, you remind me of just how much of BA that I missed, I may need to plan a return trip!