On Voyager Now...Aft Cabin-VIBRATION!!!

[Dolebludger]

I think we'd all like a follow up report from marylizbeth on her experiences for the rest of the cruise, and any experiences with Regent after the cruise concerning this matter.

[chefpa]

I have read these posts with a mixture of extreme interest and growing unease.

I am amazed at some of the comments and while I hate to single any one position out, I find that Travelcat2's apparent position that every TA knows of the issue and that every cruiser reads this board and thus that the issue of the vibration, which we felt on Navigator, is COMMON KNOWLEDGE (as defined under the law, and in a common sense manner) is ridiculous. Moreover, if Regent, as a matter of practice, is assuming that this board is passing along important and "needs to know" information about its' product, then they have a serious problem.

As I read Dole's comments I did not see someone advocating lawsuits but rather someone indicating that a corporation was placing itself in peril. More importantly, a corporation that seems to pride itself on doing things correctly and with perfection. Systematically compensating people for a problem that they seem to be aware of (and are increasingly aware of each time that they compensate someone) is not a company acting in a manner either with perfection nor above reproach. As to whether or not this is actionable is another issue, but it seems clear that knowledge of the issue and not dealing with it nor disclosing it might bring about clear liabilities.

In the end, it seems to me that we travel on Regent and expect from Regent that they will deliver a luxury product in the manner spelled out in their brochures and as we have experienced in the past. We pay a premium price for this expectation and this product. To then find out that what we receive is not what we expect and then,further, find out that this was known to the company, is more than a disppointment. It is a failure of the company to deliver as promised. This is a service issue as well.

So, I don't know about lawsuits but I do know that I would expect Regent to stand up and honestly address the issue. Fix it or openly admit that there is an issue, which clearly there is as indicated by the number of complaint threads that exist. As they say,where there is smoke, there is fire.

[Dolebludger]

chefpa:

 

You understand fully what I was trying to say, though I do not always express myself clearly. Many corporations have gone under (or nearly so) by offering defective products with no consumer warning. General Motors used to rule the industrial world. Then in the 70's and 80's they produced way too many defective cars which their dealers couldn't (or wouldn't) fix properly. These were followed by a little more reliable, if unimaginative products. Now, the once mighty GM is hanging on by a string, with their bond rating at or near "junk." They may, or may well not, recover.

 

Regent, I like, and I don't want it to suffer a similar fate. If it is to prevent that fate, Regent must cease offering defective "products" at premium prices. No corporation in history has been able to get away with this for long, and none ever will. There are no exceptions -- not even Regent.

[chefpa]

Alas, many years ago there was an airline that was so well known for being the best that they not only were the first choice for travelers, but other airlines had their pilots trained with them.

 

You might have identified that the airline was Pan Am. It ruled the skies for many years and while we might debate its; eventual demise, the fact is that a great product was allowed to falter and die. I sat on the corporate advisory board for Pan Am and was sickened by the slow and often agonizing death.

 

I make mention of this because I learned early in my corporate life that reputations are very hard to win but very easily lost and that every decision made each day, by each employee at every level, has a direct impact on whether that reputation is saved or lost.

 

In some cases the lower level employees understand this better than management and perhaps this is the case with Regent, I do not know. What I do know is that the effort of the individuals onboard the ship, to make the cruise experience a great one is clearly designed to keep the Regent name and reputation what it is and has been. But decisions to deal with the vibration issue as it appears that they have been do not seem consistent with this effort. The same lack of candor occured, in my opinion, with the issue of the new cabin 1125 on Navigator. It was being sold at the same rate as other Navigator Suites and yet was/is clearly and inferior cabin (at least now brochures disclose the size difference if not other differences).

 

So, I think we are on the same line of thinking. It is a shame if decisions such as these cause harm to the reputation of the cruise line when all that need be done is deal with the issues candidly or fix the problem outright.

[marylizbeth]

Yes, Regent should undoubtedly "disclose" the vibration problem in the horizon suites on the Mariner.

 

It is really a slap in the face to someone paying thousands of dollars more to get vibrated through their journey.

 

I started this thread while onboard the Voyager...and I am still annoyed at Regent.

 

I am especially annoyed at the response from the Captain and hotel director who, charming as they are, made me feel like it was in my "head".

 

Bad customer relations if you ask me.

 

I have been meaning to post a review of the cruise but have been up to my ears since I returned.

 

I will however get that review up this weekend.

 

Overall the cruise was fine...but there was a whole "lotta shakin' goin on!"

 

We came home with such a bad taste in our mouth regarding Regent....we even cancelled our cruise planned in Sept. from Osaka to Hong Kong.

 

We are going to Ireland instead.

[cruiseluv]

marylizbeth,

 

I totally understand you having a "bad taste in your mouth". When I was in an aft cabin in Voyager, that was the same reaction from the people in the ship. They acted like they didn't know what I was talking about.

 

I hope that you will write a letter about your experience to Regent's Corporate office and that they address your very valid complaints.

[old3]

We were in an aft Seven Seas Suite on the July 14 Voyager cruise in the Baltics (this was a complimentary upgrade from a standard suite). This was our 2nd Voyager cruise; we were midship on Deck 7 in 2004.

 

I guess the Sea Gods were with us, because we never suffered any vibration that exceeded normal cruise motion. We were sailing at about 18 knots from Visby to Copenhagen, and the ride was SMOOTH. I'm sure the transatlantic and other open seas might be a rouger ride. I would consider the particular itinerary before rejecting the aft suites. The Baltics may be the perfect itinerary for the aft suites because (1) you are in port 3 days in St. Petersburg, and (2) the distance between ports allows for slower sailing. The Baltic Sea was smooth for us, but I know that the conditions can vary.

 

By the way, the Seven Seas Suite was PERFECT for our cruise. We had two triples (my parents and daughter were upgraded to a Penthouse B) and it was wonderful for our entire family of 6 to lounge in our suite and gather on the oversized deck.

 

Depending on the itinerary, I would not hesitate to again book an aft Voyager suite.

[dougburns]

We've been in 1007 on Voyager for a Transatlantic and had no problem. Heard from a couple who were on a Baltics cruise recently and they had no vibration all the way aft in a Seven Seas suite. They attributed it to the fact that the ship was generally cruising at less than 15 knots. Personally, I don't see any difference between Voyager and Mariner(been on each 5 times) as far as vibration goes. The only time the vibration is really noticeable is when the ship is cranked up to 20 plus knots and there's a following sea. I know there are lots of folks here who disagree, but that's my take. Having said that. we generally shoot for a stateroom amidships near the atrium on deck 7, 8, or 9, because we most often do cruises that have a lot of sea days and open ocean cruising. Being dancers, we do spend a great deal of time in the Horizon Lounge though.

[Dolebludger]

My own opinion on the vibration may be a little hard for some to fully understand. I recognize most of the names who have posted about it, and believe all of them to be truthful, even though their stories vary from my own. I believe those who way they experienced no real vibration on the Voyager stern. And I ask them to believe me (and others like me) who say that our "teeth were shaken out" on that part of that ship, and that it went beyond vibration and became a shaking.

 

It would take a PhD from MIT (which I am not) to even begin to explain all the factors in a mechanical vibration problem -- and even then, most of us couldn't understand him/her. And yes, I agree that factors such as speed, sea flow direction, sea conditions, exact location on the stern, and many others play a role in determining whether one will experience excessive vibration or not.

 

But through all this uncertainty, one thing is very certain to me. If one books a suite near the stern on the Voyager, one runs a significant risk (though not a certainty) that he/she will be subject to excessive vibrations there. And there is another certainty. Regent knows of this risk, and knows it well.

 

Even though we have been "victimized" by this vibration and shaking, we won't cross Regent off our list. We were given a 1/2 off deal on a future cruise, and all of my wife's medical bills were paid when she became ill from this onboard. When we book the Voyager again, we will simply book forward of the laundry room location on whatever deck we select. We will absolutely not book a "guarantee." And we continue to believe that Regent is amiss for failure to warn prospective guests of the RISK of encountering this situation.

[Travelcat2]

[quote=chefpa;10735287]I have read these posts with a mixture of extreme interest and growing unease.

I am amazed at some of the comments and while I hate to single any one position out, I find that Travelcat2's apparent position that every TA knows of the issue and that every cruiser reads this board and thus that the issue of the vibration, which we felt on Navigator, is COMMON KNOWLEDGE (as defined under the law, and in a common sense manner) is ridiculous. Moreover, if Regent, as a matter of practice, is assuming that this board is passing along important and "needs to know" information about its' product, then they have a serious problem.

Just a quick note about the above post. . . my position is that it is common knowledge amongst readers of CruiseCritic that the Voyager and Navigator have vibration issues. I would never presume to know what TA's are or are not aware of. In fact, our TA did not advise us of vibration prior to our Voyager or Navigator cruises (a large, well-respected company in the luxury vacation industry).

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

[

Just a quick note about the above post. . . my position is that it is common knowledge amongst readers of CruiseCritic that the Voyager and Navigator have vibration issues. I would never presume to know what TA's are or are not aware of. In fact, our TA did not advise us of vibration prior to our Voyager or Navigator cruises (a large, well-respected company in the luxury vacation industry).

 

Approx. 50 million people cruise every year, I don't think even CC themselves would say they have a large chunk of that market, they don't even have a small chunk, they have a tiny minority. Something being posted on this board does not mean it becomes common knowledge amongst the cruising world, only amongst the few who read it here. I'm not trying to insult CC, they must have a few thousand people posting, but that's a drop in the ocean (no pun intended).

[dougburns]

It's interesting to me that people on this board have such passionate views about the so called vibration issue, yet Regent continues to get repeat customers back again and again on both Voyager and Navigator, such that the ships are heavily booked. In the course of our 13 cruises( soon to be 14 ) on all of the Regent ships I have never heard a pax on board complain about any vibration, except in rough seas. I am not trying to beat the drum for Regent. In fact, this upcoming cruise will be our last with Regent due to the change in smoking policy.

[Iamboatman]

Two points:

 

1. Cruise Critic is a very small minority of cruisers. Active posters are a smaller percentage of people that visit the site. There is some good information here, but the VAST majority don't know about it.

 

2. Whether you are aware of the vibration when on board is, I guess, up to whom you are with and when. The problems with the Navigator were well known, publicly noted, and impossible to miss when I was aboard her. However, if you didn't go aft when she was underway you would never have known. It is what it is and to infer that it doesn't exist on the ship just leave me wondering why the comment is made. If it is intermittent, so be it. If it is only under speed, fine. But to comment that it is something possibly just short of fantasy I cannot understand.

[Dolebludger]

Well HERE is a former Voyager guest (Horizon Suite) who is complaining about vibration therein in calm seas! The vibration or better said, shaking, is not a product of rough seas. In fact, in our experience, the vibration/shaking actually subsided a bit when we hit a "rough patch."

 

The small percentage of cruisers who read this board at least have the opportunity to learn about it before booking. SOME, but not all, TA's know about it.

 

Assuming the turth of the vibration matter on Voyager and Navigator (which you should do, or risk a "shakey" vacation), what do we know? It's simple. Just don't book close to he stern on these ships. Do this, and your cruise will be great. We've had great cruises on the Navigator by just booking mid-ships or forward. I'm sure the same will be true of the Voyager, and we'll probably book her again on that basis. None of these vibration/shaking accounts mean that anybody should boycott Regent. There are great cruises to be had there if one knows which suites NOT to book!

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

I am onboard Voyager, and I can confirm there is a vibration towards the stern of the ship. It does increase with speed, over 15 knots and it is most noticeable, under that speed and it's very smooth; it is probably not weather related. As to whether it will spoil your holiday I think depends on two things.

 

1. Where your cabin is, as it is possible that the vibration could be worse from cabin to cabin and only someone who has stayed in all cabins could confirm that.

 

2. Your tolerance to the vibration. Some people will have less tolerance than others. Just like on a ride or travelling in a car.

 

I have heard others mention it but they don't seem overly bothered and it's just a distraction to their cruise.

The average cruising speed whilst in the Baltic is 16-17 knots and sea conditions are generally smooth at the moment.

[Dolebludger]

Admiral:

 

Thanks for your post. The only thing I would add is that the shaking we experienced was nothing like riding in a traveling car -- unless that car had square tires!

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

Admiral:

 

Thanks for your post. The only thing I would add is that the shaking we experienced was nothing like riding in a traveling car -- unless that car had square tires!

 

I was referring to how people's tolerence to things differ, like riding fair ground rides or driving can make some people get sick and others don't get affected.

[Dolebludger]

Adrimal:

 

OK, I now understand what you meant. There are those who become seasick from a rather smooth cruise ship ride. And there are those who become "car sick" even though they are riding in a Rolls.

 

I hope you know that this is not what I am posting about here. We are highly experienced cruisers who know that certain motions are common and unavoidable on any cruise ship. And we take car trips too, and know how a well-maintained car reacts to the road. And we would never complain about this type of motion.

 

But I assure you, sir, that if one of my cars ever rode like the Horizon suite on the Voyager rode for us, that car would be parked IMMEDIATELY and trailered to the nearest dealer for the work that was clearly needed on it. While I am certainly not a naughtical engineer, I am up very well on my auto mechanics. If a car of mine rode like our Voyager horizon suite, I would consider it not only uncomfortable, but unsafe to drive further.

 

No "transportation machine" should vibrate and shake like we experienced in our Horizon suite. And if it does, it is the clear responsibility of the owner to fix it. And at a minimum to warn of it.

[marylizbeth]

I am onboard Voyager, and I can confirm there is a vibration towards the stern of the ship. It does increase with speed, over 15 knots and it is most noticeable, under that speed and it's very smooth; it is probably not weather related. As to whether it will spoil your holiday I think depends on two things.

 

1. Where your cabin is, as it is possible that the vibration could be worse from cabin to cabin and only someone who has stayed in all cabins could confirm that.

 

2. Your tolerance to the vibration. Some people will have less tolerance than others. Just like on a ride or travelling in a car.

 

I have heard others mention it but they don't seem overly bothered and it's just a distraction to their cruise.

The average cruising speed whilst in the Baltic is 16-17 knots and sea conditions are generally smooth at the moment.

 

 

I wish I had read this post sooner . You are likely not still on the ship but if you are...head over to room 787....if you want to feel vibrations --I would be you will find them some there.

 

Hope your trip on Voyager was smoother than our was!

 

Best,

 

M

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

Ok lets forget the car comparison, what I mean is although I am aware there is a vibration, it might affect some people more than others. It's also possible that some cabins are affected more than others even though they are all in the same area.

 

I wil check out that other cabin as I am still onboard.

[PaulaJK]

Along w. some recent posters, I am wondrous that some pax consider

the vibration issue to be fantasy originated. I am a good sailor and often enjoy the rhythm of a ship, life at sea. I love Regent, loved the Horizon cabin balcony but the vibration was just about always noticable and often problematic. We had, of course, paid a good $ to book the Horizon cabin but after experieincing the vibration, I wasn't that surprised to find the Art Director in a Horizon cabin and the dance hosts across the hall. I suspect that Regent puts its staff in these cabins.

[peribit]

After reading all of these comments about the vibration problems on the Voyager, I am concerned about our X'mas cruise from Ft Lauderdale to San Francisco. We booked a guaranteed G becuase the ship is sold-out. The motion of the ship does not bother us, but noise does. I am wondering if the vibration problem is different from the regular ship motion??

 

Does anyone know when Regent will let us know which cabin is assigned to us and can we reject one and pick another?

[marylizbeth]

Along w. some recent posters, I am wondrous that some pax consider

the vibration issue to be fantasy originated. I am a good sailor and often enjoy the rhythm of a ship, life at sea. I love Regent, loved the Horizon cabin balcony but the vibration was just about always noticable and often problematic. We had, of course, paid a good $ to book the Horizon cabin but after experieincing the vibration, I wasn't that surprised to find the Art Director in a Horizon cabin and the dance hosts across the hall. I suspect that Regent puts its staff in these cabins.

 

 

Paula--

 

I agree 100% with you post. I could have written it.

[Dolebludger]

Admiral Nelson brings up another good issue when he states that the ship was traveling at 17 or 18 knots on the cruise on which he reports. In our suite 782 on our Sept. '04 Panama Canal cruise (really the final leg of the World Cruise that year), the SERIOUS shaking and vibration about which I have reported numerous times was not present at speeds that low. Oh, sure, there was a little mechanical vibration now and then -- which is a natural function of being located right above the screws. But nothing at those speeds I would have bothered to post about. But at a knot or two higher speed, the REAL shaking began. By the 21-22 knot range, one had better be seated or hanging on to something! So I think it would be helpful to us all if Admiral Nelson would ask the Captain to "run her up" to this range (especially with a following sea) and go check out 782.

[Travelcat2]

After reading all of these comments about the vibration problems on the Voyager, I am concerned about our X'mas cruise from Ft Lauderdale to San Francisco. We booked a guaranteed G becuase the ship is sold-out. The motion of the ship does not bother us, but noise does. I am wondering if the vibration problem is different from the regular ship motion??

 

Does anyone know when Regent will let us know which cabin is assigned to us and can we reject one and pick another?

 

 

I do not know when Regent will assign cabins, however, the fact that the voyage is sold out is a concern. It could mean that you would be assigned an aft suite. Yes, the vibration is very different than motion of the ship -- things rattle, rumble, etc. I love the Voyager but would not take that particular risk.

 

This string is particularly long -- it might help you start a new one regarding the "guarantee" suites. One of the TA's will no doubt be able to answer your questions.:)