Exceptionally Good, Bad or Unique Suites

[Iamboatman]

There have been, over time, a number of threads about unique suites (like Navigator 601), Mariner suites with showers rather than tubs with low ceilings, vibration issued Voyager suites, aft suites on the Paul Gauguin, etc. and no single place to find the info, let's try to put together a thread of those suites worthy of note because they are uniquely good, bad or unique.

 

If we can refrain from posting things like "my midship balcony suite No. XXX was great" (because the needed info will be lost due to volume of "we already knew that" or "duh" information) a truly useful database can be established.

[Dolebludger]

Well, we like all of the odd-numbered suites on deck 6 on the Navigator. Only 601 is particularly large, but the rest of them are quiet, smooth-riding, and vibration free. Unfortunate, though that Regent recently assigned these suites a higher category, making them (ahem!) more expensive.

[Travelcat2]

Many suites on Deck 10 on the Voyager are under Deck 11's swimming pool area. During daylight hours, there is quite a bit of noise from setting up or moving chairs or furniture around and running back and forth around the pool area.

[JoAnne B]

Don't leave out 600, which is as large as 601 but without the balcony. If you can get it, it's a real bargain.

 

JoAnne B

Houston

[Dolebludger]

The sole reason some cruisers avoid suite 600 on the Navigator -- and all even numbered suites on that deck -- is that their windows do not directly overlook the sea, but directly overloook a deck passageway about 15 feet wide used by the crew to get to the bow. But if a cruiser understands and accepts the fact that these suites are really a combination of "outside" and "inside" suites because of the strange service deck situation, these even numbered suites on deck 6 do provide a smooth and vibration-free ride, and 600 is exceptionally large.

[petlover]

On the Voyager our favorite suites are on the starboard side, Deck 6. Suites 643,645,647,649 are all excellent, very convenient, midship cabins where you feel very little motion.

[poss]

Marcie-- I'm curious to know why you prefer starboard to port side. I'd've thought that folks usually choose according to the specific itinerary. Is there a reason why starboard suites are somehow "better"? (or why you prefer them)

Thanks for this thread, everyone.

[wishIweretravelling]

On the Paul Gaugin, avoid suite 606 or anything forward of it (and possibly 608) unless you're out of your cabin til late. You're right over the show lounge, and it sounds like the show is right there in the room with you. In addition, the bridge workroom is directly overhead, and you'll hear people walking over linoleum in street shoes at around 4:00 am. And I'm not a light sleeper....

[cruiseyguy]

Maybe if we get enough replies we can organize this by ship and cabin rating (good, bad, odd, indifferent, etc). Even add some photos if anyone has same.

[petlover]

Poss, it's just a personal preference. On most all of the cruises we've been on (especially the longer ones like World Cruises) about 80% of the time the ship docks on the starboard side. Call me nosey or whatever but I like to watch the gang plank with all the comings and goings. To me there is always so much more action than the port side. We even sometimes watch for the shuttle bus (every 15 minutes) and when we see it pull up, this is when we walk down stairs. Sometimes if I can't sleep and I get up at 2am, and we're overnighting somewhere, I wake up. sit on my balcony and watch the crew come in during the wee hours. I admire them so much, knowing these are the same hardworkers who have a 6am call the next morning!

Also, in many foreign ports they have dancers, elephants when we were in India, locals etc. perform/greet us upon arrival and they're on which ever side we're docked on, most likely starboard.

 

I guess what I'm saying is I love people watching!

[Dolebludger]

On the PG, look at the deck plan and avoid the suites right under the starboard side of the pool deck right on the starboard side of the bow entrance to the pool deck. This is because that is where the band sets up and plays at night. But, the band does not play much past 10:00 PM, so if you are not an "early bird" (which e certainly are not) it is not a big problem.

[lildan]

Have just received our joining instructions for our Navigator cruise on 25th August and was surprised to read the comment that "a limited number of suites feature a shower stall with no tub". I'm assuming that a tub would be a bath to me.

 

That is certainly news to me and I hope my suite isn't one of them or all hell could break loose.

 

Does anyone know which suite numbers they are talking about. Could be very important to someone who definitely wants a bath/tub.

 

xxH

[wishIweretravelling]

Go to the deck plan at http://www.rssc.com/ships/decks.jsp?code=NAV and click on your deck level (e.g., if your suite is 611, you're on deck 6). If your suite has a wheelchair or star next to it on the plan, it's shower only. (if it has a dot, that just means that the suite can accomodate a 3d person.)

[larry1365]

The reason the Voyager docked on the starboard side during the 2007 World Cruise was that the gangway mechanism on the port side was broken. I don't know if it is has been fixed yet.

 

Marcie is correct that all the "arrival" activity was thus viewable from the port side...dancers, bands, elephants, markets, etc. However, sometimes the ports were quite industrial; so, if you were on the port side and it was a single pier you had the better scenic view on the port side. (Shanghai, Muscat, Cape Town, etc., were good examples.)

 

I was on the upper deck for most arrivals and departures taking photos and loved the new unobstructed forward viewing area that Capt. Dag had constructed on the Voyager.

[petlover]

I agree with Larry. Many times the view from the Starboard side can be somewhat industrial as many of the ports are not pretty with all the containers etc. stacked up. It is best though for seeing the greetings of locals who come to greet the ship as it pulls in, gangway people watching etc. On both the '05 and '07 Voyager WC's as well as the South America trip on the Mariner, the vast majority of the dockings were on the Starboard side but certainly not all. It really is a personal preference.

[Dolebludger]

Actually, the only Regent ship of which I have heard of "shower only" suites is the Mariner. Your see, when this ship was built a mistake was made in desinging the shower/tub combinations so as to only allow 6' 2" headroom when standing in the tub using the shower. For some of our taller guests, this has been an obvoius problem. Some (but not all) of the suits on the Mariner have been converted to "shower only" to gain the necessary headroom. But I am not aware of any Navigaror suites with showers only.

[wishIweretravelling]

My understanding is that there's about a half-dozen suites on the Navigator with handicapped-accessible showers and thus no tubs. They're the ones with the pictures of the wheelchairs next to them on the deck plan. I've never seen one, so can't confirm.

[lildan]

thanks crys/dolebludger

 

have checked Navigator from your link Crys and there are no shower only suites except the handicapped-accessible suites......

 

so I have my "tub"....phew what a relief...

 

xxH

[SkiCruiser44]

There is a terrible motor noise in this cabin that goes day and night. It bothered me the entire trip.

[Dolebludger]

Moreover, it is true that some suites on some of Regent's ships do have problems, and others have good points. Having been on some of both kinds, I think this is a valid discussion.