Some thoughts re: Navigator New Year's cruise

[PaulaJK]

By way of introduction, we have enjoyed sailing since 1970. We have many cruises under our belts [and causing our belts to grow!], on diverse lines and chosen for diverse goals [ports, family interests, calendar, line]. Over the past 12-15 years we have been sailing the 'luxury' lines and especially enjoy Regent & Crystal. Although there were fine experiences aboard Silversea, we have chosen not to sail them again due to their small size which, for us, limits evening options. We realize that many others prefer the smaller ships but I wanted to add this piece of personal history since I recognize that it has informed some of our impressions of this cruise. Please do remember that these are only our impressions ...and I genuinely hope that others on this cruise will also post theirs.

 

We have spent the last three New Years on Regent ships [Mariner & Voyager] and very much enjoyed these cruises. We were on Navigator this year as only it sailed after Christmas. At this time of year we, who reside in the northeast, are seeking sun and relaxation. We look forward to a break in the work & holiday cycle and to spending some time together.

 

The itinerary was RT Fort Lauderdale w. stops in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Guatemala, Roatan, Belize & Key West.

 

The pax mix represented the life cycle with a handful of very well behaved children and some older citizens w. ambulatory challenges. The group included many senior citizen, perhaps a reflection of its FL on & off itinerary. The cruise was full and over 3/4 of the pax were repeat pax.

 

We arrived at the Fort Lauderdale airport in a burst of sunshine and warm breezes and began the cruise with an A+ embarkation and happy mood. As I have already described our first day, I will not repeat this here. Our luggage arrived in a timely fashion and we were on our way. And the Block Party on the first evening was a buzzing success.

 

Navigator's public spaces appear to be in good condition. Unfortunately the a/c made these rooms quite frigid and many, many pax were complaining to one another in elevators and hallways. It took several days of requests to have the a/c reduced enough not to feel like icicles.

 

We appreciate the Regent cabins w. their fine appointments. Cabin 726 at first appeared to be in good condition [upholstery,etc] and even included the flat screen TV & new DVD player that everyone seems interested in. Our stewardess seemed experienced and quickly asked us re: bar/liquor choices. Although the chosen items did not arrive until late the next afternoon, this was not a problem for us. In general, our stewardess kept the room neat and clean but we did have to ask for items such as the laundry forms which have always been at the ready previously. Also, on a few occassions when we went to discard items in the bathroom trashcan, there was no plastic bag to contain the items. The can itself as well as the shoe horn were without their strings. There were only 2 bath towels supplied [consistently rather gray in color] and 2 bars of soap for the 3 soap dishes. Having to request another bar of soap and towel doesn't quite indicate 'luxury' to us. Most of the toiletries were Aveda although there generic R [Regent] shower gel.

 

The MAJOR problem with our cabin was insufficient a/c. In contrast to the public spaces, our room registered 75-76. The engineer agreed that it was too warm. On his 1st visit he advised us to keep our draperies closed. While this is sensible, it also makes for a very dreary cabin experience and not at all the sunshine for which we came. During his 2nd visit, the engineer again agreed but indicated that he couldn't really do much about it. Eventually the engineer removed one of our ceiling tiles and wrapped the pipes in a foil like material to guard ags. asbestos. This made a cone of cool air. The room was survivable but not really cool. Throughout the cruise we would awaken from sleep to kick off covers. We had spoken w. Giuseppi [the HD] re: this.

 

A minor cabin issue seems to reflect lack of house control problems. We went to sit on our balcony one evening and the light was constantly blinking. We came it. Reported it the next am to reception & were told it would be fixed. No big deal. Next night, on balcony again...hadn't been fixed. Engineer staff comes. Oh, I can't reach it! Off for a ladder..eventually fixed. Again, this was minor but annoying. We joked that we would have the cabin in shape for the next cruise!

 

To be cont.

[PaulaJK]

DINING

We look forward to this on our cruise and enjoy leisurely dining.

 

Navigator is limited to using the daytime grill as its alternate dining venue; no Signatures or Latitudes available. In the evening Portofino becomes an Italian experience w. a set menu plus entertainment. It didn't work for us although I realize some others love it. I would like to see it turned into an evening experience that rotates cuisines, similar to the experiences on Mariner & Voyager. Still, we missed the additional dining options.

 

Compass Rose: We found the diversity, quality, preparation and presentation of the meals to be very, very good. In fact, we felt that there had been improvement from our other trips. Desserts rely heavily on ice cream w. 1 or 2 pastries and for me, were the only weak course. The cheeses were in perfect condition throughout; an upscale variety was offered...again, an improvement. We were chatting w. the chef who appears so intent on delivering his excellent soups 'hot' that he preheats the bowls to 220 degrees! The salads were crisp...the meats cooked to order. Our only special request was to repeat one evening's menu where the beef carpaccio & vension were excellent.

 

The area that needs improvement is the service. There are some excellent waiters [Carry, Ferdie & Roy for us], some just ok and some that don't belong on a luxury line. The latter would include the waiter who decided to serve the pasta course alongside the entree and the one who needed 4 requests to pour ice water. Also, the staff approaches you for your order within 5 minutes of your being seated, a rush that didn't work for us. The wine waiters also varied quite a bit w. Eduardo being our favorite;Dobri, a sommelier, is a special person!

 

Breakfast service in this room was shakey. The facial expressions were dour, items forgotten or neglected and indescribably, my favorite breakfast item--the Swedish pancakes--dry & cardboardlike.

 

This drove us to Portofino. What a pleasant room, comfortable w. its carpeting, widely spaced tables & linen cloths. There is a warm greeting from the headwaiters and a lot of service there. The buffet is pleasant, the eggs benedict wonderful and the egg master--Carry-- consistently turns out perfect eggs & omelettes. Portofino also offers a pleasant

lunch buffet with the same spirit. The CR main entrees are using in steam tables plus there is a carving station.

 

There were several on deck lunch BBQ [fish, international] although I don't recall any with foie gras or caviar. The Pool Grill had several attractive sounding offerings but we generally chose to dine in CR.

 

The pre dinner canapes are no longer an offering of both hot & cold...but all canapes, some on Ritz crackers...and one spoon of a mousse that invites you to think foie gras but is liverwurst. Really poor offerings.

 

We used room service a mere handful of times but the requests were fulfilled in a correct and timely manner.

 

Our second MAJOR negative was the entertainment. We found it very, very weak. The PGT caste was utilized far more frequently than their talents invited, the shows poorly choreographed and not interesting. There was a classical painsit who played on Capt's Night and 1/1..perhaps too tranquil a choice for these evenings although I enjoyed him. His 2nd

show was poorly attended. Francis Delman offered a pleasant show.

 

Unfortunately, any musical entertainment in the 2nd room [Galileo] had to begin after 10:45pm because it used members of the orchestra. Sometimes you could dance to their selections and sometimes,not. This was a big negative for us as we enjoy both music & dancing. The Navigator Lounge does not have a dance floor...and the pianist who resides there seemed weak. This meant no dancing or good music before dinner either. There is no music in the diningroom.The night in Cozumel

they offered only a 'dock in' movie..Out To Sea.

 

This paucity of entertainment afflicted New Year's Eve. I have read the reports of those on the other Regent ships and can only state that we were not even a weak sister! We were dockside in Cozumel until 11pm so the party was held out on deck. The band played all disco music w. the PGT and cruise staff singing & pulsating. Do remember the age group here...a little ballroom music here & there might have been nice. There were 2 ice carvings [2007 & 2008], a fruit station and a shrimp cocktail station. Although the low end party hats with the bar codes still attached lent no appeal. Perhaps the worst part was that they changed the after 6pm formal attire dress code to 'optional' for the on deck party. So half the pax were in formal attire, some in country club casual and a few in dungarees, shorts,etc. Yuck! You might be able to anticipate that this evening was not followed by a champagne and caviar breakfast!

 

to be cont

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Ha-ha, I'm an engineer by nature and training, so I always leave cabins/rooms better than when I check in: fixing things, straightening wall lamps and paintings, etc. Can't help it, it's in the blood :eek:

 

One time I was staying at the Venetian in Las Vegas for a trade show, and I checked in late. The room was a shambles of neglect and disrepair. My DW was flying out to join me a couple of days later and so I spent a couple of hours fixing things and sprucing up the room (I stuck my head into another, open, room down the hall and it was similarly all akimbo). I'm not talking about bedding, etc., but fixtures, wall paper, etc. When she arrived she said "Oh my, this room is gorgeous!". Time well spent I'd say, but needless to say, I don't book the Venetian anymore....

[PaulaJK]

Our Captain was John McNeill who seems to be a stellar individual. He was omnipresent, warm, friendly and related. Both pax & crew seemed toappreciate him. We had 4 stormy days and at least 3 bumpy nights. One of the latter was rather unpleasant because instead of the usual pitch and roll, the ship --with a beam sea--seemed to be slapping in the water. Everyting was creaking. We heard several reports of glasses breaking,etc. Capt McNeill's command was thoughful of all. He delayed sailing speed until after dinner was served, helping all to salvage their evening. He had told me of their meeting to try & decide how to proceed and his feeling that they should attempt to complete the itinerary as many pax had booked w. that in mind. The senior officers also were highly visible and approachable.

 

As to the new smoking policy, I'm not certain that we were on top of this. We are not smokers. It seemed to be that I saw more smoking on this cruise than on any other cruise! ...on deck, in the lounges,etc. And on several days I detected the aroma of cigars while seated on my balcony/ source unknown. I did overhear someone complaining to the Hotel Director but he dismissed the complaint with 'Well, it's a new policy.'

 

I recognize that the air conditioning problem could happen on any cruise but it did negatively impact ours. Ironically, the stormy cool weather probably saved us from sweltering. The uneven CR service needs to be addressed as the cuisine, line & pax deserve better. However, the paucity of entertainment is what leads us to conclude that we will sail Regent again but not on Navigator. Whether this deficiency was related to Navigator's smaller size or, as a friend opined, this was "a B cruise"..I don't know...but I don;t want to repeat it.

 

If you have any questions I would be happy to try and answer them.

[Iamboatman]

Thanks for your review. It was well balanced and objective.

 

The continued inconsistency in the dining experience is disappointing. I had hoped that it would have improved, and it seems it may have to a degree, but it just isn't at the level of consistency and quality it needs to be for a luxury product.

 

One thing I never count on is entertainment. Possibly it has been too many cruises with too few really quality acts or my preference for chatting with other guests (and my DW, of course).

 

As for the lateness and type of entertainment, that has been an issue for many on Navigator. To be fair there are some real quality people that make the wait worthwhile, but other times it is just frustration. (BTW, this holds true on other smaller lines too.)

 

Cabin maintenance and a/c are also pet peeves of mine. On any cruise, but especially a luxury line, what appear to be ongoing issues need to be addressed immediately (if possible); not left for each guest to deal with as a small, but consistent, pain. Those are different than the things that just break, which happen.

 

Overall, the laxness and inconsistency I (and some others) encountered on Navigator seems pretty consistent with what you did. Don't know what it is about that ship. It is too bad because the suites are really nicely done and there are some great itineraries.

[GibbsvilleGirl]

Thank you for your in-depth review and offer to answer questions. We will be on the Navigator 1/18 with some of the same destinations (Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Key West). We traveled on her 2 1/2 years ago and look forward to seeing the results of the recent dry dock. A few questions - Did you take any Regent sponsored excursions? We will have two sea days with this itinerary. Were there interesting lectures or onboard activities provided during sea days? Finally, did you use the spa during your cruise? Your thoughts and comments are appreciated! :)

[Maineac]

Thank you for your thoughtful review. It's disheartening to hear so many negatives on what is represented as a luxury product. This being our first cruise with Regent and on a luxury line, we choose the Navigator over the Mariner for the wonderful itinerary. I'm hoping with such a port intensive cruise, we'll be so pooped at the end of the day, we won't notice their short comings. But, I must admit, I am worried! We're spending a good amount of money for this cruise. I just hope we're not to disappointed.

 

I will keep at positive attitude.

[cruiseluv]

Paula JK,

 

Thank you for your report. I am sorry you had to deal with those issues as they certainly detract from the experience.

 

With the high perdiems charged by Regent, I would be livid if they told me I have to keep the curtains closed in order for my room to be in the low 70's temp (still too warm), thus convertingthe room in essence to an inside cabin!I suspect the cabin didn't start with the temp problem when you boarded . So, that begs the question: Why don't they fix it???

 

Everybody is different, but for me this would have been a huge deal, as it would have prevented me to sleep well (apparently it affected your sleep as well).

 

I would suggest that you write a letter to Regent highlighting this problem of your stay.

[Island Cruiser]

I, too, am concerned about the negatives reported in this review. We are booked on the Navagator for the first time this July. It is a relatively expensive trip, certainly not discounted. When cruising, the quality of the food and food service are our highest priorities. We've been totally pleased with both on our four Voyager and one Mariner cruises. Not so with respect to our two segments on the PG. Since we are not Portofino types, we will be expecting to have a consistently great dining experience in Compass Rose. I do hope we won't be disappointed. And I hope others sailing Navagator this winter and spring will share their perceptions with us.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We had a couple of glitches with our room a year ago on Navigator, which at the time we put down to the barely-finished refit. But now I wonder. The PA speaker in our ceiling worked only intermittently (so we had to keep our door open to hear important announcements.) And we did have A/C that was barely sufficient at times (tropical cruise again.)

 

As I remember Compass Rose was very nice generally.

 

Some other comments--I also really liked Captain McNeill. The sailaway accompanied by bagpipes is a real treat. He's very friendly and "out there".

 

I don't remember Regent staff being with us on excursions at all--on our recent trip down Belize/Guatemala way on Voyager, there was only one who accompanied us on the "concierge-level" excursion, not the "normal" ones.

 

As for IslandCruiser, I wonder if you can find out what kind of speakers you have on your cruise. Ours to the Black Sea was a spotlight on classical music, and they had performers who had grown up in the Soviet system and later emigrated to the States--they were great. But, we also had a speaker (and a tour accompanier) who specialized in the Crimean War, which was really great. One of the weaknesses in our two Caribbean cruises is there are no speakers related to the destination at all.

 

Of course on Navigator there is the vibration in the rear--in the show lounge it's quite apparent some times. But in general I really liked that ship, especially the rolling motion--we got rocked to sleep every night--guess I'm ready for a crossing!

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for your in-depth review and offer to answer questions. We will be on the Navigator 1/18 with some of the same destinations (Cozumel, Belize, Guatemala, Key West). We traveled on her 2 1/2 years ago and look forward to seeing the results of the recent dry dock. A few questions - Did you take any Regent sponsored excursions? We will have two sea days with this itinerary. Were there interesting lectures or onboard activities provided during sea days? Finally, did you use the spa during your cruise? Your thoughts and comments are appreciated! :)

 

We took the same itinerary (Cozumel, Belize, etc.) 10 months ago. The ship look great -- sounds like it needs a dry dock to fix some electrical items.

 

Although we can't recommend specific tours on this site, I highly recommend using private tours -- especially in Cozumel. There are typically several huge ships in dock at the same time as the Navigator. Suggest you check out the "Ports" site on CruiseCritic and read some postings. Also went on an incredible private excursion in Belize. The only disappointment was a Regent snorkeling tour in Key West --- fortunately, it was only a 4 hour tour. Key West is a fun city to just stroll through.

 

During our sea days, we just went to everything we could -- wine tastings, lectures, the trivia games, etc. Were not bored at all (the lounges are lovely -- even sitting with a cup or coffee or tea and chatting is fun). We were fortunate that the seas were calm and there was virtually no vibration.

 

Have a great trip!

[Travelcat2]

I, too, am concerned about the negatives reported in this review. We are booked on the Navagator for the first time this July. It is a relatively expensive trip, certainly not discounted. When cruising, the quality of the food and food service are our highest priorities. We've been totally pleased with both on our four Voyager and one Mariner cruises. Not so with respect to our two segments on the PG. Since we are not Portofino types, we will be expecting to have a consistently great dining experience in Compass Rose. I do hope we won't be disappointed. And I hope others sailing Navagator this winter and spring will share their perceptions with us.

 

I gave a review of our 2007 cruise on the Navigator (in the Review section of this board) -- the service and condition of the ship would have rated a "5". We did have food issues on a couple of nights. . . however, having said that -- there was always alternatives and they were usually great. While we aren't crazy about the Portofino experience, the food was quite good -- the wine tasting before dinner was enjoyable. For lunch, we found Portofino to be excellent! For the best service in the Compass Rose, it's always best to get there earlier or later than the crowds (especially after the Captain's Reception). Also, do not want to forget the wonderful room service for breakfast -- no difficulties with it at all.

 

Food is such a subjective topic and seems to be a huge issue on most cruise lines. I learned when I moved out of California a few years ago that no matter who recommended a Mexican restaurant in Washington, I disliked the food. This dosen't make the Mexican food in WA terrible, we are just from a place where it is more authentic. It must be the same with cruise ships, otherwise, how can two people on the same cruise describe the food as "outstanding" and "not satisfactory"?

 

We love the Navigator -- it does get criticized a lot (as does the Voyager) -- and, although we did not experience air conditioning problems last year, there are some things that need fixing. I'm confident that Regent will take care of it.

[gazuccio]

We are looking for our next cruise on Regent and after reading everything here I would be tempted to stay away from the Navigator.

[PaulaJK]

--On the whole we found the cuisine offered in Compass Rose to be very good. If you have any issues, do call over the headwaiter or speak to the maitre d. I do believe that they will try to please you. Travelcat is quite correct re: early arrival as it allows you to select your favorite waitstaff. We enjoyed cocktails until 8pm and were [understandably] seated where there was availability.[it is on this basis that I can comment about the inconsistency.] I forgot to mention that we enjoyed the included wines and found that if you did not enjoy the wines of the evening your sommelier would accomodate you with other selections.

 

--We had been to several of these ports and hence, did not take excursions other than the 'Absolute Paradise' snorkeling excursion in Belize. Unfortunately for us the very cold & windy weather led to our not going into the water; many of the 'younger' pax plunged and very much enjoyed this excursion. Travelcat makes a good point re: other ships as we were docked nose to nose with 2 enormous Carnival ships. In fact, watching them swarm from their ships mesmerized us.

 

--There was one lecturer on board. As we only attended 1 session I will not offer an opinion. There were many daytime activities such as shuffleboard, trivia, teatime, bingo, wine tasting & a few movies in a conference room. There is a daily quiz & puzzle to be found in the library as well as books and DVDs to 'rent'. The Navigator Lounge has an active coffee bar

and Galileo, a self- service machine.

 

--Our spa experience was mixed. There was a significant problem in booking appts [see my Hello from the N note. This may apply more to this holiday cruise.]. The hair services prices are exorbitant...more than double what I pay in my metro NY area; the massages were more within the usual range. The gentleman who styled my hair was a good stylist but a poor colorist & I returned home a different shade, not to my delight. It will take me weeks and weeks to get rid of all he smudged around. I was not happy...but by that time, I was truly tired of this whole cruise & its problems. My husband had 2 massages, one very good and one not.

 

--Now that I am seeing so many comments from previous pax about their a/c problems, I do not share Travelcat's confidence that Regent will attend to this problem. I suspect that they have had a lot of opportunity to do so previously! Yes, it was a big deal to us....we tried to deal with it over several days...but then tried to keep it from being such a big deal that we ruined our cruise.

 

--I strongly feel that house quality control is not all that it needs to be on Navigator at this point in time. That's a shame because although we personally prefer a slightly larger venue, Navigator should be the luxury Regent product for those seeking a more intimate experience.

[Iamboatman]

I think Paula's comments reflect the same sort of feeling I had on Navigator. There was much that was good, but the problems just wear you down...and amplify the ship's querks.

 

Your dinner and service at 8PM (we are late diners too) should be of the same quality and polish as those dining at 7PM. Your spa treatments should be consistent. (Hair should NEVER be such a disaster.) Your a/c should work...always.

 

The fact is that Regent knows how to do it right and does it right on its other ships...with improvements all the time. It is why, for me, Navigator is so frustrating.

[Travelcat2]

I think Paula's comments reflect the same sort of feeling I had on Navigator. There was much that was good, but the problems just wear you down...and amplify the ship's querks.

 

Your dinner and service at 8PM (we are late diners too) should be of the same quality and polish as those dining at 7PM. Your spa treatments should be consistent. (Hair should NEVER be such a disaster.) Your a/c should work...always.

 

The fact is that Regent knows how to do it right and does it right on its other ships...with improvements all the time. It is why, for me, Navigator is so frustrating.

 

Just curious when your cruise on the Navigator was -- prior to or after the multi-million dollar refurbish?

 

In terms of the Spa -- as you are probably aware, they are contractors -- I know that Regent changed spa contractors a couple of years ago (similiar to what is currently being done with their art dealer). Like you mentioned, Regent is always working towards improvement -- they strive for excellence on all of their ships.

 

I must laugh at your "hair" comment. . . there is probably not a woman over the age of 16 that has not had a hair disaster. The fact that Regent contractors charge two to three times more than anywhere (including NYC) is definitely troublesome.

 

I believe that the food and service are better at 8 p.m. than at 7:00 p.m. on some nights on all Regent ships (particularly the night of the Captain's Reception). It seems that it would be a challenge on any luxury ship if one of their dining venues reached 100% capacity at exactly the same time. This could be the only good point (IMO) for assigned seating. I usually suggest that reservations be made in Portofino on this particular night.

[CateW]

We were also on this cruise and I'll offer some additional comments. We have cruised HAL and Crystal in the past and this was our first cruise on Regent (but were on the Radisson Diamond) some years ago. As a whole, we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, despite some poor weather at the end of the trip.

 

We were at the pool by noon and enjoyed the sunshine in Fort Lauderdale until the sail away. We really enjoyed the Block Party and meeting our neighbors who we saw frequently during the cruise, some of which were on the same flight home.

 

We were in cabin 861 and am happy to report that we had no issues at all with our cabin with temperature. As a matter of fact, we had to turn down the AC in several ports because it was too cool on the rainy days. (we're in our early 50's).

 

We did have some rough days at sea, but the Captain was wonderful (and visible as were all of the officers). We have done private charters in the past and have our sea legs so really had no trouble at all with the movement.

 

We enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails in all three venues (the Navigator Lounge, Galileo's and the other Lounge whose name excapes me right now). On each occasion except the Navigator Lounge there were not hor'dourves which were yummy. There was also caviar one night in Galileo's which many enjoyed with a Martini. I enjoyed the Martini's sans caviar but that's just personal taste.

 

Food is subjective but we didn't really find anything to complain about. We found the service and food in Compass Rose good. I really prefer all fish and found those options good, not great. I did go with the lobster when it was offered, one evening as surf and turf and that was wonderful. We went to Portifino's three evenings and thoroughly enjoyed that. Italian is a favorite, although I will say that I found it evident only in the appetizers - the main courses were more diverse and that was fine. Each evening we were there some of the choices changed and found no fault with anything. The only complaint I have here is there is a wine tasting half hour before dinner. If you didn't arrive the full half hour before dinner they really were no longer serving wine and were trying to rush everyone to their table. I'm not sure what the rush was. The wines offered in the dining room and here at Portifono's were good. I'm a wine lover and like to try new wines so I really liked this.

 

We've been to many of these ports before and were really looking forward to Belize, where we haven't been. We were also booked on Absolute Paradise but didn't go because of the weather. I was bundled up on the ship and would have been miserable on the excursion so we opted not to go. While I didn't expect a refund I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask. This is my only service complaint of the entire trip. When I went to the tour desk the girl looked at me like a deer in the headlights and said what do you want me to do about it? Whatever.... I just let it go.

 

I do agree that it would be a good idea if they could find a way to find another dining option. Perhaps the other 1/2 of Portafino's or some other venue in the evenings. On the last day I really wanted something different. I suppose we could have ordered room service but didn't want to do that on the last evening. Most days we just enjoyed the outdoor lunch at the Pool Grill (a different fish each day, grilled chicken, shrimp and burgers as well as salad). The day that they had the grilled fresh fish buffet at the pool was wonderful - the offerings were snapper, salmon, tuna all moist and well seasoned. I could have done this each day.

 

Oh, and on the subject of room service, we didn't really use it for meals (except one lunch on a rainy afternoon and disimbarkation morning) but I wake up early and have to have my coffee. On the second morning I woke up and didn't want to go in search of so I called room service. Coffee came in literally 3 minutes - it was hot and wonderful so I did order coffee early each morning, and it came quick and timely and was hot and that was all I really cared about.

 

My only peeve would be at the gym. I walk 5 miles a day at home fairly religiously but not fanatical. The first morning I got to the gym right at 8:00 (you can't use the treadmills before 8). In the gym they limit you to 30 minutes on the cardio equipment. Now I will say up front I understand why they do this BUT when someone is waiting in not appropriate attire (I mean no sneakers) and is on the treadmill for 10 minutes and then done - well I have a problem with that. First, it's not safe to be on a treadmill in shoes or loafers, and second, I don't think these people really are interested in using the equipment (they get on and don't know how to start the machine). After this first day, I stopped going first thing in the morning and went later in the afternoon (about 4) and found the gym empty and managed to get my full workout in. End of rant.

 

Anyway, all in all, a wonderful trip for us and we will sail Regent again, not this year because our dance card is full but in March of 2009.

[Judith02]

We have had friends ask us to join them on a Regent cruise. We normally cruise on Crystal. We prefer assigned time dining and don't like open dining (but since we would be with friends, we would dine with them) and we don't drink. Those points would not stop us from going with our friends. Our stopping point about booking with them on a Regent cruise is walking. My husband walks 5-9 miles a day where ever we are. Crystal's ships have full decks (360 degree) and he loves walking on them. He does not like to use treadmills so that is out of the question. What facilities for walking are on the Mariner, Navigator, or Voyager.

[PaulaJK]

Glad that you enjoyed your cruise. Did you see that menacing appearing enormous grouper on the fish BBQ? He was so gruesome looking that he was handsome!..like the beast of the seas.

 

I agree re: the 'wine tasting' at Portofino's which seem to last only 15 minutes before the staff disappeared off to dining or seating duties. If they continue this venue I hope that they will lengthen the tasting and antipasti portion.

 

I didn't realize that Regent was changing the art gallery [Park West] but clearly they were changing the shop concessionere. I don't recall the name of the salon concession on earlier cruises, but at this time it is Carita of Paris. Travelcat...re: hair and women, I agree. However, when I enter a brunette I prefer to leave a brunette, not an ink well. Ah well, at least I wasn't red, white or blue. This too shall pass.

 

I respect Eric's point........even though we began enthusiastically, once we developed several ongoing issues, it made us more sensitive to other issues. Perhaps others respond differently.

[CateW]

My only experience is on the Navigator - 21 laps around deck 11 is one mile. As long as it's not raining it's not bad. I walk a minimum of 5 miles but prefer the treadmill at sea because I walk at an incline. At home I do the same either on the treadmill or on the roads which have many hills.

[CateW]

Glad that you enjoyed your cruise. Did you see that menacing appearing enormous grouper on the fish BBQ? He was so gruesome looking that he was handsome!..like the beast of the seas.

 

I agree re: the 'wine tasting' at Portofino's which seem to last only 15 minutes before the staff disappeared off to dining or seating duties. If they continue this venue I hope that they will lengthen the tasting and antipasti portion.

 

I didn't realize that Regent was changing the art gallery [Park West] but clearly they were changing the shop concessionere. I don't recall the name of the salon concession on earlier cruises, but at this time it is Carita of Paris. Travelcat...re: hair and women, I agree. However, when I enter a brunette I prefer to leave a brunette, not an ink well. Ah well, at least I wasn't red, white or blue. This too shall pass.

 

I respect Eric's point........even though we began enthusiastically, once we developed several ongoing issues, it made us more sensitive to other issues. Perhaps others respond differently.

 

LOL, he didn't look pretty but he tasted good! I didn't mention the shops because they were basically non-existent. I thought that selections of womens apparel was awful. I met someone in the pool who was about my age who was packing last minute and couldn't find her bathing suits. She thought she would be able to find something trendy on the ship and she said she got stuck with the worst suit she ever had. They really should upgrade the shops because they could do well on days when the weather is poor.

 

One point, the casino - it was small - only two black jack tables but I'll say that I never had a problem getting a seat - too bad for me because I made a heafty deposit during this trip. Ah well, we're going to the Mohegan Sun in a couple of weeks; I usually do well there, hopefully I'll get it back.

 

It's always good to get home though...

[Iamboatman]

I was on two years ago. As I have said, my concerns were not really with soft goods or furnishings, but with the service mostly. Because of some very strong itineraries and smaller size, I have hoped for improvements in areas that seem (to me) to be pretty easy to address, but as this thread points out they just don't seem to be happening...or are inconsistent.

 

As a cruiser I would consider Navigator knowing the concerns...if the price and itinerary were right. As a TA it is difficult to recommend without the caveats making other choices seem more attractive.

 

As for Regent's (or any line's) responsibility for outside vendors, to me it is absolute. They pick 'em and they oversee 'em. Art auctions (yuck!), spa or whatever.

[Travelcat2]

Since there are some folks on this thread that are concerned about the Navigator, I viewed Member Reviews for the three luxury all-inclusive cruise lines (only looked at ships with 6 or more reviews to balance the opinions a bit.)

 

Regent's ships received member ratings are from 3-5+ stars (these ratings included ratings for the Voyager, Navigator and Mariner). A TA was on the Navigator last month -- she gives quite a detailed review on the ship food, service, etc. -- definitely worth reading. SS and Seabourn had ratings from 2-5+ stars.

 

As I have recommended before, read reviews -- take into consideration the background of the poster (ie. is this their first cruise -- or perhaps the first on a small luxury ship?) -- and then make your own decision.

 

In terms of the contractors --- some people love them -- some hate them. The art on the ships was not my thing -- some of the works were laughable. When staying at a 5 star hotel or ship, hair cutting/styling prices are always very high. (still, you shouldn't end up with the wrong color hair anywhere:D )

[Iamboatman]

I, personally, think it is up to each poster to determine if the information is accurate (or close enough to accurate) and then decide if it is important to him/her. Someone's five star conclusion might be as irrelevant to me as someone's 2 star conclusion.

 

For example, I really don't care about hair coloring so it would not affect my cruise decision regardless of the event. That can turn a cruise to a 2 star pretty quickly! LOL.

 

However, I do care about consistency in air conditioning (multiple reports of the problem) and dining service (multiple reports of issues there to). If a reviewer didn't have one of those suites that 5 star might quickly become a 3 star. Good waiters and service at 7PM = 6 star. Poor waiters and service (like waiting for 30 minutes for a table by the kitchen) = 2 star for some; 4 star for others.

 

It would be nice if one's comments, observations and/or conclusions could just be evaluated on their own and not with the clutter which confuses or obscures the facts being expressed.

 

(I do agree that, for example, comments from "cheerleaders" need to be vetted as to comments expressing unrealistic expectations - good or bad.)

[TWG_ag]

In 1982 my wife and I took our first cruise. We met on that cruise a great couple from a nearby city and have remained friends with them for 25 years. On that first cruise we took a tender from the dock at Georgetown, Grand Caymen to our ship. The wife of the other couple was twenty people behind us in line and caught the next tender. We reached the ship just as a squall hit and got on board in time to enjoy a cooling afternoon rain. Something that was a highlight of that trip. Dee's boat got tossed around in the squall so bad, they had to turn around an beach on Seven Mile beach because they could not make it to the dock either. Two hours later when she got back to the ship she was so tramatized that she stayed in her cabin for over a day.

 

To this day she discourages anyone from cruising, while we just finished our 15th cruise, the Navigator New Years trip. Two families, on the same trip and two outcomes. Therefore when I read reviews on this or other boards, I take them for face value. Something very good or very bad may have happened to two people on the same cruise.

 

When I write or read reviews, I try to filter what is important to me, hoping my reviews help and hoping the facts I get from others will be helpful. I try never to be critical to others on this or any board. I just try to enjoy it for the stories and maybe learn a little at the end of the day.

 

In case your wondering, my experience was very good on this trip, despite the weather. There were highs and lows, but overall I will travel the Navigator again. One thing for sure though, nothing on that trip was as bad as my commute to and from work today.