Booking our first Regent in 4 years!

Sheltieluv, so sorry to hear about your much loved dog. I hope you get a cruise tha you really like soon, giving you something special to look forward to. Jean.

Thank you, Jean. We had 14 years of fun with him, and he is sadly missed. He was quite the character, and a very sweet dog. I think a nice Regent cruise would be a good tonic.....

Part of the fun is also planning and booking your cruise, hope you find the perfect destination and can relax and enjoy. Happy travels, Jean.

Thanks again, Jean. I enjoy researching and planning, and then leave the details/paperwork up to the travel agent.:)

We are looking at the 2/4/17 Regent cruise that goes to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Antigua, St. Barts, St. Lucia, and Nassau. We haven't been to any of those destinations except Nassau. The Holland America cruise travels to Bonaire (been there on dive trips), Curacao, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic. We've always wanted to see Curacao and Aruba. So, we're torn between the two cruises as they would cover so many of our "wants"; we know that HAL will be cheaper, but they also allow balcony smoking, which is a turn-off. We know too that Regent provides a superior product. And being away from Regent for almost 4 years, like Wendy, we'd like to return. Decisions, decisions!

Go with what cruise feels right for you, and which itineries and cruise product will give you the most enjoyment and value. It's so relaxing on regent knowing that you don't have to sign anything, show stateroom cards or worry About dining reservations or paying for excursions or gratuities. It will be a special cruise for you no matter which line or route you decide , Jean.

Is this smoking on the balconies a Carnival thing? We are doing our second Seabourn cruise in July after having done Regent last July. Apart from all of the unhappiness about the Kellar offering on the Seabourn board, the other main issue is that smoking is allowed in the Observation lounge after 8pm and on the balconies. In today's day and age I really can't believe that people paying serious money for their cruises are being forced to breathe in second hand smoke :(

Techno123---Seabourn's liberal smoking policy is the main reason I will not book with them, and it's a serious consideration as well on Holland America. While we like HAL's mid-size ships, and there is the one itinerary that we are really interested in, I'm not sure I want to take the chance of having smokers adjacent to us. At this point, the only way I will cruise with HAL is if I can book an aft suite. That's the only way to avoid (hopefully,) the second-hand smoke. In my opinion, HAL needs to come into the 21st century regarding smoking policies, and that goes for Seabourn too! Management apparently is not listening to the majority of cruisers regarding balcony smoking. Yes, cruiselines need to accommodate those passengers who smoke, but balconies should not be part of the equation. One more reason to love Regent

Thanks again, Jean. I enjoy researching and planning, and then leave the details/paperwork up to the travel agent.:)

 

Bonaire (been there on dive trips), Curacao, Aruba, and the Dominican Republic. We've always wanted to see Curacao and Aruba. So, we're torn between the two cruises as they would cover so many of our "wants";

We did a Crystal itinerary last fall that went down the east coast and went to Curacao, Grand Turk and Aruba and ended in Miami. We are booked on another Carribean Itinerary on Crystal that is similar that is round trip New Orleans and is food and wine themed. We found the Crystal Product very in line with our tastes and reminds us of the old Radisson/Regent line. We have tried HAL and done many Regent and Oceania. The down side is the suites are smaller but honestly we found the smaller cabin quite sufficient and the line is all inclusive except for excursions.

Kathy, Thank you for the Crystal suggestion. I had not even thought of them so will look into it!

Wendy: Have you heard from your friends in Manta? We sincerely hope they are fine. We have heard from just about everyone we know except for two folks who we hope are OK.

Z and TB

Wendy-- I just finished watching The News Hour and feeling so down and sad hearing/watching the reports from Ecuador (and Japan). I thought of you, of course, so I popped on CC to inquire about your friends-- and saw that Zqueeze1 beat me to it. Here's another of your CC friends who are hoping for the best.

Yes, our friends are apparently okay. They went inland from their brand new beach home for fear of a tsumani and were headed home after the all-clear. Haven't heard about local casualties or damage to their home. Their power may be out. Will update when I know. I heard this third-hand, presume I won't hear further for a while. I had just emailed them to tell them about our booking.

Here is some info from friends, excerpted from mail they sent out to reassure their friends and family:

"Over 250 people are dead and over 500 injured with numbers expected to rise. There have been more than 200 more tremors since....one just about 5 minutes ago. We are safe and sound. Our house has not been affected except for one very tiny crack in the ceiling upstairs that is not even noticeable. All our friends are OK too, although some of the condos in the city are cracked and people have to move out. We just waited in a lineup to get gas for our car and the generator and then drove into Manta to check on a couple of our friends condos.....one is fine, the other some broken windows but nothing disastrous. The old part of the city is devastated. Many poor families are homeless and there are lineups outside the grocery stores which are letting a few people in at a time. Most businesses and stores are closed. We don't know when we will have electricity, but that's a minor inconvenience Everything else is good.

We are all fine and couldn't be in a better place.....sunshine and great temps and a gas stove & BBQ and friends to help each other...So say a prayer for all the poor people that are in worse conditions. "

Wendy, so glad your friends are ok. Prayers to everyone affected in Ecuador and Japan.