Mariner v Navigator

Went on the Navigator once. Will not go again.

The vibration problems was more than we could handle.

Our cabin was mid ship with a balcony and not to bad

but going aft where everything happens was not good.

 

We have been on the Mariner, Voyager, Diamond, and soon Explorer.

Also the Paul Gauguin when it was with Regent.

Diamond was also so so. Mariner is our favorite until we try the Explorer

then will see.

Oh dear, that's a shame. We have also been on the Mariner and Voyager and have a cruise on the Navigator in a few weeks. It would be helpful if you could explain the difference. Thank you.

Pam.

I'm not Pamela, but I think I can explain.

The Voyager has a vibration or shaking at the stern (generally aft of the laundry room locations) when (and only when) the ship is making speed of about 20 knots or more. The rest of the ship is fine.

The Navigator has a vibration starting (and worst) at the stern, but it can be felt further toward the bow than on the Voyager. Low at the stern in the auditorium it can become a roar that drowns out the lecturers. The most vibration-free suits we've found on the Navigator are the starboard side suites on deck 6, which are toward the bow.

I have never felt a vibration on the Mariner. And indeed, we've been on a number of cruise ships (some far from the Regent class) and have never felt vibration on any of them. Two years ago, we went on a music cruise featuring the Moody Blues on the MSC Poesia (a mass market line ship). It was totally vibration free, and so smooth I couldn't tell we were moving unless I looked out a window or balcony.

I'm not Pamela, but I think I can explain.

 

The Voyager has a vibration or shaking at the stern (generally aft of the laundry room locations) when (and only when) the ship is making speed of about 20 knots or more. The rest of the ship is fine.

 

The Navigator has a vibration starting (and worst) at the stern, but it can be felt further toward the bow than on the Voyager. Low at the stern in the auditorium it can become a roar that drowns out the lecturers. The most vibration-free suits we've found on the Navigator are the starboard side suites on deck 6, which are toward the bow.

 

I have never felt a vibration on the Mariner. And indeed, we've been on a number of cruise ships (some far from the Regent class) and have never felt vibration on any of them. Two years ago, we went on a music cruise featuring the Moody Blues on the MSC Poesia (a mass market line ship). It was totally vibration free, and so smooth I couldn't tell we were moving unless I looked out a window or balcony.

Glad to hear you are not Pamela. :)

That is disappointing to hear, we did notice a slight vibration on the Voyager but nothing that would cause us any concern and the Mariner, nothing. We have pretty good sea legs and don't find a vibration much trouble so i suppose it could be down to how much tolerance one has for that although maybe the noise would cause some problems.

We have booked a GTY D and think we will be on deck 7, all the ones on that level look ok to me but obviously have to wait and see what happens when we get on board.

Another question (for anyone) that has been on all Regent ships. The Navigator has a much smaller passenger ratio than the other two. Is the ambience different, does the ship feel a lot smaller than the other two and does the lack of an observation lounge feel like you are missing something? We love the observation lounge.

Thanks, Pam.

Went on the Navigator once. Will not go again.

The vibration problems was more than we could handle.

Our cabin was mid ship with a balcony and not to bad

but going aft where everything happens was not good.

 

We have been on the Mariner, Voyager, Diamond, and soon Explorer.

Also the Paul Gauguin when it was with Regent.

Diamond was also so so. Mariner is our favorite until we try the Explorer

then will see.

Agree with you but we are trying to think of a reason to sail on the Navigator again due to some of her itineraries. On our last Navigator cruise we did an upsell to a Master Suite - in the front of the ship and would never do that again. Between the noise from the bridge (above us) and the forward vibration and noise, we determined that it would be our last Navigator cruise. While I expect that the experience would be the same in that suite, the other issues that we did not like may have been corrected (La Veranda too small - nowhere to sit when it was crowded - tiny computer room, no real "Coffee Connection", etc.). There is still no forward lounge so I suspect that Galileo's will still be too crowded.

The Navigator used to have the least expensive fares but this is no longer the case. Yes - the least expensive suites are nice (the ones with balconies) but, IMO, unless you upgrade to a Navigator Suite, all of the suites are the same size so it simply isn't worth it.

I was not stating my opinions on this ship for a while because I didn't want to put people off. I now feel that it is better to have low expectations and be happily surprised that it isn't as bad as you thought that going onboard expecting to see a Mariner or Voyager.

On a positive note, the photos that were briefly posted on Facebook and CC were beautiful --it will seem like a new ship and, for those new to Regent, they should be very pleased!

Pamela1 - Don't be too concerned (in advance) before actually sailing on Navigator yourself. For many on this board, the Navigator is their favorite ship, just as it is the "least favorite ship" for others. Go onboard with a positive attitude, no matter which suite and location you are booked into, and have a good time! The food, staff, and service are quite good. After your cruise, please report back to us and give us your thoughts. :) Best Regards.

We have been on all of Regent ships multiple times, including 80 nights on one cruise

on the Navigator. We do wish that it still had the Observation Lounge, but do love Gallileios (probably spelled it wrong). What we have found on the Navigator, is that because of the fewer passengers, the food has usually been better. We have not sailed on the Navigator since they have added Prime 7. We also love that the basic Veranda suites are larger than on the Mariner, which is our 2nd favorite Regent ship. We just like the smaller ship.

We are booked on the 2017 World Cruise and have no worries about the Navigator. Yes, we have experienced the vibration in the show lounge and at higher speeds in the Veranda, but we still love her with all her quirks!!! So if the cruse is where you want to go, when you want to go, go for it.

We have been on all of Regent ships multiple times, including 80 nights on one cruise

on the Navigator. We do wish that it still had the Observation Lounge, but do love Gallileios (probably spelled it wrong). What we have found on the Navigator, is that because of the fewer passengers, the food has usually been better. We have not sailed on the Navigator since they have added Prime 7. We also love that the basic Veranda suites are larger than on the Mariner, which is our 2nd favorite Regent ship. We just like the smaller ship.

 

We are booked on the 2017 World Cruise and have no worries about the Navigator. Yes, we have experienced the vibration in the show lounge and at higher speeds in the Veranda, but we still love her with all her quirks!!! So if the cruse is where you want to go, when you want to go, go for it.

It sounds as if you have not sailed on the Navigator for some time since Prime 7 has been on the ship for a few years. Prime 7 was built by removing part of La Veranda -- leaving it too small. While they do open Prime 7 during the day to get more room, it is not as good as it was prior to the addition of P7 (my opinion). Also, the one time we dined in P7, my DH returned him salmon 3 times due to it being undercooked. While I understand that the chefs, crew and officers move from one ship to another, the last sailing for us on the Navigator was disappointing.

Do hope that you enjoy the 2017 World Cruise but wonder what guests that have sailed only on the Mariner and Voyager will think. Only time will tell.

Our favorite ship of all time is Navigator. The smaller number of people give it a very comfortable, private feel.

You are correct that the smaller number of guests on the Navigator give it a positive ambience, along with the quality of service and the larger basic suites. But if it were a high priority that I actually hear lecturers and entertainment in the auditorium, the roaring vibration in that area would be a problem. To our experience the problem translated into a noticeable "thump-thump-thump even at the highest decks mid-ship, and in the MDR. To us, only certain suites and areas are really very annoying.in an objective sense. But then there is this factor: A cruise on the Navigator is at a "lux cruise" price, and for that price shouldn't a guest expect a smooth ride and be disappointed if they don't get it? To receive the benefits the Navigator offers, we have booked the cat. E suites on the starboard side of deck six, because there is no vibration there in the suites. Before we learned to do this, we had experienced several suite locations with various forms of vibration. But of course, when we were doing this a number of years ago, a Navigator cruise was far lower than the price class that it is now.

Unlike what you may be told, it is actually unusual for any cruise ship to now have a vibration problem of this magnitude. As long as this has been going on, I am rather surprised (and disappointed) that Regent hasn't warned guests interested in booking about this problem. And the same about the far stern suites on the Voyager.. The guests might chose to book anyway, but at least they would know about the problem, and not board with expectations that will not be met. I am not in a position to tell Regent what to do. If I were, this would be done.

On the other hand, we have never experienced any vibration problem on the Mariner, nor have we read any complaints here about this. As all the suites on the Mariner are balcony and the same size (until you get up to the real premium suits, you can be confident in a smooth cruise in a cat. H or a cat. H guarantee.

Our first Navigator cruise was also our first cruise. Since we didn't have a cruise ship benchmark nor any real idea of what to expect, we didn't know the vibration was a problem. We took an upsell to a Navigator suite, and frankly the noise from the pool deck was worse than any vibrations on board. The second time we sailed Navigator we were with our teenage daughters and my in-laws in three forward cabins on deck 10, and no one had any issues with any vibration. We all loved the ambiance of the smaller ship. The food was great, the service was great, and we all enjoyed the trip. We're due to sail her again this summer. I'm sure I'll be more aware of the vibration, but I'm confident it won't be a problem for us. I'm really looking forward to being back onboard (Connoisseur Club or no Connoisseur Club. :p)

Our first Navigator cruise was also our first cruise. Since we didn't have a cruise ship benchmark nor any real idea of what to expect, we didn't know the vibration was a problem. We took an upsell to a Navigator suite, and frankly the noise from the pool deck was worse than any vibrations on board. The second time we sailed Navigator we were with our teenage daughters and my in-laws in three forward cabins on deck 10, and no one had any issues with any vibration. We all loved the ambiance of the smaller ship. The food was great, the service was great, and we all enjoyed the trip. We're due to sail her again this summer. I'm sure I'll be more aware of the vibration, but I'm confident it won't be a problem for us. I'm really looking forward to being back onboard (Connoisseur Club or no Connoisseur Club. :p)

It's interesting that many people's favorite Regent ship is the first one they sailed on. Our first Regent ship was the Paul Gauguin. She remained our favorite for a few years....... then she left the fleet and the Voyager became our favorite (which, as you know, has the same size regular suites as the Navigator but is all-balcony - unlike the Navigator).

When I mentioned the "Navigator suites", I would not recommend those under the pool. There is only one Navigator suite that is not under the pool and we loved that suite.

All Regent ships have pluses and minuses. In our opinion, the Voyager has the best regular suites, the Mariner has the best public spaces and the Navigator is the coziest (a plus and a minus -- if the weather is inclement and everyone has to be inside, it is more like a can of sardines instead of a small ship with a lot of space). After we sailed on Silversea's Whisper (same size as the Navigator with 50 less suites), we saw how great a small ship can be.

Some people have posted that the staff and food is so good in the Navigator. Well, it isn't really different than on other Regent ships. Plus, the Executive Chef on the Navigator this month may be on the Mariner or Voyager next. The staff moves around a lot of Regent - perhaps now more than ever since the Explorer will have 25% of seasoned crew members from each existing ship. This means that each ship will need to hire new crew members (25% of the staff).

Dolebludger, unfortunately there have been vibration reports on ships built within the last 5 years (prefer not to name them but they obviously are not Regent ships). Vibration would not be a reason for us not to sail on a ship. Lack of stability in rough seas is a reason as we do not like being seasick. Out of all of our cruises, my DH became seasick one time...... on the Navigator!

Agree with you but we are trying to think of a reason to sail on the Navigator again due to some of her itineraries. On our last Navigator cruise we did an upsell to a Master Suite - in the front of the ship and would never do that again. Between the noise from the bridge (above us) and the forward vibration and noise, we determined that it would be our last Navigator cruise. While I expect that the experience would be the same in that suite, the other issues that we did not like may have been corrected (La Veranda too small - nowhere to sit when it was crowded - tiny computer room, no real "Coffee Connection", etc.). There is still no forward lounge so I suspect that Galileo's will still be too crowded.

 

The Navigator used to have the least expensive fares but this is no longer the case. Yes - the least expensive suites are nice (the ones with balconies) but, IMO, unless you upgrade to a Navigator Suite, all of the suites are the same size so it simply isn't worth it.

 

I was not stating my opinions on this ship for a while because I didn't want to put people off. I now feel that it is better to have low expectations and be happily surprised that it isn't as bad as you thought that going onboard expecting to see a Mariner or Voyager.

 

On a positive note, the photos that were briefly posted on Facebook and CC were beautiful --it will seem like a new ship and, for those new to Regent, they should be very pleased!

Noise from the bridge??? During docking, or all the time? I'm guessing that a Master Suite on Deck 10?

We're considering a Master Suite on Deck 9, so that might solve the noise problem regardless. However, the vibration is another concern.

Would anyone have a photo of the starboard side of Navigator, forward cabins? Perhaps UUNetBill may have one, great if you could post, thank you.

I'll look through my photos, see what I may have...

Robyn, was only able to find a few older, low-resolution shots in my files. Your best bet is to do a Google image search, I found quite a few good Navigator shots out there.

Sorry.

Bill

Noise from the bridge??? During docking, or all the time? I'm guessing that a Master Suite on Deck 10?

 

We're considering a Master Suite on Deck 9, so that might solve the noise problem regardless. However, the vibration is another concern.

Noise from the bridge 24/7. Actually, "noise" isn't the right word. It was officers walking back and forth with heavy feet. Noise carries allot on the ship.

Thanks Bill, got some on Google images, appreciate your help.

Sorry about above typo. Just want to make sure that no one on CC books a suite under the bridge (or pool, or restaurant/lounge). It was so bad that it was our last Navigator cruise (about 4 years ago).