Two weeks on the Navigator, from Montreal to Reykjavik

MORE ABOUT QUEBEC CITY

Quebec is somewhere I have always fancied seeing and it didn’t disappoint. I think I first got interested in the place when I saw a little known Alfred Hitchcock picture called “I, Confess.” It was made in 1952 and starred Montgomery Clift as a priest who learns during a Confessional that one of his flock is a murderer. It’s a tense little study of moral responsibility and I always remember Clift in his black robes scuttling around the old town which looked like it hadn’t moved on for 100 years. It was grim and unsettling with a monstrous chateau thing on the top.

Today Quebec is a UNESCO World Heritage site and that means it’s become a theme park, restored, prettified, tarted up, full of cafes and art galleries. I’m in two minds about the UNESCO programme - it started with the greatest intentions and with intellectual rigour and historical clout but I think lately it’s just been a jolly for various committees who rubber stamp anything that’s submitted. Money pours in and everyone’s happy. Whole towns loose a sort of vibrancy and authenticity.

Even so, Quebec was lovely to wander around and that chateau thing, Frontenac, was built by Canadian railway money as a hotel and is now run by Fairmont as a 600-room machine. Judging from the melee and selfie mania in the lobby I’d never stay there. However, I would willingly stay in Quebec and explore more of its heritage. Maybe even buy some Inuit art.

In the afternoon we did a ship’s tour to a winery and to a waterfall. I could have done without the winery, frankly, but the waterfall was quite spectacular. We did the long walk across a couple of wobbly bridges and the coach got us back in time for sail away. Just by the pier there was a bar which was part of a beer festival. People were sitting in blue and yellow chairs in six inches of water. Weird people these Quebecois.

Tonight it’s dinner at Prime 7 and tomorrow we hit the Saguenay fjord. The lecturer on the ship urges me to get up early and try and spot some bloody whales. I’m developing strong feelings about this ship, the Navigator, and I’ll address those in a day or two.

 

Fletcher, FYI...those "infuriating right whales" are an endangered species with less than 500 whales left in existence. Since June, 13 have been found dead in the Gulf of St Lawrence, most were hit and killed by ships travelling too fast. So the Canadian government took action to protect them, understandably so.

 

 

 

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Fletcher, FYI...those "infuriating right whales" are an endangered species with less than 500 whales left in existence. Since June, 13 have been found dead in the Gulf of St Lawrence, most were hit and killed by ships travelling too fast. So the Canadian government took action to protect them, understandably so.

 

 

 

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Sunprince, thank you for the information about the loss of right whales this season in the Gulf of St Lawrence. I'm a huge fan of all things Canadian and have spent some wonderful holidays (and one cruise) in and around the river and the Gulf. The whale watching in the area is of course superb although I've never been fortunate enough to see right whales on any of my trips. I was on a whale watching trip 5 years ago and at that time there was concern about they year-round population of beluga whales, I hope they are now thriving.

 

Just a gentle cultural word - I believe but am happy to stand corrected - that Fletcher is writing about the whales with his tongue in his cheek. It's that darned unfathomable British humour - I've lived here for many years and only in the past few years able to recognise it when it's at its most subtle. I do still miss it sometimes.

Don't understand why people would sit in chairs in water to drink beer, but whatever!

We did that winery and waterfall excursion. Agree about the winery, but our guide was a real hoot. She started out speaking in French, and everyone on the bus was thinking we were on the wrong tour.

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SAGUENAY, CANADA

Yesterday’s little coach trip to the waterfalls took us along the north bank of the mighty St Lawrence. We passed dozens of motels, automobile dealerships, supermarkets and prim little bungalows and houses. The dwellings seemed to have no privacy at all, just a bit of grass or a driveway separated them. In the UK we like walls, fences and hedges. Out here people live their lives in public. On the way back we went along the old highway, past more interesting houses, some of them dating from the 1800s. There were also curious ‘root stores’ - underground bunker like structures used to store food and bake bread.

Of course, this being a coach tour we ripped along and never stopped to see the Montmorency waterfall, that amazing church, that blue heron posing by the carcass of an old boat. The flat landscape was enlivened by an incredible array of wild flowers which you normally associate with spring. Here everything was in bloom - pinks, yellows, mauves . . . vast swathes of them. It was as if Piet Oudolf had been commissioned to design an entire landscape.

That was yesterday. Today I was on deck at 5.30am to see the Saguenay fjord. The ship had obviously covered a lot of ground, so to speak, as we were already deep inside the fjord. It occurs to me that this cruise has a big trade-off. Saguenay is probably fabulous to visit in late September when everything will be yellow, gold, brown and orange. Today’s it’s just grey and drab, with low cloud and hanging mist. But then we are going to Greenland and I guess we couldn’t really do that in late September.

The town of Saguenay itself drapes itself along the bay and might have been pretty were it not for an enormous aluminium works slap dang in the middle of the vista. Boats bearing bauxite from Africa, Australia and Brazil tie up and disgorge their cargo and then it’s all packed on to trains. There was also a large paper mill here which closed because newspapers don’t need paper anymore, just a website. The mill employed 600 people who lost their jobs. That’s why the town courted cruise companies and built a cruise terminal. Ships bring jobs and money to the local economy.

In the early morning I take a ship’s tour to the Saguenay National Park. Our guide on the bus is excellent - he points out the American Embassy, which is a branch of McDonalds, and says that 98 percent of the people here are French-speaking. Anyone who speaks English gets a job as a tour guide. The park was an hour’s bus ride followed by an hour’s walk which sounds a little strenuous but really it was a crawl because our guide stopped many times to explain all the things we would never see, such as bears, moose, beavers and (amazingly) porcupines. Part of our group from the ship went kayaking and were late back so we set off for the ship in our classic yellow American school bus at a brisk rate. And when I say brisk, I wonder if you have ever seen the Sandra Bullock movie called Speed?

As we emerged from the forest we were shocked to see the sky had cleared and now we have blue sky, puffy white clouds and the temperature is in the high 70s. There are yachts out on the water. A seaplane does 15 minute trips. People gaze in wonder at the Navigator. Canada is on holiday.

Tonight we are due to leave the dock at 6pm and hopefully the sun will hold for us, giving us the view of the fjord we missed this morning. Being up on deck at 6pm means missing the Block Party. Pity about that . . .

Tomorrow we have a sea day and a partial eclipse of the sun.

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA

A major disappointment greeted us - we discovered the ship was no longer going to Prince Edward Island which was one of the two main places I wanted to see. This was and remains a crushing blow. It seems PEI would have been reachable from Saquenay had the Navigator been able to sail at its scheduled cruising speed. But pods of right whales lay infuriatingly in our path which means we would have to slow down and compromise the itinerary. Instead we are going to an apparently nothing place called Corner Brook in Newfoundland. If I spot so much as one right whale I’ll give it such a look.

From Corner Brook you should be able to go see the Gros Morne National Park, an UNESCO site. http://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gros_Morne_National_Park From a geological perspective, the area is fascinating. Personally, I'd love to go back.

Fletcher, I am hanging onto your every word. You are a true poet! I think we should all chip in and have you continue on the Navigator as our resident blogger.

"Fletcher", well that was spot on...I love your style! Looking forward to a fun cruise with your writings. Thanks for taking time out of your day to write-but I think you enjoy it. Waiting for the next report. Rick

[quote name=Travelcat2;53838389

Fletcher' date=' enjoying your observations but am surprised that you are surprised at the age of the passengers. Young people that can afford to cruise would typically not enjoy such small ships with limited things to do. It seems that you need to be a bit older to be able to afford and appreciate what Regent and other luxury lines have to offer. During the summer and Christmas break, the age skews quite a bit younger.

[/quote]

I am so enjoying the sail along on our favorite ship and loving Fletcher's narrative. What the final review comer out to will be the opinion of Fletcher alone. I am still uncomfortable with the references to who can afford what....what people of different ages want, etc. Just because you like to be busy busy, eating and drinking and touring, doesn't mean that everyone who cruises is looking for that. As some have mentioned on another thread, the company would be wise to court a younger demographic who isn't looking for a 3 ring circus. People know what they can or choose to afford without Regent helper"s guidance.

We are also enjoying Fletcher's comments and taking note of any errors since we are also on this cruise :)

We are being slowed down to 10 Knots due to whale deaths in the area. See link

seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/short-notice-whale-speed-cap-surprises-st-lawrence-lines.html

CORNER BROOK, NEWFOUNDLAND

Two nights ago we experienced an utterly magical Saguenay sailaway - hey that rhymes! Could be a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein. We ignored the block party, of course, and why hold it anyway? Especially at the time of the most enchanted evening (hey, that is a song!) and not the next day, which is a sea day. These cruise directors have no idea, if you ask me.

We had a drink at the back of the Galileo Lounge and then walked down to the terrace of Sette Mari and bagged a table for two. The light was quite extraordinary and the wake of the ship created amazing patterns on the darkening water. Of course it was a bit vibrational out there but we have become accustomed to picking up our gold fillings from the floor as we leave these aft deck spaces.

Speaking of which, I do wonder if I should have called this diary Two Weeks on the Vibrator. My God, it does shake and rattle alarmingly as you leave or arrive at a port and this morning we checked out the corridors where the rear suites are and even on a calm sea the whole superstructure seems to thrum and vibrate. Fortunately our cabin is on Deck 7 and forward of the main elevators and we experience not the slightest little shake, nor the slightest little noise. In fact this might be the quietest cabin we have had on any ship.

Our concierge suite is excellent and we have no issues with the layout. It seems spacious and you can move around with ease. The bathroom might be a little dated, especially the taps in the basin, and there is a strange thumping sound for a few moments after you run the hot water, but that’s the only quibble. The internet is the best we have ever had on any ship and it’s faster than we get at home in the UK. The walk-in closet is perfect for us - we travel fairly light and shared a single suitcase for this trip which clocked in at 18kgs. We love our balcony and now that the weather has settled we spend most of the day out there.

Of course, apart from the vibration, there is one other problem with the Navigator. It’s back to front. This is a ship that faces inwards and backwards. There is no forward observation lounge and to get that view straight ahead one must stand on the golf course on the top deck. And in the early morning, when I am up and about and wanting a few dawn photos, that deck is closed because, it is rumoured, the Captain has his cabin on deck 11 and doesn’t like people walking or jogging above him.

Overall I’d rate the ship well below that of the Seabourn Quest, the best ship we have been on. The Quest has all the right things in the right places and it doesn’t rattle. It also seems more sophisticated, more elegant than the Navigator. As a public space, the open plan Seabourn Square is hard to beat. The equivalent on the Navigator - coffee connection, adjacent bar, library and games room seems cramped and compromised. The Veranda restaurant is also cramped and an obstacle course when you go up to the buffet and back to your table. Service standards are a little less snappy and charming than on the Seabourn ship and I have only been addressed by name once on the Navigator when the Quest staff somehow know your name at every venue from Day 1. I’d say the food standards on the Navigator are on the same level as Seabourn and that’s pretty high. We are not going hungry, or thirsty for that matter.

My impression of Regent so far as of a well-oiled machine rather than any sort of personalised experience.

Last night we had some of those pesky whales off the stern. These are the beasts which have forced the Navigator to slow down to ten knots and make us miss Prince Edward Island. They did have a certain smugness in their expressions.

This morning we are at Corner Brook, Newfoundland, which was the replacement for PEI. Our witty and informative Smithsonian lecturer, a Scot called Scott, tried yesterday to put the gloss on this port of call. There’s a monument to Captain Cook, my hero, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Gros Morne National Park. The Park looks fabulous but it’s a bumpy two-hour bus trip there and another one back. I think I’ll opt for the soft option and pay my respects to Cookie.

Have only just stumbled across your trippie/blog/diary and I'm finding it a hoot :)

As a fellow brit, I'm loving your sense of humour and having booked a first trip on Navigator for January 2019 I'm love your frank review of the ship. We too are a lower deck forward and it seems we made a wise choice, but as we are used to 5-8 cabin yachts, I think we are used to movements/vibrations/heeled over at silly angles.

Thank you for posting and I will continue to read along.

Smug whales :')

Very much enjoying your reports as usual, Fletcher.

ROCK BOTTOM (aka Corner Brook), NEWFOUNDLAND

The first thing that I saw in Newfoundland was, appropriately enough, a Newfoundland dog. Big, black and furry, it had a lead in its mouth which was connected to a husky. The Newfoundland dog was taking its friend on a walk down the quayside. That was the only Newfoundland dog I saw today and that was a bit of a surprise as I had expected everyone to have one, along with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. But I was told that they eat a moose every day and so the running costs are very high.

The second thing I saw in Newfoundland was the surpassing ugliness of our port of call, Corner Brook. The whole city is dominated by this massive, corrugated, rusty, smoke-belching paper mill. Once the city’s largest employer, the paper is in decline and many jobs have been lost. Corner Brook itself is in decline and you saw it on every street corner. The city looked tired, clapped out, exhausted. Yes Corner Brook is real and authentic and boring and maybe like the place that you and I live, but it’s a sign of desperation for Regent as once they had to abandon Prince Edward Island they had nowhere else to take us.

We went on a tour called Highlights of Corner Brook and somehow the local guide spun it out for two-and-a-half hours when six minutes would have been sufficient. Our school bus climbed a hill to the monument to Captain James Cook who surveyed the area in the 1760s. I suspect Cook saw the place at its best back then. Beside the statue there were plaques describing Cook’s voyages, including Tahiti. The plaque said, “Tahiti Awaits.” No, I thought, looking down on to the paper mill belching smoke, Tahiti can’t wait. I want to be there right now!

The next stop was a ski resort with a totem pole. We were told we had 15 minutes to admire the car park. One man was ski-ing, on a motorised scooter-ski thing. Then we stopped for another 15 minutes in the central reservation of a major highway. We stood there in awe of the senselessness of it all as massive trucks thundered by on both sides. And then we went to a former railway station where a 1920s locomotive and a snow plough were enjoying their retirement.

And then it was back to the ship for lunch and a three hour wait for those passengers who probably wisely chose the long trip to Gros Morne National Park. Yesterday, our Smithsonian lecturer told us he thought Corner Brook was just the ticket if you needed to buy a spare part for your chainsaw. I thought it was scraping the bottom of the sightseeing barrel. Come to think of it, there is more to see in an empty barrel than there is in Corner Brook.

Tomorrow a day trip to France at St Pierre et Miquelon. Bonsoir mon ami.

Not sure what you mean by "getting a credit for what's supposed to be free". As I think that you know, you can get a credit (approximately $300/couple) to not use Regent's hotel. When we do use the included hotel, we typically take a cab to the ship to avoid the crowds. While I appreciate the airport transfer to the hotel, we prefer not going on a crowded bus to the ship. OTOH, most of the time we take the crowded bus to the airport as they arrange our luggage and take it inside of the terminal for us.

 

While I still do not like included excursions (they are fine for some people but we would love it if we could opt out for a credit), I like having the option of an included hotel - whether we use it or not. The same can be said for the transfers ..... some airports are quite a long way from the ship and the shuttles come in handy. When we reach Titanium level when we board the ship in November), we'll have private transfers to and from the ship. That is something I do appreciate!

 

 

 

Fletcher, enjoying your observations but am surprised that you are surprised at the age of the passengers. Young people that can afford to cruise would typically not enjoy such small ships with limited things to do. It seems that you need to be a bit older to be able to afford and appreciate what Regent and other luxury lines have to offer. During the summer and Christmas break, the age skews quite a bit younger.

 

In any case, hope that you have a great cruise!

"Free" hotel, "Free Air". If they're free you shouldn't be able to get a credit. But at least they have the decency to offer one for those. Wish they'd do the same for "free" excursions.

CORNER BROOK, NEWFOUNDLAND

Two nights ago we experienced an utterly magical Saguenay sailaway - hey that rhymes! Could be a song from Rodgers and Hammerstein. We ignored the block party, of course, and why hold it anyway? Especially at the time of the most enchanted evening (hey, that is a song!) and not the next day, which is a sea day. These cruise directors have no idea, if you ask me.

We had a drink at the back of the Galileo Lounge and then walked down to the terrace of Sette Mari and bagged a table for two. The light was quite extraordinary and the wake of the ship created amazing patterns on the darkening water. Of course it was a bit vibrational out there but we have become accustomed to picking up our gold fillings from the floor as we leave these aft deck spaces.

Speaking of which, I do wonder if I should have called this diary Two Weeks on the Vibrator. My God, it does shake and rattle alarmingly as you leave or arrive at a port and this morning we checked out the corridors where the rear suites are and even on a calm sea the whole superstructure seems to thrum and vibrate. Fortunately our cabin is on Deck 7 and forward of the main elevators and we experience not the slightest little shake, nor the slightest little noise. In fact this might be the quietest cabin we have had on any ship.

Our concierge suite is excellent and we have no issues with the layout. It seems spacious and you can move around with ease. The bathroom might be a little dated, especially the taps in the basin, and there is a strange thumping sound for a few moments after you run the hot water, but that’s the only quibble. The internet is the best we have ever had on any ship and it’s faster than we get at home in the UK. The walk-in closet is perfect for us - we travel fairly light and shared a single suitcase for this trip which clocked in at 18kgs. We love our balcony and now that the weather has settled we spend most of the day out there.

Of course, apart from the vibration, there is one other problem with the Navigator. It’s back to front. This is a ship that faces inwards and backwards. There is no forward observation lounge and to get that view straight ahead one must stand on the golf course on the top deck. And in the early morning, when I am up and about and wanting a few dawn photos, that deck is closed because, it is rumoured, the Captain has his cabin on deck 11 and doesn’t like people walking or jogging above him.

Overall I’d rate the ship well below that of the Seabourn Quest, the best ship we have been on. The Quest has all the right things in the right places and it doesn’t rattle. It also seems more sophisticated, more elegant than the Navigator. As a public space, the open plan Seabourn Square is hard to beat. The equivalent on the Navigator - coffee connection, adjacent bar, library and games room seems cramped and compromised. The Veranda restaurant is also cramped and an obstacle course when you go up to the buffet and back to your table. Service standards are a little less snappy and charming than on the Seabourn ship and I have only been addressed by name once on the Navigator when the Quest staff somehow know your name at every venue from Day 1. I’d say the food standards on the Navigator are on the same level as Seabourn and that’s pretty high. We are not going hungry, or thirsty for that matter.

My impression of Regent so far as of a well-oiled machine rather than any sort of personalised experience.

Last night we had some of those pesky whales off the stern. These are the beasts which have forced the Navigator to slow down to ten knots and make us miss Prince Edward Island. They did have a certain smugness in their expressions.

This morning we are at Corner Brook, Newfoundland, which was the replacement for PEI. Our witty and informative Smithsonian lecturer, a Scot called Scott, tried yesterday to put the gloss on this port of call. There’s a monument to Captain Cook, my hero, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Gros Morne National Park. The Park looks fabulous but it’s a bumpy two-hour bus trip there and another one back. I think I’ll opt for the soft option and pay my respects to Cookie.

 

 

Oh dear, sorry to hear about the bad excursion...but i do have to laugh as you describe it in such a funny way.

It reminded us of a Regent tour we did in Canada last year and again the first stop was a 15 minute stop at some toilets and a paper mill???? Hope they get better for you and thanks for giving me a laugh.

Pam.

Enjoying your posts! Would like to have seen the dog taking the dog for a walk.

Sorry, quoted to the wrong post. :D

Fletcher your posts are so enjoyable and well written. Loving the humour . Thanks, Jean.

I think you just hit it unlucky today Fletcher. We are also on this cruise. Weren't on your trip today or the one to the National Park (but suspect we are all on the same bus two days ago!). Our trip today was interesting with a great guide. We thought it was an interesting port of call.

I agree with you about La Veranda. Far too busy anytime we have ventured in.

Also agree with you about the ship being back to front. I very much miss my contemplative beer in an observation lounge at the front.:')

I think you just hit it unlucky today Fletcher. We are also on this cruise. Weren't on your trip today or the one to the National Park (but suspect we are all on the same bus two days ago!). Our trip today was interesting with a great guide. We thought it was an interesting port of call.

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What excursion did you take? I'm on a Nav cruise next year stopping in Corner Brook, and looking at excursions. I'd thought to do the Capt Cook route one until reading Fletcher's comments. And a 7-hour bus trip does not appeal, even to a nice park.

ST PIERRE & MIQUELON

The Navigator is sailing towards St Pierre & Miquelon. It’s a dismal morning, with thick fog which is normal for this part of the world as it’s where the cold Labrador current meets the warm Gulf Stream. The horn is being sounded every five minutes or so and our speed is almost 20 knots. This meant that breakfast in the Veranda was so shaky that you could break two eggs on a plate and have them self-scrambled within minutes. We like aspects of this ship - well, we mostly like our cabin - but when you experience that sort of rattling at the back you have ask if the Navigator is really fit for purpose in 2017 and if it’s an appropriate member of an alleged luxury line’s sailing fleet.

We learned yesterday that there are more than 100 passengers aboard doing the grand 60-day cruise, from Montreal to Iceland to the Baltic to the UK and across to New York. The longest cruises we have ever done have been about 30 days - one was from Auckland to Cairns via New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Solomons and New Guinea, and the other was to the Caribbean from Southampton and back again. In both cases we thought the food got just a bit too repetitive for our liking so we think two weeks is long enough for us.

Americans are in an obvious majority on this cruise but there are quite a few Canadians, a few Chinese and Japanese, as well as a large British contingent and by British I have to include the Scots. I think I detected a couple speaking Russian last night. It’s a friendly crowd and it’s nice to exchange small talk about cruise stuff and after those niceties are go on to the inevitable topics of Mr Trump and Brexit.

Having been on board for five days I’d say the least busy members of the crew are the croupiers in the large casino. We walk through this tacky area several times a day (it’s on our deck) and I can honestly say we have never seen anyone at a green baize table. A few sad souls play the fruit machines, or one-armed bandits, but maybe the whole gambling at sea thing has become outdated. Certainly for us it’s a complete waste of space and cheapens the ambience.

We are sussing out the ship’s food outlets. All cruises are a form of mass catering of course and the Navigator is no exception. We really dislike the pool deck so we’ll never eat there. The Veranda is OK if a bit cramped as I’ve said before. Generally I find breakfasts and lunches to be excellent and dinners to be disappointing. It’s when a ship pretends to be a restaurant that weaknesses appear - in Compass Rose last night my roast beef was terribly dry and the sauce had congealed on the hot plate. And the pastry in my dessert was rock hard. However, we like the decor in Compass Rose - it’s a bright and elegant room. We were impressed with the one dinner we had at the Prime 7 steakhouse, even though we found the room to be rather gloomy.

As we neared St Pierre I spotted a dead dolphin and a dead shark. There were lots of seabirds. Now, through the murk, St Pierre emerges for our delectation and peregrination. This little archipelago is fully French. The economy is on the skids so most people do pointless jobs for the government. It’s heavily subsidised by the European Union. Tourism hardly exists. As a collector of wacky and remote places, I have long wanted to go there. Somehow I was expecting a quaint little place with cafes, a few nice shops, some interesting buildings. I never thought it might rival St Tropez but I did think it might be vaguely like Tobermory, say, or Plockton in Western Scotland. In others words, manky but characterful. How wrong I was!

Tomorrow it’s back to Newfoundland and St John’s where we have used some of our $500 on-board credit for what is optimistically described as a ‘Puffin Watching Adventure.’ I think all the puffins will have left by now but it could be quite scenic if the weather improves.

Wow, Fletcher. There's sure a lot of "bite" in your posts. Sorry to hear that there've been a number of disappointments, but glad you're enjoying some things as well. And I do appreciate hearing your view of negatives as well as positives; and of course your wit.

Btw, I have never heard any political talk on any our dozen or so Regent cruises. I should correct that to say that on some occasions where we've gotten to know another person very well, and realize that he/she shares our values, we might in quiet, private conversation talk about politics-- but I've never seen virtual strangers (e.g. sharing a dinner table) begin to talk about politics. Not saying it doesn't happen; just saying I've never experienced it.

I hope the rest of your cruise is enjoyable.

Sorry about your disappointments, but I love reading about everyone of them. Don't stop, please. I think no matter what happens you'll have fun on your cruise. Thanks so much for posting what you think about your cruise. Rick