I acknowledge and, to a certain extent, am sympathetic to the challenges being faced by Regent post-pandemic.  Parent company deep in debt, struggling with profitability, trying to deliver on the promises of the past under completely new circumstances, under pressure to meet high customer expectations, all doing so with a new leader at the helm.  Illustrative of the tough environment in which Regent is operating is a card my wife received yesterday (May 31) for her June 27 birthday signed by Jason Montague, who was replaced by Andrea DeMarco effective December 31, 2022.  We are scheduled for the Splendor August 31 Reykjavik to Copenhagen itinerary and are hopeful most of the "wrinkles" are ironed out by then.

I might avoid another cruise line out of an abundance of caution because Pcarded might be on your ship.  He's enough of a "downer" to ruin a cruise for everyone.

For a honeymoon, I cannot imagine a better experience than Regent.  Business Class air, Pre Cruise 4 or 5 star hotel, NO nickel and diming onboard, wide variety of excursions at every port (many of which are appealing to 26 year olds), great food, and excellent service with luxurious accommodations and surroundings.  As someone mentioned in a previous post, you have an adventurous day at each port and then return to the plush and relaxing atmosphere of the ship.  I was 56 years old during my last Regent cruise and my wife and I commented how much fun our boys (20 somethings) would have had if they had been with us.  Don't know you and have never met you, however; I can without reservation recommend Regent for a honeymoon cruise.

Congratulations and if you do choose Regent, I look forward to your assessment on this board when you return.

June 19 - July 3, 2022 14 Night Venice to Venice on Explorer.  We had an Alaska cruise booked on the Mariner in 2020 and, of course, it was cancelled.  Last cruise on Regent was May of 2019 Explorer to Spain/Portugal/France/England.  After a three year hiatus, we are looking forward to resuming something we enjoy.  

We were in Cabin 1001 during a May 2019 cruise and thoroughly enjoyed the angled balcony.  Regarding the wind, while I have no point of reference in another cabin, the wind was never disturbing.  Our balcony was very comfortable and we therefore spent quite a bit of time enjoying it.

On ‎7‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 6:32 AM, Twitchly said:

Hello, all. 

 

My DH and I took our first cruise together last year with Viking Ocean and had a wonderful time. Since then, Regent has discovered us and we’ve been receiving a lot of their marketing materials. We’re pondering another cruise in a year or two, so we’re looking at options. 

 

I’ve paged through a bunch of the posts here to get a better picture of how Regent differs from everybody else but it’s still unclear. So I’ll just ask: What sets the Regent experience apart from other cruise lines?

Attempting to objectively answer the original inquiry from this thread:  We experienced Regent for the first time this year (May Barcelona to London) after having been invited by my sister and her husband who had cruised Regent five times previously.  Our previous cruising experience includes 5 cruises on Carnival, Norwegian, and Holland America.  Simply said, we had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed the ship, the itinerary, the tours, the crew, the fellow passengers, the entertainment, the business class flights, and the pre-cruise hotel in Barcelona.  We typically approach any experience with an open mind and a positive attitude and therefore enjoy most.  Not once did we stop and think what a sorry SOB the CEO of the cruise line (someone we've never met and never will) might be nor did we parse every word of the marketing materials associated with the trip to determine whether something included was code speak for overcharge!  Maybe we got totally ripped off and maybe we further enriched the CEO of the cruise line - we don't know, but what we do know is that we had a relaxing vacation filled with great experiences on a stunningly beautiful ship with interesting people while being served graciously by a crew who truly seemed to enjoy what they were doing.  We ate great food at every meal and drank very good wine by the bottle.  We participated in tours we will remember fondly, and in the case of the D-Day tour - reverently, forever.  We were on a boat with 700 or so other passengers who also had a wonderful time with the exception of a few - I could count them on one hand - who griped and complained too much, set their expectations at an impossible level, expected other passengers to sacrifice for their sake, yet thankfully never could get others to join their misery party.

My suggestion is to pick an attractive itinerary and give Regent a try.  The bill will seem high when you pay it, however; when you arrive back at home - no more bills!

On 7/1/2019 at 1:08 PM, XtaSea said:

Mark...thanks so much for the additional detailed "life aboard" information. You and the others--this entire thread--exemplifies to me the value of Cruise Critic and its many boards. We've been cruising on and off since the debut of RC's Sovereign of the Seas (1987 or '88?) and I think our upcoming cruise in Feb is number 20 or 21.

 

Over the years we've definitely dialed back the wild and crazy party atmosphere (a major reason I can't remember if it's 20 or 21), and with the exception of an occasional 3-day run to New Orleans (Royal Sonesta, French Quarter, the Treme, etc.), we've trended toward a more relaxed travel experience. Your description of your days and nights on Regent sounds pretty inviting. And while we've usually planned our own excursions--everything we're doing in Feb we've planned privately--having them included in the cruise package makes them more attractive. I've actually run some cost comparisons based on a 10-night Med cruise in Fall '2020. I looked at Celebrity, Azamara, Silversea, Oceania, Viking and Regent (may take a look at Crystal, too). I'll note that I don't think Azamara is in the "luxury" category, but our Celebrity loyalty level transfers, and with RCL/Celebrity apparently now bringing Silversea under it's umbrella, it's just a matter of time before their loyalty program gets involved. Still, after adding in certain perks (tips, top-shelf drinks, excursions, business class air) there's really not much difference in overall cost among the group.

 

Given the significant investment of cruising the Med, as well as our past experiences and those of friends who have cruised luxury lines, we'll now take a very close and serious look at Regent. I'll start with my trusted online TA and try to find a rep who has cruised Regent and other luxury lines (I sometimes communicate with their VP of Client Services and I'll bet she can put with the person I need). Then I'll return to this Regent board for actual suite/itinerary/excursion advice.

 

Again...great info...thanks much!

I can virtually guarantee you will enjoy your experience on Regent. We were left wanting for nothing.  My sister told me to get ready to be spoiled prior to the trip and she was absolutely correct.  The ship itself is beautiful beyond imagination yet it is the service that is most stunning. I was left wondering how Regent is able to secure such consistent and exemplary performance from so many staff members who are literally from every corner of the globe. Choose Regent and you won’t regret it. 

On 4/12/2019 at 6:33 PM, captjohn said:

Think I got into the wrong business !!

 

Del Rio compensation doubled to $22m in 2018 

Frank Del Rio's 2018 compensation would have totaled $14.9m if not for an accounting principle that put long-term awards from 2017 into his 2018 package

 

Frank Del Rio, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, received 2018 compensation valued at $22.6m, up from $10.5m the year before.

His compensation would have totaled $14.9m but for the accounting of the company's long-term incentive plan, which put Del Rio's 2017 performance share units into his 2018 compensation.

Del Rio's base salary rose to $1.75m from $1.5m, while stock awards soared to $15.2m from $3.7m the year before. He also received a cash incentive of $5.4m, up from $4.5m, and other compensation of $206,000, including a car allowance, medical plan premium, travel expense allowance and country club membership.

The second highest earning of NCLH's named executives was Wendy Beck, former EVP and CFO, with total compensation valued at $6.6m, up from $3.2 m in 2017.

$5.3m each for Montague, Stuart and Lindsay

Three executives each received total compensation of $5.3m. They are Robin Lindsay, EVP vessel operations for NCLH; Andy Stuart, president and CEO, Norwegian Cruise Line; and Jason Montague, president and CEO, Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

Total 2017 compensation for each of the three executives was $3.2m.

In 2018, Lindsay, Stuart and Montague received salaries of $700,000, up from $650,000 the prior year. Each received a $1.75m cash bonus, up from the $975,000 in 2017, and higher stock awards.

The total compensation for her Beck's successor, EVP and CFO Mark Kempa, was $3m. His salary was $856,000, and his cash bonus was $1.57m.

Seems to be a very good CEO.  After my experience as a customer and after reviewing the financial performance of the company he runs, I would say if $22 million a year is what it takes to keep him around, so be it. While obviously not directly connected to the CEO, but an indicator of a well run company was my interaction with a very young assistant waiter in Prime 7 on the Explorer recently in which she twice said, unsolicited, “I love my job”.  

On 6/27/2019 at 2:54 PM, XtaSea said:

Mark, enjoyed your enthusiastic review and wondering what other cruise lines you've used? We've never tried Regent but are considering it. We've been on most major lines (not Carnival) and some that no longer exist. The closest we've come to Regent is a Silversea med cruise 10 years ago and we had conflicting feelings about it. Great accommodations, staff and service; good (not great) food; our biggest issue was being bored onboard. Enjoyed the ports and excursions, but on the ship the choices of bars, entertainment and activities were limited to say the least. For us that made for some less than stellar evenings while cruising to the next port of call. We're older now, retired, but active. In recent years we've cruised with Celebrity in suites, which gives us the activity choices of a big ship and a certain level of "luxury" with great accommodations, and a bar, gourmet restaurant and full-service sundeck only available to suite guests. But Celebrity's pricing continues to climb and when we look at another med cruise, and add the cost of Business Class air, we're now on an even par with Regent (as well as other luxury lines). As UUNetBill noted, at this level of investment one tends to go with what they know. Can you, or anyone else on this thread, give us an idea of the onboard life that Regent offers? I've searched for dailies (a great way to view onboard activities) but haven't found them. Thanks, and if I knew how to post pictures here I'd post one of our Golden Retriever who ensures we never stray from home for too long.

XtaSea,

Over the course of thirty years of marriage, we cruised five times prior to this most recent Regent experience. Cruise lines were Carnival three times (prior to kids and with kids), Norwegian (Hawaii with kids), and Holland America (Baltic 10 night w/o our kids). Regent came about as a result of my sister’s invitation to join her and her husband on their sixth Regent cruise - and are we ever glad we did!  

In answer to your inquiries regarding life onboard, our experience was not full of onboard activities due to a port intensive itinerary with tours at every port. We did enjoy spa appointments twice each (my wife and I), the workout area, (nice and NEVER crowded), two Cooking Classes (fun!), the Coffee Connection every morning (best latte ever according to why wife), the fresh squeezed juice bar also every morning (a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to choose from juiced right before your eyes), and room service breakfast 6 mornings (exquisite).  Following the morning routine it would be time to gather in the showroom (Constellation Theater) for the very efficient and organized tour departures.  Once back from our tour we would either get ready to meet my sister and her husband, usually in the Observation Lounge for drinks before dinner (Ross’s piano music is very good) or, if arriving back to ship earlier, we had our spa appointments or cooking classes.  We didn’t do trivia, the deck games, or other onboard planned activities because our time seemed to always be filled with other things.  After our pre-dinner debriefing over cocktails we would have dinner (every meal was excellent), then to the theater for a show (all shows were entertaining, some better than others), and then back to one of the lounges (usually Observation) for a nightcap.  Some nights we would grab a drink and simply walk around the ship admiring its beauty. Nightlife is not wild and crazy by any stretch of the imagination yet we were fine with the slower pace because generally our days were mostly filled with activity so by night we were ready to dial it back a bit.  

Hoping I have provided a glimpse of one passenger’s experience onboard in answer to your questions.  

On 6/28/2019 at 12:23 PM, golfer21 said:

Looking for recommendations on Explorer cabins, we will be doing the transatlantic on Nov. 23. Not sure what cabin would suit us. We have previously been on Mariner in concierge and Voyager in G suite.

Thanks

I have no experience beyond Category D (Concierge Suite); however I can say we absolutely loved our suite throughout a 12 night Mediterranean itinerary. We were in Cabin 1001 which was the last forward passenger cabin in the hallway leading to the bridge. We chose a port side cabin believing we would want to be on the “land” side of the ship but in reality, it didn’t matter much at all. Conveniently located near forward stairway and elevators yet ultra quiet. No noise from the library above either.  A nice feature of this cabin is the “angled” balcony railing which allows forward viewing without leaning over the railing. In layout, furnishings, and amenities Cabin 1001 is identical to all other Concierge suites and with the exception of added amenities, is also the same as all Superior Suites. I can, with no reservation whatsoever, highly recommend a Concierge Suite on the Explorer.  

4 hours ago, Lady's Mom said:

Believe me, we never thought that we would do it either.  However, last year we were on the Navigator with folks who were staying on for 91 days.  They convinced us that it is doable without causing each other harm.  That experience, combined with encouragement from wonderful people on the 2021 WC thread, convinced us that we should take the plunge!  That combined with an itinerary that hits many of our bucket list destinations, made it work for us.  Now that my husband has made the deposit, he seems to be as excited as I am.  That being said, we could not have even thought about it until he retired two years ago.  When you are ready, there will always be a World Cruise or Grand Voyage on Regent for you.

I'm 5 to 7 years away from calling it good.  Will do short itineraries until then and focus on longer sailings after.  Want to go as long as I can be active.  Regent is a wonderful way to travel.

7 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

Only two things keeping us from a World Cruise in the near future:

 

 

I have the first one and don't have the second one...   

You and I have a lot in common.  I'm impressed by your pile of cash photo - precisely the amount needed for a world cruise.

3 hours ago, Lady's Mom said:

Mark, we are Norma and Mitch from Alabama, and we were on the Explorer with you.  It was our first cruise on the Explorer, although it was not our first Regent cruise.  We agree that everything about the cruise was wonderful.  The entertainment also exceeded our expectations, especially Will Martin.  The service was exemplary from our room steward to the Captain.  We are booked on the 2021 World Cruise on the Mariner and are going to book another cruise on Regent in-between.  

So glad you enjoyed yourselves, and welcome to the Regent family.

Thank you very much Norma and Mitch.  Our first experience with Regent proved remarkable and impressive.  Prior to our cruise I couldn’t imagine the world cruise in terms of being on a ship for 130 days.  Now, my opinion is completely different.  My wife and I miss being on the ship and can’t wait to go again.  When we retire, it is likely we will take a World Cruise as well, on Regent of course.  Continuing to marvel at the wonderful experience we had......................

1 hour ago, Eno-Bob said:

Mark – Agree that some of the complimentary wines are quite good, but the ship also stocks some top wines on their “Connoisseur Wine List”.  One of the great things about the Connoisseur wine list is that the prices charged are comparable to the average retail price for those wines.  You are not paying the 100% to 200% markup that you would pay at restaurants of similar quality.  You get the full top restaurant Sommelier service and a great wine at a very good price.  We find it fun to splurge for special dinners and it’s a easy (and fast) way to use up those SBC dollars!

 

I scanned the connoisseur list in Prime 7 and noticed the pricing was very good.  Caymus is a favorite of ours and if I recall correctly, the price was under $100.  When at home, we don't drink every day so by the end of the cruise, after pre-dinner drinks, wine with dinner, and drinks after the show in the Observation Lounge each night, I was searching for an AA meeting to attend!  Also, I found a lightning fast way to evaporate the SBC dollars: Canyon Ranch Spa!  Great Experience, High Price.

50 minutes ago, kjbacon said:

 

The weather is always a wild card but it’s worth trying for. When you are planning ahead, making specialty restaurant reservations and such, set aside a night when you are in port late as that’s the perfect setting for dinner on the balcony (not moving). With notice, you can order nearly anything you can dream of, even if it isn’t on the regulate menus. One night I had a whole grilled branzino and another night roast duck. Such a luxurious treat! 

Thank you again and we will work on the menu for that very special dinner.  No duck for me though! 

1 hour ago, eliana said:

Well said Mark. Cruise Critic has become a forum for moaners and it is refreshing to read comments such as yours. We love the Explorer and indeed the other Regent ships and take the nit pickers with a piece of salt. However, we still wish Regent would improve their coffee - just go for a better blend and medium roast not a dark espresso blend throughout the ship which still remains their norm. Their complimentary wines are generally very good and maybe their wine buyer should also be given the role of coffee buying!

I cannot address the coffee from a position of experience as I am a green tea drinker.  My wife did enjoy a latte' every morning, prepared cheerfully by Andre' from France in the Coffee Café.  She is a coffee aficionado, preferring pure Kona medium roast from Hawaii, and she was very pleased with her latte' each day.  I assumed she would be a frequent user of the illy coffeemaker in the cabin yet it sat unused the entire cruise.  I think the availability of a Mimosa each morning completely trumped her need for coffee in the room.  I fully agree with your assessment of the complimentary wine.  Prior to the cruise, I fully intended to pay for upgraded wines during certain dinners yet never did due to the suitability of what was being served. 

1 hour ago, Eno-Bob said:

Don’t know exactly what is going to be “updated” on the Explorer on this dry-dock – however, we are on the first cruise after the dry-dock.  We were aware we would be on that first cruise during our last cruise in January and asked one of the Explorer Officers – maybe the GM – what was being updated.  He didn’t provide specifics, but he said that this was their “end of warranty” dry-dock and that all “fixes” that the manufacturer was responsible for would be addressed during this period.  A lot of that could be below decks and not visible to passengers. 

 

Makes perfect sense.  Thank you.

Having just sailed Explorer and being new to Regent, the notion of the ship going into dry dock for refurbishment confuses me.  Other than a couple of carpeted areas, I saw no signs whatsoever of wear and tear that would warrant replacing, recovering, or refinishing anything.  The carpeted areas showing wear could easily be replaced during a turnaround.  I suppose the luxury space Regent operates in is becoming crowded and competitive so they are ultra focused on keeping their ships like new.  Explorer was three years old when we sailed yet to my nose still had that "new car smell".  I guess a diamond can always be polished.

Some of the complaints seem a bit petty; an example of which is the sightlines in the theater.  I can understand sitting behind one of the support columns prevents someone from an unobstructed view of the stage so.............DON'T SIT BEHIND THEM!  Our cruise was full yet we never had an issue finding seats in the theater, together for a group of four, with an unobstructed view and we were not among those who show up 30 minutes early for the best seats.  We even arrived late to a couple of shows and had no problem finding suitable seating.  The criticism of the stairway at the back of the ship, derided as the "stairway to nowhere" is another example.  Works like a champ for decks five through eleven.  Used it many times myself.  As good a set of stairs as I have ever climbed.  Need to go to deck four, twelve or fourteen?  Stairway or elevators available a short walk away that will get you there in comfort and style.  Many of the complaints being posted and their relative insignificance indicate Regent did an excellent job planning, constructing, and furnishing the ship during what represents an incredibly complex, years long, and expensive ($450 million) project.  My hat goes off to Regent for what I found to be a ship that lived up to its hype.  Can't imagine a more luxurious ship on the water today.

26 minutes ago, kjbacon said:

 

I totally get it, felt the same way. We booked on board and are checking out several more!  We also enjoyed our excursions but did feel like one or two people clipped everyone’s wings. 

 

Another great experience we had we had with the butler was having a custom designed dinner served to us on our balcony. I highly recommend this wonderful experience!

Thank you for the tip regarding dinner on the balcony.  We most definitely will do so.  Weather in Alaska mid-August conducive to a balcony dinner?  My one trip there several years ago was in July and the weather was surprisingly pleasant.

8 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Yep, you don't need a crystal ball (no pun intended) to predict cash going out for luxury cruises.  I'm with you, though - I'll gladly post my experiences, both positive and negative, and like you most of my experiences with Regent have been positives.  Of course, using the law of averages, the more you cruise, the more likely it is you'll eventually run into someone who's having a bad day or something - but aside from a few cranky servers in the Pool Bar area a few years ago (corrected) and some communication issues with the main office in Miami (also corrected), our experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

We've looked at other lines just to maybe compare, but with finite time and money available for vacations we tend to 'go with what we know' - plus hitting Gold made Regent that much nicer for us...they sure know how to reel us in, don't they?   

No doubt, the "hook" is firmly set in my mouth and I feel the tension of the line as I'm being reeled in!  Oops!  What was that?  Oh, just my wallet being removed and emptied!

20 hours ago, liptastic said:

So glad to hear had a wonderful first Regent cruise, enjoyed your review.

Your experience of the compromised for want of a better word guests on certain excursions is not isolated, it seems there have been a few mentions of this quite recently, it causes problems for the tour guides and also spoils enjoyment for everyone else on that tour.

I am sure you will really enjoy Alaska , we are only recently home from our fourth Alaska cruise, it keeps calling us back. 

Thanks for your review, Jean.

Thank you Jean.  While I have traveled to Alaska once on a fishing trip, my wife has never been.  My extremely favorable impression of Alaska is limited to Craig and Ketchikan so I'm anxious to see more including the glacier.  Never in my life have I had any sort of addiction yet now I'm starting to worry.....................Regent may be a problem.  We have traveled extensively throughout our lives and have taken other cruises with the last being a ten night Baltic Sea itinerary on Holland America approximately a decade ago.  Nice trip but NOTHING like our experience with Regent.  Truthfully, I hadn't paid much attention and didn't know such a cruise experience existed.  My sister, a six time Regent cruiser, invited us to accompany her and her husband so I either owe her a debt of gratitude or blame her for getting us hooked.

7 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

So happy to hear that you enjoyed your first (probably of many if you're like us) Regent cruise.  They're addictive.

 

Our first was on Navigator about 10 years ago and although Explorer is our favorite ship in the Regent fleet they all have their plus/minus factors - but none are minus enough that we wouldn't sail on it!!  As you noted, the staff usually helps make a Regent cruise something special.  Over the years we can count on one hand the number of crew members who weren't polite, smiling, and helpful - and considering the amount of work these folks do that's an incredible accomplishment.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts and observations here - too often people only post complaints; it's refreshing to find someone who takes the time to post a bit of praise.  I hope you enjoy your subsequent Regent cruises as much or more than your first!

Thank you.  Predicting the future; I see many Regent cruises ahead and the corresponding shrunken bank account.  I can assure you my comments will always be candid and representative of my opinion.  I'm sure my review would seem to some overly kind and short of criticism yet if I had encountered interactions or experiences that justified criticism, I would have included them in my post.  The truth is, I didn't.  On our particular 12 night cruise, Regent performed exceptionally well by any measurement. 

4 hours ago, kjbacon said:

We were new to Regent a couple months ago, also Explorer, and our reaction was much the same as the OP - wow! ... including the excursion issue as raised. We also had people on excursions that were rated active or very active, with specific mention that it was not recommended for those with mobility issues (sometimes steps and/or uneven terrain). In every case, there were interesting excursions available on those days that would have provided a better fit. Not sure how to come up with a good solution for all.

The experience we had was absolutely wonderful so I don't want my criticism of certain shore excursion participants to dampen the fact that we were beyond happy with our cruise.  We actually enjoyed the excursions, every one of them, yet I felt in the interest of balance I should share the one displeasure experienced.  The worst element of the issue was the rude, entitled, and selfish behavior exhibited by those who shouldn't have been on the tours.  I suppose if they have lived a life of being catered to continuously, it is reasonable in their mind to expect twenty five people to stop what they are doing so that they can do what they want.  The guides placed into these situations handled each with admirable grace, kindness, and patience.  Unfortunately, I must admit, in no way could I have been as patient.

2 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

We love having a butler - if only to discuss where he is from and his family.  They are lovely men.

 

They can book or cancel excursions and/or dining reservations (although sometimes it is easier to book it yourself).  They will have shoes shined and if you order room service, it will be provided by your butler instead of your stewardess/steward. (Note:  your butler will likely be on a break in the afternoon and another butler will take care of you).

 

They bring hors d'oeuves at 5:00 p.m. if you request them and will pack or unpack your belongings.  We do not take advantage of the unpacking but did one time when we were late boarding the ship (due to flights).  I understood that they are crazy busy on embarkation day but really needed him to unpack and he did a great job.

 

They have great insight into the ports which can be helpful.  They know where locals have lunch and can direct you to non-tourist places.  We have sailed Regent many times and have been to most ports so we tend to take less excursions than people new to international travel.  What we did to know is the best places to visit on our own.  

 

Very happy to learn that you have a PH suite with a shower.  Those are, in my opinion, the best suites.  And, the shower-only suites are very popular - many people are not able to book these suites as they tend to be the first to be booked.

 

You will have a great time!

Thank you very much for your helpful insight regarding the utilization of our Butler. We look forward to conversations with him. We seemed to be on the younger end of the age spectrum on Explorer (I am 56 and I married an older woman 31 years ago - she’s 57) so we enjoy the more active excursions at this stage in our lives.  I imagine the Alaska itinerary will offer plenty of adventurous options with respect to shore excursions. We would cruise Regent more frequently yet our careers seem to get in the way.  Now I have one more reason to look forward to retirement.  

2 minutes ago, cAPS lOCK oN said:

 

We were on the cruise after yours, and I heartily agree. We literally have nothing negative to say about the experience. Food, service, our stateroom, the ship itself... all perfection. If only Regent could control British weather!

 

Sorry about the weather, however; if it required you to stay aboard the ship, you were no doubt pampered.