redraider1966

By my count this makes the fourth Voyager cruise this year impacted by either Noro, Covid, or GI-related maladies plus one delayed by a euphemistically described technical problem. As I did before on another thread, I wonder how you can maintain a suitably high standard of hygiene consistently with a self-serve buffet, no matter the size of the ship? For you Regentphiles who dredged up from the archives examples of reports of outbreaks on Oceania's fleet, I noted that those were from 8 or more years ago. Yes, I will concede that there are incidents from time to time in more recent years, but I would still opt for being served in a buffet line by friendly, attentive, and gloved servers. I also note that on another thread on this board that a poster contrasted the crowded scene at the dessert counter on Oceania's Vista with a Regent ship. Having recently completed a second sailing on Vista (our 18th overall on Oceania), I question that characterization and would also point out that Vista has 1250 pax, so almost twice the capacity. We board Voyager in three weeks with growing trepidation as we could not cancel without forfeiting all monies. Perhaps our cruise, which is labeled "Elegance of Travel" should be relabeled "Voyage of the Damned?"

FWIW. We're booked on the Miami-London TA that embarks on May 1, 2025, under the old OLife option and were able to book our allotment of six excursions plus one additional one using OBC yesterday (May 4) with no problem. We've received email confirmation of same from Oceania.

Plus 1. We're on an upcoming Voyager cruise, though not succeeding one, and have been following with understandable great interest the travails of this ship since the the beginning of the year with its tales of COVID/Noro/Code Red incidents and now mechanical difficulties that prompted a delayed sailing and presumably missed port(s). We agree rants without details are not welcome, but if there's indeed fire to accompany the smoke as it were, we're all ears.

Plus 1. Could not have said it better myself.

We encountered a variant of the same problem on our recent Caribbean cruise on Vista, occasionally having difficulty opening the door with the keycard and/or exiting with cups of coffee -- just another annoyance requiring attention on an otherwise striking vessel.

Having now sailed on all ships in Oceania's fleet in the course of our 18 voyages, I believe the slick flooring issue is confined to Vista, where regrettably form dominates over function in several areas as those who have cruised on her have reported on this forum and elsewhere.

As I posted earlier, on our 2/28-3/9/24 cruise on Vista, we ate frequently in the TC and noted the presence of large textured mats covering the walkways from the two entrances to the serving areas and some signage. As it was a Caribbean voyage, we were prepared to ascribe the coverings to the warmer, more humid clime, but did find the uncovered areas to be a tad slick in spots. On the morning of debarkation, the mats were curiously removed and predictably we witnessed at least one passenger take a nasty fall.

Returning 180 degrees, our only personal GI experience on 35+ voyages across four different cruise lines was on Azamara with its self-service TC-equivalent buffet, where the outbreak was so widespread that non-kitchen crew, including entertainers, were drafted to serve pax for several days. On our 2/28-3/9/24 Vista cruise (our 18th on O), save for the nights we dined in the specialties, we ate all our meals in the Terrace or Waves. We never found the Terrace crowded and welcomed the always accommodating servers who asked how much or how little we wanted of a particular dish or salad or dessert or whatever. If given a choice, we continue to prefer a buffet setting where you are being served with glove-wearing servers. That said, it is with some trepidation that our next cruise is on Regent's Voyager in late May '24 for a Med cruise. Since the beginning of the year, this ship has had at least two cruises with outbreaks of noro and prolonged Code Red, as reported by CC (and Regent) faithful. Prior to booking, we had not known about Regent's self-service buffet system and the reports of noro came after the dreaded final payment due date. We are continuing to monitor the Regent boards as Voyager makes its way into the Med this month and will take what precautions we can . . . .

Plus 1 especially regarding Ray Carr, although Peter was somewhat restrained in his pronouncements during our 2/28-3/9/2024 Caribbean cruise, despite two sea days on either end of five port calls . . . .

FWIW. Since we returned to cruising and Oceania post-COVID, we noted the absence of prime rib in Polo, which was no great loss as previously our experience was not good when ordering it there. We continue to find it much more to our liking in Terrace, where it's a perennial carving station offering at least once on every cruise (pre- and post-COVID). It's always roasted to perfection and sliced as you want it.

Point taken re air arrangements, although we did start inquiring as soon as final payment was made. You did fail to mention that, unlike Oceania, Regent charges you $75 to even initiate "negotiations" over possible deviation itineraries, which we regarded as hardly the mark of a "luxury" cruise line. As I've been following closely the voyages of Voyager since the beginning of 2024, I also noted some of your postings on the Rio to BA and those of other pax on that cruise and the crossing from Cape Town that gave us real pause (noro, poor service, bad internet, etc.), but FP had come and gone . . . .

Not only does Regent pull a fast one on the hotel offer, but also on their business class air. We're trying out Regent at the end of May '24 for what may well be our final Med swing -- long plane flights having become more challenging. The tantalizing promise of business class air plus an included pre-cruise night's hotel stay and an Italian-French intensive itinerary is what sold us. Regent's BC itinerary, when finally offered well after FP, had us making two flight connections in Europe and arriving in the embarkation port (Valletta) at 9 PM the night before embarkation! This, plus reports of at least two prior cruises this year on the ship in question, Voyager, experiencing noro outbreaks and extended Code Red periods, means we will declare that we after this cruise that we will have been on Regent twice -- our first and last time.

My spouse and I have taken over 35 cruises spanning 40 years on a number of different lines. Our only personal experience with noro or any G-I related problem was on a cruise with a self-service buffet in which the number of cases prompted an immediate and prolonged code red for which the crew was not prepared. We are currently on our 18th cruise on Oceania, which does not take such chances and its first-class buffet provides pax with ample choices and opportunities to select what and how much of what dish or dishes they want and to be served by capable and pleasant personnel. We have two more cruises on the books with Oceania. We just fail to see why people insist in having to serve themselves, thereby increasing the risk of spreading infection among fellow pax and crew. Yes, the day will come when we will be more comfortable staying home, just not yet, but we're just more cautious than we were 40-50 years ago.

So perhaps you can provide a "medical" view as to why when outbreaks of noro occur and cruise ships that indulge their pax with self-service buffets immediately impose "code red" drills and draft crew members to serve said pax (in addition to other measures such as removing salt/pepper shakers) until the "emergency" is declared over?

Fine, so you are still prepared to experience documented outbreaks of noro and extended code red periods just to have your precious self-serve buffet . . . .