JACKHAWK

The shower only is the best shower of all the Regent ships.

As you can see from my signature - I tried Riviera. But now we are going back to Regent.

We didn't think the food was any better. We didn't like having a different waiter every night in MDR. We love Regent's free drinks (no receipts to sign) & tours - so that we be our #1 choice forever.

Also like the free Business travel next year

Just our opinion.

Sorry - it was merely an observation, after so many people had bragged about it. I was not complaining.

I see that you were in the Navy. Well, I would complain about living with the Special Forces in VN, since the AF was use to other living conditions.

I did live in So Calif for a few years, so I do appreciate how tough you have it.....

We were on the BCN to MIA Riviera cruise.

We had read so much on Cruise Critic about Surf & Turf at Waves. We were very disappointed - there were two bites of lobster & they were very tough.

We had also read about the VAT charges from Spain. We never saw any VAT charges for our purchases including buying the wine bottle package when we boarded.

I'm going to be sailing on Riviera in 10 days. Could anyone tell me if there is a freezer shelf in the fridge? I was hoping to take a gel pack for a hip problem.

Thanks.

We went on Celebrity Xpedition two years ago. Three generations including our 8 year old grandson.

Everything was included (like Regent). Service was great, food was good but not fancy, briefings everyday, & great tours included. Some tours were active, others easy.

Some ships have different separate groups on board with each group having different tours.

X only carries 100 passengers with happy hours every night so you got to know everyone. This included two nights in Quito before flying to Galapagos,

and one night after in a very nice hotel.

Do they have hot chocolate?

Fam_Cruise - I am holding you to this! :)

 

The only difference in what you are discribing and what we are hoping for as a first time experience on Oceania is that we will only be in a Verandah stateroom. No Butler this time.:( We normally stay in Suites... when we can ...on Celebrity and our most recent RCCL cruise (last September on the Oasis... also in a GS...and also the same not so good experience that you mentioned), but the Suite price was too high for our liking on Oceania. I think if the bathrooms were upgraded from a Verandah to the PH, we may have given the price a second thought, but for the stateroom to be just a few feet larger with the same bathroom as all the rest, we are fine with the Verandah. We can survive without the Butler, the C Lounge, Spa Terrace (which we plan to try once), the hot breakfast and snacks. ;)

 

 

 

Sounds delicious!

There is more than a few feet difference between Verandah (280 sq.ft.) & PH (420) on the Riviera,

JACKHAWK - are you first time O cruisers or have you sailed with them before?

I'm still working on that theory.

This is our first cruise on Oceania!

It is confusing. But we are on the TA in Nov & our agent did get the Last Chance perks even though our cabin is waitlisted.

We have traveled on Regent every year since 2007. Each year before we traveled we read all kinds of bad reports - but our cruises have been outstanding. We just refuse to pay attention to people who are hard to please, & we have not been disappointed.

Wow, I have read CC a bit over the past year or so, but have almost completely refrained from posting. Just looked at the CC member reviews for the Voyager for the first time in many months, and 8 of the last 12 reviewers rate their cruise aboard Voyager 2 stars or fewer.

 

After having sailed on the Voyager the past three years in the Med in October, for personal and business reasons, we are strongly considering canceling our Oct cruise this year, and seeing these extremely poor ratings makes me think that perhaps this would the best course right now.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

We just got back from Navigator earlier this month & after 9 cruises on Regent - we thought it was the best cruise we have taken.

I posted another comment on roll call but still waiting for some response. We are considering booking the 28 nt plus nt pre cruise safari on 21 Dec 2015 with Regent Voyager. I have read in the last two days some terrible reports being submitted about the deterioation of the quality of food, service, shore excursion on Regent since the takeover. This will be out 3rd cruise on Regent and the most expensive thus far. I am fearful I would be paying for 6 star cruise and receiving a product that might pale in comparison to previous Regent experiences. Are my concerns unfounded or valid?

On the MIA to SFO cruise last month - we decided to skip that port & stayed on the ship.

It sounds like you do not intend to stay over in Barcelona after leaving the ship. In that case, O will send out questionnaires about your plans ... are you an independent traveler? Are you staying on in the departure point? Are you flying out? If you are flying out, they will want to know your departure time and will schedule you accordingly.

 

In any event, as has been said, you need to be off the ship by 9am. Those tours you are seeing are probably meant for people who are staying on in Barcelona, or for those who have later flights.

 

But you cannot stay on board until 5pm! The new passengers will be boarding as of 11am ...

 

The only time we left the ship in Barcelona was with Renaissance back in Oct '99. But it was different then because Ren gave us 2-3 days in a hotel in Barcelona. So we had a city tour offered to us because our hotel rooms would not be ready at 9-10am.

 

Other times we've boarded the ship in Barcelona ... which is a different ball of wax.

 

If your intention now is to fly out on the day you leave the ship I would advise that you not plan on an early flight. (That's because I'm not an early morning person myself!)

 

Allow plenty of time to get to the airport and for check-in time. Bear in mind that you CAN leave very early on that second day if you have an early flight. It's up to you which flight you choose. But you just cannot stay on board the ship past 9am.

 

Mura

What is the ball of wax if you are boarding in BCN?

I have heard of various taxes added when departing from BCN.

If you purchase your beverage package prior to the cruise - do you avoid these taxes on your drinks?

First time on Oceania. How do you order a package before the cruise?

We took the flight to Moscow. Everyone we dealt with there had a strong dislike of America.

Our tour guide was constantly telling us that every problem Russia had was caused by the USA.

The service we had at lunch was very rude.

We did not have this problem is St Pete.

The last time we didn't check-in online, we had lost our seats when we checked in at the airport. So we did not sit together on the flight.

We were told that mosquito eggs don't hatch due to the acidy/alkaline (can't remember which) of the water. We never saw a mosquito the entire time we were sailing the Amazon so I just accepted that as true.

On all 8 cruises that we have taken on Regent, we have taken & left connected during the cruise with no problems.

I'm sorry to disagree about VN. I was there as a pilot (FAC) in '65-'66.

On my last cruise with a visit to Saigon & the Tunnel excursion - it was very unsettling. Our guide was constantly bragging about VN heroes who had killed many Americans. Also how successful the booby traps were with the poisoned bamboo stakes that made Americans suffer.

There was no mention of South VN. Only of America attacking VN.

Needless to say there was no tipping from me, but I did comment to him being full of propaganda.

Didn't see a single mosquito on our cruise 3 years ago on the Navigator.

We were told the acidity (or lack of) wouldn't allow them to lay their eggs.

Be sure to go to Devil's Island & the caiman hunt at Manaus.

This will be my first Oceania cruise.

Since wine is by the glass, how do they handle room service for dinner if you have the beverage package? Do you have to keep calling room service to get another glass?

On my first 6 cruises on Regent they posted in Passages that there would be a meeting for Veterans to meet each other. I really enjoyed meeting veterans from WW2 & beyond. But when I asked about the meetings on my last two cruises. the CD said it was no longer allowed.

Can I buy a drink package & buy individual drinks for my wife (who only has a glass of wine with dinner)?