Belltown

We disembarked the Navigator on May 30.  Our butler advised us that the ship will be in drydock in Brest for 10 days.  We asked what he would be doing during those 10 days and he replied, "helping to rip up carpet."  

This was our first time on Regent, but we are not first time cruisers (QM2, HAL, Seabourn, NCL.)  We enjoyed the cruise, but the Navigator is indeed a small ship.  The small size means compromises that are worth understanding:  There is NOT a forward observation lounge, there are only two sit-down "no reservation" restaurants in the evening and there is NOT an indoor buffet venue in the evening (Pool Grill is available, but seating is outdoors.)  Ours was a 15 day cruise, and we were ready to get off the ship around day 10.  

But she was clean, pretty and the food & service were generally terrific. 

As for the brown water, it is real.  Worse, the water sometimes ran clear at first, and then changed to brown for a bit.  We had it in our suite and learned to let the water run awhile before trusting it.  A wasteful but necessary step.

Vibrations are real, too.  We shared a chuckle with the couple at an adjacent table in Compass Rose as we watched our wine glasses shimmy and clink on our tables.  

But, overall, the brown water and the vibrations in the rear were minor annoyances.  We enjoyed ourselves while, at the same time, learning some things about our personal cruising preferences.

If the table is not open, just ask the casino manager. If there is a free "dealer", they will move them over to the craps table.

Thanks, this is good to know. Although playing alone is not much fun. :(

We're on the Mariner now. My husband said yes, they do have one! I asked him if the table was busy and he said he didn't pay attention. He's been playing blackjack. It doesn't seem too busy in there (when I walked through and from what he has observed).

Thanks SweetMemories! If it is not too much trouble, I would greatly appreciate knowing "how much can be wagered on an odds bet." It might be shown as Double Odds or 2X, or maybe 5X or something along those lines. Often it is shown on a little placard posted at the table itself. Again, only if it's not too much trouble.

Will be sailing on Mariner for first time this November. Does the casino have a craps table?

Thanks very much for the quick reply and the helpful link to the TV channel list, Host Hattie. CNN is on the list. And we just booked our cruise! Cheers!!

We are considering booking the Nov 5, 2016 transatlantic cruise on QM2. We would also, though, like to follow the U.S. presidential election results on Nov 8. But on Nov 8 we will be in the middle of the Atlantic. Does anyone know if there will be TV coverage of the election on the ship? Thanks very much.

Excellent information, Austcruiser84 and Host Hattie. Just what I was looking for and more (especially about checking out the location of our table and the caution about sitting near the windows.) I am now curious about one thing. For the sake of argument, what if my husband and I lose our minds and decided we prefer buffet style and eat in King's Court (aka King's Chaos-I have been doing my homework) every night. Would our lovely table in the PG grill sit there vacant all night, every night?

Wow, thanks all for the quick and helpful replies. I do have a couple of follow up questions. But first, as background, this will be our first time on the QM2, first time with Cunard, our first crossing. We have cruised only twice before, so this is all still very new to us. We are booked in a PG suite and we did request a table for two at booking. Now, the follow up questions...

When do we find out if we did indeed get a table for two?

Am I reading your responses correctly to mean that we will have the same SPECIFIC table every time we go to the PG restaurant as opposed to the same SIZE table?

Thanks again for all of your help!

I see on the Cunard web side that "The grade of stateroom you have booked will determine the restaurant you dine in. When travelling in a Princess Grill suite or Queens Grill suite you will dine in the intimate Princess Grill restaurant and Queens Grill restaurant respectively. You can choose to dine anytime between 6.30pm and 9pm." What does "You can choose to dine anytime" actually mean? When and how do I choose? Do I need to decide before getting onboard? Can we choose a different time each night, or do we need to choose one time slot that is then the same for all nights we dine in the PG? Can we choose to dine at at two-top or at a group table? Apologies in advance if these questions have been asked and answered many times. I did a query on CC but came up with posts from many years back and I didn't want to rely on older info.

Thanks, Hattie and safarigirl, for the responses. Appreciate it.

We recently booked our first cruise on Cunard, in a PG2 suite on the QM2. I am curious if the commode in the bathroom is in its own compartment, or if it it can be closed off at all? I have looked for photos, but can't tell. Basically I am wondering if one person can privately use the commode while another is at the sink. Thanks much.

We did indeed have PLENTY of time to make it to the game. In fact, we had time to check in to our hotel and take a quick nap before heading to Fenway. Great park, great game, great time. Thanks CC'ers for all the help.

We were on the May 30 Bermuda cruise on the Veendam and my observation was that most people dressed for dinner as one would normally dress to dine in any nice restaurant (this excludes the Lido which was super casual at all times.) Whether it was one of the formal nights or not, most men wore a jacket and women wore a dress or slacks/skirt with a pretty top. On the formal nights there were a few gentlemen in tuxedos and women in long dresses. While they looked fantastic, they were the exception.

The good info and well wishes are greatly appreciated. Love this board!

We just disembarked the Veendam Saturday. We elected expedited and were in the parking lot at 9:10 AM.

Thanks for letting me know the actual time you were off the ship, cayman09. Can you also tell me how I can "elect expedited?" Thanks very much.

Excellent advice, Krazy Kruizers. Thanks.

Thanks for the quick reply, Rangers76. Appreciate it.

First time on HAL and only our 2nd cruise. We are on the Boston-Bermuda cruise, returning to Boston on June 6 at 7:00am. We have tickets to the 4:00pm Red Sox game that afternoon at Fenway Park. On the surface, it looks like we would have plenty of time to check in to our hotel, drop off our bags and make our way to the ball field. Should we indeed have plenty of time? Thanks very much.