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I happily also rec Boulud. A short hop from IHC. Restaurant is excellent (but expensive) or Bar Boulud (in a separate area from the restaurant) - offers a good bar menu and comfortable seating. We have eaten at & enjoyed both venues. Note the Bar area gets rocking with the after work crowd who hit the booze button big time, groups and stay put for long periods. Glub glub glub.

Bring your own. We found Regent's metal bottles cumbersome and poorly insulated which failed to keep water cold. Worst: a metallic, acrid, sour taste from water in the bottle. Ugh. We tossed the bottles and used our own, filled with ship water. Water refilling stations are available throughout the ship.

Conflicting claims WHEN to get YF vaccination. Some say now (Sept) for a Jan sailing, pharmacists say wait til December. What say you?

I will echo the obvious: bring as much as you want onboard, drink to your heart's content. And dump your TA pronto. Uninformed and wrong about Regent's policy.

I agree with Portolan's point on calling Regent to cancel or change a booking. Waste of everyone's time. Hey Portolan, I looked for you on Voyager last week before Amsterdam but too many men with grey beards floating around the ship to say hello!

Hey Daren & Johnetta, I finally found your videos on UT after stumbling about! Just saw this on CC. Great travelogue, looking forward to your video Southampton to Amsterdam where I met you both!

Give to the crew fund. You can contribute unused credits to the fund. Tipping individuals is a personal choice but we don't. Regent's policy is gratuities are included. Or should I say "free?" 🙂

Macbest, I have enjoyed your photos & commentary. What did you think of the Marriott? Several years ago, before boarding Regent, the hotel was understaffed, overwhelmed by air crews, cruise passengers and tourists during the summer season. Forget ordering a drink on the patio or bar. Check in & out was a mess. I hope you experienced vastly improved service levels. The "Club" allowed many families to eat there to avoid paying for a restaurant meal, their kids running about, sticking fingers in the buffet platters. At that time, there were no options near the hotel to get a drink or quick bite...and P&Q!

Great photos, thanks for sharing. We did a Segway tour of Kristiansand and loved seeing the town that way, esp the old center -cute as a button with restored wood homes in different colors and retail stores. McDonalds house in a large former bank building was hilarious!

That "outdoor museum" looks like rotted wood structures falling apart, a boring model and an old fire pit. Waste of time and uninspiring day. As you said, walking to "downtown" Kristiansand would be far more interesting and fun. Even if one stares at the sardine stands. Maybe hot & flavorful waffles are offered there with local fruit syrups!

How were those waffles? Did they give you the famous locally sourced Stavenger syrup to pour atop? If so, what flavor did you have - boisenberry or elderberry?

Thank you Jennifer! Think of the money Regent will save...🙂

Reminds me of the sign at the bar: "FREE BEER TOMORROW." Some think "I'll get free beer tomorrow so I'll come back." But the sign has the same message the next day...free beer tomorrow! All advertising is that sign. If a bar/Regent gave free beer, it would go kaput. But if you make people believe they will get something free tomorrow...they will come back & buy something.

Big believer in Steve & his team at TIS. Used them for years, never had to file a claim. But their insight, expertise and advice - and responsiveness - is first rate This boils down to your willingness to assume risk. The big reason one buys insurance is to deal with an unforeseen catastrophic event. Homeowner's coverage is in place for such situations. Some feel comfortable bearing all the risk for an unanticipated injury/problem/cancellation. Talk to those in Kentucky who opted not to buy flood insurance. Insurance is a personal decision. After many years of cruising without insurance, I am not comfortable bearing all the risk, esp with such uncertainty these days. I am happy to pay for reputable policies should an unforeseen situation occur...and for the stellar services provided by Steve & the TIS team.

Carol' answer is spot on. Chase Reserve Sapphire will insure up to $10,000 per person paid on your invoice with, say, Regent. If you & your partner book a cruise costing $30,000 and you paid $30,000 or $20,000 with your CSR...CSR will cover your loss up to $20,000 max. CSR will not cover the full fare. However, CSR's coverage is secondary. CSR expects you to seek reimbursement from other sources first. We typically insure the cruise cost through a policy obtained through the Trip Insurance Store with $20,000 not included in the policy coverage. Example: Cruise fare $40,000, travel insurance policy coverage purchased for $20,000 the balance of $20,000 is covered through CSR which was used to pay for the $40,000 cruise fare.

Like buying a mattress or furniture..."free when you buy the set!...BOGO (buy one get one)!" I think most of us are desensitized to such hype and ignore the come-ons. After all, no free lunch! Regent's 2-fer-1s recalls Eddie Antar's ads - before he got a "free" vacation at Club Fed for stock fraud. His namesake retail chain "Crazy Eddie's" promised low prices on tvs and stereos. His classic line was: "How do we do it? VOLUME!"

Appreciate you taking the time to post your thoughts and... the photos!

I realize this will stray from "who said what to whom" but... there are frequent twice per hour buses from Nice to Monaco & vice versa at an absurdly low cost (something like 1 euro one way). We have taken buses to/from - including Nice Airport - its a breeze. Obviously, if you have mobility concerns or lots of luggage better to arrange for a private car service or grab a taxi in Nice.

I like the photo of the gaggle in the pool with caviar trays and that ginormous caviar tub! Pray tell, is that the Captain slathering roe on a blini? Hope no one is about to do a cannonball!

I gave up trying to contact Regent customer service on several minor matters. I was on hold for a rep several times for 1-2 hours - never got a human. My experience mirrors what others noted here. Either there is a non-stop tsunami of calls or Regent's customer service operation is understaffed. Reflects poorly on Regent's effort to by tout stellar customer service (on land and onboard) and its pricing as a 5 star line. I sincerely hope RSSC remedies this problem - bad impression for customers.

Echoing Pcardad - we will also come from London to S/hampton by private car for Voyager. No reason to arrive at the "assigned" time b/c its been a mess. instead, we plan to arrive 3 - 4 for a 5 pm sailing. The crowd will be onboard, no standing around, easy breezy check-in. What's the point of rushing only to wait in long lines after noon...then to stand in another line for a seat to eat a meh buffet lunch and wait several hours for your cabin? Much to see in London.

One long run-on sentence! My head was spinning so I gave up mid-paragraph.

I echo Asnaleah - checkout Steve Dasseos and TI Store. You can search for trip policies & cost on the TIS site without speaking to anyone. Also, search Cruise Critic for an informative Q&A with Steve about three months ago. As a long time Regent & TIS customer, we are very pleased. Do get a second quote - not just the policy price. You want coverage that addresses your specific situation & needs.

May I suggest you should think long & hard before paying by check. All payments should be, my opinion, credit card only. That will protect you as a customer. You have little if no recourse if the agency goes kaput. Why? You are an unsecured creditor making a check payment. I totally agree on checking the AmEx Platinum or Centurion offers. Our TA participates in the Signature Network which has a number of travel agencies and offers comparative (often quite better) terms & perks. But we always ask and get an unvarnished answer on the benefits offered by AmEx vs. Network for our cruise. Worth asking.