irishwitchy

Lol, as soon as you hit gold, Regent will change the rules and everyone will have internet access for devices in all suites. Similar to the free laundry issue that started because of COVID. Then, we all complain that isn’t fair. Life ain’t always fair!

It will be very interesting to see what happens next year with New Zealand and the cruise lines. They won’t be able to say, we didn’t know, thought it was all good, New Zealand is picking on us, etc.

The “included” hotels have been fine. The breakfast not so much. However, we stayed at the Kempinski in Bali after our recent cruise and the breakfast was wonderful as mentioned abive. Dim sum, sushi, Indonesian foods, American stuff and lots of choices! If we are in a Marriott, based on my status, I go check out the lounge food first and usually eat that - less people!

The website was designed using Visual Basic in 1995 and still acts that way. (I really don’t know this, but it acts that way.). Best way to get the correct pricing is actually act like you are booking the ship/room and fill everything out based on your needs. There are only a few questions that will change the price: If you have cruised before on Regent(many sailings may give you a discount as a Seven Seas Society Member) , do you want the included air (it isn’t really “free”) and if are booking a Conciege suite or above suite do you want the pre night? What type of room obvious is the big ticket item!

Is there a way to watch the cringe worthy show in the US. I think I was on Splendor when they taped it. Anyone have a link?

Alas, there isn’t really a tasting of the upcharge wines. Need to pay for that. However, the included tasting, we always go to, to determine if there is something we like. We always find a couple.

We will have a butler next year! Not sure, what I will want him to do. Could they get the canapés to be little hot dogs or pizza bagels or chicken wings instead of fruit and cheese and cubes of cold cuts? It would be interesting to see how they unpack and store everything. I may learn something!

Totally agree! You would think they could get you signed up for that day, but I asked multiple times and was brushed off consistently. Everything worked out in the end, but the control part of me wasn’t happy! Lol.

SWFLA - Nice to hear about the Voyager and the Penthouse A and B comments. We booked one of those for a cruise in 2024. Layout and location looked good. I would love to book a Penthouse on Explorer or Splendor, but I like to have a bath tub!

No glitch in the system, per se, except the system is old and items like this can’t be dealt with. We had the same issue in Sydney last month and As much as I tried to get some answers before the cruise and at the start of the cruise - I was basically told - it will happen. So what happened was about 5 or 6 days before cruise one was ending we got the piece of paper asking us what are plans are: 1) early flights 2) staying on ship 3) do you want one of these tours at that point you can sign up for a tour. If you changing rooms, everyone should be out of their suites at 8. Call and a bunch of folks will come and move all the clothing on hangers, drawers and suit cases. So you may need to pack up small items, but not everything. As stated above get a new room key with the dates for the second cruise on it.

Great review and I was on this cruise also. You nailed it very well. I was ok with with the bird poop on the snorkel trip - I was in the water most of the time. My husband did have to clean off a chair! I found that food to be ok, but I will peel shrimp and the wings and curry were very good. As you said, food is subjective. I also was the first person in the water and got out when everyone else finally got it together. Hence, we got lunch before the masses got to it! Learned this trick, years ago on other snorkel trips. Darwin, actually has a bunch of great national parks, but it would be better as a overnight to Katherine Gorge and a few other places. The jumping crocs was while worth it and we decided to Territory Wildlife Park was better for a nice, but humid hike. Bird show was very good. Should have made an appointment that morning when we arrived for a bird encounter. That was a whoops - I had done this at the Australia Zoo, as someone else mentioned months before! We did enjoy a lovely meal at Char in Darwin and a spectacular sunset. We did take a Helicopter to White Haven beach from the Airlie Beach port and that excursion was very good. There was a little problem with weigh for the six of us, which required multiple trips to the beach. However, the view was great and landing on the beach was fun also. I did need to put on a stinger suit to swim, but we really had a great time. This didn’t get an excellent, because the one couple missed the fact they were suppose to get out of the helicopter and enjoy the beach for an hour (they didn’t bring any water, either) . Because of this, we stayed on the beach for almost three hours. I think the helicopter company was very thankfully, we were ok with this. They did have a canopy set up for us. Papa New Guiana was a bust. I was on a paid excursion that it was obvious wasn’t ready for us and Regent didn’t check out all the details. For example, the boat to the island. Please describe the boat, how many people and life vests for all? What was there was two small boats that could maybe hold 10 people each and no vests. Not very safe for a choppy 30 minute ride. got to run, maybe more later

Just came back from New Zealand and Australia and there were no small group tours offered. I don’t think Regent was the problem, the countries are trying to staff up. Hence we had multi buses and 60 plus people on many tours. Keep in mind, there wasn’t 60 people trying to find follow someone in town, more like everyone we are at the wineries, so let’s all eat and drink. Or everyone please get on the big boat.

Yes, I have been Le Bernardin. Have to admit, it has been awhile - 7 years ago? Need to fix! Been to Alan Wong (miss that) and most of the other great places in Hawaii. Yes, and I worked for 40 years in IT to travel and enjoy.

We met a single man years ago on a cruise from Miami to Peru. We never saw him or spoke to him on the ship, but kept bumping into him after the cruise in Peru - he had a Regent bag with him. We must have bumped into him four times! The last time was at the airport lounge - the place was packed and they put us next to him. Anyway, we spoke about the cruise - did he like it, did he go to the single table, etc. I don’t necessary agree with his approach, but he wanted to enjoy his dinner and wine by himself and didn’t want to spend time on social talk with others. He also found that other singles, may not leave him alone after one dinner. My husband and I had that once, with a very nice single woman - she was now trying to invite herself to all of our dinners. That became awkward! It’s your cruise, time and money - enjoy it the way you want it to!

Heads up on the separation thing with the sauna. I normally wear a towel into the sauna and sit or lay down nude. However, since the pool is coed and there is a window that looks into the sauna, I’m sure the nude thing would be judged. Odd set up in my opinion.

Rather have to agree with you. I guess they think we are all just able to hop on a cruise whenever. Some folks may be able to do that, but we have lots of plans for this year already and these cruises overlap or are places we have been a few times. If I could take my mom or a friend, and we could use the 50% for both of us, it could be entertaining, but I bet it needs to be my husband And I.

Sunprince, I like your thoughts on how best to handle. I will need to practice my line for this, because I don’t want to make the staff feel bad or they did something incorrect. Well, we are up to four women who aren’t thrilled with the service and a couple that would agree it would make for a funny SNL skit!

Sorry, Andy Heath(sp?) was the cruise director from Auckland to Sydney. Dru was the CD Sydney to Bali and is listed above.

I’m not knocking the staff - I agree they have been trained to do that. I wanted others opinion on the subject. It appears some of us, agree with me and others like it just the way it is. Why folks thought I wasn’t serious, entitled and a bunch of other crap - I find rather entertaining. At least it wasn’t the same rehash of tipping, clothing, pool chair hogs and the other junk everyone gets all hot and bothered about. Going forward the next time you are doing fine dining in a land restaurant and/or ship think about what I mentioned and let us know if you find a difference. Just food for thought.

GOARMY, please let me know where those waffle houses are located in NJ. Their website mentions 0. I have lived here my whole life and can’t tell you where one is. Now back to the original topic. The pulling and pushing of my seat, putting the napkin on my lap at the same time as an Oversized menu is being handed to me when I trying to open a handbag and get my glasses is a bit much. As another poster pointed out, on land this is not the norm. Two other people agree with me. Did you run this conversation by with your wife? (I’m making an assumption.). I’m sure the waiters aren’t pushing in your seat. PS I wasn’t around in the 1950s.

Thank you, flyboyswife for agreeing with the minority here. Also, I’m not entitled, but alas New Jersey doesn’t have a Waffle House!

I was on that little fiasco - enough said on that topic! The Sydney to Bali was excellent and the captain came out of hiding. Staff, was just fine. Shared a few great laughs with the wine crew and bartenders. I will say the lead guys in Chartreuse and Sette Mare, always found us a second seating, but tried to discourage more than a few times. I didn’t have this behavior on prior cruises or in Prime 7 or Pacific Rim. Never met Andy or Dru, before, but the winner was Andy.

Truth be told, I just assumed the thing would glow and hid it the first night. I do that in every hotel I check in to. I also cover blue lights with tape.

Well, at least there is one person that feels the same way, as I do. Yes, the hand bag is needed for the phone, room key, glasses and teeth picks (food gets stuck in there). I also collect the cork of the wine I drink. Since, one of gifts that Regent gives out with Regent points is a purse hook - lots of people must use a hand bag! As to the French Laundry comment, if Regent is acting like luxury, then at least the service should be, not expecting the food to be! Yes, in Prime 7, i did have a black dress on and my napkin was replaced with a black one. Yes, very consistent on asking for the still or sparkling - no issues with that. However, getting the wine list and actually getting the wine before ordering the food was consistently an issue. That in my opinion is a service issue. Actually, we spend little time in Compass Rose and had a different waiter every time. The same in the other restaurants, so “training” someone wasn’t reasonable. However, if I told someone not to push in my chair, put the napkin on my lap and hand me the open menu - that would have been noted on my record and everyone would follow that? Ok, but I doubt it. Glad, I started a new topic and new folks jumped in with their opinions.

The best way on the cruise to check the time if you need to reset is, is to pick up the phone receiver and put it back down. It will reset to the proper time that morning. Mind you, once again, your phone is very easy to reset.