labonnevie

2 hours ago, lesliew said:

We have a stop in Tuscany/Livorno Italy on our upcoming Navigator cruise (October).

Our first time to this stop, and we don't have any specific 'interest' in the area and would likely be doing a "Highlights of.....".

Just curious which (in general) would be a better overall Tour - Florence or Pisa or Lucca?

Although a fairly long drive, I would never miss a chance to go to Florence. 

3 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Typically, if there are DCL sponsored tours leaving early, Oceaneers opens early to accommodate.  If your excursions are independent ones, I'm not sure they would.

Many of the Disney tours on this cruise leave before 8 AM, well before the stated opening time of 9 AM for the Oceaneer Club. 

3 hours ago, Daphne Hope said:

Which one Disney dream cruise are going with teens and five year old and seven year old in June 2024.

 

 

The cruise is June 1 to June 10, Barcelona to Rome. 

Traveling on Disney Dream in June with teens and a five and seven year old.
Planning shore excursions to some places that are unlikely to interest the littles. Would like to leave them at the Oceaneer Club/Lab while we tour. 
Problem: the stated opening time for the Ocaneer Club is 9 AM and the tours leave at 7:55 for example. 
Our first Disney Cruise so we are looking for experienced DCL cruiser’s solutions to this dilemma. 
Does the Oceaneer Club open early for situations like this?
Can’t wait until we board to find out as tours need to be cancelled three days before we board. 
TIA

My understanding is that bookings made by Regent, or any other third party, after May 1 will not receive AA miles/points. Looks like you just got under the wire. 

12 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

We were onboard at the time.  What actually happened is that the Captain had to quickly maneuver aside to avoid a small unlit fishing boat in the middle of the narrow channel, thus saving lives.

Understand. We were also onboard.
However, my statement stands, a shallower draft might have avoided running aground. 

7 hours ago, BBWC said:

You can just ask Regent for a scale in your suite. We have done it a few times, and now one is always there when we board.

I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.
I just can not come up with any reason why I would want a scale anywhere near my suite. 

7 hours ago, flossie009 said:

 

 

It means that Navigator has as much, if not more, issues getting in to ports with shallow water.

 

For example, in 2019 Navigator was scheduled to dock near the centre of Bangkok but had to dock about 2 hours away in the container port of Laem Chabang due to low river levels. A Silversea ship with shallower draft managed to dock successfully in Bangkok on the same day.

On our recent Navigator cruise the embarkation port of Bangkok was again changed to Laem Chabang a few weeks before the cruise; again citing low river levels.

 

Navigator’s deeper draft also contributed to her running aground leaving Benoa, Bali in March, 2018. 

2 hours ago, oceanviewer21 said:

My wife is asking would a denim skirt be allowed for dinner on the Grandeur?

Whenever Passages says there will be a hoedown after dinner. 

1 hour ago, Bruce61 said:

We are on Splendor for an 18-night cruise in July-August.    My question is more about where/how formal nights are conducted?  Is this an event in the Theater after dinner, or separated into multiple venues (the restaurants and the lounges)?  That could affect the time and locale people want to dine. Last Friday was our date to make specialty dining reservations which we did.   

 

I was told we would be informed of the actual formal nights when we get our final itinerary after on-line check in (25 days before embarkation).  I was told there would be an "F" next to the days which are formal optional.  

 

So, my questions are: (1)  whether I was informed correctly as to when we would learn the schedule, and (2) what exactly is the format of these nights?

 

Thanks.

Typically the format for formal optional nights is the same as elegant casual nights. Light entertainment (piano or a duo) in some of the bars before dinner, dinner in the various restaurants followed by the show at 9:30. Late night dancing and entertainment to follow. 
We have never tried to coordinate dining in one of the specialty restaurants with formal optional nights. People seem to dress pretty much the same regardless of the venue on formal optional nights. 
I disagree slightly with Pcardad in that I believe that those that want to dress up a little more do so on formal optional nights. In my case, I will always wear my sport coat on formal optional nights and sometimes when dining in a specialty restaurant on elegant casual nights. 

Don’t know if this what you were asking, but on our five Navigator cruises I have not noticed any difference in how passengers dressed from other Regent cruises.
It’s a smaller ship but that doesn’t mean the suitcases brought aboard are smaller. 

1 hour ago, frankpc123 said:

Hi,

New to Regent, booking shore excursions for the Sept Splendor Oslo to London.  Expected to find some tours full but surprised to see at least one port with no free or pad shore excursion availability, especially on a ship with quite a few cabins available. 

Does anybody know the minimum gap time for booking tours between the return of a shorex and the departure of another shorex?   The RSSC website seems to prohibit booking two excursions in the same port when there in an hour gap between the return time of the first tour and the departure time for the second tour. Or am I missing something?

 

Thanks .....

We are on this cruise. You are correct, Lerwick has no available tours and no tours available to waitlist. All other ports have some availability. 
I called Regent and they confirmed. In 12 Regent cruises, I don’t recall seeing this. 
We are not too worried because tours usually open up and you can get something on board. Also, last time we were in Lerwick we just rented a car and drove around seeing Scalloway Castle ruins, Shetland ponies and puffins. Quite easy to do. 

14 hours ago, Smitty A said:

I don’t use a kindle, I download them to my kindle app on my iPad.   Never had a problem…..Argentina, the Arctic, all over the world.   Sometimes it takes 3 minutes instead

of one or two, but that is it.    Just thought I’d let you all know in case this might help.

Just hard to read my iPad outside. 

Sorry, didn’t see post#18. 

I’m guessing that there’s a difference of opinion as to whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. 

You are very lucky to have Terry Breen as one of your speakers. We first met her on a Navigator Alaska cruise years ago. I would love to hear those lectures again, they were excellent. 
Years later she was on a Mariner Panama Canal cruise. She gave the commentary as we transited the canal and it was far better than the commentary we received on the Explorer in January 2022 (you were on that cruise). I believe that was given by a local who was a bit hard to understand. Terry also give a number of other talks about South America on that cruise. 
Anyway, enjoy your lectures with Terry, glad she is still around. 

16 hours ago, flossie009 said:

This is the senior team looking after us on board.

 

We found Captain Singh to be one of the most visible, engaging captains we have had in well over twenty years of cruising. 

 

Used it repeatedly in November on Navigator. Great service. In before dinner, received the next morning after breakfast. 

On 4/6/2024 at 7:32 AM, Pcardad said:

A great port with great shopping!

Forever bummed because the Navigator skipped all three ports in Oman last November. Never were given a reason. 

11 minutes ago, mwike said:

  I try to understand the honest reasons behind these policies.

 

Maybe because some people don’t use common sense/are constantly trying to push the boundaries. Have you seen bathing suits on planes? Barefoot passengers? I have. Shorts/tee shirts, hats, hats on backwards, swimwear and more would all be seen in the restaurants if these policies didn’t exist. 
And yes, that would diminish my enjoyment of the experience. A certain level of decorum/class is important to me. 
You certainly have the right to disagree, but I am glad these policies exist on Regent. 

3 hours ago, ljsanantonio said:

Can anybody comment on the quality of Regent's pre and post cruise tours?  Contemplating participation for the Iguaza Falls land program before our cruise from Buenos Aires next March.  We took advantage of the post land program in Singapore this past February.  While the Fairmont was a good location and quality, check in was fairly efficient (for us at least), the no additional cost program included tours we wished we had skipped and the meals were not memorable.  There were seven buses and in excess of 200 participants.  Very tempted to manage Iguaza Falls on our own but I would love to hear what others have experienced.

Have done both pre and post tours with Regent, some good, some ok. 
IMHO Iguazu Falls is best seen on your own. We did both sides on our own and would not have wanted to be on any kind of a schedule. It is one of the most impressive places we have ever visited. Some places you just want to linger and enjoy or go farther. It is huge!

Maybe the reason those of us that willingly adhere to Regent’s dress code do so is: (pick as many as you like)

We enjoy looking our best

We like to complement our wives good looks and nice outfits 

We think of cruises as special events and like to dress accordingly

Its nice to be in the company of others that look nice as well 

We generally don’t look at rules as something to try to stretch or break just because we can

It really doesn’t take much effort

We can dress sloppily at home

22 hours ago, sofa.king said:

We're not into dressing up and the kids are decently well behaved.  How much more upscale is Oceania, Regent, Azamara, Seabourn and the other luxury lines.  Should we even care about what other think?  We prefer a more laid back vacation, 

I think you might feel more comfortable on Azamara or Oceania than Regent or Seabourn. 
That said, “dressing up “ on Regent can be as simple as slacks and a collared shirt (cleaned and pressed with the free laundry)/ dress or skirt and top, for dinner.
If that is too much for you to enjoy a “laid back vacation”, Regent is probably not right for you. 
IMHO, I, for one, believe we all should care, at least a little, about what others think. Otherwise there are no norms of behavior. 

38 minutes ago, forgap said:

Our third full day of our pre pre cruise tour took us to south to Hakone National Park.  Rain was forecasted and we awoke to rain and heavy low clouds.  Knowing that Fuji-San is elusive, I kept my hopes up.  As we traveled further south, the sky became brighter.  Cherry trees were peaking out in between dense Japanese cedars.   We rounded a mountain and gasped at our first sight of Mt. Fuji still hiding her face with a veil of clouds.

 

The Shinto gods were smiling on us because, as the day progressed, Fuji-San revealed herself in her full magnificence.  

 

 

Our first stop in Hakone was a visit the Itchiku Kubota art museum.  Kubota was a textile artist who mastered an ancient technique of hand dying and manipulating fabric.  He used the Kimono form as his canvas and created art that is stunningly beautiful.

For me, this would be a destination.  The museum was his home and garden and that, alone, was worth the visit.  
 

We then went on to the Hakone Ropeway for a gondola ride through the Owakudani volcanic caldera.  The cloud cover had descended at that point so our gondola ride was completely shrouded with fog.  

 

We emerged at Lake Ashi for a scenic boat ride.

 

Fuji-san couldn’t bare to say goodbye and closed her cloud curtains at the end of the lake.  
 

 

With these beautiful pictures of Mt. Fuji, you can consider your trip to Japan a success. 
Everything else from now on is gravy!

19 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

Or do as we do and use the stairs.  We usually avoid the elevators except for embarking / disembarking when we have carry-ons with us.

Some of us are mobility impaired. 
Perhaps with my new knee that’ll be an option. 😊

10 hours ago, mrlevin said:

mj was talking about her room at Hilton not ship.  🙂

Oh! 😳