HappyTvlr

I noticed that the excursions disappeared yesterday as well. I never received notification of cancellation, and my account showed the deduction of my OBC for the fishing trip. I called and the Regent rep confirmed that the excursion has not been cancelled. He also confirmed what we all know about the web site being less than perfect. BTW, the excursions are back on the website. I am interested in a golf excursion. I'll keep an eye out, but it isn't ideal to have to keep checking.

Thanks! I never heard back from Regent so I really appreciate you letting me know. I signed up for deep sea fishing. Great way to start NYE!

I recently did a 10 day tour with Scenic. It was beyond amazing. We did 3 days in BA, flew to the Falls for 3 nights and stayed at the Belmond on the Brazil side with private access as described above, and ended with 3 nights at the Copacabana Palace in Rio with a visit to Christ the Redeemer. We did have a lunch at the Gran Melia on the Argentina side. IMHO, there is no comparison. The Belmond on the Brazil side was epic. I agree with the person above about over cooking the steaks in Argentina. It was funny to see the change in Rio where they fall solidly in the rare to blue category.

Just enjoyed a stay at the Biltmore. Our experience with the bus transfer went quite smoothly. We had an 11:30 which was the second bus. Our luggage was picked up from our room at 8 AM, we enjoyed breakfast, and promptly boarded the bus for an ontime departure. Drive was around 30 mins. Line for embarkation was short and we were onboard drinking champagne in no time. I was skeptical about what to expect based on some people having horrible experiences, but ours was great.

I did not travel solo, but met several passengers that were solo. They had a cocktail hour and hosted dinner tables. They seemed to enjoy what Regent put together.

I have to add that I just finished my first cruise with Regent and the steam room and other amenities were a highlight. I was on Grandeur, and it was fabulous. I couldn't figure out the aromatherapy option, but the steam was great as was the sauna and showers. I booked my next cruise on the Navigator, and I was pleased to see they have the same amenities. Not Grandeur style, but they will get the job done.

I'm considering a Regent cruise that is scheduled to be in Charlestown on 31 Dec (NYE). Regent's site said there are currently no shore excursions available. I wondered if it was because of the holiday, and called to get more info.The rep said he had no idea but would try to find out and get back to me. I looked around for the stop on other itineraries with Regent and couldn't find any excursions for the port. I've never been to St. Kitts & Nevis, but it seems most of the excursions are out of St. Kitts Basseterre. Would love info on what is going on with the stop in Charlestown. Thanks!

I am a huge fan of Uniworld. I just did three weeks in France covering the cruise journey you described, and did a 3+ week journey from Amsterdam to Bucharest in 2019 and India in 2018. The only pre/post covid difference we noted was some staffing shortages with staff being taken from one area to cover another, but otherwise everything was top notch. Looking forward to Milan to Venice in August. Since we're giving recommendations, I will mention that Scenic has excellent land tours. I went with them for Egypt and Jordan, and recently went from Buenos Aires to Rio to see the Iguazu Falls. 5 star all the way with accommodation and tours. I have not tried them for river because I am a fan of Uniworld. I am looking forward to my first Regent cruise this month. My ocean cruise experience is limited to Celebrity which I loved, but I'm looking forward to taking it to the next level.

I just completed three weeks in France on SS Catherine, SS Joie de Vivre and SS Bon Voyage and spend three weeks on the River Duchess in 2019 (Amsterdam to Bucharest). I also enjoyed a week on the Ganges Voyager in 2018. All were wonderful in my opinion, and shared the same high quality. Room sizes seem to be similar in general, but all are on the smaller side possibly with the exception of higher end suites which I do not choose. I enjoy being out and about. Keep in mind you may sacrifice "room" space for a balcony. Pay careful attention to the room descriptions and deck plans. Room amenities and condition were all similar, but some were configured better than others in my opinion. That said, it really is subjective. I also formed opinions about optimal location of the coffee stations. While this made me like one cruise more than the other, I know to be more selective on room location in the future. I've heard a lot of people are put off Uniworld because of the opulent decorations. I enjoy their luxury touches and inclusions and will continue to travel with them. The simple answer to your question is that in my experience they maintain a high standard regardless of ship.

I agree on the lounge issue, but overcrowding and time limits have put a stop to this delight. This has been my experience since moving to the US in 2016. The first time we flew out of Orlando we were shocked that we couldn't even check in for our flight and check our bags more than 4 hours before the flight. Centurion lounges only allow you in 3 hours before first flight and that is if the lounge isn't already full. The same goes for priority pass lounges that we have been waitlisted on up to 3 hours.

Thanks. I am spending time in the area on my own and will book in advance on my own.

I would like to know if anyone has taken the Padua Walking tour with Uniworld. I am specifically interested in knowing if the tour includes the Scrovegni Chapel. I am assuming it does not because it isn't in the description, but it seems crazy because this is such a significant place to visit. I guess you can say it is wishful thinking.

We loved Hotel Fellini which is a five minute walk. Basic but great location and cutest breakfast on outdoor patio weather permitting.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes. I traveled with Scenic to Egypt/Jordan and Argentina/Brazil (Iguazu Falls), and they did an outstanding job. You're likely to have lots of Aussies on your trip which will add to the fun!

That's awesome! We're already signed up for that excursion.

This October I'm taking the Ultimate France (22 days) on Uniworld which includes Rhone River and Bordeaux as well as Paris and Normandy. It can be broken down into three separate cruises. Check out the Uniworld website for details. I have not traveled with Viking, but I have been on Uniworld for 28 days from Amsterdam to Bucharest and a week in India on the Ganges. Uniworld is more expensive at first glance, but is more inclusive with unlimited beverages and multiple shore excursions most days (AM and PM). Their wine program was something that stood out to me. Each night they offered a white and red wine from the region in addition to other options. I was worried about being in Germany for two weeks with local wines possibly being sweet, but Uniworld did an excellent job showcasing dry reds and whites. I compared daily schedules between Viking and Uniworld, and for the France trip Uniworld offered more wine experiences that were included and other premium experiences at an additional cost as part of their Masterpiece collection. One exceptional experience I had with Uniworld was in Budapest. We were there for a couple of days as part when some passengers left after the 15 day journey from Amsterdam and others joined us for the duration to Bucharest. It wasn't on the itinerary, but they offered those of us continuing a trip to the country side for tastings at two wineries. One included a delicious lunch and a session where we got into groups and created our own "Bull's Blood". There was no additional charge for the outing. They wanted us off the boat while they did their turnover, and it was a great alternative to free time in Budapest because we already had excursions there planned the next two days. As I said, my trip to France is next month and I will post a review. I thought I would offer information on Uniworld so you can add them to your list of options. I've included details about their wine program, but will add that their other excursions were also exceptional. In India for example, we stayed at a hotel where every room had a view of the Taj Mahal. They also took us to both sunset and then sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Once in a lifetime experiences.

Awesome! I just got an email letting me know there will be one on at least one of my three cruises. Good for Uniworld.

Thanks for the responses. I found some fun stuff on Amazon. Does anyone know how to find out which itineraries have the party? We're doing Ultimate France which is a week each on the Bon Voyage, Catherine, and Joie de Vivre.

Yeah, right! I'm asking early so I can order something online!

The cruise companion for our upcoming France cruise mentions a 1970s themed party, but I don't see it on our itinerary. Would love to know if it is worth packing something. Thanks!

I'm preparing for the Ultimate France trip in October, and I would appreciate information on some of the Masterpiece options. In2019 the Ultimate European Journey in 2019 so I know that they provide more information and I can book once onboard, but I am curious about a couple options. Rouen – Mont St. Michael – It appears to be an 11 hour trip because of the drive time. I'd like to know if anyone has done it and what you thought. I really want to know if you miss the evening Night’s out concert because this looks amazing. Honfleur – My husband is going to play golf in the morning, and we are wondering if he will be back in time for the trip to St. Wandrille and Monastic beer in the evening. Macon - I'd appreciate your thoughts on the Chateau de Rully wine tasting vs Beaune and hospices. I realize this is comparing apples and oranges, but would appreciate your thought based on your experience. Please add any additional thoughts on the excursion options. I am a huge fan of Uniworld because of their excursions, but I find that getting the information in advance is difficult and there were issues on our European Journey with options filling up.

Just saw this so sorry for the delay. We were at the Radisson Blu in 2019. Not sure if this will help, but we enjoyed it. Location was good for walking.

It seems to vary, but on Getaway Veuve was available only by the glass in Le Bistro which they generously poured. Pommery Rose was available by the glass in certain bars such as Atrium and Mixx as well as the MDR and likely other restaurants. Someone above commented on being given Veuve after complaining, and while he was successful my opinion is that this is not the solution. I don't have an issue with complaining and being compensated, but the compensation will vary depending on the manager and availability and only escalate the outrage if the compensation is not adequate and/or consistent. A couple on our cruise complained and got a bottle of Veuve. We could have followed their lead and complained. How angry do you think we would have been if we weren't given a bottle? What about the next couple? Slippery slope. We complained early and often to anyone involved with beverage service that the substitution of Pommery Rose for Veuve was unacceptable with the goal of them reporting back to people with the power to change the system. I also sent a nasty gram directly to NCL because they need to hear it and not just the person with no power on the ship. For those saying it doesn't matter and that it is the itinerary that matters most, imagine your room gets downgraded and you don't have the balcony you paid for and you just get a window. Perhaps all the port stops in Alaska get cancelled and you have multiple sea days no where near land for views. It is as simple as expecting to get what you agreed to pay for be it wine, room type or itinerary.

We recently returned from 10 days in Argentina and Brazil so we were feeling a bit spoiled and over the meat fests.

No way I am hauling wine to the cruise. To me it's like taking sand to the beach. We compared NCL's wine list (FAS+) to Royal and Celebrity premium, and believe NCL is better. That said, our opinion is that it's almost the only thing we liked better about NCL. I'm working on the overall review, but gut feeling based on overall cruise experience we enjoyed Celebrity better. I'll wait for the review to rant about the ridiculous smoke coming from the casio. That's a different topic entirely!