Mark99

Flew Regent booked flights on AA in March without deviation transatlantic to JFK and JFK to LAX in business class (booking code I) and from LAX to MIA in economy (booking code G). Got mileage credit for all.

This was our first Regent trip and were happy to learn international business class meant we flew all the way back to the final destination in business class, even with the domestic leg.

Sitting here on the balcony in Funchal, Madeira. For those of you who don’t quite remember, it is about half-way on a southeast line between the Azores and the Canary Islands. Wow has this place changed. We’re docked in the same place, but last time (maybe 10 yrs. ago) all I remember across from the ship was an old block wall with a lot of the blocks hand painted commemorating different ships that had docked there. Now there is a full-sized two-level cruise terminal building. The painted wall is still there, but all of the dates are more recent so they must blast it clean from time to time. There are 3 ships in port- us, the Aida Nova and the Marella Dream. We look pretty tiny next to the Aida ship. We are starboard side alongside again, but in this port the dock is on a U from the main boardwalk so starboard looks out to sea over the terminal building and port looks towards town. All 3 ships are pointed bow out towards the east. Cooler weather (low 60’s) but clear.

We took an excursion this AM called 3-in-one hop on hop off, which means there were 3 primary bus routes with many stops each, where you could get on and off. There were earphones and a narrated tour in a zillion different languages. The streets are very narrow and steep, so sitting in the front was a little like riding in the front of a roller coaster. There was one stop that had a panoramic view and we took some pictures of the city and the ships. The afternoon excursion was teatime at a classic old hotel, including a couple of stops at scenic coastal sites. The caffeine from the tea seems to be balancing out the alcohol from the poncha quite nicely. We just shoved off from the dock on the way to Cadiz and then on to Barcelona. We’re headed east so we have a great view of the island off the port side. Three days to go.

Last day of the 6 day crossing- we arrive in Madiera tomorrow am. I can't even remember when we last set foot on land. Weather is about the same as yesterday, moderate wind and 4-6 ft swells gently rocking the boat. It's a little more misty and wet today- they picked up all the exposed towels from chairs on the pool deck. Tonight is special Mediterranean night in La Veranda (no Sette Mari again)- we are looking forward to that. We had dinner last night in Sette Mari- I had an excellent Cioppino last night- besides the usual fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussels, there was half a lobster tail. I love this restaurant, but in small doses. It is very rich food.

The time changes are a killer- we have had three nights of one hour forward in a row (making 5 total since leaving Miami). I thought we were going to get off easy, since the US had a daylight savings time bump early and Europe had not when we left. As it turns out, today is the time advancement for them, putting them back to the usual 6 hour difference. So we now match Madiera, and will have one more advancement before Cadiz. This is something to think about, since it looks like the upcoming crossings following the same route make an overnight in Hamilton, and then make the crossing in 5 days. That would make for 4 time bumps in the 6 nights, instead of 7 nights.

And now to the subject of the butler. It is that as a new Regent cruiser, I’m not sure what is available and that makes it harder to decide what I want. When we have taken cruises on the other cruise lines (like RCCL and Celebrity), we take what they give us, and that is well defined.  So the ability to ask is new, and the options are unknown. Your suggestion to be proactive is a good one. I admit additional research here would likely have turned up many suggestions, and maybe with that my perspective would be different. We are supplied with a folder titled “butler menu,” but is only a menu for the different canape selections. Perhaps one explanation for the lack of a real “butler menu,” that is, providing suggestions as to any specific tasks the butler could do, is a little too bourgeois.

Our butler is a very personable fellow, and he appears like clockwork every day about 5 pm to deliver us canapes. I think he is the one who is keeping our wine, water, and coffee pod supplies up. Every day he asks us how our day went, and if there is anything else we need. Usually that has been no- everything is OK. He did make us the additional reservation in Chartreuse (which we ultimately cancelled- more on that later). A couple of days ago we asked him whether it would be possible to get any “behind the scenes tours.” He was able to get us a reservation for a bridge tour on one of the upcoming port days, so that was nice.

I think my final assessment is that butlers are excellent customer service assistants and can do many things that you could easily do for yourself. I assume since the in-cabin beverages are included for all categories, that your stateroom attendant or room service would be restocking or providing those. Reservations for shore excursions and specialty restaurants you can make for yourself. In-suite parties you could throw yourself – just order extra food and drink from room service. Canapes- do you really need more food just before dinner? Upgrading to penthouse is not only about the butler, but also the location and increased room size.  Just consider that with such a high level of customer service and amenities already included, I am not finding that the butler provides a big value-added.

Day 5 of 6 day crossing- The swell and wind picked up a bit- seas are 3-5 ft and choppy but no whitecaps. It’s cloudy now but it was sunny and clear yesterday afternoon. We are in the middle of a high-pressure system so no thoughts of rain. I have not attended trivia but it is good to know that is where everyone else is, since I do not see too many people walking around the ship. This just may be a newcomers impression, being used to the RCCL and Celebrity crowds. It’s different not having to arrive early to get a seat for meals or a show.

We just finished a special lunch buffet and galley tour- the buffet was set up in the galley just forward of the Compass Rose, and it was extensive. We got our meals and took pictures as we visited the galley stations and ate in the restaurant. An instrumental trio was playing live and there was a very large dessert buffet set up in the restaurant. Another great event put on by the galley staff and the chef. On this trip the chef is much more visible than I have seen on the other lines- it looks like he comes out at every venue and every meal to inspect the food and visit with the passengers.

For the new Regent cruisers, I wanted to point out some fine print regarding the “unlimited shore excursions.” If you are planning to take more than one excursion in a day, the ending time of the earlier one must be at least 75 minutes before the scheduled starting time of the second one. For our 3 stops, that effectively means one per day, because the early excursions do not quite leave enough time between, even though they both depart and arrive back at the same point (the pier in most cases). So that would be important if you are comparing a la carte fares on other lines vs. the “all inclusive” fares on RSSC.

Just awaking to day 4 of the 6 day crossing, and 7 nights until Barcelona. The cruise is half over. It seems like just yesterday we were in Miami, and at the same time I can’t remember not being on the ship. One thing about a TA- it is so much boat it will shake the urge to cruise out of you for a while. There are a lot of things to do, but nothing of much consequence. Eating seems to be the main pastime, with drinking coming in a close second. There are not-well-attended other things, like bingo, board games, bridge lessons, exercise classes, trivia, and slot/blackjack tournaments. Each day there are two specialty lectures in the theater- one on forensics and one on oceanography. The VOD system has about every first-run movie you could think of, as well as some older ones and classics. They played the movie Green Book in the theater a couple of days ago and are playing Bohemian Rhapsody today. The Pool Grill has been having themed lunches each day (like Mexican, Thai, seafood, and today is Satay). Last night La Veranda had an Indian menu rather than the Sette Mari. Evenings are usual cruise fare entertainment, such as specialty acts (musical and comedy) and production shows. Everything is at 9:30-10:30, which is a bit of a challenge because of the time changes. The lounges have live music- either the orchestra (usually as a trio) or the lounge piano player (who is different than the concert pianist who is the “band leader” who plays with the orchestra). We have had a couple of 6 pm pre-dinner special shows- one was a classical concert by the band leader, and the other was a vocal concert by the cruise director and his wife, who are a professional singing duo.

Just a shout-out to our co-travelers on the Explorer Miami to Lisbon cruise who are three days behind us. I saw your note about the weather. We had some substantial wind the first night out of Bermuda but since then the seas have been almost flat and the wind max at 15kt. The largest swells I see now are coming from the ship’s wake. If the ship would stop we could go swimming. It is cloudy today but yesterday it was sunny and 70 degrees all day. I know I talked about aft vibration in one of the earlier posts, but we are puttering along at 15kt. and in the cabin there is virtually no sound and just a very gentle creaking and rocking.

Got to leave now for the AM lecture, but stay tuned- we still have to discuss the butler- I have a conclusion on that, and also I wanted to mention something about unlimited shore excursions. Thanks for reading.

Hi Tucson- As noted above, all the restaurants open for dinner at 6:30 PM. I do not see any crowds at Compass Rose - we just walk in for either a 2-person table or larger shared table- your choice. There are plenty of both types and on this cruise it looks like you could get either pretty much any time throughout the dinner time. There are less 2-person tables in Sette Mari so if you wanted that you might want to arrive in the first 15 minutes or so, or take your chances an hour or so later when the tables turn over. Getting a 6:30 reservation in the specialty restaurants, especially 2-person table, seems to be the most challenging. If you want that you should try to book it on-line in advance. We did get additional specialty reservations for later in the cruise via the butler, but they were for later times (like 7:30) and at shared tables.

Hi poss- yes we did get a discount and everything was through Regent directly. The first booking in Concierge was a "special" according to the agent and it was below brochure price. The upgrade to SS suite came a few days before departure and again was in response to an email directly from Regent. The total at the end was a slightly higher percentage below brochure price than after the first booking.

In response to our devolving direction about the dress code, and again as a first time Regent cruiser, I have to emphasize how much of a non-issue this is aboard the ship. I don't sense that anyone cares. It is chilly inside and I personally am very comfortable in a long sleeved shirt and a sport jacket- probably more than in just the shirt. If we were in the tropics and it were hot out, I'd probably just wear the short sleeved collared shirt and light slacks. Maybe in that weather the entire group of passengers just starts to get a little more casual, and more casual wouldn't seem out of place. Here on the TA cruise it would. I have to also give credit to Regent in that they are upholding their end of the bargain quite well. The ambiance of the restaurants including table settings, decor, servers, food and drinks is all very upscale, and is the opposite of t-shirt and shorts.

22 hours ago, eliana said:

Reverting to coffee. A fellow passenger who seems to know about coffee told us that Regent use a Robusta blend as it is much cheaper than the much more pleasant and drinkable Arabica, and that accounts for its bitter taste.

I think our butler got tired of refilling the allotment of 4 pods in the box and he left us the full can of the pods. It is Illy 100% Arabica, medium blend. I'm not used to espresso, so I'm not sure what part of the taste might be bitter and what part is just strong. It does pack a powerful punch in a minimum volume, though.

After reading the contentious threads about the dress code I too was a little apprehensive about being “properly” dressed. Remember that all my comments are based on my single experience on this cruise, a 14-night transatlantic, which may not represent the demographic profile of your cruise. By observation, I guess that the median age is around 80, composed mostly of retired American and European passengers. Also remember that because of the cruise length, all evenings are designated “elegant casual” so I cannot comment on evenings designated as “formal.” First, I’ll repeat what’s printed in the “Passages” daily handout to save you looking it up again: “A skirt or slacks (no jeans) with a blouse or sweater, pant suit, or dress for ladies; slacks (no jeans) and collared shirt for gentlemen. Sports jackets are optional. (no jeans, t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes, or baseball caps).” Notice that they printed “no jeans” three different times.

As an overview, I would characterize this as a non-issue that has been way overblown on the boards here. Everyone seems to be generally respectful of the printed code, and no one seems to care. One possible issue, if any, would be whether you feel comfortable being typically dressed or coming to a venue feeling underdressed. Again, emphasize this is how you might feel and not a reflection of what others are thinking about you (because I would argue that how you are dressed does not rise to any level of importance in their minds). I am going to limit my comments to menswear, so ladies will have to draw their own parallels. So from my observations, at dinners in the Compass Rose and Sette Mari, you will feel typically dressed in any pants with a crease (even dark colored Dockers), and a long sleeved dress shirt. Some men wear a sport jacket; very few wear a tie. A few men wear collared short-sleeve shirts and more casual pants, but no jeans. In the specialty restaurants and at the Captain’s reception, you will be typical with dress slacks, dress shirt and a sport jacket, and about half the men also are wearing a tie. A few men wear dress slacks and long sleeve dress shirts without a jacket. Dress at the 9:30 pm shows are just a reflection of what everyone wore to dinner, so you will see the most variation there from minimum to the max.

Day 2 of the 6 day crossing between Bermuda and Madiera, the weather is really cooperating. The sun is out and it is about 70 degrees. It is windy as expected and the swells are about 6 ft. I’m very surprised because all of the outside decks are closed. The full deck 5 as well as the entire deck 12 (jogging track and forward putting area) are roped off with warning signs. This is a surprise and quite a disappointment. I can’t imagine spending the next 5 days of the crossing inside. The nice lady at reception informed me that it is because of “safety”. I’ll admit I’ve been on a couple of other cruises (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity) where the lower decks were closed, but those rare instances the decks were pitching and waves were breaking onto the deck. I can’t ever remember a time when the upper level jogging track was closed. There isn’t anything ominous here. Winds are maybe 20-25 kt and as I said, 6 ft swells, and minimal spray. Honestly sitting inside, I can hardly feel any rocking.

I suppose safety is relative, and there is a lower threshold on this cruise line because of the more elderly demographic.  I am wondering if this more conservative approach is typical of Regent.

Sitting here in Hamilton Bermuda. We had an interesting tour this AM- it was a harbor cruise looking at famous homes- got a lot of the story of the history of Bermuda. The weather was overcast and 60’s but it is clearing up now. We are docked at the Hamilton city docks which is right downtown. You can step off the boat into town, and city hall and the art museum is an easy walk away. Larger ships dock at the naval dockyards which is a car ride away. We are tied up starboard side alongside the dock pointed out towards the channel exit.

So how about the issue of vibration in our cabin? First- it is not of the magnitude to defer us from choosing this cabin. In fact I think it might only be a concern to someone very sensitive to noise. As we were getting ready to head to the ship on the first day I mentioned to my wife that there might be an issue with motion and vibration. She said motion- no problem but vibration- no way. Uh oh. Now starting to re-think the decision to go aft instead of mid- or forward. The next morning (after the first night) I asked again- no issue. I could describe it as a very slightly noticeable vibration if you put your hand on the furniture or part of the ship. There is definite low-pitched noise – about at the frequency of a clothes dryer. It is hard to distinguish what part of the noise is engines and what part is ocean and wind. It seemed to be speed related. At 15 kt. It was barely noticeable and at 18 kt. you could feel more buzzing. When your head was on the pillow at night, you could hear the buzzing with an oscillating sound, like the props were slightly out of sync. There was a variation in intensity- depending on the vertical position of the stern. I noticed similar vibration in other areas of the ship, for example, as in Prime 7 which is more forward and a little lower. So it might not be much different from other areas of the ship.

Which brings up another issue- what about the motion? In this ship there is more rocking than in the larger (>100K ton) ships that we have experienced before. There is noticeable side-to-side rocking and up and down pitching, even though the seas have been only 5-8 ft. So my conclusion would be don’t worry about the aft vibration on this ship- it is noisy when you are moving but that is part of the experience. I might be a bit concerned about the motion if I was motion sensitive.

More on the wines- yes the Compass Rose menu has the two "featured" (included) wines (red/white) listed as well as a small selection of premium wines. Still have not seen the included wines full list. Maybe that varies by cruise. Yes it was no problem to ask for a chardonnay when a sauvingon blanc was featured- it came right over like it was sitting in the bucket waiting for someone to ask for it.

More tomorrow on thoughts about the dreaded dress code, and more thoughts about the butler.  Six sea days ahead.

Regarding the issue of direct vs. TA booking, I will take your advice and do a little more comparison-shopping next time. I do understand that TA’s can get OBC as well as fare concessions, although I wonder about what I would spend much OBC with the all-inclusive nature of the cruise. I do feel that we got a good deal. Generally, I would characterize it as a big percentage off of the brochure 2 for 1 published fare for the class of cabin we are in. But in principle you are right- none of us want to leave money on the table. Regent doesn’t make it too easy to pin down their fares, given that they are only quoted by phone and not through an on-line reservation system like the other lines.

Regarding specialty reservations- flossie- the butler said the latter, that he could get reservations after 2 days, and stated the exact reason you did- so that everyone who did not have them could get a shot. In fact, the specialty reservations desk was open when we boarded and I did not stop. I guess at that point I figured we would see how we liked them and then take another shot later if we did. And I do understand that the seatings should be staggered- but it did seem like some tables were first being seated at 7:30, which would be an hour after opening. Our cruise seems relatively sparsely attended compared to others (non-Regent) that we have been on, so probably we could get another reservation if we wanted. I will let you know how that works out.

To the question about air-conditioning- it is fine. we have been in mild weather the whole time.  Can’t say what it would be in hot weather. The temperature is adjustable at the thermostat, although I don’t see an on/off switch.

One of the advertised advantages of the Regent all-inclusive cruise experience is the “free specialty restaurants.” One thing I learned after booking is that does not mean “unlimited.” It would better be described as “capacity controlled” specialty restaurants. On the Voyager you are limited to one advance reservation in each of the two specialty restaurants, Prime 7 and Chartreuse. At the time of our initial booking at the Concierge suite level, we got access to the reservations earlier than the Deluxe Veranda level, so we were able to secure early dining times at a 2-person table. Looking later, it seemed that these were the reservations that filled first. I was informed by our butler yesterday that we are not able to get additional reservations for two more days. I’m not sure why, since there were many empty tables in Prime 7 last night from the time we arrived at 6:30 to leaving around 8.

I had a whole write-up about our experience in Prime 7, but I deleted it to save you from my complaining. Suffice it to say that it was not much different than our previous dinner in Compass Rose or this evening in Sette Mari at La Veranda. Which was reasonably efficient service and decent food. So if you don’t get all the specialty reservations you think you want, I wouldn’t worry.

One other comment generally is about the wine service. The advertised slogan is “free unlimited beverages, including fine wines and spirits.” That doesn’t mean pick your fine wine from a wine list. In Compass Rose, the wait staff brought two open bottles to the table, one white and one red, and we were asked which one we wanted. Same thing in Prime 7 and Setti Mari. In Prime 7 it was a Simi Winery Sonoma Valley Sauvignon Blanc, a retail $15 bottle. Pretty much the same for the after-dinner wine.

Tomorrow we reach Bermuda, and have the first of our "unlimited" shore excursions. More about what "unlimited" really means and eventually I will answer the question about aft vibration (I'm still trying to decide how to describe it).

Half way to Bermuda. It's been sunny and warm- in the 70's. Seas are 2-3 m with 15kt wind.

Some thoughts about fitness- As a runner I have had to constantly deal with inadequate jogging tracks and crowded gyms. As with many ships, the track is on the deck above the pool deck, in this case deck 12, which is open in the center and looks down on the pool. The website diagram clearly shows the jogging track is the small loop in the center above/around the pool, but that does not seem to be the case. Some of the other ships I have been on extend the jogging track around the front of the ship where the wind can be incredibly strong. The Voyager track fortunately can be jogged from in front of the pool all the way aft around the paddle tennis court where the wind is at a minimum. The diagram makes it look like the turns are tight, but the track is wider than it looks and the turns can be made easily at a reasonable jogging pace, even around the paddle court. You are restricted from going forward around the putting green, probably because there are high-end cabins below there on deck 11. There are no cabins aft on deck 11. It is posted as 7 laps to the mile, bringing up the question of whether that includes the aft section. I’ll try to answer that question later. There are no posted or published hours, but I went out at 6 am and two people were already there. The track was still slightly wet, as it seems all jogging tracks get washed in the early mornings, but that must have been done much earlier.

The fitness center has a limited number of treadmills (I think 3) and officially opens at 7 am. This could pose some issues for an early jogger if the running track gets closed because of weather. The center manager said the gym is not locked at night, so one could possibly get in earlier (not his suggestion). It is located forward on deck 6, adjacent to the spa and above the theater. With no cabins below and being unmonitored anyway, I’m not sure who would care whether anyone was jogging there before 7 am. There are a selection of classes, including cardio, abs, circuit training, stretching and spin. My wife and I took the abs class (30 min) followed by the spin class (45 min). They were conducted by the gym manager who looks like will be doing all the classes. They were professional and pretty much like you would expect at your local gym.

Had dinner last night at Prime 7- not exactly the experience I was expecting. More on that in the next post.

Thanks Boats- just to clarify- my information may have been first class, but both legs of the return flight were "only" in business class.

A lot of the live blogs seem to be from frequent Regent cruisers, so as a first time Regent cruiser I thought I would share some thoughts and suggestions as we go along. I combed through the threads before traveling and still had a lot of unanswered questions. We are long time cruisers, starting out with RCCL and then more recently on Celebrity. Maybe I can shed some light and perspectives of a first time Regent cruiser that will help others considering Regent or booked on their first Regent cruise.

 I booked the cruise directly through Regent by phone last September. We initially quoted a G Deluxe Veranda suite but ended up booking a Concierge suite so we could take advantage of the priority dinner and shore excursion reservations. We are “early to bed early to rise” so we dreaded the thought of late reservations. In fact this turned out to be a good decision because the early reservations were the first to be booked. If you don’t mind eating later, or sharing a table, this perk really doesn’t matter. This level also included the one-night pre-cruise hotel and transfers package. We also included the air package because a bit of shopping showed the air package price difference was a better deal than booking on our own. We let Regent pick the flights rather than the custom air option because we planned the full day off on the day prior to departure to allow for any flight time or routing.

About 10 days before departure we received an email from Regent offering upgrades from our level either to Penthouse or to Seven Seas suite level. The price was a bit much, so we waited and they sent another email about 5 days ahead with even lower prices. Well when you’ve already paid so much the incremental cost doesn’t seem like that much more, right? Anyway, we ended up upgrading into a SS suite. In reality the total was substantially less than even the price offered at that time for a SS suite on a last minute travel site (yes more comparison shopping).

So what’s the good and the bad, and what did I learn so far? The flights were on American Airlines. Outbound was direct, early AM LAX to MIA. I learned that “free international business class” means we will fly in business class the entire flight back from Barcelona, even though we stop at JFK and change planes to a domestic JFK-LAX leg. We were met efficiently at baggage claim by a Regent rep and promptly transferred to the hotel in a van. The Conrad (Hilton) Miami is an OK but a bit dated hotel. Regent had a table adjacent to the hotel check-in desk and we received our bus assignment for the AM transfer to the pier. The time ranges were 11:15 to 12:15 and you didn’t get to pick. The next morning we left our luggage inside our room tagged with the Regent tags so the bags were handled completely independently of our transfers. What that meant was that we were not necessarily obligated to be on the bus (for example we could Uber to the pier if we wanted). Included breakfast was a buffet in a separate area for the “cruise guests.” Consider this a downgrade from what you would normally get if you booked a bed and breakfast rate at a big city Hilton or Marriott and more like the "free breakfast" you'd get when staying at Ramada or Holiday Inn in a smaller city. After, we checked out of the hotel (allowed even though the bags were still in the room) and headed off to Vizcaya on our own with the intention of either taking the Regent bus or Uber to the pier. As it turned out, unfortunately we ended up with time to go back to the hotel and catch the bus. What a chaotic scene. The buses were running about 15 minutes late which meant all the groups were there before the first bus left. We were herded down the elevator to the bus, and then had to wait while luggage was loaded, both before we left and on the bus after we arrived. My recommendation – spend the $12 and take Uber- then you can go whenever you want in comfort, and your luggage will be on the bus anyways. Check-in was quick- we were escorted to the front of the line because of our suite level, but it didn’t look like the wait would have been more than 10 minutes or so regardless. We spent the first hour visiting different parts of the ship and meeting the staff, champagne glasses in hand. At 1 pm we were allowed to go to the room. And what a room it was. We are in an aft SS suite, which is on the corner aft. It has a panoramic window that wraps around from the back to the side, and a sliding door that opens to the balcony straight aft. The diagrams and “virtual tour” on the website do not do this room justice. I can’t overstate how secluded and impressive this room is. We could have upgraded to a forward (mid ship) SS suite for about the same price but the balcony and the view is what put this one on top.

That’s all for now. I will post again soon, because I do have some impressions and comments on some of the other often-debated subjects such as the dress code, aft ship vibration, aft vs mid ship, butler (useful or not), internet service, the meaning of “unlimited shore excursions and specialty dining,” etc.  

If you have Regent air and the included transportation back to LHR then that is by far the best option. It is possible to get direct "private car" transportation but that must be ridiculously expensive for something you've already paid for. Getting from LHR to downtown is super easy. If you are mobility challenged then you could just get a cab from the airport. If you are a bit more mobile but not adventuresome you could take Heathrow Express to Paddington station and then a cab to your hotel. You might save a bit of $ but maybe not so much to justify the logistic issues of getting to the Express station and then still having to get a cab after you exit the Express. If you are traveling light and/or can handle your suitcase up/down escalators, like adventure, and want to save $,  then you should take the Underground (the "tube")- get on the Piccadilly line (the only one at the airport) and you can connect via the tube system to the station closest to your hotel. You will undoubtedly use the tube to get around in your few days in London so this would be a good introduction. In any case you should get Oyster card(s) to use on the tube (one for each traveler) on-line before you go and have them mailed to you so you can use them right from the start. Charge up each to about $30-40 and that should be enough for the airport trip and a few days (they can be topped-up at the tube stations using cash or credit cards). There are abundant signs at the airport on the arrivals level of all of the terminals near baggage claim/ customs exit points that lead you to Heathrow Express or the Underground. Have fun- London is a great city!

Had a similar though much worse situation last spring on Sydney to Honolulu, where the first US port was Lahaina. Only one resident customs officer in Lahaina, and the team from Honolulu missed their flight (or it was delayed-that was never clarified). We arrived at 7am, waited, and disembarkation started around 10. You probably have never seen a line from the MDR to the theater and part way back! Luckily I had an afternoon 1pm diving excursion scheduled and barely made it. I won't describe the chaos and screaming, but it was pretty bad.

So the takehome lesson is to carefully examine your first US port of entry, and if it is not on the last day, assess its capacity to handle customs processing. It probably isn't a regular entry port, and given that the capacity may be limited, don't schedule private excursions. As a matter of fact, on our cruise, X excursions were given priority, so that's one strategy to shorten the wait.

At least we only had to clear customs once.