AshD

1 hour ago, Amber14 said:

Thanks so much for these excursion reviews. You don't see too many posted here. We are thinking about booking the Mt. Gazo hike. It sounds fun. Do you know either by distance or time how long the hike was? About how many people were on it? Also, at the beach, did you have lounge chairs or was there a bar to hang out at or did you just towel sit? Would you do this excursion again?

 

And I agree with you about the ziplining in St. Lucia. It was definitely in our top 3 zipline excursions too!

 

Thanks!

You are quite welcome! I usually research the excursions as best asI can using YouTube, but thought it would be nice to share our experiences here for people who don’t have time for that.

I believe there were 18-20 people on the hike. We arrived in comfortable passenger vans and the drivers assisted the on-site guide during the climb. It was only about .77 miles, according to the trail map, but the incline made it challenging. I have no estimate on the time up or down, but up felt like forever lol. We would do this again because a new, higher viewing platform that will offer 360 degree views of the island is being constructed to replaced the old one which was damaged during a storm.

Regarding the beach, we sat out on our towels from the ship, but could have rented one of the many stacked beach loungers from an attendant for $5 usd each. Beverages could also be purchased from these guys from the local bar. Not much to see in the water. It was deep enough to play and bounce in the waves though.

On 3/26/2024 at 1:56 PM, silkismom said:

Waiting to see how the shore excursions for Bonaire & Aruba are, we do the same ones in Dec on the Navigator.

Hi! Z has the food well covered, so I thought I’d pop in with some reports about our excursions so far 🙂

Aruba: De Palm Island Snorkeling, 4.5 hrs, 2 walking men, all food and beverages included.

Quick bus to the ferry, then a little wait for the island tender. This is a site open to any ticket holders. It has cabanas for hire, but we didn’t see the point and just used one of the many lounge chairs. Not so much “beach” area, but many areas to enjoy the warm, clear water. After a refreshing adult beverage, we took our gear down to the place for dedicating snorkeling. You can use their equipment if need be, and it did not look shabby. Must wear their safety vest and no fins allowed to protect the coral heads and other snorkelers. The amount and variety of fish was fantastic and kept us entertained for about 45 minutes. Dried off and went to the Caribbean buffet lunch. There is also a grill with big burgers, fries, and such if local food isn’t your thing. Delicious and hearty fish and chicken dishes with a lovely lentil soup, steamed veg, Caribbean rice, fruits, modest salad bar, and desserts. The fountain beverages are Coke products. Some familiar and some native to this area. It made me recall the wall of beverages from all locations at the World of Coke in Atlanta.

We walked the island to work off lunch and saw flamingos and turtles. There is a volleyball area, a few tall water slides, a children’s water park, and a gift shop. Nice enough place. The amount of time there was enough for us.

Bonaire: Kayak and Snorkel, 2.5 hours, 3 walking men.

Originally, the kayaks were clear bottom, but that changed. No biggie. They were all 2 seaters. We walked a short distance and launched near the Princess ship docked in front of Grandeur. About a mile kayaking to a little beach inlet, and yes, the 3 walking man was correct. Certainly strenuous. Great snorkeling again! So clear and warm. We were right on the edge of a seriously deep drop-off that had us itching to dive, but there was plenty to see up top. After about 45 minutes, the group kayaked back. Great group of folks! Would definitely do this again.

Grenada: Mt. Gazo Hike and Swim, 3.5 hours, 3 walking men.

Before beginning our hike, one of the excellent guides gave a hands-on lesson about many of the spices on the island. He had brought a few things from his backyard which he “processed” as we gathered around the van. Nutmeg, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, a cacao pod, and a cocoa seed he’d previously dried and roasted. Really fascinating to watch and listen. Nothing can compare to the smells as he grated or crushed items for us to taste and smell. Unexpected and welcome extra on this excursion!

Let me say, we are nature enthusiasts and have participated in many a hiking excursion before. This one should have been more like 5 walking men because we literally followed an incredibly steep (in many places) rustic path to the summit about 850 ft up, I believe. Not much of a leisurely stroll through the dry forest (as opposed to rain forest) as we were all occupied watching where we were putting our feet. Finally making it to the top lookout point made the effort SO worth it (but damn! I am Really out of shape lol). Gorgeous vistas in all directions! The walk back down was steep also, but there were handrails on that path. We ended up at a beautiful cabin/bar and enjoyed a complimentary drink - adult and not. Then a short drive down to Grand Anse beach. An hour there was slightly too long, but we did enjoy watching the families and locals gathered to celebrate the Easter weekend. We witnessed the start of a lovely sunset, and we’re back on board by 6:20pm.

Which brings us to today!

St. Lucia: The Tree Top Adventure, 4.25 hours, 3 walking men.

We love zip lines. Have done them all over the world. This one ranks in the top 3! It was a beautiful area. The lines varied in height, length, and speed, but you can still look around and enjoy the views. We walked to each platform along concrete and wooden paths and stairs. A the forest was lush, green, and wonderfully cool in the shade. Occasionally, we accessed the next platform via a plank bridge encased in a rope next to which we anchored our harness. Definitely cool. As with any excursion, the guide can make or break the experience. The crew today came to work just for our group (it’s Easter) and were absolutely delightful! They kept us safe and kept us laughing and having fun throughout all 12 lines. It was a wonderful day.

Participated in the ship’s Easter egg hunt! 15 minutes to find 150 plastic eggs full of candy on deck 4 only. There was a good turnout and it was great fun to watch adults get so serious about finding these eggs! Seriously, I got hip checked in the casino and lost that egg! You would’ve thought ice cream was involved given the determination of many participants! 🤣 Three golden eggs were also found with Regent points, the Easter bunny made a welcome appearance, and a good time was had by all!

Hope I didn’t bore you too much! Cheers, everyone! 🐰 Ash

Greetings, All! We’re joining you today as well, and are fortunate enough to stay on for the crossing to Barcelona! Don’t know how much we’ll add to this thread, but I’m sure I’ll chime in every so often.

Like many others, our flight was also cancelled. 5:30a departure from STL yesterday cancelled at 6:48p Saturday. Offered a ridiculous alternative flight arriving in Miami at 10 pm-ish in basic economy in 2 separate areas of the plane. No thanks! Scrambled and got the last 2 seats on a Delta flight with a 4 hour layover in ATL. Not a bad airport to chill in for a while, then that flight was delayed. My stomach was completely in knots! Finally boarded and made it to Miami. Then greeted by stand-still traffic from an emptying music festival downtown. I have never been so glad to see a hotel room in my life lol It was a seriously long day.

Had a wonderful dinner at Gyu-kaku! First timers. Think Melting Pot, but a grill in the middle of the table instead of fondue. Was fun and delicious.

We’ve been waiting 2 years for this cruise and are thrilled to finally be leaving! Looking forward to meeting y’all around the pool bar or mutual excursions! This is gonna be epic!

Cheers!

Ash

Hi OilPainter2020! We’re also on the MIA to NYC cruise!

While I don’t know anything about suite 1215, I do know there are culinary classes scheduled on 3/26, 3/27, 3/29, 3/30, 4/2, 4/4, 4/5, and 4/8. Several of these offer classes at 10a and 4p.

Hopefully, they will not be a disturbance to you 😊

Greetings,

We were booked on the canceled 14 March Splendor cruise and opted for the FCC. The refundable part of our booking (port fees and taxes?) hit the card yesterday, 26 March. The speed may be due to a much smaller amount than 100% refund, but we applaud Regent for their timely processing of this matter.

(We’re now booked for November 2020 and Feb 2021 ☺️)

Cheers!

AshD

The 14 March cruise is still on as of a 3:45p email from my TA. We did get a very attractive up sell offer to penthouse A, B, and C, so I guess cabins are opening up. Didn’t take the offer. Still planning on going. Only the airline and/or Regent will cancel this holiday for us.

Greetings,

I don't often post, but felt the need to share this time.

Having been an official guide on more excursions than I care to count, I agree it is rude and inconsiderate to A- leave without notifying the person in charge and B- ignore the oft stated time to be "back on the bus" NOT near the bus, or outside of the bus chatting, or having a smoke, but ON the bus.

That being said, my DH and I have been subjected to many a rude stare, scowl, and the occasional over-the-top "watch glancing" as we re-boarded our Regent tour bus. This would be appropriate behaviour IMHO, if we were ever late.

We in fact (because of my past as a guide) always board 5-10 minutes PRIOR to assigned departure time, yet are often the last couple on the bus. Without fail, we get seated, the guide boards at the appointed time, does a head count, and we're off. During the departures, loud "whispers" are directed towards us, chastising us for being late and delaying the departure. Ridiculous! Why should I (or anyone else) be made to feel responsible when the majority of the disgruntled people on the bus have been sitting there, by their own choice, for 15 min, half an hour, longer ... ??

This happens repeatedly. They didn't enjoy the excursion and we did. No one was made to be late. No one left without telling. It is unfair to blame someone because they (we) had a wonderful excursion and "you" (general term, no one specific) did not. Blame age, blame weather, blame location, but don't blame me because you've been bored sitting on a bus WELL before you were asked to be there.

I have been on dud excursions, but attempt to make the best of it because all locations have something of interest, some alternative potential, if given open eyes instead of blind expectation. (That is unless the excursion was inexplicably shortened or absolutely not as described when one signed up for it.)

Whoa! Sorry about jumping on my own soapbox!! This has apparently been building inside for a while.

Safe journeys and cheers!

AshD

Hi AshD - We'll be in 601 next year, as well. Oct 18 (2015) sailing from NYC to Montreal (which cruise will you be on? Obviously, not the same one :p). We've been on Navigator before (Alaska) and loved every aspect of the ship. No complaints whatsoever. But we never saw the infamous "601", so when the opportunity presented itself, we immediately jumped on it. I too, would love to see some actual pictures of it. Maybe someone else on this board happened to snap a picture of it once, when they stayed in that stateroom. Best Regards.

Hi pingpong1!

We're on the 5 Sept San Francisco to NYC next year. Our first trip on Navigator. If nothing shows up before then, you can be certain I will take and post many pics of 601 :)

There are some floating around. As much as I appreciate those, I want to see more beyond "the pole".

Cheers!

AshD

Hi Computerworks!

What a wonderful day! The thread with photos is brilliant and will be so very helpful to those investigating Regent Navigator!

As you know, we will be sailing in Suite 601 next year.

Any chance you were able to visit and photograph that suite? Would love to see it!

Thank you!

Cheers,

AshD

Thanks, Computerworks! :)

And it is precisely because of people like the above poster that cruise lines continue to lie to the public. Will Rogers was never more correct than in this instance when he said "there's a sucker born every minute."

 

It was actually P.T. Barnum who coined the phrase you reference.

Greetings Wripro,

I am, by no means, a sucker. Without malice, I respectfully refuse to be lumped into that category simply because I was attracted by less-than-forthcoming advertising.

That being said, I believe a sucker would go blindly forward and complain later. We did neither when we booked our cruise. Yes, the hopes of a dream honeymoon gave us the reason to believe in bargains; however, after researching our findings (no dream bargain, but certainly a brand we were happy to try as our first cruise), we proceeded to book.

I do agree that the advertisements employed by most companies, large and small, are deceptive. It's the nature of the beast. Doesn't matter if it's cruises or dish detergent. What separates the intelligent consumer from the "suckers" is diligent investigation beyond the bells and whistles.

One would hope that anyone considering a Regent cruise, or any other luxury line for that matter, would certainly question the brochure cost prior to investing in that sort of holiday.

AshD

Greetings, StarFlyr!

I suppose I see right past the advertising now after so many cruises, BUT it was the exact 2 for 1 advert that sucked hubby and me in for our 7 night honeymoon waaaay back with Radisson.

We, as are many who are new to cruising, were under the impression that 2 for 1 was as in any other shopping arena and were thrilled with the "bargain". Our kind TA at the time gently explained to us that was not the case. So - we talked at length and ended up doing the cruise anyway, albeit paying over time through her. It was a big financial leap, but we are glad we did it rather than chickening out. Now we are Regent devotees (although, still open to other lines if the price and itinerary are right)

Anyway, your point is very valid! It would be lovely to see this confusing "brochure price", "2 for 1", etc. confusion be completely eliminated so that the true cost could be seen up front. It's still confusing, but that's advertising for ya, right? Annoying but effective LOL

At present, we only look at the 2 for 1 column and know that is the per person rate prior to any non-use credits and the like.

Cheers and happy sailings!

AshD

Greetings,

Our flight out of Singapore didn't leave until 11:30pm-ish.

Regent included a sign-up sheet for a day trip through Singapore with our debarking papers. You could opt in or out. We chose to go and are the happier for it! I think lunch was provided & although the wait at the airport was still quite long, we found the business class lounge fantastic for passing the time. In our case, a day room was not offered. The tour was roughly 4 hours and very well done.

Cheers!

Ash

To all,

I'm terribly embarrassed! I did not mean to hijack the thread.

Carry on. LOL

Cheers!

AshD

Sunprince,

Thank you for your words of wisdom. We are not prone to motion sickness. Additionally, due to Regent's fantastic customer service, we are using a substantial FCC for this cruise. The company was extremely generous after the 2013 Sydney to Singapore adventure.

In all honesty, we'd be happy with this suite and this location. After seven Regent (Radisson, too) cruises, a change in layout feels exciting, but if offered an upgrade to Navigator Suite .... well ... little to no thought about doing that! LOL The Grand or Master Suites would be wasted on us.

We've got more than a year to wait. I was just intrigued by the 2 categories of Penthouse A. When I realized suite 601 was us, I became curious about that empty space to the left of the entry and the televisions. The bed area appears to be an entirely separate room.

Safe Journeys!

Cheers,

AshD

Greetings,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. We are actually booked into 601 for 2015, so it's rather exciting to see the different layout is that suite. I've searched the boards for info about 601 and don't think any issues mentioned (pole, anchor) will be problems for us.

I do have two rather trivial questions to which I can find no answer:

Travelcat2, having stayed in that suite, what is the empty area in the diagram to the left of the entry door? I'm guessing the closet is off the bed area as per normal, so am at a loss as to what that space might be. Additionally, do you recall if there were 2 tellys or just the usual one in the living area? The couch is not terribly comfortable to us for watching the bow cam, or menus, or movies. We prefer to lounge on the bed LOL

Cheers!

AshD

Greetings,

Due to the canceled dry dock chatter, I was looking at several Navigator cruises and noticed that there are now 2 rows for Penthouse A. One in the normal spot, and one after the Master Suite.

Is this a website "typo", or am I missing something? Checking the boxes to compare the two A's reveals dramatic differences. Do you think this has anything to do with the refurbishment? (Meaning an entirely new suite category?)

We've sailed on Mariner and Voyager, but Navigator is planned for 2015.

Thank you for any insight!

Cheers!

AshD