OskiBear

44 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

This is basically accusing NCLH of fraud....by cancelling ports with no reason and not telling the guests, eating the port charges, and hoping to make up that lost cost in reduced fuel savings. You feel this is the most likely scenario?

Isn't that what happened with Norwegian Star?

For me, the missed ports and day in Antarctica were made much worse by the terrible communication by the captain. His attitude was simply, "this is what I'm doing." That demeanor probably gave birth to the various conspiracy theories that sprang up during the cruise. If the reasons were completely legitimate, transparency and empathy would have gone a long way to defusing the situation. Instead, the captain's delivery of the information gave rise to more hostility. I did notify Regent about my disappointment and found a letter in my cabin the last night that I was supposed to use as evidence for a claim due to the missed ports. Whatever...

Thanks to everyone for the perspectives. 

I would say that I definitely didn't come on this cruise with any true expectations or preconceived notions of what the experience would be onboard. Even though Regent bills itself as highly "luxurious," I took that as a lot of marketing bluster and simply hoped to have a decent time. I'm not super-picky about the food (and it's been perfectly acceptable) and will enjoy whatever entertainment is offered. Every crew member I've interacted with (other than the captain) has been unfailingly polite and eager to offer whatever service/assistance is required - often prior to even being asked. 

The true disappointment has been skipped ports that were the focal points of this journey. I get that there's bad weather and, not being an expert, can't second guess the captain's decision to not dock. However, the presentation of the situation was what really rankles me. There simply has been no expression of regret/apology for missing a significant aspect of the journey. This just does not sit well with me and, evidently, many of the other passengers. There certainly has been a great deal of chatter about the skipped ports and what recourse (or lack of) there is from Regent. 

I'm also pretty surprised by how much my cabin creaks/rattles or whatever you call it. I've made numerous transatlantic crossings on the Queen Mary 2 in winter and in very foul weather - our most recent crossing was in a Beaufort Scale 10 storm. There was some creaking in the cabin, which I can accept. My cabin on the Voyager is significantly more than "creaking" - the walls are literally torquing with the motion of the ship and it is LOUD. It's not really described as "creaking" or "squeaking" - I'm just surprised at this level of noise. I've had to use ear plugs each night to try and sleep to minimize the noise. 

Internet is pretty poor - funnily, it really picked up when we were cruising through the Antarctic Peninsula (when I expected it would actually disappear) and then disappeared later on when we sailed out. So, not sure what's going on, but it does drop out for periods of time throughout the day where it's simply non-existent. 

I think this has been a poor introduction to Regent. It definitely hasn't encouraged me to give them another try when there are so many other options out there. 

All in all, not a disastrous cruise, but certainly doesn't rank high up on the list. 

Relatively experienced cruiser here and we are currently on Voyager (Buenos Aires to Santiago) with an extraordinarily disappointing voyage. I’m not usually one to complain about little things and I tend to roll with things, but some less than optimal things have so far combined to make this journey one that is leaving a very bad taste and impression of Regent. So far:

1.     Embarkation – I had read about the issue with the terminal in Buenos Aires in advance so expected a bit of a “shuffle.” However, we were given a specific time to arrive at the alternate terminal at which point we were instructed to simply sit and wait an hour for a bus to shuttle us to the original terminal. It seemed a very poorly managed process with everyone waiting for a long time without really much coordination.

2.     Skipping Ports – we arrived at Stanley, Falkland Islands and the captain informed us it was too windy to disembark, so we sailed away. We then turned around to disembark a passenger with a medical issue before sailing away. We later found out other ships had arrived Stanley with no issues. On our second of three scheduled days cruising through the Antarctic Peninsula, the Captain announced that we were hightailing it out of there because of anticipated winds in the Drake Passage, cutting that part of the journey short by one day. Prior to arriving Ushuaia, the Captain informed us he would be skipping Punta Arenas because of weather – this was announced three days in advance of even arriving at the port. Currently, everyone is aware that Holland America Oosterdam (that we saw in port in Ushuaia yesterday) is currently docked in Punta Arenas while we are skipping the port.

3.     Captain – not sure how much of the port skipping attributable to the captain’s or Regent’s decision, but the whole situation has been very poorly handled. The captain is very cavalier in his announcements. There have been no apologies for the deviations from schedule and he’s just been generally flippant and dismissive of the diminished experience of the paying passengers. I overheard a passenger inquiring and he because defensive and borderline hostile.

4.     Overall, the ship is old and tired. During the first night of rougher seas, our cabin not only creaked, but sounded as if it was going to explode.

5.     Food has been okay and service, while slow, has been very pleasant and staff have all been wonderful.

6.  Internet - this has been abysmal. There's a router outside our cabin but no service unless I sit on the floor at the. The signal doesn't extend to the rest of the cabin. It's really slow in general and has actually constantly gone down ("satellite" problem). We just did a transatlantic crossing on QM2 in November and the internet was fine the entire journey across the Atlantic. Why is it so bad on Voyager? 

So, is this par for the course for Regent? Or Voyager? Or this Captain?

Thanks for all the replies. I seem to recall that I had previously sat in the terminal for a bit while waiting to board but couldn't determine if that's still a possibility. I truly don't mind sitting and waiting until admitted. However, the thought of not having a space to sit and wait didn't seem appealing and that led me to consider alternatives. If, as a previous poster suggested, I could simply wait a bit in the terminal, that should be fine for arriving around 1300. I'd rather be early and wait than deal with the stress of a transportation hiccup and running out of time. 

It's been a few years since the last time I boarded the QM2 in Southampton and I had a bit of a journey to get there from London. There was a problem with the train, we were disembarked at some intermediate stop with no directions as to how to continue our journey. I ended finding a taxi to drive us the rest of the way to Southampton. 

For our upcoming crossing in November, I'll plan on taking a train that'll get us to Southampton around 13:00 just to have a little extra time for contingencies. If we're too early for our assigned boarding time, is there some place we can hang out either near the station or the cruise terminal? 

Just got back last week from 5 nights on Quantum of the Seas. 

I had a Grand Suite and the right side of the bed (when standing at the foot of the bed and facing it) had an outlet. I placed my CPAP on the small nightstand and it worked fine. My machine's travel power adapter has a USB port so I can plug in my phone/tablet to charge while the CPAP is plugged in. There was another outlet on the desk so we charged all the other devices there. I had a lot of extra hose length since I was actually much closer to the machine than I am when at home!

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

This.

Fantastic. Thanks!

When it says, "1 Device" - does it mean one device (ever) for the duration of the cruise? Or is it something where you can log out of one device and then log in with another? I like have access on both my phone and my tablet, but it's unlikely I'd use both at the same time. It feels a bit much to pay for 2 devices. 

On 3/16/2019 at 9:53 AM, snaefell said:

One note though,the letter says that all speciality restaurants will be as per all other RCI ships which is incorrect as Wonderland has been done away with on Quantum,for now at least.

I'm booked on a 5-night out of Singapore this fall and as with everyone else, information seems a bit scarce. My parents did a Singapore-departure a couple of years ago and while it was very Asian, my dad remembered plenty of non-Asian folks. That said, since we are Asians ourselves, we probably notice the non-Asians a bit more and vice-versa! Certainly do expect this to be quite different than a Shanghai sailing. 

With respect to dining, I'm looking at my Cruise Planner and the following are available:

Complimentary - Silk, The Grande Restaurant, Chic, American Icon Grill

Upcharge - Chops Grille (+Lunch), Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver (+Lunch), Izumi, Solarium Bistro, Chef's Table

Is one of the above something that approximates the traditional "Main Dining Room"? It sounds like The Grande Restaurant may be it, but it states that it is formal so I doubt I'd want to do that every night. Or is the idea that we now bounce around every night to try different things? 

Just got off the Meraviglia and here's what I noticed - they only have two stair lobbies, so the ship is essentially in three sections - front section, middle section (between the two stair lobbies) and rear section. The front and rear sections only have people going in one direction - to the stairs. From that standpoint, it seems a bit quieter if you are in the front or rear third. I was in 10125, which is pretty close to the rear. I don't think I ever heard people passing my room on their way to and from the stairs. However, I would imagine that you might here more people if you are nearer a stair lobby.

I'm on the Meraviglia right now - we are at Terminal A. It's a bit far to walk, although did see some folks on the bridge to land. They had vouchers in our cabins for a bus/shuttle service at 9Euro per person (roundtrip). We opted for this although noticed there seems to be a city-run bus as well for less.

Thanks all for responding. It's just a bit different than what I'm used to. Sounds like we are all set to board!

The MSC website is a bit "lacking" in clear directions.

I'm 9 days from my sailing and I've filled out everything online and also received an email with baggage tags and the Embarkation Forms for the two of us.

However, whenever I'm on the website or the phone app, it keeps telling me to check-in. Is this simply because their website isn't designed to acknowledge that check-in has been completed?

Or am I not actually checked-in?

A bit confusing and as a first cruiser with MSC, a bit frustrating.

Thanks for the info - much appreciated!

I'm new to MSC and have booked a cruise on Meraviglia for next spring. Called today to confirm I can disembark one day early (Marseilles instead of Genoa) and they indicate the reservation was notated. Additionally, they have messaged operations, et al.

Has anyone else done this and is there anything I should be aware of or anything else to do prior to the cruise?

Many thanks!

All good advice.

I have a question if anyone can help me. We are staying in London (our hotel is near Westminster Abbey) for a couple of days prior to our upcoming TA. Our plane lands at Heathrow at 7:30am. Since it will be rush hour, I was thinking it might be more efficient to take the Heathrow express from Heathrow to Paddington station and then take a taxi, versus just taking a taxi the whole way. Would that make sense or not?

I find that I don't really save much time doing that - if any. Heathrow Express is also more costly.

I usually end up just taking the Underground the whole way. It's fairly inexpensive and not a lot of effort. Since you'll be getting on at Heathrow, the trains will be empty. They might fill up around you as you head towards London, but you'll already have a seat.

You'll get on the Piccadilly Line (Blue on the maps) and transfer to either the Circle or District Lines (Green and Yellow on the maps). It doesn't matter which, as they are both running on the same route at this stretch.

You should transfer at Hammersmith or Baron's Court. At either of these stations, the transfer is walk off one train and onto the train on other side of the same platform. There's no up/down stairs involved here.

Depending on your hotel, you're probably near St. James's Park or Westminster Station. I usually have stayed near the former and it's a less busy station to get in/out of, although I recall it didn't have escalators. The latter can sometimes be quite busy with tourists because of its location. However, it's a larger station with escalators.

In either event, I think it's generally no worse, if not better than Heathrow Express and then searching for a cab at Paddington.

I did not notice the QM reunions when I was on QM2 last time. Will definitely look for it on my upcoming sailing. Do they mind mere observers to attend and listen in?

I've never sailed on the QM, but I've been visiting all my life. It arrived in Long Beach around the time I was born and, for the last 15 years, I've lived in Long Beach across the small bay from it. I look at it every morning and evening and usually hear its horn blowing. It's the beautiful sight welcoming me home each evening at the end of a long and exhausting L.A. commute!

I did my first crossing Thanksgiving 2014 (eastbound). It was extraordinarily cold in NYC and was uncomfortable standing out on deck for the sailaway.

However, the next morning was sunny and quite comfortable - mid 50's.

Most days it was fine to walk out on deck with a basic jacket although one morning there was some icing on the shady side of the ship. I was on the starboard side to get the sun and most afternoons were quite warm in the cabin.

I really enjoyed the weather variations and I also enjoy colder weather in general, so it was fine. Probably the only thing you couldn't do was sit outside by the pool although there was a brave woman who did use the hot tub

I just got back from a 3-day on Inspiration this morning.

I was in E64 and while there are some pluses, I would suggest finding a better cabin if available.

It is definitely wheelchair accessible as the bathroom had hand rails and a fold-down seat in the shower. There are no steps that I could discern. It is two cabins in from the main atrium. From an access standpoint, it's great.

There are, however, some downsides:

1. Noise from atrium - because it's so close, you get a lot of noise of people walking and talking nearby. They also seem to have musicians at the atrium bar so that gets noisy.

2. Noise from above - this was the worst. One of the kids' camps was directly above. No exaggeration and no hyperbole - this was awful. It was very loud stomping until well into the evening. Kids were certainly having fun, but my ceiling was thumping and vibrating very loudly. Not only was it impossible to sleep, it was not possible to simply read or watch tv in peace.

For reason #2 above, I'd suggest finding another cabin.

I was on Baja Deck and we were sent to DaVinci to wait for disembarkation. I got there around 7:30am, waited until close to 8ish and were sent down the stairs to the identical dining room to clear customs (was this Botticelli or Michaelangelo?).

That process was a bit of a mess, with everyone crowding the hallway and stairs. Some folks had issues with their luggage. I suppose if you're going to have challenges managing your own luggage, you really shouldn't be doing the self-schlepp disembarkation process.

After that, it wasn't bad at all. I was dreading the shuttle out and drive back to pick up other passengers procedure they originally described. Thankfully, we just hopped on a bus and were driven to our parking lot.

It was kind of interesting to see such a large ship parked where it did. I used to live in San Pedro above Cabrillo Beach and it was weird to be down in this area on the Crown!

When I arrived in Southampton a couple of weeks ago, I took the train to London - Waterloo Station. They seemed to run pretty frequently. You can check the schedule online with National Rail.

The Southampton Central Station is a simple taxi ride from the port.

I'm going to be doing my first crossing next month on QM2 from New York to Southampton and some details are coming into focus for me - finally.

I looked at some of the older threads but didn't see any exact matches on answers to the following questions:

1. How much is the pre-authorization on the credit card for the onboard account? It sounds like it is an estimated "per day" amount for the number of days on the ship?

2. If I'm going from the US to the UK, will the charge ultimately be a foreign charge? If so, I'd have to make sure to use a different card that doesn't have FOREX fees.

Any insight would be much appreciated!

Hi OskiBear. I often dined solo on business trips. Like you, I enjoyed the solitude despite the fact that in some countries, a woman dining alone gets some odd stares. (I think of that as being their problem, not mine :)

 

I have no experience of the Grills, but if your asking about Britannia - I've seen passengers dine solo in Britannia and not given it a second thought, but it's not seen as often as passengers dining at larger tables.

 

Just in case you aren't already aware - there are many two tops in Britannia that are situated about a foot away from another table for two (or four). It's impossible to ignore other passengers sitting that close together, so naturally there's a bit of conversation at least initially. I've mostly found this to be quite pleasant*, but the solitude you seek in dining solo many not be all that you hoped for due to the close proximity of others. So be sure to check your table allocation when you board (that information will be on a card in your stateroom). See the maître d' in Britannia ASAP if you want a more "isolated" table, although since there are fewer of those tables, it may be more difficult to arrange.

 

Alternatively, it's usually no problem to get a random table for one at breakfast and lunch and a fixed table for six at dinner. Solitude at breakfast and lunch - company at dinner: just another option:) My husband and I been lucky enough to meet some very interesting tablemates on QM2, thoroughly enjoying their company and conversation. But as I said, I completely understand your looking forward to solitude; the choice of table size is yours and I hope that the maître d' secures the perfect table for you.

 

Bon voyage,

Salacia

 

*An exception: The time we booked a table for two because we wanted some quiet time together. Seated on other side of us was a table for four: a man and woman and their two children under the age of three who took turns crying their little eyes out during dinner most nights (late seating!) :eek:

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone.

This particular situation seems to follow me a lot. I travel alone frequently, throughout the world and enjoy the solitude.

Unfortunately, there are often some very friendly people out there who seem to view singles as "causes" to take up. This happened to me very recently at a hotel lounge's breakfast.

I'm usually well-situated in terms of entertainment (book/paper/ipad to read) or I just enjoy watching others and the activity around me without actually engaging in it. However, I do think some folks might take pity on me and try to engage in conversation. Then, I feel terribly rude not responding but, alas, it kind of defeats my original intent. LOL

Sounds like the advice is to check in with the Maitre'd pronto upon arrival.

Many thanks to everyone!

Thanks all for the replies. It sounds like I leave my reservation as is, and ask upon embarkation to have a table alone, if it isn't already the case.

As a side note, I see there are lots of solo cruisers - however, is it terribly odd to want to remain alone versus taking it as an opportunity to meet new people and mingle? :)