Regent Navigator review from a Seabourn/Silverseas cruiser.

Just echoing the thanks of others for this interesting review. We have only cruised with Seabourn so far (apart from a single Crystal cruise we really didn’t like), and are on our first Regent next year - Explorer in March. Looking forward to it even more now....

I have cruised on all three lines as well. Seabourn in August was our last cruise and lived up to our expectations.

I have not been on Regent for 10yrs. The only time I have been sea sick was on the Navigator out of NYC.

I am considering another cruise in May on the Navigator from LA RT Mexico. We live in the area and it would be great to drive to the port. I am wondering if the Navigator will handle the seas well.

I love eating outdoors on Seabourn and Silver Seas. Is there no evening outdoor dining on the Navigator ?

I just wanted to thank you for your fair and balanced reviews. It's very helpful to us as long-time Regent cruisers who are taking the plunge to Seabourn Quest next fall. Also interesting that the ship was Navigator since some folks who hang out here on the Regent board really disparage that ship. Yes, it does get a bit crowded, but it's a lovely ship I feel. If you want to try Regent again, I encourage you to look at Mariner. It's our current favourite.

As for the Seabourn dress code, we are going to try to cope with the formality. Dress shirt on formal night, I promise, but I have yet to persuade my husband to wear a jacket. We do love the casual familiarity of the Regent staff, I must say.

I just wanted to thank you for your fair and balanced reviews. It's very helpful to us as long-time Regent cruisers who are taking the plunge to Seabourn Quest next fall. Also interesting that the ship was Navigator since some folks who hang out here on the Regent board really disparage that ship. Yes, it does get a bit crowded, but it's a lovely ship I feel. If you want to try Regent again, I encourage you to look at Mariner. It's our current favourite.

 

As for the Seabourn dress code, we are going to try to cope with the formality. Dress shirt on formal night, I promise, but I have yet to persuade my husband to wear a jacket. We do love the casual familiarity of the Regent staff, I must say.

When we were on the Quest, the men who did not have jackets "borrowed" a jacket from the ship and hung it on the back of their chair. After dinner they left it on the chair.

When we were on the Quest, the men who did not have jackets "borrowed" a jacket from the ship and hung it on the back of their chair. After dinner they left it on the chair.

Surprising that jackets are required on Seabourn -- thought that only Silversea had this requirement. Is this something new?

Surprising that jackets are required on Seabourn -- thought that only Silversea had this requirement. Is this something new?

Jackets have always been required on formal nights.

Jackets have always been required on formal nights.

Thanks for the response. I was under the misimpression that Seabourn, Crystal and Regent only had "formal optional" nights. Interesting!

Regarding "formal optional" evenings on Seabourn and Crystal, based on our recent personal experience of each of those lines:

On Crystal, on Formal Optional evenings, men are required to wear a jacket (with or without tie) in the main dining room and in both of the specialty restaurants.

On Seabourn, on Formal Optional evenings, men are required to wear a jacket (with or without tie) in the main dining room (The Restaurant) but may be dressed in elegant casual elsewhere on the ship, including in the specialty restaurants (TK Grill & Colonnade). Thus, on SB, a gent may choose to not drag a jacket along on the cruise at all and simply have dinner in one of the alternative venues on the infrequent Formal Optional evenings. That is what we plan to do on our next SB Quest cruise.

When there is a Formal Optional night, men are required to wear clothes:evilsmile:. Actually (and unfortunately), a few men wear polo shirts - just like on regular nights (IMO, they belong on Oceania rather than Regent where you can wear overalls, shorts, jeans, etc. in one of their dining venues). On the positive side, most men wear jackets, suits and several wear tuxedos. We are noticing a slightly dressier trend going on -- less sloppy shirts and more dress shirts and slacks (at a minimum).

P.S. Before I get blasted, polo shirts, etc, are acceptable on Regent, however, when this policy went into effect, there was talk about the "slippery slope" and that some people would wear the minimum required by Regent. This seems to be the case for some men.

No forward open deck on the Explorer to go for sail-in/sail-out like on the older ships.

Peggy

Peggy -- That would be a killer for me. Miss sailing wih you.

The dress code on Seabourn is quite relaxed - on so-called Formal Nights men need a jacket/suit for the main dining room but you don't need a tie. In the other restaurants on Formal Nights you can go smart casual. I'm on the Quest in two days' time, right across the Christmas/New Year period, and I'm currently not taking a suit, much less a tie.

Hi Larry,

Miss you two as well . . .

Peggy

The dress code on Seabourn is quite relaxed - on so-called Formal Nights men need a jacket/suit for the main dining room but you don't need a tie. In the other restaurants on Formal Nights you can go smart casual. I'm on the Quest in two days' time, right across the Christmas/New Year period, and I'm currently not taking a suit, much less a tie.

If you should choose to go to the main dining room on formal night, they will loan you a jacket which you can put on the back of your chair. At least they did that on our cruise to Antarctica on the Quest.

Regarding "formal optional" evenings on Seabourn and Crystal, based on our recent personal experience of each of those lines:

 

On Crystal, on Formal Optional evenings, men are required to wear a jacket (with or without tie) in the main dining room and in both of the specialty restaurants.

 

On Seabourn, on Formal Optional evenings, men are required to wear a jacket (with or without tie) in the main dining room (The Restaurant) but may be dressed in elegant casual elsewhere on the ship, including in the specialty restaurants (TK Grill & Colonnade). Thus, on SB, a gent may choose to not drag a jacket along on the cruise at all and simply have dinner in one of the alternative venues on the infrequent Formal Optional evenings. That is what we plan to do on our next SB Quest cruise.

Thanks Fred for articulating this policy for us, since I was about to state it again, although I'd forgotten the part about the alternative dining opportunities. As you well know, "we" (meaning David), will not be bringing a jacket either!

So is there any evening outdoor dining on the Navigator ?

Cannot believe that some people disparage people who meet the minimum dress requirements. kAm currently finishing our first Seabourn cruise with many more to come. Yes a jacket is required on formal option nites in the Restaurant only. As this had six nites on the ice in Antarctica, dress on non formal nites in the Restaurant have varied from coat and tie to the mentioned awful polo shirts that do meet the dress standards. Have had a few nites where tours were delayed and people migh and I repeat might have been a small amount of underdressed but, did meet the dress code in orer to dress aceptably but a bit under the standard described by some posters.

Meeting the minimum dress code is certainly totally acceptable and think of the slippery slop if people disparage the dress that meets the requirements but not the posters standards. When the cruise sets a minimum standard it is perfectly and completely acceptable to meet the minimum requirements and NOBODY has the right to disparage them

Seabourn has been everything we could want and much more being a Luxury cruise line without people making up their own dress code and we will be cruising them for the foreseeable future with no regrets. Just try the Seabourn and you will see that the many disagreements seen on this board are almost completely missing and accurate unbiased help is given in almost all cases.

Have no idea my the dress code is so often brought up again and again but, simply read the requirements, comply with them and don't listen to the naysayers for whom meeting the minimum simply isn't good enough. Meeting the minimum is certainly acceptable and good enough.

Meeting the minimum is certainly acceptable and good enough.

That statement is certainly a sad commentary on life today.

That statement is certainly a sad commentary on life today.

Agree with you!

That statement is certainly a sad commentary on life today.

Truly mystified by your response. Don't understand how meeting the dress requirements whether the high or low end is a sad commentary on life today??

So you would wear a tuxedo or ball gown to a bull fight??

If you meet the requirements that is all you have to do. If people meet the requirements there should be no complaints.

Just how far above the minimum requirements does someone have to be to not be a sad commentary on lift today?? Impossible to define and why requirements have a minimum to ensure the dress is acceptable to the cruise line. Anything above the minimum is simply icing on the cake.

[quote=rallydave;

If you meet the requirements that is all you have to do. If people meet the requirements there should be no complaints.

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When we choose a cruise line we expect to adhere to whatever is expected by the line. The idea of decorating chairs with jackets is purely maddening and enabling people to do as they please. Hypothetically and absurdly, I would expect to be seated barefoot if that's WHAT I WANTED to do and the restaurant could provide a pair of shoes to sit on the floor under my chair. We don't care so much anymore about what the dress code actually is but we expect whatever it is to be followed. As a funny aside, on our last Mariner cruise we really did see a big guy checking in with the farmer jones overalls and white T shirt. We never saw him again that I know of until disembarking and there he was again in the same outfit. Travelcat2 did not imagine seeing this get up.

Truly mystified by your response. Don't understand how meeting the dress requirements whether the high or low end is a sad commentary on life today??

 

So you would wear a tuxedo or ball gown to a bull fight??

 

If you meet the requirements that is all you have to do. If people meet the requirements there should be no complaints.

 

Just how far above the minimum requirements does someone have to be to not be a sad commentary on lift today?? Impossible to define and why requirements have a minimum to ensure the dress is acceptable to the cruise line. Anything above the minimum is simply icing on the cake.

Rallydave, I agree with you. I'm mystified too.

Guests either meet the requirements or they don't. If they meet the requirements, then I don't see what the problem is nor do I see how that is a sad commentary on life.

I view cruises as vacations, not sartorial contests so if guests meet the dress code requirements I'm satisfied, not sad.

When we choose a cruise line we expect to adhere to whatever is expected by the line. The idea of decorating chairs with jackets is purely maddening and enabling people to do as they please. Hypothetically and absurdly, I would expect to be seated barefoot if that's WHAT I WANTED to do and the restaurant could provide a pair of shoes to sit on the floor under my chair. We don't care so much anymore about what the dress code actually is but we expect whatever it is to be followed. As a funny aside, on our last Mariner cruise we really did see a big guy checking in with the farmer jones overalls and white T shirt. We never saw him again that I know of until disembarking and there he was again in the same outfit. Travelcat2 did not imagine seeing this get up.

Love your barefoot reference!

Meeting the minimum is certainly acceptable and good enough.

The sad part is many people these days not wanting to make any effort past the minimum, whether it be in a dress code or anything.

I was on a rather posh river cruise a few years back and two of the passengers owned a vast stately home and several thousand acres in England. He habitually wore jeans and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.

I was on a rather posh river cruise a few years back and two of the passengers owned a vast stately home and several thousand acres in England. He habitually wore jeans and a Pink Floyd t-shirt.

That's fabulous. As long as the rather posh river cruise line found him to be acceptably dressed, I'm in. What does "rather posh" mean? Maybe there were no dress guidelines for this company and that's fine too.