Iceland & The British Isles

[2travelers]

Hi - Has anyone done this trip? My DH is interested in it and while we are seasoned travelers and have traveled with high end and low end comapnies, I know nothing of Regent, nor do I know anyone who has traveled with them. I think their "2 for 1" fares are a joke, same as the other "2 for 1" companies, but my husband loves the itinerary. I can't seem to find another company who has one similar, so any information you might have would be appreciated. While I know you generally get what you pay for, I still seem to think that the price is pretty steep for a 10-day cruise. Is it worth it?

Thanks

[dfb]

Is this the cruise you are asking about?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1046807

[2travelers]

Is this the cruise you are asking about?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1046807

 

 

Yep - it sure it. I never searched it and I guess I should have. It looks like a really nice trip. On the other hand, even the worst trip is better than staying home :D . I guess I will research it some more and then make a decision. My husband is chomping at the bit.

Thanks a bunch.

Ronnie

[bethaniesmom]

funny you should mention this trip....my DD called today to say she got a new brochure (I got the same one two weeks ago), and that we really should look at that trip! so I guess we will all be doing a few weeks of research.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Beverly

[Wendy The Wanderer]

This trip sounds great for people who live in a hot climate. For someone who lives in more temperate climes, this is too early in the year for me to visit Iceland and the Shetlands. This is just a person choice, of course.

[2travelers]

funny you should mention this trip....my DD called today to say she got a new brochure (I got the same one two weeks ago), and that we really should look at that trip! so I guess we will all be doing a few weeks of research.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Beverly

 

Hi Beverly: Have you been on Regent before? We have traveled with many different companies, both land and sea -but I haven't heard much about Regent. Maybe I just wasn't looking, but never hear it mentioned. It seems to be pricey but with all the shore excursions included I guess it is a wash. On the other hand, my DH uses a walker to get around and can't keep up with a busload of 50 people, so we generaly try and get private guides to take us where we want to go. We use the Roll Call to get a few other folks to join in and go from there. So, if we do that, then included excursions are not a plus for us. It is the itinerary that he loves. We have been all over, and I am at the point of looking at brochures and saying "been there, done that" - so I guess I am a bit of a "downer" here :rolleyes:. I will do some homework and see what I come up with.

I hate traveling in the cold, but I guess that "comes with the territory when you visit England and Iceland :D " - since we are heading into winter here in NJ maybe my DH will decide he needs some warmth by the time May comes (we haven't had a s ping in years)- who knows. I will research these boards and see what comes up about this trip.

Ronnie

[RachelG]

My husband and I are booked to do this cruise. We are regular Regent cruisers. In fact, we are on board Voyager right now. I am just killing time till our suite is ready.

My husband loves cold (I really prefer warmer), and he has always wanted to go to Iceland, so we are doing 3 days precruise there.

I looked at the previous ships you have cruised on. Regent is a big step up in quality in my opinion. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised if you sail with Regent. The only problem is that you can't go back to the mainstream lines again. You just will be too spoiled. (When we stepped on board today, 4 different crew members recognized us by name within the 1st 10 minutes and welcomed us back.)

[CalifCarol]

I spoke with a woman from northern Scotland that I met on a recent Regent Voyager cruise. She said that this timeframe is good to visit the northern islands; there is more chance of foggy rain and conditions in the middle of the summer. That clicked in my mind as I live in the San Francisco bay area and our summer months are the worst time for tourists to come here -- thick fog and cold abound. She said, too, that we will be quite far north and will have long days during these dates.

 

I also spoke with the assistant cruise director on our recent trip who says, with the standard qualification, that that area is not prone to rough seas.

 

We are booked on this trip and the route really appeals to me and my DH. I do plan to get out some weather averages though before I go.

 

My plan is to do some weather research this weekend, and I'm happy to post my research after I do so. We have booked this trip already and are looking forward to it very much

 

CalifCarol

[2travelers]

Thanks everyone. My trips have not been updated but we have done some Tauck and last spring Egypt and Jordan - but still, I know that Regent is a step up. I think I need to stop reading these reviews. We are heading to the Carribean in December, but nothing big is on the horizon and this site is giving me the urge to jump in.

Rachel - what about the transaction fee that everyone is talking about. If I book dircetly with Regent and use a credit card I get charged a 3% transaaction fee? Seems like a punishment for using a US bank. What goes, if you know.

Ronnie

[englishlee]

2Travelers, I did this cruise earlier this year. How can I help you, what do you need to know about the cruise itself.

[2travelers]

2Travelers, I did this cruise earlier this year. How can I help you, what do you need to know about the cruise itself.

 

 

Hi Englishlee: First - how is the weather during that time of year. The trip is May 26th. We were on a River Cruise to Russia about two years ago and I was not prepared for the cold, rainy and windy weather they were having in the middle of July. If we do this trip I want to be prepared. It seems to be an easy cruise, but my husband had a failed spine surgery a few years back. He was in pretty bad shape and required nearly 16 hours of surgery to repair the damage done and spent a year in rehab. He now needs a walker to get around. Although he is pretty good with a walker, keeping up with a busload of 50 people is extremely difficult. We are locked into cruising because of his disability, and in the past I have always used private guides so we can go at our own pace. How strenuous are the excursions? (although he managed to push the walker through Egypt last year :eek:). Will we miss some good tours because of his lack of mobility? What I don't want to do is pay for a cruise with inclusive tours that we will not be able to go on.

Also, this may not have affected you, but some posters on this site mentioned that Regent Seven Seas is charging a conversion fee of 3% on the price of the cruise if you pay by charge. Actually, it seems to be the banks that are doing that - so if you don't use Amex, you get charged regardless of whether you book directily with Regent or you use a TA. Did this affect you and have you heard about it?

Can we forgo formal night and eat at one of the restaurants? I haven't really researched the ship, but I am assuming that there are specialty restaurants that we can go to. How are they and did you use them at all. Since I am the one carrying luggage, I would rather not have to pack fancy clothing for a two hour dinner - so formal nights are out for us. Any suggestions?

If there is anything else I can think of I will post. Meanwhile thank you in advance for your insights, information, and for being so kind to share them with us.

Ronnie

[JACKHAWK]

Most credit cards except for AX & Cap One do charge the 3%, but Regent has been reimbursing everyone.

 

The only place you can eat on Formal nights without dressing up in La Veranda, but you can get the CompassRose menu during dinner in your suite. You also need a coat to eat in Signatures.

 

quote=2travelers;21393195]Hi Englishlee: First - how is the weather during that time of year. The trip is May 26th. We were on a River Cruise to Russia about two years ago and I was not prepared for the cold, rainy and windy weather they were having in the middle of July. If we do this trip I want to be prepared. It seems to be an easy cruise, but my husband had a failed spine surgery a few years back. He was in pretty bad shape and required nearly 16 hours of surgery to repair the damage done and spent a year in rehab. He now needs a walker to get around. Although he is pretty good with a walker, keeping up with a busload of 50 people is extremely difficult. We are locked into cruising because of his disability, and in the past I have always used private guides so we can go at our own pace. How strenuous are the excursions? (although he managed to push the walker through Egypt last year :eek:). Will we miss some good tours because of his lack of mobility? What I don't want to do is pay for a cruise with inclusive tours that we will not be able to go on.

Also, this may not have affected you, but some posters on this site mentioned that Regent Seven Seas is charging a conversion fee of 3% on the price of the cruise if you pay by charge. Actually, it seems to be the banks that are doing that - so if you don't use Amex, you get charged regardless of whether you book directily with Regent or you use a TA. Did this affect you and have you heard about it?

Can we forgo formal night and eat at one of the restaurants? I haven't really researched the ship, but I am assuming that there are specialty restaurants that we can go to. How are they and did you use them at all. Since I am the one carrying luggage, I would rather not have to pack fancy clothing for a two hour dinner - so formal nights are out for us. Any suggestions?

If there is anything else I can think of I will post. Meanwhile thank you in advance for your insights, information, and for being so kind to share them with us.

Ronnie

[englishlee]

Hello Ronnie

 

I can answer some of your questions, but not the one's about credit cards as I'm based in the UK and so it's different for us anyway.

 

Re the weather, generally the weather was pretty good. We stayed in Iceland for three nights before joining the ship (Voyager), and the weather for those three days was glorious and very warm during the day but cool at night. That said, two weeks earlier they'd had a snowstorm! Our first port of call Heimaey, was cancelled due to the wind being too strong to use the tenders, so the captain took us on a slow circuit of the island instead. The weather was grey for the first couple of days of the cruise, and in fact when we docked in the Faeroes it was still grey and then it started teeming with rain, but Torshavn was worth getting on the shuttle bus to see but you can see the town in a morning (if you don't plan to venture further afield on a ships tour).

 

The weather in the Orkneys was pretty good, beautifully sunny in the morning, a bit windy and grey later in the day with some drizzle as well. We hired a small car for the day which was great, we managed to avoid the tour buses and see all the highlights we wanted to. It's a very easy island to drive around with little traffic.

 

Isle of Skye was pretty, the weather was excellent and again we hired a car and drove to Dunvegan Castle, and several other places. Portree is very small in an hour or so you will have seen the highlights, but if recall correctly you could take a boat trip from the harbour to see whales and porpoises etc The voyage out of Portree (which is a tender port) is pretty as you pass between some of the other islands.

 

Belfast is a city that I like a lot, I sometimes go there on business, and also go there for long weekends with my wife. The shuttle bus drops you in the city centre, usually outside the tourist information office. If your husband has difficulty in walking and doesn't want to join the ships tours then I can recommend the black cab tours, the drivers are very knowledgeable. http://www.belfasttours.com/about.htm

 

We went to Glasgow, but I think your cruise goes to Waterford which is a pity as Glasgow is another great city with lot's to see in the area.

 

Dublin is very busy, the shuttle drops you in a central location but the service can be a bit erratic, for example the drivers have to have a lunch break so there is no shuttle service for a couple of hours during the middle of the day. From where the shuttle drops you you can walk quite easily to most of the tourist destinations, except for the Guinness museum / factory. The weather here was very warm, even I was in shorts and t shirt and I'm a cold mortal.

 

Cork is a pleasant enough city, in actual fact the ship docks in Cobh which is a smallish town with an interesting Titanic museum (Cobh was its last port of call) in the railway station. The ship normally docks alongside the railway station from where you can catch the train to Cork itself (takes 30 minutes and is quite cheap for a day return ticket). The station in Cork is some way from the centre so catch a cab to the centre (it'll take 5 minutes in a taxi). Cork city centre is quite flat and interesting enough for a half day.

 

The rest of the cruise I can't help you with as we went to Portland but your ship will go to Falmouth, which is a pretty spot but ships sometimes pass it by because it's a tender port and the winds are sometimes not prepared to play ball!

 

Generally the weather from the Orkneys southwards was pretty good, When we arrived in Southampton in was approx 72f. The further south we went the better the weather got.

 

There are 4 main restaurants on board. The main dining room (Compass Rose) 2 speciality restaurants (one French style, one steakhouse/grill) and casual restaurant. The first three follow the dress code for the day (if I recall correctly we had 2 maybe 3 formal nights on the whole voyage). La Verandah is the casual restaurant and is casual whatever the dress code. I love La Veranda and we ate more meals there than anywhere else. If I recall correctly we ate three times in the steakhouse, once in the French restaurant, 4 times in La Verandah and only twice in the main dining room.

 

Hope this helps a little.

Lee

[2travelers]

Hello Ronnie

 

I can answer some of your questions, but not the one's about credit cards as I'm based in the UK and so it's different for us anyway.

 

Re the weather, generally the weather was pretty good. We stayed in Iceland for three nights before joining the ship (Voyager), and the weather for those three days was glorious and very warm during the day but cool at night. That said, two weeks earlier they'd had a snowstorm! Our first port of call Heimaey, was cancelled due to the wind being too strong to use the tenders, so the captain took us on a slow circuit of the island instead. The weather was grey for the first couple of days of the cruise, and in fact when we docked in the Faeroes it was still grey and then it started teeming with rain, but Torshavn was worth getting on the shuttle bus to see but you can see the town in a morning (if you don't plan to venture further afield on a ships tour).

 

The weather in the Orkneys was pretty good, beautifully sunny in the morning, a bit windy and grey later in the day with some drizzle as well. We hired a small car for the day which was great, we managed to avoid the tour buses and see all the highlights we wanted to. It's a very easy island to drive around with little traffic.

 

Isle of Skye was pretty, the weather was excellent and again we hired a car and drove to Dunvegan Castle, and several other places. Portree is very small in an hour or so you will have seen the highlights, but if recall correctly you could take a boat trip from the harbour to see whales and porpoises etc The voyage out of Portree (which is a tender port) is pretty as you pass between some of the other islands.

 

Belfast is a city that I like a lot, I sometimes go there on business, and also go there for long weekends with my wife. The shuttle bus drops you in the city centre, usually outside the tourist information office. If your husband has difficulty in walking and doesn't want to join the ships tours then I can recommend the black cab tours, the drivers are very knowledgeable. http://www.belfasttours.com/about.htm

 

We went to Glasgow, but I think your cruise goes to Waterford which is a pity as Glasgow is another great city with lot's to see in the area.

 

Dublin is very busy, the shuttle drops you in a central location but the service can be a bit erratic, for example the drivers have to have a lunch break so there is no shuttle service for a couple of hours during the middle of the day. From where the shuttle drops you you can walk quite easily to most of the tourist destinations, except for the Guinness museum / factory. The weather here was very warm, even I was in shorts and t shirt and I'm a cold mortal.

 

Cork is a pleasant enough city, in actual fact the ship docks in Cobh which is a smallish town with an interesting Titanic museum (Cobh was its last port of call) in the railway station. The ship normally docks alongside the railway station from where you can catch the train to Cork itself (takes 30 minutes and is quite cheap for a day return ticket). The station in Cork is some way from the centre so catch a cab to the centre (it'll take 5 minutes in a taxi). Cork city centre is quite flat and interesting enough for a half day.

 

The rest of the cruise I can't help you with as we went to Portland but your ship will go to Falmouth, which is a pretty spot but ships sometimes pass it by because it's a tender port and the winds are sometimes not prepared to play ball!

 

Generally the weather from the Orkneys southwards was pretty good, When we arrived in Southampton in was approx 72f. The further south we went the better the weather got.

 

There are 4 main restaurants on board. The main dining room (Compass Rose) 2 speciality restaurants (one French style, one steakhouse/grill) and casual restaurant. The first three follow the dress code for the day (if I recall correctly we had 2 maybe 3 formal nights on the whole voyage). La Verandah is the casual restaurant and is casual whatever the dress code. I love La Veranda and we ate more meals there than anywhere else. If I recall correctly we ate three times in the steakhouse, once in the French restaurant, 4 times in La Verandah and only twice in the main dining room.

 

Hope this helps a little.

Lee

 

Thanks Lee - it helps a lot. These past few years have been a bit of shock to us, having to plan everything around what I call "Johnny Walker". This is a guy who climbed the Great Wall of China a year before his surgery. Go figure!

I am going to have my DH read your post and we will go from there. This really sounds wonderful and we tend to eat in the specialty restaurants anyway.

Seems like all the ports are easy to navigate on your own, and so far no one has mentioned that safety is an issue.

Thanks a million.

Ronnie

[bethaniesmom]

well, Ronnie, by the time I got back, lots of others had given you...and me....alot of great info!

we have never done Regent cruises, just brushed them off as very overpriced. but the more I hear about them and the more I calculate all that is included, I am beginning to think that we will continue our research on them.

this particular trip sounds great. we have always wanted to do Ireland, Scotland and Iceland and here we have all three.

 

Beverly

[2travelers]

well, Ronnie, by the time I got back, lots of others had given you...and me....alot of great info!

we have never done Regent cruises, just brushed them off as very overpriced. but the more I hear about them and the more I calculate all that is included, I am beginning to think that we will continue our research on them.

this particular trip sounds great. we have always wanted to do Ireland, Scotland and Iceland and here we have all three.

 

Beverly

 

Beverly - Have you been talking to my husband :D

 

Ronnie

[RachelG]

Couple of answers to questions: about the 3% foreign transaction fee, it is charged by the credit card company, so whether or not they try to make you pay it depends on which credit card you use. I have been able to avoid it, but it is certainly something to be aware of.

 

About the intensity of the ship's tours: I obviously haven't taken any of the tours on this particular cruise yet (since I haven't done the trip yet), but on other Regent cruises, it seemed to me that there was a good selection of tours of varying intensity levels. We tend to go for the more active tours, but usually there are tours available which are mostly sitting. Looking at the selection online for the Iceland trip, I think you should be able to find some to suit.

[englishlee]

Ronnie, re your comment about safety.

 

In the Orkneys and Isle of Skye where we hired a car in both places we were told that when we had finished with it to leave the car, unlocked, in a nearby car park (in relation to the pier) with the keys in the footwell and they would find it later for collection. It was that safe and crime is that low in those particular places.

 

Incidentally just a reminder that the speciality restaurants are formal when the dress code is formal. In fact I think that the French restaurant requires a jacket every night (for men).

Lee

[2travelers]

Thanks everyone.

Lee - Looks like we will be eating in La Verandah a lot! Thanks for the "heads-up" on the dress codes. Now I have to decide what to do. My husband (and I agree) says that all the larger cruise ships do the same ports we have been to. Nothing is new. Regent is the first one to offer these ports. I know Princess Cruises does England, Scotland and Ireland - but not Iceland.

All your info was wonderful and I am going to keep reading. Where I really should start is with Regent. With all these great reviews, the ship may be filled for the May 2010 trip already.

Ronnie

[OrpingtonT]

With all these great reviews, the ship may be filled for the May 2010 trip already.

Ronnie

 

You are right. Much of the accommodation is "closed" already. Only Penthouse suites and D Grade have availability.

[2travelers]

You are right. Much of the accommodation is "closed" already. Only Penthouse suites and D Grade have availability.

 

 

EEEEEKKKK - :eek:. Well, there is always 2011. We have to look forward to something. There may still be hope. Many times people book way in advance and things happen and cancel. I will watch the website.

Thanks,

Ronnie

[Lovesatq]

Happy to hear from someone that's going to be on the same cruise as my daughter and I. When my twin girls were little a mother/daughter day was movie and lunch and now at 26 years old we've upgraded to a Regents cruise. Last February it was a trip to Italy with her sister. At this rate I'm going to go broke but I'm not complaining. My husband is a stay at home guy and my daughters love to travel so what is a girl to do??? We picked this cruise for two reasons, one my brother raves about Regents and the ports of call were perfect for us. I've traveled Ireland this time of year before (another mother/daughter trip) and expect weather to be about the same. I call it heavy sweater weather or light coat with a chance of showers. It really wasn't bad at all. Enjoy your trip.....I know we will.

[Travelcat2]

Regent has had ongoing computer problems this year. Although your cruise may show almost full one day, the next week it could change completely. Ours did. Check with your TA -- they can view a different screen and check availability for you.

[RachelG]

Happy to hear from someone that's going to be on the same cruise as my daughter and I. When my twin girls were little a mother/daughter day was movie and lunch and now at 26 years old we've upgraded to a Regents cruise. Last February it was a trip to Italy with her sister. At this rate I'm going to go broke but I'm not complaining. My husband is a stay at home guy and my daughters love to travel so what is a girl to do??? We picked this cruise for two reasons, one my brother raves about Regents and the ports of call were perfect for us. I've traveled Ireland this time of year before (another mother/daughter trip) and expect weather to be about the same. I call it heavy sweater weather or light coat with a chance of showers. It really wasn't bad at all. Enjoy your trip.....I know we will.

 

We'll look forward to meeting you. Too bad my older son (24) won't be able to join us. The younger one (19) is still considering. We hiked in the UK in the Lake district once at this time of year. Weather was cool but pleasant except for one day of pouring rain. But I think it rains a lot in the Lake District anytime.