July 2 Southbound on Navigator

[Travelcat2]

I hate to read these posts as we board Aug 8 for the Alaska cruise and wanted our first Regent experience to leave us wanting more. Hope it all gets straightened out quickly. Doesn't sound at all like a Regent experience from the cruisers I know who often sail Regent. joyous

 

In my humble opinion, Alaska cruises are not the same experience as other Regent itineraries. During the summer, the ship runs very full and has a high percentage of children. Regent cannot put more crew on during this time since there is no room for them. Therefore, the crew is stretched beyond what would be conidered normal. There have been volumes of posts written about Regent cruises in Alaska. While Regent is still probably the best cruise line that sails in Alaska, it is the best of a very difficult area of the world to sail.

[rcandkc]

In my humble opinion, Alaska cruises are not the same experience as other Regent itineraries. During the summer, the ship runs very full and has a high percentage of children. Regent cannot put more crew on during this time since there is no room for them. Therefore, the crew is stretched beyond what would be conidered normal. There have been volumes of posts written about Regent cruises in Alaska. While Regent is still probably the best cruise line that sails in Alaska, it is the best of a very difficult area of the world to sail.

 

I find this interesting, because on our Alaska cruise last August, although not perfect service we were happy. It was late august so very few children and families. Maybe that made a difference. However, our weather was questionable:confused:rolleyes:

[joyous]

We are going in August , so I doubt there will be many children. We have been to Alaska via cruise three times, so the only time we are concerned about the weather is the day we visit Tracy Arm. We'll just see how it goes. joyous

[room010]

There are only a few children on board this time with a scattering of teenagers. All are extremely well behaved and are a credit to their parents. The overwhelming majority of passengers are American seniors so the entertainment is very much geared towards their tastes. Making conversation is also tricky as a lot seems to be "lost in translation" with our Aussie accents although some even seem somewhat confronted by a cheery G'day in the corridor :D We are in Prince Rupert Island this morning (Canada, eh!) our last port before cruising the Inside Passage tomorrow to our final destination,Vancouver, on Wedesday.

 

Weather is still very cool, damp and foggy - this is getting a bit tedious now - but flat calm seas too. We came to Alaska for the spectacular scenary and have seen very little of it which is a real shame. I can't help but compare to my last visit here 3 years ago when we had bright blue skies and temps on the 80s most days. But bad weather is always a risk in Alaska and we knew that when we signed up for this cruise so caveat emptor.

 

The mood on board is a little damp and gloomy too (just like my posts in this thread!) but I guess it's inevitable after a week of wet!

 

I take your points about passing my concerns ref service issues to the General Manager and will do so before we disembark. As I say, there has been a significant improvement so maybe they have heeded my Mid Cruise Questionaire comments where I didn't pull any punches! I agree that it's important to deal with these things as and when they happen rather than complain after the event. But I'm not demanding a free cruise yet!!! ;)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Weather is still very cool, damp and foggy - this is getting a bit tedious now - but flat calm seas too. We came to Alaska for the spectacular scenary and have seen very little of it which is a real shame. I can't help but compare to my last visit here 3 years ago when we had bright blue skies and temps on the 80s most days. But bad weather is always a risk in Alaska and we knew that when we signed up for this cruise so caveat emptor.

 

After being through cold, wet, windy weather in May for my first trip to Alaska (except the seas were nowhere near flat), I commiserate. I've come to realize that the weather in Alaska is a real crapshoot. We enjoyed it for what it was--a brooding landscape. Luckily we didn't get much fog at least.

 

I think given that, it behooves Regent to make the experience onboard as terrific as possible. Sounds like that hasn't been quite the case. It would be better if they used Mariner I think.

[pl281]

Thank you to room for providing updates...

 

As room said..we are in Prince Rupert today...they have Free Wifi - which you can pick up from on board if you are on the dock side of the ship.

 

I agree in regards to the hit/miss with the dinning staff. The food IMO has been great and exactly what I expected, but the service has been a bit slow.

 

One example is that I order an iced tea with most of my meals. When we've cruised with Oceania in the past, I never had to ask for a refill, it just showed up... here I've had to ask for refills.

 

Also as an observation compared to other lines, the bar waiters take care of all drinks except coffee, hot tea and water.

 

Enough about food....now onto excursions

 

Juneau - We switched once on board to the "Photo Safari" This was a great trip with a stop at Mendenhall Glacier and then a boat trip for whale watching. We got to see a group of 10 hump back bubble net feeding.

 

Great trip and the guide was helpful in making sure people had their cameras set up correctly

 

Hoonah - This is a small town with a small little village of 10 shops. We did the bear watching tour in the morning for about 2 hours. Due to the cold raining weather we did not do the tram tour in the afternoon.

 

Skagway - We did 2 tours here - In the morning, we did gold panning - there were a total of 6 of us on this tour...it was a cute little thing and got about $20 in gold flakes (it was fixed ;) )

 

Then in the afternoon we did the Ghosts and Good Time Girls walking tour which was a nice little walk around town and a tour of the Red Onion Saloon and Brothel

 

Ketchikan - The weather described as "Alaska" mid 50s cloudy and a little rain.

We did the Cruise George Inlet and Crab Fest.....highly recommend this...had the most people on this tour of any of the tours we've done...

 

Went out on a boat and pulled up some crab pots, then went back to the lodge and had crab fest (fresh crabs caught in the last week) pretty much all you can eat and for those that don't eat crab they had chicken and pasta for the vegetarians in the group

 

 

Enjoying the nicer weather here in Prince Rupert (upper 50s low 60s and SUNNY)

[tallship]

How odd as we were just on and the service was superb in all venues. Sette Mari was harried and the wine pours were slow but everything else was great

[Cattravel10]

Agree with Tallship! It was a fabulous cruise wasn't it. And the weather, well - a huge bonus.

[room010]

Just had a rock n rolling night out of Prince Rupert (great little place) and the first real sunshine of the week. Many people camped out by the pool soaking up the rays and topping up their vitamin D. Another so-so dinner in CR. The sommelier turned up half way through the main course and only when we asked someone to fetch him. I know my comments make me sound like a real whinger and truly I'm not, but for various personal reasons this cruise was intended to be very special and it just hasn't been. Or maybe I'm in the wrong frame of mind now to be totally objective.

 

I will write my full review and let the games begin!!!

[Hambagahle]

From what I just read I see no difference between dinner in the "old" Veranda (and even "older" Positano) restaurant and the "new" Sette Mari. There was always a wide choice of antipasti on a buffet basis, and then one chose the main course from a menu. so exactly what has changed beyond the china and - the name??

[tallship]

Gerry-

In my opinion there is a lot of hoopla about Sette !Mari but we prefer to dine in CR

We found SM way too crowded and the food just OK

[tripperva]

Didn't Yogi Berra say "Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded."

[Threechicks]

From what I just read I see no difference between dinner in the "old" Veranda (and even "older" Positano) restaurant and the "new" Sette Mari. There was always a wide choice of antipasti on a buffet basis, and then one chose the main course from a menu. so exactly what has changed beyond the china and - the name??

Gerry, I have the same question. I have always enjoyed Verandah in the evening if I didn't feel up to the more formal CR. On the Voyager and the Mariner the format has been the same for several years so I am wondering what is different now. I will be on the Mariner in September so will find out. I don't think the Navigator is a good example as the dining room is much smaller.

[tallship]

Gerry, I have the same question. I have always enjoyed Verandah in the evening if I didn't feel up to the more formal CR. On the Voyager and the Mariner the format has been the same for several years so I am wondering what is different now. I will be on the Mariner in September so will find out. I don't think the Navigator is a good example as the dining room is much smaller.

 

 

Agreed.

[room010]

From what I just read I see no difference between dinner in the "old" Veranda (and even "older" Positano) restaurant and the "new" Sette Mari. There was always a wide choice of antipasti on a buffet basis, and then one chose the main course from a menu. so exactly what has changed beyond the china and - the name??

 

The difference is that there isn't a wide choice of buffet antipasti and they are trying to create an upmarket, exclusively Italian restaurant. It consists of little bowls of olives, slices of ham, salami, green salads, etc. We tried to explain that we only wanted a quick, light meal but were put under pressure to order a la carte traditional Italian with separate soup, pasta and main courses - WAY too much food if you only want a light supper. There just isn't any flexibility. It didn't work for us and the Navigator doesn't have enough space to indulge in fixing what wasn't broke in the first place.

 

I am now back home and writing my full review which I will post asap.

[room010]

I've just posted my full Review which should appear as soon as it's been censored! I can post it here too if anyone is interested?

[Seabourntraveller]

[quote name='room010']I've just posted my full Review which should appear as soon as it's been censored! I can post it here too if anyone is interested?[/quote]

Please do!;)

[room010]

[FONT=Candara][SIZE=3]Review – Regent Seven Seas “Navigator” Anchorage to Vancouver 2-13 July 2012[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Candara][SIZE=3]I think it’s often wiser to write a review with the benefit of objective hindsight so I have spent a few days thinking this through before risking the ire of the Regent loyalists of whom I consider myself one believe it or not! I will also keep it as brief as possible and apologise now if I omit any important details. If so, feel free to ask. No food pics either. We all know what food looks like! Overall we enjoyed our cruise but can’t help feeling disappointed that it didn’t meet our expectations. It is also perhaps unfair to compare one Regent cruise against another with such different ships and itineraries. Or maybe our Sydney to Beijing Voyager cruise last year was exceptional compared to this Navigator experience.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Getting to Anchorage[/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara] on the trans-Pacific haul is always a challenge for those of us who live Down Under but this one was made much easier by the excellent Air New Zealand service from Melbourne (via Auckland) to Vancouver. If you want to avoid the added stress of transiting through LAX or San Francisco then I can highly recommend it. Unfortunately we had to go via San Fran to make it to Anchorage/Seward on time so we had the customary surly and rude “welcome” to the US from the border/customs officials so many visitors are now subjected to. A truly terrible “first class” 5 hour United flight in an ancient 737 from San Fran to Anchorage with broken seats and inedible food – an outrageous waste of money - soured the mood even further. A major attitude adjustment is required from their cranky and impatient flight attendants too.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Hotel[/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara] was the Captain Cook. It was clean and comfortable and and we were so jetlagged and exhausted after almost 24 hours of airports/travel we really didn’t care. There were a number of Regent and Princess pax staying there so there was a long queue for breakfast. Hint: Ask for a later bus to Seward to avoid the early brekky queue. A 2 hour bus ride at midday to Seward was uneventful and we were about the last group of passengers to embark so the process was entirely painless and smooth . 10 minutes max.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Penthouse Suite [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara]on deck 11 was classic Regent and exactly as you’d expect, ie clean, spacious, comfortable and smart with all the usual attention to detail. I can’t comment on the recent refit as I didn’t see what it was like beforehand but everything was fine apart from paint spattered verandah furniture and a bit of minor ‘finishing off’ required here and there. That being said, the ship is obviously getting old and tired which no amount of cosmetic surgery is going to fix. A bit like me really. We did notice the infamous “vibration problem”, especially when sailing at higher speeds but it didn’t bother us. More intrusive was the early morning thump, thump, thump of the gym treadmills which were directly over our cabin. Our butler Irshad was a delight and very efficient and attentive , as was our steward Raz who always had a cheerful smile and time for a quick chat no matter how busy he was.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Dining[/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara] was very hit and miss with regards to the actual food and the service during both breakfast and dinner. I think there were a lot of new recruits among the waiters as dining room service in both the Compass Rose and Sette Mari (we couldn’t get a table in Prime 7 except at 9pm one night which is way too late for us) seemed chaotic and lacking direction. I won’t bore you with the several minor incidents which added up to one major problem but it wasn’t as good as it could and should be and as I know it can be. On one night we had inexplicably poor service in CR and so I wrote a fairly stern mid-cruise report which seemed to have the desired effect as the crew were all over us after that but it didn’t always translate into improved service. I think our names and photos were on the crew briefing room as These Two Are Trouble! One very obvious example of Regent’s cost cutting was the very limited wine choices which were average quality and uninspiring. OK to drink with a meal but nothing you’d want to enjoy on its own. The sommeliers were also slow or invisible with wine often served well into the main course.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Sette Mari[/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara] is nothing more than a gimmick in a restaurant that’s already very small (made smaller by the expanded Prime 7). OK if you like semi-formal Italian dining every night but it means that if you want a less structured or flexible evening meal then room service is your only option. I’m possibly in the minority on this one but I really don’t think Regent can afford to severely restrict our dining choices like this. I know it’s a matter of limited space but that makes the Sette Mari “experiment” even less practical. Bring back the La Veranda model for informal evening buffet dining please![/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Entertainment [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara]is limited to the very competant Jean Ann Ryan Dancers doing various themed shows and the inimitable and quirky (!) Cruise Director Ray Solaire. I don’t doubt his talent as an entertainer (and he’s an excellent singer) but we were hoping for something a bit different some nights. I guess the logistics of the Alaska itinerary limit the opportunities for other entertainers to join/leave the ship? The band was professional and versatile and did a great job.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Demographics [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara]can be an emotive topic but on this cruise I think they played a major factor in our overall enjoyment or lack thereof. The moribund CC Roll Call for this voyage should have been a clue about what to expect perhaps. The vast majority of passengers were American seniors as you would expect on an Alaskan voyage but I’m afraid it wasn’t easy to engage with most of them. Maybe it was our “weird” Aussie accents but many people made it perfectly clear they weren’t interested in any kind of conversation, with some being downright rude, almost hostile. Even a friendly “G’day!” while passing in a corridor was often met with suspicious or alarmed stares or they stonewalled us altogether. We are usually happy to dine at a large table in CR in order to meet our fellow passengers but on this cruise we were sufficiently intimidated not to risk an awkward evening. The overall ambiance just wasn’t the usual relaxed and happy Regent experience I’m afraid. Perhaps it had something to do with the……[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Weather[/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara] which was dull and damp most days which meant we were unable to see much, if any, of the magnificent Alaskan scenary except on the last two days (Prince Rupert and Inner Passage) when the sun finally came out and gave everyone a long awaited treat of warmth and those stunning views and a few welcome hours soaking up the rays relaxing on the pool deck. Our first stop at the Hubbard Glacier was a complete wash-out with very poor visibility and too much ice making it impossible to see anything at all. Seeing Terry Breen’s spectacular photos of what we were missing in all that murk made it even more disappointing. The upside of all the damp and cloud was very calm seas apart from one lumpy evening (nothing serious) so we were lucky in that respect as we could tell that Navigator wouldn’t handle rough seas very well. Alaskan weather is always the luck of the draw and we knew that before we booked so there’s no point complaining about something that can’t be predicted or fixed anyway![/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Excursions [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara](or at least the ones we did) were well organized and enjoyable but they all offer basically the same thing – whales, wildlife and glaciers. Alaska does those things superbly well of course but after a week it does make all the ports tend to blend into each other. I admit we did skip a couple of “free” excursions because we were all whaled out by then. The Destinations staff was helpful and very (very) patient as there always seemed to be people asking questions and changing their minds about excursions.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]Disembarkation [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara]was quick and seamless and we were at Vancouver airport within an hour of leaving our suite for the last time. This was no doubt due in part to the fact that there was only one other ship docked at Canada Place that morning.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[SIZE=3][B][FONT=Candara]In conclusion [/FONT][/B][FONT=Candara]this was a good cruise overall but not a great one. The poor weather was no doubt a significant factor but we feel there was a more fundamental underlying problem which I still can’t quite put my finger on. Navigator just didn’t seem like a ‘happy ship’ for some reason either for the passengers or the crew who appeared to be lacking leadership and supervision. The general malaise was highlighted one morning when two dining room staff almost came to blows during breakfast in La Veranda. While there were a few families with young children on board this cruise doesn’t really cater for them and while they behaved very well they didn’t have much to entertain them. But Regent has always geared its product towards adults so it’s something to take into consideration if you are planning a family cruise. Would we cruise with Regent again? Of course, in fact we are already booked on the Voyager in 2013. Will we choose Navigator again? Probably not.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[journeyfan]

You obviously put a lot of thought into your review. It appears to be well-balanced and fair, although somewhat discouraging for those of us who have upcoming cruises on the Navigator.

I was surprised to hear that Ray Solaire is the CD as I thought a poster on one of the June cruises said the CD director was Lorraine Weimerskirch. Did Ray just come on the ship? Hope he will still be on for our cruise as he is one of the better Regent CDs.

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you for spending your time thinking out and presenting a report on your Alaskan cruise on Navigator. I have never sailed on Navigator and I don't think I ever will. I wish Mariner was back on the Alaskan run.

[RachelG]

Thank you for your report. I think it is fair and balanced. The weather, which no one can control, has always played a big part in my enjoyment of a cruise, and I appreciate that you acknowledge this. I think there is a somewhat different demographic of cruisers on the Alaska cruises too--not as many Regent regulars as usual--which may affect things.

[tallship]

Thanks for your review and sorry about the weather. Cruise ambiance is hit or miss and seems to be more of an issue on Regent cruises nowadays.

We were on the June 20th Southbound and lucked out with glorious weather. Our crew was also fantastic and inspite of a few dining glitches at the pool bar and La Veranda at lunch, I have to say we had a very, very good cruise. The crew was upbeat and terrific. I do know that a few, including Lorraine, disembarked at the end of our cruise. We did not care for the JAR lead singers, esp. the male singer but other than that we also enjoyed the band and the shows.

Sailing on the Navigator is a different and more intimate experience than being on Mariner. The furniture in the rooms is a bit tired, old and crusty like me .....but I am on vacation so I just kick back and enjoy. We are now thinking we will make Alaska cruising an annual thing so looking forward to planning our next adventure. Regent has some great offers on Alaska at the end of May, early June......hope you give Navigator another try. We did after being very disappointed a few years ago and are happy we did.

[tripperva]

Thanks for the honest and objective review.The alternative dining problems are especially troubling for the longer cruises on Navigator,such as 23 days to the Amazon this November. We've done 10 or 12 Regent trips,including one on Navigator,but the recent reviews on CC and elsewhere are not very encouraging.Too bad management has not reacted quickly to the many concerns. We may cancel .

[room010]

Thank you everyone for your kind remarks. I know the Regent regulars can be a tough crowd sometimes! But I see no point in glossing over areas of particular concern. Ambiance is such a elusive thing we have to be thankful when it's good and try not to be too disappointed when it's missing but this time it just wasn't there. I've already been on my soapbox in another thread about the informal dining options (or lack thereof) but I truly believe that the Sette Mari concept is fundamentally flawed, especially with such limited space on Navigator, and Regent has to think again on the practical aspects of this. I don't expect to be forced to use room service for dinner if I'm after something quick and simple nor to wait an hour or so for a table.

[tallship]

I agree about needing to rethink Sette Mari on the Navigator. We loved coming back from an excursion and heading up there for a relaxing and quick buffet. It just doesn't work on such a small ship where you have to wait in line to get in and then wait again to be served.