Puzzled

[Wendy The Wanderer]

alfa, Each night the Compass Rose menu offers a selection from Prime 7 and Signatures. So in a sense, you will be given the opportunity to eat something for the two specialty restaurants. That's a nice feature.

 

I agree, I did that several times on my last cruise in May. There was a scallop dish on the menu in P7 tgat U really liked, plus there's the Dover sole, which I love.

[English Tim]

Good day English Tim,

 

you guys in England must be as proud as punch at the moment. The games are on your door step. Wishing you well from down under.

 

I have no problem with long term guests of Regent being looked after, so they should as they are a typically loyal bunch, like many are in the seabourn forum.

 

All are proud of their favorite cruise line.

 

I only question why so far in advance do you have to reserve dinner. Normally I only decide what to eat when I stand in front of an opened fridge, that is when, "she who must be obeyed' hasn't cooked a wonderful meal for me" ;)

 

I struggle to even think about the cruise 2 months in advance due to work commitments. I just like the idea of being relaxed and let the cruise, its guests and staff surround you without locking in dinner times or for that matter shore excursions. It just adds a sense of "regimentation" to it, which I do understand due to numbers, but have not previously experienced this urgency to book to ensure you "get into what you want to do on the cruise".

 

Hope the sun is finally shining in London.

 

 

regards

 

alfa

 

G'day to you too, alfa and thanks for the kind words.

 

My wife Rosy is on the Olympics medical team, so she is about to start a very busy fortnight with 12 hour shifts! The sun has been shining in London and here in Dorchester, but alas the showery weather has returned. Hopefully not for long!

 

I agree about not knowing when and where to eat, but we've just gone with the flow and I suppose we could always amend once onboard, particularly if we meet people and want to dine with them.

[alfa]

On the medical team ? Hopefully you have some free tickets to the opening, daily events and the closing ceremony. Rosy must be as excited as ever at the moment.

 

Just had a look at your photo's of the Voyager on your photobucket, very nice indeed.

 

Regards

 

Alfa

[English Tim]

On the medical team ? Hopefully you have some free tickets to the opening, daily events and the closing ceremony. Rosy must be as excited as ever at the moment.

 

Just had a look at your photo's of the Voyager on your photobucket, very nice indeed.

 

Regards

 

Alfa

 

Rosy can go anywhere with her pass, but no free tickets, not even for her husband:(

 

Still, Olympic fever is gripping the Country and I eagerly await my debut on RSS Voyager.

[turtlemichael]

Alfa, I've done three cruises on Regent and two on Seabourn. On Seabourn it was on two of the little sisters so what I say is probably irrelevant to the larger vessels.

 

On Seabourn, on very full ships, I had no difficulty in getting into Restaurant 2 on short notice. I'd either book 2 days in advance or even on the day. Only once was I turned away. On Regent, I am with you that booking months in advance seems weird. Although I felt that food and service in the main dining room were significantly better on Seabourn, I can't say that the experience in the Seabourn alternative restaurant was superior to the Regent alternative restaurants.

 

I found R2 to be decent food but I always felt as if I was dining in a cafeteria with the lights slightly dimmed. On Regent, I felt that I was at least in a decent restaurant in Signatures or Prime 7. I'd guess that the demand for P7 and Signatures was greater than the demand for R2 on the smaller Seabourn ships.

 

I therefore can understand why Regent may have a different booking system from Seabourn. It would however be great is Regent could loosen it's booking conditions as I can barely work out what I am doing a week in advance let alone 2 months.

[cwn]

Alfa, I've done three cruises on Regent and two on Seabourn. On Seabourn it was on two of the little sisters so what I say is probably irrelevant to the larger vessels.

 

On Seabourn, on very full ships, I had no difficulty in getting into Restaurant 2 on short notice. I'd either book 2 days in advance or even on the day. Only once was I turned away. On Regent, I am with you that booking months in advance seems weird. Although I felt that food and service in the main dining room were significantly better on Seabourn, I can't say that the experience in the Seabourn alternative restaurant was superior to the Regent alternative restaurants.

 

I found R2 to be decent food but I always felt as if I was dining in a cafeteria with the lights slightly dimmed. On Regent, I felt that I was at least in a decent restaurant in Signatures or Prime 7. I'd guess that the demand for P7 and Signatures was greater than the demand for R2 on the smaller Seabourn ships.

 

I therefore can understand why Regent may have a different booking system from Seabourn. It would however be great is Regent could loosen it's booking conditions as I can barely work out what I am doing a week in advance let alone 2 months.

 

 

Very well said. Our history with both lines is simular to yours.

 

Totally agree with your comments about booking months in advance on Regent and on the food/service in CR. As nice as the Mariner was....CR service was our main disappointment last year. Wine and water refills took way to long and the service was uneven especially if we went later than about 7. We have had much better DR service on the little girls.

 

R2 on Seabourn's little girls really does feel a bit casual with the sort of open kitchen look, but we do liked being able to sit out side in the evening and have "fancy" table service...we were in the Med and Middle East so the weather was very nice for this. We ate in R2 when ever the menu was to our taste with no problem.

 

We also had very few problems with going to Prime 7 as a walkin....just checked on the way to the CR when we were in the mood for a steak and were usually seated. We happen to like Prime 7 because we are meat and potatoes kind of people. Signatures wasn't a problem either, but we didn't really care for most of the menus.

 

We did 4 BtoBs on the Mariner and by the end of the trip we had canceled more than half of the advanced reservations because of conflicts.

[Travelcat2]

We enjoy booking restaurant reservations in advance. It enables us to get the exact time, day and table for two (or more) if we want. I do believe it's easier to book in advance when you have cruised Regent previously and are aware of the "special" nights when Compass Rose has extraordinary menus.

 

In terms of Seabourn, reviews about booking restaurants has been rather negative in the past. I've read about busy phone lines, etc. Silversea is just plain confusing. You can book when you get on board with the passengers boarding early getting first choice. No one really knows where to go to book reservations. I would think that reservations would be less of a problem on Silversea and Seabourns smaller ships.

[WesW]

We sail both Silversea and Regent and agree the advance online reservation Regent uses is much preferred over the current Silversea system. For example, we board Regent and (since we already have booked our specialty restaurant rsvns months in advance) enjoy a leisurely lunch shortly after our noon boarding. On the other hand, once we board Silversea (about noon), immediately after security check in, I hurry to La Terraza, then hurry to Le Champagne to make our restaurant reservations. Embarkation on Silversea is rushed and not as enjoyable as we find on Regent.

[newlondon]

Couldn't agree more Wes. In addition to having to hurry to make the reservation, one can end up standing in line for too many minutes if a passenger in front of you wants to talk at length with the maitre'de.

[alfa]

I therefore can understand why Regent may have a different booking system from Seabourn. It would however be great is Regent could loosen it's booking conditions as I can barely work out what I am doing a week in advance let alone 2 months.

 

Hi turtlemicheal, fellow aussie,

 

excellent comments. I hope I am equally as balanced as you when I post my review of the Voyager with a section, where I will compare it to Seabourn, not in terms of one directly against the other but rather, their styles, service offerings and culture.

 

Take care

 

Alfa

[HotRoot]

I am sure we are in the minority, but, this is how we do dinner. We meet in the bar/lounge/club. Our group seems to grow each night. When we are ready to eat, we ask the bartender to see which restaurant can accommodate our group. We have been able to eat in every restaurant on every ship.

[NCCruzQueen]

When we are ready to eat, we ask the bartender to see which restaurant can accommodate our group. We have been able to eat in every restaurant on every ship.

 

That is an interesting idea, HotRoot. I've never thought of doing that. Sounds smart.

[JPR]

This is one of the few posts criticizing Prime 7, and it's unfair. Few wines need decanting ("decanter" is a noun not a verb) and we don't necessarilly want to consume the entire bottle!

[nana541]

This is one of the few posts criticizing Prime 7, and it's unfair. Few wines need decanting ("decanter" is a noun not a verb) and we don't necessarilly want to consume the entire bottle!

 

??? I'm confused! Did i miss something?

[Travelcat2]

I'm missing a few "somethings". Although Regent employees want to do whatever they can for passengers, why would you ask a bartender to check and see if reservations are available in Signatures or P-7?

 

Decanting wine in P-7 -- not wanting to finish a bottle of wine????? The only bottle of wine you might be concerned about is the one that you purchased on the premium list. You certainly would not be required to finish it ...... but you paid for it and may want to take it back to your room.

 

Is there a full moon tonight?;)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree TC, I can't imagine asking a bartender to get me a dinner reservation onboard. That's crazy. Maybe they need a concierge! :confused: ;)

[cruiseluv]

I agree TC, I can't imagine asking a bartender to get me a dinner reservation onboard. That's crazy. Maybe they need a concierge! :confused: ;)

 

Well, I can't say I ever thought of doing this but, at the prices Regent charges, why would it be so unreasonable to ask a staff member at a lounge to do this? Actually, I think Regent should encourage it.

[gtragitt]

We've never understood the hooplah over Prime 7. A steak is a steak is a steak. Signatures is worth the effort getting a reservation so go and see the Maitre D once you are on board. It's amazing what miracles he can work provided you are willing to be a bit flexible ;). Otherwise, Compass Rose is an excellent alternative (with daily feature dishes from the speciality restaurants anyway) with no reservations required. And don't forget Sette Mari!!! :D

Prime 7 is the only place I ever encountered foie gras sliders. Amazing and decadant

[Travelcat2]

Still thinking that there must be a full moon tonight. :confused: Next someone will be asking their stewardess to make dinner for them -- and to be sure not to decant the wine.

[gtragitt]

We also had very few problems with going to Prime 7 as a walkin....just checked on the way to the CR when we were in the mood for a steak and were usually seated. We happen to like Prime 7 because we are meat and potatoes kind of people. Signatures wasn't a problem either, but we didn't really care for most of the menus.

 

I didn't try the walk-in routine as I perceived that my butler would have a better shot at getting me an additional reservation at Prime 7. He was never successful. I still wonder what the butler is supposed to do. I saw absolutely no value in having one. He brought canapes at 5PM that we barely touched and didn't want. He brought bottle of cheap mediocre red wine and some white wine the first day. We never touched either. We enjoy wine at dinner. Having it in the room didn't fit our style. We like to socialize; so, we never had room service.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I didn't try the walk-in routine as I perceived that my butler would have a better shot at getting me an additional reservation at Prime 7. He was never successful. I still wonder what the butler is supposed to do. I saw absolutely no value in having one. He brought canapes at 5PM that we barely touched and didn't want. He brought bottle of cheap mediocre red wine and some white wine the first day. We never touched either. We enjoy wine at dinner. Having it in the room didn't fit our style. We like to socialize; so, we never had room service.

 

The difference is that the butler goes through regular channels to try to secure a reservation for you, as a concierge would. Walking by the restaurant and asking can cadge a cancellation or no-show--the butler can't do that, or probably couldn't.

[HotRoot]

Well, I can't say I ever thought of doing this but, at the prices Regent charges, why would it be so unreasonable to ask a staff member at a lounge to do this? Actually, I think Regent should encourage it.

 

We have never sailed with Regent. Our booked cruise last year was oversold and we took the bump and rebooked for this year. That is how we do dinner on Seabourn and SilverSea. It is easier for the bartender to telephone the restaurants and see if they have space then for us to walk to each one. We never know what time we will be eating and who will be joining us until it is time to eat. Maybe it will not work on Regent. We will find out this fall.

[wripro]

That will work in CR but not in the specialty restaurants.

[cwn]

wripro, "never say never" last year we joined a nice couple of Regent of long time cruisers for coctails and decided to have dinner together. The wife wanted to eat in one of the smaller venues if we could so the husband called the bar waiter, who knew him by name, over and asked him to check and see if either Prime 7 or Signatures could seat. Waiter said he would be right back...sure enough he came back and said Prime 7 could seat us right away...so off we went. This was on the Mariner and granted everything is right there together. But you never know wnat might happen.

[alfa]

I am sure we are in the minority, but, this is how we do dinner. We meet in the bar/lounge/club. Our group seems to grow each night. When we are ready to eat, we ask the bartender to see which restaurant can accommodate our group. We have been able to eat in every restaurant on every ship.

 

Sounds good to me, particularly the "bar/lounge/bar" :rolleyes:

 

 

alfa