Any recent Voyager report?

[pingpong1]

Findacruise - The chairs are still heavy and hard to move. I don't want to sound like an "apologist" for Regent, but I think this is intentional. I'm 66 and a relative "teenager" compared to most of the folks on this cruise. Lighter chairs would be very easy for these folks to accidentally tip over when sitting down and getting up. They would also be quite unstable in anything other than calm seas.

 

Although it's a pain to move these things around, I think the alternative (lighter weight chairs) would lead to more accidental tip overs and people falling down or injuring themselves. As it is now, these heavy chairs are very stable - once you actually sit down on them.

 

Any more questions, please ask. I'll be here until Saturday. Regards.

[pingpong1]

Folks - I'm finding the table Service at Compass Rose to be decidedly faster on this cruise than on our previous cruise. We have not felt rushed at all, but we don't now feel like the pyramids are being rebuilt between each course, either! This is a big improvement. You can eat at your own pace, but when you're through with each course, the next course follows in a timely fashion. A huge improvement! Regards.

[jklc123]

So glad to hear about faster table service. We love cruising but sometimes find long dinner times tedious, (in spite of interesting conversation with table mates).

[findacruise]

Thanks Pingpong1. I just remember how often we seemed to get bumped, depending on where we were sitting - more how the chairs flared out at the back. I agree we want stability. Just saw this about Voyager entertainment.

 

 

This fall Seven Seas Voyager will not only premiere a new look, but also a brand new production show, “Cirque L’Amour.” Our world-class choreographers are testing one of the major elements: a flying chandelier.

 

 

 

[/url]

[Cruising Librarian]

Thanks, debijaynes and pingpong for the real time reviews of the Voyager. We are boarding on Saturday, and I am especially looking forward to seeing the new look-my last three Regent cruises have been shortly before dry dock.

 

Glad to hear the weather is warm and you are enjoying your cruise!

[Travelcat2]

I remember when those chairs were put in Compass Rose. Rumor had it that they were not the size ordered and that they would be replaced. They are a bit large for the space but we have become used to them.

 

In terms of the Nike stripe...... we are simply giving feedback to Regent. Personally, I love the interior photographs that I have seen -- much better than the beige style that Regent has had for so long. Also love the carpets..... but the stripe... no so much. We are really looking forward to spending Christmas and New Year's aboard our favorite ship.

[drcandon]

We are on her right now and all the ship is in great shape, I personally like the new paint and the carpeting...

 

The service is a vast improvement over a previous Regent cruise and that is saying something as Regent's service is already far above other cruise lines.

 

The only folks grumpy are the actual passengers, 3 or 4 heavy duty long days ( 5 to 10 hour excursions) port intensive and so far 3 time zone changes have had their toll on folks. We have a lot of first time Regent cruises on board which is very good for the line.

 

The food is way better, service in Compas Rose is on par with the other 2 (3) restaurants. I am going out there saying that honestly , except for the experience I would not miss the other 2...I would miss talking to David, but he made an appearance at breakfast this morning.

 

The weather was, so far fantastic..

 

All in all, a lot of very happy folks on board..

 

Oh yes, the new Cirque type performance was very good as well

[TedC]

I suspect the blue stripe is wider at the stern and thus looks darker.

 

I still prefer the pristine all-white - not a circus poster.

[Travelcat2]

another post has a picture of stipe. looks good. also controversy about jeans, much ado about very little. There are problems of the world unknown to voyager passengers.

 

 

Thankfully we can go to CruiseCritic and not have to read about "problems of the world". Speaking only for myself, we travel to learn the truth about what is happening in the world. We have found many wonderful people in the 60+ countries we have visited...... who knew?

[BBfromCA]

This in USA Today:

 

Luxury cruise ship emerges from makeover

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/10/29/regent-seven-seas-voyager/3294547/

[Travelcat2]

This in USA Today:

 

Luxury cruise ship emerges from makeover

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/cruiselog/2013/10/29/regent-seven-seas-voyager/3294547/

 

Thanks for posting! Counting the days until we board the Voyager:)

[UUNetBill]

Thanks for posting! Counting the days until we board the Voyager:)

We are too...but still 199 for us. :(

[wifeofgrapestake]

Thanks for the photos. I love the new look.

[pingpong1]

Hi Everyone - We are now back home from our Rome to Venice cruise on Voyager. I'll try to keep this as short as possible and not make it a full-blown report. Just some random thoughts and not organized in any particular order.

 

We loved the cruise, Voyager, and the whole Regent Experience (this was our second Regent Cruise). Enough so - that we booked our 3rd cruise while onboard. Our next Voyager experience begins on June 14/14 - Stockholm to Copenhagen. I thought the ship was in fine condition, the crew made everyone feel quite welcome (as usual), and we enjoyed all the included excursions. This cruise was very port-intensive and in 2 ports (Monte Carlo and Ancona) we decided to just stay onboard for the day, relax, and eat (with a little drinking thrown in for good measure).

 

The ship seemed empty. Oftentimes, it seemed like we had the whole pool deck to ourselves. And the dining rooms never seemed crowded. we prefer eating earlier rather than later and I think this lent to the feeling of being the only ones in the dining room. The pace of service in Compass Rose was much improved over our Navigator experience a year earlier. No complaints whatsoever with the speed of service in any of the dining venues. For breakfast, I enjoy La Veranda the best. I like breakfast buffets and I'm quite willing/able to serve myself and "graze" at my own pace :D . I had no problem getting a table at 0730-0800 on any given morning. I also liked Sette Mari for dinner, followed by Prime 7. Signatures was my least favorite. I found it difficult (at Signatures) to select something that I cared to eat - and I'm by no means a picky eater. We were quite happy in all dinner venues to stick with the "house" offerings. We enjoyed both the whites and the reds.

 

We were so very lucky and fortunate to be offered a once-in-a-lifetime upgrade (upsell) to one of the 4 Master Suites on the ship just 2 weeks before we sailed. We jumped at the opportunity, knowing we would never be able (or willing) to pay the "full price" for that accomodation. We took immediate advantage of this greatly-discounted opportunity to experience so much room -all to ourselves. Thanks, Regent! Our butler, Leslie, was the nicest guy you could ever meet. Leslie's home is Mumbai, India, and he has the most infectious smile and warm personality. In our end-of-cruise comments, we made sure to pass along our high praise and regard for Leslie's service to Regent and their passengers. Each of our few requests of him were met with a quick smile and prompt action. Even down to making sure we had a constant supply of sliced lemon, Glenlivet, and Drambuie in our quarters (love those Rusty Nails!).

 

We met many nice fellow passengers onboard. Partly thanks to our prior conversations with them on CC. WrigleyBear, Susar, Debijaynes, and others. I certainly hope we see them again on future cruises. Using the Roll Call thread in advance of the cruise, and being able to introduce yourselves to each other beforehand, is a very nice opportunity.

 

The weather was absolutely fantastic throughout the cruise. Warm and sunny every day. We didn't get our first overcast or drizzle until the last morning onboard (in Venice). And Venice was not flooded! We could actually walk around St. Mark's Square with dry shoes. Obviously, Regent has no control over the weather, but nice days like we had certainly improved everyone's mood. I found internet speeds to be fine, considering all the onboard users, and the internet cafe was never more than half full.

 

Wes - I looked for your "Pool Guy", Sherwood - and was told that he is now working onboard the Navigator.

 

If anyone has any specific questions. Just ask. Best Regards to all.

[WesW]

pingpong1; thanks for an outstanding Voyager cruise recap. Happy to hear y'all had a wonderful cruise coupled with ideal weather. Thanks very much for the Sherwood update.

[Travelcat2]

pingpong1: So glad you were able to take advantage of an upsell to a Master Suite on the Voyager -- they certainly are amazing suites! Great report!

[debijaynes]

And I agree with PingPong! What a great cruise! Everything was just perfect--a few complaints with the excursion desk--but hey--nothing is perfect! we also booked for another cruise while on board. And after the March Navigator-- what a nice group of passengers!

 

Our Grande Suite was quite lovely--may have spoiled us!

[Travelcat2]

IMO, it is difficult to compare the Navigator with the Voyager or Mariner. The itineraries on the Navigator tend to draw a different group of passengers than the longer, more distant itineraries and the ship's public area are quite small. Not trying to bash the Navigator -- there are people who prefer the Navigator to other Regent ships -- we prefer the Voyager or Mariner.

 

We have also stayed in the Grand Suite. While not complaining as it is beautiful, the master bathroom is smaller than in regular suites. It seems that the bathroom space is used up by the Jacuzzi tub by the window.

 

In any event, really good to hear that you enjoyed the cruise.

[debijaynes]

Please don't tell me that civility is out the window on Navigator due to the itineraries!!!!! Everyone I spoke with on this past trip had been on the Navigator in the past and loved the ship--including the captain! Maybe everyone is in a bit better mood than they were this past March due to the improved economy and just set out to spend and enjoy!. At this point I'll just guess that and see how the Navigator is in January. The Voyager trip we did was lovely-- just a bit too port intensive for us. And of course we prefer the Navigator as we can be in Miami in two hours and don't have to fight airports and transfers--although our agent sure did make it all easy!!

 

All in all though travel is not the grand venture that it used to be. Our plane ride home was a long ten hours and connecting thru the Frankfurt airport is disastrous! Had we not had the wonderful woman in the souped up golf car we would never have made the flight!

[Travelcat2]

No one said that "civility is out the window". Our experience has been different on the Navigator than the other ships. For instance, there are many families with children on the Navigator in Alaska and during Christmas and other school holidays in the Caribbean. It could simply be because it is easier to get to Miami for a cruise than Barcelona or Rome. A family oriented cruise is quite different than what you find in other parts of the world (generally speaking).

 

In terms of happy or grumpy passengers, the worst passengers we have ever encountered were on our India cruise. Everyone was complaining about the weather and other things that were beyond the control of Regent. Our typical Regent cruise has lovely passengers - low key -- friendly and very down to earth.

 

Agree that Frankfurt takes some getting used to. Even though we are used to it, we do prefer to deviate our flights through other airports when possible. We also prefer cruises that are not as port intensive as many in the Mediterranean are. Our upcoming Voyager cruise has a good balance of port and sea days (Singapore to Sydney) and the flights to and from Asia and Australia are so much easier than other parts of the world.

 

IMO, it is all a matter of personal preference. For us, it is easier to get to Sydney, Australia than to Miami. The flights are certainly longer but are non-stop and the planes are wonderful.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Travelcat2

[Patti22]

This is off topic, but our last two transfers in Frankfurt have been awful. Had to carry bags down stairs (no elevator), then on a bus and then had to climb up outside air stairs with our carry on bags. I am avoiding Frankfurt in the future.

 

On Voyager Feb. 1 - can't wait.

[Travelcat2]

This is off topic, but our last two transfers in Frankfurt have been awful. Had to carry bags down stairs (no elevator), then on a bus and then had to climb up outside air stairs with our carry on bags. I am avoiding Frankfurt in the future.

 

On Voyager Feb. 1 - can't wait.

 

We'll keep the Voyager in good shape for you:D

[Patti22]

Thanks, TC2

We have just completed our dining reservations and now trying to sort out our house-sitter.

[Pepc]

Patti22 or anyone else who knows!

Please expound on the problems with changing planes in Frankfurt.

We are on a flight from Stockholm and will have to change planes in Frankfurt to get back to our home in Florida.

Do we have to collect our luggage and carry it?

Do we have to recheck everything?

I thought we just had to go through passport control with our carry on luggage and show our passports.

Do we have to go through the xray machines again with our luggage if we are just changing planes (same airline - same concourse)?

Please advise!

[Patti22]

Pepc,

On our last trip thru Frankfurt, we did not have to be rescreened. One trip en route to Istanbul thru Frankfurt, yes we were rescreened.

We normally are flying to US from Frankfurt to change planes and we are on United or Lufthansa. On our last two trips, there was no jetway. Had to walk down long flight of stairs to a bus and then way out on the tarmac to the plane which had very steep stairs to climb to get on the plane. Very difficult with carry-on luggage.