Greetings from the Voyager - July 6th - 26th

[PaulaJK]

I was not talking about not enjoying your tour. My statements addressed my feeling that Regent has an obligation to provide what they have advertised and sold to you. Imagine if in touting their cuisine you went to the MDR and were told that they only had steak, sole, lobster,crab, etc. for about half the passengers.

 

Reimbursement for inability to provide an excursion would leave one disappointed but reimbursed...and possibly put some pressure on Regent to correct this travesty. Since it has often been proposed that Regent alots approx. $100 pp for tours, 3 days of missed tours for a couple would be $600...not minuscule .

 

There is a lot to be tired of on this board, but speaking about the business practices of Regent is not one of them . People feeling that Regent scams is not a positive statement.

[Travelcat2]

Guess we will disagree on this one. Regent does not guarantee or advertise that everyone will get on an excursion. From a selfish perspective, if everyone complains about included excursions Regent may discontinue them.:) While I do not know what Regent pays for excursions, they guarantee a certain number of participants to the tour operator. My guess is that they pay considerably less than the $100/person for most excursions. This brings up another point. Passengers book excursions and don't have the courtesy to cancel - they just fail to show up. Should passengers reimburse Regent in this case?

 

In any case, it is doubtful if changes will be made. Maybe we'll hear something from t h e Voyager soon.

[wripro]

What does "Free Unlimited shore Excursions" mean to you? And they shouldn't put an asterisk there with fine print. They should say upfront Included Shore Excursions if you book early enough but you may not get the ones you want so be prepared to make your own separate arrangements.

[Travelcat2]

What does "Free Unlimited shore Excursions" mean to you? And they shouldn't put an asterisk there with fine print. They should say upfront Included Shore Excursions if you book early enough but you may not get the ones you want so be prepared to make your own separate arrangements.

 

While there isn't an asterisk leading to this wording, "Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance.", it would be better if the statement was more prominent in their brochures and on their website.

[vitacura]

In case anyone is interested on getting back to the cruise, we were in Trondheim today. It was a lovely day, right around 50 degrees F, overcast and only a few light drops fell in the early afternoon.

We did do the high speed RIB excursion, very enjoyable and a fun way to explore the area by water.

Due to expected rough seas last night, they moved the Broadway show to 6pm today, just before dinner service.

Dinner in Compass Rose was exceptional again, service top notch and the food was prepared perfectly. We are now cruising north with two sea days ahead of us.

 

Tomorrow morning we will cross the Arctic Circle and will get a commemorative certificate tomorrow evening. Tomorrow is the Block Party, along with three different Lectures being presented throughout the day. Captain announced seas will be pretty calm at swells of only 2 meters, so as long as we can get the cabin as dark as possible, we should get a good nights rest!

[computerworks]

...sure would like to hear more from Gnomie and vitacura about the cruise...

 

...and not the same old side trip crap about included excursions.

 

Just sayin' :cool:

[Travelcat2]

...sure would like to hear more from Gnomie and vitacura about the cruise...

 

...and not the same old side trip crap about included excursions.

 

Just sayin' :cool:

 

Agree with you. This thread did get off track (thankfully, I didn't start it :p)

[computerworks]

Ping pong games need two paddles... :p

[Travelcat2]

In case anyone is interested on getting back to the cruise, we were in Trondheim today. It was a lovely day, right around 50 degrees F, overcast and only a few light drops fell in the early afternoon.

We did do the high speed RIB excursion, very enjoyable and a fun way to explore the area by water.

Due to expected rough seas last night, they moved the Broadway show to 6pm today, just before dinner service.

Dinner in Compass Rose was exceptional again, service top notch and the food was prepared perfectly. We are now cruising north with two sea days ahead of us.

 

Tomorrow morning we will cross the Arctic Circle and will get a commemorative certificate tomorrow evening. Tomorrow is the Block Party, along with three different Lectures being presented throughout the day. Captain announced seas will be pretty calm at swells of only 2 meters, so as long as we can get the cabin as dark as possible, we should get a good nights rest!

 

Sooooooooo good to hear from you!!!! May I ask what a high speed "RIB" excursion was? We were on the Voyager in Norway last July but did not stop at this port.

 

We loved crossing the Arctic Circle and especially loved taking pictures of the midnight sun (although it was 11:00 p.m.). We found that the daylight was throwing off our systems (for lack of a better word). We would have dinner, see the show and go to the Observation Lounge for a drink. The sun shining into the lounge somehow made us feel wide awake (and it was difficult to go to sleep). It must be a challenge to live in total darkness and/or light for months at a time. Still, we yearn to be back in Norway -- such an amazing place - wonderful sites and wonderful people!

[DeepFreeze63]

Just crossed the Artic Circle - great cruise so far. We did the previous segment as well - will report in detail later. This segment has a much older demographic with many less mobile than the 10-day Baltic. 2 teens and 1 baby on board compared to 35 in Club Mariner on 10-day. Very international with many German/Dutch guests. Terrific lecturers. Ray S leads fun entertainment. No complaints and much enjoyment on my end.

[vitacura]

Sooooooooo good to hear from you!!!! May I ask what a high speed "RIB" excursion was? We were on the Voyager in Norway last July but did not stop at this port.

 

Greetings from the Arctic Circle! (Although we did not feel the 'bump' the lecturer told us we might feel when the ship goes over the line :D )

 

It is a high speed sightseeing tour onboard a Rigid Inflatable Boat, like the one pictured. They put us in thermo suits, life jacket and goggles. We cruised around the Fjord for about 30 minutes before we were taken on a slow speed cruise around the canal within the city.

 

 

Well, we are off to lunch. Today there is a Chef's Backyard BBQ and an ice carving demonstration on the Pool Grill before Crepes tea time and trivia. Yum!

 

Forgot to mention, that in addition to the three lectures, there are three Canyon Ranch seminars today as well.

[Suite Travels]

Now that is my idea of fun!!! Great photo.

[vitacura]

Now that is my idea of fun!!! Great photo.

 

Wish I could take credit, the picture was taken from the excursion company website. :)

[fairbourne]

Vitacura - Ah everyone knows you only feel the bump coming back downhill to the South! ;):)

 

I always find it amusing when people comment on the long summer nights, as living in the north of Scotland it's something we are used to and think nothing of! It doesn't really get dark here during the summer, I think it's called nautical twilight at its darkest! Light enough to work outside if you really wanted to at 11pm! Or at 3 am! But in the winter sometimes we are lucky to get 6 hours of true daylight and even then it just feels when it's horrid weather that it never gets light some days! But even we found it strange to be wandering around Kiruna in Northern Sweden in the pitch dark at 2 in the afternoon!

 

Of course we take a bit of getting used to the half and half days and nights as you get nearer the equator, and when it goes dark very quickly early evening, that's alien to us too. It can really upset your body clock if you're not used to it, as some find it's difficult to get to sleep if it's still light outside.

 

But it certainly makes our trips interesting. I hope you've enjoyed some lovely sun sets too out on deck. :)

[crusin7]

We are having a great time aboard the Voyager. The food has been delicious. The menu remains the same with a few local selections. The service has been excellent. We have had great scenery. This part of the world is new to us. It's a cool 48 degrees! This California girl did not pack enough warm clothes. The gift shop has crazy prices...I had to ask if they were in US dollars. Unfortunately they were. On the lookout for Santa and polar bears!

[wripro]

While there isn't an asterisk leading to this wording, "Free Unlimited Shore Excursions are for full fare guests only, capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions (indicated by the above) and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance.", it would be better if the statement was more prominent in their brochures and on their website.

 

Fine. Then the marketing should read: Relax, it's all included. When we can include it but we may not be able to.

[Travelcat2]

Greetings from the Arctic Circle! (Although we did not feel the 'bump' the lecturer told us we might feel when the ship goes over the line :D )

 

It is a high speed sightseeing tour onboard a Rigid Inflatable Boat, like the one pictured. They put us in thermo suits, life jacket and goggles. We cruised around the Fjord for about 30 minutes before we were taken on a slow speed cruise around the canal within the city.

 

 

The Rigid Inflatable Boat is similar to the raft "thing" that we took in that part of the world. The reason I call it a "thing" is due to the strange saddle type seats - have not seen that before. The outfits that everyone wore is also similar (or the same) as what we had to wear.

 

Really enjoy hearing about the great time all of you are having on the Voyager. This is one itinerary that we would not hesitate to do again (if it weren't one of the most expensive itineraries that Regent has).

 

Have you been to Murmansk yet? I'm curious what your impressions are.

Edited July 10, 2015 by Travelcat2

[vitacura]

Not much to report, really enjoying the relaxing sea days. The Captain did announce that due to updated environmental regulations we will not be able to sail within the Magdalenafjord National Park day after tomorrow, instead we will be sailing to the Polar Ice Barrier and will witness a shelf of Arctic Ice that extends as far as the eye can see. That will work for me!

 

There are a few more lectures and seminars today and a Q&A session with the Smithsonian guest speaker in the afternoon as well as a cooking demonstration to learn how to make the 5 mother sauces.

Today is Indian Buffet Lunch and Cheesecake teatime

Tonight we dine in Prime 7, then off to bed as we have an early excursion tomorrow in Longyearbyen. We were originally scheduled for the Hike Mt. Plateau & Svalbard Museum in the early afternoon but it was cancelled due to a lack of participation, so they merged the two times it was offered into the one at 8am.

[mrlevin]

Not much to report, really enjoying the relaxing sea days. The Captain did announce that due to updated environmental regulations we will not be able to sail within the Magdalenafjord National Park day after tomorrow, instead we will be sailing to the Polar Ice Barrier and will witness a shelf of Arctic Ice that extends as far as the eye can see. That will work for me!

 

 

Any indication if this is a new regulation or something known prior to sailing? We were on Voyager to Svalbard in 2008 and also missed Magdalena Fjord due to weather.

 

Marc

[mrlevin]

I found the answer myself:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/10695036/Cruise-regulations-put-Svalbard-off-limits.html

 

The regulation has been in effect since 1 Jan 15 and was announced in early 2014. Regent HAS KNOWN for over FIFTEEN MONTHS that they would not be able to sail into Magdalena Fjord.

 

Is this any way to run a cruise line? :confused:

 

Marc

Edited July 11, 2015 by Marq

[cruiseluv]

I found the answer myself:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/10695036/Cruise-regulations-put-Svalbard-off-limits.html

 

The regulation has been in effect since 1 Jan 15 and was announced in early 2014. Regent HAS KNOWN for over FIFTEEN MONTHS that they would not be able to sail into Magdalena Fjord.

 

Is this any way to run a cruise line? :confused:

 

Marc

 

That's not a good thing to do. Its a shame ships cant visit as I remember the Magdalena fjord a highlight on my Navigator 2005 cruise

[msafiri]

I found the answer myself:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/cruise-news/10695036/Cruise-regulations-put-Svalbard-off-limits.html

 

The regulation has been in effect since 1 Jan 15 and was announced in early 2014. Regent HAS KNOWN for over FIFTEEN MONTHS that they would not be able to sail into Magdalena Fjord.

 

Is this any way to run a cruise line? :confused:

 

Marc

 

Actually, they have known for more than 15 months. The date of the article in The Telegraph is March, 2014.

Here are 2 articles that go back to November, 2013, explaining the ban.

http://www.cruise-norway.no/viewfile.aspx?id=3886

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/10216.html

I suspect they were aware this ban was coming before that. The current website still indicates that the Voyager will visit Magdalena Bay this month.

Whether the Regent operations people failed to inform the marketing people about the ban or whether the marketing people decided to not let people know about the change until they got on the ship doesn’t matter. One possibility is ineffective operations & the other option is dishonest marketing.

If the Captain of the Voyager just found out about the ban while they were under way to Magdalena Bay, that is even more scary.

[spindrift]

On Oceania, we did the Magdalena Bay, and I feel fortunate to have experienced it; however, sailing in any of that area is a real delight, so enjoy where ever you might go. Also, the Artic ice field was really a sight to see.

 

We also did Antarctica, but that was on HAL because Oceania or Regent were not doing it due to the fuel requirement.

[DeepFreeze63]

Arrived home last night from a 30-day (10-day and 20-day segments)cruise on Voyager. The two segments were very different cruises so I'll write up my thoughts separately. I'll also address separately items like: Club Mariner, 3 persons in a cabin; excursions, and pre/post land arrangements.

The 20-day trip north was part of our 7th regent cruise with the last 4 on Voyager. We had a marvelous time and our 17 year-old granddaughter accompanied us as Regent gave a wonderful deal for under 18s who shared a cabin. our heart-felt thanks to all on board who made it so special for her.

About 663 on ship with about 12 solo travelers and 3 children (2 teenage girls and a baby boy who learned to walk during the cruise). About 190 Gold Level cruisers and maybe 40 Platinum. Had "Killer" Trivia everyday to jam-packed Horizon Lounge. Entertainment was varied and lots of fun (Ray S was CD, enough said). Lots of Brits onboard and many whose first language isn't English; large number of Australian couples.

Biggest issue that I saw was that our cruisers were much older than On my previous Regent cruises and there were MANY mobility challenges even with 10 sea days.. Some persons handled their limited mobility superbly but they were in a very small minority. Our 10 port calls could be challenging! Our weather was cold (is there really a Gulf Stream)and clear in the North and overcast and rainy in the South.

Yes, Regent didn't go to Magdalena Bay as advertised but the Captain took us to just off the drift ice at 80.224 N - 577 miles from Pole! We had the premier dock in Gairanger Fijord, and a bright sunny day in Solevetsky island. A wonderful itinerary that I heartly recommend.

[OctoberKat]

Gnomie, hope you return here to tell us about your experience. I appreciate your posts, plus this is a cruise Jim and I are taking next June.