New Suite design for Regent

[UUNetBill]

I know these pic's are not very good but you will get the idea. Went into room after the guests had gone so room is the way they left it.

Am I the only one who can't view these photos?

[Travelcat2]

I could have seen them if I had remembered my old Google password - but I didn't:o

[irishwitchy]

It doesn't appear to be a password issue - the link is bad.

[newlondon]

agree

[captjohn]

Sorry about the last try. Hoping this will work, so wish me luck.

 

http://s1108.photobucket.com/user/desertsong518/library/

[gnomie1]

While I love the size of the desk, I am extremely disappointed to see the disappearance of the two bucket chairs and the drawers, both items we use quite extensively. We do not like sitting on the sofa to eat when we have room service and we use the bucket chairs all the time.

 

As mentioned before, we do not like "clutter" and always put away whatever we are not currently using and as the room is now set up, there is no where to put anything. I use the drawers in the center of the room for medications, medical/first aid supplies, cameras, needlepoint/knitting projects, computers/ipads not in use, clothing accessories, etc. While the room may have a "clean" look, the functionality level has decreased substantially.

 

This would really be a major game changer for us - one of the reasons we travel on Regent is because the rooms are so very comfortable and I would hate for this to change. We usually book concierge level - maybe the larger rooms will have more functionality, but we should not have to pay for larger rooms to have storage and comfortable seating areas.

 

gnomie :)

[Travelcat2]

captjohn: I was able to view the photos - thanks so much. Unfortunately I put my response on the wrong thread....... not sure what I was thinking other than I like the suites but was on the "Mark Conroy" thread.

 

As I posted on the thread, I see that the wine glasses, etc. are now under the desk. Do you know if the desk is made out of synthetic material or marble or ??? It looks much better than the furniture that was being used in the last suite upgrade (upper suites on the Mariner and Voyager were completely refurbished during the last dry dock and will be done again within the next year.)

 

I am hoping that there are sufficient drawers in the suites. This was something was missing in the upper suite refurbishment. Our Seven Seas Aft suite on the Mariner was the most comfortable suite we have been in but seriously lacked drawer space.

 

Regent cannot please everyone, but, this should please most passengers. I have to chuckle about the missing "barrel chairs" - only because this was the subject of many complaints on the Regent board fairly recently (too heavy and bulky). I prefer the sofa because we found some of the "low" chairs in the upper suites (not seeing them in the photos) a bit too low for comfort.

 

Most of us remember the "mistake" that the manufacturers made with the chairs for CR on the Voyager. Those chairs have been a hassle for most people for the past few years (because it is difficult for passengers as well as crew members to get around them). It looks like these chairs are being replaced as well.

 

In any case, it is too late to make changes now as the furniture is no doubt waiting to go into the Navigator and then the Voyager this year and the Mariner the next year. We are pleased with what we see and look forward to seeing the new suites in person!

[Eager2Travel]

Capt. John, thanks for the photos. Regent, please bring back the drawers and shelves up above.

[Travelcat2]

Capt. John, thanks for the photos. Regent, please bring back the drawers and shelves up above.

 

Think we posted at the same time. I'm assuming that everything has already been ordered for the upcoming refurbishments. I find it interesting that a lot of posters like the shelves as this is something that we have never used (except to get glasses out of the cabinet). We store everything neatly in drawers. It works better for us (plus, we don't want our things on display in glass cabinets or shelves for when we have guests in our suite).

 

P.S. If you look at the picture of a Concierge suite on the Explorer (post #24 above), you get a glimpse of upper cabinets. I didn't notice this before - even though I posted the photo. There are also drawers under the desk. Perhaps the photos of the suite we have seen from captjohn are what the lowest category suites will look like. I would be surprised if Regent did not do more to differentiate the "Concierge Level" suites from lower levels since this has been a selling issue on the ships for a long time. Note: I still intensely dislike the "Concierge" program but understand the need to make the mid-level suites more enticing.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Travelcat2

[Eager2Travel]

That would be interesting if they do something to differentiate the concierge suites. I know the size is fixed but the decor could be different somehow being more luxurious.

[captjohn]

TC2- I don't know about the material synthetic material or marble but think it is marble and it is also used on the table. Also note that there are more electrical outlets-YES.

 

On another note ,the WIFI system is going to be much faster. A whole new supplier and system-YES. To be roiled out per published schedule. Lets hope it will be simple to sign on.

[Pam]

I am sure a lot of us remember that when Explorer was first announced, those "lower" suites were planned as singles. Then I guess $$$ got in the way and they became doubles.

[Travelcat2]

Pam, I think (but do not know) that the smallest suites on the Explorer are priced so that they are "almost" affordable for singles. For instance, the "special" cruise on March 26, 2017, the fare is around $12K (doubling the fare shown on the website).

[Pam]

TC, I'll have to look at some of them, down the road. I have a cruise on Azamara booked in late August, so we'll see how I survive this single life.

[Travelcat2]

TC, I'll have to look at some of them, down the road. I have a cruise on Azamara booked in late August, so we'll see how I survive this single life.

 

Hope that your Azamara cruise is great:)

[xrvlcruiser]

Regent,

 

PLEASE rethink the storage space on the Navigator cabins. Limiting it is going to create "issues".

 

Peggy

[ridolphi]

Agree Peggy and I don't like not having side chairs, especially when having room service or when my hubby naps on the sofa, then there is no where else to sit. No side chairs definitely bothers me on the Explorer design.

[rcandkc]

I always sat in the side chairs. They gave my back and arms proper support. The coach did not. Also, without side chairs there is no room for guests to sit. It is too sparse. To me, it's looks cheap and not thought out. I said "to me".

[forevertravel]

What I don't like is the empty space next to TV. I like the cabinets they have now. Without the cabinets the wall looks empty. We also use one of the cabinets to store things (brochures, copies of passages, etc). I hope what we saw is not the final design. We'll be on the Explorer in November. I'm looking forward to see how our cabin looks. The pictures I've seen are not complete.:)

[Travelcat2]

Regent,

 

PLEASE rethink the storage space on the Navigator cabins. Limiting it is going to create "issues".

 

Peggy

 

Hi Peggy - Hope you are thoroughly enjoying your cruise!

 

I don't think that Regent has time to rethink anything regarding the Navigator refurbishment since it is only weeks away. The same may be true for the Explorer except that they could probably add a chair (in addition to the one by the desk) without much difficulty (except for the really small suites where there may not be enough room).

 

It would have been nice if this thread had been started prior to ordering the furniture for the ships instead of after decisions have been made and are being implemented. We personally like the new "look" that all of the ships will have (the colors, fabrics, etc.) but also need some drawer space. I have not seen what is being done in the closets -- there used to be fairly adequate drawer space as well as shelves.

 

Hoping that someone posts pictures of the Navigator after dry dock. I have heard some "buzz" that some officers and crew of the Explorer will be heading to the ship in June (The G.M. will likely arrive earlier -- he just went on vacation so he could return to his job in a couple of months). This gives builders approximately 4 months to complete the ship. I'm hoping that Franck Galzy will post some suite photos before the ship debuts in July.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Travelcat2

[eliana]

All a bit worrying , particularly as we are sailing on the Navigator just before and shortly after its dry dock. We already use most of the cupboard and drawer space on the current configuration so might have to bring less for our second trip. We are also sailing later in the year on the Explorer and some of the comments make us wonder if the suites have been well thought out. We like a settee plus at least one chair. Does anyone know the sizes for the lower category suite. I thought they were going to be slightly larger than the Voyager.

[gnomie1]

It would have been quite simple to take the suite on the 7th floor on the Voyager that was recently renovated and keep it open for a few cruises to allow current passengers to observe and make written comments before proceeding with the current design for the entire ship and the entire fleet. The people who are working at Regent and making these important decisions are not the same people who are actually spending the money to cruise on Regent. The amount of items needed for a seven day cruise is far less than a 21 day cruise, especially if there will be significant climate fluctuations. Most working individuals are not fortunate enough to be able to take a three week "luxury themed" holiday so may not be aware of the differences.

 

I was one of the fortunate individuals who was provided the opportunity to preview the Explorer in New York last year and while some of the options selected were lovely, others left us (and the others in attendance) with us shaking our heads, thinking to ourselves, "what were they thinking????" Regent was smart enough to have the preview session to obtain the opinions of their most frequent travelers so it is not as if this is a unique idea to obtain insight from the passengers.

 

It is one thing for a suite to "look" luxurious, it is another for a suite to be comfortable and provide a luxurious experience, which for us would mean comfortable chairs to sit in while we enjoy a meal in our suite and someplace to put all our belongings so that they are not cluttering the room. This may not be a problem for the individuals who book the larger suites, but for those of us who do not, less sitting and storage options do not equate to a more luxurious experience.

 

gnomie :)

Edited February 4, 2016 by gnomie1

[rcandkc]

Less storage areas means more stuff not put away and rolling about the cabin during the middle of the night in rough seas. Thankfully when we were on Voyager in the North Sea we had places for everything. Even at that there were a couple of nights of a rolling trash can and tv rolling in and out, but NO personal items.

[Travelcat2]

All a bit worrying , particularly as we are sailing on the Navigator just before and shortly after its dry dock. We already use most of the cupboard and drawer space on the current configuration so might have to bring less for our second trip. We are also sailing later in the year on the Explorer and some of the comments make us wonder if the suites have been well thought out. We like a settee plus at least one chair. Does anyone know the sizes for the lower category suite. I thought they were going to be slightly larger than the Voyager.

 

Before I go into dimensions, has anyone paid attention to the following note on the Regent website regarding suites on the Explorer? "Suite measurements are approximate, and those in same category may vary in size. They may also have different furniture placement than as depicted in photographs."

 

Anyway, The smallest suite on the Explorer is 219 sq. ft. with an 88 sq. ft. balcony (total 307 sq. ft.) The smallest suite on the Mariner (which is smaller than on the Voyager or Navigator) is 252 sq. ft. plus a 49 sq. ft. balcony (total of 301 sq. ft.).

 

It is obviously the intention of Regent to have a clear differentiation between suite levels (unlike their current ships). If you want the extra space, you need to pay for it. While paying extra is not within everyone's budget, I can only imagine what Regent (under PCH) thought when they considered purchasing Regent and saw that many of their current suites were the same. How were they suppose to sell category "E", for instance, when the lowest category was the same size and had the same furnishings?

 

IMO, the lower category suites on the Explorer were not meant to be as luxurious as Concierge suites. This goes back to "you get what you pay for". As long as passengers are treated the same when they step foot outside of their suite, I am happy. IMO, the days of getting the same size suite, with the same furnishings as upper suites will no longer exist.

 

I guess that I cannot get upset about any of this as we traveled frugally for many years. It not unusual to "live" out of our suitcases (and many hotels - even today lack closet and drawer space.

 

If we could only afford the lowest suite on arguably the best ship at sea -- with all of the benefits and amenities that Regent offers, I would not be complaining ........ but that is just me.

Edited February 5, 2016 by Travelcat2

[eliana]

I agree Travelcat. It is always preferable to buy the worst house in the best street rather than the best house in the worst street. Gnome is also right, maybe the new management at Regent have confused luxury with comfort. All of us spend more time in our suites than in any other venue on the ship so let's hope they have got it right. We shall see what the changes are like on the Navigator, discuss the Explorer with the Cruise consultant onboard, read the comments from the early passengers and then take a decision whether or not to cancel Explorer.

Edited February 5, 2016 by eliana