Regent World Cruises

[HotRoot]

Food - I agree food is subjective.  I admit I am a very picky eater.  We are on a no added salt diet.  Each evening the next day's menu is left on our door.  We circle what we want and turn it in at breakfast.  This has worked very well.  We cannot control our salt intake at breakfast and lunch but have only had to take three water pills during the past 44 days.  I do not like the way they use our no salt diet as an excuse.  Example - The cream of broccoli soup was the consistency of milk.  They told us that was because we did not have salt in it.  Salt is not a thickening agent in food.  The mashed potatoes were the consistency of wallpaper paste.  They told us that was because we did not have salt in it.  Salt does not make mashed potatoes creamy.

 

The consistency of the food is not good.  One night the risotto will be creamy and delicious.  The next night it will be crunchy.  Sometimes the escargot is a whole snail.  Other times it is chopped snail.  My go to is the filet mignon, medium rare,   Sometimes it is cooked perfectly and melts in my mouth.  Other times it is bleeding.  And yet other times it is burnt.  Sometimes the potatoes are so hot they will burn your mouth.  Other times it is so cold butter won't melt.  We have been told they have 28 menus prepared by Corporate.  Each cruise starts with Day 1.  If there are more than 28 days in a segment, they will repeat.  If there are less, they will go back to Day 1 on the next segment.        

[travelwell]

Hot Root,

Nails, I only dream of having nails! I would gladly pay $55 dollars for nails! I am glad to hear good experience with the salon. I've had my hair colored for decades. Perhaps I will have great new haircut with nails.

I do appreciate you sitting on the toilet to answer our questions. When hoping for feedback on the WC I did not realize I was asking so much.

So bottom line 🙂... are you having fun?

I also am interested in whether you are doing any Overland tours? 

Thanks for your response. Funny the quality of the salon is a bigger deal to me then I would think.

 

[HotRoot]

Regent Rewards - This is something I do not remember ever seeing on Cruise Critic.  We love to play the games and win Regent reward points.  On sea days they have games at 11, 2:30, and 3:15.  Games range from hillybilly golf to mini golf to bags to dice, to croquet and on and on.  First place gets three points, second two and third one.  You can also get extra points for helping like setting up the pins for bowling.  At noon we have Jamie's noontime games.  We play a different card or dice game.  Six people to a table.  You are playing against the people at your table.  First place gets 2 points, second gets 1 point.  Mensa is at 4:20 pm.  Five correct answers gets you 3 points, four correct is 2, and three correct is one.  That is followed by trivia.  There is no tie breaker so every team who gets the most correct gets three points each.  Second place gets 2 and third place gets 1.  You can also earn points doing karaoke.  On the last sea day you can exchange your points for merchandise.  Polo shirts and t-shirts are 20 points.  Windbreakers are 40.  Beach bags and tote bags are 25.  Mugs are 10.  Baseball caps are 15.  The World Cruisers joke is the store will be empty for the last leg so we will start selling our rewards merchandise to the last group of people.

[Kwaj girl]

We were on the 2018 Nav WC and found the best way to have decent internet in the suite was to just prop the door open with the trash can.  Worked like a charm and also a great way to meet others as they walked by!  Just keep your clothes on.

And  ask Jamie to play "screw your neighbor" at his Gather together games

 

[HotRoot]

5 minutes ago, travelwell said:

Hot Root,

Nails, I only dream of having nails! I would gladly pay $55 dollars for nails! I am glad to hear good experience with the salon. I've had my hair colored for decades. Perhaps I will have great new haircut with nails.

I do appreciate you sitting on the toilet to answer our questions. When hoping for feedback on the WC I did not realize I was asking so much.

So bottom line 🙂... are you having fun?

I also am interested in whether you are doing any Overland tours? 

Thanks for your response. Funny the quality of the salon is a bigger deal to me then I would think.

 

We are having a fantastic time.  We have made some lifelong friends.  If I ever win the lottery, I would move onto this ship full time.  We do have one man who has been living on here forever.  He lives on our deck.  He is called the Captain.  There have been cruise critic threads about him in the past.  When we see him we always say Hello.  His vision is bad but he knows our voices.  I wished him a Happy Valentine's Day and asked if he had a sweetheart.  He said "No so you will have to be my sweetheart" and gave me a kiss.

 

We are not doing any Overland tours.  We have been to most of the places they are going to.  I think the only one we have had so far was an overnight in a over the water bungalow in Bora Bora.  People who went said it was nice but it rained from about 6 pm until morning.

[HotRoot]

Crew - The crew makes the cruise.  They do not know if they will be moved to the Mariner for the next world cruises.  We have breakfast with Mario every morning, unless we have an early tour.  This has only happened twice.  The same people are there every day.  We just walk in and sit down.  No menus because the breakfast menu never changes.  They do have a special everyday.  Champagne and caviar every Sunday.  Mario has been mentioned many times before on cruise critic.  He is very good.  We have a calendar from 10,000 places to see before you die.  We always travel with it.  We rip off that day's calendar and take it to breakfast.  After we read it we give it to Mario.  It is very popular with all workers in the dining room.  They come to Mario's section to see what place is featured today.  Then they discuss whether or not they have been there and whether or not they would like to go there.  On a sea day, our next destination is the pool for an hour of sun.  As soon as we sit down, a waiter shows up with our ice water.  At lunch our wine and water magically appear.  We have our drinks on the table for trivia.  Sometimes we have to go early to change our order.  When the bartender sees us walking down the hall to the Star's Lounge before dinner, he starts making our drinks.  We jump around for dinner.  We usually sit with Mario or Olga in Compass Rose.  In Prime 7 we always have the tall kid from Bulgaria who has a very long name which I cannot pronounce.  We have only eaten in Sette Mare once.  

 

Then you have the people when you get off and on the ship.  They always say "Welcome Back".  We always say "it is good to be home."  

 

The singers and dancers are some of the nicest kids we have ever met.  I don't think I mentioned they run the 11, 2:30, and 3:15 games.  They are always visible and chat with you.  The cruise director, assistant, social hostess, Executive concierge are all fantastic.  But, who knows if they will all be with you.  If you do not have a butler, the Executive concierge is your go to man.  Our Captain from Los Angeles to Sydney was the nicest Captain we have ever sailed with.  He knew your name and was very visible.  The new Captain has not been visible.     

 

[HotRoot]

Daily Schedule - They have two lectures a day on sea days.  They are broadcasted the next day on your television.  We have not seen any lectures.  People who do go say they are fantastic.  The topics just do not catch our interest.  Lots of Bridge times, again we do not play.  fyi, they do not get Regent Reward points.  The casino has black jack, slots, and Texas hold'em tournaments.  Lots of fitness classes which I think I listed at the start of this thread.  A jigsaw puzzle table is always available.  They have Sudoku and Crossword puzzles everyday.  No Regent Reward points for these.  We are getting ready for our second door decorating contest.  Today we have quilling and card making classes.  Bingo everyday.  A cooking demonstration on each leg.  Jamie's Journeys change everyday.  Yesterday was Komodo Island.  Today is Bali.  We are going to both places.  We do have places we are not going to.  Mah Jongg and board games everyday.  The spa and boutique both doing lectures.  Today they are Secrets to a flatter stomach and pink diamonds.  Needlepoint daily.  Regent provides the kits.  Teatime with a different theme each day.  Pre-dinner cocktails for Solo and Social Travellers.  Pre dinner Clive at the piano.  And music in every venue after dinner.  Our early show is a concert violinist.  We like when we have 6 pm shows.  Sometimes it is hard to stay awake for the 9:30 pm show.  The late show is Liar's Club.

 

Time for me to do my Mensa and then noontime games.  Questions?

[HotRoot]

2 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

We were on the 2018 Nav WC and found the best way to have decent internet in the suite was to just prop the door open with the trash can.  Worked like a charm and also a great way to meet others as they walked by!  Just keep your clothes on.

And  ask Jamie to play "screw your neighbor" at his Gather together games

 

Back from games and lunch.  Asked Jamie about screw your neighbor.  He has changed the name to Chase the Ace.  We play it all the time.

[cwn]

The "Captain" was on Deck 6 down the hall from usl ast year, he is so nice.

 

I was able to get internet at our desk starboard side middle of deck 6, but I saw, on the port side, people with their door cracked last year.

 

We ate breakfast everyday and I usually ate lunch with Mario...tell him hello from the Neal's. He is a great waiter. Big T was his helper in the morning and at lunch. Then he worked in Prime 7 last year also. He is a jewel too. Tell Hi from us also. 

 

Sounds like nothing much has changed from last year except some of the ports. Regent does a good job with on the World Cruise. Thank for sharing. Sounds like you are having a good time!!! Happy Sailing.

[HotRoot]

Just thought of another thing - Dress Code - I read last year that the World Cruisers do not follow the dress code and we find that is true.  We dress for the occasion.  If it is Saturday night and we are eating in Prime 7, we dress up no matter what the optional dress code is for that night.  When we have had a busy day, we go with the Elegant Casual, even if it is a Formal Optional night.  Have only seen one couple dressed wrong.  They came into Star's Lounge in blue jeans.  The waitress tried to tell them they needed to change.  They said no English and pointed to drink names on the menu.  She served their drinks while the bartender was calling a crew member who spoke French.  They were surprised when a French voice told them they could finish their drinks but then needed to leave.  By the way, they both speak English.  Would not have even noted this if we had not been the only other people in the lounge.  Laundry service is great.  Put your dirty things in a laundry bag.  Fill out the sheet.  Put it on your bed.  It disappears and your clothes come back clean the next day.  I wonder if when I get home if I do that my clothes will appear clean.  They can get out stains that have been there for months.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks HotRoot for your updates, very interesting!

 

Yes, a question or two, plus a comment.

 

I'm concerned about this banking issue--did your husband get to login finally?  When you say he has to keep to bank time, does that mean he has to make sure it's still the same day before logging in?  That must be very inconvenient!

 

Our cruise does not go to Moorea, sady, although I would certainly suggest taking the ferry there for the day when we're in Papeete, if you're willing to rent a car, or book a tour where they pick you up at the ferry.  Ours overnights in Bora Bora instead.

 

I've seen mention of this "Top Tier Event".  What is that, and how do they define top tier?

 

(BTW, we're Gold already, and will become Platinum upon boarding our WC, not that it does us any good.)

[BBWC]

Wendy,

Top Tier is everything from Gold and above. It used to be called TPG (Titanium, Platinum, Gold), but that changed when they added Diamond and Commodore.

[cwn]

Just now, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Thanks HotRoot for your updates, very interesting!

………...

I've seen mention of this "Top Tier Event".  What is that, and how do they define top tier?

 

(BTW, we're Gold already, and will become Platinum upon boarding our WC, not that it does us any good.)

I am not HotRoot she may be able to update my answer....I think I finally figured the Top Tier Event was for Gold and above. They were nice production numbers usually before dinner. We liked that as we had a hard time making to any of the shows at 9:30. In fact Dick went to "0".

 

We went from Gold to Platinum also and there was a couple of things extra mainly telephone time what we used to get our cell phone planned changed and I called home some.

 

Dick has done our banking on line since we spent 5 months out of the country in 2009. I am almost sure that he doesn't set his computer to a different time than the ship...will ask. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Thanks all, yes, I remember the "Gold, Platinum, Titanium" events, makes sense that they'd need a new name!

 

Yes, we will get extra phone hours.  In all my cruising time, I have never once used any of the phone time, although I believe I have given some of it away to someone else who needed it once or twice.

 

We do all our banking online since we spend half the year away from home in Florida.  So we're set up well, except that some who on the WC CC board recommend doing autopay for everything. I'm not ready to do that, since I like to see the cash flowing in and out.  But perhaps I'll set up autopay for a few oddball bills that will hit us while we're cruising.

[wristband]

Might you leave several signed checks with a trusted friend so that you do not fret while overseas for an extended period...as a backup plan for peace of mind?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

3 minutes ago, wristband said:

Might you leave several signed checks with a trusted friend so that you do not fret while overseas for an extended period...as a backup plan for peace of mind?

 

Yes I could, and probably would, thanks for the tip.

[HotRoot]

On the banking, I did not set my laptop to update to current time.  I just leave it on home time and I do all of our banking from my laptop.  It is also easy to see what time it is at home.  We noticed the problem when we crossed the date line and his phone updated.  Maybe it is just our bank's software.  We did leave signed checks at home but have been able to pay all bills from the ship, either by credit card or having the bank send a check.  We use a small hometown bank.  We are very good friends with the Vice President.  I have sent him a couple of emails and he has taken care of things for me.

 

Our utilities are already auto paid to our credit card.  We suspended our tv, internet, and wall phone.  We have to pay $35 a month for the equipment and to keep our phone number.  

 

We did not go to Moorea.  Our overnight was also in Bora Bora.  That was to be Rock the Boat but the weather got it cancelled.

 

Description of Top Tier is correct.  They are the best shows.  It is a shame the rest of the ship does not get to see them.  We have new friends who are platinum.  They say they get unlimited phone calls.  Otherwise they are the same as gold on this cruise.

 

We do use the phone time.  We get three hours each leg.  We call my Mom, our kids, our grandkids.  We are going to have three new grandchildren when we get home so like to stay in touch.

 

Don't know if I talked about the post cards.  There are postcards of the ship.  They will mail them for free.  I mail one from each port to a grandchild.  Heard there is a contest going on to see who gets the most postcards from Grandma.

 

Just arrived in Darwin.  We are two hours early because we missed Thursday Island.

[Eno-Bob]

Wendy,

 

   We have never had a problem doing banking on-board, however, we have learned that is usually a bit easier if you use an App from the bank or financial institution.  We bank and have credit cards with Chase, USAA, and a local credit union, all of them have an App and it makes it very easy.  We usually do everything off an iPad and have never had to adjust clocks or worry about what time it was at "home".

[HotRoot]

3 hours ago, Eno-Bob said:

Wendy,

 

   We have never had a problem doing banking on-board, however, we have learned that is usually a bit easier if you use an App from the bank or financial institution.  We bank and have credit cards with Chase, USAA, and a local credit union, all of them have an App and it makes it very easy.  We usually do everything off an iPad and have never had to adjust clocks or worry about what time it was at "home".

We are concerned about the time at home so we know when it is a good time to call.  We like to call after school hours when the grandchildren are home.  We also do not want to call too early or too late when people are sleeping.  Right now it is Friday at 11:16 am on the ship.  At home it is Thursday at 7:36 pm.  It would take me too long to do the math.  Having my computer do it is much easier for me.  Also helps if you have a business call to make.  You want to make the call during the weekdays and during office hours.   When you are on a four and half month cruise, you do need to know what time it is at home.  Unless you have no family, friends, or business at home. 

[cwn]

e One of grandsons would text us every day at different times. He always asked what the date, day and time was where we were. He got a kick out of the difference.

 

Dick's watch will tell him the time and date on the ship and at home at a push of a button. He still works has to keep up with customers at home. 

Edited February 22, 2019 by cwn

[Floridiana]

Do world cruisers get any gifts from Regent, for example a nice diary for my notes or a messenger bag?

 

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

HotRoot, all this is very helpful, thank you.

[cwn]

Just now, Floridiana said:

Do world cruisers get any gifts from Regent, for example a nice diary for my notes or a messenger bag?

 

 

Last year we got a nice jacket, nice collared t-shirt like shirt (not cotton), a hard bound book for journaling and maybe something else, but I can't remember. Oh and a video of the cruise.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 minute ago, cwn said:

Last year we got a nice jacket, nice collared t-shirt like shirt (not cotton), a hard bound book for journaling and maybe something else, but I can't remember. Oh and a video of the cruise.

 

Last year!  So this is your second year in a row?  

[cwn]

Just now, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Last year!  So this is your second year in a row?  

We did the Regent WC in 2018, I think that was last year..LOL. I would do a WC again, but Dick not so much. He enjoyed it but it was a little long. He says 80 or 90 days is enough time on a ship for him.

 

We have done two other around the world trips in 2009 and 2015 lasting 5 or so months and doing a combination and cruise segments and land segments. Those were much more to his taste, but a lot more planning on my part!