First Time Regent Cruiser's Expectations Exceeded

[markdgriffin]

Barcelona to Southampton May 19 - June 1 on Explorer.  At the invitation of my sister, who is a six-time Regent cruiser with the seventh booked onboard, we (my wife and I) accompanied her and her husband on a 12 night Western Mediterranean itinerary.  My sister told me to prepare to be spoiled and she could not have been more accurate.  Contrary to other posts, we experienced zero negative experiences while on the ship.  Ship was stunningly beautiful with obviously high quality furnishings and finishes throughout.  Our cabin, a Concierge D on Deck 10, was efficiently designed, very spacious, with an abundance of storage, and luxurious throughout.  Dining was an outstanding experience every meal which included breakfast room service six times, two dinners in each specialty restaurant, and multiple meals in all other venues with the exception of the Pool Grill which we didn't try.  Entertainment was very enjoyable with a guest performer, Will Martin, exceeding all others.  The Culinary Arts Kitchen was both fun and informative the two times we attended.  Five treatments Canyon Ranch Spa were very good and professionally executed.  We booked tours at each port through Regent, some of which were included while others incurred a charge, and all were informative, enjoyable, educational, with excellent guides.  Most notable of the tours were Horses and Flavors of Cartagena, Dinner at Chateau du Tertre in Bordeaux, and the D Day Landing Beaches in Normandy which placed us on Omaha Beach one week shy of the 75th Anniversary of D Day - very moving and an experience I will never forget.  And, to save the best for last - service - Regent's staff is something unique and a testament to excellent hiring and training practices on behalf of the cruise line.  We encountered above-and-beyond, excellent service multiple times while on the ship and experienced no unpleasant interactions whatsoever with any of the crew members.  From our perspective; while the ship is beautiful, the food great, the entertainment enjoyable, the tours well executed, and the itinerary excellent; the most noticeable point of difference is the service oriented, pleasant, friendly, and helpful crew literally everywhere you turn.  Consequently, we are now hooked and booked an Alaska cruise in 2020 while we were onboard.  We marveled though, at the thankfully few passengers who were snooty, rude, miserable, and unreasonable.  A shame because I know from my experience anyone could have a wonderful time if they would simply allow themselves to do so.  You can't please them all but Regent does the best job I've seen pleasing at a very, very high rate.

 

Zero negative experiences while onboard the ship, however; one complaint regarding the tours: people participate in tours who should not due to physical limitations.  Regent makes abundantly clear via multiple outlets the physical requirements of each tour and further, the physical limitations that should prevent someone from taking each tour.  Unfortunately, on literally every tour we took, people were present who should not have been, placing tour guides in a challenging position.  Some on our tours were downright rude by asking the tour guide to slow the tour to their preferred pace which in certain instances caused elements of the tour itinerary to be missed.  One person asked that a tour to be slowed because her back hurts when she climbs stairs yet in the tour description, clearly stated, those who can't climb stairs are advised not to take the tour.  Another insisted rudely that a tour be slowed because those in the back of the line couldn't keep up (we weren't walking briskly) so the tour guide noticeably slowed down.  Later, in the same tour, someone fell while stepping down from a curb and was thankfully fine, yet the tour guide was chastised rudely for going too fast.  We missed planned parts of that tour.  On yet another tour, a couple wanted to make sure the tour guide would wait for them when we arrived back at the ship so they could be helped back onboard.  Unfortunately, this is an unpleasant problem for which I have no solution.  Regent can't be placed into a position of evaluating everyone's physical condition before each tour and the tour companies and their guides can't be expected to turn people away at the bus either.  Passengers simply need to be honest regarding their abilities and not allow their selfish desires negatively affect a larger group. 

 

Regent now has yet another loyal customer who, as long as fun and memorable experiences like this cruise repeat themselves, will come back time and time again.  The price is high which results in expectations also being high, yet our expectations were consistently exceeded.  Can't wait for Alaska next year!

[liptastic]

So glad to hear had a wonderful first Regent cruise, enjoyed your review.

Your experience of the compromised for want of a better word guests on certain excursions is not isolated, it seems there have been a few mentions of this quite recently, it causes problems for the tour guides and also spoils enjoyment for everyone else on that tour.

I am sure you will really enjoy Alaska , we are only recently home from our fourth Alaska cruise, it keeps calling us back. 

Thanks for your review, Jean.

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for posting your lovely review.  It sounds as if you like Explorer as much as we do!  

 

Definitely agree with your comments regarding excursions.  I wonder if it would help if, when people cannot do stairs or feel that the group is walking too fast, the tour guide could be instructed to find a place for them sit while the rest of the group continues.  In my opinion, this is not being rude but rather a way of not ruining the excursions for the 98% of the guests that can walk and climb stairs.

 

So, you'll be on Explorer during its first Alaska season.  Should be loads of fun!

[markdgriffin]

Our Alaska cruise in 2020 will be on the Mariner.  While the Explorer will likely be impossible to beat, we are looking forward to experiencing a different Regent ship.

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, markdgriffin said:

Our Alaska cruise in 2020 will be on the Mariner.  While the Explorer will likely be impossible to beat, we are looking forward to experiencing a different Regent ship.

 

Oops - I was incorrect - Explorer doesn't do Alaska until 2021.  Mariner is a nice ship - lots of public spaces.  Our only issue with Mariner is the size of the entry level suites.  In any case, you're right - it will likely be impossible to beat Explorer.

[ronrick1943]

Glad you had a great trip and the Mariner while isn't the Explorer you'll have a wonderful trip the ship is really nice--we did an April cruise on her.

[Boats07]

2 hours ago, markdgriffin said:

Barcelona to Southampton May 19 - June 1 on Explorer.  At the invitation of my sister, who is a six-time Regent cruiser with the seventh booked onboard, we (my wife and I) accompanied her and her husband on a 12 night Western Mediterranean itinerary.  My sister told me to prepare to be spoiled and she could not have been more accurate.  Contrary to other posts, we experienced zero negative experiences while on the ship.  Ship was stunningly beautiful with obviously high quality furnishings and finishes throughout.  Our cabin, a Concierge D on Deck 10, was efficiently designed, very spacious, with an abundance of storage, and luxurious throughout.  Dining was an outstanding experience every meal which included breakfast room service six times, two dinners in each specialty restaurant, and multiple meals in all other venues with the exception of the Pool Grill which we didn't try.  Entertainment was very enjoyable with a guest performer, Will Martin, exceeding all others.  The Culinary Arts Kitchen was both fun and informative the two times we attended.  Five treatments Canyon Ranch Spa were very good and professionally executed.  We booked tours at each port through Regent, some of which were included while others incurred a charge, and all were informative, enjoyable, educational, with excellent guides.  Most notable of the tours were Horses and Flavors of Cartagena, Dinner at Chateau du Tertre in Bordeaux, and the D Day Landing Beaches in Normandy which placed us on Omaha Beach one week shy of the 75th Anniversary of D Day - very moving and an experience I will never forget.  And, to save the best for last - service - Regent's staff is something unique and a testament to excellent hiring and training practices on behalf of the cruise line.  We encountered above-and-beyond, excellent service multiple times while on the ship and experienced no unpleasant interactions whatsoever with any of the crew members.  From our perspective; while the ship is beautiful, the food great, the entertainment enjoyable, the tours well executed, and the itinerary excellent; the most noticeable point of difference is the service oriented, pleasant, friendly, and helpful crew literally everywhere you turn.  Consequently, we are now hooked and booked an Alaska cruise in 2020 while we were onboard.  We marveled though, at the thankfully few passengers who were snooty, rude, miserable, and unreasonable.  A shame because I know from my experience anyone could have a wonderful time if they would simply allow themselves to do so.  You can't please them all but Regent does the best job I've seen pleasing at a very, very high rate.

 

Zero negative experiences while onboard the ship, however; one complaint regarding the tours: people participate in tours who should not due to physical limitations.  Regent makes abundantly clear via multiple outlets the physical requirements of each tour and further, the physical limitations that should prevent someone from taking each tour.  Unfortunately, on literally every tour we took, people were present who should not have been, placing tour guides in a challenging position.  Some on our tours were downright rude by asking the tour guide to slow the tour to their preferred pace which in certain instances caused elements of the tour itinerary to be missed.  One person asked that a tour to be slowed because her back hurts when she climbs stairs yet in the tour description, clearly stated, those who can't climb stairs are advised not to take the tour.  Another insisted rudely that a tour be slowed because those in the back of the line couldn't keep up (we weren't walking briskly) so the tour guide noticeably slowed down.  Later, in the same tour, someone fell while stepping down from a curb and was thankfully fine, yet the tour guide was chastised rudely for going too fast.  We missed planned parts of that tour.  On yet another tour, a couple wanted to make sure the tour guide would wait for them when we arrived back at the ship so they could be helped back onboard.  Unfortunately, this is an unpleasant problem for which I have no solution.  Regent can't be placed into a position of evaluating everyone's physical condition before each tour and the tour companies and their guides can't be expected to turn people away at the bus either.  Passengers simply need to be honest regarding their abilities and not allow their selfish desires negatively affect a larger group. 

 

Regent now has yet another loyal customer who, as long as fun and memorable experiences like this cruise repeat themselves, will come back time and time again.  The price is high which results in expectations also being high, yet our expectations were consistently exceeded.  Can't wait for Alaska next year!

Thank you for the great review.   We will be on our first Regent Cruise next April and you definitely looking forward to it.  

[markdgriffin]

Chose a Penthouse Suite on Mariner for the Alaska cruise after exploring cabin sizes.  Concierge level cabin did seem small although, prior to our experience on Explorer, it would have seemed lavish.  See how Regent works?  Spoils you! 

[flossie009]

Excellent choice; the PH suites on Mariner are a very comfortable size & good layout.

In my opinion those with shower only are much better than those with the bath-shower combo.

[markdgriffin]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

Excellent choice; the PH suites on Mariner are a very comfortable size & good layout.

In my opinion those with shower only are much better than those with the bath-shower combo.

Good to know because the cabin we booked is a shower only arrangement.  Thank you for your insight.  Any advice regarding keeping our butler busy?  We didn't have a butler in our Concierge suite on Explorer so we aren't sure how to utilize the service.  We once stayed at St. Regis hotel and a butler was provided.  He came to our room, let us know he would be more than happy to help us with anything we needed.  My wife and I looked at each other, said we can't think of anything at the moment, and never saw him again because I never could think of anything we needed that wasn't readily available. 

[cAPS lOCK oN]

7 hours ago, markdgriffin said:

Contrary to other posts, we experienced zero negative experiences while on the ship.

 

We were on the cruise after yours, and I heartily agree. We literally have nothing negative to say about the experience. Food, service, our stateroom, the ship itself... all perfection. If only Regent could control British weather!

 

[markdgriffin]

4 hours ago, Boats07 said:

Thank you for the great review.   We will be on our first Regent Cruise next April and you definitely looking forward to it.  

You are in for a treat!  Regent somehow delivers an unmatched level of service.  Enjoy!

[markdgriffin]

2 minutes ago, cAPS lOCK oN said:

 

We were on the cruise after yours, and I heartily agree. We literally have nothing negative to say about the experience. Food, service, our stateroom, the ship itself... all perfection. If only Regent could control British weather!

 

Sorry about the weather, however; if it required you to stay aboard the ship, you were no doubt pampered.  

[Travelcat2]

We love having a butler - if only to discuss where he is from and his family.  They are lovely men.

 

They can book or cancel excursions and/or dining reservations (although sometimes it is easier to book it yourself).  They will have shoes shined and if you order room service, it will be provided by your butler instead of your stewardess/steward. (Note:  your butler will likely be on a break in the afternoon and another butler will take care of you).

 

They bring hors d'oeuves at 5:00 p.m. if you request them and will pack or unpack your belongings.  We do not take advantage of the unpacking but did one time when we were late boarding the ship (due to flights).  I understood that they are crazy busy on embarkation day but really needed him to unpack and he did a great job.

 

They have great insight into the ports which can be helpful.  They know where locals have lunch and can direct you to non-tourist places.  We have sailed Regent many times and have been to most ports so we tend to take less excursions than people new to international travel.  What we did to know is the best places to visit on our own.  

 

Very happy to learn that you have a PH suite with a shower.  Those are, in my opinion, the best suites.  And, the shower-only suites are very popular - many people are not able to book these suites as they tend to be the first to be booked.

 

You will have a great time!

[markdgriffin]

2 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

We love having a butler - if only to discuss where he is from and his family.  They are lovely men.

 

They can book or cancel excursions and/or dining reservations (although sometimes it is easier to book it yourself).  They will have shoes shined and if you order room service, it will be provided by your butler instead of your stewardess/steward. (Note:  your butler will likely be on a break in the afternoon and another butler will take care of you).

 

They bring hors d'oeuves at 5:00 p.m. if you request them and will pack or unpack your belongings.  We do not take advantage of the unpacking but did one time when we were late boarding the ship (due to flights).  I understood that they are crazy busy on embarkation day but really needed him to unpack and he did a great job.

 

They have great insight into the ports which can be helpful.  They know where locals have lunch and can direct you to non-tourist places.  We have sailed Regent many times and have been to most ports so we tend to take less excursions than people new to international travel.  What we did to know is the best places to visit on our own.  

 

Very happy to learn that you have a PH suite with a shower.  Those are, in my opinion, the best suites.  And, the shower-only suites are very popular - many people are not able to book these suites as they tend to be the first to be booked.

 

You will have a great time!

Thank you very much for your helpful insight regarding the utilization of our Butler. We look forward to conversations with him. We seemed to be on the younger end of the age spectrum on Explorer (I am 56 and I married an older woman 31 years ago - she’s 57) so we enjoy the more active excursions at this stage in our lives.  I imagine the Alaska itinerary will offer plenty of adventurous options with respect to shore excursions. We would cruise Regent more frequently yet our careers seem to get in the way.  Now I have one more reason to look forward to retirement.  

[kjbacon]

We were new to Regent a couple months ago, also Explorer, and our reaction was much the same as the OP - wow! ... including the excursion issue as raised. We also had people on excursions that were rated active or very active, with specific mention that it was not recommended for those with mobility issues (sometimes steps and/or uneven terrain). In every case, there were interesting excursions available on those days that would have provided a better fit. Not sure how to come up with a good solution for all.

[markdgriffin]

4 hours ago, kjbacon said:

We were new to Regent a couple months ago, also Explorer, and our reaction was much the same as the OP - wow! ... including the excursion issue as raised. We also had people on excursions that were rated active or very active, with specific mention that it was not recommended for those with mobility issues (sometimes steps and/or uneven terrain). In every case, there were interesting excursions available on those days that would have provided a better fit. Not sure how to come up with a good solution for all.

The experience we had was absolutely wonderful so I don't want my criticism of certain shore excursion participants to dampen the fact that we were beyond happy with our cruise.  We actually enjoyed the excursions, every one of them, yet I felt in the interest of balance I should share the one displeasure experienced.  The worst element of the issue was the rude, entitled, and selfish behavior exhibited by those who shouldn't have been on the tours.  I suppose if they have lived a life of being catered to continuously, it is reasonable in their mind to expect twenty five people to stop what they are doing so that they can do what they want.  The guides placed into these situations handled each with admirable grace, kindness, and patience.  Unfortunately, I must admit, in no way could I have been as patient.

[UUNetBill]

So happy to hear that you enjoyed your first (probably of many if you're like us) Regent cruise.  They're addictive.

 

Our first was on Navigator about 10 years ago and although Explorer is our favorite ship in the Regent fleet they all have their plus/minus factors - but none are minus enough that we wouldn't sail on it!!  As you noted, the staff usually helps make a Regent cruise something special.  Over the years we can count on one hand the number of crew members who weren't polite, smiling, and helpful - and considering the amount of work these folks do that's an incredible accomplishment.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts and observations here - too often people only post complaints; it's refreshing to find someone who takes the time to post a bit of praise.  I hope you enjoy your subsequent Regent cruises as much or more than your first!

[markdgriffin]

7 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

So happy to hear that you enjoyed your first (probably of many if you're like us) Regent cruise.  They're addictive.

 

Our first was on Navigator about 10 years ago and although Explorer is our favorite ship in the Regent fleet they all have their plus/minus factors - but none are minus enough that we wouldn't sail on it!!  As you noted, the staff usually helps make a Regent cruise something special.  Over the years we can count on one hand the number of crew members who weren't polite, smiling, and helpful - and considering the amount of work these folks do that's an incredible accomplishment.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts and observations here - too often people only post complaints; it's refreshing to find someone who takes the time to post a bit of praise.  I hope you enjoy your subsequent Regent cruises as much or more than your first!

Thank you.  Predicting the future; I see many Regent cruises ahead and the corresponding shrunken bank account.  I can assure you my comments will always be candid and representative of my opinion.  I'm sure my review would seem to some overly kind and short of criticism yet if I had encountered interactions or experiences that justified criticism, I would have included them in my post.  The truth is, I didn't.  On our particular 12 night cruise, Regent performed exceptionally well by any measurement. 

[UUNetBill]

4 minutes ago, markdgriffin said:

Thank you.  Predicting the future; I see many Regent cruises ahead and the corresponding shrunken bank account.  I can assure you my comments will always be candid and representative of my opinion.  I'm sure my review would seem to some overly kind and short of criticism yet if I had encountered interactions or experiences that justified criticism, I would have included them in my post.  The truth is, I didn't.  On our particular 12 night cruise, Regent performed exceptionally well by any measurement. 

Yep, you don't need a crystal ball (no pun intended) to predict cash going out for luxury cruises.  I'm with you, though - I'll gladly post my experiences, both positive and negative, and like you most of my experiences with Regent have been positives.  Of course, using the law of averages, the more you cruise, the more likely it is you'll eventually run into someone who's having a bad day or something - but aside from a few cranky servers in the Pool Bar area a few years ago (corrected) and some communication issues with the main office in Miami (also corrected), our experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

We've looked at other lines just to maybe compare, but with finite time and money available for vacations we tend to 'go with what we know' - plus hitting Gold made Regent that much nicer for us...they sure know how to reel us in, don't they?   

[markdgriffin]

20 hours ago, liptastic said:

So glad to hear had a wonderful first Regent cruise, enjoyed your review.

Your experience of the compromised for want of a better word guests on certain excursions is not isolated, it seems there have been a few mentions of this quite recently, it causes problems for the tour guides and also spoils enjoyment for everyone else on that tour.

I am sure you will really enjoy Alaska , we are only recently home from our fourth Alaska cruise, it keeps calling us back. 

Thanks for your review, Jean.

Thank you Jean.  While I have traveled to Alaska once on a fishing trip, my wife has never been.  My extremely favorable impression of Alaska is limited to Craig and Ketchikan so I'm anxious to see more including the glacier.  Never in my life have I had any sort of addiction yet now I'm starting to worry.....................Regent may be a problem.  We have traveled extensively throughout our lives and have taken other cruises with the last being a ten night Baltic Sea itinerary on Holland America approximately a decade ago.  Nice trip but NOTHING like our experience with Regent.  Truthfully, I hadn't paid much attention and didn't know such a cruise experience existed.  My sister, a six time Regent cruiser, invited us to accompany her and her husband so I either owe her a debt of gratitude or blame her for getting us hooked.

[markdgriffin]

8 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Yep, you don't need a crystal ball (no pun intended) to predict cash going out for luxury cruises.  I'm with you, though - I'll gladly post my experiences, both positive and negative, and like you most of my experiences with Regent have been positives.  Of course, using the law of averages, the more you cruise, the more likely it is you'll eventually run into someone who's having a bad day or something - but aside from a few cranky servers in the Pool Bar area a few years ago (corrected) and some communication issues with the main office in Miami (also corrected), our experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

We've looked at other lines just to maybe compare, but with finite time and money available for vacations we tend to 'go with what we know' - plus hitting Gold made Regent that much nicer for us...they sure know how to reel us in, don't they?   

No doubt, the "hook" is firmly set in my mouth and I feel the tension of the line as I'm being reeled in!  Oops!  What was that?  Oh, just my wallet being removed and emptied!

[kjbacon]

1 hour ago, markdgriffin said:

The experience we had was absolutely wonderful so I don't want my criticism of certain shore excursion participants to dampen the fact that we were beyond happy with our cruise.  We actually enjoyed the excursions, every one of them, yet I felt in the interest of balance I should share the one displeasure experienced.  The worst element of the issue was the rude, entitled, and selfish behavior exhibited by those who shouldn't have been on the tours.  I suppose if they have lived a life of being catered to continuously, it is reasonable in their mind to expect twenty five people to stop what they are doing so that they can do what they want.  The guides placed into these situations handled each with admirable grace, kindness, and patience.  Unfortunately, I must admit, in no way could I have been as patient.

 

I totally get it, felt the same way. We booked on board and are checking out several more!  We also enjoyed our excursions but did feel like one or two people clipped everyone’s wings. 

 

Another great experience we had we had with the butler was having a custom designed dinner served to us on our balcony. I highly recommend this wonderful experience!

[markdgriffin]

26 minutes ago, kjbacon said:

 

I totally get it, felt the same way. We booked on board and are checking out several more!  We also enjoyed our excursions but did feel like one or two people clipped everyone’s wings. 

 

Another great experience we had we had with the butler was having a custom designed dinner served to us on our balcony. I highly recommend this wonderful experience!

Thank you for the tip regarding dinner on the balcony.  We most definitely will do so.  Weather in Alaska mid-August conducive to a balcony dinner?  My one trip there several years ago was in July and the weather was surprisingly pleasant.

[kjbacon]

2 hours ago, markdgriffin said:

Thank you for the tip regarding dinner on the balcony.  We most definitely will do so.  Weather in Alaska mid-August conducive to a balcony dinner?  My one trip there several years ago was in July and the weather was surprisingly pleasant.

 

The weather is always a wild card but it’s worth trying for. When you are planning ahead, making specialty restaurant reservations and such, set aside a night when you are in port late as that’s the perfect setting for dinner on the balcony (not moving). With notice, you can order nearly anything you can dream of, even if it isn’t on the regulate menus. One night I had a whole grilled branzino and another night roast duck. Such a luxurious treat!