New to Regent - Navigator

[royallondon]

Hi

 

Having seen a TV series recently here in the UK (The worlds most expensive cruise ship)  would love to try Regent and have identified an interesting repositioning itinerary on the Navigator in May 2023.  Thanks to this informative board we have read many reviews & understand that it’s the smallest and oldest ship of the fleet, with restricted alternative dinning.  

Our question is, would a 15 night cruise on Navigator give us a great introduction to the Regent brand and overall experience?

Thank you so much.

 

Regards

 

 

[Pcardad]

Absolutely - I have over 500 nights and like the Navigator the best! It is smaller and more intimate. It is nice to have fewer people on board...and we do not care for the design of the newer ships.

[papaflamingo]

Our "introduction to Regent cruising" was 44 nights on Mariner.  Sailed Honolulu to Sydney in 2018.  It was truly a "leap of faith."  It was such a wonderful cruise that we immediately booked future cruises...then...COVID!  So, our second cruise is in May and is 40 nights on Navigator.  I have researched (ad nauseam) the ship.  I know that it can vibrate in the aft portion so I located accordingly.  I know it doesn't have all the bells and whistles that Explorer or Splendor have.  No big deal.  We love the small ship intimacy.  In fact, our experience was so wonderful that not only do I have the 40 nights booked this year, but the 61 night Grand Cruise on Explorer in 2023 and 16 night Panama Canal cruise on the upcoming Grandeur in 2024!  So... 15 nights... perfect introduction!!!  You'll likely love it! 😎

[HotRoot]

Remember you can always order off the menu.  I downloaded menus from the specialty restaurants not on Navigator.  With 24 hours notice, you can order from those menus in Compass Rose.

[mj_holiday]

Yes, the Navigator is smaller but you will start seeing the Regent atmosphere as you step onto the ship and  the crew works very hard to make sure you have a wonderful trip.  We have been on the Navigator more than the other Regent ships and have always had a great time.  The Navigator seems to have some very interesting itineraries.  

[BBWC]

We spent both a world cruise and a grand voyage on Navigator, and really enjoy the small ship. The size makes it easier to dock in locations close to town. We also agree that Navigator has the best itineraries.

[RetiredandTravel]

We have never been on the Navigator but I understand there are some vibration issues so prior to selecting your room  be sure to ask the knowledgeable folks here.  I agree that the itinerary is probably most important, personally I'd go with a room with a veranda.

[wristband]

Sorry, but I have an opposite view.  Amenities on Navigator are significantly less appealing and fewer in number than other Regent ships.  Example: the dining venue next to Prime 7 is crowded and cumbersome to, ahem, navigate...especially during breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Same for the bar and computer areas.  Decor is old and dated.

 

Vibration issues are well covered on this forum.  Obviously, others have a very different opinion and say they are pleased with the "intimacy" (ie. cramped) in public areas. 

 

My positives are: the crew is eager to please and works hard in the tight spaces, cabins are larger than Mariner (surprisingly) and there are indeed unusual itineraries.  My better half refuses to cruise again on Navigator in favor of stellar alternative Regent options with Mariner, Voyager, Splendor etc.

 

IMHO a first time Regent cruiser would not be well served by initially experiencing Navigator.  But your mileage may vary. 

[aventureux]

We are booked on Navigator Penthouse Suite 1113.  On smaller ships higher and fore is more satisfying.  Vibration more pronounced at aft, the stern.  We have never chosen any suite but midship or fore in all our years of river cruising (Uniworld) and ocean cruises (RSSC & Ponant excursions).  Enjoy whatever cruise you book; on RSSC you cannot go adrift! (Go wrong). Our cruises in 2022 on RSSC are on Navigator and Voyager.

[royallondon]

Thank you all very much for the feedback given, much appreciated.

 

Vibration - This issue came up frequently when reading the reviews and would avoid by booking a midship cabin.  However, looking at deck plans many of the public/entertainment areas appear to be located aft and so unavoidable.  Does the vibration impact much whilst watching shows having a drink in Gigilo’s etc?

Fully appreciate we all have varying views and opinions.

 

Regards

 

 

[wishIweretravelling]

As you may surmise reading past threads (and a couple of entries above), Regent passengers have strong opinions about Navigator--some positive, some negative. Full disclosure before I try to answer your question: I'm on team "love Navigator." Nearly 2/3 of my almost 300 nights on Regent have been on Navigator, if that tells you something. But if you bear with (or skip most of) my meanderings below, you'll get to a big caution that comes from even a Navigator-lover.

 

So, to get to your core question of whether Navigator would be a good representation of the Regent brand and experience, I'd have to give you a definitive answer of "kind of."  In terms of the concrete elements of the product, the lowest-level cabins are quite nice--among the largest in the fleet and nicely appointed. It's the only ship in the fleet that has non-balcony cabins, but there aren't many of them. All have walk-in closets. Few (if any) have two sinks in the bathroom. Most of the cabins on Navigator are the basic layout--it has a lower percentage of high-end suites.

 

Public spaces are fewer and smaller than the other ships, but are still nice and are proportionate to the size of the passenger load. Navigator is not as opulent as the two newest ships, and does not have the spectacular artwork you can find on Explorer and Splendor. But it still has the quiet elegance that is core to the physical part of the Regent brand.

 

I do like Navigator's itineraries. It goes to some of the more interesting ports, and its smaller size means it can dock in some places that others cannot. For example, in St Petersburg it usually docks right in the center of the city. Few other ships can do that--Regent's larger ships often dock at the big cruise terminal in the outskirts.

 

As far the intangibles of the product go, Navigator offers the excellent and warm service that is Regent's hallmark. If anything, it is a step above the others in that regard, if only because the fewer passengers mean you and the staff get to know each other better. And you get to know other passengers better too. There is an intimacy to Navigator that I wouldn't say is lacking on the other ships, but is not as pronounced on them as it is on Navigator.

 

But here's my caution: you mention a repositioning cruise. If that repositioning is an ocean crossing--Atlantic or Pacific--of many days, I'd suggest you think twice.  First, its smaller size means it doesn't handle rough seas as well. It's not awful by any means, but you will feel it more. Second, it can get claustrophobic on many successive sea days. Regent is not a cruise line that offers go-go-go. While there are plenty of sea day activities, the pace is slow and the clientele tends more to the self-entertaining side of things. Navigator simply doesn't have the array of facilities in which to amuse yourself that the other ships have.  And lunch and dinner at La Verandah (the buffet restaurant) can be packed on sea days. I've only ever done crossings on Navigator when they were part of a grand voyage, and those days were fine because we were recovering from jam-packed exploring by that point. But a cruise where the sea days are the core of the cruise?  I'd go with one of the other ships.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by wishIweretravelling
typos

[wishIweretravelling]

28 minutes ago, royallondon said:

Thank you all very much for the feedback given, much appreciated.

 

Vibration - This issue came up frequently when reading the reviews and would avoid by booking a midship cabin.  However, looking at deck plans many of the public/entertainment areas appear to be located aft and so unavoidable.  Does the vibration impact much whilst watching shows having a drink in Gigilo’s etc?

Fully appreciate we all have varying views and opinions.

 

Regards

 

 

 

The vibration is not an issue for the show lounge, since that is all the way forward on the ship. But you can feel in Galileo's--the aft observation lounge and a favorite gathering spot--particularly when the ship is entering or leaving port. See attached video, taken in Galileo's by my friend and cabin-mate (NCCruzQueen) when leaving a port one day. She and I still laugh about that one.

 

That being said, it has never interfered with our enjoyment of the venue. It simply adds an interesting twist to it.

 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We love Explorer and Splendor…..however, we have sailed on Navigator several times, including a 21 night Northern Europe and have a future cruise booked. Amazon, 25 nights in April. 
Although I said it’s not my favorite, it offers certain itineraries that can’t be matched. 
My third favorite is Navigator, followed by Mariner and Voyager. 
We usually book 925… it’s closer to the elevator, with little or no vibration. Above and below are suites.. no pool or restaurants or lounges. 
Service is simply the best!

sheila
 

[pnsnkr]

23 minutes ago, wishIweretravelling said:

 

The vibration is not an issue for the show lounge, since that is all the way forward on the ship. But you can feel in Galileo's--the aft observation lounge and a favorite gathering spot--particularly when the ship is entering or leaving port. See attached video, taken in Galileo's by my friend and cabin-mate (NCCruzQueen) when leaving a port one day. She and I still laugh about that one.

 

That being said, it has never interfered with our enjoyment of the venue. It simply adds an interesting twist to it.

 

 

So, if you order a martini, you could have it both stirred and shaken.

[DaveFr]

47 minutes ago, wishIweretravelling said:

 

The vibration is not an issue for the show lounge, since that is all the way forward on the ship. But you can feel in Galileo's--the aft observation lounge and a favorite gathering spot--particularly when the ship is entering or leaving port. See attached video, taken in Galileo's by my friend and cabin-mate (NCCruzQueen) when leaving a port one day. She and I still laugh about that one.

I haven’t been on Navigator for a number of years but I just checked and my memory was correct that the show lounge is all the way aft on decks five and six. I remember significant vibration at times during shows.

[wishIweretravelling]

16 minutes ago, DaveFr said:

I haven’t been on Navigator for a number of years but I just checked and my memory was correct that the show lounge is all the way aft on decks five and six. I remember significant vibration at times during shows.

You’re right. I don’t know why I decided to reverse the deck.  I guess I never much noticed the vibration there.

[vegasdriven]

We have booked a Tahiti cruise for 2024 on navigator. We really had wanted to do a Windstar Breeze for this destination, (mostly because of the water sports platform), but they only have the small sailboat in Tahiti as far as I can see, and after Regent we can’t consider that one. We have done Windsurf 2x, and loved it, even with the tiny, but cozy cabins, but it is bigger and has more to offer then the smaller sail ship.

 

Which left PG, which people rave about, though there seem to be issues lately, so when we spied navigator for this 10 night itinerary on the latest offer, we jumped on it.

 

Now wondering what some of you Regent experts think about this option for Tahiti?

Also, we will likely do 3 days on Moorea post cruise, so any helpful hints to do with that would be appreciated, as well.

Hope I’m not highjacking this thread.

[honumaui]

Been to Tahiti 3 times..A land tour in 1968, the Tahitian Princess in 2006,  the Paul Gauguin in 2011. We have also sailed ( other places) on Regent and Windstar. I have also read that the PG is not what it used to be but we loved the Tahitian hostesses on board. It compared with Regent but that was a long time ago.  For comfort and great service I would pick Regent. For fun I would pick Wind Star for the sails and intimacy and the water platform. Loved the Star Legend in Alaska and Star Pride for Canada but probably would not choose the Breeze for Tahiti. You might want to check and compare the available tours on each one. You have a tough choice ! But whatever you choose, have a great time. Hint..If possible an itinerary that includes the Cooks and Marquesas is a plus. 

[islandchick]

1 hour ago, vegasdriven said:

We have booked a Tahiti cruise for 2024 on navigator. We really had wanted to do a Windstar Breeze for this destination, (mostly because of the water sports platform), but they only have the small sailboat in Tahiti as far as I can see, and after Regent we can’t consider that one. We have done Windsurf 2x, and loved it, even with the tiny, but cozy cabins, but it is bigger and has more to offer then the smaller sail ship.

 

Which left PG, which people rave about, though there seem to be issues lately, so when we spied navigator for this 10 night itinerary on the latest offer, we jumped on it.

 

Now wondering what some of you Regent experts think about this option for Tahiti?

Also, we will likely do 3 days on Moorea post cruise, so any helpful hints to do with that would be appreciated, as well.

Hope I’m not highjacking this thread.

The Hilton Moorea has wonderful over water bungalows. We hardly left our room as we had great snorkeling off it. Had a beautiful deck and ladder into the ocean. Ask for the farthest water bungalow if you decide to book this.  We stayed there and enjoyed it very much. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by islandchick

[royallondon]

A big thank you to all who have responded so quickly and informatively to my posting.  Certainly much food for thought before the 2 cabin upgrade offer closes by the end of the month 🙏    
In the meantime, safe and happy sailings to all.

 

Regards

 

[irishwitchy]

Our first cruise on any line or ship was on the Navigator.  We knew nothing about the “issue”, had a great time and loved the fact I wasn’t with 2000 new friends!   I love the advice on cruise critic,  but what you find great/important/bothersome may be different from what others think.   Enjoy! 

[Bronwyn]

One thing worth mentioning is that Navigator does not have a forward observation lounge. We cruised on her in Alaska a few years ago and found that to be a disappointment (I should have done more research). This may not be a big issue for you depending on your itinerary.

[Gilly]

6 hours ago, irishwitchy said:

   I love the advice on cruise critic,  but what you find great/important/bothersome may be different from what others think.   Enjoy! 

 

Excellent advice!  We had sailed on all the Regent ships except for Navigator and I must say, we booked our first cruise on board N with trepidation.  We loved it!  All the Regent things we look forward to were there; the quality of the service was just as we know and love and really, we didn't miss most of the features of the newer ships at all (with the possible exception of Pacific Rim...🙂)  We particularly liked how everything was just so close on hand and really look forward to being on board again in 166 days (not that I'm counting @briar14!)

[UUNetBill]

On 2/5/2022 at 2:20 PM, wristband said:

IMHO a first time Regent cruiser would not be well served by initially experiencing Navigator.  But your mileage may vary. 

FWIW, our first Regent cruise (first cruise ever, actually) was on Navigator and we were booking our second one by day three on board.  We've sailed on her several times since and had great cruises each time.  We wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again.  In fact, we just booked another cruise on her last week.

 

The drawbacks are well-documented, of course - serious aft vibration...no forward viewing area...fewer dining options...no Connoisseur Club...yes, in those respects it's not quite up to the high standards of the other ships, especially the newer builds - but the positives that been mentioned outweigh the negatives in our opinion. 

 

On 2/5/2022 at 3:29 PM, wishIweretravelling said:

 

The vibration is not an issue for the show lounge, since that is all the way forward on the ship. But you can feel in Galileo's--the aft observation lounge and a favorite gathering spot--particularly when the ship is entering or leaving port. See attached video, taken in Galileo's by my friend and cabin-mate (NCCruzQueen) when leaving a port one day. She and I still laugh about that one.

 

That being said, it has never interfered with our enjoyment of the venue. It simply adds an interesting twist to it.

 

C'mon, now - how many cruise ships do you  know of that have built-in automatic wine aerators?  That's not vibration - it's a feature!

[royallondon]

Just an update to advise that we have booked the cruise (Miami to Montreal) in a midship stateroom and with our expectations duly dialled in!

Again, thank you for the feedback and we really look forward to trying Regent.

 

Regards