Transatlantic in November Mariner vs Navigator

[PBodek]

Hello!

We've never sailed with Regent before and are looking at the Transatlantic cruises in November.  Both board in Barcelona and end in Miami, the major difference is the Mariner stops in Bermuda and the Navigator stops in Puerto Rico.  I know the Navigator is a smaller ship, how does it handle the open waters of the Atlantic?  Which ship would you choose and why?  Thank you! 🛥️

[Nachosdelux]

Mariner is a nicer and newer ship, and larger. For those 3 reasons I would choose it.

[Cruising Librarian]

Mariner, hands down.  As a matter of fact, I am booked on that cruise.  

 

Did a Panama Canal Transit on the Navigator (17 nights) and thought the ship had much more movement than other cruise ships.  Very noisy in our suite, a grinding,  when the stabilizers were on, and overall creaky.  

 

Probably the least attentive service I've had on my 8 Regent cruises.  

[flossie009]

Although we love Navigator, given the choice for the same itinerary we would choose Mariner.

In our opinion, Mariner has the best layout of public areas of any of the Regent fleet, plus the benefit of an additional speciality restaurant (Chartreuse)

 

However, be aware that the basic suites on Mariner are snug (significantly smaller than Navigator). For us we prefer a Penthouse or Horizon suite when sailing on Mariner - both grades are an excellent size & layout.

Also, most guests prefer the shower-only suites on Mariner (marked with an asterisk on the deck plans)

[DavidTheWonderer]

7 hours ago, flossie009 said:

... Mariner has the best layout of public areas of any of the Regent fleet, plus the benefit of an additional speciality restaurant (Chartreuse) However, be aware that the basic suites on Mariner are snug (significantly smaller than Navigator). ...

Exactly. More space for public areas means less space for the suites. That's the tradeoff that must be made one way or the other.
Some folks like to spend considerable time in their suite, while others prefer being in the public areas interacting with other passengers.  There is no right or wrong here.
I'm in the latter category, so prefer Mariner over her sister ship Voyager and the smaller Navigator.
A rough analogy is people who like to live in the heart of a big-city downtown compared to people who opt for a larger home in the relatively isolated suburbs. Again there is no right or wrong here except for personal preference.  Personally I live in the heart of downtown Toronto.
The good news is that you have the choice: I would  be happy as a clam to do a trans-Atlantic on Navigator.

[Mudhen]

John and I have sailed both the Mariner and the Navigator. Everything that the above posters have cited is exactly true. We've done a TA on the Mariner and will do a TA on the Navigator next April. The Mariner has more bells and whistles than the Navigator, so actually, if this was a first time on Regent, I'd choose the Mariner. The Navigator seems to get the best itineraries (IMHO) but TA's are all pretty similar. If and when you ever choose the Navigator, stay out of the stern. There is noticeable vibration at time, back there.

[hamasgirl]

Just one other thing to consider.  November is towards the end of hurricane season.  While you can never plan on anything relative to the weather please note that Puerto Rico is much closer to the 'normal' paths for hurricanes than Bermuda is.  While neither is a safe bet, I would chose Bermuda over Puerto Rico during hurricane season.

[SkystheLimit]

6 hours ago, hamasgirl said:

Just one other thing to consider.  November is towards the end of hurricane season.  While you can never plan on anything relative to the weather please note that Puerto Rico is much closer to the 'normal' paths for hurricanes than Bermuda is.  While neither is a safe bet, I would chose Bermuda over Puerto Rico during hurricane season.

Well, we were scheduled for Bermuda on the TA from Lisbon and ended up diverting to SJU because of a tropical storm. So, you just never know.  We ended up with 8 sea days in a row.  Crew did a fantastic job rescheduling and adding activities.  Several one person shows were added that were wonderful!

[Steve Q]

I would definitely book Mariner. We sailed on Navigator for 18 days and it would not be our first choice. 

[PBodek]

Thank you for all your input.  We just booked the Mariner.  Excited, but nervous about crossing the Atlantic.  First time cruising with Regent.  Can't wait! 😃

[papaflamingo]

1 minute ago, PBodek said:

Thank you for all your input.  We just booked the Mariner.  Excited, but nervous about crossing the Atlantic.  First time cruising with Regent.  Can't wait! 😃

Don't be nervous, you'll have a great cruise!!

We did Mariner for our first cruise in 2018.  Mariner (at least at the time) was considered by most as the "best ride" among the fleet (Explorer had just come out so don't know if that has changed).  Anyway, we sailed from Hawaii to Sydney so lots of open ocean AND the Tasman Sea!😱

Mariner really handled it all very well for a ship her size.  So you picked a good ship for open ocean sailing. 

No one can predict the weather of course, but I bet you'll have a wonderful time.😎

[Mudhen]

33 minutes ago, PBodek said:

Thank you for all your input.  We just booked the Mariner.  Excited, but nervous about crossing the Atlantic.  First time cruising with Regent.  Can't wait! 😃

Excellent choice! Going "way back" we sailed the Mariner on our first Regent all inclusive cruise, from Monte Carlo to Rio. It was a GREAT cruise! Not a thing to be nervous about...it'll be wonderful!

[flossie009]

6 hours ago, PBodek said:

We just booked the Mariner.  Excited, but nervous about crossing the Atlantic. 

Mariner is a very stable & comfortable ship.

Have a fabulous cruise 😎

[Hambagahle]

We have done TAs on both ships.  Several times.  The best-ever cruise we have had was a TA on the Navigator with the NY Theatre Guild on board.  They were amazing.  However the Mariner has more on offer (restaurants etc) and the PH suites on the Mariner are amazing.   We went around Cape Horn on the Mariner, in quite a wind - the Captain was on the point of cancelling when we were still in the Drake passage.  She rode the seas beautifully.   I envy you your cruise!   Plus I would pick Bermuda over St Juan any day. Mariner is small enough to dock right on Front Street in Hamilton which is another great thing to look forward to.  (Navigator can too (and we did!)

Edited June 6 by Hambagahle