Voyager- Guarantee cabin or not?

[theswimmer]

We are planning to go on a Caribbean cruise on the Voyager in Dec. 2007 and I don't know if I should book the least expensive guarantee cabin or not. We have never sailed on Regent before, only been on Celebrity twice and Princess once. Since all the cabins are balconies and a very generous size, we were going to book the least expensive option and take our chances. Has anyone gone this route and been very disappointed...or very delighted? I'm worried about the "vibration problem" I've read about towards the aft.

 

Thanks for any advice!

[Dolebludger]

It has been a couple of years since we were on the Voyager. We booked the lowest category guarantee ("H", as I recall). IMO, the category H suites on the Voyager are sufficiently spacious, and are far enough from the stern to be free of any SERIOUS vibration problems. At least they were over two years ago.

 

Our problem then was that we were upgraded to a category C, which is a beautiful suite right on the stern with a huge balcony (784 as I recall). That suite at that time did have what I would term excessive vibration problems. But that was over two years ago. Since then, there have been more recent accounts that the vibration problem right on the stern has been corrected to the point of reasonableness. It must be remembered in this regard that ANY ship will have some vibration right on he stern, as that is where the propulsion screws are located. So those particularly sensitive to vibration should avoid the stern (or the posibility thereof) by booking a mid-ship suite. If you are not particularly sensitive to reasonable vibrations at times (we're not), I hope some who have cruised a stern cabin on the Voyager more recently than we have will post and tell you of their experiences.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[AtA]

We just sailed on Voyager with a couple in one of the end suites on the stern. They loved it.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I was told by my TA to avoid the H cabins, which I believe are mostly or entirely aft. We did a G, mid-ship, and it was fabulous. We're booked in a similar F next December--they didn't have any G's, so we chose the F instead of a guarantee.

 

The trouble with a guarantee is that you could end up in an undesirable cabin. Of course, you could also get a fabulous upgrade, so it's a gamble.

[theswimmer]

I also just booked the F (7th deck midship), I don't really want to take a chance. Which December sailing are you on?

[cruiseluv]

I think you made a smart choice . I was in a Cat H cabin and it was pretty bad. That was 3 years ago. I don't know if it is any better now buy why risk it?

[JanR]

How "bad" is bad in Cat H guarantee?

 

We are booked in an H for the Barcelona-Rome cruise in May. We are at the max for spending on this trip as it is so a self upgrade is not going to happen.

 

If you are on the Voyager in Cat H which cabin would you want?

 

Thanks

JanR

[cruiseluv]

How "bad" is bad in Cat H guarantee?

 

 

 

Jan,

 

Unfortunately, this is a very subjective question. I was in cabin 667 and I could barely sleep because of the vibration. However, I have read comments from posters that had the same cabin or one next to it and said they were not bothered by it. Also, I read somewhere that the problem had been alleviated ( although not completly) since I was on Voyager ( 3 years ago).

 

If you make a search with the word "vibration" in this forum I am sure you'll find lots of posts talking against and in favor Voyager aft cabins and you can draw your own conclusions.

 

I just know that for myself I could not take that risk again.

[theswimmer]

I spoke to someone at Regent today who says that the vibration problem was fixed when Voyager was at dry dock. I hope we will hear from some fellow CC cruisers soon for first hand unbiased information.

[Dolebludger]

If it is any comfort, we begged to be moved to a cat. H for which we had paid on our "guarantee" instead of the cat C on the stern that vibrated VERY badly. No luck. Ship full. I checked out the area of the cat H suites, and vibration (if any) was within acceptable limits.

 

It would be very helpful if a recent voyager cruiser posted here about the updated situation. Again, my experiences are over two years old.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[cruiseluv]

If it is any comfort, we begged to be moved to a cat. H for which we had paid on our "guarantee" instead of the cat C on the stern that vibrated VERY badly. No luck. Ship full. I checked out the area of the cat H suites, and vibration (if any) was within acceptable limits.

 

 

Richard,

 

Maybe they were "within acceptable limits" as far as you were concerned! LOL! I was in H 667 and there was NOTHING acceptable about the vibration there so I shudder to think what must have been like in yours!.

 

I'm curious, did they let you go in and go to bed in all the H cabins so you could do your analysis? The vibration was worse where the bed was!

[Dolebludger]

cruiseluv:

 

You bring up an interesting point about this "Voyager Vibration" situation. While the vibration (as I experienced and as has been reported) is always somewhere toward the stern, the areas of particularly bad vibration seem to be different, sailing to sailing.

 

No, I couldn't enter each "H" suite and try out the bed! But I could feel the vibration in the halls outside the suites. In the case of our "C" suite, the vibration was as bad right outside the door in the hall as it was inside. When I walked in the hall more toward the bow on our cruise, toward where the "H" suites are, the vibration was less to gone. But this is only valid as to our sailing, as the vibration seems to "move around" as per reports.

 

Finally, the vibration and out-and-out shaking was so bad in our "C" suite on our particular sailing that my wife became very ill, required medical attention, and a nurse to give her meds via IV. My wife is NOT vibration sensitive at all. In fact, her favorite ship is the Navigator, about which she says "Vibration? What vibration?" And she has never had sea sickness in her life.

 

But, the real question here is, has the problem REALLY been fixed to a reasonable degree? The Voyager, and the "C" suites and "H" suites are too beautiful to have their reputations soiled IF the problems have indeed been fixed. So I hope some who have cruised the Voyager in suites toward the stern (more recently than I have) will report there experiences here.

 

Thanks,

Richard