Just returned from 6/7 Navigator med cruise

[scz533]

I read many of the messages here before departing for my 1st Regent cruise and found them very informative and helpful. To return the favor of all of those previous posters, I thought I would just write a brief review of our recent Regent cruise for anyone interested in an update on the Navigator.

We left June 7 on the Navigator from Athens and visited Kusadasi, Santorini, Taormina, Naples, Rome and ended in Monte Carlo. We had a wonderful trip. I can't compare it to other Navigator sailings since this was our first, but we were very pleased with the food, the condition of the ship, the wine and the service. The ship was in excellent condition and what ever problems others may have had with the air conditioning in the staterooms has apparently been fixed. Our weather on the trip was usually in the high-70s and low 80s, and our room was always very cool and comfortable.

I was very happily surprised at the quality of the food we were served on the ship. The kitchen was at the top of their game with lovely presentation and delicious dishes. There was always a good selection to choose from for each course at dinner, as well as a tasting menu. The standard wines served with dinner were quite good and our glasses were always filled before we even had time to notice they were getting low. The wines served in the bars was not as good a quality as in the restaurant and we quickly decided that after-dinner drinks or cocktails were a better option there.

We dined in Portifino's on my partner's birthday and the food there was excellent as well. There was no music or entertainment during the Portofino dinner and we were told that the singer was not on the ship. Frankly, we didn't miss it. Our wait staff was exceptional and the food was very good.

We participated in a food and wine Circle of Interest program featuring Walter Scheib (who was chef at the White House for 12 years) and Alan Tardi (former chef and author of "Romancing the Vine"). The program was well done and frankly alot of fun. We had a cooking demo, 3 wine tastings, an on-the-ship dinner with the group, an excellent excursion to the vineyards at Pompeii and lunch at a Michelin 1 star restaurant on the coast of Naples. The program was well organized and well worth the extra money. The wine was great and plentifully poured throughout each of the Circle of Interest events.

A final note on the vibration issue. Our stateroom was #855 - right in the heart of the ship's vibration central. Although it didn't really bother either of us, I would think that some people could find it potentially troublesome. Not only could we feel the ship vibrating, but we could hear the engines quite clearly when the ship was moving between ports at night. That kind of noise actually lulls me to sleep, but if you think that it might bother you, I would suggest changing cabins rather than trying to tough it out (these cruises are too expensive for that!).

All in all, we would rate our experience as exceptional and we would sail Regent - and the Navigator - again without reservation.

[travelwell]

SCZ533,

I was with you on the this cruise and certainly enjoyed the Circle of Interest program. It looks as though you had a better meal at Portofino's then we did. Perhaps we just hit an off night. It has been hard returning to normal life after the delightful week.

 

Travelwell

[scz533]

travelwell: were you the gentleman who participated in the cooking demo with Walter? That was fun and I certainly enjoyed hearing about his experiences in the WH and trying the dish he created for Chelsea!

We spent 2 days in Athens before the cruise and 2 days in Nice afterwards so even though we had a wonderful time, we were sure glad to get back home.

A note on excursions: we did several of the excursions offered by Regent on this cruise and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. They were well organized and we always felt well taken care of. None of the excursions we were on had more than 24 or 30 people and several had only a dozen participants.

I would advise anyone taking any of the Regent excursions to carefully read the descriptions offered on the website. If it says they are strenuous, believe it! We hiked up a volcano in Santorini and several people on the excursion were not physically prepared to do it and had to stop 1/2 way up. Others were wearing shoes that made it very difficult - if not painful to climb. We were glad we read the info and followed the recommendations regarding footwear, etc.

[Travelcat2]

Thanks for the informative review of your recent cruise. We are doing a similiar itinerary in October (on the Voyager).

 

It was interesting to learn that the Portofiino singers were not on board for your cruise (in my humble opinion, this is a VERY good thing). We love the Navigator, but, are not fans of that dining venue.

 

In terms of "vibration", we did a Navigator sailing last year and did not experience the "infamous" vibration. We do make a point to select a mid-ship suite on both the Voyager and Navigator -- just to insure a minimal amount of vibration.

 

Your comments regarding Regent excursions should be helpful to many people. Although we choose private tour operators, it's always important to know that you are physically prepared for the excursion. We, for instance, love cave tubing (Belize) but would not choose to climb a volcano in Santorini (well..... maybe if we received a bottle of champagne at the summit:-)

[travelwell]

SCZ533,

My husband and I were the couple in our early 50's. My husband had the only beard in the group (I believe) and walked in Pompeii with walking sticks due to recent knee surgery. What a compliment to believe I was the delightful gentlemen who helped Walter cook!

I agree with comments on reading recommendations for shore excursions. I saw people walking The Mount Etna excursion wearing sandals and shorts when the guidelines were to wear jackets, good walking shoes with 40 minutes of walking in the elements. Thank goodness we had paid attention to these details, this would not have been a good excursion for my husband. We planned different things that day.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm wondering if the change in Portofino's is just temporary, perhaps because you had a Food and Wine Circle of Interest?

 

I would be happy to hear that they had done away with the Don Vito's concept entirely, or perhaps just had a little musical interlude during dinner. If they did this, it would be easier to entice me back on Navigator. I did enjoy the pre-dinner wine and cheese party, however. Perhaps they could widen the menus if Don Vito's was gone--perhaps alternate like La Veranda.

[Island Cruiser]

We will be boarding the Navigator on 7/2. Until reading this thread, we were determined to avoid Portofino. The audience participation stuff just isn't our thing. But if the changes that have been described hold, we may just try Portofino. I could be very happy eating in Compass Rose every night, but it would be nice to be able to try an alternative! Pat

[linda_22003]

It's interesting to hear others say they were not keen on Portofino's "entertainment". My husband and I didn't like it, and I thought we were just cranky. Apparently not. :p

[scz533]

I really don't know if the absence of musical entertainment was just temporary or will be made permanent. Reading these boards, it seems that you either love the Portifino's experience or hate it. Since we didn't get to experience the musical part, I can't comment. I can say that, although I did like the food and the wine tasting beforehand, the atmosphere left much to be desired. They just shutter off a part of buffet restaurant and call it something new. We didn't feel compelled to go back there during the cruise since we enjoyed Compass Rose just fine. We also had room service one night and that was very good as well.

 

 

Travelwell: I certainly remember you and your husband - especially on the Pompeii excursion. He held up like a trooper even though we were on our feet for quite a while. I really enjoyed the lunch that day but understand several people were a little put off by the all-seafood menu. How did you all like it?

[travelwell]

scz533

I do think my husband did well that day. The walking sticks and somewhat level ground really helped. He had practiced walking up steep gravel driveways for several weeks prior to the cruise and we had an idea of what he could manage. We actually liked the menu a lot. We ate things we probably would never have ordered off a regular menu. I think the menu was pretty authentic, very Mediterranean.

[tak2]

.......to avoid Portofino. The audience participation stuff just isn't our thing. ........nice to be able to try an alternative! Pat

 

Can you elaborate " audience participation" ?

Does it refer to audience being dragged out to sing/dance? That's not my thing either.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well, it used to be like that on Diamond, for sure. But a year and a bit ago, there was very little audience participation, and it was all willing. No one got dragged into it against their will.

 

The wine and cheese tasting beforehand is quite pleasant. Or they could just turn the whole room into a venue similar to Voyager.

[Travelcat2]

I agree that it isn't that bad -- just not something you want to do more than once. The audience participation is minimal, however, the place is so loud that you really cannot have a conversation with anyone during dinner. The wine and cheese tasting is fun -- food quite good (especially when they make mushroom risotto). The Navigator is such a small ship --I think it would work better if they changed the dining experience and the menu in Portofino at least twice during a 7-night cruise.

 

In my opinion, it just doesn't work when a 700 passenger ship has 4 dining venues (plus the pool deck) and a 500 (or 490) passenger ship has only 2 (especially when many people are not happy with the 2nd choice).

 

In spite of the above, we look forward to our next Navigator sailing next February:D

[tennisbunny]

I am just about ready to put a deposit on a Med cruise next May (sailing from Funchal to Monte Carlo) with our daughter to celebrate her college graduation :D . I've been on Voyager and saw that there were some people in their 20's and wondered if the smaller Navigator would be appropriate for our daughter. I already know that it works for me!

[travelwell]

We brought our 23 year old son and 25 year old daughter on the 7 day Navigator cruise, June 7th thru the 14th. There were several families with kids our kids age. We met a family who brought their three daughters ages approximately 18 to 26. They had been on several Regent cruises with the whole family. Actually this cruise had around 50 children under age 18, we were surprised by that number.

[SSNORWAY]

We brought our 23 year old son and 25 year old daughter on the 7 day Navigator cruise, June 7th thru the 14th. There were several families with kids our kids age. We met a family who brought their three daughters ages approximately 18 to 26. They had been on several Regent cruises with the whole family. Actually this cruise had around 50 children under age 18, we were surprised by that number.

We were on the week before you.

Views on the Portofino are really differing here! We absolutely hated it! In fact we ducked out after the second course (the first was a dreadful tiny soggy pizza that was worse than one of those frozen things students stick in the microwave! the second was about three pc's of penne with a bland tomato sauce on) I had a sudden stomach ache and excused ourselves (i have to admitt that the staff were lovely and offered to serve the rest in our suite) we dashed down to compass rose and the delightful Miki found us a table and we had the glorious food we had become accustomed to.

 

That was the only negative by the way, we absolutely loved everything about the ship, the staff and particularly the quality of passengers it attracted. Paul the cruise director was also amazing and unlike any that we have experienced on any other cruise line.

 

Mark

[poss]

Jumping in here with a question for Mark: A Regent cruise Venice-Istanbul is something we're much interested in, so your mention of your Navigator cruise caught my interest. I've been hoping to hear from people who've visited ports like Korcula and Sarande (on Voyager's Venice-Istanbul itinerary for '09). But I haven't been able to find an itinerary for your cruise on Navigator this past May. ???

[travelwell]

We did not care for Portofino's at all. Agree with comment on pizza. We wish we had had another fabulous meal at the Compass Rose restaurant instead.

[bridey56]

We also just got back from the 6/7 Navigator cruise and we must say that it was fabulous. Regent does a wonderful job with everything, from the food in both the Compass Rose and Portofino's to the shore excursions. We would recommend Regent and this cruise without hesitation. As a matter of fact, we will be signing up for a Regent Baltic cruise in the summer of 2009. Anyone here been on that one?

[St Croix]

We were also on the cruise and extended to the second week. Everything was wonderful as expected.

 

We did not go to Portofino; did it on a cruise last year and did not like it at all. I would like to see it changed to a different dining venue.

 

One thing I would caution--avoid Suite 939 at all costs. We were assured by Regent there would be no noise from the pool deck but there was lots of banging and scraping everytime the deck furniture was moved; also, the smoke smell from the Pool Bar was very evident when we were on our balcony.

 

We love Regent and the Navigator; we're booked on the Funchal to Monte Carlo next May.

[Travelcat2]

We also just got back from the 6/7 Navigator cruise and we must say that it was fabulous. Regent does a wonderful job with everything, from the food in both the Compass Rose and Portofino's to the shore excursions. We would recommend Regent and this cruise without hesitation. As a matter of fact, we will be signing up for a Regent Baltic cruise in the summer of 2009. Anyone here been on that one?

 

Many of us have been on the Baltic cruise (wonderful experience). Suggest that you start a thread with this topic -- you'll receive plenty of responses:)

[tennisbunny]

St Croix - we've also booked the Funchal to Monte Carlo Navigator cruise for May 09! Have been on Voyager and loved it...hoping that Navigator with fewer dining venues will be as good of an experience ;).

 

Air fare and hotels look to be stupid expensive...will be looking for recommendations as the time draws closer.

[SSNORWAY]

Jumping in here with a question for Mark: A Regent cruise Venice-Istanbul is something we're much interested in, so your mention of your Navigator cruise caught my interest. I've been hoping to hear from people who've visited ports like Korcula and Sarande (on Voyager's Venice-Istanbul itinerary for '09). But I haven't been able to find an itinerary for your cruise on Navigator this past May. ???

 

Hi Poss

 

Sorry for the delay, I don't visit CC very regularly. We didn't go to either of those destinations sorry. I have always found that the places you have never heard of are the best ones! We went to Kotor in Montenegro and it was much nicer than Dubrovnik (which we had really looked forward to prior to the cruise) so I wouldn't worry, if RSSC has chosen them despite being less well known then there is probably a good reason for it!

[Hambagahle]

 

One thing I would caution--avoid Suite 939 at all costs. We were assured by Regent there would be no noise from the pool deck but there was lots of banging and scraping everytime the deck furniture was moved; also, the smoke smell from the Pool Bar was very evident when we were on our balcony.

 

Yikes! We are booked in 939 for a trans-Atlantic crossing May 1st. I am greatful for this remark and will get on to my TA immediately to see if we can change! MANY thanks!!

[Travelcat2]

 

One thing I would caution--avoid Suite 939 at all costs. We were assured by Regent there would be no noise from the pool deck but there was lots of banging and scraping everytime the deck furniture was moved; also, the smoke smell from the Pool Bar was very evident when we were on our balcony.

 

Yikes! We are booked in 939 for a trans-Atlantic crossing May 1st. I am greatful for this remark and will get on to my TA immediately to see if we can change! MANY thanks!!

 

If you want a Navigator suite, all except 1125, are under the pool. We had that experience on the Voyager (under the pool) and, although a bit annoying, it wasn't horrible. Given a choice, I would not take a suite under the pool. For our February, 2009 sailing on the Navigator, we selected Navigator suite 1125 -- smaller than other Navigator suites but in a better position!