We haven't cruised Regent since 2004, and back then they were known as Radisson Seven Seas. In 2004 we took the old Seven Seas Diamond from Venice to Rome. It was the Diamond’s last voyage and it was a wonderful trip; great ship, great food, attentive staff. There were numerous onboard activities, theme dinners, and sporting events from the ship. Since that trip we have cruised with several lines, including Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, and Crystal.

When it came time to select a cruise line for a trip from Barcelona to Rome, we contemplated Seabourn as well as SilverSeas, but given our previous pleasant experience on Regent, we chose Regent and opted for the Grand Suite; an expense of over $30,000 total. A mistake, as it turned out. We flew into Barcelona a couple of days early and were immediately advised by Regent that our ship, the Navigator, was in dry dock for a $150 million dollar renovation. To us that was good news because we expected a lot of new furniture and accommodations as part of the refit. . Many times during the trip we asked ourselves, “where was all that money spent?”

As part of the Regent pre-cruise package we booked our stay through Regent, including our transportation from the airport. Somehow Regent managed to lose our reservations, but luckily I had all the documentation to prove we had purchased accordingly. It is frustrating, however to have to engage in those types of conversations, after a long flight, especially when you would rather be sight-seeing. Our cruise launch was delayed because of the ship’s “renovation” and Regent representatives convinced us to take “advantage” of a pre-board excursion which they misrepresented as “little physical activity.” (I am handicapped) It turned out to be a very strenuous walking excursion which I really couldn't enjoy. Read more