Having cruised on the SS Navigator many times, quite some years ago, my wife and I looked forward to a wonderful trip, similar to the ones we had experienced before. We did, but also found changes we consider have impacted negatively the quality of the cruise, likely resulting from the change in ownership several years ago to an investment company obviously more interested in profits than in maintaining quality and excellence (examples – eliminating from the restaurants the rolling carts taken to the dining tables with the cheeses or desserts for guests to select, as well as eliminating preparing Caesar salads and Crêpes Suzettes directly beside the tables). Also absent were the classical and semi classical music (piano, harp, violin or quartets) offered in the public areas and theater, leaving only a “classical” music TV channel which more often than not confused what is considered classical with singing operettas, jazz and blues. We experienced the same changes on the Mariner last year while cruising from Barcelona to Buenos Aires with similar results, also making that cruise almost totally wonderful.

Embarkation and Disembarkation

As expected, embarkation was efficient and smooth, but initiated later than necessary—at 12pm. It could and should have begun as early as 11am or even earlier, as is the case with Azamara, for example (10am), where guests remain in the public areas, which in the Navigator are plentiful and ample. Yet, for reasons unknown Regent has remained stuck to noon, unnecessarily. Disembarkation was equally smooth and efficient, in this case with the purpose of having everybody out by 10 am. We left our cabin about 9am and already many of the surrounding cabins were clean and ready for the new passengers. Read more