We chose this cruise to escape from the harsh NYC winter, check out the much-touted Explorer and celebrate our anniversary. This was our first Regent cruise, previously sailed on Seabourn, Paul Gauguin and Ponant (the latter with Tauck). First thing we noticed was the elderly (75+) demographic and lack of diversity among passengers. We are 60, fun loving, laid back and friendly. Didn't get to connect with others of our outlook and interests (did meet pretentious braggarts though). To be fair that could be due to the fact that the boat was crowded or we maybe just weren't lucky. This is a long review but hopefully will be helpful to some:

First let's start with the good. Our cabin was large, nicely decorated and well laid out with plenty of drawer and closet space, a large double shower with grab bars and comfy king bed. PH was not much more than a verandah suite (price gap much bigger on Seabourn) and well worth it. However, as PH dwellers we did NOT have priority over others for excursions or specialty restaurants (as other reviewers have mistakenly posted). No, Regent is democratic that way, we were closed out of many things and treated just as badly as everyone else! A couple of evening shows were good (more on that later). Dinner at Setti Mari and Compass Rose excellent with many choices and good service. And oh that undulating blue chandelier in CRose, exquisite. Well padded comfy loungers around the pool, that is if you could find one that wasn't being saved by an inconsiderate person gone for hours. Elevators were quick and mostly not crowded. Common areas were beautifully decorated and spotless.

Now for the bad: Breakfast and lunch buffets at La Verandah were crowded and disorganized. Food was not replenished quickly by staff who seemed overwhelmed by the fully booked cruise. Some staff members were friendly and tried their best to keep up with demanding clients, but many were sullen and inept. Specialty restaurants were fully booked early in the cruise so we had to share a table to try them, which could have been fun if our table mates had been pleasant (they were not!). Regent claims that most shore excursions are free, but many were fully booked early in the cruise so we couldn't join them. Destination Services staff ranged from clueless (didn't know the first thing about Regent excursions) to downright rude. Excursions are not "free" if they're unavailable right? We were hoping for enrichment lectures by an expert in Caribbean culture/history as we had on other cruises, instead got a retired guy talking about how to use a camera and relating boring personal anecdotes. Live music and entertainment was geared toward elderly country club crowd, even had a Peggy Lee tribute one night. A couple of evening shows were excellent (notably the one about the 60s), mostly corny. No reggae or decent rock music in lounges. Spa grossly overpriced even for a cruise, would not have gone there but had to use up shipboard credit or lose it. Think $195 for a hair conditioning treatment alone. Read more