We have sailed with Regent many times and love their ships and their staff - the thought of returning to sail with them has kept us positive during the lockdowns of a global pandemic. However, like many other travelers we were also worried about venturing onto a ship again - we should not have been worried and I hope that others reading this will feel the same way. Yes you have to stay relaxed, itineraries may change at short notice but this is for good reason.

From start to finish the safety and security of the passengers and crew was absolutely paramount. They took their time to ensure their ships were safe but still immensely enjoyable. Every crew member and passenger must be vaccinated. Every crew member self isolated for 10 days in a cabin before being allowed to work with colleagues and guests, all guests had to be tested before boarding, masks must be worn when moving around the ship but could be removed for eating, drinking and exercise. We were tested twice more in 14 days and for those who have had a bad experience of covid testing, fear not, the excellent on board testing team from Eurofins were professional and gentle.

In some ports you were only allowed to disembark on an organised tour - such as Portugal. However, for other countries such as France and Spain they were more relaxed and you could go ashore independently - most of the guests chose to wear masks ashore in busy places but it was not mandatory. For all countries masks must be worn on the coaches and this was strictly enforced. This just gave comfort to those travelling and did not limit the enjoyment of the trip. After all, many of us feared that we would never see international travel again. Read more