We chose this cruise because we had been on her 10 years ago for our 50th wedding anniversary I suppose we didn't expect it to be as perfect on our 60th anniversary but didn't expect it to have deteriorated quite so much. The food was good though the service in the restaurants, especially Compass Rose was very slow. On the first few days we seemed to be chasing evening meals as if you didn't get in as soon as Compass Rose was open you generally had a very long wait for a table. When you did get a table it was still a very long wait to be served. The other alternative the Italian restaurant could sometimes accommodate but otherwise it was a long wait. As for the speciality restaurants. Prime wasn't worth the effort though Signatures was perfect, best food, best service Service in the bars was excellent though in most cases not personal enough, just professional.. The entertainment was better this time though still not enough of the better artistes. The singers and dancers were excellent. We missed the film shows as we always seemed to be still hanging around for dinner. I know the ship was due for dry dock but an overhaul was overdue. It was so tired . There is a lot more we could say but I guess most of it has been said by others. Why on earth this ship still comes out on top in reviews I don't know. It doesn't say much for other cruise lines. Nobody else mentioned special evenings in the reviews we have read, and there didn't seem to be any. No deck entertainment and the one evening dress evening disappeared between our bookin g in September and March though I had checked that there would be one. Disappointing when you have specifically bought new evening outfits .The catamaran cruise was brilliant, good fun. The last night I was taken ill but managed to survive long enough to catch the flight though a long wait between disembarking at 9 am and flying at 6.30 pm didn't help. On the flight home my husband was taken very ill and had to have oxygen and assistance on arrival at Heathrow. He was subsequently admitted to hospital and we were tested and found to have Legionella. Not what you expect from a top cruise line. We would not go again, indeed it has put us off cruising altogether. No official photographer, and hardly saw the captain. We could go on......... Read Less

We were in cabin 1013 concierge suite. It was very small and poorly arranged. The sitting room felt like sitting in a dark hole. Food Was ok. Prime 7 was excellent! Service was spotty. Mostly very good, but occasionally service was not professional. We felt this ship might be used as a training ship. The handgrip in the shower was in the back of the shower. Useless! One bar opened at ten outside on the pool deck. Other bars opened at 12, 1, or 2. Never were sure when. Our other trips were on the Navigator and we loved that ship! When we complained about the handgrip in the shower, we were told "yes we've had other complaints about that". No attempt to fix that. A bar costs about $25. We feel the ambiance of this cruise line has changed with the sale of Regent to NCL. The whole experience is different. Read Less

We had been on a Regent cruise four years ago that we really enjoyed. We really wanted to check out the newest ship, Explorer, so we booked a Mediterranean cruise starting in Barcelona and ending in Venice. I initially wanted to get a penthouse suite but they were all booked. We ended up with a superior suite, which is one step above their lowest category of deluxe verandah. This is an important distinction and I'll come back to it in a minute. The room was very nice and large, especially the balcony. The bathroom has two sinks, a separate shower and bathtub. There is also a large walk in closet. The ship itself is very nice with several specialty dining venues and nice bars. The pool area has very nice lounge chairs as well as large loungers built for two. The jacuzzis have shade covers over them. My biggest gripes with this cruise line were with dining and entertainment. They have a caste system set up. If you do not have at least a concierge level room or higher, then your chances of getting into any of the specialty dining restaurants is very low. You are allowed to make reservations for each specialty restaurant once online before you board the ship. Good luck getting in again after that. At first, I didn't think it would be that big a deal. That was before I actually ate in the main dining room-Compass Rose. I could not believe how bad this restaurant was. Service is slow and disorganized and the food was extremely subpar. I ordered lobster as they had it on the menu. I received a small sad looking crustacean that looked like a langostino. About the size of a medium shrimp. It also tasted like it was not fresh. Considering we were paying $10,000 a person for this cruise, I was not happy about this; especially since I had been on a Holland America cruise the month before where they served fabulous lobsters in their main dining room during the dress up night. I could not believe that a cruise line that charges 1/10 the price would have better food. Unfortunately, that continued to be the case. They do have an Italian restaurant that you don't need reservations for. It is not as nice as the other specialty restaurants as it is the buffet during the day. You have to show up early or wait hours to be seated. We ate there a couple of times after we realized that the Compass Rose was never getting any better. Regent's glossy brochures claim they have gourmet dining. Well, they do in the steak restaurant and the french restaurant and the asian one. Unfortunately, because of their caste system, your chances of trying it more than once if you are in a superior suite, are not good.If you have sailed with them at least 21 days you start to get priority reservations as well. We got notification of that halfway through the cruise so were able to get into the specialty restaurants two more times. What is completely unacceptable to me is how extremely bad the main dining room is--especially for the amount of money you are paying. The entertainment was also a huge disappointment. On our last Regent cruise, the entertainment was quite good. They had gymnasts who were fabulous and an amazing violinist. This time around, that was not the case. Broadway style music designed for 80 year olds was the only entertainment available. Even in the bars they played a type of elevator music. Only one night in the bar did I see a decent act. A husband and wife team put on a very nice singing show. That was one night out of 10. I would give the entertainment a D .Unless you are 80 years old, you are probably not going to like it. I know we didn't and we are in our late 50's. Again, Holland America has better entertainment as well. Their Blues Club is amazing. The excursions are something that Regent excels at. However, even though they claim they are completely free, that is not actually the case. You need to pay attention when you are signing up for them as some cost money--sometimes quite a lot of money. I did pay attention so booked only free excursions. They were all quite good. One of my favorites was in Kotor, Montenegro. It's a beautiful town, especially viewed from the water. We were able to go to a flute concert held in a church and then get a chance to eat at a local hangout. That was a special excursion that I was on the waiting list for (as I had no priority). Luckily, we were able to get in. It was for Regent's 25th anniversary. Because we were not in a concierge or higher cabin, we did not have transfers or a night before the cruise included. However, we stayed at Hotel The Serras in Barcelona before the cruise. It is located near the marina, and is a small boutique hotel that is quite luxurious and has a rooftop bar. That turned out to be a good choice. We stayed at the Cipriani Hotel in Venice. It was also very nice with a fabulous breakfast area facing the Grand Canal. They have a free water taxi that will take you to St Mark's Square and it runs 24 hours a day. One surprise we had when we reached Venice, was how expensive water taxis were. I thought Regent was quite deceptive in sending out a form saying you could pay an extra $400 for them to include transfers. Don't do it. The water taxi costs $100. You can take a water bus but it is crowded and with suitcases would be difficult. It is much cheaper though--less than $10. I loved the ports we visited and thought the excursions were good. The size of the ship-750 passengers--is also very nice. However, I was so disappointed by the food and service in the main dining room and the entertainment, I think it is very unlikely I would do another Regent cruise. I don't think it is worth the money spent. This was our second time on Regent, but we have cruised many times on other cruise lines including Carnival, Princess, Norwegian and Holland America. Read Less

We were so disappointed with the Regent experience on this trip. We chose it because of the destination, being an inaugural trip to Cuba, (2 days in Havana), with a stop in Belize and Mexico on the way back to Miami. Neither of these 2 stops were anything to write home about, one being a man made beach resort owned by NCL. It was great to visit Cuba, but my review is mainly to do with the disappointing service and mishaps on the cruise. The staff worked very hard, but didn't seem to get on top of things. While in the main, the food was nice when or if you got it, (one course omitted completely one night, and our sides didn't arrive another night), the wait staff were so under pressure it was difficult to get their attention if you needed anything. There were a number of Regent VIP's on the trip, who had officers milling about them and I even saw one of them send their food back to be cooked more when in the Compass Rose. The service in Prime 7 was just okay with the vacated table beside us left uncleared for the rest of our meal. The steaks we ate were very good but the sides were disappointing. Our meal in Signatures and the Italian were the best dining experiences this trip. I'm not sure if Regent have disimproved due to being taken over by Norweigen Cruise line, but its definitely not the same level or friendly personalised service we received on our previous Regent cruises, which was 6 star service. The staff were hugely under pressure so didn't have time for niceties. I do hope Regent get their act together and not sit on their laurels thinking that new ships like their Explorer will keep the clients coming. On a very positive note, the shows were the best of any of the cruises we've been on with Regent to date and their orchestra was outstanding, they also played in the Horizon bar in the evenings, plus our veranda suite was very comfortable, with great bed and pillows. We slept very well each night with the aid of their double blackout curtains. Read Less

We were asked by friends to go with them on a Regent cruise that included Havana, Cuba. Not having been to Cuba and knowing that Regent was in the same class as Crystal (which we had sailed before), we agreed. We booked and paid for a Category D, concierge suite on deck 9. This suite is known by Regent to be noisy and they admitted there was a design flaw in the ship that allows the sloshing of the swimming pool water to be heard in "6 or 8" cabins. Still, they sell these cabins with no disclosure and no discount (like an obstructed view cabin might be sold on other ships) hoping no one would notice or complain. We did complain but they said nothing could be done as the ship was full. On day 3 of the 7 day cruise, a penthouse suite on deck 10 opened up (I don't know why) and we were moved to the larger and butler attended suite. It was an appropriate and appreciated response but a 6 star cruise line and ship should never have such issues. The food on board was excellent, well prepared and mostly well presented. The included tours were average at best with a "Jungle River Raft Trip" in Belize being the notable exception. It was a wasted day with nearly two hours travel each way from the ship only to float in conjoined rubber rafts on a very lazy river for about a mile. Over an hour of the trip to the river was on old school buses and washboard roads. Not good. The public areas of the ship were roomy and never felt crowded and the entertainment was very good but also very "cruise ship" with talented singers and dancers performing in a well designed venue. The ship, in general, is in need of a major refurbishment. Even in a penthouse suite, some drawers in the dressers wouldn't pull out, there were stains of some sort on the patio door and it's latch was missing a screw and loose.One of the bath towels had a hole in it, etc. Just not Regent/Crystal class stuff. If we're going to have a Princess/NCL/Royal Caribbean experience, we shouldn't be paying Regent prices. Read Less

We were so disappointed with the Regent experience on this trip. It was chosen because of the destination, being a trip to Cuba, (2 days in Havana), with a stop in Belize and Mexico on the way back to Miami. Neither of these 2 stops were anything to write home about. Excursions that were part of bundle package were cancelled within weeks of cruising to later find them available on the ship for a price. Day in Havana excursion was boring and basically the same as another tour we did day before. Tour was more than 2 hours longer than what it was suppose to be. Not enough time at stops to absorb what was around us. For the first time in all the cruises we have taken the cabin attendants were marginal. its definitely not the same level or friendly personalized service we received on our previous Regent cruise. Service was slow and not everything ordered was delivered. First night took more than 3 hours to receive meals that were delivered cold. Breakfast ordered for 6 AM and showed up cold at 6:50 AM. Asked for decaf drinks received caffeine drinks. The ship overall was "tired". Our room smelled like mildew. The shower didn't drain the first day. Woman's 2 stall bathroom on Deck 5 had 1 toilet out of service. It's time for dry dock. There is little to do on sea days. This cruise was not worth the cost. Entertainment was just OK. Do not know if we will ever cruise with Regency again. Read Less

We chose this cruise for its itinerary. This was our 4th cruise on Regent, and it will be our last. Things started out badly when Regent sent out a notice that a yellow fever shot was mandatory to go on the cruise. This turned out to be totally false. The shots cost between $320 to $650 per couple, depending on where you could find the vaccine. Regent refused to take any responsibility for their mistake, and didn't even bother to apologize let alone offer reimbursement. When asked for their source, they refused to even disclose it. Their indifference to their customers was shocking. There are too many better cruise lines available to do business with than this one which obviously lacks a moral compass. The service was spotty as was the food. My wife had to remake the beds every night because the cabin stewards did not know how to make a bed. One end of the sheet would hang down 6 inches while the other end was on the floor. The bedding was course and uncomfortable. The ship was understaffed. The pool deck was directly above us. They would drag the deck chairs around at 6:30 AM, waking us up. On the plus side, the entertainment was very good as were the daytime activities. The air conditioning worked well. Read Less

Boat was excellent But TV went out 4 days ago and they do not know how to fix They are cavalier about it--as if saying I am sorry is enough Considering air, we are paying $2500 per day to be in a Penthouse Suite, that is NOT ok To not give us any monetary accommodation is ridiculous Gaeta--was not a good port--nothing there and tours were not good. Pacific Rim restaurant is excellent Chartreuse restaurant is pretentious and not good food--no usual French items We liked the itinerary except for Gaeta. Cabin is comfortable--a little small for the price but newness makes up for it. No music between 7:30 and 8:45--which is strange since a lot of guests eat early and then have nothing to do for over 1 hour. For a ship that talks about Commitment to Excellence, their failure to do anything re this TV situation is troubling. I do not know if I would travel with them again Read Less

We sprung for the Grand Suite, which was very impressive upon first entering it. Then, as we turned the hot tub on, it would not turn off and set off alarms. We had to laugh as employees came rushing to our room as we all watched our luxurious suite flood! Next, we lost our ability to watch Satellite TV half way thru the cruise. This never got resolved. It was very disappointing, as we liked to unwind from our busy day watching a movie. So we turned to the computer and could not get a strong enough signal to use it. We were told this had been an ongoing problem. The butler service was excellent. He made dinner reservations for us every night. We tried all specialty restaurants but only went back to Prime 7 as the food in the other restaurants was average at best. The free drinks are a tad overstated, you have to order an extra shot to combine with your drink for it to taste like a "real" drink. We purchased a $3000.00 necklace form the ship’s store. The selling point was that we would get the 21% VAT tax of $548.00 back at the airport. After following the instructions from the jewelry store manager as well as 2 other Regent representatives, we were not able to collect our VAT tax. We went thru customs to the Global booth (where you get your tax refund) as directed by Regent representatives only to find out we had to go to a customs agent on the 1st floor prior! We wrote a letter explaining our injustice to Regents. We clearly stated we realize this is a scam by the country, but we received wrong information from Regents that led us not to collect our VAT tax. We were told we would hear back within 10 days. 14 days later, we wrote another email and finally a month later we received a reply. It was so insulting! They did nothing! We would have hoped they would of at least thanked us so they could educate all their employees and hopefully this will not happen to any other guests. So much for guest relations!!!! To be treated with such disrespect after spending over $40,000 for our vacation obviously left us speechless! This was the final straw to NEVER cruise with Regents again! Read Less

This was my very first time cruising, so i didn't know what to expect. I am 49, and I took my 19 year old niece. Obviosly youngest on Regent. While we enjoyed dressing up for dinner a few times, we didn't like feeling obligated to. Well, if you want to leave cabin that is... We had the first night at hotel in Miami. That was extremely disorganized. Even though Regent knew of an embarkation time change weeks before and notified me, they aparently didnt tell anyone at the hotel. Or the staff just didnt know. The Epic hotel, imo, was a complete disaster. On the plus side, transport both from airport and from hotel to port was great. Very organized. The ship itself definitely not worth the amount we paid. I did read other reviews prior, so perhaps Navigator isn"t a fair representation of Regent. If not, it should be much cheaper than the other 3 in Regent's fleet. Since it was nicely refurbished, it looked really great. But old. There was a lot of vibration and noise! I dont think all elevators were working simultaneously at any time the entire cruise. So you can imagine the wait times! And they actually use this ship for world cruises? I had my fill after only 11 nights. Definitely not a luxury experience. Service was excellant, everywhere. All waitstaff, bar staff, cabin steward.... They all go out of their way for you. Any shows or entertainment were definitely geared to a much older crowd. Not an issue though. The crew gave a great performance on the last night. Not being a drinker I really can't comment on lounges or nightlife. The food was good, but not the best. Certainly not what I was expecting. Room service menu was poor. But if it is during dinner, you can order from Compass Rose. We were both very pleased with the shore excursions. Both the quality and the way Regent handled them-very organized. Even when there were time changes. Towels and bottled water as you leave ship. But then, this is all what you should expect for a luxury cruise, right? Overall, I would probably do Regent cruise again only if it were a different ship. Or a LOT cheaper! Otherwise I would go with a more casual line. I booked another cruise for 2019, but not with Regent. Read Less

We wanted to stop off on the way in London for a few days. We paid over $1000 each extra to do that. We gave them the flight numbers. Two weeks before we left we found our flights were different and we were not even in London. Regents was not helpful at all. They rerouted us to other flights even though our original flights were still available. Not even nice about it. Rude rude rude. I asked for our custom air charge back. They said no. They said they would not give us our original flights back (it was a Regents error that caused the change) because the flights had gone up. We did end up getting some of it back thanks to our travel agent who spent hours and hours on this! Then on our way home we were caught up in a British Air computer fiasco. We ended up flying home on United for an additional $4600. British refunded our ticket price but gave it to Regents and Regents kept it. They would not even consider refunding us that money to help offset the $4600. Never again!!!! It was the worst customer service I have ever experience. We are taking two cruises this year for a total of 5 weeks and you can bet it is not on Regents. I also found the service very good on board but they were not friendly. No one learned your name and they rarely smile. Just not the vibe you get from other lines like Crystal and Seabourn. Kind of disappointing. Read Less

My husband and I booked this cruise 18months ago following a presentation which combined an excursion with Rocky Mountaineer prior to this cruise. This suited our needs to celebrate our special birthdays and were looking forward to experiencing a 6 star ship. We have previously sailed with Celebrity. Embarkation in Vancouver was very quick and easy and it wasn't long before we were sat on the pool deck sipping champagne and enjoying the Canadian sunshine. We ate in the buffet restaurant, which has a small selection of food. The cabins were ready soon after lunch and we headed down to ours. Suite 7041. The cabin is spacious and has plenty of storage space, however the décor is a little dated. That said it was kept spotlessly clean. The shower cubicle was clean but had a build up of mould on the grout. The cabin had been decorated with balloons and banners in honour of our birthdays, which was a nice touch and there was a bottle of champagne on ice, So far so good. Following muster stations, we changed for dinner and went to the Compass Rose, where we were quickly taken to our table for two and menus and drinks given. We gave our order, very promptly, and received our first course. Then came the wait. We saw other tables sit and order and receive their meals, whilst still waiting for ours. Despite asking the waiter, our main course never arrived, so after waiting an hour, we left the restaurant and went directly to reception to complain. The manager of Compass Rose was summoned and offered an apology. Needless to say, we went to bed hungry and angry. The next day was a sea day and following breakfast we returned to our suite where there was another bottle of champagne and a tray of chocolate dipped strawberries and a note of apology. We found there was very little atmosphere in the bars and restaurants. Do most people eat and drink in their suites? There was plenty of staff wandering around looking for work. The food in the restaurants was very good, especially Prime 7. We found the selection of food on offer in the buffet, a little disappointing. The selection of wine offered was also a little disappointing. Having tried the wine offered with meals and not liking it, I asked for a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and was given Villa Maria, which is very nice, but us Brits can get this wine in any Wetherspoons Pub and in Tesco for £10. Is this 6 star? The itinerary was the reason we chose this ship, and to also have the opportunity to experience 6 star service. The staff are all very good on the whole, but the ship let it down. I think we will return to Celebrity for any future cruises we embark on. Read Less

We really enjoyed our first cruise on Voyager having previously cruised twice on Mariner. We enjoyed everything about the cruise, the food, crew, cabin, public areas and included excursions were all very good. Although you would expect to get vibrations on a ship and this in itself would not be a problem, the vibrations caused the ceilings of our aft cabin to 'tick' loudly causing us to lose a couple of nights sleep. The vibration is a function of the ships speed and was most evident when the ship was on the longer legs of its itinerary, and was almost completely absent on nights where it had short distances to travel. I also felt that the deck of Voyager seemed much more crowded than Mariner. This maybe because the pool is wider only allowing for a single row of sunbeds around the pool, whereas Mariner has two rows. The entertainment was very old fashioned and seemed to be aimed at older people. The cruise director was also an entertainer, but whilst he was a nice guy, I'm sorry to say that we and nearly everyone else we spoke to thought he was past his sell by date. Again the entertainment on Mariner seemed much more up to date and the shows were modern and energetic. In view of these issues I would choose to travel on Mariner in the future Read Less

This was our fourth cruise, our last one was about seven years ago on Oceania. We had heard a lot about Regent and were eager to experience their brand of luxury travel, which is inclusive; no signing,tipping etc. As the cruise was high end and superbly rated, we expected near perfection. we were very disappointed. The ship was beautifully appointed and spotlessly clean. The crew exceeded all expectations- from the service workers, to the matre'd, to all the help-the people were flawless. Their ability to make you feel as if you were the only ones on the cruise was so satisfying. They knew our names, after 2 days, where we liked to sit, our favorite dishes and likes and dislikes. They were ALWAYS smiling, helpful and friendly. There wasn't anything they wouldn't do for you with a genuine smile. Everyone from Ray, the cruise director, to the restaurant workers, to the bartender was attentive and extremely competent in their job. We loved our stewardess, Marleen, who was always there when we needed her. Our cabin was incredibly spotless all the time. An A+ rating there. The food on board was somewhat disappointing. It was inconsistent and uncreative. Compass Rose, the main restaurant, is incredibly beautiful and the service was exceptional with many of the servers addressing us by name. The same can be said of Sette Mar with its incredible matre'd Lorenzo. However, we must rate the food a C. The same dish could be good one night and just average the next, and the menu had a sameness to it every evening. There were daily specials but the guest's culinary expectations were rarely met. Many dishes were basic and too simple, where creativity and sophistication were expected. We are wine lovers and found the included wines to be very good, and the premium wines to be reasonably priced.The food rated a C+ We were disappointed with many of the free excursions as there was too much time on the bus listening to tour guides who didn't know when to stop talking. (We would like to applaud, however, Marina, our Florence guide who went out of her way to assist my wife resolve a medical problem) While we rate Marina an A+, our excursions as a whole were a C. In the future, we will hire private tour guides. We must comment on the advertised free Wifi which must be rated an F. It was useless as it rarely worked. We were constantly required to login.If you must have Wifi on your trio for business purposes, forgetabouit, unless Regent does a major upgrade. Read Less

This was our first time on Mariner, but we have sailed on the RSSC Navigator and Explorer. We are booked on the Voyager for December. This 7 day cruise was our first to Alaska, cruising Vancouver to Vancouver. One on-board, we asked about a possible upgrade from our rather small concierge suite #871. For $1,000 additional, we moved to PH suite 905. It was money well spent. In addition to the significantly larger space, we enjoyed the services of our wonderful butler, Manu. The original plan was for 3 ports, Ketichikan, Juneau, and Victoria. Both Ketichikan and Juneau proved disappointing as they seemed to be real tourist traps with endless jewelry stores and shops selling Alaska souvenirs. Our float plane bear watching trip to Prince of Wales Island was terrific, but it should be for the $420 per person extra we paid. Our free whale watching adventure in Juneau was hosted by an excellent crew who certainly could not be held responsible for the 45 degree windy day. In our minds, the highlight of the trip would be the glaciers to be found in sailing the Tracey Arm. Of course, it was cancelled due to ice blocking the entrance. We never saw any ice on the entire trip. After this disappointment, we really looked forward to our day in Victoria after 2 really boring days. As luck would have it, this port was cancelled due to high winds. In total, 2 boring tourist trap ports and 4.5 boring days at sea. As usual, the crew and service team members were excellent; however, the food service in Compass Rose was extremely slow, especially at breakfast. It was not the fault of the servers, but rather the time it took for the kitchen to receive the orders, process them, and then deliver the food to the correct floor of the ship. This needs to be improved as the late arriving food was often room temp. Food was good, but not excellent. Lamb chops and veal, both ordered medium rare, arrived medium at best. The house wines were acceptable and some days, even very good. The extra price wine list had some great choices; however, wines that we purchased on the Explorer in August were now priced $50 higher than just 9 months ago. That excessive price increase for the same wines stopped us from making at least 3 or 4 purchases. As mentioned, we will be back in December but we certainly hope our 12 day trip on Voyager is an improvement. Otherwise, we may need to find a new cruise line. The internet was free but spotty and extremely slow. I hope they can improve this. Read Less

First cruise on Regent Seven Seas. Heard good things and had high expectations. Ship is "tired" and showing wear. Hanging artwork a joke. SPA was crowded. Food was good but not exceptional. Service was only average in restaurants, staff not well trained. Had to stack plates on table before they would remove them. Internet was bad to nonexistent. Excursions (included) were okay, but weather made some unenjoyable. Wine and drinks were included but wine selection was quite limited. Shows were okay but only four nights. Should remove a chair from suit to give more room to move around. Bathroom and walkin closet had enough room. Bed was comfortable. Maid service was good. Even found me large slippers. For Regent, there were lots of families with kids, about 90 people under 21. Not much to do on cruise days except eat and drink. No cooking demos or tour of ship's operations. Never got close to Hubbard Glacier. Two excursions to see whales were disappointing. Long ride from Seward disembarkation port to Anchorage. Vancouver Four Seasons hotel was nice. Read Less

Summary: Exploring Alaska was an awesome, unforgettable experience, and traveling by cruise ship was an excellent--and comfortable--way to explore much of that huge state without having to relocate from hotel to hotel. It was also very convenient to have virtually all cruise-related costs (e.g., drinks, tips, most excursion fees, etc.) included in one overall cruise price. However, while the food ranged from good to excellent, the condition of the ship and the quality of its service were less than five-star. The ship: While most public areas were attractive, the ship is old and overdue for an overhaul. Our cabin was comfortable but much in need of renovation (holes in curtains, stained marble floors in bathroom, sticking drawers, nicked furniture, stained chair and peeling paint on veranda). The dining areas and lounges were attractive but had some deteriorated and corroded window seals, which detracted from the view and the experience. The caulking in the teak decks by the pool was loose or deteriorated in many places. Many on-deck lights and fixtures had been painted over so many times that the different layers of paint and drips were visible. When leaving and boarding the ship at ports of call it was possible to see that portions of the ship’s hull paint were peeling or discolored. Dining: The food quality ranged from good to very good in the two restaurants that were open to all passengers, and from very good to excellent in the two special restaurants that were restricted primarily to upper-class passengers. The included wines were acceptable but nothing special; “premium” wines were available at substantial extra cost and were not what I would consider premium. Service in the lower-class restaurants ranged from good to terrible; in the two upper-class restaurants service was very good to excellent. Given Regent’s very high prices for even the smallest cabins, the fact that lower-class passengers were discriminated against in access to the two better dining venues was quite aggravating. During the booking process I was told I could reserve one meal in each of the upper-class restaurants prior to boarding, which was true, and I was repeatedly told by Regent’s booking agents that after boarding I could reserve additional meals in the two upper-class restaurants, which was totally untrue. Other service: Service in the lounges ranged from very good to terrible. Cabin cleaning, bed-making, etc. service was very good. Crew: Most crew members were friendly and helpful; however, several were the opposite (not just one or two individuals on one or two occasions, more like six or seven crew members on multiple occasions each). Some destination services staff were pleasant, but one was dour throughout the trip and did not seem to like assisting passengers. In general, the crew who interact with passengers would greatly benefit from upgraded hospitality training with a focus on improving food service and the overall passenger experience (perhaps linking crew advancement and modest bonuses or benefits to performance). Further, most of the crew are non-native English speakers and/or have strong accents, which often led to misunderstandings and poor service; ongoing brush-up English courses would greatly improve crew service for, and interaction with, passengers. (For Regent’s high prices the service should be more like that offered by a top hotel chain such as Ritz-Carlton.) Excursions: There were many interesting and enjoyable shore excursions to choose from, most at no additional cost. The quality of the on-shore guides was good to fair; one spent as much time talking about herself as about the rainforest we were walking through, and knew little about the history of the area. Some cruise lines are apparently working to upgrade the quality of their excursions and guides, something Regent might want to consider. Spa and fitness: As might be expected, the Canyon Ranch spa is expensive. The fitness area is small and its equipment is limited and not up to date. Entertainment: Most or all of the performers were new to the ship and seemed a bit ill at ease or uncertain; their routines were not all that entertaining. For me the most enjoyable event was the performance put on by the crew near the end of the cruise. Wi-Fi: The ship’s wi-fi was very slow and erratic, and crashed at least a couple of times daily. Health: Our cabin, the dining venues and the other public areas were kept very clean at all times. Hand sanitizer stations were available at numerous strategic locations in the public areas throughout the ship, though perhaps only once or twice in my 7-day trip did I ever see a crew member use the sanitizers in the public areas; I assume (and hope) that sanitizer stations were available, and used, in the behind-the-scenes areas frequented by the crew. Toward the end of our cruise it was announced that 11 crew members and passengers had come down with a flu-like illness and were restricted to quarters. The captain declared a Code Red Influenza condition and instituted preventive measures such as removing books and board games from the ship’s library; offering free medical consultations to passengers who thought they might be ill; leaving public restroom doors ajar so visitors did not have to touch the door handle; discouraging hand-shaking; encouraging passengers to cover up with a tissue or elbow when sneezing; and having crew members with rubber gloves serve food to passengers at the buffets in lieu of self-service. Contrary to the CDC’s recommendations on influenza control for commercial ships, paper towels were removed from the public restrooms and passengers had to use tissues to dry their hands. Another lapse: I watched a worker sanitizing on-deck handrails by wiping only the tops of the rails, not the sides and bottoms, which people’s fingers inevitably touch when they grip the rails. The very good news is that the flu problem was successfully contained and only a very small percentage of the Mariner’s passengers and crew came down with the flu. Upon completing my cruise I did a bit of research and learned that last year the Mariner was cited by the CDC for connecting “potable [drinking] water hose to [two] black water [sewage] collecting tanks.” This astonishing error was apparently corrected as soon as the CDC inspector caught it, but I was surprised to learn that the ship’s procedures and supervision were not in place to prevent such a potentially disastrous error from occurring in the first place--and that the ship’s supervisors and management did not know of the problem until it was discovered by the CDC inspector. Value: Regent’s pricing seems to be the highest in the cruise line business but given the shortcomings noted above the value is only fair. For such high prices passengers should receive outstanding service and accommodations. Bottom line: As a result of my recent experience on the Regent Mariner I definitely would not consider booking on the Mariner again until after it is renovated in 2018; I suppose there will be no way to know if any crew hospitality training and English language improvement efforts have been implemented without traveling on the ship. In any case my trip did not live up to Regent’s glossy advertising, so when I book my next cruise I will be looking closely at the offerings of other lines, especially Ritz-Carlton, which is world-renowned for its service and luxury and is entering the cruise business. Perhaps Ritz-Carlton’s presence will raise the performance bar for all cruise lines, including Regent. Read Less

Other folks invited us to go with them , so we did as we had not sailed on this line prior. Really disappointing. Very inconsistent food and service in the dining venues except for Prime 7 and Signatures. Mediocre foods some night at best , very good other nights. A joke for a tea service in the late afternoons. We just expected so much more for this highly overpriced line and have received much better service on others such as their sister line Oceania. Buffet that was drastically small and not varied as on other lines. Butler and room service was good, Penthouse A was large. Excursions were good but not worth paying extra for the all inclusive fees. The paid extra excursions were way better and they were expensive relative to other lines. Don't get the King Crab in Prime 7, get the lobster. Crab was frozen, served luke warm, dry as very old. Signatures had good dishes but no consistency for the same dishes two nights in a row. Compass Rose and Sete Mare both inconsistent for service and food. Really good dishes occasionally but not overall. Faulty service at best. This cruise line is not ready for prime time yet. We had much better experiences overall on Oceania but will be using Viking next as everyone we talk to rates them the highest now. Read Less

My husband and I chose this ship after seeing the PBS special, "Ultimate Cruise Ship." We were sorely disappointed, though, especially given the cost of this cruise. You'd expect that an average cost of $2,000 per day for the two of us would have resulted in exceptional service and food. Wrong! Not only was the food institutional quality, but the service on the ship was only average. We even had a malfunctioning toilet the entirety of the cruise (it would fill up to the very top with water if not flushed every 3-4 hours). We also had a serious problem with the excursions. We booked way ahead of time only to find that the destinations team re-booked us on several excursions that overlapped with other excursions during the day. When we inquired about getting our existing tour, we were told they were sold out. What a huge, huge disappointment and point of frustration on what was supposed to be a luxury cruise. Outside of the beautifully furnished cruise ship and public areas, this is not a luxury cruise. Don't waste your hard-earned money! Read Less

we choose this cruise because we had heard good things about Regent and we liked the fact that it was all inclusive. We liked the ship itself. It was clean and well maintained. We did not like the pool because it was too hard to get into and out of. The concierge level cabin was nice. The bathroom had both a bath tub and a separate shower and we liked the fairly large walk in closet. We also liked that there were drapes not only on the windows, but between the sitting area and the bed area. That allowed one of us to sit and drink coffee and read without waking the other. Since the only differences between concierge level and penthouse level seemed to be that the penthouse level had a butler and nicer bathroom amenities we didn't see the need to spend the extra few hundred dollars for the penthouse level since the rooms are the same size. The food on the ship was good. Prime 7, the specialty restaurant, was decent but the food was not really special. Like most ships, Regent puts rice in their salt shakers to keep the salt from absorbing too much water. The problem is, the rice is larger that the holes in the top of the shaker and it is impossible to get the salt out, unless you remove the top. The entertainment was good. We enjoyed the most of the shows, especially the one put on by the crew. When they offered a tour of the galley a lot of us took advantage of it. We got a chance to walk through the galley and see where and how our food was cooked. They were displays of food throughout the tour. Everybody walked through and then walked into the dining room to order our lunch. Only then were we told that we should have taken our lunch from the food that was on display in the galley. You would think that would have been mentioned prior to the tour. We were most disappointed in the Destinations Desk. They should get some of the crew to go on the tours they promote. The bus tour in New York was a mess. The tour simply drove around the very crowded streets. The tour guide would say things like, "If you look down that street to your right you will get a quick look at Times Square". How about driving to Times Square or Central Park? Also, as part of the tour we were going to take a boat tour on the river and the Statue of Liberty. The tour guide got our tickets and sent us to the boat. She had told us the tour would start a 3, but the tickets were for 3:30. So we all got to sit around for 45 minutes. In Sept-Iles we were told that a shuttle bus would take us around the city. The shuttle bus would be a hop on, hop off type of bus. When we got on the bus, the tour guide told us that that the bus would not go around any of the city and would not make any stops except to drop us off at a point about a mile from the bus. There was nothing at that point other than a large tent where you could wait for the shuttle to return, if you wanted. Upon returning to the ship we complained to the manager of Destinations and she apologized and said she hadn't been made aware of the problem until about an hour before we had to be back on the ship. Prior to disembarkation we were offered a brief tour of Montreal prior to being taken to the airport, as long as our plane was scheduled to depart after 4 p.m.. I explained to a Destination member that our flight departed departed at 3:25 p.m. and was told that wouldn't be a problem. He scheduled us for the tour and we were issued the necessary luggage tags. The next day we were called and told that we couldn't go on the tour because our flight left too early and that we needed new luggage tags. Not a big deal, just and example of Destinations not being fully aware of what was going on. All in all, I think we will go back to traveling with Oceania. Regent just didn't live up to their reputation on this cruise. Read Less

We have sailed on Regent going back to when they were Radisson, ( Pre-Regent days), and thought they were excellent. We last enjoyed them a year ago in Alaska, and we were looking forward to sailing on their new ship the Explorer. Advertised as the most luxurious ship a-float, we thought this would be the ultimate in Regent Cruising. Suffice it to say I assume that the cost of the ship and its extensive art work and decor must be paid for somehow, and so cuts must be made. It is the little things such as food served lukewarm, or tepid. A request at lunch for a German or dutch lager beer and getting served " Tiger Beer " from the Philippines. A Concierge that immediately responds; "We are not offering any Compensation", when all you were doing was making them aware of an issue, ( while never asking for any compensation). Ordering an Asian stir fry dish listed on the menu in the Pacific Rim Restaurant and being asked how you wanted it cooked? Really? Going to the Patio for lunch and taking a dish from the stack just placed by the kitchen staff and finding the first plate still has food residue stuck on it. When reported and shown to the server, they simply took it away and left the stack of dished it came off of in place for other passengers to take their plates from. I have no idea if the other plates were clean or may have also have had some residue stuck on them as well. Is it possible as Regent has increased the size of this newest ship to add more passengers that they have lost ability to continue to provide World Class Customer Service? Our overall experience made us feel as if we were on a Princess, or Celebrity Cruise, good but not " Luxury Class, not world Class. Goodbye Regent and Hello NCL. Service for the masses, good but not luxury. For us, if I want that type of service I can Cruise with Princess, or Celebrity, or Royal Caribbean. For luxury though, I will be comparing to SeaBourn, and SilverSea Read Less

Having cruised previously on Oceania and Seabourn among others, I was looking forward to the Regent experience - expecting it to be far superior to Oceania and on par with Seabourn or better. I won't get into the whole reasons why, but I totally will not cruise on Regent again. We upgraded to the Penthouse A category and although Voyager was supposed to have recently undergone a complete refurbishment - the decor was very plain and dull. We expected the penthouse to be nicer but Oceania Riviera was far better with two sinks in the bathroom along with a full free standing shower with shower head rather than a hand held mounted one. The tub on Oceania PH was jetted. Our butler was very formal and not welcoming or warm. When we did ask her to inquire about changing our specialty dining time she promised to check yet never got back to us.When we saw that Regent tours did not allow requests for handicapped seating in advance she promised to check it out for us, then never did. When she saw our wine bottle had been emptied, she didn't bother to replace. The cabin attendants put my Regent tote bag under the bed when it was full of my belongings from the day trip and i panicked when I could not find it later in the night. We told her that possibly it had been left at screening. She promised to help and said she would ask the cabin attendants to look for it. I then started looking again and checked under the bed where it had been laid on top of our emptied suitcases. So it was tucked away intentionally. She should have known that may have been the case and tried to look for it for me. The food was not even close to as good as Oceania. The timing the restaurants closed was also inconvenient if you took the included tours. They always returned you to the ship too late for dinner in the Compass Rose and barely in time for the Veranda - which was mediocre at best. We will not choose Regent again unless there is a fabulous itinerary and if the ship is the new Explorer. Otherwise will probably stick with Oceania. Looking forward to trying Crystal. Read Less

Luxury encompasses the entire passenger experience. The physical environment of the ship is part of this experience, and the Seven Seas Explorer does present an environment that is richly decorated and often spacious, but the passenger experience suffers some of the same faults that I have encountered on other Regent ships. After a rather bad experience on a recent cruise on the Seven Seas Voyager (previously reviewed on Cruise Critic), we were hesitant to take another Regent journey. However, we had already booked this trip, the itinerary was one that had great appeal to us (one of the few that have three full days in St. Petersburg), and several friends who had been on the Explorer raved about it, so we decided to go ahead. The cruise was certainly an improvement over our one on the Voyager, but not quite perfect. Our suite, a Concierge E level, was indeed one of the best cabins we have had on a cruise ship. It had plenty of sitting room, was well furnished, had a very comfortable bed and a large balcony, and more than enough drawers, cabinets and closet space. The bathroom was also well designed, with two sinks, a tub and a very good shower, and again plenty of drawers and shelf and counter space. Although the Explorer offers even larger suites, we saw no need for anything bigger. Regent appears to have spared no expense in outfitting the common areas of the ship. Furniture and fixtures were over the top. Of course, décor is a personal matter, and I found some of the areas to be overdone, some clashing of various styles, and the art was not to my liking, but I would not downgrade the Explorer for these reasons as others do love the way the ship is outfitted. One of the disappointing parts of the cruise was the food. Presentations were always very well done, but the taste often did not live up to expectations. The specialty restaurants were especially disappointing. Service was exceeding slow (way past leisurely) to the point where we started a meal at 7:00 and were not finished until after 10:00, missing the evening show. In Prime 7 I had the Prime Rib, one of my favorites on previous Regent cruises, but the meat was lacking in flavor and texture. In Chartreuse I had the “rack of lamb,” actually just two lamb chops that were overcooked. In Pacific Rim I had the lobster tempura, finding the lobster to be tough and flavorless. But the Pacific Rim is beautifully decorated at least. We were able to get only one reservation in each restaurant, not understanding why some people seemed to be able to get multiple reservations. But we found that one was enough. We actually preferred meals in the Compass Rose and especially Sette Mare, where service was much better (and much improved from previous Regent cruises). The breakfast and lunch buffets lacked variety from day to day, but there were plenty of choices. The specialty restaurants were also open at lunch with a limited menu and offered a sit-down alternative to the buffet, but the hours were limited and often closed before morning excursions returned. The sommeliers or wine stewards did not seem to know much about wine, always suggesting a wine before they knew what you planned to eat. The Constellation Theater, where the big shows are held, is a disaster. None of the balcony seats, and less than half of the main floor seats, have good sight lines. The acoustics are bad and muddy the vocalists. Speakers are badly placed and often the singing appears to be coming from the back of the theater rather than from the performer. In fact, for a while I thought they were lip-synching, but there was an instance where a singer had a microphone failure and you could hear her natural, unamplified voice and it was quite lovely. The singers and dancers were quite talented and gave good shows, although the choreography was a bit repetitive at times. The cast also made an effort to socialize with the passengers, which was a very nice touch. The excursions were mostly good, although we optioned for independent tours in St. Petersburg as the Regent included tours were primarily only half day and didn’t allow you to get to much in this marvelous city. For most of the tours Regent did not provide personal audio systems, making it hard to hear the guides. Almost all the tour groups from other ships did seem to have the audio systems. The departures for the tours were most unpleasant. People were asked to wait around the theater and then there was a mob scene with pushing and shoving when a tour was called. We have never had this type of problem on other cruise lines and Regent needs to find a better way. The enrichment lectures were a big disappointment. In an area rich in history and culture, the speaker, chose not to talk about any of the ports but instead all but one of his lectures were about the Vikings, pertinent to the region but not worth so many lectures. And the lectures were generally rambling collections of facts with no real take home points. The speaker was part of the Smithsonian lecture program and unfortunately he gave the Smithsonian a bad name. There was a paucity of activities during sea time, and most of the activities seemed to be promotions for the spa or the boutique. The Cruise Director, who should be responsible for the passenger experience, did not seem to be directing anything, but only acted as an announcer or an emcee. He appears to have been hired for his singing ability rather than for any administrative or guest relations abilities. He was probably the worst cruise director of the many cruises I have been on. Read Less

We sailed on the new Explorer. We were very disappointed with our cabin on this new ship. Very small compared to the other Regent ships. (we have sailed on all the others). Couldn't move in the room. Closet too close to the beds, no walk around space. Very disappointing compared to the sister ships. Our cabin was like a much less comparable cruise line cabin. We like Regent because we have always had a walk in closet, a vanity for hair and makeup, space to move around and a much larger bathroom. Explorer other than that was fine. Still need to get a few kinks out, but service is good and food is excellent. Should have stuck with the cabin sized on the other ships. Way too small and a big disappointment. Food is always excellent on Regent cruises. New Asian restaurant is wonderful. Staff in the restaurants are top notch. Read Less

We had good experience once before with Regent so we invited a third relative. The cabin that was "sold as" very spacious and adequate for a third was NOT. It was cramped and uncomfortable. The couch converted into a bed that was very uncomfortable. three days into the cruise we had to request attention to the mattress...they brought egg crate foam. The Compass Rose dining room food was nothing to write home about and the Settee Marie Italian specialty restaurant was downright bad. Prime 7 and Chartrueuss were excellent. Service in the dining facilities was good sometimes and bad the other. For the most part the excursions were good, but you have to be diligent and read between the lines about activity levels and amount of time stuck on a bus. I think I'm done with Regent..just not sure it's worth the price tag unless you drink ALOT. Oh and don't upgrade just for the butler....it's a "non-event". Read Less