Our holiday began with a ten minute taxi ride to London City Airport, the approach to which was lined with dozens of police guarding the airport against Extinction Rebellion climate change protestors, one of whom had climbed on to the top of a plane the previous day. Once inside the airport all was calm and we enjoyed our flight to Nice. We caught a local train to Monte Carlo and stayed overnight at the Novotel Monte Carlo. This was a reasonably priced, modern and comfortable central hotel, situated within a three minute walk from the train station. In the evening we enjoyed dinner at Polpetta, a nearby Italian restaurant where the food was delicious, the limoncello was freely flowing and the atmosphere became increasingly lively. A great start to our holiday. Next morning we took a taxi to the port and almost immediately boarded Azamara Pursuit. As we approached the ship we could clearly see the old P & O Adonia signage beneath the paintwork but inside the ship is almost identical to Quest and Journey. We were welcomed onboard with coffee/tea and pastries or a glass of sparkling wine. Lunch was being served in the Windows cafe and the spread offered was splendid. By 1.30pm our staterooms were ready. We were situated on Deck 4 in a midship oceanview room, similar to others where we had previously stayed on Quest and Journey. Our thoughts on this stateroom differed from those though, notably the dark grey walls which gave the room a permanently gloomy feel and required us to switch the lights on all the time. The aircon was particularly fierce and couldn't be turned off which resulted in us both suffering from sore, dry throats for the whole of the cruise. The fruit bowl which we had enjoyed in the past and which is still advertised in the 2020 brochure was missing, although when we asked our room steward for oranges these were provided. There are no longer any binoculars to borrow. Otherwise, the room, bedding, towels, toiletries and cleanliness were fine and the room was very quiet. We immediately booked our speciality restaurant dinners – three for $70 – well worth it as the meals were spectacular, especially in Aqualina. Sunday - First port of call was Porto Vecchio, Corsica. A free shuttle bus was provided and we walked around the old citadel, enjoyed the views and experienced local youngsters being confirmed at the church. It was a joyous occasion with the church bells ringing, the cross and the Madonna statue, covered with white carnations, being carried outside the church and all the ceremony surrounding the family celebrations. Monday - Next day we arrived in Olbia, Sardinia. Another free shuttle bus to the tree lined promenade of this pretty town. Sadly, the archaeological museum, which we intended to visit, was closed. However, we enjoyed meandering around the town, visiting the basilica, another church with a brightly tiled roof and stopped for a drink in one of the many tree lined squares. Back on board, we loved the variety of the lunches served at the Patio Grill before relaxing on deck by the pool and in the hot tub. We enjoyed the inclusive beers, wines, cocktails and felt no need to upgrade to a different drinks package. Dinner this evening was in the main restaurant, Discoveries, and couldn't be faulted. As we ate around 8.30pm we missed the main shows in the cabaret lounge but enjoyed listening to Maryfer on the piano in the Den and Riviera Sounds in the Living Room. Tuesday - On we sailed to Mahon, Menorca and really liked the atmosphere of the city. Lots of historical buildings, including an excellent museum, a magnificent cathedral with four organ keyboards and over 3,000 pipes. We were welcomed back on board with a glass of Spanish sangria – lovely touch! This evening an Indian buffet was provided in Windows Cafe and so, for a change, we ate there. Whilst the food was good, the place closed down at 9pm on the dot. Too rushed for us as we had to grab a dessert or miss out! Wednesday - Palma, Majorca was our next port of call and as we had visited here previously decided to join friends from Cruise Critic for a whole day tour. This was one of the highlights of the holiday as there were ten of us in a minibus and we were first taken up the mountainous west coast to Valdemossa. This is the place where Chopin and Georges Sand stayed. The group split and did our own thing. My husband and I visited the Monastery and Palace, heard a Chopin piano recital and still had time to walk around Valdemossa before rejoining our friends. Back on the minibus we headed to the famous Caves of Drach, where we descended far below ground among the stalegmites and stalegtites to take our seats for a short classical concert performed on illuminated boats being rowed on an underground lake – quite surreal. We finished our day tour back in Palma. Fantastic value at around 70 euro each, including the 15 euro fee for the caves, almost half the cost that Azamara Shore Excursions were asking for a trip to the caves only. The White Night party was great fun that evening and the singers were just fantastic with the ship practically bouncing with most people up on the floor dancing and singing. That evening Azamara had thoughtfully provided a specialist Majorcan pastry in our staterooms. It's these touches that make the Azamara difference. Thursday - On to Valencia and what a fabulous place! It's so astoundingly beautiful in all respects. The old and new in perfect harmony. So much to see – parks, markets, old and new shops, museums – magical. My favourite place of the cruise. In the evening all guests who wanted to attend were taken to Hemisferic in the City of Arts and Sciences, incredible feats of modern architecture, beautifully lit, where a breathtaking performance was given by acrobats, flamenco singers and dancers, sand artists and a virtuoso electric violin player/magician. The organisation was flawless – hats off to Azamara. As we were returned to the ship we were welcomed back on board with champagne and the cruise entertainment director, Amanda Poulson, singing hits from Phantom of the Opera from a balcony of the ship. Spine tingling! The only downside was that the time was now 9.50pm and the buffet closed at 10pm sharp. So, for us again it was grab something quickly. I suppose if we ate, like some guests, at 6pm we wouldn't have this problem. Friday - Tarragona was to be our next stop but as there were violent protests occurring in Catalonia we were sensibly advised by the captain that it was not wise to call there. Whilst I was disappointed as I wanted to follow the Roman trail, I'd much rather be safe and we really enjoyed our day at sea when extra activities were organised throughout the ship. In fact, I would have loved a sea day at the beginning of the cruise to settle down and relax before hectic days exploring ports and will look out for a cruise that offers this option in future. Again Azamara came up trumps and credited all guests with on board credit as a gesture due to the missed port, which really wasn't their fault. We sailed to Barcelona and were advised by the captain that again, due to the civil unrest, we shouldn't leave the ship that evening as the protestors were marching towards the port and to debark as early as possible next morning to reach our onward destination before 9am. Saturday – We left the ship at 7am, earlier than originally intended, and took a thankfully uneventful taxi ride to the airport for our short flight back to the UK. Another wonderful cruise with Azamara who always seem to find little ways of surpassing one's expectations. Read Less

This was our third Azamara cruise--one each on Journey, Quest and now Pursuit. This was the best out of the three. Our major dissatisfaction with the cruise came at the beginning with embarkation. We'd done online check-in and had our boarding passes on our phones, but the person at the terminal wouldn't accept them--she said we had to have a paper copy. Luckily I did have them on paper, although it took me a few minutes to find them. Once on the ship, check-in was in the Cabaret Lounge. During our online check-in, I'd provided credit card information for onboard charges. The crew member had no record of that, and I had to complete the forms again. We had one purchase beyond our OBC, and I noticed when I got home, it was charged to the credit card I'd provided during online check-in, not the one I'd given the crew member during the ship check-in. I'm not sure why we were told there was no CC on file, when clearly there was. Our veranda cabin on Deck 7 was very nice with lots of storage, although I had to ask for extra hangers. I never met our cabin steward, but he kept the room in top shape all week. I have the same complaint about the small showers as most people, but it's manageable. For the first time I had trouble with the shower curtain clinging to me, which is an annoyance. I also wish the showers had a foot rest for shaving. I liked the recent addition of the nightlight in the bathroom. The food on Pursuit was the best we've had on Azamara. I've never been a fan of Azamara's pasta dishes, as I've found them bland. I had a ravioli appetizer that had a wonderful sauce with a nice spicy finish. The filet served for surf and turf was wonderful. I was pleasantly surprised by dinner at The Patio, because in the past the meats were not good quality, and overcooked. I had a beef paillard (a thin steak) that was delicious. One thing I wish the Patio on all Azamara ships would improve is their hamburgers. On all three ships, I've found the quality and taste lacking. My husband said the wings were very good, although if you like them spicy, you have to request double or triple sauce. The ports on this itinerary (Mediterranean Islands) were great. In particular we enjoyed Sardinia and Mallorca. I'd do this itinerary again simply because there is so much to see. We had one missed port (Tarragona) due to civil protests, but Azamara went above and beyond by providing each cabin with OBC as compensation. Nice touch! We had enough in onboard purchases to qualify for a VAT refund, and while Azamara provides the paperwork, there weren't any instructions on what to do with the form, so I didn't know it needed to be stamped at the airport. An instruction sheet would have been useful for us. We didn't attend any of the shows, but we enjoyed the pianist/singer that was in the Spirits Lounge. We also liked the extra seating in that area in place of the casino--the space was well-used every time we were there. I took one Azamara excursion (a bicycling excursion) and wasn't very satisfied. The group was too large and the guide was difficult to hear. Plus of course as a ship's excursion, it was expensive. We started cruising with Azamara due to their partnership with PerryGolf, and continue to book the PerryGolf cruises. Even without the golf, though, as long as we can find Azamara cruises with interesting itineraries at a price that fits our budget, we'll continue to sail with Azamara. Read Less

The Europa 2-even the name exudes luxury, style, and quite a Eurocentric flair to life that I have come to learn and love on my eight night sailing to the beautiful Mediterranean. The cost-incredibly expensive, but the experience-unmatched. PRE-BOARDING DOCUMENTS The catalogues and call-back service was phenomenal, as well as the website being easy to navigate, although at times a bit outdated, and while the general vaccination, immigration, and visa requirements were clearly listed, it was a while before I realised the sentence "these notices and requirements only apply to citizens of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland." Still, this is a German cruise liner, and it's honestly surprising they even attempted to embrace the outside world at all-unlike the stuffier Europa. Included cancellation fee and bankruptcy insurance was nice, but as always the terms were very strict. I opted to not. EMBARKATION Because it was clearly impossible for Hapag-Lloyd to arrange travel to a country outside of Germany on an "international cruise ship", it was necessary for me to find travel arrangements myself-sigh.Embarkation commenced sharp at 16:00, ending 18:00, but it was very swift and once onboard we enjoyed the happy reception staff with welcome champagne. A TOUR OF THE SHIP The whole ship is all about relaxed luxury, with spaciousness and natural light in a contemporary style while its exterior is sleek. The details are fantastic from indented handrails in the main stairways to leather-covered tissue boxes to polished teak handrails on all balconies. I think I look at handrails too much, eh? A two-level pool deck is fantastic, with a 49 feet rectangular heated pool and a large sliding glass roof to cover if needed, but the summer Mediterranean meant we never had much of an opportunity to see it in action. Balinese sleep beds were extremely cosy, as we would be lucky to find out multiple times, alongside sun beds, drink tables, bar and food bar (of which Hapag-Lloyd loves to brag about its afternoon waffles), and a retractable movie screen. It simply is beautiful, contemporary, and high-quality at every turn, with museum-quality art collections, and after a retouch in 2018, everything is super chic and modern. The atrium has grey, black, and chrome with armchair-style seating and the Piano Bar, with a specially commissioned grey Steinway next to the reception desk, in case the nice lady working there wanted a cocktail, because don't we all? A glass viewing wall provides multi-deck natural light, before you walk to a Wempe jewelry and boutique. I, of course, not having a net worth of $10 million, didn't go in except to buy a beautiful Cap'n Knopf. He inhabits our house now. This is just, a benchmark in cruising and exudes discreet quality at every tun with impressive diversity, flowers everywhere, even, and just in case you thought this wasn't luxurious enough, a caviar night each cruise. A caviar night. BARS After a long day exploring the beautiful beaches of Europa, head down to the Europa 2 bars and lounges, with Collins, a cigar smoking Cuban beer bar, Sansibar, with indoor-outdoor seating and an a la carte menu with tapas-style nibbles and special wines, Club 2, THE place for comedy and cabaret, the aforementioned piano bar, Belvedere, which also houses the library, the aforementioned waffle-stuffed pool bar, and Grande Reserve, which is just fine wine and weddings. I had neither. FOOD The Europa 2 has more dining venues than its sister ship and, in relation to its relaxed comfortable luxury, no set mealtimes. And the food is simply spectacular. Absolutely amazing. Fancy China and glassware, impressive amounts of cutlery, unusually plentiful tables of four, and each restaurant's detailed individuality, and of course, the food itself. Weltmeere is the flagship restaurant, and for good reason; an international menu changing daily. Elements serves everything from Indian to Vietnamese to not-so-traditional Chinese dishes, with the aroma of lemongrass, seafood, and lime prevailing. I forgive them this time, but their "Chinese" dishes were often anything but. Sakura I did not get to experience as it packed quick, but Serenissima was my go-to-spot for lunch, with everything from open lasagne to steamed lobster and the chandeliers were stunning. Finally, the French bistro Tarragon, with its famous meal beef tartare made at table, and boy did it live up to expectations, while the Yacht Club Buffet allowed me to experience fine cuisine and a panoramic ocean view. MY SUITE, AND THEY'RE ALL SUITES All the "cabins" in the Europa 2 are rightfully called suites, and each with a veranda! I chose the aptly-named Veranda Suite, as it was the cheapest, but it doesn't feel that way, certainly. 376 square feet with a walk-in wardrobe, exclusive living area with a chaise lounge, a bathtub and separate shower, free minibar stocked with beer and soft drinks, a writing/vanity desk, and door-touch keycard holder. All also have a Nespresso coffee machine and coffees, quiet-close storage trays, and integrated infotainment system as well as one free hour of Internet a day. The layout is well-designed and practical and the overall decor is relaxing and elegant. ENTERTAINMENT The Theatre, a two-level showlounge with LED lighting and a thrust stage is prepared for by the company's own production team and is mostly visual, much to my English-speaking-minority delight. Club 2 also was the go-to place for parties and discussion or the Piano Bar if you're feeling classical. CHILDREN'S CLUB Knopf Club, Kid's Club, Teen's Club. Everything was cool. SPA Superb, a centre of serenity and calm, with everything from a beauty salon to three dry saunas to two GOLF SIMULATORS-WHAT?! Needless to say most everything cost extra but what're you gonna expect, right? SERVICE In a word, yes. DISEMBARKATION Quick, to my chagrin, but relaxed, much to my pleasure. SUMMARY Amazing, all in all. Read Less

OK pulled up to the port for embarkation and since the ship was in Port of Nice until 10pm that evening there was no line. I mean no one. Walked thru a tent right outside the ship, up and on quickly since we had uploaded our photos on the Azamara website. Directed into the Cabaret and received our room keys and went to a nice lunch in the buffet. Easiest embarkation ever experienced! We had the Club World Owners suite on the back of the ship Cabin # 7114. Perfect location as we werent below a restaurant. We have been sailing on NCL in The Haven and decided to try this for the ports of call and were concerned about being on such a small ship. That concern was gone immediately. The cabin was spacious, well stocked and clean. Many towels all over for the balcony, beach, whatever you needed. The first night we decided to eat n the main dining room, which we almost never do on larger ships and the food was excellent! Many options and specials every night. For lunch when we were on board we ate at the buffet but this isnt like any buffet you have seen, Crown Roast one day, many options and same for breakfast. Now to give you an idea of the quality of service, my wife has a food issue, she cant have anything cooked with extra salt or salted. We made this known and from the on no matter where we ate someone was there to make her anything she wanted just without salt. They even went so far as to bake her fresh bread for breakfast and dinner without any salt! There was a dinner for guests in the 10 largest suites called the Best of the Best! WOW! It was served in the library with the Captain, First Officer and other staff. White Glove service with wine paring. A real experience. White Night Party beautiful, with a Buffet and BBQ Lobster Tails, pasta, everything. Azamazing Evening was at an old Opera House in Livorno for a small performance that was extremely enjoyable. We experienced two minor issues. One was that the staff was all new so they werent quite up to speed as to how to go the extra mile yet. They were very good but just didnt go the extra step not because they were rude, they just didnt know. For example we had a butler and the first day asked him to bring coffee and tea every morning at 8am. he said we had to fill out the card and hang it on the door every night. One would think this was something he could have taken care of since he brought it to us every day. Not a big deal but just inexperience. The second was on an excursion. We were in Santa Margarita and wanted to go to Portofino for the day. So we hopped on a cheap tour offered by Azamara just for the ride and we had room credit to spend. Well we waited on the dock for a public ferry for close to an hour, Granted it was Easter Sunday but we expected a company like Azamara to have a private shuttle for their tour, maybe we were expecting too much. However upon our return a staff member asked how the tour was and I said I dont want to complain. They insisted I say something so I explained the situation. Apparently they are offering what they call "sightseeing" inexpensive tours since people have commented that their immersive excursions are expensive. So now they are trying less expensive tours. Anyway they made things right. Since this was an "Immersive" sailing we were in port everyday so by the time we returned each day we ate and walked a little and went to bed so we didnt experience any of the shows. Last night they have a chocolate buffet which is amazing! I loved it because the small personal nature you get to know the staff and the higher ups on board as they are always visible. Also, its an upscale cruise but not stuffy! No jackets required and decent casual comfortable clothes. I dont like to have to wear a jacket when Im on vacation unless I have to Would I go again! Absolutely I already booked Read Less

Azamara Pursuit - Italy Intensive, second leg of a Back to back to back. Hi there, we are Jorge & Stian (a.K.a the arctic husbands) from Norway, this will be our 21st cruise; third with Azamara. This is the second leg of a B2B2B. This second week we had an Ocean View stateroom in deck 4, cabin 4000 Back to back process : very easy... This was so easy that you feel it’s just like another day of the cruise CABIN: Ocean View stateroom, 4000. Coming from the Continent Suite you feel the space is much less, specially in the bathroom... the room still does the job, practical, enough storage space (for us), tiny shower but you get used to. The room is totally at the front of deck 4 so noise and vibration could be an issue for some people. We are early morning and early sleepers so it doesn’t bother us that much...  Our stateroom attendant, Paulo did a good job keeping our stateroom in order but we noticed this time that it could take longer time for them to make up the stateroom, again for us this was not an issue but understand that for some this could be a “thing”... this time due to space constraints we never ordered breakfast or room service DINING: This week we just have dined in Discoveries and the buffett aka Windows Cafe, quality of food and service has been again really on point, good variation of the menus. Azamazing evening Buffett and White Night Outdoor dining were great again as expected BARS: For this week we decided to just go with the complimentary drinks and wines and it worked well for us this week during the experiment, The included red and white wines change daily (2 whites, 2 reds) but the rose and the sparkling ones do not. Quality of the wines was good but if you have special preferences for the kind of wine you like it may be not in the daily rotation Regarding the drinks and cocktails you can easily go through the week with the complimentary drinks and cocktails but again if you like certain liqueurs, cognacs, whiskeys and/or bourbons and high end brands for vodka and Gin; these are not included in the complimentary menu. After our experiment we can see that for cruises of seven to 10 days the price/ value of the ultimate package is well worthy if you like to have the option to choose the wines you like or to have a couple of cocktails or drinks at night with high end brands, cognacs, etc. ENTERTAINMENT: We still love the intimacy of the cabaret lounge shows and the signature singers are so good... the guest entertainers: White Sand Trio and the pianist are really great for evenings of music in the Den or in the Living room. This week we attended the Amanda’s Show: Epics... I just loved her more. Not just she is an amazing cruise director but an incredible singer; it is just lovely and you get to know about her career but also about her as an artist and a person... with beautiful songs I am not going to spoil but make yourself a favor and go and see this show... Super Amanda. Azamazing Evening in Livorno... just an incredible concert in a beautiful Opera Theater. Standing ovation to the performers White Evening party: This time we stayed longer and enjoyed the Party and the music...All the staff makes a great effort for this event and you should not miss it. SERVICE: In general the service level around the ship is excellent. We had a little issue during this cruise that we complained about and it got quickly addressed by Senior Management (Thanks to the Marketing manager) and this shows that Azamara takes us as guests very seriously and go out of their way to make us feel at home. Kudos to all the senior officers specially, Hotel Director Ryszard; F&B manager Elizabeth for making us feel at home and they are always visible around the ship. More detailed information in the semi live review on the CC boards: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2656591-azamara-pursuit-semi-live-review-b2b2b-france-and-italy-intensive/ Read Less

Our only previous OCEAN cruise was 20+ yrs ago, on a much larger ship. While we enjoyed a Viking River cruise several yrs ago, we had decided ocean cruises were not for us. We agreed to take this cruise because (1) smaller ship (2) traveling w/ 3 other couples (3) everything included. We were not disappointed. Everything was great about the cruise - staff professional and available, laundry service, air travel Regent booked, our cabin (the closet w/ built-in drawers) & abundance our US outlets, well organized excursions. Disappointments: food not as good as Viking (however good selection and not too salty) and 1 of our included excursions was a waste. I believe the fault lies with the guide. A friend we were traveling w/ booked a private guide/van for our day in Rome. Very wise decision. We would book w/ Regent again. (Happy we booked thru Costco). Can't comment on entertainment or activities as we didn't have time for any of that! Ship was clean, well maintained and had attractive decor. I took too many "nice" outfits for evening and attribute that to my lack of understanding what to expect. Read Less

I first read about Europa in Berlitz's 2017 guide, fantastic, by the way, in case you're looking for in-depth research about individual ships not on CruiseCritic. I am an American who went on this amazing ship for just over a week, albeit that it was quite difficult not knowing any German prior, but I felt interacting with fellow passengers who spoke at least some English or Chinese (which I speak). EMBARKATION: Embarkation was very smooth and swift, and shockingly punctual at 16:00. Between starting to board in Monaco and getting to my suite (all of them are suites), it was only about twenty or so minutes. I also got a bottle of champagne and four quite small but delicious chocolate-covered strawberries. My suite was clean and tidy and I wasted no time in unpacking. There was ample room to store my things and very few minor niggles such as the bedspread being slightly off-centre. MUSTER: Fine, nothing astonishing, though it was great how they accomodated English-speaking passengers with a separated muster drill. I admit that I honestly expected to just duck behind the Germans in case of pirates or something if something happened. It lasted fairly long, about half an hour to an hour. ATMOSPHERE: The atmosphere was very formal and uptight (whether that's good or bad, up to you) and the colours were very calm. It was incredibly fresh (there were times when I would play a game with myself on a long sea day to find a single flaw, and even then it was a deck chair askew, which was quickly being fixed. Quiet luxury and elegance was exuded in the decor without much glimmer and glitz. Announcements were only scheduled two times a day with maybe an occasional third one tossed in, and the German culture was certainly not the most amicable of people, although not speaking their language didn't exactly help. I often enjoyed having a chat with, for example, my Filipino waiter who spoke better English than German, I found. Average age was about 70. ACCOMMODATION TO ENGLISH SPEAKERS: It was pretty bad, but I can't complain, really, because it is just a German-marketed ship. Menus and guides were in German, as were almost all people. I ended up being quite good friends with one Brit, who kept on talking to me when we met each other for lack of others to speak to, but I really couldn't be bothered. It's what I expected, it would be ludicrous to expect top-notch accommodation to a non-native language of most of the people and staff. I don't expect Royal Caribbean staff to speak Japanese or La Ponant to speak Japanese or Nippon to speak French, and that's how it was. FOOD Literally mouth-watering. I didn't want to do anything else! No additional cost to any venue, even Dieter Muller, the three-time Michelen star chef's restaurant, only a reservation, and 24-hour room service included even beef tartare. Try getting that from Norwegian or something. The table I had was great. Dinner starts at 7, ends at 9, eat anytime you want within those hours. Breakfast and lunch were open seating. Honestly, what else can I say? The food was 11/10, with everything from poolside waffles to real whipped cream in the afternoon teatime. Gourmet and stocked with all the best ingredients you wouldn't even expect in a gourmet restaurant let alone a boat in the Mediterranean Ocean. I walked to my suite every day vowing to go to the gym tomorrow, when I came home, I weighed so much more. The food was so good and comfort level so high that I preferred dining on board to dining in port, and sometimes, I even just wanted to do nothing but eat. STAFF Outstanding. By my third day, most staff knew my name and the Gatsby's bartender knew what I drank most often by my fourth when I consistently ordered my favourite, the Irish Coffee. I did not have to be an important person, be pushy, or have an “in” to get luxury service, as is often the case on other luxury ships. With literally no exceptions on my cruise, the crew were smart, polite, helpful, attentive, bilingual, and eager to help. ENTERTAINMENT Great shows, consistently. World-class artists performing their forte, enrichment professionals, and bilingual or even performances with no words at all were plentiful. I must admit I missed seeing a few ports because, well, the pool was open and I couldn't force myself to go when a bilingual personal trainer was offering classes or the clergyman was open for a while, all for me. INTERNET One free hour a day. Was it great? Eeeeeeeeeh...but what are you gonna expect. SMOKING Just don't go in the Havana Bar and you'll be fine. The Piano Bar often had a few puffing, but it wasn't anything major, I just sat far from them or went to Gatsby's. DISEMBARKATION Smooth, seamless, if anything, a bit sad. SUGGESTIONS: 1. Yes, I'll say it. Please some English newsletters or printed documents? It's fun to discover for a few days but by day 8 you just want a paper saying something you don't have to run through a Translator app which are often wrong or just walk around the whole ship to find a sign that interests you that isn't in German. AND PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE THE MENUS. PLEASE THE MENUS, at least. 2. Please more Cap'n Knopf! He's adorable. OVERALL Amazing, top-notch crew with top-notch service. The food and service were phenomenal, and everything was so seamless, so beautiful, I felt scared of ruining it. I do not think it would be essential to speak any German at all to enjoy the food and service and music on this ship, nor do I think this is a very uptight ship like some say. But I do say one caveat, and that is it breaks my wallet tremendously. Read Less

This was our second time on the Voyager, again in the beautiful Med and although we had visited just about every port on our Monte Carlo to Venice journey many times before, we enjoyed the beauty and weather and culture of these very interesting areas and had a wonderful vacation. We found a great last minute offer and booked about one month prior to departure. Just like last year: the ship was in beautiful condition, our Concierge Suite (1018) was lovely and comfortable (although some extra storage areas would be appreciated), the cabin service was excellent, embarkation and disembarkation were a breeze, shore excursions were well organized (even if I still dislike daily bus tours) with lots of choice, the entertainment was still mediocre at best (like all small luxury ships), and the crew tried very hard and aimed to please. What was better than last year was, firstly, the service. While things seemed disorganized last year onboard, this year all staff members that we dealt with were engaged, happy and worked very hard to accommodate all of the passengers and their needs and wants. Bravo! All requests were handled efficiently and pleasantly, and, this year, there was no problem getting reservations at specialty restaurants - the staff worked with us and did what they could; that is all that one can ask. Secondly, we had such a strange experience with the food: the first couple nights of the cruise (French Restaurant and then Compass Rose) the dinners were terrible - totally unexpected: food delivered cold, under-cooked fish, scallops that tasted metallic, etc. This had nothing to do with our individual tastes, something was very wrong (we were a party of 4 and all of us agreed that there was a problem.) After the excellent deck Bar B Q, while having a drink at one of the bars, we ran into Danielle (the F&B Manager) and Maria (the Restaurant Manager) and very nicely told them our problems and, WOW, did they respond and turn things around. From that point forward, every meal was superb and they made sure that we were satisfied. It was amazing to see how much they cared about the product and were so concerned that 4 passengers (all of whom had been on Regent before) would be satisfied and enjoy the cuisine. It was an impressive and excellent display of service that we very much appreciated. We were on the cruise that had the mishap in Rome - yes, the ship banged into pier and took a bit of cosmetic damage but it was not the end of the world - the captain himself stated a few hours after the event that there was no mechanical damage. I don't think that the entire issue was well handled: there was a lack of information and disclosure by senior crew, we needlessly missed a port of call because we spent a night in Rome for no good reason (all of the other cruise liners were coming and going), and the words: "sorry for the inconvenience" only go so far. Regent could have done far better. It was a shame that we missed one of the highlights of the cruise: Sorrento (or Naples) for Capri, the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, etc,. No one would have minded if the itinerary was juggled and we missed Corfu, for example. We are loyal Silversea cruisers (looking forward to Australia in January on the Muse) but we also like the Regent. We honestly prefer the Silversea product - our opinion is that its a bit more polished and refined and the included shore excursions on Regent are not a big plus for us. That being said, at the end, most cruise choices are about a balance between product, price and itinerary and we certainly would cruise with Regent in the future. Read Less

Went with friends. Wanted to cruise on a ship with adults, not a party ship. Expensive, but worth the cost if you demand quality. Only drawback was poor wi-fi service that only allowed one user and one device at a time. However, the staff were friendly and gracious and the food was to die for. The ship itself was beautiful and very well maintained. The included tours were of varying quality. WE took some and other times explored on our own. The entertainment was much better than we had anticipated with a variety of kinds of shows. The stateroom was wonderfully designed with a great amount of storage. An added bonus was free laundry and dry cleaning which we used often. This is not a ship where passengers stay up and drink through the night, though dancing and other entertainment is available until midnight. Take this ship if you want an elegant and relaxing experience. Read Less

This cruiseline was recommended by friends and from the very beginning we were struck by the attention to detail on the part of our AMERICAN Airline agent, Brian Mitchell. While on the pricey side, it was good not to have to worry about extra charges for drinks, tours and tips. The ship is beautifully decorated and has original art throughout. Dining was enjoyable and permitted lingering over deserts and cappuccino. We enjoyed the Prime 7 specialty restaurant the most where service was impeccable and our servings were exquisite. Breakfast and lunches were most often taken in La Veranda where there were multiple buffet choices. If we wanted somethhing we did not see, the staff went out of their way to accommodate. By the end of our week cruise, some staff recognized us and remembered our seating and drink preferences - especially in the Observation Lounge. Entertainment was fun and targeted to Boomers, who seemed to comprise most of the passengers. Tours were scheduled daily and usually involved time on a boat or bus, with informed guides describing history, culture and architecture of where we were. We decided to cancel several tours and go it on our own by hopping on a bus or tender that dropped us off at what would be our pick up point as well. That allowed us to find our own pace and to spend a bit more time on board relaxing. Next time we would not sign up for daily tours. Yes, we would go again. This was a special experience. Read Less

The Regent Seven Seas Explorer is beautiful ship and this was our second voyage on it. But Regent's customer service is so poor it makes your local cable company look stellar. Three days into the cruise my wife developed a medical issue and we had to return home. Regent rearranged our flight arrangements, but charged us an exorbitant rate to do so. Then, after returning home, we were essentially dead to them. Even though they filled our cabin on the second leg of our 14 day cruise, they refused to give us any sort of credit for our trip or a future voyage. The company is more interested in making its quarterly earnings than treating customers right. We did not have travel insurance, and that was a mistake on our part, but it was disappointing to find that Regent was so tone deaf to a customer's unfortunate situation. Suffice to say, we won't be sailing on Regent again. Other issues - we first sailed on the Explorer last summer. The big evening shows (Paradis and My Revolution) were repeated from last year. Good shows, but is it too much to ask to refresh your entertainment every year? Does not encourage repeat customers. On the plus side, having five options for dinner each night (albeit 3 requiring reservations) is a great way to end the day. Our favorite was Setti Mari, which offered a great selection of Italian dishes and wines; while main courses are served, we also enjoyed being able to get our own salads and desert at the buffet. Have to come early however - folks arriving by 7:30 pm were often turned away due to the limited seating. We also liked the fact that excursions are included in the overall price and that there are several very good options from which to choose from each day. The main pool is a salt water pool (which is great to swim in) and rather large given the size of the ship. And unlike other cruises we have been on, the pool area is typically uncrowded - could always find an empty chaise lounge to relax in. Read Less

From the cabins to the restaurants this ship and the overall experience lived up to our expectations, going to be difficult to cruise with anyone else. The service was terrific just attentive enough without being too much. We booked the entry level veranda cabin which size wise was similar to a balcony cabin on HAL or Celebrity but the fit and finish of the room ( especially the comfort of the bed) was far beyond other ships we have sailed with. No problem getting reservations in specialty restaurants and all lived up to the reviews, at least one of these restaurants also open at lunch each day which was very nice too Lots of entertainment on board and especially loved the lounges We pre- booked the included shore excursions online but also had no trouble making a change once on board Cant go wrong if you book with Regent we will go with them again if we can find the right trip Read Less

We chose this cruise as we wanted to sample the most luxurious ship and like Regent and it went to some unusual attractive ports of call but started in Monaco and ended in Barcelona allowing for stays either end in places we love. We stayed two nights in Nice prior and one night in Barcelona post cruise. Arrangements for boarding went smoothly at 12.30 and cases were in our room with us by 3pm. We took a concierge cabin as it has more room and it was a special occasion. The ship is spectacular with lots of chandeliers, luxurious carpets, artwork mostly modern though we never noticed the Picasso or Chagall supposed to be there. The cabin was great and had all you might ever want, massive bed, a large walk in wardrobe with safe, and a bathroom with separate bath (with shower head) and shower cubicle. Free LOccitane soap, shower gel shampoo and cream. The TV had a good number of English language channels and you got one free WiFi access for the cabin. The WiFi was awful initially, always slow, crashing or logging you out and a pain when two people wanted to use it at the same time. After advising about this the ship used a different satellite and the crashing stopped and speed improved. There are plenty of places to dine and all offer a good range of choices, though we found breakfast could be improved by offering blueberries raspberries and more sausages (only one or two offered) and more choice of bacon, streaky bacon isn’t a great offer. On the positive side you can have champagne and caviar instead. The dining areas include several outside, with the pool area offering faster food and buffet lunch in La Veranda with champagne and other drinks. In the evening We enjoyed Pacific Rim Asian food one evening and mostly Compass Rose. We prefer the layout on other ships as here there are many partitions closing of four or five tables. In the past we could talk to adjacent tables but not here. The shows we attended were not to our taste with a concert pianist two nights and songs and dance for the others. There is a good range of activities with golf, putting, tennis, shuffle board and bowls on the top deck and a walking track above the outdoor pool. We didn’t see the infinity pool. Service was courteous and friendly, though the captain and officers had a lower profile than on our other Regent Cruises, and a few officers were not so friendly, but the vast majority of staff were. There are only two shops aboard and the obligatory casino. The luxurious theatre has a few seats behind pillars? We visited Livorno, Ajaccio, Cagliari, Mahon, Cartagena, Valencia and found an excellent choice of free excursions on offer, the weather was good and warm with some sun and good sail outs from several. We visited Pisa from Livorno and Cutadella from Mahon doing a tour of Ajaccio and visited Ancient Nora from Cagliari. We did our own thing taking the transfer bus in the other two. A couple of guides were hard to understand, but others were highly knowledgable. The venues were all good though it was a holiday on Mahon so much was closed. The captain had a habit of leaving earlier than scheduled once all were aboard so we missed the Monaco sail out. Our cabin was at the rear and we had a couple of rough nights. Friends below us on deck 7 had to move cabins due to a loud banging noise keeping them awake We would go again, if the price was right, but we preferred our cruise on Voyager. There is nowhere to buy things like razor blades, medicines, bandages, that may be needed, so we had to get them ashore. I do wonder about the lifeboat situation with only four each side, if the ship were to list only one side might launch and with 1300 passengers and crew it could be a big squeeze Read Less

A friend recommended this cruise and it was excellent. What I did not expect was the excellent quality of the shore excursions and the wonderful people we met while on the ship. The operations of the ship, embarkation, disembarkation, timeliness of arrivals, notices, etc. were smooth, reliable, and without any disruption. The food was excellent, the selection was very good. Our butler, Dipak, was very good. My wife came down with asthma and bronchitis during the cruise and our butler took very good care of her. There was one service issue which the restaurant manager, Hedi, took care of immediately. Thereafter we were V.I.P.'s with Hedi. The cruise director, Adam, was personal and always took time to talk and share experiences. One of the key features of this cruise is the itinerary of ports visited. There are few routes that would compare to that itinerary. We would and will recommend Silver Seas to our friends. The one area we see as needing improvement is the age of the ship. We appreciate that the Silver Cloud will be going into a refurbishment program at the end of the summer. The most obvious part of the age of the ship is that the temperature controls in the rooms did not operate. It was either very cold or warm which could not be controlled. We heard many passengers comment on this. Nonetheless, it was lifetime experience and we would look into it again sometime in the future. Edward Jones Read Less

We have just returned from our cruise from Monte Carlo to Southampton - our 5th Silversea cruise and 2nd on Wind. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience although not everything was perfect. Once again, the main plus point was the staff on board - they were all excellent and are a credit to Silversea. The ship is now more than 20 years old but has been well cared for and we were very comfortable in our Veranda cabin. Both embarkation and disembarkation were very good - no queues - we simply walked on and off. We dined in all the restaurants and did not have any particular favourite. We believe that the quality of the food has gone down a bit - about 8/10 - but still OK. One of the highlights of the cruise for us was the splendid musical group who entertained almost every evening. Probably the best singers we have heard on over 20 cruises! We only took one SS shore excursion - a river trip on the Tagus while we were in Lisbon - preferring to use HoHo buses in the larger ports and Shanks' pony in the smaller ones. All in all, a very enjoyable holiday and we look forward to our next cruise - although we will probably opt for one with more sea days. Read Less

We cruise more for the ports than any other factor. We have cruised many times on many lines. Last year we did an 18 day cruise on the seabourn Sojourn from Dubai to Singapore. A very good cruise with good staff and service. This year we did a 21 day cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey from Monaco to Lisbon. The main purpose was to go to Morocco for our first time. Unfortunately the weather generally throughout was poor. A fair bit of rain and quite cool. Interestingly Seabourn has this cruise one month earlier this year (2017). That should make all the difference. What made the cruise were the staff and food. Even better than last year and I wouldn't have thought that possible. Every single member of staff was friendly and helpful. We ate in all venues but often at night at the pool grill. They had heaters there and offered blankets. We preferred the more informal setting and the food suited us. We definirtely will sail Seabourn again. Read Less

Seabourn an excellent small ship line, had become dissatisfied with Cunard so tried the Seabourn Odyssey in the summer and were very pleased. On Seabourn, service is excellent, standard of ship facilities is very good too. Cuisine on the whole good although more healthy options would suit us better and some of the complimentary wines offered not that great. Enjoyed dining in both the Colonade and the Main restaurant. Booked the new Penthouse Spa suites which were superb, Very roomy and had great views over the Balcony of the ship. Staff on the cruise were very professional and friendly. Entertainment was the best that we had see on any of the 26 cruises that we had been on. Even though we were only on for 7 days were very impressed as to how staff picked up on menu and drinks preferences in the dining areas and social areas. Booked a couple of tours and although pricey they were well organised and it is great they made sure that coaches were not packed and there was always space and time to see and do things at the destinations. Have already booked a couple more on the Seabourn Encore next year and will be interested to see how the new larger ship compares with the two that we have been on. Read Less

We have taken several voyages on Regent cruise ships and decided to try what was advertised as comparable to Regent for a Western Mediterranean cruise on Seabourn Sojourn October 2016. The dining experiences were flawless and there was enough liquor offered to float a boat. However, if you are looking for excursion experiences off this ship, which we were, they were lacking. I called the cruise line several times during the planning stage, but they would not reveal their excursions until after we had paid for the entire cruise. For several destinations, there were only 2-3 options for 425 people. Our traveling companions were not able to join several excursions because the destination opprtunities were "sold out." One excursion we booked was cancelled at the last minute, with minimum interest by destination services to find another option for us. And then the service...our suite "stewardess" is in the wrong career. I called guest services every day for things like wash cloths, the daily Hearld (ship info), and more. She never called us by name, left one bar of soap for two people to last eleven days, gave us toiletries that had been used by others (less than half full), and never completely cleaned the bathroom. I cleaned the floor just to get rid of the smell. Our friends said she "was young and inexperienced." The liberal smoking policy on the Sojourn was reported elsewhere, so I can only reiterate that it was an issue. Neighbors smoking on their verandas meant that we could not use our veranda during their frequent smoke breaks. There were other places to go on the ship where you did not have to smell second-hand smoke, which we did. Overall, Seabourn Sojourn offered a luxury vacation, like Regent, with excellent food and beautiful common areas. Unlike Regent, Seabourn had limited shore excursions, a bothersome smoking policy, and very poor housekeeping service, The disembark procedure was wonderful, leisurely breakfast the last day with a couple of hours to connect with luggage off ship. But maybe I was just happy to leave. Read Less

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We chose Oceania because of the itinerary and fares. The cruise was very good. The food and service were excellent. I was somewhat disappointed on the size of the concierge veranda suite. The suite was somewhat smaller than the suite we had on a previous Seaborne cruise, but the service and food was as good, I would probably take another Oceania cruise but would spend more and get a Penthouse level suite so we could have more room. Our package allowed us to take three excursions, 2 were excellent and one was boring and very long, on the boring excursion the guide was full of dates and names but did not peak my interest or curiosity. The ship itself was clean and very well maintained and the entertainment was very good. I would recommend Oceania for cruising but carefully select your cabin category if you are wary about cabin size and also carefully research the ports the ship is stopping at. Barcelona was listed as a port but it turned out to be a port about an hour and a half from the actual port of Barcelona which required an excursion on a bus to reach. All in all it was a very nice cruise but fell a little short of our previous Seaborne Cruise. Read Less

Whilst the ship is impressive, to call this a Maiden Voyage was rather a misnomer. There was nothing "special" about the cruise - no "wow" factor, no special event (not even one formal night) and the new entertainment from 'in house' Norwegian Holdings was second rate compared to what we had experience on many previous Regent cruise. I felt that I had been duped into taking a cruise that I would not otherwise have chosen. The one saving grace on the cruise was the energy, enthusiasm and entertainment provided by the Cruise Director, Ray Solaire. Layout of the ship is impressive with a lot more space in the restaurants, lounges and public/open areas but the ship does have two major drawbacks - (1) the sight lines in the theatre, particularly from the balcony are poor and there is a real safety hazard in the aisles (2) There is no outside forward observation area from which to take photographs or view the sail-ins. The staff, many of whom we had met before, were very helpful and efficient. Overall, the restaurants were a great improvement with much more space available and some nice touches - I particularly liked the viewable cooking area in Sette Mare. Also, the new menu in Compass Rose leaves one not needing to eat in the speciality restaurants as the choice is so great. Read Less

We chose this much lauded inaugural cruise on REGENT'S EXPLORER I want to start this review by saying something nice (it goes downhill from here). Whoever designed the ship & did the interior design did a fabulous job. It's lovely! End of good news. We paid an outrageous sum of money to be on the inaugural voyage because we read that this was going to be an amazing experience. It was - for all the wrong reasons. The "executive" staff had an "attitude" - notably at the guest services desk. They were borderline obnoxious especially one man who questioned my "motive" for settling the bill a day early. "Don't you expect to be spending more money?". Huh? Another very unpleasant person is an Italian gal who works in the Pacific Rim restaurant. Woah - she was so nasty we found ourselves walking out of our way to avoid her! All this for top dollar! We were on the 8th floor - aft. There was a constant smell in the hallways of food wafting from somewhere. I actually had to hold my breath, as I walked down the hall, because it was nauseating! The food was good in most of the restaurants but never really hot, just lukewarm. The exception being "Compass Rose" which we thought was bad - mushy vegetables & lukewarm fish. Not to mention the snot nose maître d' who asked our cabin #'s - we were 3rd tier from the top & then tried to seat us right next to the door where the waiters were bringing in the food. Not sure if the kitchen was behind those doors. Clearly a hierarchal system in play. I mentioned this to the G.M. who just about shrugged his shoulders - never heard back from him after this. On top of everything else - and keep in mind the prices were exorbitant! - Regent didn't provide top notch entertainment. The same lovely, but underpaid, Filipino 3 person ensemble - was everywhere. Not to mention the cruise director who sang, danced & read the announcements. We were on Seabourn's "Quest" inauguration cruise & it was a class act. Never again will we cruise on Regent which is owned by Norwegian cruise lines. They claim its a notch above but its not! The prices are but you might as well be on Celebrity or Princess! Save your money! Clearly, all the money was put into the décor. Oh, and the captain barely had time for the guests. We ran into him several times & got a slight nod! He was more interested in following his family around who were onboard. Have to thank him, though, since we arrived safely. Want to shout out to several workers who did a great job - Georgio, Spyder, Katerina & Alex. Read Less

We have been loyal Regent cruisers for more than ten years and were very excited when reading about the new Regent Explorer. The ship is, indeed, spectacular. The design is unique and elegant in all regards. Fabulous wide, winding staircases allow for open views of numerous public areas. We found the staff overall to be up to the normal Regent standards. I am always amazed when a server in a restaurant venue remembers our names after serving us at an earlier meal. How do they do that? A noticeable exception, however, was the Reception Desk. One staff member in particular, a tall dark-haired man, was openly rude on two separate occasions. Neither he nor the woman at the desk at the time attempted to solve my query. I had never experienced this sort of treatment on a Regent cruise before, and it does leave me worrying about the training and hiring practices of those in charge of this new ship, perhaps affected by Norwegian policies now in place? Our cabin, an F2, was lovely and spacious. The bed and the bedding were sumptuous and super comfortable. We were a bit disappointed, however, that the only seating in the cabin was on the small sofa that faced a desk and bar area. On other Regent cruises we had an upholstered chair in addition to the sofa, which made seating options more comfortable. A small point, and one that is certainly open to personal tastes, I for one prefer a lighter tone in the cabin decor. While the dark blue was striking, it can be a bit gloomy, especially on grey days. The closet was amazing! So many drawers and huge areas for hanging clothes. This closet would surely accommodate anyone on even a World Cruise! The bathroom also was spacious with room to accommodate all one's needs. The entertainment was excellent. The classical guitarist Vincenzo was terrific. Even better was the pianist, Panas Karan. He was amazing. We bought CDs from both so that we can continue enjoying their talents here at home. The other shows were pretty normal Regent fare. Lectures as usual were well presented and informative. Food at all the restaurants was good. We had a bad experience at Prime 7 on our second night at sea, but the manager sent an apology and we had a very pleasant meal there later on the voyage. Chartreuse is a very nice addition to the Regent restaurants. We had several wonderful meals there. And Compass Rose was its normal excellent self. I did get a bit off with La Veranda, but that may just be my personal taste as there was no particular event or food that sticks in my mind. The fine art pieces that were found throughout the ship were interesting, but some I question. They were very dark in mood and some even with disturbing elements, not the sort of thoughts I really want to entertain while sailing on such a ship in some of the most beautiful sites in the world. I'll consider the travails of life at home, if I must. I must admit, however, that we did expect some sort of special events and/or activities that would be associated with the Maiden Voyage of a new ship. This was a noticeable omission, and I wonder why some celebration or something wasn't offered. Otherwise, the Maiden Voyage was just like any other voyage except with new ship and staff hiccups. Overall, Regent once again provided us with a wonderful vacation and I believe that the Explorer will be a worthwhile addition to Regent Seven Seas. Read Less

Amazing Ship and Fantastic Crew!! Wow! I was lucky enough to sail on the new Explorer for its Christening. I was skeptical when the Explorer was being labeled as the most luxurious ship on the water. Well, I must happily confess that it lived up to its label!! There was so many things on this ship that make it amazing------everything from the food and multiple dining options, the bars, the spa (OMG!) the pool, cigar lounge, cabin stewart and other staff, and so on. Probably the only thing that was fractionally borderline, would be the nightly entertainment-----not the best, but not the worst I've ever seen either. The service was impeccable-----at all times; in all areas. It's rare that I extol praise this high as I am very, very picky. However, in this instance I can easily state and share that this was the most wonderful vacation EVER, and it all due the Regent!!! Read Less

We have cruised a fair amount having been on Celebrity, Oceania and Crystal. We decided to try Regent as the itinerary was great and we heard amazing things about it. There were a lot of great things and some not so great. Firstly, check in was the easiest we have ever had. Our room was the largest as well and very easy for both of us given the walk in closet. The small size of the ship allowed for a great social atmosphere. We met a lot of nice, like minded people. However, the food was not as advertised. The steak house was excellent. The Italian restaurant hit and miss and the main dining room average. The service was also hit and miss. Some places very good other places not so much. Our cabin steward was fantastic, nothing was too much. Most of the dining room staff was very average. While on Crystal, nothing was too much. Here it was more of them telling us why it couldn't be done. The workout facilities were very small and extremely hot. Not what we would expect for a supposed ship of this calibre. Overall, a great time and a lot of fun but not sure we would rush to sail with them again. Read Less