Oceania is my favorite cruise line, always has excellent food and service. From the stewards to the servers in the dining areas, always outstanding service. Dijon and Suprano took good care of us, always available to our needs. Sedeep in the grill in the Terrace Cafe always greeted you with a big smile and asked you what your needs were and often brought our hot dishes to our table if time permitted since my husband is disabled. Jason also assisted him with breakfast ordered an omelette and bacon and brought it to his table. Buddha in the Toscano was outstanding. He provided extra assistance by cutting his food in bite size pieces since he had noticed he had a walker. Mark in the Polo Grill was great too. He also assisted my husband with his steak. All were very caring and helpful, always with a smile. glad I was able to cancel some excursions in New York city because of weather and schedule a panoramic one. My only problem is not enough accessible rooms/cabins. If you look around what is the average age of most your guests and they’re in walkers, wheelchairs, and have walking canes. They put a chair in the shower, it was so big that there was no room for him to step in the shower and it did not fit in the tub either. If you could at least position some hand rails in the shower and tub to hold on to while taking a shower it would make a BIG difference for your physically challenged guests. It would also help every one during rough seas. I already made a reservation for an Alaskan cruise for next year so we could get a handicapped cabin. The Regatta has ONLY 3 Handicapped rooms available in the whole ship an they are inside cabins Read Less

Viking ships were known to us. We chose the Eastern Seaboard cruise because this is an area we were not familiar with. The standard of onboard living was excellent. The cabin appeared spotlessly clean and the dining to a high standard as we had experienced on previous voyages. Embarkation and disembarkation was smooth and well organised. Viking say that they place emphasis on the ports of call but we found these to be of variable quality. We were unable to visit Montreal as extensively as expected because an "Extinction Rebellion" demonstration blocked the access to the city centre so this was a disappointing start. The visit to Quebec City was really interesting and in fact we could have usefully spent two days there. The time we had available was insufficient to appreciate the town. Saguenay and Conde were much less interesting to visit except that a theatrical performance reenacting their history gave us a good insight into the settlement of the area. Portland Maine was disappointing. The tour gave little historical facts but preferred to emphasise the cost of housing. The only site of interest was a lighthouse (boring). We would have much preferred to visit Halifax and were disappointed not to do so. Boston was more interesting from the historical point of view. The sail into the New York harbour was spectacular with the views of Manhattan, Staten island and the Statue of Liberty. A short coach tour was interesting but again most of the information concerned the astronomical cost of accommodation. Our take home impression was that the stopping places should be replanned to give greater emphasis on Montreal, Quebec, Boston and New York. Halifax and not Portland should be included. Read Less

Good Service, smooth sailing and easy travels was our goal to celebrate my parents 70th anniversary and our mother's 90th birthday. We chose Silver Seas because it claimed smaller, more intimate ships, with a high crew to passenger ratio. In addition, a wheelchair cabin was available, with business class airfare at a lower rate! My sister and I were excited to book this trip for the 4 of us. The cost was high but we wanted our parents to have a first class holiday!! Unfortunately, even before we got on the ship problems began to occur. Some of the major issues were: 1. A 45 minute plus wait at the airport STANDING at the Silverseas kiosk for the shuttle to arrive. (We were told it was a 5 minute wait). Once the bus did arrive we found that there were 8+ steps up to the seating area of the bus. There is no way my mother who is in a wheelchair could handle 5 steps let alone 8. 2. The wheelchair cabin was not well suited for my mothers disability needs. The counters were curved, the toilet too low and so difficult to flush. In addition, the mattress sloped down the sides. Each day was a challenge. My mother found the cabin so uncomfortable, she wanted to leave and go home. To make matters worse, after a few days, the toilet started to smell 3. The port in Montreal was changed and we were not notified. My other sister and family were coming on-board in Montreal, but their visit was cut short because they went to the port in Old Montreal which was the address in the pre-cruise info. 4. We understood 2 ports were tendered, but it turned out to be 3 tender ports 5. The ship got into the New York port late, we had to do a mad rush to get a taxi to JFK as if we went with the transfers we would have missed our noon flight. We made the flight with 2 minutes to spare, but the rush was so stressful and tiring for all of us. It was not all bad, we enjoyed most of the meals. The Arts Cafe had fabulous coffee, sandwiches and little salads. The restaurant servers gave excellent service. Silver Note, La Terraza, Indochine and Atlantide had great menu items, we just wished there were different menus each night. The ports were enjoyable in most cases. Quebec city, Boston and Halifax were most enjoyable. We would have liked to have Maine lobster in Bar Habour, but could not as this was a tender port. We traveled on many different cruiselines, Viking does a much better job with disabled customers and Crystal seems to have better cuisine. Silverseas has many good itineraries and excellent service, but needs to improve its care for customers with special needs. Read Less

Delightful - best cruise we’ve had out of 11 cruises! Chose it for the destinations and the excursions. Wanted to go through the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Welland Canal, as well as the cities involved. Ship was nice small size (200 passengers), crew was superb, food was great, and everybody was friendly. We enjoyed cruising without the hustle and bustle of large ships. We particularly enjoyed the personal attention of the crew, that they got to know you by name, and that there was no waiting in line for anything. The excursions were superb and included in the cruise price, as was the wine and beer. We enjoyed that there was no smoke-filled casino on board (and no smoking at all) and we were not bombarded by the many big ship announcements touting and hustling the many things and shops on board. It was just simple cruising in the most pleasant of circumstances. Read Less

We chose this cruise to travel with friends who are disabled seniors ; the line advertises many handicap accessible excursions. NOT! Only one stop could accommodate a wheel chair rolling off; other stops required being carried in a wheelchair down two very steep outdoor flights of stairs that were very frightening, especially slick and wet. Also, the elevator to the upper decks was out most of the trip, so our friends could not join us in the spa, library, observation deck, etc. Disembarkation was terrible in the end because they would not help us off the ramp (apparently a union issue) and there were high thresholds to navigate. The ship decor was very dated; definitely in need of a refresh, especially to clean the carpets in public areas. The room was spacious and had good lighting. The deck chairs were not comfortable at all; not a lounge where you could lie and enjoy the sea. The TV had very limited selections and no live streaming/channels carried the World Series. Many cruisers were grumbling about this! Internet service in the cabin was pretty good, but in this day and age, for this price cruise, it's pretty insulting to have to pay for it as an add on. The toilets in a nearby cabin overflowed several times leaving the smell of urine in the hall despite the best efforts of the crew to clean up. The personal butler was the only highlight of the trip. Service was professional, friendly, and prompt. We often chose to have dinner as room service because dinner in the restaurants took a minimum of two hours, but room service was prompt. The food was good and plentiful, but pretty much as expected on a cruise, nothing outstanding. While the line advertises the cruises are all inclusive, going to the spa was a nightmare of literally being assaulted at the door by people trying to sell these flimsy orthotic inserts for shoes. I also witnessed an elderly woman with a stroke being aggressively browbeaten to sign up for Pilates, despite her insistence that her balance made it unsafe. I chose not to return to the spa after my first visit because of the high pressure sales people who destroyed the calming atmosphere one hopes to find in a spa. It was fortunate that we spent extra time in both Montreal and NYC at the beginning and end of the trip because we had good handicap accessible services and enjoyed touring. On the trip, bad weather cancelled our stops in PEI, Portland, Boston, Newport. So, essentially, we spent most of the days docked in Halifax and then rushed back to NYC. Being in port meant no casino and no shopping on the ship and there essentially were no additional activities added. To finally add insult to injury, when our ship was able to start sailing back to NYC at sea for a whole day, they drained the pool and started cleaning it with foul smelling chemicals, eliminating the only day we could have enjoyed the upper deck in good weather. Their priority , from the moment the storm hit, was clearly to get ready for the next cruise. We were a lost cause. While the line is not responsible for bad weather, to ruin the last day at sea was inexcusable. Read Less

We had heard excellent things about VIKING CRUISES from friends who had gone on them in the past. We were excited about the fact that our fare included one complimentary excursion in every port which is not the case on other cruise lines. Also very nice was that air fare to and from ports of embarkation and debarkation was included so that we didn’t have to make those arrangements! Embarkation & disembarkation both went very smoothly. There were plenty of good places to eat! Our cabin was great. We came to know the entertainment director, Aaron. He was a really friendly person. He also did the non-denominational church services every Sunday which we attended. Those were a nice touch, and Aaron did a very good job with those! We are looking for a cruise for the Inner Passage of Alaska for the summer of 2018. If we could find one from Vinking Ocean Cruises we’d definitely take it. Read Less

Traveling is my passion, but my dream vacation with Regent Cruses turned into a nightmare. If you are thinking about cruising with Regent you need to read about the series of unfortunate events that happened to me on my trip aboard the S.S. Mariner that began with our not having heat in our cabin, suite 735, for the first four days of the cruise, and culminated with my sister and I developing severely chapped skin, and me developing bronchitis and a fractured ankle. The trip was Regent Seven Seas Cruises headquartered at 7665 Corporate Center Drive, Miami, Florida 33126. Our cruise was from Montreal to Miami from October 21, 2016 through November 4, 2016. We boarded the S.S. Mariner in Montreal in the afternoon of October 21, 2016. It was a sunny day in the 50s. Although it was a bit cool in our cabin, we did not think much of it and dressed warmly for dinner. The next morning we were quite cold when we awoke. It was October 22nd and it was in the 40s where we were in Quebec City. We turned up the control on the suite heating system. When it remained cold during the day we thought possibly we were not operating the system properly. We asked our Steward to come show us how to increase the heat in our room. He did, and we had all the red lights lit for maximum heat that night. We went to bed convinced that it would be better by morning. By the next day, October 23rd we were at sea all day, and our room clearly had no heat whatsoever. It was a very dry cold. I went to the boutique and bought a $3 tube of Chap Stick for my chapping lips. We notified the Steward that we had “no heat”. The Steward said he would report it. After no one came we phoned Reception. Then after no one came we reported to the Concierge. Meanwhile we re-reported to our Steward and our housekeeper. By late in the day we were phoning Reception, the Concierge, the Steward, our housekeeper, and a waiter more times than we could count. That night we slept in our clothes. I wore a silk long sleeved turtle neck thermos top with a fleece jacket, stretch pants, and socks. By morning I woke up with a very sore throat, cough and a cold. We both had chapped skin as well. I went to the salon to try to get a gentle moisturizer. Even eye cream, the gentlest cream we had, would make our skin sting. The skin expert was not available, but the man at the counter suggested something. Because it cost $186 (a lot of money to me) I decided to wait and talk to the skin expert. The next day we repeated our efforts to try to get someone to the room. By then it was October 24th, and we were in Sydney, Nova Scotia where the temperature was in the low 40s. I was in bed with my cold all day. Still, I frequently called Reception, Concierge, and 8888 (the number for room service and the Steward). It was always difficult to know if whoever we were talking to understood because their English was not very good. I happen to speak English, Spanish, Italian and Russian so I could communicate with those crew members, but most were from other places. I tried to keep the message simple “no heat in our cabin”, but still no one came. In the afternoon, a nice man from Bulgaria showed up to fix our balcony door. Obviously we were misunderstood by someone we reported our problem to. Somehow someone we called thought that cold air was coming in our room because of a broken balcony door. The door was fine. The man’s English was quite good so we again explained to him our dilemma. He understood. He was quite tall, and he put his hand up to the vent on the ceiling, and said “yes there is not any heat in this cabin.” He also said he would try to get help from an appropriate repair person. A young boy came who after tinkering with the control got in the ceiling in the closet to make repairs. His English was quite poor. When he left we weren’t sure if it was repaired or not. But we gave it some time to get warmer. Thankfully, very gradually it began to become warmer in our room. On October 25th we were in Halifax, Nova Scotia where the temperature was in the upper 30s. Our room was still chilled, but some heat was coming through. It was never actually warm during the next week. It wasn’t truly warm until we were in South Florida, but at least it was not near freezing anymore. Still, by that time we were physically experiencing the consequences of four days without heat. Hypoallergenic eye cream still stung our skin. The dry cold had made our skin everywhere, including our scalp, red and sore. On October 25th, I went back to the Canyon Ranch salon, and talked with the skin expert, Joanna. Joanna suggested the $186 jar of skin cream. I sampled it, and it too stung my skin. She said: “This is the gentlest moisturizer we have. Madam, your skin is severely damaged.” During the next week our skin flaked off (everywhere including in our hair). Our skin did not stop flaking until after our return to south Florida in early November. Meanwhile, my cold and cough worsened. When I saw my pulmonologist after returning, he explained to me that the cold temperature of the air going into my lungs created an accumulation of mucus. The accumulated mucus attracted bacteria, and that made it inevitable that I would develop bronchitis. On the evening of October 26th while we were cruising to Portland, Maine, I went to the ship’s doctor. They immediately handed me a mask because of my cough. He performed an influenza test and a CBC blood test. I had a 100 degree fever, bad cough, and was given an antibiotic, cough medicine, and masks for both myself and my sister to wear. I returned to the cabin and spent the next several days in bed. The next day, October 27th, I phoned my doctor, and she suggested that the ship’s doctor give me enough antibiotics for the remainder of the trip (10 days). I returned that evening, and he did. On October 29th we arrived in Manhattan. Before the cruise my boyfriend had purchased tickets to “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Broadway Theatre. The tickets cost $314. Beginning on October 26th we contacted the Concierge to help us sell the tickets because I felt I would not be able to go. I gave her all the details of the tickets, and was even willing to sell them at a loss. She told me no one asked for tickets. When the tickets didn’t sell, I slept all day, bundled up, and went to the theater with my sister. During the play I was coughing so badly that I got up to go to the lobby. I fell, and later learned I fractured my right ankle. My sister and another person in the audience took me to the lobby where I raised my foot and put ice on it. My sister ran to a drug store to get a wrap for it to help me make it back to the ship. We did make it back with me holding on to my sister and hopping on my left leg, and the added help of a very cooperative taxi driver. When we boarded the ship we did not receive any help whatsoever from the crew. The next day, October 30th, I phoned for someone to bring a wheel chair to take me to the ship’s doctor. I returned to the ship’s doctor who again handed me a mask because of my bad cough. His x-ray equipment appeared to be malfunctioning. He gave me an injection of something (he never told me what), gave me some sample packets of ibuprofen for the pain, gave me an additional bandage for compression and support on my ankle, and told me to see an orthopedist as soon as I got home. I figured I would find out what the injection was when I received the “Medical Services Bill”, but a bill never arrived. They did let me borrow the wheel chair which I found easy to maneuver. Between the wheel chair, holding on to things, and hopping on my left leg I was able to function. I did try going to dinner one night because we had reservations at the Prime 7. Having my leg down for that long proved to be too painful. Incidentally, because I was on antibiotics I wanted water to stay hydrated. People’s wine glasses were filled several times, on this all-inclusive cruise, to each time I managed to get water. When they came I tried to tell them that I needed a lot of water, but again I think the language barrier got in the way. Therefore, I chose to stay in my room with my leg elevated and order room service for the remainder of the trip. On November 4th in Miami we woke up early ready to disembark. Several days earlier I had arranged for someone to assist us in disembarking since I was confined to the wheel chair and my sister would be handling both carry-on bags. I reconfirmed our arrangements on November 3rd , the day before disembarking. Whoever I spoke with on the phone told us that someone would be picking us up at 8:30 a.m. I questioned them because our instructions were to be out of our room by 8:00 a.m., and she assured me that 8:30 would not be any problem. No one came. At 9:00 we called 8888 or Reception. They said they were running behind. At 9:30 we phoned again, and they indicated someone would come. Around then we started phoning every 15 minutes. When it was nearly 11:00 we got a call saying “Madam, why have you not left your room?” Apparently we had been forgotten! All our phone calls asking to be picked up were ineffective and ignored. Apparently when you report any sort of a problem it is ignored! Finally, someone came. By then the ship was absolutely empty. No cabs were available because the disembark time was over. The person at the taxi stand did phone for a cab, and 10 minutes later we actually got one. My sister drove me back to Fort Myers where I had prearranged for an electric scooter chair to be delivered to my home, and I had a doctor’s appointment at 3:00 p.m. that I was able to drive to on my scooter chair. Although I had been on antibiotics for 10 days my bronchitis was severe. They decided to call an ambulance and take me to Gulf Coast Hospital. In the hospital they gave me a breathing treatment, and performed several other tests and X-rays. They determined I had severe bronchitis and a fractured right ankle. I was given three prescriptions for my bronchitis including another antibiotic for another 10 days, a steroid, an inhaler, and an orthopedic boot for my fractured ankle. I am now receiving follow-up care from my primary care doctor, a pulmonologist, and an orthopedist. The orthopedist said that although I have the most painful sort of fracture, my ankle should heal completely with possible physical therapy in around 12 weeks. It appears their crew truly doesn't speak English, and they are programed to perform certain duties such as to smile and fill a wine glass, but if you have any problem major (no heat) or minor (needing help disembarking or getting water at dinner) you are out of luck and destined to be extremely disappointed. Incidentally, Medicare does not cover injuries outside the US. My medical bills have exceeded the cost of my trip! Read Less

We sailed in September-October on a four week cruise Montreal-New Orleans on the Azamara Quest, under charter by a consortium of Australian travel agents.. As far as I am aware, there was no advertising of this charter on the Azamara website, which was a pity because I am sure many Americans would have appreciated the opportunity to sail down their east coast. The major benefit would have been more rooms sold at full price, instead of the generous last-minute deals, which no doubt necessitated the charter company's cost-cutting. However, if Azamara was prepared to have its brand undermined because of what was clearly a poor relationship between it and the charter company, then that is the product presented to we first-time passengers, and the experience on which I comment. The rooms on the Quest are small and we had to walk sideways between the end of the bed and wall-mounted TV. The upright chair and coffee table were too heavy for regular movement ... but to use one, the other had to be repositioned. The curved sofa was only comfortable for one person to sit; its shape and size did not fit its corner placement, and the best place to watch the TV was from the bed. The designer of these ill-chosen pieces only needed to spend one night to know how unsuitable they are. The bathroom was minute and had no extraction. For a relatively small ship, 700 passengers, I found it impersonal. Middle management was invisible and obviously has no role in engaging with the customer ... except for the marketing people who, in a few ports, invited travel agents into the main guest lounge and spruiked their product. Blinds were lowered, a microphone and AV presentation used. How dismissive of we passengers using the lounge, when two empty restaurants were available to them to conduct business. The cruise director daily produced a long list of activities, most of which were “unhosted”. This was my first cruise where Bridge was not arranged; on ships of only 300 passengers, there can be a hardcore group of 30-40, especially on seas days. In poor or cool weather when the outer decks could not be used, the main dining room and cafeteria were over-crowded and noisy and, over a month, with too few daily changes, the a la carte menus became ordinary. The food was generally okay, but the superior meals were in the two speciality restaurants at an extra $60 a head. Standard alcohol was included, but a number of the wines were not acceptable. To overcome its aging ships, Azamara promotes its Land Discoveries as setting it apart from its competitors. Most of the 20 or so ports and shore excursions on our cruise were tremendous, but attention to detail by the ship’s staff was missing, e.g. presumably to keep down the cost of coaches timeframes were tight, and we were too often moved at a fast pace by guides (who were often half the age of most passengers, but we all kept up); guides unnecessarily cut short some tours; aging coaches; dubious drivers (one who drove with only one fist on the wheel!) who often didn’t know the route; dirty windows which have spoiled photographs. The ship’s New York berth, altered from Manhattan to a remote wharf in New Jersey with a poor shuttle service, was a disaster, and totally spoiled what most would have regarded as the major port of the cruise. Presumably this was cost cutting, and was an absolute disgrace. I have noticed reference in a previous review of Azamara’s “dysfunctional” website, and dirty windows; comments I completely endorse. Having been told Azamara is viewed as a 5-star ship ... I don't think so. Read Less

My husband and I took this cruise with his parents. His mother was in a wheelchair. Embarkation in Montreal was fast and simple. We were relatively late (2:30pm arrival with 3:00pm all aboard) and were the only people in line. There were 1,341 passengers on our cruise. The ms Veendam was clean and the crew were always friendly and accommodating. The ship was easy to navigate and offered many places to sit and relax. We particularly enjoyed sitting in the Crow's Nest on Deck 12 to converse as a family. I spent a few nights sitting in The Mix on Deck 8 on the comfortable seats and couches listening to the wonderful pianist. There were very few children and teens on our cruise (about 20-30). They were bored and often causing trouble on the Lido Deck 11. A majority of the passengers were retirees. The dining options were great, especially for those who love formal dining and relaxing during a long dinner. We ate at the Rotterdam Dining room once and it was very good, but not our style of dining. We did not participate in either of the Gala nights, but many of our cruise mates were dressed to the nines in beautiful clothes and jewelry on both formal evenings. We chose to eat at the Lido for casual breakfast, lunch and dinner most of the time. They often served some of the formal options as part of the casual menu. We also loved The Dive by the pool; the hot dogs, fries and hamburgers were excellent. The pizza station Slice was good at the beginning of the week, but towards the end we think they ran out of dough and started using a sub-par dough because it got worse as the week went on. Ice cream and desserts were almost always available in the Lido Market and never disappointed. The room service menu was decent, and both times we ordered they arrived right on time with hot food. Sodas and tea are not included on this cruise. A 12 ounce can of Coke was $2.59 each including mandatory 15% service charge, and the only place to get a cold can was at the Explorations Cafe on Deck 8. All other places served warm cans with a glass of ice. The snack time from 10:30pm-11:30pm in the Lido Market offered a good selection of entrees, cheeses, meats and desserts to satisfy late night cravings. We went back every night. It's not possible to go hungry on this cruise, even for picky eaters like me. Entertainment on the ms Veendam was somewhat limited. We saw the 8:00PM show every night in the Showroom at Sea. Most of them were pretty good. The very first show is a little bit of everything to help you learn more about the week to come, so it's a great orientation to entertainment on board. We experienced shows with a comedian ventriloquist, singers and dancers, a juggler, a comedic pianist, and a Cirque du Soleil-inspired stage production called Droom. The wide variety made the shows appeal to a wide range of people. I enjoyed all of them, but our parents could take them or leave them most nights. Other ship activities were somewhat generic, including the requisite Port Shopping Experiences, Art Auctions, Towel Animal Folding, Name That Tune, Team Trivia, Bingo, etc. Two unique things we saw were a Floral Arrangement demonstration, and a guest celebrity chef showed us how to cook and prepare lobster rolls. Overall I felt the entertainment was good for the size of the ship and the audience. The service on the ship was very good. Our statement attendant was always smiling and welcoming us back to our room, saying good morning and good evening. He kept our room sparkling every day, making the bed, turning it down with chocolates and a towel animal, cleaning the bathroom and toilet, refreshing towels, and evening leaving fresh ice and fresh fruit daily. The Rotterdam Dining Room staff were the least friendly and accommodating of all the crew we encountered. They couldn't find our table upon entering the first night. Once they did, we were seated but our waiter seemed rushed to take our order for our 7:45PM timed seating. He took my room card for a soda purchase at the beginning of the meal, and I had to track him down to get it back when we were finished. The cruise director, Christina, was fabulous. She was always friendly and helpful, cheerful with her greetings, and dressed beautifully. She did a great job explaining what was coming up for the evening and during the next day in port each night before the show. The staff at the Explorations Cafe, in the Lido Market, at The Dive, Slices and in the Crow's Nest were all very nice and attentive. The ports were all very different from one another. Many shore excursions were offered at each port. However, traveling with a wheelchair proved to be nearly impossible for Mom. She had a long wait for the elevators every time she wanted to go somewhere around the ship. Most of the ports she really couldn't leave the boat because there wasn't any way for them to get her down the ramp or onto the tender. Once in port on the excursions, most of the buses did not offer handicap accommodations. If you couldn't walk up the stairs and sit down, you were out of luck. I would not recommend this cruise for people with serious mobility problems. In Quebec City, there are multiple places the ship can dock along the port. The cruise before ours docked right by the Chateau Frantenac, but ours docked one mile further down port. That meant in order to get into the town of Quebec City we had to walk an extra mile each way. A shuttle bus was offered but we did not take it. Many shore excursions were offered but we chose to explore on our own. In Charlottetown on PEI, many excursions were offered. We took the Lighthouse and Wine Cellar tour, while most people chose one with the Anne of Green Gables house. Our tour took us to two lighthouses and a winery for five samples of local wines. It was three hours in total and I would recommend it if you want something different than Anne. In Sydney, a couple of excursions were offered but we chose to explore on our own. Sydney is easy to get around in, and quite small. There isn't much to the town at all. In Halifax, several options are available to choose from for excursions. We chose to go to Peggy's Cove which is a 60-minute drive each way by bus. It was very, very busy with about 10 tour buses all crammed into a tiny parking lot by the lighthouse. There were people everywhere and big lines for the cramped bathrooms. We only had 40 minutes to explore because the ship docked late and we had to get back for the next tour time. We were 15 minutes late leaving because one of our bus mates was missing, so they waited for him to show up. The whole bus was upset. Back at the port in Halifax, two of the tour buses came back late to the port and the ship had to wait about 30 minutes for them. If you were on a non-HAL booked excursion, the ship would not have waited, so in this case it really paid to book through HAL. In Bar Harbor, lots of excursions were available. We chose the Acadia National Park and Lobster Bake which was an exceptional tour. Prior to tendering to Bar Harbor, everyone on the ship was required to go through US Customs. Instructions were provided and the process was relatively painless. Once tendered ashore, the bus took us all to way up to the Cadillac Summit in Acadia and we had 25 minutes to walk around and take pictures. We were the only tour bus up there, so we had the summit to ourselves. There were only 16 people on our tour. Upon return to Bar Harbor, we were taken to Bar Harbor Club for a lobster bake. We each received a platter with a whole soft-shell lobster, new potatoes, corn on the cob, and four mussels. The staff offered to assist anyone who didn't want to tear apart the lobster. One gentleman kindly got all of my lobster meat out in about 20 seconds flat, while my husband floundered with his for a good five minutes. The meal was excellent, and it was topped off with a fabulous blueberry crumble for dessert. Disembarkation was a breeze. Luggage had to be tagged and out in the hallway by midnight the night before. We were allowed to stay in our state rooms until it was time to disembark. Once our number and color were called, we proceeded to Deck 6 and walked right off the ship. We quickly found our luggage in the Boston Seaport, and headed outside to the taxi stand. Read Less

First time booking with Holland America. Embarkation was a breeze. This is a smaller ship so getting around within the ship was fairly quick and easy. They did a good job of explaining and offering shore excursions for a range of taste. We had an ocean view cabin which was spacious, but since we didn't look out the window very much the extra money wasn't worth it. We had the standard assigned dining time, but because it was too early for us at 5:30am we normally did open seating and found this to be more convenient. They offered specialty dining, but these restaurants were apparently just thrown together in what was probably another type of room at one time because they didn't look anything like a restaurant. Just tables stuck off in a corner or tables thrown in a room. The entertainment was extremely good. Just about every bar had some kind of music or activity going on the keep the guest entertained. This was a cruise more geared toward the older crowd, but everyone still seem to enjoy the activities. The crew was very patient with all the guest. They did a good job of including enrichment classes which were consistently crowded. Had to get there early for a seat. Debarkation was fabulous. They allowed everyone to stay in their room till they were ready for us to leave. The staff at the front desk were a tremendous help to me as the airlines had lost one of our bags leaving us without my husband's clothes. They continually called the airline and kept me updated. Finally after my cruise ended the airline delivered my bags to Holland America and HOL graciously shipped by bags via FedEx. Thanks HOL !! Read Less

Background Information: We are veteran cruisers, late fifties, no children, and have done cruises over 30+ years on a variety of cruise lines (Oceania, Disney, RCI, Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Celebrity and a few others). This cruise (our 25th) was our fifth on Oceania and second on Regatta. Cruise Itinerary: We selected this cruise, a 15-day repositioning cruise on Regatta, because of its itinerary and the number of ports we have not visited. The cruise, named "Radiant Retreats” by Oceania, left from Montreal, Quebec on October 20 and ended 15 days later in Miami, Florida. Travel to Montreal: We booked our flights independently on United Airlines through our travel agent, taking the credit for air from Oceania and planned a few days in Canada before the cruise. We flew from our home city to Toronto, Ontario and picked up a rental car at Hertz after our pre-reserved car at Dollar was not available (same rate). We spent one night in Niagara Falls, Ontario, at the Sheraton on the Falls (above average), one night at the Trump Tower, Toronto (incredible hotel) and two nights at Le Petite Hotel, Vieux Montreal (excellent). Le Petite Hotel, a small and unique boutique hotel with an excellent staff, was only a ten-minute walk to the pier. Montreal is a beautiful city and certainly worth visiting before a cruise that originates here. We had great meals in local bistros and enjoyed the Notre Dame Basilica and a lovely horse carriage ride in blustery, overcast cold weather. Transfer to the ship: As noted above, it was a ten-minute walk from our hotel to the pier. This was the first time in 25 cruises that we were able to walk to the ship from our hotel. Embarkation Process: We embarked Regatta within a few minutes of arriving at the pier, settling in at Waves grill for a light lunch. Our bags were available when we went to our stateroom at 2:00 pm. The pier area in Montreal is small, but efficient. Ship Information: Oceania Cruise Lines Regatta is one of three "R" ships owned by this light luxury line. Regatta, like the sister ships Nautica and Insignia, has a small passenger load of less than 700, almost 400 crew and displaces ~35,000 GRT. Regatta was recently refurbished, with new carpeting, furnishings, expansion of the Terrace Buffet (adding grilled options) and the addition of the Baristas coffee bar, located in the Grand Bar near the Dining Room. The "R"ships are very comfortable and cozy. Cabin: Our Concierge Veranda cabin was on deck 7, port side, just aft of the rear elevators. It was very convenient to all ship activities and this location weathered the rough conditions we had during the cruise better than forward cabins. Dining: Overall, the dining experience on Regatta was superb! We had wonderful dinners in the Grand Dining Room and at the Terrace Buffet on Deck 9. Waves was a favorite location for lunch. We had dinner in Polo Grill once and it was the best meal we’ve had in this venue, which is the specialty steakhouse. We did not get a chance to eat at Toscana because we were always too full from wonderful lunches and evening snacks. The drink prices on-board are a bit expensive (especially wines by the glass), so we tried to get to Happy Hour every day. We did not purchase beverage packages on this cruise. Service and crew: Overall, the service on Regatta was excellent, with very few complaints. Our cabin attendant and her assistant did a fantastic job keeping our stateroom clean and refreshed after we had a first-evening late turndown (we usually retire fairly early). Our Captain, Meinhardt Hansen, remembered us from our fantastic Nautica Midnight Sun cruise in 2013. He is a wonderful Captain and is very outgoing. The wait staff in the GDR is almost too low-key, but they are efficient. The bar staff was very good, but did seem overworked in some venues. The cruise director and her staff kept everyone informed and happy. Activities and Entertainment: We did not participate in many activities on board (pretty typical for us on a cruise). We did attend one show, with the comedian Tom Drake (hilarious). We also attended the Captain’s cocktail party and the private reception for returning Oceania cruise club members; over 400 of the passengers on this cruise were returning customers. We also played trivia at almost every opportunity; our team for the main afternoon trivia was a delightful group and we had a lot of fun trying to answer the questions. For the first time in many cruises, we played a couple games of Bingo and DH had the amazing luck to win the Snowball jackpot at the last game, which wiped out our shipboard account! Internet package: The internet services included an unlimited plan at a reasonable rate for returning passengers; we purchased two of these packages on the first day because DH has to do some work while on vacation and I like to keep up with current events. The internet was better than in the past on Oceania (faster and more reliable), although content-rich sites were blocked, including our webcams for viewing our cats at home. Of course, we were able to use cell service at the US ports. Ports and Shore Excursions: This cruise included stops in Quebec City, Quebec; Sydney and Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; New York City (overnight); Heritage Wharf, Bermuda (overnight) and Port Canaveral, Florida. The original itinerary had a port stop in Charleston, South Carolina, but we were not able to make it to Charleston due to very bad weather in the mid-Atlantic region between Bermuda and Charleston. Port Canaveral was the substitute port; this port was selected primarily due to an injury that occurred on-board during the rough seas we encountered but the Destination Services worked overtime to provide for tours and a shuttle bus to Cocoa and Merritt Island. We also had a shortened day in Halifax due to weather and were unable to dock in St. George, Bermuda as planned due to concerns for wind conditions. More information on the ports can be found in the port reviews. We booked six ship tours (the most we’ve on Oceania) and they were quite good, although not reasonably priced, which is a common complaint. We also booked a private tour in Halifax and did some independent activities in New York and Bermuda. The fall colors were variable this time of year at the end of October; we were past the peak in Montreal and Quebec City, near the peak in Nova Scotia and Maine, and early in Boston and New York. The colors were still very good, especially in Bar Harbor. Passengers: We had a very small roll call for this cruise and no real activity (only an informal meet and greet). Most passengers were veteran cruisers, but there were some passengers new to Oceania and new to cruising. Disembarkation: We disembarked on Tuesday, November 4. Oceania arranged for Big Bus tours for passengers with later flights and we took advantage of this option, which included luggage storage. We really enjoyed the tour that looped through Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Little Havana and South Beach. This activity kept us from having to spend any more time than necessary at Miami International Airport, which is one of our least favorite airports in the US. Minor complaint: Although Regatta just had some major renovations, there are small things that need an overhaul as soon as possible. I was locked inadvertently in a restroom stall near the Polo Grill when the handle to the door fell off (this happened in several places on the ship and we also had a loose handle on our bathroom door that was fixed immediately). The elevator buttons are almost non-functional and should be replaced. Other than these issues, the ship looks very nice. Summary: This was one of our best cruises, in spite of missing Charleston (we were looking forward to our first visit there, but Mother Nature did not cooperate). Most of the ports were wonderful, the crew was great, and the food was superb. We have more cruises booked on Oceania, including a return to Nautica next summer with a cruise that includes Iceland and Greenland, and a 2016 cruise we booked on this cruise that will be on Marina, from Lima to New York. Read Less