We chose this cruise to visit ports that we had not been to and to see the fall colors. Because we live in Florida, we had forgotten how cold and rainy it gets this time of year. Of course the cruise company does NOT have control of those elements. This is our first cruise since I joined cruise Critics. I did not know how to contact the other members for the meet and mingle events, therefore we did not participate. We have another Regent cruise beginningin January and hope to understand the process better. The service and food were both excellent. Compass Rose has such a diverse menu with excellent selections. The talent that I watched, the Regent Production team put on excellent shows. We played trivia most days and had fun meeting other guests and trying to come up with the correct answers. We really liked the size of the ship and the easy of getting around. Our butler and room steward were both 5 star. We believe the excursions that Regent includes are every bit as good or many times better that we pay extra for on other cruise lines. We had a great trip. Read Less

The destinations and season were both of interest to my wife and myself. Since it's a small ship (490 passengers) entertainment is constrained. The performers did a good job in a small space. The ports were good and some are only accessible by small ships. The food was excellent, fresh, tasty and served efficiently. Beverages were included as usual with Regent with a good selection and they were well prepared. The pre-cruise hotel was top of the line and in a good location. We were able to walk to the theater for Hamilton. Transfers between airports and hotel were comfortable and well managed. We missed one scheduled port due to rough seas. Even though it's a small ship it is very seaworthy. The staff were both friendly and efficient. It was quick and easy to get to shore when tied up a the dock and when tenders were used. High quality as usual with Regent! Read Less

We travelled out from the UK the day before departure for this cruise and were booked into the Sheraton at Montreal airport. The ground staff (which was one very nice lady) met us at the airport but did not assist us with our luggage even those with walking difficulties. They walked us half way round the airport and showed us where to line up for the hotel shuttle bus. This bus covered more than one hotel so the bus was full and we had to stand to the hotel. Fortunately it was a short trip but after a 7+hour flight this was not a great start to a “luxury” cruise. The hotel is ok for an overnight stop but like most airport hotels is fairly isolated so you are restricted to the hotel for dining unless you book a cab. The transfer to the ship was fine and we were on board in time for a quick lunch leaving time to explore old Montreal which is nearby. Our cabin was available around 14.00 and the luggage was already there. Our cabin stewardess met us and welcomed us. We found virtually all the staff to be friendly and efficient as usual and this cruise was something of a break for the crew as there were only 416 passengers on board. The cabins do need refurbishing as they are showing signs of wear and tear. The housekeeping staff however do great job of keeping them clean. Our balcony door creaked and rattled when opened and was quite heavy to move. Our shower (no tub) was good but filled up with water at the bottom and came very close to overflowing the raised lip into the bathroom. We highlighted these issues to housekeeping but they were not fixed during our trip. The only cleaning issue we had was that the balcony doors were not cleaned for about 5 days and they were covered in sea spray. We did have a faulty hairdryer on our first night which set off the fire alarm on the bridge but fortunately not the whole ship. This was quickly replaced by an old model which didn’t work properly either and again this was quickly replaced by the cabin stewardess. Some of the lounges on the ship have been refurbished already including the observation lounge but it had a peculiar smell of chemicals and we couldn’t use it throughout the trip as it made us cough. This was raised in the mid cruise comments and with housekeeping manager but no action was taken and it still had the odour when we left the ship. The food was good and varied and the service on the whole was good. The definition of “well done” appears on the Prime 7 menu but disappointingly my filet mignon appeared with the blood oozing out. I returned it and when it reappeared it was still pink in the middle. I returned it again and both the maitre d’ and the Head Chef appeared to resolve the problem. Signatures Restaurant was excellent and we manage 3 visits. We did have some issues with the wine waiters some of whom required a lot more training on what wines were available and even how to pour it properly without dripping it on the table. Some of the “sommelier” really shouldn’t be wearing the cup! One didn’t know the difference between a Bordeaux and a Cote du Rhone. Overall in my opinion the quality of the “house” wine is dropping but there are some reasonable New Zealand (white), French and Argentine ones if you ask one of the more knowledgeable sommelier. The lunch in the galley was badly organised. We were ushered into the galley without any explanation of what was available and where. We picked up some salad as it appeared first but just round the corner was a huge selection of other food. If you wanted more food you had to join the line to go round again. Fish and desserts were in the main restaurant but no one told us. We gave up after a salad and went to la Veranda On a port day in NY we seemed to be invaded by family and friends who brought lots of young children. I don’t have a problem with this but it is a pity they were allowed to run riot in the buffet and in the bar taking over several of the larger tables in the restaurant at the expense of the paying passengers. A last minute change to our excursion in Maine was communicated to us by letter at 21. 00 after destination services closed so we were unable to change the excursion. The NY by land and sea tour was a complete disaster. The tours left late due to other bigger ships docked beside us and causing congestion. Our guide was hopeless and made up the route as she went along. She talked nonstop but all about TV and film stars and didn't tell us about the history or sights we were passing. The bus pa system was so poor we had to turn the aircon off to hear the rubbish the guide was spouting. Then we got so hot we had to turn it on again to breathe. When we got to the port at 11.30 for the river part of the tour we didn't have a booking as we had missed it by 2 hours and the only cruise available was a 2. 5 hour cruise. We gave up at that point and walked back to the ship! Generally the other tours were ok. The only tour available on our disembarkation day was the hop on hop off bus in Miami. Many of the buses are retired London transport buses (right hand drive) and all we used are in poor condition and very dirty. We were loathe to sit in many of the seats as they looked as though they had never been cleaned ever! The pa system doesn't work properly in many of the seats and not at all in other's. The minibus transfer to the airport was not at the times advised by Destination Services. We were allocated a 15.45 transfer as the last available when we got ashore for a 21.25 flight so had to spend 5 hours at the airport. The minibus used for the transfer was in poor condition and several of the seat belts did not work including mine. Bearing in mind Regent is based in Miami it wouldn’t be too difficult for someone to check the quality of this product? On previous Regent cruises we have had options of proper tours or a day room in a hotel. Regent need to do better than this as a poor end to a "luxury " cruise sticks in your mind when booking the next one. When the ship entered the USA we had to go through the immigration formalities on board. When this was advised on the ship we were notified to bring a paper copy of our ESTA. This was essential as the immigration officers on board did not have a computer system to check the ESTA. Fortunately we had a copy with us but many did not as it is supposed to be an electronic system after all. I think this requirement, not just to have an ESTA but, also to have a paper copy should be highlighted in the pre cruise documentation. Overall we enjoyed our cruise but the start and finish are just as important and they didn’t go too well. We may look at “cruise only” next time as Regent don’t seem to be getting to grips with the non cruise part – alternatively we may drift back to Silversea or Seabourn to see how they are coping with the budget squeezes. Read Less

We have traveled with Regent for over 200 days in the past 5 years. We love the service, the staterooms, and crew. Each trip brings a different adventure. Life aboard a cruise ship is not perfect, but it is certainly "next to perfect". We board again on Friday for the Amazon. The Mariner is scheduled to go in for redecorating in March. It's time! The majority of the staterooms are tired and the bathrooms need to be replaced. Shore excursions are pretty good, but I have learned to research the ports and decide if we want to upgrade excursion by making our own plans. Additional sites and venues should be able to be booked through a concierge, such as theater tickets, dinner reservations or sporting events. The crew on all the Regents ships is outstanding and willing to go the extra to please you and make your cruise a life time memory. Read Less

We took this cruise because of 2 nights in New York City. Although never having sailed with Regent, we were pleasantly surprised. Excellent service by all staff. The ship was not full so staff had more time to visit with passengers. The captain, Serena Melani, was frequently out and about visiting with passengers. Senior restaurant staff were often seen cleaning tables. I was very impressed to see this. Capt. Serena was even at the gangway, saying farewell to passengers during disembarkation. Two staff members stood out. Reynaldo in Compass Rose, took special care of my wife’s dietary needs. He even had menus sent to our cabin ahead of time. Gayatri, our butler, is new to working on a cruiseship but learns fast and tries hard. Her sweet nature overcame any inexperience. Nothing was too much trouble for her. Tours are included. The only thing spoiling them were quite a few days of rain. Still we got what we wanted through this cruise. Read Less

We wanted to stay closer to home and had never been to some of the cities on this itinerary. What a beautiful time to see the New England foliage and learn about several Canadian cities/towns. The staff could not have been friendlier and more accommodating. This trip had the best entertainment on the off nights of the production cast. The restaurant servers were hardworking, but missed serving courses in all three dining rooms. The food in the Compass Rose was the best. Also, the tea is beautifully done. There is never a time on this ship that you could not get something to eat. Shore excursions were terrific and we learned quite a bit from all the guides. The gym had some mechanical issues with the equipment, but had a good variety to get a workout. The musical entertainment, from the Signature Band with Igor, to Nick Messina on the piano to the duo, were terrific. They got the crowd dancing. Read Less

The Problems with this cruise began about 2 months prior to sailing. The itinerary was changed. What we were told there was a problem with the Coast Guard, whales, the speed the ship could travel. Stops at Gaspésie and Charlottetown Canada were removed and Corner Brook and Sydney were added. During the cruise it was announced that we were not going to stop at Corner Brook but would stay an additional day in Quebec. We were also not able to go ashore in Newport, RI. A schooner ship had gone aground at the entrance to the harbor the night before. The ship the Seven Seas Mariner is 15 years old and needs some/more renovations. The ship has 6 tenders/life boats. Unfortunately only 3 are licensed to tender people to ports when needed. At one port where tenders are needed only 2 were available because one was used on a emergency basis to carry a sick individual to port. On the 2nd/3rd day it was announced that there was an outbreak of a flu virus and there were 9 individuals inflected. The protocol for a outbreak on the ship was put in place. This means that the crew was constantly wiping down everything (hand rails, table tops, chairs, elevators knobs etc) with a wet substance that made everything sticky. All the common area restroom doors were propped open. You also could no longer serve yourself in the buffet line or even serve yourself a cup of coffee. If you check the CDC website you will notice that this ship had a reportable outbreak for a cruise in Aug/Sept. The good news is the Wifi is included in the cruise fare. The bad news it just doesn't work very well. In the evening there is no place to get dinner except in one of the dining rooms. The buffet is not open in the evening. If you want a quick casual dinner or just a little snack that is not happening. There are 2 nice specialty restaurants. However we found that we were only able to get into these restaurants one time each on a 10 day cruise. We paid for upgraded Air. On the return we were put on a Virgin Flight 1st Class from New York. Somehow that got changed to American Airlines business class. The price you pay for a cruise on Regent is high and you do not expect these problems. Read Less

We chose the Regent because of all the reviews of how great it is but frankly we would not book this cruise line again It is way overpriced! We are paying the minimum for an H category cabin $16,000! This is our 12th cruise and we are experienced cruisers and favor Oceania far superior - more fun We are now cruising out of Sydney Nova Scotia to Halifax on Here is our 5 day review so far. We are in CODE RED and This is because nine passengers are sick with the flu They are sanitizing everything. Many services are shut down! The food is rushed, the waiters have too many tables the wine offered was Gallo or a lesser quality with few choices. They ran out of the Estancia Pinot Noir the first day and tried to serve a poor quality instead. Food is good but average quality and presentation. Excursions are nice although 2 months prior we booked them and were wait listed for all of them, The entertainment is wonderful although the ship public areas are empty and quiet unoccupied and dead as we saw few are sitting at a bar or dancing before or after the show at night. massages were $170 plus gratuity- way too expensive!!!! The fitness area had the water and drinks locked and bathrooms open with no towels due to the code red, steam room smelled of bleach as did hallways. The equipment needs replacing and has no fans and it is warm In there. ! There was not an attendant present Our cabin is nice with Great space.There is a rattle some nights and have to use earplugs Uodate - cruise is embarking in NY today . We missed Newport Rhode Island due to a ship being stuck in harbor. Our whole itinerary changed to an overnight in Quebec and no Prince Edward Island or Gaspie where we planned great fun excursions! 11 people Sick with flu -code red 8 days - no self service food, tables need spraying and no silverware, menus on tables, salt pepper have to be asked for and laundry, card room, library services- none! Read Less

We chose this cruise line because of a prior 5star experience sailing 10 years ago. which we absolutely loved. Our most recent sailing was on a very tired ship. The furnishings were worn, with stains and tears in some of the cabins. The television system was almost insignificant because there were no channels, but the cable system lacked sophistication. We were informed that several of the tenders used to transport passengers ashore were not working, making the disembarkation very slow. Our Sailing destination were changed less than one month prior to sailing due to sailing issues. Only One of the two replacement stops was noteworthy. On our second day of sailing, the captain informed us that due to bad weather, we would stay in port for an extra day completely missing the next destination. On the following afternoon, the ship was put into code red based on health code rules. 9 passengers had contracted respiratory infections. All dining service changed. No longer could you salt your own food, or pour your own ketchup. The staff was now burden with taking on these extra tasks, causing much slower service. On our final day at sea, we approached one of the highlight stops of the cruise. As we sat outside the harbor, the captain informs us that the harbor has been closed due to an accident. We waited to be very disappointed, and set sail for home with no attempts to please the very upset passengers. We have contacted Regent Seven Seas and started the letter with their own mission statement. Based on the above, they failed over and over and over to provide 5 star service. They offered us $500.00 credit for another cruise. The amount offered is offensive so I would rather pass along the message DO NOT TAKE A REGENT SEVEN SEAS CRUISE THEY NO LONGER PROVIDE 5 STAR SERVICE Read Less

We chose this cruise because we were tired of being nickeled and dimed to death with other cruise lines & the Itinerary was one we had not experienced before, in addition my sister-in-law recently lost her husband and we invited her to join us. We went to some very nice ports and a few ugly ports... Guatemala and Ecuador. I have to say that this was a very enjoyable cruise except for the lack of bands and dancing facilities. For some reason the last time they rebuilt the ship some idiot decided that two poles in the middle of the only small dance floor on the ship was a good idea. Whenever more than three couples got on the floor it was impossible to move around. Also there is only one musical band on the ship. That means that there is zero dancing anywhere on the ship whenever the band is required for accompanying any performer of the production staff and dancers. This is ridiculous and cheap for a cruise company that makes a big deal out of being all inclusive. I have one really major complaint: We booked a penthouse cabin for three adults, there are only a dozen penthouse cabins supposedly set up for three passengers on the ship. The problem is that the cabins are just like all the others. Zero accommodations made for the third passenger. Here is a list of the problems associated with this setup: 1.) The pull-out couch had a lousy mattress. We insisted and got a real mattress (6 inchs thick) assigned to the bed that had to be removed and replaced each and every night for the 29 day cruise as it would not fit in the couch. Once the pull out couch and mattress are in place the bar and refrigerator cannot be used as the cabin is too narrow to open the refrigerator. It also make the balcony impossible to use once the bed is made as you have to crawl over the bed to open it. Because of this each morning I was forced to remove the matress, and then store it between the couch and the window, temporarily blocking half of our Balcony view every morning to give us access to the Balcony. 2.) The glassware had two of everything in the cabinet upon our arrival. We had to request glassware and stemware for three occupants & several times after using the bar the glassware was not replaced properly while we were away for a show or dinner. 3.) We paid for Butler service, overall the service was excellent except... when canapé's were delivered every night they were always delivered in multiples of 2, not 3, I attempted to explain this to our Butler, who seemed to speak very good English, but after numerous attempts gave up and divided what he brought as best we could. It was almost a game to decide which of the three of us was being shorted a selection each evening. In addition several times I had to request replenishment of beer and alcohol. 4.) If a cabin is properly set up for three, there should be end tables with drawers for three, not two, instead of a lamp table with NO storage for the third person. 5.) Inadequate storage space for 3, for a 29 day cruise. Of course there was an inadequate number of clothes hangers for 3 people for the cruise. It took several request to get enough into our walk-in closet. 6.) Inadequate lighting at the bed for the third person. On this ship, the Navigator, having a third person in a Penthouse suite is NOT advisable. By the end of the cruise, because of the inadequate facilities, we determined never to attempt a third person again, at least not in this suite. It seemed to me that when you add a third person for over $10,000 you should expect better. Our cruise was supposed to stop at Catalina Island. Upon embarkation, we were informed that we were NOT stopping in Catalina, but because of some problem, yet to be explained, we instead went to the stupid port of Ensenada. I believe they waited to tell us this upon embarkation because numerous people would have been on the Cruise lines case because of the change. I would have been one of them. There has been no mention of refunding some of our money because we lost out on a port all of us really wanted to go to. Excursions; Having excursions included in the price of the cruise is a good thing. You don't have to worry about getting back to the ship on time if you stay with the guide. You also don't have to do the amount of planning and coordination that is required to do them on your own. We did run across several minor issues that I felt happened because the Cruise line was being cheap. All cruisers paid a lot of money for this trip. This kind of stuff should not happen: 1.) They give you all the water you want to carry when you leave the ship, OK, who wants to carry more than one bottle each. On several occasions once on the coach no additional water was provided by the cruise ship and after a 6 to 7 hour tour of very warm and humid conditions having to pay a couple bucks for local water should not happen. On more than one occasion when we reached our destination on the coach the tour/guide had water for sale at ridiculous prices. Why is water not included in the tours? Good question... 2.) We signed up for "Lunch with an Astronaut" at the Kennedy space center. The lunch with the Astronaut was cancelled, but everyone still thought lunch was going to be provided, just that the Astronaut would not be there. Wrong, we had to buy our lunch after being ticked to have a lunch provided. Can we say, cheap. 3.) We went to a tour that was advertised as a drive through an animal park in Guatemala consisting of driving through the park in 6 passenger covered jeeps and station wagons.... Wrong, we drove through in our 50 passenger motor coach that barely made the turns and photography was hampered by the fact that the windows were glary and would not open, and of course if you were seated on the wrong side of the bus it was impossible to see, much get good photo's.... bummer OK, not so bad, but we were promised a lunch. The restaurant made sandwiches and burgers that all of us thought should have been provided, but Wrong, our provided lunch consisted of a small cup of fries and a local beer. If you wanted more, you had to purchase it on your own dime. Another cheap play by the Cruise. Not sounding quite so all inclusive is it. Many of the excursions were excellent, but not all of them. Whenever I have paid for an excursion with non all inclusive lines, I got really nice excursions. Regent could do a much better job and stop being so cheap. I also feel they should pre-tip the guides so they did not look for handouts at the end of there tour. Read Less

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We had heard such wonderful reviews of Regent Seven Seas we had a high anticipation that our cruise of New England and Canada would be exceptional. Unfortunately we were a bit disappointed, but we still had a good vacation. Our embarkation in New York was unfortunately delayed by local officials not opening up the security process at the announced time. This was not Regent's issue, but rather the problem of the local representatives not having the coordination of the embarkation process started when the first guests arrived. We were in line for an hour and we were in the second or third group to be transferred to the ship. That begs the question, how can a ship with only 700 passengers take an hour to process guests onto the ship? The two year old furnishings in the Seven Seas Suite were worn and stained with the sheer curtain torn in two locations. The carbon steel fasteners on furnishings on the expansive balcony were rusting as they were not of the quality that can be put into marine environments. While the public areas of the ship were well maintained, we found the work out facility disappointing as the equipment was not fully connected to media outlets and the equipment was worn in appearance. We did enjoy the meals in La Veranda/Tutta Mari, Signatures and Compass Rose. Unfortunately Prime Seven was not as exceptional as advertised. Service onboard the Mariner was excellent and it seemed that every request was anticipated. The most disappointing aspect of the New England/Canada Cruise were the shore excursions and time in port. We were originally scheduled to dock in all but three ports, but the dock was taken in two additional ports by the Norwegian Dawn of Regent's parent company. This resulted in delays getting ashore through tendering which often took a full hour away from our time in port. When we did get a berth in Quebec, we were berthed at a dry goods loading port, not the cruise ship port in the old city of Quebec (Very Disappointing). While we anticipated a "Six Star Cruise" as advertised by Regent Seven Seas we did not get what we believe was even a five star cruise. Hopefully this is an anomaly for Regent, but our vacation time is rare and when we get away for ten days we want and expect to get the value and luxury we pay for, unfortunately Regent Seven Seas disappointed us in terms of value and we are cancelling the cruise we have scheduled on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer for next year. Read Less

For many years we wanted to take this cruise; finally the timing was perfect. However, we did not expect to be disappointed on so many levels. We have sailed on all the Regent ships other than the newest one and only had 10+ experiences; this time was different. The ship is beautifully appointed and the cabin as perfect as usual. However, the staff did not meet expectations, not did the choices of dining. La Veranda no longer has buffet dinner as an option; many nights we had a 1/2 hour to 45 minute wait to be seated for dinner and one half of one of dining rooms was not used for anything. The quality of food was still exceptional. When it came to excursions, we were wait listed and never got on to two excursions. One of the reasons we chose Regent was because the excursions are included. If there is not enough room for the guests, the included excursions become a moot point! Needless to say, we were very disappointed.Two destinations were worthless. There was very little to choose from in Saguenay, and Charlottetown, where we were wait listed for a carriage ride offtered us nothing other than a tour of "Anne of Green Gables" house, which was a wasted few hours. We were also wait listed for a carriage ride in Quebec City and wound up walking around on our own (although the cost of the Regent cruise includes excursions, we were not renumerated for the excurions). We should have stayed an extra day in Boston where this is much to see. The staff at reception and destinations were less than friendly. We did not feel welcomed with a smile and felt as though we were bothering them with simple questions. Friends whom we convinced to sail with us on their first Regent cruise (they were Princess and Celebrity sailors), did not have past Regent cruises to compare, but they were surprised that the choice of dining rooms and extracurriculars (such as art classes, cooking classes, daytime activities) were not available. We were sorry we asked them to join us and are a bit embarrassed we raved about Regent. Read Less

My wife and I flew Delta Airlines from Ft. Lauderdale taking off at 6:45 a.m.. We arrived in Montreal at 12:10 p.m.. We took a taxi from the airport to the cruise terminal (fixed rate of $40) arriving portside about 1:30 to board the Navigator. This left us plenty of time before the ship was scheduled to sail for Quebec at 6:00 pm. When boarded our suite was still not ready and we were directed to deck 10 for lunch. We stepped out of the elevator to the pool area which was windy and damp form a slight rain. People were seated at tables covered from the rain. We couldn’t find an open table but we soon realized there was another restaurant just inside featuring a large buffet with all kinds of items. We were seated at a nice table overlooking the port and the Montreal skyline. The waiter poured us water and then the drink steward offered to get us wine or any drink we desired. I have cruised the best of the big cruise lines and you all you cruisers know that time after the initial boarding it's always hectic and even with only 490 passengers this one was busy also, but it quickly quieted down to a very enjoyable experience. Shortly after lunch our suite was ready so we descended to deck 7 and down the hall to Cabin 722 on the Port side of the ship, forward of the center line of the ship’s hull. I was looking forward to all the ports of call on this cruise which included Quebec, Sydney, Halifax, & St. Johns in Canada followed by the US ports of Portland, Boston, New York, Norfolk, Charleston, and Canaveral ending in Miami, fourteen days later. Also provided on the cruise was a Smithsonian Museum Representative who presented on four different occasions in the Seven Seas Lounge. These presentations included many interesting insights into the areas we would see and their significance they played in a historical sense. Always tea, coffee and a large assortment of pastries are provided while you listen. If not able to attend you can watch them from the comfort of your suite on the television channel devoted to replaying them. Also the TV provides a channel that the Cruise Director reviews all upcoming event for the day and also another channel reviews the menus from the three restaurants for that evening. The food quality is very high and the presentations are what you would expect in an exclusive dining environment. The variety of menu choices is extensive, but I found the portion sizes to be small. I believe this is based on the desires of the very frequent, repeat cruisers you find on the Regent Cruise Ships. The passengers for the most part are slim and in very good physical condition for what is most likely a post retirement age group. I found asking for an extra portion was met with the very enthusiastic reply “of course sir”! The Wine Sommelier would suggest a choice of recommended wines for dinner, but you can chose whatever your preference might be. The menu of wines, mixed drinks and beers available was six pages. Available where some very high end spirits and wines which were available for extra cost but all regular drinks are no charge on Regent’s all inclusive package. I found the beer choices available were severely lacking for a craft beer lover, so I mostly stayed with wines, martinis, and some old fashioned favorites like whiskey sours or even the occasional margarita. The available tours or excursions were extensive and my wife and I enjoyed all our choices. We found at most we would have liked to stay longer at all our excursions so they seemed too short in duration. Most all excursions are free of charge although two did incur a charge ranging from $89 to $106 per passenger if chosen. These were Colonial Williamsburg and the more extensive NYC tours. Some tours do fill up and you are then put on a waiting list. Regent at their discretion may add a second tour to accommodate those on the waiting list. On several tours the ship put out a buffet so you could eat before going out if the tour times conflicted with normal dining times. Also on those days they slightly relaxed the dinner dress code which is normally casual elegant (slacks & collared shirts for men, skirts, slacks and blouses for women). The larger production stage shows were very good and there was always something going on in the lounges every night for entertainment. Prior to the shows an attentive bar staff is available for drinks. The ship has nice shopping areas that are well stocked, but are closed when in port. Also every day at 4:00 pm is tea time followed by Trivia Questions at 4:30 where groups of passengers answer 15 random questions provided by the cruise director. It’s a fun time and allows passengers to get to know each other, if you prefer you can go it alone or as a couple but when competing against a group of six the odds are much higher one of them will have the answer. The ship provides prizes to the winning team. The weather in Canada was cooler than normal due to the remnants of Hurricane Kate that directed some artic temperatures down over Quebec our first destination port. Normal temperature for that time of year is 48 degrees and we saw 39 degrees. After that it warmed up each day and by the time we got to Portland and Maine we were climbing into the 60s. NYC was mid 70s although Norfolk dropped to lower 60s followed by the 80s in Cape Canaveral & Miami Florida. I highly recommend sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line. Most passengers I spoke with would never consider any other cruise line and have cruised Regent many times, as with anything if you look hard for problems or have issues with everyone and everything you'll always have a problem. No one is flawless, and I feel this group has put together a very nice experience you will in all probability enjoy. Read Less

Sailed through the pretty fall colors, and loved every minute of it. I am quite partial to Regent because of the smaller ships, the friendly, excellent service, and the all-inclusive nature. Navigator is my favorite because it is smaller, and I have yet to queue for anything! We watched others on the larger ships in port queuing for ages just to get on the ship. I also appreciate that Regent's employees get time off the ship, and seem to be genuinely enjoying their jobs. I know that is not the case with a lot of other cruise lines. And, I like that there is true interaction between staff and passengers - on the last night of the cruise, we were all dancing with the dancers and singing with the Cruise Director, Jamie. That was really fun! To be fair, the Navigator is best for adults and grown families - there aren't a lot of amenities for the younger crowd (or perhaps that was just the nature of this particular sailing, which is entirely possible. And this was not an issue for us, as we don't have kids! Just a comment, though. The variety of shore excursions, and the care with which local guides are chosen, is of the highest quality. Navigator is due for a facelift next year (2016) so cosmetically, she'll be spruced up again. She is still a quality ship as far as I'm concerned. Read Less

This was our first cruise on the Seven Seas Navigator and indeed the first with Regent - previously we have sailed on Seabourn and Silversea. We mainly chose this cruise for the itinerary (Montreal to New York), and its dates which fitted well with our earlier travels through Canada. We also liked the size of the ship, which factored into our choice. And we were keen to try Regent. It was a very enjoyable cruise..easy, friendly embarkation with prompt suite availability after a leisurely lunch, very good included excursions and fabulous meals and entertainment. It has what I would call a lovely casual elegance to it, compared to other cruises we had been on, which occasionally felt a little too formal - we prefer relaxed elegance. We mostly dined at Compass Rose, our favourite, but enjoyed La Veranda (Setti Mare) and Prime 7 as well . However the latter two did not have as much menu variation from day to day over our period on board. For breakfast we either went to the Breakfast Buffet or had room service which we find works well for us on excursion days if you order early. We had been a little concerned about some of the reviews mentioning vibration on the Navigator. We honestly did not feel this even though we did have some days of heavy seas. The only thing we did notice was that during the storms we had on 2 nights, our particular cabin seemed to have a creaking/ rubbing noise in its wall/ceiling area - no one else we spoke to had the same issue though. Looking at the deck plans it seems that our particular suite 811 structurally looks to be at the end of a ship 'section' - so we are thinking that perhaps that is what the issue was - it was fine on normal sea days - only happened during the storms. And such things can happen in storms anywhere really. Overall it was a fabulous cruise - enjoyed it so much we are cruising on the Navigator again in August - and we hear that it has had some extensive renovations in the meantime - so very much looking forward to it! Oh - and a little hotel tip - we booked into the St Paul Hotel in Montreal which was just beautiful, by the Old Town restaurants and boutiques, and close to the port as well Read Less

I am a retired Navy Captain with 30 years of service and a Doctor with 2 postgraduate degrees. My spouse is retired and has a computer science engineering degree. I have spent 2 years aboard a naval aircraft-carrier and 2 years aboard a naval destroyer tender, which had approximately the same propulsion system as the Seven Seas Navigator, two controllable pitch propellers. We departed New York Harbor 26 Sept 2015 around 8:00 PM. As the ship began backing away from the pier, we noticed heavy vibrations and the rear section of the ship began shacking violently. The heavy vibrations and violent shacking remained throughout the duration of the cruise. We noticed that the Captain reduced the cruising speed to try and reduce the vibrations. At times it become much worse. We had approximately 3 hrs of sleep that night, with calm seas. 27 Sept., we arrived in Newport, Rhode Island on time in calm seas, with blue skies and high clouds. Departed on time calm seas. Heavy vibrations and noise from ceiling, drawers, cabinets and doors. Unable to sleep, period. 28 Sept., we arrived in Boston on time. After two nights with very little sleep, I went to the Guest Relations desk and asked if I could change to a room further forward. I was told that would be impossible, because the ship was full. I stated that there is something wrong with the ship’s propulsion system causing excessive vibrations. They looked at me with a total blank stare and declared, “There is nothing wrong with the ship.” Lie #1. 29 Sept., arrived Portland, Maine with calm seas and fog. It is now obvious that the action of the seas is NOT the cause of excessive vibration. That evening the Captain announces that we will not be stopping in Rockland, Maine, due to the weather and that it would be difficult to operate the tenders. Another sleepless night. 30 Sept., as we slowly limp our way North to Saint John, NB the vibrations and noise level in our stateroom and La Veranda dinning area increased dramatically. At breakfast in La Veranda, the room was shacking so badly that passengers were holding on to the tables attempting to eat. Many just got up and left. This has now escalated into a safety and comfort issue for many of the passengers. This was unacceptable. My spouse and I went to the Guest Relations area to speak to the General Manager, Davor . I asked him directly and politely what is wrong with this ship and I informed him that I believe that there is something very wrong with the propulsion system. He stated there was nothing wrong with the ship that the vibrations were due to the action of the rough seas. Lies #2 & #3. I also stated that I believe that may be a contributing factor, minor at least, that we were unable to visit Rockland, Maine. I suggested that at the very least to compensate the passengers with free wifi. This set Davor off in a rage. In front of other passengers and staff, he said, “if you do not keep your mouth shut, I will throw you off the ship”! We pull into Saint John, NB that evening with heavy wind and rain. 01 Oct., Saint John, NB. at breakfast the Captain makes an announcement. He did not realize the low tide was more extreme than expected, due to the full moon. As a result, we would not be able to leave the ship for a few hours until the crew can place the gangway on the starboard side. Note: the ship was docked with the stern facing the storm rather than bow and I believe that there is a disembarkation exit on a higher deck on the port side? 01-02 Oct., night sailing from Halifax to Sydney finally got to sleep with the help of sleeping pills supplied by another miserable passenger. Woke up in the middle of the night by 4 extremely loud bangs on the hull?! 03-05 Oct. asked to see the Captain on the bridge. Told by the Guest Relations Dept., that would not be possible. I only saw the Captain once with another officer walking through the restaurant La Veranda ,while we were experiencing heavy vibrations. 06 Oct., Montreal: As the ship backed up along side the pier on the port side, I noticed a large crane and 2 enormous trucks with the name Divex Marine Inc. emblems on the sides of each truck. This company is noted for its underwater ship repair services and has been used by the US Navy. Once the ship was securely docked they had 3 divers in the water. The divers worked continually 24-30 hours in rotating shifts. I spoke with one of the divers and he said that they were working on one of the propellers. In conclusion: 1) In speaking with some of the service crew, one who had only been on the ship for one month and worked on other Regent ships, they all said that they have never seen a ship shake so violently, for so long. 2) In speaking with one of the restaurant managers early on in the cruise as to why the ship vibrates so much and he said that there is a problem with one of the propellers. Staff also indicated the ship was going in for an overhaul/refurbishment in March 2016. 3) There were several passengers at any given time at the Guest Relations Dept. desk complaining about wet, moldy carpet in their rooms, stained passageway carpets, heavy vibration and noise in there staterooms. It is obvious that the Captain,Chief Engineer and General Manager knew of the condition of the ship. Yet, they chose to, or were told to go to sea. They put the safety and comfort passengers at risk. I personally spoke with the president of Divex Marine Inc., Mr. Michel Birs, phone # 450-441-2974. He confirmed that there is a problem but could not go into detail because he had to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Obviously, one must conclude that ship staff and management is trying to coverup a very big problem. My spouse and I feel we deserve a full refund from this experience, and hope Regent will do the right thing. We chose this cruise because we have sailed on the Seven Seas Mariner to Alaska, and had a fabulous time on a wonderful ship. We will not accept credit toward another/future cruise as compensation. In short, we found our Regent Seven Seas Navigator experience a complete disaster, and Regent Management dismissive and far short of the standard of service one would expect from a five star passenger vessel. To think we paid over $20,000 for this dismal experience. Read Less

The total cruise was very good, up to the expectation for Regent. Having spent over 400 nights on various of their ships, this did not alter my high expectations and observations. We had some bad luck with the weather, Hurricane edge off of Mexico-some deep holes in the water to go through- but the ships and crew seemed to handle it well-the guests were very quiet!. Jamie and Dana Logan were the cruise directors and keep things humming. Though we had to skip Cabo because of the swells, the rest of the trip was as promised and up to the Regent standards. The Destinations group reacted to challenges quickly and were very helpful in each of the ports. The routine of exchanging reservation slips for tour groups went well in almost all of the instances. This was my first time on Navigator, and at first was disapointed in the scaled down version from Marsiner and Explorer. Seemed that Main Street was Main Alley, but in retrospect, the compact style layout workes well, it was a surprise that all of the main public lounges are in the aft of the ship. No public areas in the forward portion so you could only see where you have been. The spa occupies these prime forward locations-maybe should be placed elsewhere and open to an observation lounge as on the their shops. The debarcation in Montreal was very efficient. All were off the ship by 9:30, which was a blessing. Would I go on on Navigator again??--Yes, I have booked an African leg in 2016 Read Less

This is our 4th cruise with Regent (and our 22nd in total, with a variety of cruise lines) and confirmed that Regent are our favourite line. The great thing is that everything is included and so there is no sales pressure for anything. At the same time, all the free services are easily available - for example, no need to search for a waiter, they are always there to serve you. Embarkation was quick and easy and the rooms soon available. The cabins are excellent with beautiful marble bathrooms and big shower as well as a bath. The toiletries and bathrobes are luxurious, and the cabin and balcony are both spacious. I particularly like the way the cabin has an internal curtain between the sitting area and bed which you can open - this allowed me to get up before my husband and read without disturbing him. The night light is also a great touch - it lights your way to the bathroom without you having to switch lights on but is low enough not to keep you awake. The staff are the best feature - they are really great, helpful and attentive without being obsequious. You can have a laugh and a joke with them. For example, I had packed a teddy bear as a gift and every day the cabin steward found an amusing place to put it e.g. reading the paper on the bed, watching TV etc. The food is excellent in both the main dining room (Compass Rose) and the buffet (La Veranda). Good choice of different food and drinks in all restaurants, There was no waiting and there were always tables available even though it was too cold to sit outside most of the time. There was a good mix of tables for 2 and bigger tables so you could choose whether you wanted to share with others. The staff are constantly at hand to serve with drinks - they are so keen that you enjoy yourself and have everything you want. Excursions are included and of a generally good standard - 1 or 2 were not as good. Itinerary was great and we intend to go back to at least 4 ports to spend a longer time independently! Tendering was a bit slow but this seems to be a weakness on most ships!! It was quite well organized and linked in to the tours well but also catered for independent travellers (unlike some ships where tours get first priority!) Entertainment is not our main concern but what we saw was good and the other passengers seemed to enjoy the shows. It is not a big ship but still quite a lot of activities - games, a decent library, good internet service (quick and easy to use) Disembarkation was a bit slow but that seemed to be because there was a lack of shore staff available at the port - we were kept well-informed and there was about a 20 minute delay. All in all, a great cruise. Read Less

This was our first ever cruise and we were very impressed on arrival. During the cruise, the crew was exceptional and attentive and the food was overall very good including the wine selections. The furnishings in the ship were good as well. The excursions ranged from excellent to average. We did experience vibrations as others have commented on especially in the rear of the ship and in the theater. We did have a MAJOR problem with a recurring noise in our cabin that woke us every night or early morning. As a result, we never got a good night's sleep and were extremely tired most days. When the noise first started, I complained to the Guest Services/Reception desk who said they would look into it. The loud noise sounded like two empty pipes hitting together and originated from the ceiling in the bathroom or in the hall inside the cabin outside the bathroom. It lasted no more that 1 or 2 seconds but was loud enough to wake us. Guest Services/Reception was good in following up saying they checked during the day when we were on an excursion and could not hear anything. I continued to complain and finally took my complaint to the General Manager. I suggested the clanging noise might be due to water hammer causing the pipes to vibrate and hit together. At my suggestion, he went to the cabin above while the guests were out and opened and closed the faucets and could not replicate the noise. As the days passed, I started noting the time noise occurred. The strange thing was that it happened every morning at ~2:50 am! I kept my watch by the bed and every morning was awakened at that time by the clanging. It also happened at other times sometime one clang and sometime two clangs, one after another. I asked about moving to another cabin but the only one available was at or near the rear of the ship where there would be some amount of vibration. We had already experienced vibration in the rear of the ship in the restaurant, etc. so that did not sound like a good alternative so I declined. We had also had a couple of nights of rough seas and purposely selected our cabin to minimize ship movement. The last night we were onboard, we had just fallen asleep at ~10:15 pm and got a double clang! I was very upset and called the GM. After apologizing, he or the Concierge said they could move us to cabin 619, next door. I was shocked that the cabin door was vacant and wondered why we had not been offered this before! In any case, to get dressed and move at 10:30 pm did not have much appeal and the move might be so upsetting we may not have gone back to sleep so we stayed in 621. Unfortunately, maybe we should have moved. The double clang at 10:15 pm was followed by the 2:50 am clang, another at 4:30 am and a double clang at 6:30 am! By 6:30 we had enough clanging and got up. We were not in the cabin much during the day except during a day of sailing. The noise did occur but I cannot remember how many times.   Read Less

Our third trip with Regent ( we've been with Seabourn and Silversea) and our second on Navigator, having done the San Francisco to New York leg last year, we opted for the NY to Montreal section. This was an unusual cruise for us as we were going from sun to decidedly cool weather. The other 6 star lines are very good in their different ways, but we do feel Regent staff seem to have that spontaneous friendliness which pervades - and yes we do know that they work all hours for months at a time. The Compass Rose really is excellent and one feels comfortable as a two or sharing a table. We personally would prefer the verandh/setti Mari to be service only in the evening with a change of appetisers as well. Some items in tureens for self service tend to dry a bit. Prime 7 is an excellent fine dining experience and performs well. Thankfully they seem to have reduced vegetables a bit so one is not so overwhelmed and the waste on plates (which we as elderly UK residents who had to eat up everything after the war hate to see) may be less. We had a penthouse suite which has similar configuration to others but a 'butler' service as well as the attentive housekeeping staff. An interesting experience and one which we enjoyed with an extremely pleasant and knowledgeable young man. Cabins have everything you need. Trips were good and interesting with one hiccup where a group was sent early to the tender without us - a learning point more fore the staff than us! In particular Sanguenay and Quebec City are not to be missed ( although perhaps you might see more of Chateau Frontenac if you visit on your own rather than for the group tea.) The odd hiccup and thought - the agents for transfer from the Hotel in New York were somewhat dysfunctional and might have come from Fred Carno's circus (Regent were aware of this from several members). In my last review I lamented the lack of a fourth restaurant like their other two ships, and similar sized ships on other lines ( but their 3 restaurants are good). I personally can't come to terms with tumblers provided for wine at lunchtime in the verandh, and the catering manager could only name one quirky hotel in Switzerland that does the same. Wine glasses were provided when requested! My wife and I can't come to terms with the somewhat boring and repetitive moves of the dancers and gymnasts - we could have walked into the theatre in any of our 3 Regent cruises and not known which one! Jean Ann Ryan needs a rethink. Other entertainment and particularly Crew Kapers were excellent. These are minor items because overall it is a five star/six star experience and there is plenty to keep even the most picky people (could that be us?) happy. We shall be back on Regent.   Read Less

For those of you unfamiliar with Regent, do yourself a favor and go to Cruise Reviews section of Cruise Critic and read the article on Regent. This will give you an idea of what to expect, but, hopefully my review will give you some additional insights. We do not consider ourselves seasoned cruisers, having only 5 cruises between us, on everything from a now defunct Greek line to Princess to Regent. However, we do consider ourselves as well traveled, having been all over the world. We like great food and wine, expect good service and first class accommodations. We're not big into the casino scene or late night entertainment, but love history, sight seeing, beautiful scenery and meeting interesting people. After a wonderful trip on Navigator from Vancouver to Anchorage in August of 2011, we looked for another trip for this year. Our travel agent is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and mentioned that they were putting together a group of clients to do the October 14-24 trip from New York to Montreal. We readily signed up and looked forward to seeing New England and Canada from Navigator. Arrived one day prior to sailing on a balmy fall day in New York City. Our transfer from La Guardia to the Intercontinental Times Square was a private town car with a former NYPD officer as our driver. He regaled us with stories as we entered Manhattan, even pointing out his favorite restaurants along the way. We were quickly checked into the Intercontinental and were disappointed to be assigned a handicapped accessible room on the third floor. It had two queens, rather than the requested king, and had a lower hanging rod in the only closet, which meant our suit bag dragged on the floor. As it was only one night, we made the best of it and set out to explore the hotel and neighborhood. We had a fabulous meal at Keens Steakhouse (72 W. 36th) - do try the famous mutton chop! After a good night's sleep we went to the pre-cruise buffet and met some fellow passengers. Service was poor at the buffet and after trying to track down more coffee, we made a bee line for the closest Starbucks. I usually judge a pre-cruise hotel with one simple question - would I come back on my own on a future trip and the answer here is simply no. The nearby Westin is a better hotel for a comparable price. Embarkation was not as smooth as it could have been. We were told to wait in a lower level ballroom and only come out to the transfer area when our number was called. Needless to say, we waited and waited well past our 1:30 PM departure time. It was finally about 2:30 when we were called to identify our luggage and board the bus. Fortunately we had a nice, scenic drive along the west side of Manhattan, passing the Intrepid and the construction of the new World Trade Center. Emerging from the Brooklyn/Battery Tunnel, it was a short drive to the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, which is a huge and beautiful facility. As we were the last bus from the Intercontinental, it was a breeze getting on board. We went to our suite and leaned out on the balcony to see the Manhattan skyline to our right and to our left, in the distance, the Statue of Liberty. A bottle of champagne was chilled and waiting as were envelopes containing all of our excursions and spa appointments. We spent the rest of the day wandering around, re-acquainting ourselves with the ship. Dinner was at Setti Mari, which was new for us. The La Veranda is turned into an Italian themed dining venue for dinner only. Ala carte choices are excellent, including primi and secondi courses of pasta, chicken, seafood and beef and veal. We ended up dining in Setti Mari more than any other restaurant during the entire cruise due to the intimate size of the space, enthusiastic staff, headed by Stefano, and the excellent antipasti buffet and scrumptious dessert selections. All wines were Italian unless you requested something else, which we did occasionally. Scheid Chardonnay was excellent and something I can't find in my hometown. Sail Away was spectacular, with the Manhattan skyline ablaze with lights, Lady Liberty holding her torch and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge straight ahead. We went to the upper deck to crane our necks as we sailed under the bridge and then returned to our suite to turn in and get ready for Newport, Rhode Island. The suite's are really fantastic. Plush bedding, flat screen tv, comfortable seating and oodles of storage. The walk in closet is stocked with built in drawers, three different hanging rods, with wooden hangars, a long row of hooks, belt/tie rack and a safe. The marble bath is spacious with a small tub and walk in shower. Bath products are L'Occitane and the towels are plentiful and appear new. I appreciate the built in vanity area, with good lighting and a portable magnifying mirror. Robes and slippers are standard, as is a huge umbrella, extra blanket and a fully stocked beverage refrigerator. Our routine was established last August on Navigator - while I get ready, my husband gets us a latte and mocha from the espresso bar on the 6th deck, then we decide where to catch breakfast. We usually did La Veranda, though lots of hardy souls browsed the pool deck for cold options and ate under heat lamps. Choices in La Veranda run the gamut from pastries, cereal, fruit, meat, cheeses to made to order eggs, pancakes, and the best french toast you'll have anywhere. We always approached either Stefano or Alan, who manage the restaurant, and asked to be seated. Upon being seated we were always promptly offered water, coffee and juice and asked if we wanted to order or go to the buffet. If we were in a hurry to catch an excursion, we usually did the buffet, but found they were super fast with made to order items as well. We never had to wait for a table and almost always had a window seat. Excursions were handled well by meeting in the theater area and trading your pre-planned excursion tickets for a tour number. When called, you were escorted to the gangway and either were tendered or walked off the ship, depending on which port we were in. (By the way, I booked all of our excursions on line back in April). Representatives always met you on the dock and off you go. Most Regent excursions are included in the cruise price, with a few exceptions. For example, we did pay extra to attend a Seafood 101 Cooking Course at the Culinary Institute of Canada (trust me....worth every penny!) A few excursions were spectacular (Acadia National Park) and a few were duds (Sydney Walking Tour), but all in all, very enjoyable. Many people wore comfortable clothes, lots of jeans, khakis, layers and sturdy shoes. Our post excursion routine was either reading by the pool - yes, I said pool, or playing team trivia in the Galileo Lounge. We had unseasonably warm, sunny weather and calm seas. We always changed for dinner and my husband was glad he brought two sport coats as most gentlemen wore a jacket after 6:00 PM. I saw few dresses on ladies, but lots of nice slacks, beautiful sweaters, scarves and the occasional bling. We did dine twice in the reservation-only Prime Seven. Steaks and seafood are king here and the service and atmosphere are top drawer. Compass Rose is your other dining choice and is by far the largest dining room. I really appreciated the addition of some Prime Seven entrees on the Compass Rose menu every night. We ended up in Compass Rose three nights, one of them as guests of the General Manager, Davor. I can heartily recommend any opportunity you get to meet the officers and crew. We learn so much every time we meet them. The captain, Daniel Green, was everywhere. He was often at the gangway when we entered or exited the ship and could usually be spotted in the restaurants dining with staff and passengers. After dinner you have a few choices. Entertainment takes place nightly in the theater, or you could opt to go to the casino or have a drink in one of the lounges where a piano player or the orchestra might be playing. We often stopped by the computer room in the library to check email or read the news. WiFi is available, but expensive. If you reach "Silver" status as a frequent Regent traveller, you receive free WiFi, but as we discovered, it was not consistently reliable. With only one sea day, we saved our spa appointments for the day we cruised the Gulf of St. Lawrence. My husband was skeptical that he would get a really intense massage on a cruise, but was raving about the quality of his deep tissue massage. My hot stone pedicure was fabulous. Spa services are provided through Canyon Ranch and are top notch. Again, we booked these services directly through Canyon Ranch at Sea before we left home. This is important as we noticed people trying to book last minute treatments and not being able to get their choice (if at all). All in all, Navigator is a great ship. Small size - 480 passengers, large crew, excellent dining, beautiful public spaces and large suites. The crew are phenomenal. We were usually greeted by name everywhere we went, wait staff remembered our drink preferences - whether is was Perrier, Diet Coke, Grey Goose Martini - up, twist, no vermouth, non-fat latte, mocha with whipped cream....Chardonnay, Dark Beer...they never missed a beat. I admit to having favorite staff - Elvis, Navin, Austin, Eduardo, Stefano, Alan and, of course, Davor and Capt. Green. To improve the experience, I would recommend a few things: 1. Update your computer/wifi system. We found the computer area too small, the equipment dated and it appeared that the servers were overwhelmed when everyone was online at once. 2. Expand your gateway airports to include regional airports. Free airfare isn't really free if it's only out of a handful of major cities. We are 6 hours from either Detroit or Chicago and are forced to pay extra to get to the cruise. 3. Allow us to rate excursions and other non ship processes. Although very interested in seeking survey feedback on-board, there was no mechanism to report on the quality of the pre-cruise hotels, transfer process, or each excursion. With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the east coast, I am grateful that we had beautiful weather and hope everyone stays safe on Navigator (I think she's in Sydney, Cape Breton Island today). Happy Cruising! Lady Madeline Read Less

This was going to be the Cruise of a Lifetime for my companion's 50th birthday. She has always wanted to see Alaska and I figured we would truly "go in style." I wanted the very best in service aboard a smaller, more custom vessel. 1. AIR TRANSPORT This therefore narrowed it down to either RSSC or Silverseas. What sold me on Regent, like many other passengers I am sure, was that they include airfare while Silverseas may or may not, in a sailing-versus-utilization scheme that's more complicated to understand than your cell phone company's data plans. But as it turned out, this "free" airfare was a huge hassle, and ultimately a very expensive perk: we were traveling on to Hawaii, and while Silverseas flat-out refused to even consider ending up at a different airport than where we started (Newark), RSSC was quite accommodating. But here's the catch: because our other connections were made by us (RSSC was only responsible for getting us to and from the ship), that meant that if our other carriers failed to make connections we were on our own. And of course, that's exactly what happened - our Go! airlines flight was cancelled coming back, creating a domino effect of missed flights and resulting in us having to pay $900 in additional airfare - not to mention taking almost three days to get home. In addition, I later discovered that Alaska Airlines (the preferred carrier to the Navigator) actually flies direct to Kauai, which would have saved us considerable funds and literally days off our round trip; but RSSC's air program only covers Honolulu. NONE OF THIS is RSSC's fault, and I am definitely not dinging RSSC here: if your plans take you directly to and from one of the preferred airports that RSSC's air program covers, then this is a pretty good deal (but even then, do not expect RSSC to make the effort to find you particularly efficient connections). My proviso is that if your plans involve going to any secondary airports, or on to other destinations, then RSSC's included airfare may not be the bargain it first appears. 2. COMMUNICATIONS RSSC does TERRIBLE job of communicating to passengers, and perks that they claim are available often simply don't actually exist. We booked a deluxe cabin, which included a butler. Did we actually require a butler? No. But my companion was very much looking forward to having one if only for bragging rights. Aboard the ship, we were introduced to our stewardess (who was indeed friendly and helpful). But no butler - RSSC had changed their web site and their policy regarding which cabins are butler-equipped...months after we had paid in full. Another example: each deck has a big map of the ship next to the elevators. Except they don't accurately reflect the ship's layout (deck eight showed a laundry, but deck seven did not, even though the laundry is there). The map handed out said something different, and the maps on the company's web site said something else yet again. Internet is not included (well, stay tuned) and is unbelievably pricey - really? An Internet plan for $1,200?!? That was pretty hard to swallow, but the punch line was this - on the last day of the voyage, after we had been directed to the Internet lounge to print boarding passes, we discovered that our cabin came with 60 minutes of free Internet. Nobody had ever told us. One thing that people DID tell us, including an announcement by the cruise director, that if the ship was sinking we were to report to our mustering stations printed on the back of our room keys. Except no such information was on the keys. To his credit, the Cruise Director was very glad to hear of this and promised to correct his briefing - but he had not been told by the junior officer to whom we pointed out this important safety misinformation on the first day. While in many instances the information coming to us was wrong or missing, a place where they definitely overcompensate is the number of emails they sent us in the months leading up to departure. I just tallied them up: seventeen emails with "latest" or "updated" itineraries. Except...for the most part, they were identical copies of each other - but one included a change in airline departure time, and boy that one change would be easy to miss buried inside 17 otherwise identical emails. 3. PORTS OF CALL Here is the one place where I really felt let down. RSSC makes a major point of the Navigator's small size and how her smaller size allows her to go places where the bigger ships cannot. Well, I guess from a technical point of view that may be true...but the fact of the matter is that at least on the Seward-to Vancouver run, the Navigator follows EXACTLY the same course as the bigger ships. I know this for a fact, because we often were part of a convoy of ships including Princess, NCL, and Holland America, and we followed in each other's wakes. It was very disappointing to find that RSSC makes great play about the Navigator's special abilities but fails to mention that they don't utilize any of it. 4. EXCURSIONS It is certainly nice that RSSC includes many excursions in the fare. Naturally, the better ones are not included (if you do go, absolutely take the float plane glacier ride; worth every penny. Don't waste your money on a helicopter unless that chopper is also going to touch down to let you do something useful) (this advice applies to Alaska; there are places in for example Hawaii where a helicopter is worth the extra price). Of the ones that are included, warning: take RSSC's guide to physical fitness with a grain of salt! The "nature walk" requiring you to be in good physical condition refers not to YOUR condition, but that of your walker. The only thing that required anything more than a heartbeat was the kayak and even that was ultra low-key. And having excursions included means that you are restricted to RSSC's contracted schedules, which can be very limiting. We wanted to go ziplining but it did not fit in with our other excursions. I checked around (we did not know we had free Internet yet, but there's a McDonald's in every port...) and found that the zipline operator had lots of other times, including at other ports. But the "destination services" desk wasn't interested in trying to book us for a different time, even if we were willing to pay for the excursions ourselves. 5. COMFORT The Navigator is a fairly fast and comfortable ship. The cabin was very nice but it showed a surprising amount of wear, including a bathroom cabinet whose door was caved in. The bed was firm but very comfortable. But it was NOISY when the ship was underway - all kinds of squeaks and buzzes coming from above the ceiling. In desperation I tried stuffing toilet paper above the ceiling tiles - only to discover toilet paper already there from previous passengers! As it turned out, the noise was coming from joints and piping above the ceiling and simply could not be silenced by any means other than a pillow over the head. The Navigator was built as a research vessel, not a cruise ship. When I was aboard the Norwegian Dawn, the only time the cabin ever made noise was while the ship was at top speed and with the stabilizers going full tilt in a rough sea - in the middle of night a slow, distant groan came from a ceiling panel. The Navigator creaked at the slowest speed in the calmest sea. 6. FOOD Okay, now we're getting somewhere. The Navigator really does great meals, and room service is terrific. But even this comes with caveats: a) most liquor, and some pretty good wines, are included. But it is impossible to know what complimentary wines are available. In each restaurant, on each day, the menu will list one red and one white. But all the wines listed in all the restaurant menus throughout the ship for the entire cruise are complimentary - you just don't have any way of knowing what they are. Worse, the wait staff also don't know what they are. The head sommilier printed me a list, but when I said that list should be available to passengers or at least to the wait staff he was less than thrilled by the suggestion. I had one waiter who insisted that the red and white on the menu were the only complimentary wines I was allowed to have. b) we already had a reservation in Prime 7 (the excellent steakhouse) before we boarded. Supposedly that's not allowed, but I had made it clear that if I did not have reservations for my companion's birthday we would book elsewhere. I was told repeatedly that we could book another dinner there once everyone had a chance to make a reservation - according to the concierge, no later than the second night. As it turns out, this is just baloney - the head maitre'd later confirmed to me that nobody gets a second reservation. STAFF The officers are European and are generally excellent, although the woman at destination services made me feel like it was my duty to do her job (when I was trying to resolve a conflict between the start time of an excursion between what was on the excursion ticket versus what was in the excursion schedule). The staff, and especially the wait staff, were another story. They all were earnest but some of them spoke so little English as to make any attempt at communication pointless. Trying to find out if they had "Smirnoff Ice" led to an ongoing running comedy that would have made the Marx Brothers proud. ENTERTAINMENT One definite drawback of such a small ship is that there is only one troupe of entertainers on board; the same group perform every show. So Shakespeare, 50's Rock-n-Roll, and Acrobatics. The two main stars were wonderful; the supporting cast belonged in a High School musical, and not the kind that anyone other than parents show up for. CONCLUSION I had a great time on the Navigator. But I had an even better time on larger ships whose fares cost literally a third as much. Most - but not all - of the touted advantages of being on such a ship don't really pan out in reality. If I had to do it again, I would have taken the Silverseas and planned my own transportation. Silverseas has the additional advantage of moving passengers from Anchorage to the ship (a trip of several hours) via the very nice and romantic train shoreline, while RSSC puts you on a boring bus. But I am sure that I would have had every bit as good a time on an NCL ship - and had many many thousands of dollars left over a consolation for not having a butler... Oh, that's right - I didn't have one anyway! Read Less

This was our first time with Regent, having previously sailed extensively with HAL, and were looking forward to an "enhanced" experience. Unfortunately this was not the case. The problems started with the hotel and transfer arrangements pre cruise. The hotel was nice, but we were herded into the hotel lobby like cattle awaiting slaughter, before boarding the buses. Many Regent passengers are elderly, and have difficulties with mobility, and there was no seating. Although we were to depart from a Manhattan pier, our bus driver took us to Brooklyn.I thought we were being hijacked. We were on that bus for 2 hours, while other passengers were at the ship in 15 min.For our "troubles" we were offered nothing. With persistence we received a box of chocolates. The cruise was very nice, aside from the loss of all power in the Gulf of St. Lawrence for 2 hours, a fire on the pool deck and several errors and omissions in room service orders.The crew was lovely (like HAL), the food was excellent (like HAL), the room was nice (like HAL), the dining areas were nicely decorated, but probably not as nice as HAL. The itinerary was wonderful,which is why it is popular with many cruise lines. So I started doing some calculations: if we had been on HAL, in a "Neptune Suite" (much larger than our Regent cabin), and we drank up a storm, went on numerous excursions we still would have spent $4000 pp less on HAL. We met lovely people on the Regent cruise, and had a good time despite the problems. Upon our return I contacted our travel agent who contacted Regent regarding the problems. After an initial contact from them, I have heard nothing. Not good value for money. Read Less