When Regent announced the launching of a new ship several years ago, like most Regent cruisers, my wife and I were very excited, and had cruises booked on it for September of 2016 and March 2017. Life intervened, and we had to cancel both of these cruises. So when we were finally able to book another cruise on it, we were chomping at the bit to experience it, wondering whether our high expectations would be met. Clearly from the title of this review, they were... although with a bit of an asterisk. The ship- Regent hypes this ship as "World's Most Luxurious Ship". As I have not been on every cruise ship in the world, I cannot validate this statement, but if there is a more beautiful ship at sea, I would love to see it. The ship is, in a word, breathtakingly beautiful. OK, 2 words. But I cannot say enough about how impressive this ship is. Prior to this voyage, I thought the most elegant ships I have sailed on were Oceana's Riviera/ Marina, but I think the Explorer has them beat. From the stunning atrium, to each and every restaurant, lounge, theater..even the men's rooms were beautiful. (And I assume the same for the ladies' room, although I have no first hand knowledge of such and will take DW's word for it. ) The hallways of stateroom decks have lovely black and white photographs. The ship is a pleasure to walk around on. Cuisine- I have long been a fan of Regent cuisine, but I am now an even bigger fan. Every cruise line's main dining rooms offer "always available" items, usually steak, chicken, salmon, and perhaps a vegetarian dish. , The main dining room on Regent,, Compass Rose, now offers as always available: Meats: Black Angus New York Strip, Black Angus Rib Eye. Black Angus Filet Mignon, New Zealand Lamb Chops, Veal Medallions, Half Roast Chicken, Pork Chops Fish: Jumbo Shrimp, Maine Lobster Tail(!!) , King Sea Scallops, Norwegian Salmon, Whole Dover Sole(!!), Branzino. With a cornucopia of sauces and sides to mix and match with them. AND with a whole array of appetizers, soups, salads, such as crab salad, Norwegian gravilax, escargot....well, you get the idea. So in the unlikely event that there is nothing on the daily menu that sounds tempting, you can order something wonderful from the always available menu. For me, this is a game changer. No more checking the daily menu and having to try for a specialty restaurant reservation if there is nothing to your liking. The only problem- major difficult decisions need to be made every single night! Life is tough. Speaking of specialty restaurants, the Explorer has 4 of them, and IMHO, all are superb. Entertainment- Several years ago, Regent changed the company that managed the entertainment talent and production shows, and I must say that for us it is a change for the better. The talent of the singers and dancers has always been wonderful, but the production shows are at a new level. They are inventive, and creative, not typical cruise ship fare. And the LED backdrops and lighting in the Constellation Theater adds greatly to the enjoyment of the show. The only downside- it seems to me that the sightlines of the theater do not seem to be quite as good as I remember them being on the other Regent ships, but we never had any problem getting seats, provided that we got there at least 10 minutes ahead. There is nice entertainment in the lounges, the Regent Signature Orchestra for ballroom, a pianist, Deborah, who has a lovely voice, and our very favorite Regent talent, Boogie and Kasia, who played 2 or 3 sets every night in the Explorer lounge. Their later set provides great fast dancing music, and the delightful Kasia gets down on the dance floor and really gets the crowd dancing. Internet- The ship had the least horrible internet experience I have had on a cruise ship to date. I guess that's as good as one can expect at sea. Sure, it was still painfully slow, but the agony was far less than I have experienced in the past. Service much better in public areas than in my state room, where it was truly agonizing. Log in and out was a breeze, and my wife and I were both able to be on at the same time. Gym- best I have ever seen on a ship. When I first walked in, I did not see any treadmills in this rather large gym, only to find out that there was another room, separated by a hallway. Plenty of cardio machines, and strength- resistant machines. And now for the asterisk- Sadly, I think that the service has slipped a tad since my last Regent cruise. Not the stateroom attendants, nor the restaurant wait staff, they were still top notch. But in the lounges and pool deck, I frequently had a hard time getting service. I do not think that this is the fault of the staff- the crew is as hard working, friendly and accommodating as ever. I think the problem is in numbers- it seemed as if there was just less staff. I have no data to support this, it is just an impression. However, this was in no way shape or form anywhere near enough of a problem to put a damper on this wonderful cruise experience. One final word- these reviews are obviously very subjective matters, everyone's opinions are different and equally valid. But I always make it a point to ask people that I meet on board how they are enjoying their cruise, and for what it's worth, I did not get one response that was not ENTHUSIASTICALLY positive. The only grumbling I heard all cruise long was about chair hogs. So what else is new? Read Less

We sailed for 18 days from San Francisco to New York via the Panama Canal. Prior to the cruise we had a one day tour of Muir Woods and Sonoma, with lunch in Sonoma City - a lovely small town. Embarkation and disembarkation were the only disappointments, and Regent is not at fault. The 3rd party handler in San Francisco failed to provide transportation to the ship for the majority of passengers. And the New York Cruise Terminal made a two day mess of disembarkation, resulting in some passengers missing their scheduled tour of New York City. Clarifications: The ship was partially refurbished in 2014 - the lounges and dining rooms and other public areas were re-done and are very nice. The cabins and cabin hallways are tired but cabins are still comfortable. The ship will go through a complete refurbishment in 2018. Very clean ship, crew very friendly, good service. Food: Lots of food available. Much is high quality sourcing - fantastic lamb from new Zealand, milk fed veal, shrimp. Excellent bread in the formal dining rooms. Authentic spaghetti carbonara and huge delicious portion of veal schnitzel at Stelli Mari restaurant. Restaurants: In past reviews people complained about the slow service in Compass Rose. We only experienced that once and we ate their several times. Cabin: Loved the walk in shower with large rainshower head. Captain Updates: Gave us detailed updates at noon each day. Gym: Excellent high quality equipment. Fitness Manager rather pushy re trying to up sell. Self Serve Laundry: A great feature on each cabin floor. Swimming Pool: I only used it once as there are no steps going down into the pool suitable for people with mobility issues. The top step in the ladders are too far apart for my legs to reach to the deck. This problem has been resolved in the new Explorer ship. I used the jacuzzis instead. Service: I thought service was good. I'm not a smoker but my travel partner is. Smoking is limited to 3 areas of the ship. Some smokers didn't think the service re appetizers and drinks was as good as it could be. Favorite Parts of the Ship: The 11th floor covered terrace at the back of the ship for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Observation Lounge and Horizon Lounge when going through the Panama Canal and during a hurricane. Size of Ship: Perfect for accommodating around 700 passengers and 400 crew. The ship never felt crowded. Ports and Excursions: This is hurricane season with hot humid weather. Be prepared for this if you go in September. Due to bad weather we could not dock in Acapulco or Nassau. This is not the fault of the cruise line.Highlights included: Pura Vida private garden tour in Costa Rica, Cartagena Colombia Old and New Town tour (Cartagena is a hidden gem - spectacularly beautiful), post dis-embarkation tour of New York City (911 memorial is outstanding). Age Profile: Suitable for 55+. Average age likely 70-90+. Large number of people with mobility problems - may be a challenge in rough weather. Not suitable for children. Would I go again? Yes Strong Recommendation: Please do not wait until after the cruise to voice your complaints. Bring them up immediately to the crew so they can do their best to accommodate your requests. Be specific re your complaints. This cruise line is really trying to make this a memorable experience for you. Read Less

this was not my expectation, and not my first cruise. It was a nightmare. never again. never ..they are awful. not according to their brochure. they have breached the contract with me, since i did pay and did not deliver what they had promised. they should be reported to the health authorities. ship was 3 hours late, Bed bugs,was itching and my arm got bloody and then infected, and the ship doctor would no help me and said: what do you want me to do? dirty linen, bed vibrating, noises, my room under the pool, restaurant, under the chaises, chairs, no chairs for the pool, no one would help, i had to lay on the floor, no clean towels by the pool, from 6:00 am to 2:00 AM had not one moment peace because of my bed vibrating..my bed was vibrating for the entire trip, pillows smelled body odor, room service never came with the orders , missing always food, and the then food was served with fowl smell, horrifying service, fatty food, gym had al broken bikes, and equipment, spa? what spa. all leftovers, from the night before or no service at all. always ham or pork, never a decent meal. had to wait almost 2 hours for to be served. they would not add me to the big table to meet and sit with other, since i was traveling solo. awful entertainment, hardly anyone in the big theater. ship was flying, and i was wobbling for 10 days. hit my ring and i lost my emerald, the ship was going to fast but then found it. i had no sleep for 10 days, and then the staff, under the captain, called me in to ask me to sign a paper so i would not complain ever. they are a disgusting company and i am never going on another cruise as long as i live. i spend a fortune and now AMX is not even helping to withhold the funds and help me with this aggravated expense that i did not need to spend. 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

My husband's brother and his wife are seasoned cruisers and suggested we join them on Voyager. We have cruised three times before but never with Regent. It was fabulous. There was a computer technical hitch which meant we had to wait quite a while before embarkation but as we had enjoyed the previous day's independent tour of Copenhagen which included a wonderful river cruise and spitefully expensive beer, we were not concerned. Our pre-cruise hotel was lovely as was the breakfast. We were thrilled that our Concierge suite lived up to our expectations. The toiletries, bathroom, and the attention to detail provided by our maid were very much appreciated. Nothing was too much trouble and she was willing to attend to our requests promptly and efficiently. The bed was really comfortable. I rarely sleep well whilst away from home but there were no problems on this cruise. It was lovely and quiet (Deck 10). We did not order room service so cannot comment in that regard. As I am in my forties I did feel that I was one of the younger guests as the average age was about 65 and it was like cruising with my parents. But everyone was so lovely it didn't matter. Service in the restaurants and bars was excellent. The minute we sat down in the Voyager lounge to enjoy pre-dinner drinks the waiter appeared to take our order and offered delightful canapes. The food was excellent and could not be faulted. The service was good too. It was very clear that everything is geared towards American guests' expectations and the coffee, egg dishes and pancakes were flowing. Despite serving Twinings English Breakfast tea, the waiters couldn't quite get it right. Still, a small hiccup in the grand scheme of things. The standard of food and service in Compass Rose was excellent also. Service on some evenings was slow but well worth the wait. The steak and lobster in Prime 7 was amazing. In fact I could go so far as to say it was the best fillet steak I have ever had. We also enjoyed dining in Signatures. We were pampered throughout and it felt great. We visited Coffee Connection nearly everyday and the Barista was very accommodating. The choice of biscuits and snacks was varied and all tasted delicious. Excursions were well organised and the tour guides very knowledgeable. Very enjoyable. I think their brief was to keep talking...and they did! As most of the guests were of a certain age there was nothing too energetic and so each tour could be accessed by everyone. The shows were slightly disappointing and although each member of the entertainments team was very talented, the shows did not flow and were quite disjointed. We saw a couple but then didn't bother with any more... they were very 'samey' and 'predictable'. The acrobatic duo were incredibly supple and would contort into the most bizarre shapes and it made me feel quite sick. We didn't take part in any enrichment activities but made full use of the gym and jogging track. The weather was excellent throughout the cruise so we were able to sunbathe a little - which we did not expect to be able to do! Every member of staff with whom we came into contact was extremely polite and respectful. Before we went on this cruise, we were so confident that it was going to be wonderful we booked the 21 night cruise on Voyager from Singapore to Sydney in December and so are very much looking forward to sailing again with Regent. Read Less

Had never been on Regent before wanted to try it for the first time. We Cruise a lot on Silver seas , yachts of seaborn and Oceania. Typically I prefer a smaller ship of under 1000 psgrs or close to 600 to 400 passengers. There were many areas of concern and disappointment for us while we were on this cruise for over three weeks. In summary we had issues with the main dining room seating as well as consistent service. There were concerns in the fitness center and spa. The men's hot sauna was not functioning most the time unless you went to the front desk and ask them to reset the device in the sauna. The cardio equipment in the fitness center is quite dated old and on several days was not clean. The gym is configured in a way that makes it feel very crowded although there is a group exercise room nearby that could easily accommodate additional equipment. At the beginning of the three-week cruise I asked the fitness center if they had music that plays in the fitness center and they told me it was not working. I asked if it would be possible to have it repaired and they said they were looking into it. They did have some music working in the fitness center and spa the last few days of the cruise. The pool for many days iwas basically not usable because the quality of the water in the pool was visibly poor and dirty (dark green color with dirt covering the pool bottom) which looked as though they were not maintaining the swimming pool for their guest Even the two whirlpools they had by the pool were Set with temperatures that were excessively hot and the Jets were inoperative making a hot tub experience less than average . Room service was inconsistent sometimes it would take close to an hour to receive a room service order and once we did not even receive our requested order . One breakfast was delivered through room service and the server did not even offered to set the table other than just place a tray in our room . We found it challenging the first part of our cruise to get a table for two around 8 o'clock in the evening in compass Rose without there being a long waiting list even though we visibly could see tables for four or six standing open but we were not offered those tables when we walked in. On the others cruise ships that are accustomed to, we've never had a problem being seated immediately in the main dining room for table of two. The first 10 days of our cruise we were on the concierge level and our room was nice a refrigerator did not work initially until we brought it to their attention. The next 13 days were spent in a deluxe balcony room on the seventh deck, we could hear our neighbors talk clearly when we were seated in our room we could hear their TV playing, which appears that the walls to these rooms are very thin. You need to bring earplugs ! I found it quite strange and towards the end annoying, that whenever you would sit down in the veranda for breakfast or lunch you would have often times 3 ,4 or 5 waiters coming and asking you what you would like to drink before you received anything. Another very odd thing about the cruise is when you would go to the afternoon tea they combined trivia with the tea, so it was not a very quiet inviting atmosphere unless you We're participating in the trivia games . Our cabin attendance were great and we always had very clean state rooms The specialty restaurants serve delicious food and the ambience is quite good with great service the only drawback is your limit it to two times during your cruise . I suggest if you change rooms during your voyage to coordinate carefully with hotel manager. We received a letter the night before we changed rooms clearly stating the procedure but what happened the next day was contary to what they told us they were going to do for us, which ended up making us frustrated. I asked if I could review this procedure with management and reception desk never followed up with me. I left the ship disappointed! Read Less

We were a group of eight and decided to treat ourselves to an upscale vacation and tour Alaska by cruise ship. Although it was expensive, Regent came recommended by a friend in the travel industry, and the idea of an all-inclusive land and sea adventure in Alaska was appealing. Regent offered a wide variety of shore excursions, beautifully appointed and spacious balcony suites, professional, and courteous staff on board, and fine dining. Sounded perfect and other than the weather which was beyond anyone's control, they met expectations for most of our trip. The entertainment was pretty lame and paled in comparison to what is offered on Royal Caribbean cruises. Not sure what demographic Regent was targeting, but it is pretty hard to be motivated to dance to tunes by Tony Orlando and Dawn. We had a great swing dancing lesson on board but no opportunity to practice what we were taught. With the exception of biking in Sitka, our excursions were great - especially the hike to the Mendenhall Glacier. In steady cold rain, Sitka's bike tour was disorganized, limited to unscenic roads, and ended with a Subway sandwich lunch under a tarp. We would have selected a different excursion had we known this was the sum total. Juneau zip lining and train rides were wonderful but sometime after we departed Juneau, our ship experienced engine trouble and instead of sailing to Ketchikan we headed back to Juneau for repairs. Originally, while repairs were underway, last minute excursions and the opportunity to explore Juneau again were offered. Then these excursions were cancelled because we were told that the repair would take less time than estimated and we would be leaving Juneau earlier. Some of us had gotten off the boat just to walk around the city but with the uncertainty of timing, many of us stayed put. This meant the loss of our last port and excursions on a ship where there weren't a lot of entertainment options. We were delayed returning to Vancouver, missed our flights home and Regent did put us up in a nice airport hotel. My husband had a work commitment that was impacted by the delay, and although Regent paid for the lodging, dinner that night and breakfast the next morning were on us. Understandably, mechanical problems occur, but Regent's compensation for missing out on our final port, excursions and inconveniences, was to offer us "15% off our next cruise with them." This was completely unsatisfactory customer service. Several of us have written to corporate and as of five weeks later, have not heard back from them. Really sad to have an expensive, but quality cruise line handle a problem like that. Since we missed out on approximately "15%" of our trip, it might have been a better idea to offer a 15% refund. Read Less

Upon arrival in Anchorage we were greeted byes the transfer representative.It was very disorganized.to make a long story short it took 1 hour and 20 minutes to get from the Airport to the Hotel.The airport is only 10 minutes and ten dollars away so all of us were quite frustrated by the time we got to the Hotel.we stayed at the Hilton which is equivalent to a Days Inn.The room was clean but very small.The check in was easy but it was not clear as when we should arrive to leave for departure.That being said if you want to board the ship early you should plan to be at breakfast early.We arrived at 9:00 but our bus did not leave until 12:00 PM,So far we were not impressed with Regent.I do have to say that Anchorage is a very casual town with low key hotels so were not expecting anything fancy but we were definitely disappointed about the lack of organization upon arrival/On a side note we had dinner at Marx Bros cafe in Anchorage and really enjoyed it. The ride to Seward was very nice and we were finally starting to feel like we were on vacation..The check in was easy and the ship was amazing.There was a slight problem with our room so i was offered a lower level room at the same price.This did not make me happy.They were able to solve the problem so all worked out well. The ship is very upscale and so easy to navigate.we stayed mid ship on the 8th floor.The room was well appointed and lives up to the reviews others have posted.. We did hear some vibration but it did not bother us.The service was amazing,.Hats off to Jamie our cruise director for taking care of everyone. Restaurants Compass Rose-We loved this restaurant.it was never busy and the service and food were excellent..Loved lunch and dinner Prime 7-Loved it,Steak,crab legs,lobster etc.we were able to eat here twice by just checking to see if they had room.Be sure to make a reservation prior to departing La Veranda-Excellent breakfast buffet,Dinner was good but the atmosphere was more casual Pool restauranExcellent table service and Buffet. What really makes this ship special is the service.The crew is amazing and there was never a line or wait for anything. The casino was small but fun although we never won.lol There was a lounge area for dancing,and live music,and two piano bars.All upscale and nice. The crowd was older so there were not many people dancing.By mid week there were more people out and about at night..We did not mind having the dance floor to ourselves. The shows were entertaining and we enjoyed them. The pool area was great.There were two jacuzzi's that people enjoyed and it was a great way to meet people.service at the pool area was great too. All the excursion we took were excellent and i was able to switch some of them and add too.They have destination experts on board to help you although I would do your research prior and pre book.Jamie was always waiting outside the cruise ship with helpful hints about each port if needed.There was always time to explore the small towns prior to or after the excursions. To sum it up Regent runs a tight ship.First class in every way once you are on the ship.   Read Less

We sailed from Seward to Vancouver June 2013. We were pleasantly surprised with our vacation on the Navigator: Fitness - Great Spin Class and decent sized gym for the size of the ship Spa - We each got a massage and I got an oxygen facial - very pleased with both La Veranda - Ate breakfast there most mornings. Dinner once. The dinner was good but I preferred the atmosphere of Compass Rose Compass Rose - Never had a bad meal and REALLY enjoyed the waitstaff: Olga, Norman and Faustine to name a few Wine selection - We are red wine drinkers and enjoyed Simi Cab, Hess, and Chilensis - Prime 7 - Ate here the last night and LOVED to atmosphere. Shrimp cocktail and crabcakes were great. Chowder outstanding. Steak could have been better. Crew - NEVER had a bad experience!! Entertainment - Very talented dancers and we really enjoyed the crew production on the last night Room Service and Room attendants - Always very attentive Excursions - Sitka - Advanced Bike Tour (free) had fun and it also presented a challenge Juneau - Taku Lodge Flight and Feast - FABULOUS! Saw a black bear and cub! Skagway - White Pass (free) - Loved this beautiful, scenic trip Ketchikan - Chose not to do an excursion and just walked around town (this was our least favorite town) Read Less

VALUE We love Regent Cruises......no other cruise line gives as much value coupled with casual, Comfortable elegance. It is also generous with discounts if you do not use their Included air or hotel. Everything except spa, laundry and shopping is included. They Pour excellent wines...and top shelf liquor. I did enjoy champagne with my breakfast! INTERNET Very expensive on first and second cruises: $.95 to $.50/ min depending on package Since our third cruise we have had unlimited Internet and wifi Throughout the ship, you Can bring your own iPad or they will supply one, good assistance from the net manager And great free copying. ENTERTAINMENT This Thanksiving cruise Nov 15-25'2012. Had the most OUTSTANDING SHOWS 6 Of the nights....4 big broadway theme shows, a more intimate nightclub Beatles night, And the most amazing LE CIRQUE performance in any theater...land or sea of the 10 We have seen including Las Vegas. The 2 comedy nights were disappointing. An operatic Singer one night had a gorgeous voice. There is music and entertainment throughout The ship at other times as well as the usual cruise games and activities. FOOD Ranged from great to disappointing... But service was consistently excellent and there were Always more choices. There is only one fancy specialty restaurant, Prime 7. Service was so Leisurely that we left immediately after the main course to see the show. We were graciously Told we could come back just for dessert any other evening. Read Less

We were cruise virgins & went on this cruise with some ambivalence. We went with several other couples, all of whom were new to cruising. I was concerned because of a couple of negative reviews that were posted here after we had signed on to the cruise. Bottom line: we loved it, as did all our friends!! The level of service was impeccable. The staff on board practically stood on their heads to make us all comfortable & happy. Every person with whom we dealt was pleasant & accommodating. The wine was surprisingly good, the food excellent, the service delightful. Cleanliness was maintained fastidiously. Even the fresh flowers in the room & in the public spaces were a delight. The excursions were fabulous and, without exception, our guides were great fun. We hiked, kayaked, rafted, took float planes, saw bears, seals, whales, eagles, & calving glaciers. It was a fabulous trip. That was the unanimous opinion, and, by the way, this is a group that included oenophiles & gourmet cooks. To the complainers who posted previously, I cannot imagine how hard it is to please you in life & I wish you good luck. To the rest of you, I heartily recommend this cruise. It was worth every penny. Read Less

With 700 passengers Voyager is 3 times larger than Silverseas and Seabourn, so we read the negative reviews with some anxiety. However, No long check-in lines, we were in our superbly appointed cabin within 15 minutes of boarding. cabin equal to Silverseas and much better than Seabourn. Love the walk in shower, L'Occitane products, large bath sheets. Hectic schedule of ports, with only one day at sea, but well managed tours with staggered set off times and no waiting around. Lots to do on board, award winning spa, excellent daily fitness classes. Food plentiful, not gourmet, but up to top hotel food. Great choice of fresh, healthy options. We asked on several occasions for something not on the menu and it was always provided. Main negative was the appallingly slow and unreliable and very expensive internet connection - a major source of aggravation to us. This apart, this was definitely 6* luxury, the cabin was very spacious, very quiet and the balcony plenty big enough for two to sit and dine. and the crew were friendly, courteous, attentive. We can't wait for next time. Read Less

Boarding the ship and check-in was a breeze. No lines, no hassles and we got our ID cards along with our champagne. Lunch around the pool area was salads, burgers and dogs. The was open and since this was an cruise without additional cost for alcohol, a few people tried and succeeded in drinking multiple days worth of booze in one sitting before being admitted into their suites. The suites are huge. The walk-in closet and the nearly standard sized bathroom were just great. The staff was there to introduce themselves and the orders for the refrigerator stocks were placed - all very efficient. The event of having everyone around the ship go into the hallways and have a ship-wide cocktail and welcome party was a great ice breaker. The captain and principal members of the crew came to us and introduced themselves - a very nice touch. We spent more than an hour getting to know our neighbors, before the dreaded, mandatory safety muster. We were also able to get a load of laundry done and iron all of our clothes that were now unpacked. Departure from Vancouver was on time and the ride out of the harbor afforded many great views of the city and Stanley Park. Exhausted from a day of walking Vancouver and being a bit tipsy, we decided to get a pizza and other snacks delivered to the room. The serviced was prompt and the food well prepared. The days are very long during June and we were off for a cruise day along the Inside Passage. Early in the morning of our first day, we had breakfast delivered to the room (which arrived exactly as advertised and was well prepared) and went to the spa to workout. Noble, the health program manager, was fantastic. We signed up for personal training sessions and multiple workout regimes that were offered. The spa had plenty of equipment and treatment rooms along with steam and sauna rooms proved to be invaluable throughout the cruise. After breakfast and an hour on gym machines, we spotted our first pod of humpback whales and later that morning dolphins riding the wake of the ship. Alaska weather is mostly wet and 60 degrees, so the views from the ship on the cruise day were limited by the cloud cover. Buffet lunch in La Veranda was nice because we were able to sit above the stern and the wind was not an issue on the overcast day. Also, large overhead space heaters kept things nice and cozy on the deck for lunch. The buffet choices were small compared to cruises we have had with Crystal and Azamara, but it met our needs. Service at the tables was impeccable as it was the day before around the pool. We spent a quiet day cruising and playing bingo along the Inside Passage and enjoyed dinner (from the menu) in the Compass Rose main dining room where we met fellow cruisers at our open table. The service, preparation, presentation and quality were comparable to Azamara. Portions were correct and unlimited alcohol was available. The sommelier visited our table more than once to attend to our needs. Our evening meal was capped off with cordials and another display from a pod of humpback whales. We were not interested in the evening activities and were able to review our planned activities for first port, Ketchikan, from the TV and the delivered, printed materials in our room. After our workout in the gym in the morning, the Compass Rose restaurant was the place for a quiet breakfast where they even asked what level of doneness I wanted for my poached eggs. In my 60 years of ordering poached eggs, I have never been asked that question. Needless to say, they came out exactly as I requested. The first "free" excursion we took was the Lumberjack Show. We knew it would be corny and it was. It was fun just to sit and admire their skills, while laughing at their set-up jokes. Sometimes it is just good to let your pretentiousness down and laugh like a loon over corny jokes. Rain is the most abundant item in Ketchikan with over 200 inches having fallen in the season so far, so hiding out in bars and jewelry stores is a favorite pastime of visitors. We had lunch by the pool again with service that was first rate and courteous - burgers, fries and dogs. We can't beat that for simple and good. Our second "free" excursion was a seaplane ride to Misty Fjord. The plane flies low and close to the scenery and then lands in the fjord. We were able to walk on the pontoons of the plane before returning to Ketchikan. It was well narrated by the pilot and a beautiful trip. We departed out of Ketchikan about 4 pm and had dinner delivered to the room where we spent five hours admiring the serene and near glass-like water conditions of the cruise north. Delicious chicken and salad dishes were prepared to our request and a bottle of wine finished off the evening. The rain went away and the sun reflected off the water like a mirrored surface. Picture postcard views from our balcony caused us to skip the evening entertainment for the second night. When Mother Nature is putting on a show, man made entertainment cannot compete. As we travel north to Juneau, we placed our breakfast order for a 6:30 delivery. It was on time and perfect. Our first "paid" excursion was a Wildlife Quest catamaran trip to the Tracy Fjord that met alongside the cruise ship to transfer passengers. The Navigator continued into Juneau while we took the side trip and caught up to the main group in six hours. The Catamaran took us to the North and South Sawyer Glaciers. We saw seals, whales and bald eagles. Many beautiful icebergs were in the Fjord. We got right up the face of the glacier and watched calving. It was one of the highlight excursions of the cruise. Once in Juneau, we took a Mendenhall Glacier and Evening Whale watching (paid) tour. Our guide, Diane, from Gastineau Guiding, was very informative as we did a short wilderness walk at the glacier. Later, we boarded a speedy boat and went looking for whales. The captain found about eight adult Humpbacks and one baby Humpback feeding. We had a wonderful time watching them breach and dive. We also saw seals and bald eagles. We got back on the ship around 9 pm and had room service for dinner on our balcony as we departed Juneau to a wonderful sunset, skipping the evening entertainment in the Lounge. The cruise into Skagway is beautiful and should not be missed. Once again, we ordered breakfast for early delivery after a workout at the gym. We took the "free" White Pass train ride and it was spectacular. Many beautiful vistas along the way and we got to learn about the Yukon gold rush and all the hardships of the men who tried to get rich from the fields (some 500 miles away). We saw a mother bear and two little cubs right next to the tracks near the summit. We even saw the original Yukon trail which is still intact at the pass. We grabbed a quick hamburger lunch in the Compass Rose restaurant and it was delicious. The staff was great. We took an afternoon "free" walking tour through Skagway that explained the bawdy times of the madams and hookers of the gold rush times. Our departure out of Skagway was gorgeous, we spent hours on our balcony with champagne as the weather was warm and we had a late dinner at Compass Rose. Every seat at every table was taken and the staff performed impeccably. Our meal was served perfectly and prepared as we requested. The entire staff from the sommelier, head waiter, busboys and waiter visited our table and exchanged pleasantries, even though the place was packed, they all took time to visit and chat with all the tables. It was a very impressive performance by the professionals of the Compass Rose both in the kitchen and in the room. We chose not to attend the Cirque at the evening show, because we were going strong for about 16-18 each day and needed to catch up on some sleep. We arrived at Sitka. After a workout and steam at the spa, we had breakfast at the pool area. We enjoyed champagne and mimosas for breakfast as a reward for good health practices. We took a "free" sea otter boat trip and saw hundreds of sea otters, a bear along the beach, bald eagles, California Gray whale adults & newborns and a few adult Humpback whales feeding. Overall, this excursion was really very good. We docked at the ship landing at Sitka. We had lunch at an Italian place in Sitka. That afternoon, we took another "free" tour. This was a boat that had viewing windows below deck. It was a total waste of time. The water is green murky and one cannot see anything in the water. We left Sitka and ate in our room with service brought to our balcony. We enjoyed the warm climate until sunset, once again getting rid of two bottles of champagne. The final "port" before disembarking was Glacier Bay where we saw the Hubbard Glacier. It is a very pretty entrance to the bay and we had morning workout and then breakfast in our room with a bottle of champagne. We spun around the Hubbard Glacier and took photos. It is not as impressive as the Sawyer or Mendenhall Glaciers since you can't get close and it does not "calf" large chunks of ice. The day was quite chilly and overcast so we mostly stayed indoors and watched a number of on-demand movies on the TV. In the evening, we ate at the specialty restaurant on board and had a wonderful meal expertly prepared and professionally served. After a few night caps, we slept until we disembarked at Seward at 7am. There are a number of ways to get to Anchorage from Seward. We chose a private taxi service; PJ's Taxi and Renee provided us lots of interesting side trips on our way to the airport. The bus from the ship gets you to the airport around 11:30 am and the train gets there later. The prices are not reasonable for any of the three options, so pricing all the options is a smart thing to do. Read Less