We have been on over 20 cruises on various lines. We took this because it was the next level up and we wanted to compare it to Oceania. One passenger describe it best when he said about the crew, they are very friending and smile but the just don't understand what you are asking for. Alcohol is included in the price but if you don't drink, the staff does not know what to do with you. I never had a meal where I did not have to ask (seriously) at least 3 times per meal to have my water glass refilled. Everyday either first hand or watching others, orders (both drink and meal) were wrong or delivered to the wrong table. At least 3 times my order was delivered to someone else and I would not have gotten my order if I did not see this. In the dinning room we noticed that about 70% of the activity was around serving boos and not food. The meals were top notch. The everyday menu was excellent as a back-up if you did not like the daily choices. Chartreuse, the French restaurant was poor at best. Everyone we spoke to was very disappointed. One person was trying to be polite and when I said "it sucked", he said, "well.... yeah". The rooms were very roomy, that cabin crew nice but not as quick as we would expect. If we were gone for 2 or more hours in the morning, we did expect our room to be made up when we came back which did not happen about 1/3 of the time. Shore excursions are included in the price but you need to know that you have to book them within the first 5 minutes of them opening if you want to get a popular one. The excursions themselves were okay but because our itinerary was changed from Cuba to the Caribbean, I can understand that they were not excellent. The programs were some games and only had 2 enrichment seminars per day while at sea. For this group, more of that would have been appropriate. We are active people and there was not much to learn about of be active while at sea. Read Less

Regent sells this cruise as luxury, which is deceptive. Most of their ships are old which in this case is the Mariner, which is in disrepair [the Navigator which I sailed on is worse the ac could not be fixed and staterooms in aft bounced from the engine room.] The stateroom was not ready for use. The ac temperature was 74 and there was slow airflow. After four calls throughout the day and being ignored I threatened to call the General Manager and two men showed up to fix it. The shower had low pressure and a new shower head had to be replaced. Basically, I am restoring the stateroom for the cruise line. The bathtub was very high and narrow. Although we were there was no accident because we were careful and physically in good shape, I’m sure there are many accidents. I do not know how in good faith Regent can allow this dangerous situation to continue. The ship’s waste-processing system leaked toxic gas into my stateroom, throughout the ship and even along dockside at different times. Try breathing this all weak with no fix. The toilet stopped working because the entire line had to be repaired. The quality of the food was on the cheap end. For example, I ordered a rib eye, which I could make shoes out of which were not even supermarket quality. The fruit was not ripe, lower end quality, as you know fruit is rated. The service is slow and disorganized because Regent hire third world labor whose forte is not serving. The dining room manager was obnoxious. The dining attire stated nothing about sandals. However, He singles me out in a non-discrete manner in the middle of the dining room for all to hear “ sandals are not allowed!” I pointed to male guest already seated with sandals and asked what do you have to say to him….His response was no response. I asked him about the woman wearing sandals and he ignorantly responded, “this not discrimination!” Keep in mind he didn’t read stated rules on the menu, which I have already mentioned. Now we get to the pool deck. Although drinks are included there were no waiters on deck 12. There were three waiters on deck 11 by the pool. I spoke to the Beverage Manager who does not do his job and supervise and informed him. I sure the reader will not be surprised that the next day there were no waiters on deck 12 serving drinks and to make matters worse the pool deck manager allowed every towel area to run out of towels. I know this because I had to check every area looking for towels instead of relaxing. When I found him his explanation was, “there’s wind I can't put them out!” He could not explain why he did not put the towels in the boxes with lids [another incompetent.] It should be noted the main incompetent is the General Manager who hides in the back, is never visible, does speak to passengers passing by to get feedback. The buck ends with the CEO. The pyramid crumbles from the top and that’s who’s responsible for their brand. This cruise line is an overpriced, high-end rip-off. Just about any mid priced cruise line can do way better than this. Save your money or find a real luxury cruise line if it exists. Read Less

We were on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager for the 10-day Western Caribbean including Cuba. This was our first cruise with Regent and will likely be our last. We wanted to try out Regent (along with other upscale/luxury cruise lines) after cruising with many others. This was our 49th cruise overall. We have cruised on Seabourn several times and most of my comparisons are with Seabourn, since they are both comparably priced and target the high-end luxury cruising market. There were differences between Regent and Seabourn. Most significantly, you get “free” shore excursions included with Regent, while you pay for them separately on Seabourn. We have also sailed on Viking Ocean, where the shore excursions were included. However, on Viking Ocean, the “free” included shore excursions were very limited, usually a 2-3 hour bus tour. Regent had many more free/included excursions in each port. However, these “free” shore excursions are clearly part of the fare. You pay for them in advance. At our port of call in Cozumel, we were to tender in (which doesn’t make sense in the first place, since there is plenty of dock space for up to 8 ships and we are a luxury ship—you would think they would pay for the dock space). But due to “high swells” when we arrived (we didn’t see any—no whitecaps, no swells and I have pictures to prove it), the Captain decided to skip the port. We were scheduled to do the Dolphin Swim & Ride, which would normally be a $129/pp shore excursion. If we were on Seabourn and had scheduled that shore excursion, then the ship canceled the port call, we would be refunded that money. Not so on Regent, since it is “free” with your cruise fare. Well, yes, it is “free” but you definitely pay for it as part of your cruise fare. No compensation, nothing. So Regent makes money by skipping a port (vs. other cruise lines that lose money by skipping a port, since they have to refund all shore excursions). So Regent is financially incented to skip a port. Not to mention that there were 8 other cruise ships in Cozumel and we were the odd one out. So why we were tendering in the first place? I have no idea. Cozumel is an island without a protected harbor. Yet plenty of dock space. So Regent was apparently too cheap to pay for the dock space (even when they decided they could not tender), which is unfortunate. The average age onboard is probably 70-75 years old, which might explain why they decided not to tender in Cozumel. A bunch of old people might have difficulty tendering if the seas had swells, so let’s skip the port and save a boatload of money. Easy decision for the Captain. Bad decision for the passengers who wanted to go ashore. The shore excursions, in general, were poorly managed and not at all what was advertised. You would think for a cruise line where virtually everyone is taking your shore excursion, you would have the shore excursions part down pat. Not so. For example, the times in almost every port were highly variable, with start times and end times varying by as much as an hour from what was originally published. And, due to the high number of guests participating in the shore excursions, the wait times were often excruciating. We once waited over an hour and a half in the theater for our shore excursion to start. Also, what is published for the shore excursion is often not what you actually get. One example was a “Farm to Table Experience” where we were supposed to make a stop at a well-known Havana restaurant, then visit two of the farms that supply the restaurant, then back to the restaurant for lunch. A total of 4 stops. Instead, we skipped the restaurant altogether and went to a pig farm that supplied the restaurant, then had lunch on picnic tables there. Not the farm to table restaurant experience that we signed up for. But because it was “free” there was no compensation nor refund. Very disorganized and very poorly managed, which was surprising. We thought the shore excursions would be top-notch. They were not. On the plus side for the ship, the Constellation Theater was quite nice for a ship this size. Much larger and nicer compared to the show lounge on Seabourn. It is two levels and good sight lines throughout the theater. The production show cast was new for our sailing, yet they were quite good in the choreography and dancing category. The male vocalists lacked power and one in particular (Elliott) was consistently off key (he has forever ruined “Roxanne” for me), but the female vocalists were better. A disappointment is that the opening night “entertainment” was the port lecturer. Many people in the audience either left or fell asleep. Other than the production show cast, which did 4 shows, there were only two other entertainers onboard (a singer and a magician), who each did 2 shows. A prior cruise director filled in (very nicely) for another show when one of the performers could not make it due to the ship skipping Cozumel. The Compass Rose restaurant (main dining) was a general disappointment. Seabourn offers a very relaxed and elegant dining experience. We expected it to be similar on Regent, but not so. The waiters have 24 people to attend and apparently there is no 1:1 assigned assistant waiter, so they are constantly running. Therefore, any special requests were often ignored or simply forgotten. They were simply stretched too thin to provide high quality service. The food was good, although not as good as Seabourn (or Oceania or Viking Ocean or even Windstar for that matter). The buffet was poor, not even as good as we have seen on mid-tier lines like Princess, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We were surprised by the lack of quality of ingredients in the food preparation. We expected top shelf, like what we have seen on Seabourn. That was not the case. An example was serving Atlantic farm-raised salmon. We would have expected Pacific wild-caught salmon. Yes, it is more expensive, but this is a luxury line and we expected upscale dishes. It was very hit-and-miss. On the plus side, the cheese plates for dessert were generally good quality cheeses, consistent with what we have seen on Seabourn. But the other dishes were generally closer to what you would expect from a mainstream cruise line rather than upscale. The pool deck area is nice with terrycloth coverings on the loungers. They also have a decent-sized gym which was typically not very busy. Most of the older people were laying on the loungers out on the deck instead of exercising in the gym. The sea days were severely lacking in scheduled activities. Probably the best comparison point would be with Oceania (Regent’s sister company), where Regent was consistently underperforming Oceania. On Oceania, there were activities going on all over the ship throughout the sea days. Not on Regent. Again, an older, more sedate crowd. So maybe being 50-somethings left us wanting more. But we expected at least what we had seen on Oceania. That wasn’t the case. No sports other than “unhosted” meeting of players. I went to two of these and I was the only one who showed up. Eventually I convinced my wife to try out the different sports available around the ship (all of which were otherwise vacant), such as ping pong, bocce ball, croquet, shuffleboard, putting, etc. The ship itself is old and showing its age. During our 10 days, we had a problem with the entry door to our cabin (where the latch would not securely lock due to warping of the door), our safe (failed twice during the cruise requiring hard resets from security) and the hose in our shower started leaking, requiring replacement. Stuff is just getting old/dated/wearing out. There is visible rust on the balcony railing. The common areas are dated and some hallways smelled musty. Perhaps this ship is due for dry dock soon and they are just letting things go until then. Our cabin was a good size cabin, similar to a comparable cabin on Seabourn, although Seabourn has much nicer bathrooms and bathroom amenities. Again, Seabourn seems to understand luxury, Regent apparently does not. Even very minor things like toilet paper, on Regent it was the lowest quality, very thin, etc. Small thing, but a luxury hotel would know and understand the difference. As does Seabourn. Regent provides one free Internet login per cabin, which is better than Seabourn (where you have to pay for Internet unless you are in one of the larger suites). It is a little awkward to only have one login, since only one person can use it at a time, but this is definitely a plus over Seabourn. Like most cruise ships, onboard Internet is slow and spotty, so it didn’t always work. But since it was “free” you simply would try again later. And perhaps being free also impacted bandwidth, with all other guests accessing at the same time. Certain high bandwidth sites such as YouTube were restricted access. Both Regent and Seabourn offer free gratuities and free drinks. The quality of the wines offered on Seabourn is consistently better, usually $15-$20 bottles while on Regent they are usually $10-$12 bottles. On both cruise lines, you can pay additional to purchase more expensive wines. Both cruise lines also keep the minibar in your stateroom stocked throughout the cruise. The ship has a free launderette where you can wash and dry your clothes for free, which is nice for a longer cruise such as this. Same on Seabourn. Overall, the cruise line is not a 5-star luxury experience. It is not a Four Seasons nor Ritz Carlton experience. It’s not even a 4-star experience (Hilton, Hyatt). It is more aligned with a 3-star hotel experience such as Radisson, which is the original name of the cruise line (Radisson Seven Seas) or Marriott or Sheraton. Do not book Regent expecting a luxury cruise. It’s not. Read Less

We are long time Regent customers but had not sailed with Regent for two years account a previous problem. In the interim, we sailed with luxury lines, Crystal, Seabourn and Oceania. We chose the transatlantic crossing to try the new (for us) Explorer and because of the price. We also love going to Bermuda. We had an overnight in Bermuda where I chose to wear formal Bermuda attire, of coat, tie, Bermuda shorts and folded over knee socks (picture attached) I was asked to leave the bar as I had shorts on. Next, I experienced the only poor service, rude employee, of the cruise, the reception desk manager. I explained that we were docked in one of the most formal British protectorates in the world and that my attire was local custom, and requested to be allowed to wear formal Bermuda attire in Bermuda. The correct answer for the location was to check with the hotel manager or else make a simple apology. Instead I was given a lecture about local customs and how bad it could be in Papua, New Guinea (loin cloth). Steam was rising from my ears. With my bad experience highlighted I will say that the ship lives up to its billing of the most luxurious ship ever built. There is marble granite and exquisite light fixtures - EVERYWHERE. The overall decor of the ship is no less than 10 out of 10. Words and pictures can't describe it adequately. When I went into a private stall in the restroom I was in an eight foot by four foot marble box. Simply amazing. Service was generally excellent in all dining venues and bars. The ship was not completely full and extra visits to the specialty restaurants were available, especially if you were willing to share a table or eat late. Food in the main dining room, The Compass Rose was excellent. Of all the restaurants we rated Prime 7 as number 1. We did not enjoy Pacific Rim, but we are not Asian food fans so please consider this review neutral there. Overall passengers on the Explorer dressed better than other lines, a plus for us. 80% of men wore jackets at night and half of those wore ties. Our room was a Penthouse which we enjoyed (see below). We enjoy butler service on cruises and have learned to make use of them. Unfortunately, we did not get the best one as service could be slow or forgotten. We spoke with other passengers who had no problems so I must assume that we just drew the wrong one. We went on two shore excursions which were excellent and included. We missed the final port due to engaging in a man overboard search and rescue for a passenger from another ship who had fallen or jumped overboard. So, with all of the great that that can be said about this cruise why only 2 stars? Beyond the bad experience in Bermuda we can say that it boils down to value and inflexibility. Value - we have seen Regent take price increases each year. We chose this trip due to its lower cost and included business class return air from Spain. Backing out, my estimated value for the cruise, we paid just over $500 per day per person for the cruise. Good deal, but a quick check of category Penthouse B cabins this summer will reveal prices that can approach $1500 per day (which include business air). Over the past few year Regent strives to make more and more included. Shore excursions, drinks, specialty restaurants, and just starting - free laundry. To get the full value for all of this you need to take advantage, and most of us don't. And then there is another phenomenon that seems to be more prevalent on Regent than on other top lines. My wife and I call it "forced shopping". On this cruise we had a combined total of $1,100 (USD) shipboard credit. The credit came from American Express, the ship and the travel agent. Regent is"all inclusive" and Since we are not big spa people, and don't partake in top shelf spirits or wine, we have to spend it (or lose it) in the shops. We ended up purchasing lots of stuff we never would have elsewhere. And the shops aren't cheap. Up until about 2010, you were able to visit the future cruise consultant and roll the shipboard credit into a future cruise. That ended and we became free agents in the luxury market. Finally, inflexibility. The shorts incident aside (a perfect example) we found that the staff works from a very regimented script or playbook. One day we told our (excellent) waitress that we were praying for calm seas. She lets us know she was praying for a calm boss. On the last full day, we completely packed early in the morning and stashed the bags under the bed. The cabin steward pulled out the completely full bags and put them on the bed, because - that was what the script called for. In fairness this may be Regent's way of managing service but we found it to be a little stiff. We will be back on Regent but it will likely take 2 years or more. Read Less

After having been on passenger ships dating back to the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary as a child and being on Ships from the the Emerald Seas, The Nordic Prince in the the 70's to the evolutionary changes in cruising today, I am familiar with origins and changes in the industry and appreciate its revolution. Most recently, we have sailed on both Princess and Celebrity with accommodations ranging from balconies to suites with a butler...certainly the microcosm of availability. We chose to sail Regent because of a desire to try a smaller vessel with purported luxury and personal concern for the individual passenger. The cost was about twice that of previous similar itineraries. The question is... was this worth twice the price...Categorically-NO. The ship was luxurious as advertised. The cabin appointments were depicted as they were or should I say "as the wide angle lens would have it." Certainly not a surprising value was found here. The dining was, in general, excellent. There were some exceptions to the expectations, ie A crab cocktail was inedible, the smoked salmon average. Activities were sedate and geared to an "old" crowd. Previous reviews had given fair warning of what to expect. The cruise director, Andy, and his wife Tammy were well rehearsed... to ad nauseum. Spontaneity and enjoyment were not part of their repertoire. The service and personal wait staff were outstanding, well schooled, courteous and attentive. Excursions were, shall I say, a joke. The first port was Nassau. Our party (four) chose a tour which would include going to "Atlantis". The descriptor said exactly what it would do, go there. If you wanted to get in, break out your credit card for $175.00 more. The St. Kitts excursion was to take us to a resort and a day at the beach, that is if you consider rocks and shacks a resort. That lasted at least 5 minutes before we got back on the bus to return under the guise of illness. It was really sickening. Take all the the tours you want, but, buyer beware! The questions to be asked and answered are "Was it worth it and would I(we) go again?" The answers are No and No. Value was not given for the "merchandise" received. In the future, upgrading to a fine suite on Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean is more in the offing. Money would not have been the object had perceived value been given. Read Less

We wanted a luxury cruise on a smaller ship with excellent service and good food. We had only cruised on Oceania before and thought that this line would be comparable. We were sorely mistaken. Arranging air travel was difficult. Their agents wanted to do nothing about changing seats or upgrading. The ship was tired and dated. The furniture in the cabin was stained and scuffed. The ship is going to be overhauled in a few months and it is certainly time. The largest negative was the food. The quality was poor and service inconsistent. The worst surprise was that the buffet food was not served by staff-diners helped themselves. Some with no attention to being hygienic. The food was cold and overcooked, especially any fish on the menu. Eating breakfast and lunch in the dining room was an option but service was terrible. The speciality restaurants were quite good but food in the the main dining room was inconsistent. The cruise was Mayan themed which was the biggest draw for us. So we were also very disappointed that the guest lecturer from the Smithsonian Institute did not turn up and no replacement was found. No compensation offered either! The excursions were fine but guides were mixed as to knowledge. Overall this was nothing like the luxury, food quality and service that we experienced before. Prices were high even taking into account that the cruise was all inclusive. We shall not be cruising on Regent again. Read Less

We went to join our friends from Brussels. The Regent Explorer was built in 2016. Hard to believe. Feels like an old ship that has been redecorated. If you are on Deck 5 aft, the elevator bank almost butts right up to the stairwell. Wonder who passed that inspection. We were not made aware of our cabin number until two days before embarkation. For good reason. We paid $11,000 for the smallest accomodation on the ship. Contrary to all other ships, we were not taken to our cabin, no steward to show us around the cabin. There was a bottle of champagne and two glasses that quickly disappeared the next day. No water pressure in the mold smelling shower. AC had to be fixed, TV remote not charged, bedspread not needed, looked and smelled bad. A layer of dust would settle on our shoes each night. Helps to vacuum UNDER the bed once in a while as seen with the dust on our luggage. It took three days, to make staff understand that we wanted diet soda in our refrigerator. That was the ONLY thing we had asked for. Many times, veranda furniture was stacked. We had to pull it out and place cushions. Interesting that there we not enough hangers when we used the cabin, but on departure day, an abundance of new wood hangers we placed in our closet as we left. Best restaurant "Pacific Rim" great service. Chartruse is neither French nor noteworthy. Needed a chain saw to get through two lamb chops. Waiter will pull out our chair, but where are they when the heavy chair will not slide on carpet. It is a struggle. Waitstaff will either buzz around you or are no where in sight. Many times on the Veranda a waiter would say he would get something for us and then disappear, never to be seen again. Very bad system for breakfast. Sometimes numbers on tables, sometimes not. How may times was coffee served with no cream. You waited until your coffee got cold to find someone to bring cream. I thought the two went together. Waiters very nice around the pool but elsewhere??????? Steak house, chef was disappointed that we didn't give him accolades. We asked for decaf We were given just the opposite and didn't sleep the entire night before departure. We are not wowed but furniture or fixtures. If Regent thinks that makes them great, they are dead wrong. It is the service and the graciousness that you remember. Read Less

We hav been on Regent Cruises before but they have definitely gone down hill. We chose the Amazon adventure 25 night cruise. Regent advertises all inclusive shore excursions and premium drinks. We booed shore excursions weeks in advance. It took several visits to their website and several phone calls as not all locations were available for booking. We finally had all excursions booked. They were booked at least two months in advance. The night of embarkation we received a letter that one of our excursions that we were confirmed on was oversold and we were deleted from the booking. We went to the Excursions desk the next morning to book another excursion but were told nothing else was available. We were told that we should have read the fine print that all inclusive “subject to availability”. At dinner we were offered two selections of wine included with dinner, one red and one white. We asked to see a wine list which were all up charges. In several state rooms the air conditioning was not working and the rooms were quite hot. Bottom line, we believe we are far better off staying with an upscale cruise line like Celebrity and purchasing the excursions and premium drink package. Read Less

It's my first trip with Regent, it will be my last. 1. Quality of customer service over the phone was inconsistent. Some are helpful, other sounded like they could not care less. Most of the agent gave you short answers, and you had to asked them to clarify. I believe the company either did not pay their agent well or trained them well, so those who answered the phone are not enthusiastic to serve the customers. They just do they job to earn minimum wage. 2. Onshore excursion were not all FREE. The more interesting ones are at least $199 or more per person. They also cancelled the activities several times, even right after we are on board, making it hard to re-book. It also caused long lines at the service desk, and long waiting time before activities are confirmed. Also, there were several activities (in Cuba) that they failed to list age restrictions. We were told one night right at the check-in that my 15 year old was "too young" for the activities we already have tickets and book 2 months ago. They are so disorganized!!! 3. At end of the cruise, they promise to credit my balance back to my credit card. It hasn't happened yet after two months. 4. I do have to say most staff on the cruise ship were friendly, but some are very GREEN. You can tell they were just newly hired and not up to the tasks, and not trained well. 5. Mariner was an old fleet and the cabin are tiresome looking and furnishing are outdated. 6. Service at their specialty restaurant and PrimeRose are soooo slow! Dinner always takes more than 2 hours to finish. Read Less

What a horrible experience taking the Regent Explorer to the Caribbean, Mar 6-16, 2017. To begin with, our plane was late in getting to Miami. Once we cabbed it to the pier, there was no sign staytng Regent Terminal. Luckily, we found a security guard who unlocked the door and we carted our luggage to the ships reception area. The ship had been notified every 10 minutes regarding our late arrival but offered zero assistance. Once on the ship, our luggage was transported to our stateroom. We never were shown the usual emergency procedures which I believe is law. All food was frozen- this includes orange juice, to fresh fruit and meats. Fish was frozen. Had 3 meals in the Compass Rose (main dining room) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- total unorganization. Never made it to the Asian restaurant after hearing negative comments regarding the food. Had dinner in the French restaurant- just OK. Prime 7 (steak restaurant) was good as was the cafeteria which at night became the Italian restaurant. The staff was very friendly but again, needed proper training which lacked. The “free” excursions were a total waste. After signing up for the cruise with a 6 week timeframe, there were few excursions available. This is not shared until after one books the cruise. The Ports were a waste- never saw the cities since the docking locations were in industrial areas, or man made ports created by the ship line. In a 10 day cruise, there were 3 movies shown (also available in your stateroom,) a singer brought onboard, 4 stage productions using the singers and dancers. For a 6 star ship, the entertainment was nothing special. Considering all of the negatives that we experienced, we went to the General Manager Michael to share our experiences. His retort to me was “What would you like me to do for you?” This clown would have been better off as a comedy act than a General Manager of a ship! All in all, Regent should become a Carnival ship instead of what is called a 6 star ship. Carnival owns them- STAY AWAY! Read Less

We chose this cruise for our 40th anniversary. We felt totally invisible to the crew and staff. Hard to imagine that so many staff can look without really seeing, There were exceptions and some good service but not the norm. Order a coke with lunch...never came. Order juice at breakfast...never came. Order a salad for dinner...get someone else's salad and have it wisked away after 5 minutes...oopps! hope you did not sneeze in it before we took it to the other table. The entertainment was mediocre except for the comedian. The dancing was very suggestive and cheap and a little embarrassing to watch with your wife. Watching soft porn? Could not understand the captain's announcements. The excursions were not really that great unless you were interested in looking at old sugar plantations endlessly. The islands are very full of litter. Unemployment is high and poverty is seen everywhere. We will choose another cruise route and itinerary next time. The weather was great. but good luck getting a chair on the pool deck as they could not possibly seat the hundreds of guests who wanted to be there. save a seat the first day and claim it for the whole cruise like everyone else or don't even try to get one later. they let people save the chairs all day even when they are not using them. on a good note...the ship decor is outstanding. Read Less

We wanted to try this new ship as we heard it was very luxurious. We have sailed previously on other Regent ships and had enjoyable cruises with some minor lapses in service and excursions. On this particular cruise in the Caribbean we had visited all of the ports previously and were not interested in taking any of the free excursions (bus rides). In fact we did not even get off the ship in St. Barts as we felt this Island to be a total rip off. The Service in all of the restaurants was substandard with many of the Ukrainian staff unfamiliar on how to serve and clear. On our first night we ate in Prime 7, the steak house. I wanted to order the Dover Sole and asked the server if he could filet same and remove the bones. His reply, " I don't know how". I then ordered a steak and saved the Dover Sole for the next night in the main dining room, Compass Rose, where it was filleted properly. In the French restaurant I ordered the cheese course. The Ukrainian waitress cut off huge chunks of cheese from the Cheese Trolley, way too much, and then asked me if I wanted salt and pepper on my selection. The above are only two almost comical instances of the unprofessionalism of the serving staff. Service was hit or miss, depending on the luck of the draw as over sixty new untrained crew arrived the same day we departed Miami. Our Suite on deck 12 forward, 1206, was fine except for the wind noise which we heard on some nights when the seas were rough. Also, interior doors in the walk in closet and bathrooms would open and close by themselves. Our Butler was outstanding and couldn't do enough for us. One of the lecturers on Cuba gave us erroneous information on Meyer Lansky. I informed afterwards as I had first hand knowledge. Read Less

Have gone on a Regent Cruise many times. This is the first time we neither enjoyed the ship or the destinations. Our South American cruise highlighted the Galapagos and Machu Picchu, however they were not a part of our sites. Machu Picchu was a post 18 day cruise destination which was not clear in the marketing. There was one excellent lecturer on board, but very few daytime activities that were stimulating. The itinerary, from Miami to Lima, Peru was frankly, boring. Little to see and very little for those with any mobility problems. But most important, many on the ship became ill, my husband a physician, got the flu along with others. While I appreciate that there was a doctor on board, the fee for the visit was $1450 which I thought was exhorbitant. The medication, prescribed for each of us was $350 each for a packet costing $110 each in the States and the visit including a blood test and nasal swab was $750. Since we couldn't exactly "jump ship"and look for a CVS, we were stuck. I wrote to the ship line and was told their price was commensurate with other cruise lines. Does that mean "price fixing"? So bring any and all medication you might possibly need on your next trip. Blue Cross/Medicare doesn't cover you and YES we both had flu shots before we boarded, but clearly it was going around the ship. Read Less

Service not what it should be and food often over-cooked but the cabins were the big issue. Some big closets, some giant suites with tiny closets. Brown water in tub, shower handles that fall off. Shower doors that shatter. Pieces of the wall that fall off. Rude, incompetent fitness center people, shore excursions issues, lousy house wines, whistling doorways. Quite a shock for $34,000. Cannot make good caps. Fish cooked with beef for lunch so tasted beefy. Overdone protein often. Optional wines priced high versus competitors given that wines are included. Some snarky employees. They lied and said crew was best of the best on this new ship and many were on their first cruise. Cannot order room service from the restaurants, even in a Seven Seas Suite. Have to order from a crappy 1 page menu. Their cheaper sister, Oceania allows ordering from any restart at this level. Left out important information on several shore excursions....they said " not us, we outsource the excursions". Guess what; it is on you Regent. Offered a paltry amount to make up for all this. Read Less

We have cruised on Oceania(Regent's "lower" sister), Crystal, Silver Seas and were really looking forward to trying Regent; in fact, we waited for Explorer, actually booking our trip before the ship was built. That was our first mistake as Regent sales people did not know much about the ship so on the advise of a Regent person we booked a penthouse at the very front of the ship. In July 2016, we learned that penthouses do not have a tub in the bathroom. What?! My husband really needs a tub. At that time the ship was sold out so we decided to make full payment and go on the cruise. November we were offered an upgrade for $6,000 to a Seven Seas Suite with tub. We decided to go forward with the bigger suite so we have a tub. We had engineers, plumbers, carpenters in our suite for the first 6 days due to all the suite problems. Shower knobs fell off, tub full of brown water, pieces of wall falling down, whistling door wall ALL THE TIME. Our door wall was taped shut every day and night, we had to tape(they gave us our own roll of tape) the sliding door into the commode because it would not stay open at night during rough seas. The closet in this big suite was the size of a porta potty. Two of us could not be in the closet at the same time. We had clothes hanging all over the suite. The list goes on. Poor service, poor shore excursions, cheap wines, indifferent staff in most cases and surly nasty destination services staff. And peculiarities with the ship. Why no tubs in penthouses? Why a TINY closet in the Seven Seas Suite? Why no window washing in 16 days? Why low ceilings so that tall people bump/break their heads on light fixtures? For all of our troubles we were offered "slap in the face" compensation. We had our travel agent handle it once we got back, NOTHING!!! We are younger than their "average" customer and we will NEVER travel with them again. VERY DISAPPOINTING experience. I feel like they took 16 days from me that can never be replaced. Read Less

Our ninth cruise on Regent and by far our most disappointing trip. When you charge a premium and advertise a 6 star experience your expectations are high and unfortunately where not met on this cruise. Each cruise has a port that you really look forward to visit and on this trip it was Gibraltar with really good shore excursions being offered. So imagine our disappointment when our stop was cancelled a month after our final payment was made with no explanation (I know they don't have too but this a premium cruise line) and Barcelona was changed to an overnight . When asked about on board we where only told it was for "operational reasons" and nothing more. I think I found the real reason when arrived in Barcelona when around 2PM to a pier with dumpsters and stacks of materials. Embarkation was as smooth as always with Regent really does a great job of getting you on board. A glass of champaign and off to lunch to meet your fellow passengers until your cabins are available. Our stop in Bermuda was as expected which was just OK. We arrived on Easter Sunday with almost everything being closed but a pleasant drive around the island each day was offered. We did learn quite a lot about the island so all in all not a bad stop. This was our fifth crossing and we where looking forward to the sea days and the interaction with our fellow passengers. One of Regent's greatest assets is a cadre of returning cruisers who enjoy travel and interacting with other guests and staff. You've never really done a crossing until you done "Regent" crossing. Activities are led by the show cast members which gives you the opportunity to get to know some amazingly talented young people starting out on their acting careers. The fun is not the games but having fun with the other passengers and cast members. Our crossing started out fine from Bermuda but we lost an engine before our stop in Madeira so we arrived late and all shore tours where canceled. We where able to get repairs so we where off to Barcelona passing Gibraltar at dawn but the weather was good entering the Med. Our arrival was around 2PM with our shore excursion beginning at 3PM for a 3 hour tour which after we where on the bus became a 5 hour tour (returning at 8PM with luggage outside your cabin by 11PM). OK, Barcelona is an amazing city and we really did get to see a lot of it. But beginning our tour so late the Sagrada Família was closed when we arrived so only got to see it from the outside. Returning to the ship we found the dumpsters full of pool and veranda furniture so I guess we now know why we skipped Gibraltar. It was not about a "Celestial Crossing" as advertised but getting the ship in early to start the refit. Service was not up to Regent standards in the Compass Rose dining room. Some servers where perfect with pacing of your meal like the finest restaurant while others just delivered the meal (how do you serve a Dover sole and not debone it for the guest) and you had to ask for refills of bread. The staff on the pool deck seemed understaffed with long waits getting your drink order taken and delivered. The shows where fantastic in all respects. Having met the cast during activities really gives you a focus when watching them on stage. With Regent changing production companies I hope they are able to maintain the very high standards they have achieved to date. You compare Regent with the finest available which after many exceptional cruises becomes a very high standard. Having to leave you door open to your cabin to use the internet is unfortunate lack of service. Hit and miss in the dining room shows a lack of training of new staff. Changing the itinerary after you receive payment without explanation shows a lack of respect of your very loyal customers. When you are spending a lot of money for a cruise you expect the best which we didn't receive on this trip. Let's hope this is a one off exception. Read Less

We recently sailed on the Seven Seas Mariner on the 72-night Panama to Patagonia Grand Voyage. We wanted to take a bit of time before writing this review so that it was written from a thoughtful perspective rather that an emotional viewpoint. We have been sailing with RSSC since 2007, and have logged 391 nights having sailed on several world cruises and grand voyages. On each voyage we enjoyed the experiences and we were really looking forward to circumnavigating South America. Several reasons that we chose to take this voyage rather than segments of the world cruise were that 1) we had never been south of Lima or south of Rio, so a huge portion of this cruise was going to be new areas to us; 2) We had never been to the Falkland Islands; 3) We enjoy fjords and glaciers; and 4) We had never been to Devil's Island. But to say we were disappointed with our recent experience would be an understatement. We are also deeply disappointed by the resolution proposed by Regent Seven Seas in regards to future cruise credits. We traveled on a Regent arranged flight overnight, arriving approximately 8:00 a.m., in Miami. There we were informed by Regent representatives that we would have to wait at the airport terminal for at least 90 minutes before being transported to the ship. We thought this was very odd, as we were certain we would not be able to board until the ship had been disembarked. Once we arrived at the cruise terminal at approximately 10a.m., we were informed by the cruise gate security agents that we could not enter the cruise terminal until noon, at the earliest. Accordingly we had to stand outside for two hours as there are no benches or seats to speak of. Now we waited another stretch of time while the ships personnel tried to get the computer systems working. That process took well over an hour, and we were finally processed very slowly as very few terminals were working. So our cruise started with a very stressful state of affairs. During the first leg of the journey (Miami to Lima), we commented to a number of officers including the Captain about the lack of any special events for the "Grand Voyagers." Typically there have been special welcome dinners or cocktail hours for the Grand Voyagers so we would get to know our fellow long-term passengers. We were told several times something would be scheduled, but nothing ever was. During the second leg of the journey (Lima to Buenos Aires), evidently several embarking guests came on board bearing a gastrointestinal ("GI") bug that spread quickly throughout the ship. We also found out from crew members that many of the sick passengers were told to isolate themselves in their cabins, but decided to disregard these orders, and further contaminated the ship. So for nearly the entire time of this segment we were subjected to "code red" procedures which limited access to many amenities. It was during this segment that we started missing ports. The first missed port was Iquique, Chile. Then Coquimbo, Chile. Then on the 8th or 9th we were told the ship had possibly picked up a fishing net in one of the pods, and that cruising speed would be effected. It was reported that we would not be going to the Amalia Glacier due to weather concerns. It was also reported a couple days later that we would not be going to the Falkland Islands due to weather concerns. However, in Montevideo, we met up with a ship that was paralleling our cruise route. It turns out that they were in the Falklands on the same day the Mariner was scheduled to be there and there were no weather related issues at all. Now the cruise really got interesting, and not in a good way. During the third segment (Buenos Aires to Rio) the GI bug continued to pop up and limit our access to amenities. Then in Santos, Brazil, we were informed the auxiliary generator had failed its regularly scheduled test, so we would be docked there until further notice. Due to that problem, we missed three additional Brazilian ports... Ilha Grande, Parati, and Buzios. Then the fourth segment (Rio to Miami) and missed yet another port, Devil's Island. We truly feel let down by the miscommunication, conflicting offers of credits, and the overall amount that Regent thinks is adequate compensation. We missed 8 ports or experiences out of a possible 47 which is over 17%. . Read Less

First, let me say we WERE loyal Regent cruisers and have introduced two other couples to the Regent experience. This time, we were disappointed and embarrassed because Regent's charm and allure has gone downhill. We spent almost $12,000 for this 10-day cruise and frankly, that was too much money for what we got in return. First of all, the Navigator was shabby and threadbare in many areas. The carpet in front of the elevators was stained and old - especially on the pool deck. It was not a good first impression. Of course, vibration in the stern of the Navigator was expected. However, it makes no sense in holding any type of activity in the Stars Lounge because vibration noise is so pronounced. One day, they had a jewelry presentation in the Stars Lounge and the speaker didn't have a microphone. We all had to sit in the front row so we could hear the presentation. We used to enjoy eating on the pool deck and never had a problem ordering food or drinks. This cruise, the service was less than stellar on the pool deck. Food took forever to arrive and one day, I ordered iced tea FIVE times before a glass arrived. From that day forward, I ordered 2-3 iced teas at a time just to be sure I had a refill. We also had a problem with the start time and length of evening meals. When we first cruised with Regent, I seem to remember the Compass Rose (main dining room) opening at 5:30 - it now opens at 6:30. In fact, all restaurants open at 6:30. We don't like to eat that late. It took a minimum of two hours for every evening meal. Two hours sitting and waiting course by course gets tiresome every single evening. There should be a evening buffet. I would like to see La Veranda converted BACK to an evening buffet. Regent's entertainment is mediocre. On all of our Regent cruises, there's been a Broadway show and Cirque de SHIPNAME. Honestly, Regent needs to freshen up entertainment. And 9:30pm is too late for the evening show when we start the day at 8:00am with shore excursions. Why does the show have to start so late at night? Finally, we feel we should be compensated for a missed day in port. Costa Maya was cancelled because the water was too rough to dock. Although Regent can't be held responsible for bad weather, it was supposed to be a day in port and we had a "free" shore excursion booked. We pay top dollar to cruise with Regent because shore excursions are included in the price and I feel Regent owes us an extra shore excursion. No, we did not enjoy the extra day at sea. We booked this cruise because of the number of days in port and opportunities for shore excursions. Speaking of excursions, we paid extra for the "Turtles, Stingrays Land & Sea" Regent Choice excursion. We were severely limited in our freedom to roam the turtle farm because we only had a green wristband. I would expect a higher quality tour from Regent. The description also promised a tour of the rum factory which was closed. Our tour guide explained the rum factory closes when there is only one ship in port. Some other stop should have been substituted in this tour - perhaps a stop at the famous Seven Mile Beach? As a result, we cancelled our next cruise with Regent (Alaska was already booked in 2016). We have re-booked Alaska with another cruise line. Read Less

Regents Seven Seas Cruise 2015 Our Cruise – 10 day, Leaving and returning to Miami, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Ship - SS Navigator, To The Western Caribbean, Suite Category D Concierge, Booked with Luxury Cruise & Vacation Specialist/Luxury Cruise Connections To sum up this cruise: Date of Cruise 3/7/15 to 3/18/15 Was it worth the money- NO Would I recommend this cruise – NO Food – 3 out of 5 Service 4 out of 5 Accommodations (Stateroom) 5 out of 5 Shore Excursions - 2 out of 5 Service before the cruise – 5 out of 5 Service after the cruise 1 out of 5 Booking agent before final Payment – excellent, after final payment Poor, after the cruise “No Return Calls” This was to be our over the top 25 anniversary cruise for us and our best friends. We had been on several cruises before but wanted something really special. Over all I would give this cruise an average rating and not worth the high end cost. I have been on several cruises, but never an all-inclusive high end cruise. I would never take this cruise again. I’ll break it down so you can determine what is valuable to you and if you are willing to pay for few extras you get. With the Regent Cruises, they arrange your travel and purchase your airline tickets, hotel accommodation, connections from the airport, hotel and the ship. This stage went very well except for one leg, which I will explain later. When we arrived at the airport, there was a representative to meet us at baggage claim. He took our luggage to a staging area where we waited for a couple of other passengers. The airline had lost my wheel chair, so they sent the other passengers to the hotel and sent a special car for my wife and me. The hotel was very nice, a high end hotel, the rooms were very nice and overlooked the Miami harbor. Breakfast was provided in a private meeting room. The room was very crowded and they finally had to set up additional tables. The breakfast was poor at best, powdered eggs and some kind of bacon with some little pastries and some fruit. Not the best start. After breakfast we loaded onto buses for the trip to the boat. This was all handled in a very orderly manner. The luggage was loaded onto the buses and we didn’t see them again until we got to our stateroom. However on the return trip from the ship to the airport, this was a nightmare. We left the ship and loaded onto buses in a very quick and orderly method. Much better than any cruise I have ever been on before. When we arrived at the airport, the bus pulled into the back of the airport, an area of the airport I have never seen and looked like a place we shouldn’t be. There were no agents or porters, in fact, there were no other people in sight. The bus drivers ask us to stay on the bus while he unloaded the luggage, I know why he wanted to get out of there before we knew what was happening. There were no airport personnel, porters or luggage carts available. There was an airport entrance about 100 yards away which took us into the baggage claim area. Check in was up stairs, so we were left with our luggage, no help and a long way to drag it. The staterooms were very nice, very large with a walk-in closet, a large bathroom with both a shower and bath tub. The Cabin Steward great, she kept the room very neat and clean. Turning down the beds at night and making the beds each morning. She was un-noticeable unless you called on her. She was very responsive to every request. The king size bed was one of the best beds I have ever slept on. The refrigerator was stocked with beer, water and sodas and was restocked every day. Bottles of wine would be delivered via room service any time of day. Room service was quick and very good, even the morning breakfast would arrive within 10 to 15 minutes. Food…..The sales pitch was it was like eating in a 5 star restaurant every night. I don’t think so; the food was good but not a 5 star standard by any means. I would give it may-be a 3 to 3.5 stars. I had better food on Carnival Cruise lines. They also have a specialty Restaurant, Prime 7 Steak House, which was supposed to be over the top. You had to make reservation at no additional cost. We arrive and were seated by the kitchen in a small and very crowded dining room. There were 4 of us and we had Prime Rib, 2-Ribeye Steaks and surf and turf. I don’t think any of us ate it all and not because there was to much food. The steaks and prime rib were tough, the lobster was overcooked and it was just not enjoyable. You did have a 5 course meal every night and they spent a lot of time replacing silverware and dishes, like a 5 star restaurant. Dinner was not a quick affair; it usually took from 2 to 2.5 hours to eat each night. Service was not quick and if you asked for something different, you would have to ask several times. I must say that the wine flowed freely, there was always someone there to re-fill the glass or top them off. The wine as well as all the liquor was top shelf. Breakfast of sausage and eggs consisted of 2 eggs, two small sausages links and 2 small round (about quarter size) home fries. Lunches around the pool were standard fare, Hot dogs, Hamburgers and sandwiches which were very good. They also had a buffet each day with a different theme. Which was OK, they had a Mexican Theme one day that was bad, if they hadn’t told us, I don’t think I would have known it was Mexican. Most of the excursions were included with just a few that had an extra charge, but there were plenty of free ones to choose from. But they did not live up to billing either. At our first port, we didn’t even stop because the sea was to rough and we couldn’t get into the dock. So they just slowed down and took their time to get to the next port. Most of the excursions are lousy, poorly planned and you no longer even get the rest stop with snacks/beverages. I would prefer to pay more for a quality excursion. Now we only go on our own independent tours and have so much more fun. Spa: Way Way overpriced All of the shows start at 9:30 so we didn’t make it to any of them. By the time we finished dinner most of the time the show had already started. They did have tea and game each day which was very entertaining and fun. They would play bingo and trivia games where you could win tickets for prizes from the gift shop. The tea was served with different type’s appetizers and small desserts which were very good. My next cruise will NOT be with Regents Seven Seas. Read Less

After cruised with Regent many times, we were looking forward to our western Caribbean "snorkel" cruise. After we paid our final payment, the excursions started to be cancelled. Before we even left for Miami, two snorkel trips were cancelled and our hotel was changed three times. Once on board, we discovered that the navigator was an old ship that vibrated and rattled and on the open ocean was prone to excessive rolling. The big surprise was to follow the first morning on the cruise when we couldn't stay in our cabin due to the noise. It was never disclosed to us that they would be doing construction work daily on the boutique directly below our cabin. Each day for five days was filled with the sound of power tools and hammering. Depending on who you talked to, we would receive a different answer; we'll stop it today or we have to do it, too bad. Our cabin was unusable during the day the first half of the cruise. By the time the cruise was over, more excursions were cancelled or unusable due to scheduling changes. This was an expensive trip for about a total of 1:20 snorkel time. But our biggest disappointment came when we got back and notified Regent through the encouragement of our travel agent of what happened. We received NO RESPONSE !! This was so unlike Regent in our past sailings and we were shocked until I learned that Regent had been taken over by Norwegian and they are not as service directed as the old Regent management Read Less

We sailed on "Seven Seas Voyager" in June 2014 and had such a wonderful trip that we booked on "Seven Seas Navigator." Wow! It's like we are on a different (and much inferior,) cruise line! First, the ship itself.... Negatives: "Navigator" seems old and tired. There is a positively ALARMING prolonged vibration at times when underway...and we were on the top passenger deck, Deck 11. I saw this mentioned before we sailed in other reviews, so obviously Regent knows about it. But, clearly, they have done nothing to correct it. Nor do they mention or explain it onboard. It's like the proverbial "elephant in the room." The stabilizers, which I believe I read were retrofitted to this ship, do not do much to dampen roll. Additionally, the ship's short length accentuated pitch (forward-to-back motion.) Both combine to provide a much less stable cruise than "Voyager." The rugs and upholstery throughout the ship are stained and often worn-looking. The furniture and paneling are dinged, banged-up and scratched. The first water run into our bathtub was always rusty, (though it did clear quickly.) Here's a BIG one for us. Most of the deck where the Connoisseur Club smoking lounge is positively stank of cigarette smoke. Just walking from the front elevators to the Seven Seas Lounge, where most tours met, resulted in my hair and clothing stinking of smoke for several hours. Phew eee! The 3 elevators, both fore and aft, are arranged in a semi-circle, not in a straight line like "Voyager." I assume this is because "Navigator" is so much smaller. The problem with this is that they wait a very short time after coming to the summons of the button. You have to stand in front of the middle one and sprint to catch whichever of the side ones comes. (We joked that they had a sensor to tell them where you were standing, so the could offer you the one furthest away!) I rolled my husband around on a wheelchair we rented, and we missed A LOT of elevators because it was so difficult, on the padded carpets, to get him to the open one on time. We saw people on foot get left behind, too. We could see when we were ashore that only the very large, high-priced suites had the very comfortable "rattan" lounge chairs and tables on their balconies that we enjoyed in our Penthouse Suite on "Voyager." Our Penthouse on "Navigator" had metal chairs with plastic mesh fabric. Not as comfortable, at all. Positives: Can't think of any for the "physical plant." We should have had our first cruise on "Navigator," not on "Voyager!" Food & Beverages..... Negatives: Service was very slow and spotty, especially at La Veranda and the Pool Grill. It seemed as if the wait staff was more concerned with their own agenda that with the passengers' comfort or needs. At the Pool Grill, we heard a staffer, whose back was turned to the buffet as he worked on equipment behind the buffet, tell a man starting to dish up his breakfast from the that "The Breakfast Buffet here is closed. Go inside to La Veranda." I informed him that the food was still sitting RIGHT THERE, and that I was going to dish up breakfast! He did not object. For heaven's sake!! Repeatedly, main course dishes were not cleared to make room for our dessert. Indeed, wait staff would be busy setting up for the evening dinner service at La Veranda, when it becomes Setti Mari, rather than attending to the guests they had at present. When asked, they did clean the plate, but not the salad plate, rolls, etc. Often, we weren't offered beverages until we asked for them. Service could also be very slow in Prime & and Compass Rose. We spent almost 2 hours getting dinner at Compass Rose, and actually left without dessert because we had sat so long, with out empty entreé dishes before us We didn't want to wind up spending close to 3 hours for the complete dinner. THAT goes from "leisurely" to "too slow!" The beef onboard, whether at Compass Rose or at Prime 7 (which features "USDA Prime beef," they say) was tough AND virtually tasteless, except for the Filet Mignon, which was tender and tasteless! We noticed this on "Voyager," too, and chalked it up to European beef. We had anticipated a good, American steakhouse steak, at least at Prime 7. At these prices, why doesn't Prime 7 have dry-aged prime beef?! They promote it a so special, but it's not special at all. The pasta salads at the Pool Grill were often dried-out, with hard, chewy pasta. Undercooked? Left out too long? Can't say. The first "house" red wines offered were always sharp, rough and acidic. The Sommelier always brought a softer, mellower red when asked, however. Every "Rum Punch" I ordered (when in the Tropics...!) was prepared differently...light and dark rum/only light rum, different amounts of juice and Grenadine, different garnishes, some handled and some dispensed with tongs, etc. Positives: Except for the tough, tasteless beef, the food was very, very good. It was cooked to perfection, and very tasty. (BTW, steaks were always cooked perfectly, as ordered, too.) The pastry chefs are wonderful! Everything they made was delicious! (Too delicious!) Plates and utensils were always clean, with new utensils for each course. Wine glasses in Compass Rose were polished and sparkling. Butler Service: As with "Voyager," our Butler, Abhi, was WONDERFUL. He seemed to truly CARE about our experience. Once, I was in line to talk to Destination Services about a Tour the next day. He had simply seen me walking there with my Tour Tickets as he took a wheelchair passenger upstairs. He came straight back down and asked me what I needed, telling me to go relax while HE took care of it for me. Abhi kept our Suite positively perfect, keeping the refrigerator and fruit dish stocked and bringing us the single-malt Scotch we wanted. He served us dinner, from the Compass Rose menu, on the nights we couldn't face the spotty service at Compass Rose, and breakfast on the mornings we had early tours. He even got me some special almond cookies from the Setti Mari menu! Our butler on "Voyager," Samir, was similarly attentive. I really think the Butlers have their OWN code of conduct, setting for themselves the highest standards of care and concern for their clients. They are a true asset to Regent! Personnel in general: Our personnel problems were mostly related to my husband's need for a wheelchair for long walks. In anticipation, we actually rented a wheelchair, rather than ask Regent personnel to provide one, as we had on "Voyager." There were many, MANY wheelchair-using or elderly passengers on this ship. (One woman was 94!) We imagine that they all shared our problems: It often seemed to us as if this was an "Outward Bound" cruise. The Tours were so strenuous and unaccessible! Indeed, walks to the "tours" were often up to a mile, UPHILL, even if the tour itself was not strenuous. However, unlike some lines, Regent provided no pier-shuttles...you had to walk from the ship or miss out! The "Enrichment" lectures were a wonderful asset tour trip...even though Regent did not provide a way for my husband to appreciate any of the cultures he mentioned. DON'T THEY KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE MAJORITY OF THEIR PASSENGERS?? The people who booked this cruise, by and large, older and sometimes handicapped in some way. But the ADA simply does not apply with this ship! The Destination Services Manager was oppositional and uncaring. Because of her, we cancelled tours we had been looking forward to. She insisted they were "too long a walk," or "too strenuous" for my husband, even with me pushing his chair. In retrospect, she was often wrong about this, since it was eminently possible to wheel him to a tour and keep the wheelchair there for our return. (He can walk, climb steps, etc., but doesn't much stamina.) BTW, I had to push, because no one from Regent was available to do so!! This was not the case on "Voyager." They wheeled him to faraway busses, etc. The Security Staff at the gangway were uncordial and grudging in their assistance to me. My husband could walk down the gangway just fine, but I (I'm 69) could not get his wheelchair down myself. I usually had to ask someone to bring it to the pier for me. Then, no one EVER offered to help me wheel him. Luckily, on Roatan (The place with the mile+ uphill walk,) a Port Security officer carried us on his golf cart to and from the ship. Even I could not have negotiated that grueling walk! I assume it is so long because Royal Caribbean, who built the Port facility, wants passengers exposed to the many, many shops enroute to the busses. hence, they offer no transportation that would by-pass those shops. I can only speculate that Regent gets a cheaper docking fee by also forcing us to endure that long walk, rather that providing us with transport to the busses.   Read Less

After two years since our last Regent cruise, we sailed again on Navigator. We did not have a six star experience but the ship is a well-maintained ship in all the public areas. We chose Navigator for its size and intimate atmosphere aboard. The ship’s stabilizers were not working as we pulled out of Miami to Key West, but when departing Key West, they had been fixed. They were definitely needed for about four evenings at sea. The Good Cabin – our portside Deluxe Veranda was roomy enough for us. Walk-in closet space was very good. Toiletries were of high quality. The current choices of on-demand movies, ship event briefings, access to our on-board account and presentations of cultural talks were all available en-suite via the flat screen TV. Not all high end cruise lines provide these amenities. The SpaClub is one of the best on the ocean. It is key benefit for people like us who have a workout routine. The space available for stretching and free weights is huge. There are the usual aerobic machines and some resistance training machines. There are mats, foam rollers and plenty of space to conduct your workout. The locker room adjoining the sauna, showers and steam room is a well-designed location for helping muscles relax after a workout or a particularly challenging land excursion. The place was always abandoned as the other guests were not interested in the health club portion of the Club. Better for us, I say. The Pool Grill and Pool Bar got much of our time with comfortable table seating. The mixed drinks were generally good but the skill of the bartender was low. The Pool Bar is full of unskilled workers mixing things which don’t even resemble what was ordered. We did drink at all the available bars and found that the most capable bartenders were at the Navigator Lounge and the Galileo Lounge. Regent was very generous in their constant offer of alcoholic drinks. La Veranda was perfect for breakfast where we would sit outside and have either buffet or order our meals. Service was consistent and mostly good. The omelet station was simple, limited and not very good. At night, La Veranda turns into Sette Mari – a casual food venue where Italian specialties are the highlight. The service personnel were the best on the ship at this location. They were friendly and accommodating, a refreshing difference from Prime 7 and Compass Rose. If it wasn’t for the performance of the crew who supported Sette Mari, the dining experience based on the other venues would have earned the ship a complete ‘C’ grade. Pool area is well thought out with many very comfortable lounges on two decks with both shade and sun. The ratio of passengers to lounges was so good; there were vacant lounges throughout the entire voyage. The lounge chairs were plush and comfortable. Extra-large plush towels were plentiful. Two whirlpools could have been hotter and the pool was good size for the few people who used it. Since the median age group on board had to be in the 70’s, there were not many sun worshippers and fewer bathers. The only problem with the pool area is when the smoking section was filled with smokers of cigarettes and cigars. The Bad Prime 7 was a huge disappointment. We could get only one night there and it turned out to be a blessing. Our head waiter was gruff and not friendly at all to most of the members of our table. This attempt at a prime steakhouse atmosphere failed on many levels. Most of the same meals were available at Compass Rose. Compass Rose was staffed with pretentious management, but great servers and waiters. This venue catered to the guests who crave having excessive attention paid to them. During the evening service, too many cruisers were full of complaints about nonsense items about the service. The whole scene is a real downer. Food quality was good and portion control was proper. The Ugly The Connoisseur Club is a euphemism for chocking, stinking, smoking room. Once again, Regent caters to smokers because those are the only people who can “stomach” being in the room for more than a minute. How Regent thinks that any person in their right mind could enjoy themselves with a fine Scotch or brandy in a room densely filled with cancerous air and phlegmy coughers is a mystery. For four days, dark brown water came out of the shower head and sink faucet. Each day, the incident was reported to the registration desk. Each day, a sugary, smiling reply was “just run the water for 10 minutes and it will clear up” Four days is more than 10 minutes and at $1000 per day, we won’t be buying any more of Regent’s brown water. Read Less

As background, this is probably my 35th cruise or so over the last 30 years. The level has spanned from Crystal to Oceania, Princess, Windstar, NCL, and a few others I've forgotten or don't exist anymore. Looking for an upscale cruise this time for our 30th, but a smaller ship than Crystal, we booked this Regent cruise. I'd like to be able to comment more on the quality of food, etc., but on day 4 I got the stomach flu, which lasted the duration of the trip. Last time out on Oceania (same parent), same thing happened to the wife in Bangkok. Now the concept of cruising has always had appeal for me, but these cruise lines really need to step up and get real as to what's creating this problem. It's the food serving areas and the housekeeping. The veranda buffet is all self service -- everyone handling every spoon in every bowl. Does Regent seriously think the Purell dispensers they've placed out are going to kill flu virus? No they don't - Why not serve the passengers in the line ?? . There is also this continuous exchange of unused plates and silverware from table to table in the dining room - just another way to transmit viruses. And then there's the problem of the stateroom two doors down that overflowed its toilet and had our housekeeping staff cleaning and drying that mess up for a couple of days and also cleaning our room. Another big red flag for virus transmission. So in summary, our 30th was a bust and it cost me a lot of coin. Regent would like to position itself as a six star line. Not in my book. Beware ! Read Less

My husband and I have been on at least 25 full length cruises, including four on Crystal Cruises and one on a Queen Mary II grill suite. This was the worst ship and worst value of all - I would not classify this as a luxury cruise. The fares are outrageous for what you receive. The cabins are fine, but the public areas are very cramped and unattractive. The pool deck has only few lounges in the shade - these are 'reserved' with passengers' beach bags early in the morning. The remaining lounges are in full sunshine - there are not enough when the ship is at sea. So many passengers said the other two Regent ships (Mariner and Voyager) are very much better - why did they come on this cruise? We had a terrible storm at sea - the first time I have ever been seasick. I heard two scenarios from other passengers - either the ship has no stabilizers or they were installed after the ship was built and are not adequate - apparently the hull was built for a Soviet military ship and modified to be a cruise ship. This ship had far more motion in calm waters than newer, larger ships. The food was mediocre to poor, with the exception of the Prime 7 steakhouse which was excellent. Our cabin attendants were excellent. There were many issues with the rest of crew - no smiles or friendly greetings in the dining room. I asked an assistant waiter for drawn butter with a lobster tail and was told they didn't have it - I mentioned this to the waiter (after I ate it) - he checked and explained that the other guy was confused - he meant it didn't come with the dish (???) I saw people with canes in the buffet who were never offered help - I guess they should have asked, but you don't have to ask on Princess or Celebrity. The entertainment was about what you would expect on a small ship. The production shows were good and the dancers were excellent. The individual performers - not so great.   Read Less

Given Regents reputation I was completely and thoroughly disappointed with this cruise. I just got back today. Do NOT BOOK! I was so excited to be going on my first Regent's cruise, expensive but hopefully luxurious. Unfortunately this brand is resting on it's laurels because as it stands it is a mediocre 4 star experience and certainly not five or six stars. You can get the same thing for much less money. First, the boat has a structural problem that causes it to vibrate and shake. Our bed on the 9th deck aft was like one of those "magic fingers" massage machines all night. Very annoying and nothing could be done to fix it. Shame on Regents for allowing this boat to go to sea given the awful vibrating. Especially a luxury line! The suite was spacious and nice if you could deal with the vibrations. Second, the staff while trying hard, have no ability to respond to special requests or to accommodate anything out of the ordinary. The foods and beverages are with different wait staff so nothing is properly coordinated. And if you have special requests FORGET ABOUT IT. The food is never really hot and the taste of it is mediocre. Yes they have luxury items on the menu but they are not of the finest quality. I found the food lacking flavor. The produce on the ship was not ripe. Third, they would cancel excursions at will and you don't get compensated if this happens. So I would rather go on a line where you pay for them because at least you get what you pay for. We missed a port due to weather but frankly it did not seem that bad to me and then I heard through the grapevine that they often cancel this port (Costa Maya). Fourth, The entertainment was very corny and cheesy except for the piano player from Russia who was superb. Fifth, Several cabins on this ship were flooded with water due to broken plumbing and Regents was very reluctant to compensate them. One person I know got only a $300.00 ship credit and this was after much protest and complaint. I found Regents to be cheap, frankly. Sixth, The pool area is super crowded with the chaise lounges because crammed against each other as if you were on Coney Island Beach. I had a very unpleasant interaction with the ship General Manager Davic whom I didn't know who he was until I spotted it on the Ship program. I asked if I could move a chaise to the deck above (there were already several there and it was less crowded) and he replied abruptly that I could not. There were not nearly enough chaises to accommodate all the people that wanted them and he could care less. Remember this is a LUXURY cruise! The manage was there to lay down rules, not to extend themselves for your comfort and enjoyment. Seventh, some friends told us they were in the lounge doing karaoke at 12:00 midnight and they were informed by the cruise director Lorraine (whom speaks in the phony happy tone of a television evangelist and appears to be something of a stepford wife) that they would have to wrap it up in 30 minutes! The positives were as follows: 1) Beautiful spacious cabin and the room stewardesses were wonderfully with great service. 2) Pre cruise hotel, The Biltmore was truly a luxury experience and wonderful. 3) The bridge instructors were fabulous, Bob and Nancy. I would never cruise Regent's again at any price but at the price I paid I felt I was taken because they have a 6 star reputation but they give a 4 star (at best) product. Read Less