My travel agent booked this cruise for myself and my husband. I did not read any reviews on about this cruise or ship until after we had already booked the tour. As we trust our agent very much. However, after reading the reviews, I was quite upset and almost ready to cancel the getaway all together. I am very happy that we didn't cancel and went on this cruise. Although we read in many reviews that the food was mundane or just ok, we felt that it was great. We saw many people state how the ship was old, musty and rusted; however we did not see this. As to us it was very beautiful. We stayed in the Horizon Suites and couldn't have been more comfortable. The service on the ship was complete accommodating, organized and did everything they could for us to make sure we were happy. We were able to book all the excursions that we wanted with no issues, while some we were put on a waiting list, they still made sure we somehow were able to join the rest of the passengers in these adventures. Not everything was "perfect" as nothing always is. There were a few hiccups along the way but nothing to be upset about. Read Less

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful 11-night cruise on board Regent’s Seven Seas Voyager. After months of anticipation, we can’t believe that our voyage is over. We knew the first half of 2019 was going to be a pressure cooker, so it was important to have a major trip on our calendar to keep us going through the winter and spring. More importantly, we needed to go somewhere spectacular to celebrate my husband’s 60th birthday. Choosing the Cruise and Making Reservations: We decided to set sail for the Dalmatian Coast and the French/Italian Rivieras. Planning for our Adriatic/Mediterranean adventure began in July 2018 when we logged on to a number of cruise line websites to research our options. We focused on Seabourn, Silver Seas, Celebrity, Cunard, and Regent. After significant discussion, we chose Regent, which offered excellent and all-inclusive pricing, great itineraries, and convenient travel dates. Being a bit of a control freak, I did not use a travel agent; rather, I contacted Regent directly through its website and its toll-free telephone number. I called Regent on a Sunday to finalize the reservation. The agent was friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. After 30 minutes on the phone, we were confirmed on the Voyager for its 11-night “Treasures of the Mediterranean” cruise, departing from Venice on Saturday, June 15 and ending in Monaco on Tuesday, June 25. We opted for a Concierge Suite on Deck 7 (Suite 738.) While the cruise itinerary did not include any sea days, we were attracted to the fabulous port calls of Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia; Durres (for Tirana), Albania; Corfu, Greece; Taormina, Sorrento (for Capri), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Livorno (for Florence/Pisa) in Italy; and St. Tropez, France. The user-friendly Regent website is the perfect place to manage your cruise experience. As soon as the reservation was final, I was able to sign on to complete our guest information forms. Most importantly, the site provides a calendar of key dates, including when you can make excursion and specialty dining reservations. Once I had those dates in hand, I programmed task items into my personal Outlook account and set reminders so I wouldn’t forget to act. During the eleven months between making the reservation and our departure date, I checked the Regent website numerous times just to remind myself that we had a fabulous vacation in our future. In October 2018, my husband and I sat down at the computer to review all of our excursion options. It took us about an hour to make our choices. Most of Regent’s excursions are included in your cruise fare and we were pleased that we could reserve space eight months ahead of time– one less thing to worry about on embarkation day when the lines at the excursion desk are long and many popular tours are sold out. Moreover, if we changed our minds about a certain excursion we could cancel or book an alternative at any time. In March, Regent opened online reservations for the Voyager’s specialty restaurants – Chartreuse, a charming French bistro and Prime 7, a traditional American steakhouse. There is no upcharge for either restaurant, but seating is limited so I highly recommend making reservations ahead of time. The Trip Begins: After months of anticipation, the sun finally rose on Thursday, June 13, 2019. We spent the morning packing and preparing the house for our pet sitter. After saying goodbye to our two beautiful dachshunds (our most precious possessions,) the car service to SFO pulled away from our house in Marin County. The exact time was 10:27 a.m. in California, or 7:27 p.m. at our first destination -- Venice. Air Arrangements and Ground Transfers: Regent cruise fares include roundtrip business class airfare, even if your port of embarkation and port of disembarkation are different. In our case, we began in Venice and ended in Monaco. If you decide to make your own air transportation arrangements, Regent will issue you a credit. Because most cruise lines don’t include business class airfare as part of their standard cruise fares, I normally make our own air reservations. We will not fly economy class, so on previous cruises we purchased our airline tickets independently – sometimes with cash and other times with cash + points. For this trip, however, I took a leap of faith and decided to let Regent make the air arrangements for me. I wasn’t about to give up total control, however, so I paid $350 ($175/pp.) to submit an air deviation request, which allows you to pick your own carrier and routes. Air deviation requests are accepted beginning 270 days before departure and must be made at least 35 days before departure. In our case, we wanted to fly on a Star Alliance carrier (for the points) and we wanted at least the outbound connection to be in Europe. 270 days before departure, I contacted the Regent Air Deviation Department with a list of five possible itineraries. My first choice was on Swiss Air, with connections through Zurich. Unfortunately, seats were not available. My second choice was on Lufthansa, with connections through Germany. Space was available and reserved. Regent sent me a confirmation email (with the Lufthansa booking code) on the same day and even was able to assign us our preferred seats. And even though the ticket was purchased through Regent, we earned United Mileage Plus PQMs with the business class bonuses. Our departure from SFO was delayed about an hour because of various ground issues (occupied gate for incoming flight from FRA and the breakdown of a catering truck.). We arrived at FRA with about 35 minutes to clear European passport control and connect to our next flight. Luckily, there were nearly 40 people on our flight who were connecting to VCE, so the Lufthansa ground staff had a special bus waiting for us that first took us to a lower level private room where we proceeded through passport control, and then to our A320. In the end, we left FRA 15 minutes late, but arrived at VCE on time at 2:00 p.m. Our luggage did not make the connection. This was the only major hiccup of the trip. As is common in Europe, there were not separate baggage offices for each airline at VCE. Instead, issues related to lost luggage for all airlines are outsourced and handled by one company. The Regent representative who met us (and many others) at VCE knew exactly what to do and before you know it I was at the front of the line at the baggage office. My bar-coded baggage tags were not useful. The agent told me that she did not have the ability to track our bags and that we would have to file a claim. She further said that once the bags arrived at VCE, they would be delivered either to the hotel that night or to the ship the next day. She added, however, that the delivery schedule was up to the driver and she could not guarantee that we would receive our bags before our ship sailed the next evening. There was no Lufthansa representative in the baggage hall and calls to Lufthansa both in Germany and the United States were fruitless. The next Lufthansa arrival from FRA was scheduled for 3:30 p.m., so we decided to wait in the baggage hall (a secure area, so we could not leave.) It was delayed and did not arrive in Venice until 4:45 p.m. Unfortunately, our bags were not on that flight either. We were exhausted, frustrated, and annoyed. Luckily, just as I was about to have a public and ugly meltdown, I got a text message from Lufthansa that said our bags were being loaded on to a flight that was expected to arrive at VCE shortly after 6:00 p.m. We were not confident, however, that they would be delivered to us either that night or the next day, so we decided to wait at the airport. Finally, around 6:20 p.m., we had our bags in hand. In retrospect, I am glad we waited at VCE. One couple who was on our flight from FRA to VCE and on our cruise did not receive their bags until one week later. All during our time in the baggage hall, we kept the Regent representative apprised of our situation. When we learned that the bags would be arriving sometime around 6:00 p.m., he told us that the last transfer to the hotel departed at 6:00 p.m. Keeping in mind that all of our transfers were included in our cruise fare, we asked him what arrangements would be made to get us to the hotel. He said we were on our own. We asked him if he could wait for us or give us some sort of voucher for transportation, but he refused and said there was nothing he could do. In the end, he left without us and we spent the equivalent of $145 for a private water taxi to the hotel. I brought this issue to Regent’s attention once we were on board the Voyager. The front desk clerk profusely apologized, documented all of the details, and called me two days later to tell me that I would receive a $145 credit to my onboard account. Nice job Regent. On the back end of the trip, Regent provided coach service from the pier in Monaco to NCE. The ride was comfortable and scenic. We arrived at NCE with plenty of time to spare. Hotel Accommodations in Venice: At 7:00 p.m. (local time) on Friday, June 14, our water taxi pulled up to the dock in front of the Hilton Molino Stucky in Venice. We were excited, but exhausted from traveling nearly 24 hours – the last five of which were spent at VCE’s baggage claim area, but as I said above that was just a hiccup and we were happy. The Hilton Molino is a wonderful hotel on Giudecca Island. The building is a former pasta factory. How Italian!!! Our room was small, but lovely, with a large bathroom that included a separate shower stall. The king size bed was comfortable. It was a great place to spend our first night abroad. The hotel was included in our cruise fare and Regent made the reservation for us. It was a great choice. Having traveled to Europe often, we knew that if we wanted to get a good night’s sleep, we needed to remain awake as late as possible. So, upon arrival at the Hilton we quickly changed clothes and headed to the hotel’s outdoor restaurant, Bacaromi, for dinner. It was delightful to sit in the open air and watch the sun set as the boats traveled back and forth along the Giudecca Canal. After dinner we took a brief stroll in the immediate neighborhood before heading up to our room where we promptly fell asleep. The next morning we rose around 6:00 a.m. feeling rested and ready to go. Before a satisfying buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we checked in with the onsite Regent representative, who told us that we were booked on the 1:45 p.m. water shuttle from the hotel to the Port of Venice. This gave us plenty time to wander around the city. The Hilton has a free water shuttle to San Marco Square, so off we went to explore. Embarkation, Ship, Cabin, and Sail Away: We returned to the Hilton around 1:00 p.m. Earlier that morning, we left our luggage outside our room so it could be picked up and transferred to the ship. We asked the Regent representative if we could catch an earlier water shuttle to the port. There was one about to depart and she told us to hop on. Twenty minutes later, we were at the Venice passenger ship terminal. Check in was a breeze. We filled out a health form, and presented the agent with our passports and credit card. In return, she gave us our “key card” room key and maps of the ship. Shortly thereafter, we breezed through security and boarded the Voyager via a gangway that was connected to Deck 4. There was not a photographer at the gangway to take our picture as is common on so many other cruise lines. We did not miss this service. We were on board at 1:45 p.m. The ship’s interior and public space décor is classy and understated. She is not the flashiest ship at sea, but she is comfortable. We particularly liked to hang out in the Observation Lounge on Deck 11 for a pre-dinner cocktail and afternoon trivia matches. We also spent a lot of time outside on Deck 12. We liked to be on that deck early in the morning as we sailed into our next port (so peaceful) and often were back in the evening as we sailed away. The dress code never gets any more formal than elegant casual, which essentially means no jeans, shorts, or t-shirts in the public spaces after 6:00 p.m. No need to bring a tuxedo, tie or suitcoat. After spending all day in the hot sun, it was nice to be able to relax at dinner in an open collar shirt and slacks. Three weeks before departure we received an email from Regent with a reasonable offer to upgrade to a Penthouse Suite. My husband and I discussed the offer and decided to accept it. We were assigned to Suite 787, which is in the aft of the ship. We have been in aft cabins before on other cruise lines and enjoyed the experience. They tend to be quieter. We have never been disturbed by engine noise or exhaust, and we like having the both the port and starboard side views. Our suite was approximately 300 square feet, with a 50 sft. veranda. Regent informed us well ahead of time that the suites would not be ready until 2:30 p.m. on embarkation day. Nevertheless, curiosity got the best of us, so the first thing we did was to make our way to Suite 787, primarily to see its location vis-a-vie the stairs and the elevators. Just as we got to the cabin, an announcement was made that all of the suites were ready for occupancy. Great timing!!! Penthouse Suites come with butler service. The butler serves in-suite meals (we had breakfast in our suite a number of times.) Had we asked, he would have packed and unpacked for us or would have arranged a cocktail party in our cabin. Each evening he delivered a tray of canapes, and made sure that our bar remained stocked. Once a reservation is confirmed (and up to seven days before departure,) passengers can submit personalized requests on the Regent website to select in-suite preferences for premium beverages, snacks, bedding, pillow types, and arrangements for special occasions. Our suite had a large bathroom with a shower and a bathtub. We are not bathtub people, so I would have taken that space to enlarge the vanity for his/his sinks and to install a private toilet, so one person could shower/shave, while the other person could poop in private. The walk-in closet was surprisingly large with plenty of room for all of our clothes and shoes. The bedroom and adjoining sitting room were the perfect size for two people. In addition to the beds, there was a small, but comfortable couch, an armchair, a coffee table and a built-in shelf under the television. The shelf is too narrow to be used as a desk. Underneath the shelf is the mini-bar cabinet that also houses barware. At the back of our cabin was the sliding-glass doors that led to the veranda, which included two lounge chairs and a small table. The interactive flat-screen television offers complimentary movies on demand, standard channels include MSNBC, CNN (and unfortunately Fox News), Sky News, CNBC and BBC World, plus 15 channels of music. You can also see the view from the Bridge Cam, tune in to the nautical information channel and watch the Destination Services channel to learn more about your ports of call. There are electric outlets throughout the suite, but only two U.S.-standard outlets. The adjustable thermostat indicates hotter or cooler, but not specific temperatures. We adjusted it to the coolest setting possible and were quite comfortable. The individual reading lights above the bed were a nice touch. Our cruise was scheduled to depart Venice at 5:30 p.m., but because of the June 2nd crash of the MSC Opera into the River Countess, local authorities placed restrictions on cruise ship traffic in the Giudecca Canal. As a result, only one cruise ship per hour was allowed into the canal. There were seven other ships in port with us, so our departure was delayed until 10:00 p.m. Despite the delay, it was a delightful sail away. The Passengers and Crew. Regent is a luxury cruise line. Nearly everything is included in your fare, so it is pricey compared to other lines. We were expecting the passengers to be couples primarily in their 40s and older traveling without children. We were wrong. This particular cruise had a number of large families with multiple children ranging from infants to kids in college. We were told that this was highly unusual, and that most of the time Regent draws an older crowd. Although we did not want or expect to be on a “family” cruise, the kids (for the most part) were well-behaved, and did not interfere with our positive experience. (The one exception was the one group of kids on Deck 8 who got their kicks playing with the elevators, and knocking on cabin doors and then running away. I had a brief run-in with their nasty, nasty grandmother in the elevator. She has no reason to be proud of her bratty grandkids, but I digress…) My guess is that more than 65% of the passengers were American (luckily, we saw no MAGA hats), and 20% were from Great Britain. The other 15% primarily were from China, Australia, and Germany. Public announcements were limited and were in English only. The crew, of course, comes from everywhere. The captain was Italian. The crew was impressive. Customer service was paramount. From the minute we stepped on board, we felt that each crew member made us the center of attention. Whenever we passed a crew member in the hall, they would smile and greet us with a warm hello. They were friendly, helpful, and approachable. Many of them had a terrific sense of humor. They worked hard and did their best to create a luxurious, but relaxed atmosphere. Our butler and cabin attendant were fantastic, and the waiters and bartenders went out of their way to make us feel special. This was our 13th cruise and this was the best crew by far. The only small exception was the Destination Services staff – more on that below. We met some wonderful people on board, which formed our “circle of friends” for the entire voyage. So far, we have done a great job at keeping in touch with each other through social media. Regent doesn’t force people to socialize, but provides ample opportunities to do so. One interesting Regent tradition is the “Block Party.” Once each cruise (on this one it was the day we sailed away from Corfu), everyone is encouraged to step into the hallway around 6:00 p.m. to meet their neighbors. During this social hour, waiters make their way through the ship with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, and the senior staff circulates around the decks to say hello. It was a fun and relaxing way to meet people. Food and Entertainment: The food on board was excellent. La Veranda and the Pool Grill, both on Deck 11, were great options for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast we rotated between room service, sitting on the aft deck at La Veranda, and a more formal breakfast in Compass Rose. My favorite breakfast was the Avocado Toast in Compass Rose, although the Eggs Benedict (not on the menu) was a close second. We both agreed that the ship’s “house blend” coffee was horrible. Most mornings we ended up at the Coffee Connection on Deck 5 for a decent cup of coffee or for a cappuccino. We often ate lunch on shore. The highlight was a fabulous ravioli in Rome and a seaside lunch in St. Tropez at La Terrasse at the Cheval Blanc Hotel. Outstanding!!! Lunch on the ship was either at La Veranda or the Pool Grill. I liked the informality of the Pool Grill, which offered a wonderful selection of salads, fruits, and sandwiches, in addition to hamburgers and hot dogs that were made on a real outside grill. Dinner, of course, was the main meal of the day. Most of the time we ate in the Compass Rose, which offers open seating until 9:30 p.m. We usually ate at 8:00 p.m. – sometimes alone, but often with some of our new friends. The menu was extensive and changed daily, although some of the appetizers were offered every night (the crab and avocado starter was exquisite.). Also offered daily were USDA prime steaks and seafood, prepared a variety of ways. We are not big meat eaters, but we both agreed that the steaks on the Voyager were phenomenal. Service in Compass Rose was consistently attentive. On our first full day on the ship we had dinner at Chartreuse, which Regent describes as a “chic Parisian fine dining restaurant.” The service and the cuisine exceeded our expectations. When we first arrived we were seated at a table toward the back of the restaurant. We noticed, however, that a couple at a window table were about to leave. We asked the maître d’ if we could move, and he made sure the table was cleared and cleaned quickly after the couple left. The highlight of the dinner was the cheese soufflé, which was light, airy, and delicious. My husband’s scallops were divine. Each scallop was topped with a thin sliver of prosciutto, which added texture and additional flavor. On our third day we had dinner at Prime 7. Prior to leaving home, I let Regent know that this would be a celebration dinner for my husband’s 60th birthday. Not only did our butler decorate our cabin that day with a “Happy Birthday” banner and balloons, but the Prime 7 staff had champagne and a decedent chocolate birthday cake ready for him. When the time came, the restaurant staff gathered around our table to sing Happy Birthday. It was an evening to remember. Our Prime 7 dinner was out of this world. I had the goat cheese, red pepper, and portabella tart to start. The crust was buttery and flaky, and the flavors delighted my palate. For my main course, I had the traditional surf and turf and my husband had a steak. The cruise fare includes unlimited drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, including most premium wines and beers. I am not a big drinker, but I really enjoyed the Aperol Spritz in the Observation Lounge. My husband enjoys his beer, occasional cocktail, and wine at dinner – not to mention his Bailey’s on the rocks night cap. We did not attend any of the shows in the Constellation Theatre. We preferred to have dinner around 8:00 p.m., and unlike at home where we tend to eat fast, dinner usually lasted around two hours. A couple of times we stopped by the casino (gross winnings of $225), but because we are early risers, we often were back in our cabin by 11:00 p.m. Excursions and Ports of Call: My only complaint about our itinerary was the lack of sea days; they are my favorite. Sea days are incredibly relaxing and a great time to truly unwind. Because we left Venice late, our arrival in Split was delayed until Noon the next day, which gave us at least a morning at sea. We chose our excursions before leaving home, but made a couple of adjustments on board. Excursions are arranged by the ship’s Destination Services crew. They were the least impressive staff group on board. They were often rude, a bit bossy, and didn’t seem interested in answering your questions or assisting you with changes. On a positive note, our excursion tickets were waiting for us in our suite when we boarded. Check in for all excursions was in the Constellation Theatre on Deck 4, and was generally efficient. In most ports, we were alongside the pier, so it was easy to get on and off the ship. In three ports – Taormina, Sorrento, and St. Tropez, we used tender boats to get to shore. Although some of the tenders were crowded, the crew did an excellent job getting people from ship to shore. I’m not going to review each excursion here; rather, here are some observations. In Split, we signed up for an excursion to historic Trogir, about 20 miles west of Split, which ended with a short walking tour in Split, including the Diocletian Palace. In retrospect, we should have spent more time in Split. We didn’t get a lot of time at the Palace or an opportunity to see other landmarks in the city. Trogir was interesting, but we spent too much time there. In Taormina (you dock in Naxos) we originally signed up for the Mt. Etna tour, but were so glad that we changed our minds and opted instead for a walking tour of Taormina. The city, which is 1,200 feet above the sea, is spectacularly beautiful. Rome was a bit of a bust. We’ve been to Rome before and have seen most of the major sites. On this trip, we did “Rome on our Own,” which only included roundtrip express train service from Civitavecchia to the city. Rome in June is not the place to be if you only have eight hours. It was hot, dirty, and crowded. (We spent a week there in January and it was delightful.). Lunch was fantastic and our second visit to the Vatican museums was somewhat enjoyable. In retrospect, however, we should have opted for another excursion that did not take us into the city. Lesson learned. The biggest fail logistically was in Sorrento. We opted for an excursion to Capri with two other couples. This required a tender boat ride to the pier in Sorrento, a hydrofoil boat ride to Capri, and then a minibus ride to Anacapri. Anacapri is on the highest part of the island at the base of Monte Solaro. Once there we hopped on the Monte Solaro chair lift. The ride was spectacular. During a 13-minute ascent to the summit we enjoyed splendid views of the Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius in the background, the Gulf of Salerno, the Isle of Ischia and the breathtaking beauty of the blue Mediterranean. Monte Solaro is the highest point on Capri and provides stunning Kodak moments. You ride alone on the chair lift and it is not for anyone who has a fear of heights. You can hike back down to Anacapri from Monte Solaro, but we opted to take the chair lift round trip. After our visit to Anacapri, we took a minibus down to Capri town in the middle of the island. While we had a wonderful lunch at Ristorante di Giorgio, we felt like we should have been a bit more discerning and not let our tour guide pressure us into eating there. Still, we couldn’t complain about the views of the sea or the wonderful pizza. Things fell apart after lunch. To get back to the ship we had to take a funicular down to the port of Capri, take the hydrofoil back to Sorrento, and then catch the tender boat back to the ship. Unfortunately, Regent held all of the excursion groups in Capri until a set time instead of letting us make our way back to the ship on our own. The result was long lines, big crowds, lots of waiting around, and a 2.5-hour trip from Capri back to the ship. Not fun. Disembarkation: On our penultimate day, we left St. Tropez at 11:00 p.m. and made our way to Monaco – 60 nautical miles away. We were awake and on Deck 12 at 6:00 a.m. as we approached Monaco and docked alongside Quai Prince Rainer II. This would be a day where we saw the sun rise over Monaco and the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge, 5,989 miles away. I was very sad that the cruise was ending. The prior evening, we place our luggage outside our suite so the crew could off load it in Monaco. After a final breakfast in our cabin, we disembarked at 9:00 a.m., claimed our luggage, and boarded our coach transfer to NCE. The trip home on Lufthansa (NCE-MUC-SFO) was uneventful (no issues with our luggage) and we arrived home at 9:00 p.m. Our dogs were very happy to see us, and we were overjoyed to see them. Our Mediterranean adventure exceeded our expectations. It was a great way to spend our vacation time. We were very pleased with our experience on the Voyager and would not hesitate to sail with Regent again. In fact, while on board we made reservations for an August 2020 voyage on the Seven Seas Navigator from Amsterdam to Barcelona. The countdown has begun…..!!!!! Read Less

We picked this ship and cruise line because we had a wonderful experience on the Explorer in 2017 going from Barcelona to Rome. We wanted to complete a trip around the boot so we started in Venice and ended up in Rome this time. Our first experience with Regent was so fun, we really didn't think it could be topped. This trip was every bit as nice and even more fun because we knew the "lay of the land" on the ship and met a lot of very nice people. The ports and excursions were great! The ship is beautiful, our suite was wonderful, the thermal suite is amazing, and the food was good! But, the best thing of all this time, as well as last time, was the friendliness, dedication, personal attention, and professionalism of the crew. We did not have (and don't need) a butler. Our room steward and assistant were wonderful and kept everything in tip top shape, attended to any requests efficiently, and smiled through it all. The service we received was excellent everywhere on the ship! We are already thinking about our next cruise and will definitely stay with Regent, because I don't think it could be any better. (Business Class air from San Francisco to Europe, pre-cruise night in a 5 star hotel with buffet breakfast, all transfers, tips, drinks, and excursions included). We definitely got spoiled! Read Less

Our first luxury cruise experience. Came well recommended, and after much research decided this would be good value for a luxury xperience. Even after all that research we were not prepared for the level of service, such a carefree 10 days, surrounded by sunshine and smiling faces (crew and passengers alike). Excellent food experiences, though surprisingly slightly disappointed in Prime 7, but Chartreuse was a wonderful experience. Compass Rose, beautiful, and always delicious, . From breakfast to lunch to Teatime, to cocktails,to dinner, we were spoiled in every way. Our suite was lovely, spacious, and comfortable in every way. Very comfy chairs on the balcony. Ours was the lowest category cabin, but it did not feel like it, the bed was heaven, and it was kept spotless by our by our 2 very sweet attendants, as well as keeping us well stocked with champagne, and anything else we wanted. The fresh fruit in the room was of the best quality. The included excursions were also very good. We picked this itinerary to have a relaxing, luxury experience, and we were very happy, and would definitely consider more cruises with Regent. Read Less

Just returned from the best Holiday Celebration my wife and I have ever had and it probably was the best Birthday Party I've had since I was a kid. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the officers and crew of the Seven Seas Voyager for 10 wonderful days with perfect weather, outstanding dining and a warm and accommodating setting throughout. The Voyager was everything we were expecting from Regent Seven Seas - having in the past cruised aboard Seven Seas Mariner and Explorer. It was very much appreciated that the Christmas decorations that decorated the common areas of the ship remained up and illuminated throughout the end of this New Years cruise. It extended the feeling of the cruise to encompass the feeling of both Christmas and New Years. Being a 'Holiday Cruise' and a relatively short duration one at that, there were more than a few families cruising with children; from as young as 2-3 years to adolescence. I can't criticize Regent for selling the cabins to those families but I will scold a few of the 'Parents' for not living up to that Title. There were, too often, kids running around Compass Rose, Constellation Theater and even Prime7 and Chartreuse. Similar conduct at the Pool [Grill] or La Veranda was excusable - since that is where children are most appropriate. I'm pleased to say that some parents appeared to control their offspring and I don't recall ever seeing any kids in the Casino or Lounges. The 'Stars' of the Cruise, as you would expect, were the Cruise Director / Social Hostess team of Andy and Tammy who seemed ever present at any and all events aboard, genuinely warm and receptive and made the voyage a dream come true. The Assistant Cruise Director Luci, the Gen Manager Devor and all the other Department Heads kept the ship and the ship's services operating flawlessly. One single concern / suggestion that was raised regarding a specific server in Compass Rose was resolved / implemented discretely by Restaurant Manager Catalin and remained flawless throughout the remainder of the cruise. The nightly entertainment / production show cast was wonderful to experience and additionally a pleasure to socialize with. They are 12 individuals that work hard to appear to be a full Broadway Show Cast. Not to mention their being Beautiful both in appearance as well as personality. The Guest Comedian Bruce Smirnoff's humor was appropriate for the Baby-Boomer audience, maybe not so much for the children aboard - but they shouldn't have been in the theater anyway, but rather in bed. Another excellent Regent cruise. Looking forward to the next one - not soon enough. Read Less

November 25,2018 to the Amazon Very enjoyable, but would not say that the Amazon is interesting.Just another muddy river with very little of interest. In spite of this, the cruise and ports in the caribbean are OK. Ship nice,very clean and welcoming.. We are not entertainment or late night types so the quality of show is not applicable to us.o us. The only short coming is the PRIME 7 restaurant. It brings down the quality of the ship.. The food is bad and we can assure you that most passengers who tried it did not go again.The food elsewhere on the ship is far better. All areas of the ship were were clean and well kept. Drinks were readily available Pool deck nice, not noisy and service excellent. At all times service was superior. Always with a smile, Quick and professional. Unfortunately we contacted bronchitis, so we missed some of the excursions, but the ones we did go on were fine. Read Less

My husband and I were celebrating our 30th anniversary and wanted to have a special event. We had never sailed on a luxury cruise before, and Regent seemed to be the all around best. Mostly it was, but there were some issues. STAFF: Wonderful! Did not meet a single person who was not helpful, friendly and personable. They were all an amazing group. CABIN: Were pleased with the cabin and especially the walk-in closet. Could not get the tub to work. The shower temperature was either cold, lukewarm or super hot. The thermostat for our cabin did not work; the temperature was arctic and I was in sweaters and using the extra blankets. After a week and a half it was fixed. I was surprised by how small the veranda was. The bed was very comfortable. One evening the power to the bathroom and walk-in closet went out. It wasn't fixed until mid morning the next day. EXCURSIONS: Couldn't ask for more choices. The excursion staff ran things very smoothly. MAINTENANCE: The ship had several problems, in addition to the items mentioned above. Our corridor had a water leak. One of the main lounges had a persistent water leak and could not be totally used. FOOD: Overall, our favorite restaurant was the main dining room, Compass Rose. They had a nice standard menu and an interesting special menu each evening. I was very disappointed in the "premiere" restaurant, Prime 7. I was really looking forward to the king crab legs. They were in a huge pile and mostly not legs. Bland. On another evening I ordered prime rib and it was too tough to cut. The afternoon tea event was awesome - really spectacular offerings. The ship barbecue was good. I loved the small ship size which led to making some nice friends. But given some of the problems we experienced, I did feel disappointed that the whole trip wasn't top notch. Read Less

We had heard of regent cruise thought we should check it out. The ship was in great shape having been recently remodeled. We had a large room, probably too large but it was nice We had a butler who was very attentive and met all of our needs. While we are not foodies per se the food was more than acceptable. The options for the food were extensive. We had canapés brought to our suite nightly. Our suite was stocked with favorite adult beverages ranging from beer to out desired alcohol. Off boat excursions were plentiful and for the most part included. We were somewhat disappointed that the ship left port at either 5 or 6 nightly. We would have liked to spend an evening in the casino at Monte Carlo or had some local food at say Sicily or Capri. The distances were such that they appeared to be close enough to depart a bit later. We thought that the attentiveness and dedication of the staff was above most other cruises we have been on. They were very attentive and we anxious to make everyone happy. The dining selections included steak .italian, salad bar,Asian and French. Poolside grill was always a good place to have a small dinner. One observation which was rather curious. The ship was 40% Asian. Regent we were told, has changed focus and is now marketing their product to the chinese populous. Rather interesting we were sitting with a couple from Hong Kong. They were not pleased for they had talked to mainline chinese and had found out that these people had paid 40% less than they paid. As a result of the concentration of the chineses it was felt that the food was more focused on their needs than on other cruises, unfortunately the mainline folks are more of a rush and don’t respect ques or lines. Funny the Hong Kong Chinese had a bigger problem with the mainline folks than the rest of us. I will look into this new focus on the part of Regent to find out if this is in fact the case. If so this may influence our future choices. Entertainment was more on the site of mediocre. After 2 shows we just decided to skip. Read Less

the ship was very good, and we especially enjoyed the quality of the food in the main dining room. The weather, less so. We boarded in 80 knot winds (really) that tore an Azamara ship off its moorings that almost struck us. Our cabin was spacious, and the closet space was a pleasant surprise. They have an Illy coffee maker, and should put out instructions to avoid messing it up the first few times you try. We only went to two of the shows (all shows are at 9:30 except the crew show on the last night; perhaps they might consider a 7:00pm show once or twice for those of us who wanted to eat later or earlier. Re shore excursions, they also need to ensure they put out maps for the day's location every day. It was missing most days, and would be useful. The fitness center was better than anticipated; they have water and Gatorade in the room, too. The machines are set to stop every 25 minutes, so you have to re-start it if you go longer. The weight machines are great, free weights up to 50 pounds, too. We wound up in port an added day due to high seas, missing our first stop as a result. We also couldn't dock in Monte Carlo due to dock damage there, so we were schlepped by bus for 3 hours from Marseilles. Not the ship's fault, but no rest for the weary at the end... Shore excursions were generally good to very good. We did Florence on our own, using the ship's "on your own" tour. They stopped at a leather factory, and also at a view overlook, which really cut into our time. If they had advised ahead of time what our arrival time in Florence would have been, we could have avoided sprinting to our assigned time at one of the galleries. The Monserrat optional tour was great (if you don't like steep, winding roads, be cautious) especially the lunch buffet on the way back. One of the best buffets I've had (and that's saying a lot). Read Less

Last time we cruised on Regent was four years ago and it was on the Mariner. This, over three week, voyage gave us about three months total on that ship. Soon after we boarded we checked out the Main Dining Room, The Compass Rose, and wondered if we were on the right ship. We weren't aware that the Mariner went through an extensive refurbishment last March. Quite a change in the MDR, not just in the general decor but with wait staff and cuisine. Special shout out for the wine pairing sommeliers. Now, don't get me wrong, the Mariner was always great, but it was now super. For years now we have listed Regent as our favorite line and the Voyager as our favorite ship. Sure wish we could scratch up the simoleons to book them more often and for longer durations. Cruise lines love to give romantic titles to their cruises, this one was "Havana Dreams, Panama Scenes". I suggest that it should have been the "Hurricane Dodger", LOL. When we left Anchorage, AK we were keeping an eye on a dying hurricane out in the Pacific off the Baja Peninsula in Mexico which had doubled back toward the mainland. Then we heard about Hurricane Michael moving into the Gulf of Mexico, which was likely to prevent us from visiting Cuba. Survived those okay and had an enjoyable visit in Cuba and the countryside there, a great transit of the canal on a beautiful day all the way but then, five days after the canal, we returned to the ship after touring Acapulco, Mexico and found a letter from the captain on our bed explaining that a big, already Cat 5, hurricane was dead ahead of us, Hurricane Willa, and another smaller one coming up from the south toward our present position at the time. In order to put some distance between us and Willa we turned southwest for a day or so then northwest. Eight days sailing non-stop between North America and Maui, 3800 miles, instead of the scheduled six days to cross from San Diego. Our captain had chosen the most prudent course of action which was to bypass the planned ports of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Tuesday and San Diego on Thursday and instead spend those days at sea navigating our course far away from the storm systems, with a new arrival into Kahului, Maui one day early for an overnight stay. On the way across the Pacific we learned of Typhoon Yutu, which was the largest yet in 2018, it had just hit Saipan and Tinian on the other side of the Pacific from our location. At that time the Accumulated Cyclone Energy, or "ACE," was by far the highest ever recorded, or using that criterion, it was the worst hurricane season on record since records began early in the 19th century. Our extra sea days were due to weather situations, the longest number of those we have experienced was nine and that was also due to an accident, a lady compound fractured her ankle so we had to turn back in order to get her off the ship for medical attention. All total we canceled two port visits due Willa, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and San Diego, Ca, plus one port canceled at the last minute due to political unrest, Nicaragua. Out of that we gained two more "At Sea Days" and another day and a night in Kahului, Maui. Hey, I saw more flying fish that voyage than I've seen in years. But it was all good for us since we love sea days and life on board was exquisite due to Regent's fine service, cuisine quality and on board activities such as that involved with one of my favorite aspects of cruising, the enrichment lectures, particularly those addressing the theme of the voyage or aspects of the area of the world the cruise is taking place in like history, naturalism and geography. On this voyage we had two lecturers, Michael Scott, a botanist and historian and Lt. Colonel Bill Rothschild a NASA Rocket Scientist and engineer. Scott's presentations fit perfectly into the area of the world we voyaged but Rothschild's were very interesting as well. I think they spoke a dozen times each and I attended every single lecture, perfect attendance. Not to mention my sometimes twice daily hot tubs and the wonderful service from the ships pool bar. In a way this was a strange voyage, smooth seas and nice warm days all the way, yet we have were surrounded by hurricanes most of the distance. But all voyages can't be absolutely perfect. We did experience a few glitches, minor as they were. We planned on three formal nights which somehow got changed to two. But the last one they scheduled on the last night of the voyage, which was a port day preceded by six sea days. Nobody plans like that. Neither did they, toward the end they rescheduled the formal night to the last sea day, hurray. We almost always purchase pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel and transfer packages and so we did this time as well. On the pre-cruise hotel, which was part of the cruise package, they changed the hotel on us a few months before sailing, no big deal. But then a few weeks before sailing, after we had received the nice final formal cruise packet in the US mail, they flip flopped again and changed the hotel back to the original. Somehow we missed the email notice of the second change. So ended up in the wrong hotel. By the time we figured out there was something wrong we had already booked into a very fine room in the wrong hotel. Regent determine it was all our fault, so gave us a choice, stay in the wrong hotel and pay for it yourself or move over to the other one which we are paying for. We moved. On the post cruise hotel, the Royal Hawaiian in Honolulu, Regent was right on top of this and changed hotels for us when they discovered Waikiki hotels were just hit with a massive labor strike and the Royal was included. They got us into a very nice waterfront hotel that was not on strike. Good on them. In summation, I realize Regent's prices are pretty steep and going up, so are the other line's prices that we frequent. But you have to say this about Frank Del Rio (FDR)'s lines. The other lines seem to not only be increasing prices but also engaging in a commensurate ratcheting down of overall cruise quality. While at the same time, Regent is enhancing over all cruise quality. Read Less

Cruise started and ended in Athens. The room was large considering it was a cruise.. balcony, sitting area , walk-in closet, shower and tub. Food was delicious- our favorite was the Compass Rose. Most mornings we had room service for breakfast because excursions were early. Everyone of the staff on the ship were very friendly. Loved the three man band that played any song you wanted in the lounge each night. They had other singers, dancers, pianists and full orchestra as well. All were very talented. The shore excursions were great... we only did the half day ones. All of the tour guides were very knowledgeable. Our favorite ports were Malta, Katakolo, Rhodes and Kusadasi. The afternoons we sat by the pool. We met lovely people from all over the U.S. Australia and United Kingdom. It was our first cruise .. my husband was hesitant to go. Now we can’t wait to cruise with regent again. Well worth the cost. Read Less

We booked an Alaska cruise only three weeks out!!! George Ramos was our booking agent and he was fantastic. He really worked hard for us on the airline arrangements, and we could not have asked for more. The cruise was just for my wife and I. We have cruised before on Seabourn and NCL. Overall we were really happy. They really do include almost everything in the price and that makes this style of cruising very relaxing. We booked into a Penthouse A suite on Deck 11. Check-in and boarding were pretty smooth. It did not quite have the personalized touch that Seaborn did with someone waiting for you in your room, but our Butler, Bejoy, was amazing. He really could not have been nicer or more competent. The room was very spacious, well-kept, and in good shape. The included excursions were really good. We just stuck with those. You have to pay an upcharge for some of the more high-end ones. The included wi-fi was a really nice perk. The one disappointment was the food. Granted my wife and I are pretty spoiled / lucky, but I just felt the food was a notch below where it should have been. There were some standouts like the king crab legs in Prime 7 and the filet / tenderlon was always good. But in general, although it all looked good on the menu, it just fell short. The foie gras (which I had twice) was well-cooked, but just completely bland. Same with the schnitzel one night. I had a porterhouse in Prime 7 and it was tasty but maybe just a 1/2 inch thick. Other examples would be the brussel sprouts in Compass Rose which were just served steamed with zero seasoning, a lobster bisque which was incredibly thin, or the lobster tails which always looked like they'd been under the heat lamp for a bit too long. I think we had our best experiences at Sette Mari with Efrem as our server. We were able to order canapes in our room but the timing (5-7) put it too close to dinner for us and the selection didn't vary and was kind of so-so. Enough on the food! We do enjoy wine and we found the selection included to be fine with us. Decent selection and all pretty good. We ordered a bottle of Groth one night and IMO they offer you these extra-cost wines at below-market prices (plus no tax and tip on them). We went to the show almost every night. They were very well done. One thing I noted though was there there was very little diversity in the cast, and that's not something I normally notice. As far as the clientele, it was mostly English-speaking. There were a number of kids on board (I think over 100!) and a number of multi-generational groups travelling together. I did notice that the ship never really felt crowded though. You could almost always get a seat at whatever bar, lounge, or restaurant you wanted. (Exceptions were Prime 7 and Chartreuse, but that's to be expected.) All in all, this was a five-star cruise that I think was let down by the quality of the dining experience. And even then, the menu, the setting, and the service were all great, it just came down to some pretty bland dishes from the kitchen. We would do Regency again if the schedule drove us there (like this time), but may try Seabourn again or Crystal next time. Read Less

AK cruise, 11 days Vancouver to Vancouver. The Mariner had just undergone a major refit and it looked great. Lots of new teak wood decking which was very attractive and felt good to walk on compared to steel. Food and service were first rate. The house wines are quite good, not low-grade stuff designed to push you into pricey upgrades. The specialty restaurants are just wonderful. I had a steak that was as good as any I have had in my entire life. The French food was absolutely perfect. I have only one suggestion for improvement. We love espresso coffee drinks and it seemed impossible to get fresh cream or half and half aboard. The ship's coffee bar uses box packaged super pasteurized milk products which are not as good tasting as the fresh cartons you buy in stores. Several times our shore excursions included shopping for fresh cream to put in our coffee aboard. This might be an inventory or storage logistics problem, but Regent should endeavor to fix it as it is the one thing that kept the shipboard food epxerience at a 9+ instead of a 10. I was going to try several different cruise lines to find the perfect one, but my Regent experience on my very first cruise has made that comparison shopping unnecessary. My future cruises will be Regent cruises for sure. Read Less

After reading reviews about this ship we were eager to experience it for ourselves. Regent Seven Seas exceeded our expectations from our first phone call to the company. All our questions were answered and desires met. From first contact we were impressed with the efficiency in meeting and exceeding our expectations. The ship is a floating work of Art and engineering masterpiece. Pictures of the ship are beautiful, but it must be experienced in person to really capture all that it is. Our F1 suite, 937, was clean and quiet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_XnNsOBeGw Watch video for details. Suites that end in a 7 have pull-out couches to easily accommodate a 3rd occupant. We normally are Independence travelers; not usually going on cruise line shore excursions. However, this trip we participated on at least one ship excursion per port including a fishing trip, that cost us a reasonable $129 per person. Enjoying the informative, comfortable excursions were a highlight of our adventure. We liked the excursions so much that we often went on two a day. Our luggage was delayed by the airline, for three days, transferring from Copenhagen to Oslo. Chris at reception and his team went above and beyond with a sympathetic ear, complimentary overnight laundry, toiletries, toothbrushes, razors, etc., and I much appreciated 25% discount to purchase clothing from their gift shop. My husband picked out a beautiful dress for me to wear to dinner. We had our insurance agent calling the airline daily as well as my husband also made several calls a day inquiring about our luggage, but I believe we got our luggage because ship staff went to the airport in Copenhagen to pick up ours and twelve other passengers luggage. It is important that I mention that ship personnel did this for us even though we booked our own air. Thank you Chris for saving the day! Entertainment: full disclosure, we do not ordinarily go out after dinner, preferring to sit on our balcony and watch the ever changing scenery pass by while we plan for the upcoming days adventures. We did however enjoy the comedy show. Dining, oh the food, everything and anything my heart desired, ordering on or off the menu. Attention to detail was evident down to the Versace table setting and Chihuli Glass Chandelier and art. Service: Attentive and unobtrusive. All staff seemed truly joyful, smiling as they worked, sharing in conversation when appropriate, having an ability to read us, anticipating our desires and needs, learning our names by day two, recalling our favorite beverage. This was consistent as we did not dine in the same restaurant two nights in a row. How they knew to recommend fish dishes to me and meat dishes to my husband is a secret that I cannot figure out. Their recommendations were spot on. I recommend Regent to the seasoned sophisticated traveler who appreciates fine dining, art and who believes that the journey is as important as the destination. Bridge players and trivia enthusiasts made up a good portion of passengers. There were a few families with teenage children and I saw one family with much younger children at the end of our cruise. A childrens' program was available. We are a couple in our 50's traveling without children so I cannot advice on suitability for families with children. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary and "free" business class air. We had not been to the mediterranean and were very very pleased with the ports we visited. For example we anchored by Sorrento rather docking in Naples. Sorrento is a beautiful harbor and well worth the hassle of tendering to shore. It also made it possible to get to Capri as well as Pompeii. Regent did a nice job with the airfare, direct flights to/from our home airport Denver and Heathrow then first class to Venice and from Barcelona. We wanted to spend some days in Barcelona after the cruise and Regent accommodate the change from Monte Carlo without extra charge. They also went above and beyond by providing the exact soda and wine we had requested in advance. This was really special. Virtually all of the staff you ran into would smile and say hello and were willing to provide assistance. We do not stay up late so did not attend any of the entertainment. One disappointment was the gluten free options. The bread and hamburger buns were disappointing. We like to dine in our cabinand had breakfast every morning. Most evenings we dined in our cabin as well and found we had good menu options. We did dine in the Compass Rose and Prime 7 and enjoyed our meals there. One note, this cruise was in the summer and there were a number of children on board. Some of them were not very well behaved and that took away from the experience a bit. Also, it was peak travel season for this region and there were a lot of tourists. Recommend not cruising in the summer if possible. Read Less

I should start by saying that this is my first cruise experience. We booked using a travel agent. We had the following requirements: great food, not a lot of kids, and not a "party" boat. This cruise definitely checked all the boxes for us! Cabin:We upgraded to a concierge Suite on the 10th floor. It was so spacious. We had a king size bed, walk in closet and even a sitting area. We had a bathtub with wonderful Loccitane products as well and even a balcony with enough room to have two chairs and a small table. Dining: The food was fabulous! We ate at all the options that they had! The pool bar had burgers, etc. Prime 7 has steaks and seafood. Compass Rose is open Breakfast lunch and dinner and has a great variety. And Sierra Mar ( My favorite) is italian and Chartreuse is French. I HIGHLY recommend making dinner reservations at Prime 7 and Chartreuse. These did book up on our 7 day cruise and the others are first come first served. ALL THE FOOD AND DRINKS were included. Not just the beer and wine but everything! Service: This was unlike anything I have experienced. Everyone that works for this ship is very nice and so accommodating. Pretty much anything that I asked for, they would make happen. For instance, we had a steward named Gregory that we met on the first day. He asked if there was anything that we needed for our room or mini bar. I asked for wine for the mini bar and he even asked what kind that I preferred and made sure that the mini bar was stocked with my favorite wine the whole trip. This was a nice touch. Ship: Was very clean, and very well appointed. It had a luxurious feel without feeling stuffy. Shore excursions: We did the Bering Sea- Crab Fishermans Tour in Ketchikan. I would HIGHLY recommend this! It was one of my favorite excursions that we did!!! Very informative and it was interesting to see what the day and the life of a crab fisherman would be like. We also got to see A LOT of bald eagles! Mendenhall Glacier and whale Quest in Juneau. Very fun! We got some great pics of the glacier and it was a beautiful day so it was nice to be on the water. We didn't get to see a lot of whales though. Venture to Glacer Point was amazing but I wouldn't not recommend to someone who doesn't like to walk a lot. It is a pretty far walk to the Glacier after the canoe ride but for myself who likes this, it was great! It was really cool to be soo close to the glacier. The Sea otters, Raptors and Bears, in Sitka was a little disappointing. We thought it was a little more like seeing Bears and Eagles in the natural habitat but it was more like visiting a zoo. We did see Sea Otters but couldn't get close enough to get good pictures. I do have to make clear that ALL the excursions were NOT free. There are a lot that are but those ones didn't really appeal to us. We were given a discounted rate but still, that was a little misleading. Overall, this was a great experience! It was an expensive cruise, but we felt that it was worth every penny! We are already looking forward to booking another cruise with Regent! Read Less

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

After a dozen cruises on large common cruise lines, my husband and I chose Regent. We’ve been on the 7 Seas Explorer 3 times in the past 3 years. We plan on going on another Regent cruise, they are that good. The first two were in Europe and the last one was in the Caribbean. We are in our early 60’s, fit, & seasoned travelers. All 3 of the cruises had truly excellent service in all areas. This is a main attraction along with their gourmet food. All 3 times we have had true culinary experiences in their restaurants, Prime 7 and Pacific Rim in particular. Their service and food are clearly superior to all the major large cruise lines. Although Regent is a more expensive cruise line, it’s totally worth it. Also, all of the tipping/service charges are included. For me, that’s a relief. It’s hard to figure out how they get such friendly, helpful, respectful workers but they do. All of the rooms have verandas, as well. The majority of the passengers of the 3 we were on, were probably average age of 70 - at least it seemed like it. I’d like to know the true average age. To be honest, on the first night of the first cruise I looked around the dining room and the main lobby and thought: “OMG, I am trapped in in floating nursing home.” There are a lot of slow-moving passengers using canes and walkers which is quite a contrast to some of the other cruise lines we’ve been on. Some have wheelchairs and personal assistants; but as the week went on, we realized there were a lot of advantages to being the younger ones on an older-person’s cruise. First of all, I ended up being inspired by these older, handicapped passengers who continued to enjoy life despite their difficulties with ambulation etc. Most of the time, they yield the hallway to the faster-moving passengers. They are respectful and courteous. They converse in just the right amount of pleasantries. If you wanted to talk, most had very interesting lives and stories to tell. Never even once did we see anyone drunk or causing a problem. The “active” excursions are usually small since most of the older passengers choose less energetic tours (there were only 6 of us who went on the jungle river tubing experience in Belize - which actually was rather boring and don’t recommend it but it was very personalized). The gym and spa area are practically empty (except for a few of the staff working out). I found all of this to be tremendously advantageous. A few tips: If you can’t get the excursion you want when you first book your cruise on line - check back before you leave and definitely when you get on board. People often cancel and the cruise line adds excursions. You can almost always get what you want if you are a little persistent. The excursions in Europe were really well done and totally worth going on - even if you’re not a group-tour kind of person. The tour guides know the history, culture, and geography of the area and it’s a very good learning experience. There wasn’t even one disappointing tour. It’s a little frustrating with loading up the bus with slow-moving passengers but as long as you know it ahead of time, just don’t rush back to be first on the bus. Linger at your destination and enjoy the extra time while the bus is being loaded. I could go on FOREVER about the EXCELLENT ports of call in Europe; but suffice it to say you would not be disappointed on the cruise that starts in Rome going through the Mediterranean or the cruise that starts in Athens and goes up the Aegean coast line. They were truly breathtaking & fascinating. The Caribbean excursions were not as good as the European cruise excursions; but I think it’s a reflection of the countries. The tour guides in Belize, Guatemala, and especially Honduras were somewhat disorganized and the guides had little to say on the bus which was a bit disappointing but not a huge negative. All of the Mexican ports of call, the Grand Cayman, and Key West were terrific though. For us, the Caribbean excursions took up so much time that there was little or no time left to look around the port on our own. For that reason, here’s another tip: most excursions meet in the ship theatre using a ticket system. Once you get your ticket, you meet your group out on the pier. If your excursion is a couple hours after the ship docks, you don’t have to wait around for your tour. You can go out - check out the port area - and come back for your excursion. Twice we missed an opportunity to see a port because we thought we’d have time afterwards but the shops were closed when we got back. We should have gone out before our excursion. We took excursions in Guatemala and Honduras that involved long bus rides through poverty stricken areas. I felt sad seeing all that - such that I wished I was there on a mission trip rather than as a tourist. There’s nothing anybody can do about that but something to keep in mind if seeing all that on a vacation would bother you. Book your specialty restaurant reservations early - the prime times around 7 pm go fast. The Compass Rose serves excellent food if you don’t get all the specialty reservations you want, though. No worries - you won’t have mediocre food anywhere on that ship. Remember that room service is 24/7 and they do a great job. If you want to book spa services (especially on Days at Sea) do that early too. Something else to keep in mind, the medical office has very limited services. We had an accident on one of the excursions causing large bruising and scrapes but we had to see the security officer first to determine if we were truly on a ship-sponsored excursion before they would take care of us. They didn’t do any of the wound care - they just gave us supplies to do it ourselves. For a variety of reasons, passengers are safer all-around if they stick with ship-sponsored excursions. As always when traveling, you have to really keep your wits about you. On our Regent cruise that stopped in Venice, I had my phone stolen by the port screening person as it went through the X-ray machine. I didn’t notice right away but went back in less than a minute and I got no cooperation from anyone to help me get it back. It was very upsetting. Stay at the screening place until you confirm all of your belongings are there. On the European cruises, the speaker was Terry Bishop. He’s unbelievable. He mixed knowledge, humor, and music perfectly. We looked forward to the lectures every day. The speaker series on the Caribbean cruise was terrible, though. For some reason, the cruise line decided to go political and had a speaker who discussed one side of US politics. That was very disappointing. As with all cruise lines - the daily activities sheet is important to check. There’s a LOT going on around the ship each day and it’s easy to miss out on something if you don’t check out the schedule of daily events. Their small-group bands, theatre shows, comedians, etc are all good. One night there was a party on the pool deck with the buffet & dancing under the stars that was really tremendous. Overall - this is a 5 star, sophisticated cruise line providing cultural experiences and good fun. Read Less

Much against our judgement we were swayed to try a competitor to Regent Seven Sea Cruises. For us sadly it wasn’t the best decision. What has become apparent is that most cruise lines do the least that they can get away with. Whilst Regent do the most that they possibly can do for their clients. As soon as you book with Regent, they take total charge of your booking. Regent, take all the pain out of booking and travelling. Not only that but their guests receive a lovely leather iPad holder containing all the travelling documents and leather baggage tags as well as being fully briefed on the itinerary, excursions, dining arrangements, Culinary Arts Kitchen Classes, Distinctive Gourmet Tours – you name it. Checking - in is a joy. No lengthy queues! You are streamlined and before you know it you are on board being greeted with a glass of champagne with a superb lunch either at The Pool Grill or the excellent La Veranda. Probably in our opinion the best and consistent Buffet on the open seas. This is a Restaurant not a Café! The suites on board are carefully thought out and the attention to detail is amazing. Sheer luxurious quality and service. Dinning on Regent is an absolute pleasure. The choice is phenomenal with consistent value with its multitude of dining delights. Easy to book through the Concierge Desk with none of this supplement charging or wait listing attitude. Or if you are not in the mood, order Room Service. You can have a gourmet dinner served course-by-course, delivered to the suite to whatever you fancy. And be lazy and watch one of 200+ movies. A factor very much appreciated on Regent is the quality of the Food and Beverage. Excellent wines and spirits served throughout the ship. If it is not there the staff will get it for you. And of course to accompany the selection and type of cuisine. The entertainment and events on board are outstanding. Be it in the theatre, lounge bar or the Casino, guests are never disappointed. The standard of excursions presented by Regent is the highest we have experienced. Well put together and knowledgably presented tours and with none of this pack the buses approach. Always plenty of space on every excursion. On board activity is plentiful with an incomparable Spa and Fitness centre. There is always something going on that guests want to participate in. What really makes Regent head and shoulders above other Cruise Lines is their tremendous staff. From a cleaner to the Captain everyone has a marvellous attitude which inspire the guests on board. There is a spring in their step of sheer enthusiasm, charm and politeness. Secondly, their professionalism and service is second to none. Every staff enjoys their job and it is infectious. That is why we have booked three further cruises with Regent in the next fifteen months. Read Less

We chose this cruise for our Honeymoon. Prior to boarding the ship we stayed at the Ritz Carlton Bal Harbor, which we highly recommend. The ship was beautiful and we were so impressed by our cabin, Penthouse Suite 819. TV on demand had great movies and TV Series options. The service was excellent - very attentive. Our room came with a butler, although we really did not know what to do with him, he was still nice to have, and served us breakfast in our room every morning. The Food was absolutely amazing at every restaurant on the ship. We especially loved Chartreuse and Prime 7. But honestly, even the Pool Grill was great. One nice perk of the Penthouse Suite was we were able to book one reservation each at Chartreuse, Prime 7, and Pacific Rim prior to boarding the boat. When we boarded the boat we were not able to book anymore until after our reservations were completed. We booked each for the first three days, and ate at Chartreuse twice, Prime 7 twice, Pacific Rim twice, Sette Mari twice, and Compass Rose three times. In addition to that, we ate at Chartreuse and Prime 7 many times for lunch. Prior to boarding, I decided to book two cooking classes, and I am so happy that I did. They were so much fun. I personally am not into cooking, but my partner is, and I would say we both equally enjoyed both cooking classes. We enjoyed using the gym and infinity pool in Canyon Ranch. Our spa treatments were good, we had two couples massages and pedicures. Our favorite port of call was the private island, Great Stirrup Cay. We did not do any excursions through the ship. Like the other reviews, the internet was not great. I did find the signal to be stronger in the common areas. I was not bothered by this, as I had read the reviews and knew the internet would not be great. We are a same sex couple, and there were several other same sex couples on the ship. We felt very comfortable by how we were treated by staff and other guests. I was surprised at how many guests were 30s-50s age category. Most of the reviews had mentioned the demographics skewed much older. I would say about 1/5th of the guests were under 50. I think the shorter cruises have younger guests, ours was 11 nights. There were many couples on their honeymoon. There were only a handful of very small children (toddlers) and a couple high schoolers, but we did not see any grade school aged children. Getting on and off the ship was easy. Penthouse Suites do not get priority. We did not go to any of the entertainment. Overall everything was excellent, and we can't wait to go back on the Explorer. Read Less

Went on this cruise to celebrate our anniversary. First time on Regent. Had traveled on sister company, Oceania several times. We found the beds on Oceania more to our liking for firmness, but that is personal preference. Very good choice of restaurants. Because we were willing to share tables, we were able to dine in the specialty restaurants several times each. The main dining room was also attractive and well served. Waiters and wine stewards were well trained and friendly. Would not mind having the same crew on our next trip. The dining rooms did run out of grapefruits, blueberries and some other items, even though this was only a 2 week cruise. Booked another trans-Pacific cruise for the Navigator while on board Explorer to take advantage of some discounts. Cruise consultant needs some more training. Did not know much about the Navigator and did not quote the appropriate price. Our travel agent is fixing. Casino looked kind of dark and on most nights on this trip, not that much action. Spa is expensive and overpriced. Quality would have been good at half the price. Nice library, lots of small activities (sports, trivia, lectures, picture puzzles. Definitely an older crowd than any other line we have sailed. Read Less

We had a great time on the Explorer! The most outstanding thing was the customer service in EVERY aspect! The employees are so personable and nice. Their work ethic is incredible! Our room (Concierge) was spacious and the bed was so comfortable. They came in to clean and make everything perfect twice a day. Anything we requested was immediately attended to. Room service in the middle of the night - no problem. We went on excursions every day with the port-intensive itinerary, so we only attended 2 of the evening shows. We had great dinners every night with unbelievable service and attention. Our favorite was the Pacific Rim. It was over-the-top on food and presentation. All of the restaurants had excellent customer service. We were glad we did the pre-cruise night in Barcelona at the Fairmont so we had a chance to regroup after the international flight. The Business Class air rounded it all up to a truly great vacation! Read Less

We have sailed three times on the Voyager and were anxious to sail on the new Explorer. From the moment we were met by Regent at the airport to disembarkation, the serviceand quality in all aspects of the cruise exceeded our expectations. The transfers from airport to hotel to ship were smooth and efficient. We were greetedon board with champagne, and for the next two weeks enjoyed the friendly, courteous and helpful crew personnel, especially the wait staff, concierge, cruise director and butler. The service was top-notch. We liked the all-inclusiveness of Regent cruises, and thequality of restaurants, entertainment and excursions was the best we've encountered. That includes sailing with Seabourn and Silversea. Not only was the decor in all the public areas of the ship luxurious, but the artwork wasunsurpassed. The Canyon Ranch spa and staff were excellent. We are looking forward to another Mediterranean cruise in October with friends we areanxious to introduce to Regent. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to try Explorer and thought the ports ideal for us, especially with a Southampton start. We boarded and both said WOW. It really is a fantastic ship. From the artwork to the furnishings and crockery. We were 'processed' quickly at 12 noon and then to a delicious buffet lunch. Once the suites were available we unpacked and found we still had spare drawers and cupboards. The room was beautiful, super bathroom with 2 basins, separate shower and bath. Someone had commented earlier that our room (810) had a lot of teething troubles. I'm glad to say that everything had been put right, except what he described as a 50 cent hook replacing a lost one; we mentioned this to Reception and it was changed within an hour. What he failed to add was that the F2 cabin is so spacious. Crew was uniformly brilliant - always a smile. We dined twice in Prime Seven and Chartreuse, once in Sette Mari, and the rest of the time in Compass Rose. Prime Seven just about the best, Compass Rose good too, but we were never disappointed by the choice or the quality. The last dinner in Compass Rose was outstanding. Wine flowed freely, and if we were always offered a wine that was not to our taste we were immediately offered several alternatives. Cruise Critic had organised a Meet and Mingle on Day 2, and we were pleased and surprised that the Master and some senior officers joined us. This was typical of the approachability of everyone on the ship. We don't do many excursions, preferring in general to walk around the town, but those we did take were also well organised. Bilbao was outstanding, mainly because of the Guggenheim Museum, but we love Bordeaux (where we moored right in the middle of the City), Porto and Lisbon. Finally the infinity pool at the Spa deserves a mention. While my wife had a massage I took the opportunity to sit on the aft deck and use the pool as we sailed down the river out of Bordeaux. This was day 4, and I was told I was only the second person to use it - a hidden secret indeed. We can't recommend Regent enough, especially Explorer. Read Less

I specifically chose this cruise for the new ship and the itinerary. Neither disappointed. The ship is absolutely beautiful and anyone who reviews it less than 5 stars I really wonder about... So book with confidence for a luxury ship - your stateroom, pool, and public areas. See my stateroom review. I would agree with other reviewers service was so-so. Some of the staff were excellent - would address you by name, have a great conversation and remembered your preferences. Those staff members made the cruise super enjoyable. Other staff members, mostly assistants in specialty, staff in the main dining room and at breakfast were fairly checked out and didn't really care. The complimentary beverage selection was very good and fairly large, we never felt a need to order a paid item. There was a huge variation on the wine availability. Some staff would only serve the "one" featured wine. 3 ports in we learned from another passenger who had complained to f&b manager about beverages and food, learned and told us they had a wine list that you could order from. Once we discovered that and ordered our wine by name it was much more pleasant. Other than staff convenience and budget, I'm not sure why they keep that such a well guarded secret. So be sure to ask to see the ship's wine list! Food was average. While the menu was massive in the main dining room, the quality and taste was average. I will throw kudos their way - we ate in the main dining room only twice on a 12 night cruise and both times they allowed my husband to order a dish he made up with ingredients they had on board. That, in itself, says something about the ship. Specialty restaurant food was equally just average. The chef at the French restaurant comes out and chats with each table, a very nice touch. I will say almost every passenger we met had a different opinion on food quality, so it must be driven by what you are accustomed to. We live in a large city and eat in top restaurants so perhaps our expectations are high. The pool buffet offered a rotating menu and the food was great. They did a specialty buffet on sea days. Eating in specialty restaurants more than once is not a problem. If the main dining room is busy they will offer that up as an option or ask to get in again once you board. Theater shows were good - no problem getting a seat with good sight lines - the theater has ample seating. Avoid the balcony as another passenger suggested. Lounge entertainment is all geared to those passengers 70 plus with no variation. Regents has some work to do to appeal to anyone under 70 and should really focus some time on that. Their target audience goes to bed after the show (10:15). By 11:30 only the one front desk person is up. There were times when we wanted to be at the casino and it was closed. They have improved since our last cruise - now in one lounge they have a self service iPad that you can play music from. We met the 2 other couples on board under 70 and made our own fun. Our takeaway is sail with a group of friends if you are under 70. Pool was heated to about 90 and very enjoyable as we had fall type weather with plenty of sunshine. The nice thing with the older crowd, there were plenty of chaise lounges at the pool. Pool service was good and it was very enjoyable to just relax and read. Canyon Ranch needs to ease off the push to sell products. I was a bit disappointed in my ritual massage/scrub experience I booked with them - not quite up to par. Same for hair salon - I paid $120 for a blow out for short hair and got shamed because I didn't want to order Kerastase products - hello I can get them in the US. Shore excursions we did all private, except for 3, as we knew there would be a lot of older folks on board. I loved the overnights we had in two ports as you could really get out and explore in much more depth or enjoy a nice dinner off ship. We did the dinner at Chateau de Tetre - very nice tour and appetizers. Dinner was ok - chicken. If I did it again I would have dined in Bodeaux. We also took the Santiago de Compostela tour with the ship - I would not recommend - there was no need to be in town so long and the food was again a bit of disappointment (chicken). Lastly chef market tour and tapas cooking class. Can't recommend that either - we grilled bread with olive oil on it. I don't quite understand the culinary kitchen - it takes up quite a bit of real estate but all of the classes except the one I took were booked 10 months prior to sailing and there were not that many in total. I would think they should use that venue every day as it is a revenue generator. I did hear from another passenger that the class she took they actually made something. I booked all of my tours on Tours By Locals. The ship's schedule allowed ample time in port to explore. I could not find a tour guide for St Malo so we took a cab to see St Michel and Cannacle. It worked out great and was only 300 euro. We could not tender in St Jean de Lux so we had 2 days in Bilbao. We got off the ship that night for a local dinner at the port town which was quite fun. We took the air credit and booked our own first class air so no issue with that. Langham London was lovely and had a great location. We came in several days early and the hotel worked with our 2 reservations and kept us in the same upgraded room. Regents paid for breakfast and the transfer to Southampton, which was about a 1 1/2 to 2 hour bus ride. In Barcelona, super simple to get off the ship and take a cab to the airport. Read Less