Cruised in December 2019, departing n arriving Singapore (14-days) on the Regent SS Voyager. Our family comprised 6 adults - several of us are veteran luxury cruisers, one of us is a first-timer. We had heard good things about Regent SS, and decided to give the Voyager a try. My most recent luxury cruise was on the Seabourn Encore, so I’ll use that as a reference point for my review of the Voyager. Overall Ship design The ship in general is well-designed, though dated in parts. The Concierge Suite we had was attractive, functional and comfortable. Linen was superb, aircon sufficiently cold. Shower water pressure was on the weak side of adequate. Toiletries were from L’Occitane. I prefer the Molton Brown range offered in the Encore, but that’s a personal thing.No comb nor toothbrush/paste was provided - I’m not sure if housekeeping would have provided gratis if I had asked, as I’d brought my own. Still. Nice as the Regent is, the Seabourne Encore is a notch higher in the styling & design department - in their public areas as well as the suites. Dining Getting seated in Compass Rose was always efficient and prompt. The menu there is excellent. Sides for each dish and accompanying sauces were available separately. Healthy options were available as well (recommended by the Canyon Ranch Spa). Wines were decent to excellent. I found the food to be consistently good, better than the cuisine I enjoyed on the Encore. I routinely ate lunch on the pool deck, preferring to eat and chill rather than sit in a restaurant for an hour or more. The burger and hot dog counter was always a popular spot, as was the ice-cream section. The cafe on Deck 5, Coffee Connection, was very popular and we often could not find seats there, though it wasn’t much trouble to take away and sit elsewhere but nearby. The coffee was passable but the pastries, cookies and fresh fruit were always delicious. Shore Excursions The included tours were not great, but I attributed it more to the ports of call rather than to Regent itself. There was nothing compelling to see nor do in several of the stops. We had to miss Koh Samui due to bad weather. At the overnight dock at Laem Chabang, we decided to bus to Pattaya instead of Bangkok along with everyone else. We stayed overnight at the Hilton in Pattaya. Bangkok was a 120-minute bus-ride away, Pattaya only a half-hour. That was a good decision as we got to enjoy a change of scenery and cuisine. We felt the extra expense was worth the while. Entertainment The entertainment on the ship was good, though I’m not a great fan of cruise-ship cabaret-type shows. But that’s just me. The musical performers in the various lounges were very good. Misc Facilities The free laundry located on every floor was helpful, and it never seemed too crowded. The library was adequate as well, though I’d brought my own e-books. Good range of movies in the suite TV. Wifi was adequate, though it occasionally dropped off to zero at points along the cruise. Our package (free) allowed for 4 devices, but I’m not sure if this is offered to all suite classes. Card key Oh, good grief…. that infernal card-key. My wife and I had a running competition to see who had the higher number of tries to unlock the suite door. I won with 9 tries. And no, I didn’t keep the card key with my phone or other electronic devices. Changing the card didn’t help. Service My main gripe (and it’s a big one) is not the food quality but the food service. Food quality is subjective; service is not. I’m not picky about being waited on. I want my food to come without flourish and fanfare. But certain basics are non-negotiable - particularly when Regent charges a premium for it. Orders were mislaid or forgotten, wrong dishes were delivered, or delivered very late…etc. This happened at every single food outlet (including Prime7), and at almost every meal. We never got through a single meal without something going wrong. This sad experience was shared by numerous passengers we chatted with. The service staff was always friendly and warm - so I attribute the faux-pax to bad training and/or inexperience. I’m sure the staff were trying their best, but the problem seemed to be systemic. I would not accept this level of service from ANY restaurant, and am disappointed to have had to accept it from Regent. Staff on deck were great, always ready to offer towels and water. The pool deck often got crowded though, especially on sea days. Conclusion We had a great time on the cruise, all things considered. Will I cruise Regent SS again? Perhaps when I hear that the food service has improved, or if the prices drop significantly, or after the next upgrade. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it had an interesting itinerary and we were interested in hearing the on board speakers from Frontline America TV who were all excellent in every way We found the ship very dated and in need of an upgrade The food in all restaurants was of high quality The selection of wines was very good The entertainment was of normal standard on board The service was average certainly not five or six star as advertised The ports on our trip were interesting The shore excursions included in the passage fare., on the whole were repetitive and boring visiting temple after temple or church. They could have been more imaginative and we were not met by a representative from Regent at any time when we disembarked the shuttle bus at the port entrance to assist in directing us back to the ship and perhaps offer all guests a cool towel on re embarking the ship as done by other five star cruise lines . Read Less

In Autumn 2018 we travelled from Athens to Dubai on Seabourn. For Fall 2019 my wife wanted us to complete the journey, starting in Dubai and ending in Singapore. So we picked Regent's Voyager for that 20 day journey, beginning November 16, 2019. A bit about us: we are later middle-aged, and one of us still works with, happily, a generous vacation allotment which allows usually two cruises yearly. We find that cruises are the busy persons perfect holiday: unpack once, enjoy (usually) luxurious food and service, and see some interesting places...or, during the harsh Canadian winter, just enjoy a Caribbean "sloth" cruise for some sun and warmth! We are five star with Holland America yet decided a few years ago to branch out into the more "all-inclusive" world, where not everything is ala carte, requiring a chit to be signed. This is not to say that we would not return to HAL for the right itinerary. HAL does a lot of things right, after all. We also have had two cruises with Seabourn (my reviews no doubt can be found on this site). The first was just "good", yet Seabourn senior management truly heard our concerns, urging us to try them again--and we are very glad that we did. Our second Seabourn cruise, the Athens-Dubai one in 2018 on the Encore, was great in all respects. In May 2019, we gave Regent a try. The Navigator, its oldest ship, took us to Europe in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day. We very much enjoyed that cruise--despite a little creaky, a well run ship providing excellent food and service in all respects. The excellent included shore excursions were a bonus. So, for our Dubai-Singapore trip, we ultimately decided to return to Regent, this time on the Voyager. I wish I could state that it was as good as our experience on Navigator, yet I cannot. Indeed, in some respects it was not even up to HAL standards of service. Our main concerns were with the food service and food quality. While food is subjective, it was not only us who found some of it over-salted and under-seasoned. That did improve somewhat. Yet instead of the "a la minute" type of food that we experienced on Navigator, where the food tasted fresh-cooked, on this ship it seemed to us to be more banquet-style of preparation. Side dishes often seemed to suffer from sitting under heat-lamps, revealing a lack of coordination and oversight in the kitchen, and between the kitchen and the various dining venues. For example, on one occasion while my steak was fine, the French fries were like match-sticks--dried out from sitting too long. On other occasions, the wrong side dish would be delivered, an item would be forgotten...it got to the point where we wondered if we could get through one meal without something going awry for either one of us. Service was lacking the competence, warmth, and friendliness that we usually have on other ships, including earlier this year on the Navigator. In addition to many servers simply ill-trained or inept, some were surprisingly robotic in their approach. This was in all dining venues, albeit thankfully there were notable exceptions. There were some (not enough) individuals who clearly took pride in providing excellent service, and were experienced wait-staff. We always appreciated being seated in their sections. Our general impression, and we were not alone in this, was that too many new and untrained food serving staff had been recently taken on--and it showed. The area supervisors were doing their best, but could not always keep up. We also wondered if the ship was somewhat short-staffed in actual servers, noting the often apparent lack of service and kitchen coordination. Yet at the price-point charged by Regent, I am not interested in why things were not up to standard. Rather, I simply expect better. Let alone the luxury cruise bracket (Regent, Seabourn) where we have experienced better, again, on our many HAL cruises service in the main dining room was consistently better than what we experienced this time on Voyager, with the inconsistent, "hit or miss" service at all meals, in all dining venues. Bar service and deck service was generally very good, with drinks expertly made and promptly delivered. The one exception was the Observation bar, where service was slow and rather inept, provided by table-servers who were, again, new and seemingly not properly trained. The liquor on offer was good, in that the premium, yet not luxury, brands were included. For example, Chivas Regal 12 year old scotch, or a good brand of gin such as Beefeater was included. Yet Sipsmith gin was not on the included list. If you wanted an 18 year single malt, that was an extra. As we flew to Dubai on Emirates airlines in business class, by comparison their included bar list is much more generous than is what is on offer by Regent. Deck staff by the pool were great--always coming by to offer you water (we were in very warm and humid regions so they did not want people dehydrating) or an "adult beverage". Our cabin steward and stewardess were excellent--always attentive and willing to help. Laundry service, for which one pays, was so-so. Despite my always noting on the card to use cool or cold water, more often than not hot water was used. Some of my items thus shrunk slightly. The Voyager, which has about 700 passengers if my memory is correct, only has one pool. On sea-days in warmer climates that pool gets very busy, with few loungers in the shade being available. By contrast, the Seabourn Encore, a comparable ship or even a tad smaller, with 600 guests, has two pools: one large one and on a lower deck a smaller plunge type of pool. That helps disperse folks so there is usually enough space for all who want to lounge by the pool. Shore excursions for the most part all left at or near the crack of dawn. Yet when I am on vacation, I do not like to get up at the same time as I would when going to the office! Not only Regent, but all cruise lines, should have some tours which depart mid-morning when the ship remains in port until later in the day. Not everyone wants to rush off the ship first thing in the morning. Clearing the ship in India was problematic, with our late clearance leaving some tours to be truncated. While the ship blamed the Indian authorities, it is well known that while the British invented bureaucracy, the Indian government perfected it. Thus, Regent should have practically built in a cushion on certain tour departures, to allow for port-related delays. That they did not is another example of poor organization or a lack of planning. Our verandah cabin was nicely laid out. Yet we could never get a stronger flow of air from the HVAC vents. Similarly, we could rarely get cool tap water--it was always warm or hot. Try brushing your teeth in warm to hot water--yech. The front desk staff, seemingly disinterested in our concerns, simply relayed a message that the engineering department could not do anything to remediate these situations. Ok then. Overall, the cruise should have been better than it was. We still had a nice holiday and saw some interesting places. We also met some lovely people with whom we dined or chummed around. The way Regent addressed our concerns has also left much to be desired. When I brought these issues to the attention of Regent, I was told how invaluable were my observations. Yet the idea of a future cruise credit, to incentivize us to return, was apparently beyond the pale. Moreover, while I wrote to the CEO, the response came from a non-executive in "guest relations". I contrast this with the seeming personalized response I received from the President of Seabourn after our first Seabourn cruise (which, in hindsight, was better than this Regent experience). Not only did I receive a detailed reply, we were incentivized to return to Seabourn--and are glad we did. Perhaps the lesson learned is that we should not have strayed to Regent? It seems that our business is not as valued by them. Read Less

My wife and I have been to most of Europe and South America, but never to Southeast Asia. We had sailed on the Voyager about five years ago and were eager to set it since its refurbishment in 2016, and a cruise from Bali to Hong Kong looked good. It was! The ship looks wonderful, and our cabin (853) was beautiful in an excellent location. The cabin attendant kept it looking clean and fresh all of the time. The cruise director, Ray, was the best we had ever had in our twenty years of cruising. The lectures were wonderful, and most informative. The food was mostly excellent, although I didn't think that the French restaurant was anything special. Although Prime Seven was excellent, we enjoyed the Compass Rose the best because we were able to dine with and meet a lot of interesting fellow passengers. The shore excursions were mostly good, but we understand that having several excursions in every port for all 700 passengers is difficult. I do suggest that when several full buses are going on the same excursion that Regent consider have the buses alternate their routes so that they don't all arrive at the same place at the same time. Read Less

This is our fourth Regent cruise and first on the Voyager. We took the pre cruise tour to Chiang Mai. The air included was basic economy and when we arrived in Chiang Mai the tours were decent. The dinner we were served with local dance was not a Thai dinner. Getting back to Bangkok and to the ship was efficient but we arrived to the ship just prior to setting sail. Our room was across from the laundry. The depiction in their brochures does not show it directly across from the suite door but it is. You open your door to the open laundry room. Mind you, these are Penthouse B suites and the noise, smell and heat from the laundry room was a definite miss. Additionally, there is a definite vibration from the engine in the rooms and dining areas. So much, the liquid in the glasses moved from side to side. Dining was good at the specialty restaurants. Chartreuse is nice but the menu didn’t change. Same with Prime Seven. Compass Rose had some major issues this cruise. Basics such as sorbet served between courses and petit fours at the end were not offered. The food on occasion was cold. The lunches in Compass Rose were excellent. Just the dinners were below par. The entertainment was excellent at times and just OK at other times. The lectures were good but the Harvard Professor wasn’t knowledgeable about specifics for Regent. The shore excursions were hit or miss. There were many spot on itineraries and then you had the mediocre required gem store stop or government required museums and unappealing included lunches. Regent tends to charge for popular tours such as Valley of the Kings and Petra which defeats the purpose of an all inclusive. Service was lacking on this cruise. The cabin steward was not up to the Regent standard. Missing basics such as trash, time change notices and distribution of daily “Passages”. Overall, the service has declined from our past experiences in 2016(2) and 2017. Read Less

We chose this cruise for several reasons: The reputation of Regent, the itinerary (Hong Kong, coast of Vietnam, Singapore and ended in (70 miles away) near Bangkok, and a chance to travel with good friends. We found almost every aspect of this voyage to be outstanding. The staff, from Captain Felice, to the other 400+ officers and employees, was friendly, efficient, and service-oriented. The ship was spotless and embarkation and debarkation both ran like clockwork. The food on board was outstanding. When we ate in Compass Rose, the main dining room (spacious and very attractive), or either of the speciality restaurants (Prime 7 and Chartreuse), we felt like we were dining in five-star restaurants. The wine choices were varied and of high quality. We never ordered premium wines and didn't regret making this decision. The pool grill and La Veranda, the informal dining options, and offered good variety, wonderful salads and barbecued items. We especially appreciated the barbecue night on the pool deck where the crew worked in very hot conditions to transform this space into an elegant buffet with broiled lobster as one of the choices. Another option is the Coffee Connection, which although it doesn't have a view location, offered excellent speciality coffees and light breakfast, lunch and tea options so we often had breakfast there on days when the excursions left quite early. We had a special offer of three nights pre-cruise in Hong Kong at the Shangri-La and upgraded to a harbor view room there. Well worth it! We found the excursions (only took one extra one - a small group van to the Mekong Delta) to be of good value although some made for a very long day with 2-3 hour bus rides each way. We especially enjoyed the tours in Hong Kong, Halong Bay, Hoi An and the Mekong Delta. The only disappointment were the entertainment/enrichment activities, which varied substantially in quality from excellent to barely acceptable. The lecturer on board, who we had hoped would be a southeast Asia expert, wasn't, and offered lectured on topics that had little to do with our itinerary, reading from his notes. On the other had, the photography expert on board, was very informative and had excellent handouts to refer to later. The onboard entertainment team was very strong but only does 4 shows (one brief) per voyage and the others were less than strong overall. Know that at this time of year, it is HOT and HUMID. Temperatures were well into the 90's every day after Hong Kong, with high humidity, making it feel even hotter. This did affect our experience on some of the excursions and even the sun lovers sought shade on the pool deck much of the time. Read Less

My first experience with Regent was two years ago on a trip from Tokyo to Beijing. It was problematic due to poor excursions in Tokyo for two days of the precruise as well as very uneven service and food during the cruise. Bad weather did not help the situation but could not be blamed on Regent. Jump forward two years. Just about everything went well. The service throughout the ship was remarkably improved, especially in Compass Rose, Using the new electronic ordering system, we could easily be seated by 7:30 and be out by around 9 pm to see the show in the Constellation lounge. The new menu is excellent. Simple dishes available each day on the left side with the ability to order sides for each dish and accompanying sauces (eg peppercorn for a steak) all available separately. PERFECT. On the right side were daily specials, including healthy options based upon Canyon Ranch Spa recommendations. Each day had a recommended wine choice but others were available at no additional charge or you could go upscale. I am not a food or wine snob and found excellent food and wine choices each meal. Even Sette Mari, the Italian restaurant at LA Veranda was much improved. Just stay away from the tough as leather veal scallopini. I routinely ate lunch on the pool deck due to the mostly good weather and enjoyed the Theme Day food. Best as usual was the Indian food but other days were also good. If I was not impressed, I chose grilled fish or a turkey burger. I was not fond of the beef burger. The fries were always excellent, unfortunately, as was the ice cream. The coffee service, Coffee Connection, on deck 5 also improved. The coffee went from terrible on the first cruise to passable. The espresso was generally better from the machines. Never underestimate the skill of a good Barista. Pastries and cookies were always good with fresh fruit always available for those desiring healthy choices The included tours on Regent went very well this time. Other than Samarang Indonesia, where we had monsoon rains and there was literally nothing of real interest to see on the tour, the other ports were quite good. Seats were a bit tight in Bali for Both American size passengers and the Australia buses were uniformly hard seats and no place for water bottles or maps. ODD. The arranged tours in the Sydney post trip were also excellent. Our host hotel, the Four Seasons did not treat us well. The daily breakfast was marred by limited choice and uneven quality when compared to the main dining room. After the first day of this experience, I was allowed to eat at the main dining room. We were also stuck in a handicapped room against our choice. Only after making a firm demand to the manager were we finally moved after one day.A far cry from the fantastic Fairmont Singapore on the precruise. The entertainment on the ship was absolutely fantastic, in part thanks to the Cruise Directo,r Ray. The five piece Regent Orchestra, downsized from our prior cruise was absolutely first class, with Sasha, the sax player a stellar performer. I would be please to see them at any paying venue. The Broadway style shows were uniformly good, but different from the old Jean Ayers shows. These were now produced by Norwegian and I felt the singing and dancing was first rate. Make sure to go to Horizons before dinner to hear the band and after 10:30 in Horizon Lounge for the late show. This was spectacular entertainment in an intimate venue. Based upon our experience this trip we would again travel with RegentOther than Cyclone Gita giving us a bit of rough water at the end of the trip and missing a port near the beginning due to a passenger emergency, this was a great cruise, worth the premium price. By the way, I had no problem with the new interior after the refit. The buffet in La Veranda worked much better. The sound and lighting system at the Constellation lounge was great. The ordering system at Compass Rose was much improved. Some complained there was less storage in the rooms. I did not notice as I travel pretty light. Read Less

We choose this cruise to coincide with a significant birthday and to make the festive season special. A last minute change of itinerary meant we visited some some less visited ports in Japan. The passengers were a mix from all over the world, not the North American majority normally present on a Regent cruise. This was probably due to its starting and finishing point. We enjoyed the ports and excursions although felt despite the on board decorations, it was not really festive. Christmas dinner, turkey notwithstanding, could have been any night; Regent left an impersonal 'Happy Holidays' card in our room. I guess we expected a bit more song and dance. Our early issues with spotty service were dealt with on board. The entertainment, however, has had a mammoth budget cut. The 'shows' had no sets or props - just video backings. The ;Signature Orchestra' had been halved to a band. And excellent as the musicians were, they lacked the depth of a larger ensemble. The food was of a high standard everywhere, particularly in the signature Compass Rose MDR. The revamp of the MDR however included LED lighting usually set at the UV blue colour normally associated with insect killing machines or anti drug injection sites. H'mm. Regent's biggest asset is their staff and they continued to shine. An enjoyable cruise with few reservations. Read Less

We're quite excited to go on the same ship as we traveled on a few years ago and the Itinerary was good before the changes, sad to miss out on Korea but Japan was Fantastic, china was not, The ship is very clean and nice, the crew is friendly and the food is good. The only crew I'm not happy are the x-Eastern european ladies in the reception, they are never helpful, they are very inflexible and should be reminded of how much people pay on this ship. Because of the huge reductions in the price we paid for a butler but would not do this again as you don't meet the cabin stewards and don't get a chance to have a chat and whilst the butler was handy, it felt like there were a lot of interruptions when we tried to relax in the cabin. It feels like the standards have dropped a little since last time 2012, we didn't get a gift on the return home like we did the 1st time. The itinerary changed and we didn't go to Korea, this was disappointing but the extra stops in Japan were great. China was terrible, the organized tours were in dirty busses, the guides were obsessed with money, pretty much all they spoke about, forget about telling us about what the old buildings were. The trip to the Wall was badly organized, getting there only 1h before sunset and there are no lights on the wall, some older (but fit) people walked far and then struggled to return to the bus in the dark. The Chinese officials at the port treated the crew badly on the return to the port, they had them lined up for over an hour, not letting them board the ship for over an hour. A few people got an upset stomach after one of the lunches on the tours in china and on the whole, china is not a place I would go back to. A cold cruise was nice to experience, more energy to walk around the towns in Japan but you do miss out on sitting around the pool, swimming and drinking cocktails. Bingo was very disappointing as the entertaining crew did not promote and tell people that there was Bingo every sea day, they could have made a bigger effort. Regent cruises are very expensive compared to others so I don't think we'll be back, add to that the office in Sydney were not at all helpful or friendly, maybe they need a reminder that they are working for a 5 star company Read Less

We booked this cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary and all in all it was a wonderful trip, a trip of a lifetime. We saw so many beautiful and wonderful places, and met many wonderful people. Our Regent experience was, with a few notable exceptions, as good as the one 7 years ago in the Mediterranean. I will bullet point the positive and negatives below, and have, of course, given these to Regent as well in their post-cruise survey. Positives: The Crew/Service - the staff and crew on board were absolutely wonderful. Everyone went out of their way to try to get to know you and to exceed your needs. The crew members were exceptionally interactive compared to our past cruise experiences, playing games and taking the time to chat with passengers frequently. The wait and bar staff were always welcoming, remembering favorite items and going out of their way to accommodate (had a bartender go ashore to find us lychees and had our cabin stewardess always find pears for me). The level of service we experiences was exceptional. The cabin/ship - this ship was refurbished top to bottom last fall and the cabin and public spaces were beautiful Shipboard activities - this ship had more on board activities than I had seen on previous cruises. We really enjoyed the team trivia, crew lawn game challenges, the deck by deck "block party", and the shipboard picnic Business Class Air "included" - when flying to Asia this was a must! Post Cruise extension to Seim Reap - this was my absolute favorite part of the whole trip. Even though it was blazing hot and humid ( felt I was raining down sweat), the hotel they put us in (Borei Angkor Hotel), the guides for the torus of the Angkor complex, the cultural dinner and show and hotel spa were all first class. Luncheons at the pool grill - while the food overall was what I would call "meeting expectations" (with a few exceptions, breakfasts - meh, Dinners generally good), the pool grill stood out as providing a consistently good product and providing different "theme" each day Opportunities Wine Selections - this was a marked difference from our last Regent experience. The wine selections were not only fewer, but most were of much reduced quality than what we expected from Regent. Also on a few occasions they would run out of some of the better wines leaving only the poorer quality options. There was no wine list per se, bu the stewards would come around and offer the "red or white of they day" and if this was not what you wanted, you could ask for something else but had to play 20 questions to see if they had what you wanted. Many of our fellow passengers also commented that they felt that Regent was cost cutting in this department. Entertainment - while some of the theater shows were very good, especially the Chinese cultural show, the entertainment overall was what I would call "sleepy". Now they may say this is what their clientele likes but I beg to differ. People were jumping and closing down the bar on dance party night, and a group of people I talked to had found a way to create a new pop/rock playlist on the "background music" system in the lounge only to find it deleted a few days later, so there is definitely an appetite for more upbeat options. Go ahead and keep the "Captain and Tennille" show if you must, but don't have it in all the lounges all the time. Docking Locations - I'm not sure if this could be helped in all instances, but I know that in many of our ports, our ship was docked in what I would call "remote" locations, thus requiring long shuttle or cab rides into towns as opposed to any "walk off"options. This may have been a cost cutting option, poor planning, or luck of the draw, but it was most apparent in Hong Kong, where we were docked out in Kowloon, while the sister Oceania ship was docked right downtown. Tour Timing - some of this may be related to the above, but many of the torus we were on required long bus rides (2-4 hours plus) just to get to the tour sites. Some tours took more time to get there than the actual tour itself. Once we did get there we did enjoy the tours very much, but often felt rushed and "pulled through" the sites in order for the guides to keep on schedule and get us back in time, thus diminishing the overall experience. We and many folks we talked to actually ended up cancelling tours later in the itinerary because we couldn't stand the thought of another 5 hours on a bus. Last Day Experience - once we arrived in Bangkok from Seim Reap, we were joined by the passengers who had gone to Chang Mai and taken to the Sheraton Orchid Hotel. Here is where thins fell down a bit. We all had early flights and got to the hotel before noon, where we were told check in would not be until 4PM. Unlike in Seim Reap, where they had arranged for half day tours for us while we awaited check in, here we were placed in a ballroom, and given no information on where to do, what we could do, no tour was offered (unless you wanted to buy one from the hotel), nor was any food (save for peanuts and chips) offered. Added to this was that the Regent staff were not terribly helpful when asked about restaurant options, or possible places to go during the downtime. Basically we fended for ourselves and several of us jumped on trip advisor for food and entertainment options and passed the word along. So all that being said, we did have a great trip, a wonderful time and created lasting memories. Read Less

Itinerary was the driver behind choosing this cruise, we had sailed once before with Regent on Navigator!! and this ship promised a much nicer experience and it did not fail us. Great cabin, fabulous food and a wonderful ship,, plenty of room and in great shape. However the one big disappointment was the lack of any real management system or process on board. For example on several occasions excursions were delayed or ran over but there was no communication between that team and food and beverage, so some people arrived back at the ship to find no food available. We arrived back late and were given duff information about where we could eat etc, in the end we were fine but for a while it was chaos. I spoke to the destination services people and asked "do you not communicate with food & beverage" and was told to my face "no we never talk to them about issues like this" I raised this on board and got the standard response, a nice table in one of the up-scale restaurants - which was lovely. But the point is this is a great ship with great staff and this lack of a simple process is letting every member of staff down. Read Less

This was our 3rd cruise on the Spirit. The first was for an anniversary 10 years ago - October 2006. We have made Oct 2016-Oct 2017 and anniversary year. The cruise was from Hong Kong to Beijing with stops in Japan and Korea. We had booked our own Air to Hong Kong but had problems finding a reasonable Business Class fare for the return. We checked with Regent and they were able to come up with a great fare and a much better routing then we were able to find. As we had booked a post cruise tour in Beijing Regent supplied the transfers to the airport on our day of departure. My preference has been to handle our air arrangements but this experience will have me checking with the cruise line for their airfares and schedules. Although , like many people who have cruised on Regent before its sales, the ship and the service is not quite like on our first cruise. However, Regent is still a 5 star cruise line with excellent service. Embarking or debarking in Hong Kong is an experience like no other. The cruise ship terminal is connected to a very, very upscale mall (Harbor Mall). You can not board or leave the ship without going through this mall. Keep hold of you wallets as the stores are extremely expensive. Keep in mind that this is a small ship - about 640 passengers, so getting around the ship, disembarking and accessing the dining venues about is fairly easy. From overheard conversations plus our own experience, the excursions were enjoyed by most of those who went. Regent, like many cruise lines, indicates the fitness level for each excursion. Note however that in some cases these were incorrect. One stop had many steps which made it difficult for a number of those with mobility issues. The had difficulty or could not manage the steps. This is not necessarily the fault of Regent, but those with mobility problems should keep in mind that they mnay have unexpected problems. One friend, on another cruise, was ashore with his walker and broke a wheel on the cobble stone street he was walking on. He had to purchase a new walker as no one had a replacement wheel. Excursions are included in Regent's rates. Note: we did not make use of the fitness center. If one includes the daily Trivia contest as recreation, the it was better then the listing below. this site should allow for a N/A-Not applicable One thing that is important to my wife is a bathtub. All of the ships accept the recently launched Muse have tubs. Looks like we will not be sailing on the Muse. We have sailed with Regent a number of times and itinerary permitting, will do so again. Read Less

We always heard great things about regent so we decided to take a chance and do a cruise with them. The service was pitiful. The waiters at the restaurants seemed to be all very overworked and it took a long time to get noticed and to have someone take your order (not even going to mention the time it took for food to arrive). Food was ok. but not Great. Some items tended to end during the buffet lunch and breakfast and not get refilled (had to ask more than once if there was anymore of this or that available to have it replaced). Complained about this issues with the General Manager personally and didn't get any kind of feedback. Also, horrible pre-cruise experience in my country, their office have an extremely unpolite and unhelpful team . Their website doesn't work for specialty restaurants or shore excursion reservation. Had to do everything through the travel agent which was a hassle. The gym is very small and they don't enforce the maximum time for the aerobics. It was always crowded and it always had a long wait to use treadmill or bicycle. All in all I don't recommend it.. Read Less

We picked this cruise because of the pre-cruise activity: a visit to Angkor Wat. This trip is NOT to be missed. So, for us, the rest of the trip was sort of a bonus or an opportunity to get away. That doesn't mean there weren't some good stops, there were: Ho Chi Minh City [Saigon], Keeling, Taiwan and Hong Kong standout. We also enjoyed our stop at Kaohsiung, Taiwan; that was a three temple day. We traveled before on Regent so we knew what to expect. However, we were still surprised at the level of service and attentiveness throughout the ship. One major problem with Regent excursions, however, is that they are rushed and leave little time to explore on your own. We 'bagged' a couple of planned ship excursions to explore on our own. Force marching a group through a museum is a silly [and frustrating] activity. So, if Regent is reading this: "Take us, let us explore the museum and then pick us up at a set time." The food on this trip on the Voyager was better than previous trip in 2015; same ship. The cabin, same as previous trip, was nice BUT lacked storage space since the remodel in 2016. Put back some cabinets or drawers would be our advice. The lecturer was not up to the standards expected; didn't really understand how to engage an audience the the topics were more predictable than need be. Read Less

We choose this cruise because of the unique destinations. The cabin, Concierge D was adequate and always kept in a sparkling condition by the housekeeping staff. Dining was sometimes the best I've experienced in over 60 cruises, unfortunately on a number of occasions in the main restaurant, Compass Rose the food was not as hot as it should have been. This was a result of the waiters having too many tables to look after. The dishes taken from the Galley were left at the waiters station for what seemed a long time before the hard working waiter could find time serve it All the staff were the most conscientious I have known, ever so willing to help and always bearing a genuine smile. Regretfully the Front Desk staff, tour desk staff and Executive Concierge did not fall into this category, When contacting the Front Desk It seemed I was intruding on their time and gave the impression they had more important things to do. Staff on the tour desk were lacking in knowledge of certain procedures i.e.My wife and I were leaving the ship a day early therefore booked a private car for the journey from the Hong Kong Pier to Airport at the highly inflated cost of 279$. When I asked about the disembarking procedures they couldn't tell me. Then there was a Executive Concierge who did not show any empathy when on the first day I asked for Guerlain shampoo something we can't buy in the uk a shampoo I was introduced to on previous Regent Cruises.She said this was only available to guests who were booked one grade higher than our grade. I offered to buy it and was told to go to the shop. Needless to say the shop did not stock Guerlain. These three little points apart this was one of the best cruises my wife and I have experienced thanks in the main to the service of the housekeeping and dining rooms staff. Ed and valintia in particular Let me also mention the Coffee Corner the staff were exceptional with special mention to Madi Read Less

Having travelled with Regent seven times before we knew what to expect. No irritating on board charges, signing for drinks or tips - all included. As has been the case on all other Regent cruises the staff were 100% in every respect - attentive, friendly helpful and smart. The restaurant menus are excellent and even more varied. Our cabin which had been refurbished was excellent. The redecorated Compass Rose is lovely - really relaxing. Food at the 11th deck Sette Mari is fabulous - we dined there several times in the 25 days on our cruise segment. The following points for potential improvement must be read in the context that we have already booked our next Regent cruise so they are not 'showstoppers'. Excursions varied - cannot generalise but be careful as to what is chosen - do the homework! Komodo visit - good. Bali overnight - a waste of time and a big disappointment - not Regents fault. However the Bird Garden was worthwhile. Could do with an overnight in Sydney but probably too expensive with Berth fees! The lounges are unchanged and the chairs are uncomfortable but stylish - there could be more consideration to these bearing in mind the age group of the 'regulars'! The cabin balcony chairs could do with an update. Delivery of the main courses and side dishes in Compass Rose could be improved with better coordination. Read Less

We sailed on the January-February 2017 cruise from Aukland to Singapore. The trip was a very mixed experience, with some parts very enjoyable and others quite disappointing. On the positive side, the cabin stewards did a great job, and our stateroom was always neat and orderly. We enjoyed the new menu in the Compass Rose dining room, with a wide variety of items always available and daily specials. The evening variety shows were much improved over those on our previous cruises on Regent. The enrichment lectures given by Terry Bishop were outstanding, and we would certainly look for cruises where he was featured. On the negative side, there were several problems. Regent had clearly not planned an adequate number of shore excursions, and in many ports there were just no free excursions available. Every day seemed to have long lines at the Destination Services desk of people trying to book tours, often with no success. they offered the excuse that the ports we visited did not have an adequate infrastructure to accommodate a ship our size but, in talking with local guides, it seems that they had no problem with much larger ships. Many of us felt that Regent management was just cutting their excursion budget and not booking enough tours. After all, the ports we visited in New Zealand and Australia are major cruise ship ports, and infrastructure should not be a problem. In some ports Regent tried to upsell us to paid tours, but we found better and less expensive tours on our own over the internet. The excursions we were able to get were often disappointing, often with a lot of wasted time when we were dropped off in uninteresting towns with little to do for several hours. Our stateroom was also a disappointment. The Voyager was just recently remodeled, but the work appears to have been of less than top quality. The walls in our room creaked loudly whenever the ship moved. We have been on a fair number of cruises, some on rough seas, and while some movement noise is inevitable on ships this was well beyond the ordinary or acceptable. The ship's maintenance staff was able to mitigate the noise to some extent by putting wooden shims between the walls and the ceiling, but surely better ship construction should have made these types of fixes unnecessary. Also, the ship seemed to have a large number of maintenance problems with the plumbing, with several leaks. Some days we had no water for a while and, when it came on , it was black. The Voyager lounge was closed for a while because of water leaks. Due to the leaks on our deck (7), the carpet outside our room had a mildew odor that penetrated our cabin. We were also disappointed in the specialty restaurants, both with regard to food quality and service. The meat in the steak restaurant was not of the quality we have had on previous Regent cruises and, as the trip was in major beef producing countries, this should have not been the situation. In Chartreuse, the newly named French restaurant, the main dishes were disappointing. And service was so slow, beyond leisurely, that even starting the meal at 6:30 or 7:00 we were not finished in time to get to the 9:30 entertainment on time. As this was a longer cruise we had multiple opportunities in each restaurant, and were consistently disappointed and eventually cancelled reservations as we preferred the main dining room. Finally, when we wrote to Norwegian Cruise Lines management expressing our disappointment and our inability to get the promised shore excursions, it took over a month to get a reply from them. This suggests that customer service is not high on their priority list. Read Less

We had cruised with Regent previously. Unfortunately they disappointed us with this cruise. Not the destination, but the service, the lack of staff understanding of the clients needs. Their general demeanour at the destination services and reception desk. We were left with no tours in Myanmar and the general discontent amongst other passengers was overwhelming. There were numerous complaints from us and other passengers, and at no stage were they addressed. On our return we sent an email to Regent, but unfortunately they have chosen to ignore our issues. We paid $300+ for a lunch at one of our ports, but the hotel had no knowledge of our booking, which Regent had made, but obviously not confirmed. We subsequently found out the lunch should have cost $25 if we had walked in off the street. The General Manager was very dismissive of our complaints. On our previous cruise with regent, when we returned to the ship we were greeted with moist towels, and if it had been a difficult return they would have live music to greet us back. Not a very important issue, but just another missing issue amongst many others. Read Less

We chose this cruise due to its interesting and varied itinerary - one of the key benefits of cruising is if you don't like the port much, just hop back on board and vow not to return. As we had not been to many of our ports previously, as the cruise title 'Taste of the East' suggests, this was our sample opportunity. A precruise (or post cruise) trip to one of three destinations was included as an incentive and we were drawn to the Angkor Wat option. This was our first trip on the Voyager; our previous two cruises were on the Mariner. We have not travelled on any other cruise line. Both ships are due for major refurbishments soon, so I am tempering this review with this in mind. The standard cabins are more generous than the Mariner and at 28 sq metres are very spacious. There were a couple of 'quirks' like the position of the make-up mirror and it was a bit tired but very comfortable. The bars and lounges less so: there is one less lounge than the Mariner and it was noticeable. The poor guitarist usually had to play in the atrium as there was no lounge for him – you felt like tossing him a coin. In addition, the common areas such as the library and coffee connection were on separate floors which did remove the lovely flow the Mariner has. But really all retained the classy relaxed vibe Regent are noted for. The baristas try and make a decent coffee but they have not been trained well. With Regent trying to move their market into a more global audience, better coffee and loose leaf tea should be a must for a luxury brand. Meals were of the usual high standards; there was only one repeat night and only once did we sit in the main restaurant Compass Rose wondering if we were invisible. It was hot, so generally we didn’t eat outside at lunch at the pool grill, but inside at La Verandah or Compass Rose and that brings me to my main gripe. This tour was an interesting mix of the East and the Middle East. BUT this part of the world has three seasons: warm, hot and wet. We arrived at the end of the hot. And it was hot – even for Aussies like ourselves. The poor North Americans – especially those of more mature years - really suffered. We had tour guide after tour guide in multiple countries tell us this was the last tour of the season and they were about to go on holidays themselves; if Regent hadn’t contracted them they would have left weeks ago. In addition, we arrived in Burma in the middle of the water festival. This meant many venues were closed and those open were jam packed with people as it was a public holiday. The world famous Scott Market was shut the whole time we were there. A few months earlier start time would have made for a better all-round cruise in this location. I’m sure Regent has received many comments in regards to this (including me on my comments card) and of course, I can’t comment on the logistics of cruise planning, but they do need to know it was an issue. An elderly woman had to be taken off the ship in Goa due to heat exhaustion and renal failure leaving her (not related) travelling companion very distraught as she had to remain on board. A couple of ports probably need a rethink. We had a very busy itinerary and this allowed for very little down time, shopping or just pottering. The ports were often a long way from the destinations and this meant you were unable to spend a spare afternoon visting these safe locations at leisure. Most of the ‘acts’ brought on board were fairly ordinary (the pianist was an exception) but the in house entertainment troupe were great and very friendly. The Jean Ann Ryan group will be replaced by the NCL in house group soon so it's yet to be seen if this is a move for the better. Of special commendation was the effort that was made to hold an Anzac dawn service for the 44 Australian and NZ passengers plus the 6 Australian crew members. The Vegemite sandwiches, scones and Lamingtons would fail at a Country Women's Association stall, but the effort was truly appreciated. Talking of passengers, a mention should be made to Regent of the changing nature of their passenger demographics. More than 50% of passengers were not from the USA or even Canada. We met Mexicans, there was a group from Portugal etc, etc. At the Seven Seas Society party, this global expansion was feted, but the on board experience is yet to reflect this. There were 2 Smithsonian lecturers on board: one who quickly realised his audience were global and adjusted his style accordingly though his personal beliefs and self-promotion of his books continued. The other presenter should not have been hired by Regent. Her speciality was medieval music and her lecture on linking oceans to music was just an embarrassment - people walked out in droves. I think Regent should rethink this Smithsonian program linked to PBS. With 50% of passengers not knowing what PBS is, it might be time for a review. Regent's passengers are in general well educated and take the lectures seriously - they should at least be relevant to to the destinations. As always, Regent's main strength is its personnel. Without exception, the crew at all levels were warm, efficient and went out of their way to give personalised service. With the impending launch of the new ship Explorer, there were some new faces on their first contract, but as they were paired with more experienced staff, there was minimal impact on operations. We found the Destinations staff particularly helpful with all tours well organised. Ports - Good and Bad Singapore The precruise hotel was the Regent - comfortable if not a bit bland. Emarkation was accompanied by a noisy colourful Chinese dragon troupe. Siem Reap (Cambodia) This was our included pre-cruise side trip. Apart from being too late in the year - it was very hot and dry - we enjoyed this very much. The hotel Borei Angkor Resort and Spa was a very special base for our varied and imaginative excursions. Port Klang (Malaysia) We opted for a trip to Malacca; it was a long way for a so so destination. Those who opted for a Kuala Lumpur trip were not that positive. Penang (Malaysia) Most enjoyable - pristine beaches and classy establishments. Phuket (Thailand) Good excursions, positive feedback. Small stalls were set up next to the ship by local traders for those essential souvenirs. Pha Nang Bay was a true highlight. Yangon/Burma (Myanmar/Burma) A fascinating destination. Timing was poor and tours had to be cancelled due to the annual water festival. We loved it here and although the port was a little way from most tour locales, it was well worth the effort. Meditation with monks including a shared breakfast was a surprising delight. The Shwedagon pagoda is amazing. Our personable guide suggested everyone should visit now before Burma becomes Thailand:). Cochin (India) A surprisingly delightful location - the Kerala backwaters tour with an Indian lunch was fantastic. Mangalore (India) Interesting, but could have been missed and no-one would have cried. Goa (India) A bit disappointed - maybe we took the wrong tour. Mumbai (India) Just wonderful! We did the 'Old Bombay with lunch' - the only tour we paid for. Was worth every cent with a fabulous guide and an interesting and varied program. Muscat (Oman) A change of pace and very interesting. The souk was touted as a highlight, but was a bit disappointing. The dhow excursion was fun. Fujairah (UAE) Despite the enthusiam of our guide this destination was of little interest to us. Basically a fuel storage area for the UAE. I guess it was great to hear the history of the culture of the UAE in context, but some of the stops were for 'comfort' only. Abu Dhabi (UAE) We just shopped - it was certainly easy and safe to get around on the Regent provided shuttle bus. Dubai Disembarkation was a breeze. We arranged an 8 hour private tour (driver and guide) for LESS than the cost for Regent's port to airport transfer. Passengers with later flights should consider this. Read Less

There is cost and value for money. Whilst not cheap, we believe RSS cruises are excellent value for money and our pick of choice if the destinations are right. We have been on several other cruises with Seabourn and Silversea. The voyager has up to 700 passengers and mainly balcony cabins. It is to have a refit later this year being 13 yrs old but seemed to us to be generally very acceptable with maintenance work on the go outside and inside all the time. Our 'suite' on deck ten a few doors from the bridge (concierge D) was fine with a comfortable bed and a temper pillow provided. A good shower and walk in wardrobe plus adequate living space. Also very quiet - we have booked the same cabin for next summer. There are four restaurants all of good quality. Signatures and Prime 7 are those you book once beforehand, but we found several visits possible by going for a late booking or on spec for a no show. Our favourite is Signatures (French). Compass Rose excellent but slower service than previously (?NCL cutbacks?).Sitting outside the Italian restaurant was a great treat in the (very) warm weather we had. We do not dine in the suite but occasional snack or breakfast room service was prompt and served with a smile - as was the daily phone call for early morning tea. Pool deck lunches were very good with many international themes. The staff do 3 excellent entertainments in the form of a 'garden party' on the pool deck, a wonderful bbq with ice sculptures, and 'KREW Kapers" on stage on the last night. We enjoyed the visiting entertainers but are less impressed personally by the very repeatable Jean Ann Ryan group - you could be on any of the boats on any cruise and not know which, when they are doing the dance and aerial regimes - time for something different, but we were happy to linger over a meal of sit outside the bar some evenings instead. The Regent 8 piece band was versatile and excellent and all the music by the singing keyboard duo, pianist and guitar were of high standard. there was no shortage of venues for music throughout the afternoon and evening. Crew are friendly and service very good. Several members of staff recognised us from previous RSS cruises on other boats! Shore excursions which are in with the cruise price were of good quality with , to be fair, some guides of variable English speaking quality. The two best dictions were by female guides in Kuala Lumpur and Mumbai. The flights were Emirates business class and a bonus was the direct flight from/to Manchester to Dubai without the hell of going through LHR! We had three days land programme in Singapore staying at the excellent Fullerton hotel near the marina. There were two well structured half day excursions and an evening meal visit to the Marina Sands Floor 54 restaurant for a memorable eating experience. This cruise gave us chance to see S E Asia in parts we have not been to - it did not disappoint. We shall return to see more of the area - and we shall be happy to travel again with Regent. Indeed we are going transatlantic with them in November on the new ship. Our minor hopes for change - a teapot for early morning tea rather than a thermos; the ice cream remaining open after 4pm on pool deck by making it available in the pool bar; advance warning of events like the deck bbq so you do not book something else (or have to cancel something else) that night! Read Less

Myself and my partner took a 21 day cruise from Singapore to Dubai in April/May 2016. We had not travelled on Regent Seven Seas previously, but have travelled several times on other cruise lines, such as Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal, so we were in a good position make the comparison. In summary, if Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal are in the 9+ out of 10 category, Regent Seven Seas Voyager was a 7. Regent certainly is higher end/all inclusive cruising, but in my experience, fell well short of the other cruise lines in several areas. The ship itself looks very stylish, but once onboard, you can’t help but notice that it has seen better days and elements are in need of a refurbishment. I know that this is scheduled for later this year, but that doesn’t do anything to improve the experience that we had on board. I guess I was little confused, because I had understood that all the public areas had been previously updated, but really, I would only consider that the bars and dining venues had seen any sort of refresh, excepting La Veranda, which looks in need of a refresh. The cabins, hallways etc are a bit tired. We had a Penthouse - A suite and although I thought the configuration was quite good, the furniture and fit out was old and showed the signs of wear and tear. The swimming and spa pools are outdated and show signs of wear and tear and previous patch ups. Take the golf driving net for example, there is one net and a odd assortment of old golf irons, most which happened to be left handed for some reason, so there was very few right handed clubs to use. Either have a facility or don’t, but equip it properly if you do. The gym and fitness facilities were a huge disappointment and I can’t emphasise that enough. A modern well equipped gym is an important part of enjoying a cruise for us and many travellers and the equipment was positively ancient (I believe around 12 years old) and elements were continually breaking down. There were 5 cross trainers originally, one had been removed before our cruise started, then another goes out of order early on in the cruise and was removed and then a week later, another goes out of order. It was only when I complained after several days, that cross trainer was repaired. Hence down to 3 machines only from 5 originally, which is totally inadequate for the size of this ship. There are 4 treadmills, one was continually not working properly. Some of the TV screens constantly had issues, i.e. would not switch on, no sound etc. The Sauna and Steam rooms are both tiny. The sauna is old and not in great condition - switched itself off and needed to be reset several times. We had a Penthouse - A suite, which came with a Butler service. Give credit, where credit is due, our Butler and the chamber staff were exceptional, as good, if not better than any other cruise line we have travelled. The dining onboard is nowhere near the quality of the other cruise lines I mentioned, unless you are visiting the two specialty restaurants (Prime 7 and Signatures). The breakfast and lunch buffet in La Veranda is not as appealing and well presented as the other cruise lines I mentioned. A pretty basic selection which gets picked over quickly and not replenished fast enough. Some of the fruit at breakfast is tinned fruit rather than a fresh selection. At the mid cruise survey, I commented on the service levels and received a call from one of the senior wait staff to tell me that they realised this and had added more staff at the last port and were “training” them. I must say that this seemed to improve somewhat during the cruise. I assume that the ship was pretty full and hence, at busy lunch times in La Verandah, lots of people would descend on the dining venue. So it was normal to find difficulty in locating a table to sit, yet there were vacated tables that had not been cleared. In the evening, half of the lunch buffet restaurant becomes an Italian restaurant. You cannot make bookings, so it is on a first come first served basis which can make getting a table an issue, although I would say that the staff in that restaurant were the best on the ship and the Maitre'd was excellent and went out of his way to accomodate us on several occasions. But the fact remains that unless you were able to get a booking at one of the specialty restaurants, which is restricted to basically twice per voyage over each 7 days, you end up in Compass Rose, which is the main dining room. The restaurant itself is very nice and classy and I assume recently refurbished, but when you look at the complete offering (food and service), it is a 7 out of 10, when Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal are 9 or 10 out of 10. Most of our dining experiences there had issues, with cold food, tough steaks, lack of seasoning etc etc. Again, I would say this improved somewhat during the cruise, but the staff did seem a bit run off their feet, it took a long time after seating to get service for wine and menus etc. It was not a great dining experience and nowhere near the class of the other cruise lines. The other guests we traveled with and “the laundry room chatter” shared similar sentiments. On Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal, there is a real focus by the staff to get to know your name and preferences. There is not the same feel on Regent, although some staff did make an effort. On the other cruise lines, within a very short period of time, the staff are identifying and greeting you, by name in many cases, if you go to the bar in the evening, more often than not, they would present you with your favourite drink without even asking. Canapés are served around by the staff. On Regent, they leave a plate at the end of the bar, with potato chips, peanuts and a few hors-d’oeuvres and not much else and when it was empty, that is it. On the other cruise lines, sitting up to the bar is a fun experience and a great way to connect with fellow guests. On Regent, the Horizon bar is like a public bar, with the staff running around like mad trying to fill orders, with empty bottles and cans not always cleared away. I just can’t emphasise enough the glaring differences. On Regent, the pool dining is only available during the day for breakfast and lunch. On Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal, there are casual dining options available in the evening. On a long cruise, sometimes it is nice to step away from the more formal dining and have a casual meal. This is not an option on Regent. I would also comment on the breakfast times. The venues close at 10am latest, as does room service. There is a casual coffee shop open all day, but in the mornings, this was very crowded, usually impossible to get a seat. I think there is a clear message there that people want a breakfast option later than 10am. On the other cruise lines, room service was 24 hours, so in-room dining was always an option. Crystal keep one venue open for late risers. I was surprised about the entertainment offerings. In the Horizon Lounge, rather than having a regular ensemble playing background music, they swapped it around continually and at times, it was way too loud and it didn’t last long. We would often get down around 7pm to commence our evening and it was either finishing or had finished. In the Observation Lounge, the entertainment is a pianist. Not everyone wants to go to dinner at 7pm. When we were booking this cruise, the itinerary sounded great, picking up a couple of ports in Asia and then onto to India and the Middle East. What you obviously need to pay attention to is the ports themselves. The first port was Kuala Lumpur, which is actually Klang, about 90 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur itself. In Phuket, we docked on the East Coast, miles from anywhere. So unless you are taking tours, there is nothing to see or do. Then probably the worst was the visit to Myanmar. The port was in the middle of nowhere, overlooking this wasteland of brown water and nothingness. The city of Yangon was 90 minutes away over bone crunching roads. So like us, most people I spoke to took one 5 hour tour over 2 and half days. We were going to take a second tour to a dinner and cultural show, but 90 minutes each way and eating outside in mid 30 celsius temperature and 90+% humidity was not at all appealing. I was expecting the fact that we were in port for two nights, it surely would have been close to the actual city, so that looking around and getting to the sights would have been easy, i.e. like in Ho Chih Minh city. The next part of the cruise, was 3 and a half days at sea travelling to Cochin, India. So that meant that we were only onshore for 5 hours, in 5 and half days. I don’t think that is good planning. We could easily have skipped Mangalore, India as a port, Goa was quite good (again the port is a long way from the city), Mumbai was the pick of India and a great port. All the ports in the Middle East were well worth the visit and the ports themselves were much closer to the cities or sights. Finally, the luggage management. We were required to have our luggage packed and outside our suite door by 10pm. We were independent travellers making our own arrangements in Dubai. We were told to vacate our suites by 8am and be off the ship no later than 9am. The ship arrived in port at around 5am. We left the ship at about 8.15am. Most of the luggage was just sitting on the dock as we descended the gangway. Some luggage was already in the collection area. On other cruise ships, the luggage has always been offloaded and ready for collection when you leave the ship, even early morning. Lets face it, this was already 10 hours after we handed it over and almost 4 hours since we docked. So we kept waiting and waiting and although luggage kept coming off at a snails pace, it wasn’t until we complained, that one of the staff went in search of our bags and we were able to leave the port around 9.15am. When you pay top dollar for these luxury, all inclusive cruises, you expect great facilities, great food and great service. I can’t say that Regent lived up to our expectations on any of those dimensions. Read Less

We recently experienced a 20 night cruise on Seven Seas Voyager, departing from Singapore and terminating in Dubai. To put the following comments into context, in the last 18 years we have spent over 400 days at sea on 31 cruises with 8 different cruise lines. This particular cruise was the last sector of our “around the world by sea” adventure and was therefore very special for us. Overall this was not a bad cruise but there were worrying signs that all is not well at Regent Seven Seas. Firstly at the embarkation day buffet lunch we noticed a lot of arguing amongst the serving staff as to their duties. This continued into the following day where it became obvious that a significant number of Eastern European waiters had been taken on and were undergoing “on the job” training. Further into the cruise it became obvious that the waiters in the Compass Rose Restaurant were also “under training” as evidenced one night when my main course meal arrived at the table with ingredients I had not ordered. On being asked to change the plate the waiter returned to his station, scraped off the unwanted items and returned the plate to me clearly showing where the removed items had once been. On another day, again in the Compass Rose, it took over two hours to serve a straight forward three course luncheon when there were no more than thirty people in the restaurant. Most nights the wine service was extremely poor – OK on arrival at our table but heaven forbid if you wanted your glass replenished or would have liked to change wines. None of these incidents could be described as acceptable service from a Line that markets itself as the most inclusive luxury experience. Luxury Experience ought to mean impeccable service. Shore excursions were another are of concern. An outing in Yangon included a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda. We had been warned about taking our shoes and socks off but we were not warned about the baking hot floor tiles which resulted in scalded feet. A visit to Abu Dhabi included a visit to the Emirates Palace Hotel for Tea. This necessitated an additional “fee” (Regent Excursions are normally free) and had been billed as though it was the equivalent of having tea at the Ritz. How naïve we were. Tea was no better than that served on the ship and we had been herded into a downstairs conference room well away from the main areas of the hotel. On reporting this on our return to the ship, the indifferent and unsympathetic attitude of the Destinations Desk staff was extremely disappointing. The entertainment left a lot to be desired. This consisted of a Flautist, a Violinist, a classical Pianist and for the first seven days only a Comedian. The ship has an excellent Production Show cast but in 20 days we were treated to only four production shows. Given the makeup of the other one dimensional acts it seemed very strange that there were only four major shows. We thus disembarked feeling rather underwhelmed by the whole experience. When you pay premium prices for superior service, you expect that superior service to be delivered and attention to detail to be meticulous. The overall impression was that the ship was under staffed and there were too many untrained staff amongst those who were employed. Sorry Regent but you have blown it with us and we will not be returning. Regent have become no better than the mass market cruise lines but claim otherwise in their advertising and continue to charge premium priced fares. There are plenty of other premium Lines available and we look forward to return to some of these and trying some new ones – especially those that recognise the lifetime value of their Guests. Read Less

We are regular small to mid ship cruisers - not loyal to any particular brand, more itinerary - Singapore to Dubai (Singapore, KL, Penang, Phuket, Rangoon, Cochin, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai). We were interested in a 'taste' of each port - yes there were some we would not return to - but the that's the benefit of cruising you can always return to base. The 'free' excursions were an attraction - warning - make sure you have your tours booked early (i.e. before embarking as most tours are fully booked with wait lists). We also took advantage of the pre-cruise tour to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat - sensational (it was hot 40+ C which made it quite uncomfortable at times - but we survived and saw some amazing sights & sites). Before embarking we found it time consuming & difficult to get answers (at the time no Australian office - I imagine the opening of same will make communication easier & quicker), but once in the Regent group all our questions were answered. One concern we had was the average age of passengers - we'd been told Regent attracted an older group - that info was correct, but it wasn't long before we'd found a group of like minded mobile passengers that stayed up past 10pm. I know it sounds a little selfish, but it was frustrating when the tours marked 'not suitable for mobility impaired' actually had many people on the tour that found it extremely (physically) difficult, which of course slowed everyone down considerably, as it was between 38-42C everyday - standing around waiting for others was just tough. As others have mentioned the ship is tired, but clean, we chose a Penthouse A and had no complaints - we actually had an amazing butler - Abi (seriously wanted to bring him home!) The first night the bar staff were running around like rabbits in the headlights trying to cope (yes, a lot of grizzling by all the cruise experts!) - by the second night all had settled. We found all the restaurants to be very good; food, service, wine etc. The shows were good without being outstanding. The casino was a little quiet (comparing to other lines - maybe due to older passenger group) but didn't stop us! Opposite the Casino there is a bar with live - music - dancing - singing etc. If I had a complaint it would be that the gym equipment is far too old - it should be replaced immediately, absolutely no waiting for the refurbishment, however the fitness guru Marco was delightful & motivational and ran good classes. The Spa - Canyon Ranch - offers a wonderful range of products and great staff, but is ridiculously overpriced - have mentioned this on another cruise line. Would we cruise with Regent again? Itinerary dependent, YES, without a doubt, as we would Crystal, Oceania, Seabourn, Windstar, SeaDream & True North - happy sailing! Read Less

Unfortunately we had very few sunny days and very few enjoyable events. I wouldn’t recommend this cruise to a friend. Starting at the Narita airport where we were rounded up like cattle, having to wait almost one hour and having to bring our luggage several hundred yards to waiting buses. The Intercontinental Hotel was very nice and the service was fine. The 3-day pre-cruise program consisted of multiple long bus rides accompanied by guides that were eager to help and inform but difficult to understand. After embarkation a huge problem hit us with full force: no internet or phone service for the next 5 days! (Japan doesn’t allow satellite communication in their territorial waters). RSS didn’t mention this in any brochure, advertising or communication! We wouldn’t have taken this cruise if we knew this. For the remainder of this cruise, internet service was on and off available but at a speed that reminds of dial-up service (less than 1MB/minute). On the last day of this cruise there was basically no internet service, thus check in to our flight home was not possible. One day, we forgot to remove the “privacy sign” from our cabin door. When we returned late afternoon, we noticed our mistake and put the “service please” sign outside – the steward showed up at 9 pm but we declined to have service now. The cleaning cart was parked daily for at least all morning outside our cabin. On two days we noticed sewage-like odor in our cabin. We reported the problem and the problem was apparently corrected since the odor vanished after a few hours but nobody came that day to our cabin or asked if this issue is resolved. Two days later a phone call inquired if the smell is gone! The breakfast food ordered at La Veranda (deck 11) arrives routinely more cold than warm. Dining at Compass Rose takes at least two hours while servants are racing left and right, obviously better coordination would help. In fairness, the food is fine and the presentation is nice. At a lunch at La Veranda we ordered Chardonnay and a server put a glass of wine on the table (no pouring from a presented wine bottle). The food at La Veranda is cafeteria style and equal quality. When eating at the grill deck were special luncheons were offered, the food was barely warm. The multiple presentations by lecturer Terry Bishop relating to China were interesting and enjoyable. We also were fond of the evening serenades by pianist Jimmy Lovullo . RSS is not responsible for the weather but they shouldn’t schedule this route in March. If it didn’t rain it was foggy, there were five days with some sunshine out of 21 days cruise duration. The port of Xiamen was closed, due to fog and we proceeded to Shanghai. However, we spent three days at sea because Chinese authorities didn’t allow an earlier landing. Read Less

This cruise began with three day pretour in Tokya at ANA Intercontinental, a lovely hotel conveniently next to the subway and restaurants for convenience. Great room and breakfast and a really helpful group at the destination desk for going it alone. The tours organized by the cruise were bad, especually day one and two. Hours in the bus to see virtually nothing. OK the weather was poor and the last day tour in Tokyo was interesting with a trip to Meiji temple and a few other sites. Never been on Regent before but have travelled with Oceania, so I was looking forward to finally getting to the ship. Nicely laid out. Great room in a penthouse B with a butler. Room was always spotless and butler, although rarely used, was very nice. Wouldn't do that again. Internet is useless on the ship and will be worse when it is free for everyone. Works only after 11.30 pm or before 6 am. Gym is very small and split into two parts but rarely crowded and the staff was excellent. Go Marko !! Entertainment and enrichment lectures were excellent. Where this cruise line fails miserably is food and related food service. Coffee connection is a great idea but train the staff to use the machines. Worst espresso I have ever tasted. The automatic machines were better. Management !!! Breakfast eventually got better on La Veranda but service was always spotty especially on busy mornings. Lunch was generally terrible. The selection of foods on the hot plates looked like a cheap Vegas buffet. Things left to dry out. Food going cold. The best shot was the pool grill for fresh to order burgers and fries as well as salads. The ethnic selections on offer were generally ghastly. Only the Indian food day was actually quite good. Dinner in Compass Rose was ok but service was always dreadfully slow. If you wanted to see the 9:30 show, get there before 7:30 and only order an appetizer and main. You might get out in less than two hours. The selections were not generally to my liking but I always found one thing worthwhile. The steaks and lamb as well as the dover sole were always good. The only optionl restaurant worth going to was Prime7, a god steak house. Signatures was no bettr than Compas Rose and La VEranda, which became an italian restaurant in the evening was ghastly. For the first time in my life, I sent bach food to the kitchen. The Veal scallopini was a grizzly veal cutlet. The pastas were OK. If you like mass market bus tours with large groups off the ship each day, don't mind a meat centric gastronomy that is far below Oceania, but do like good entartainment and a comfortble suite, this is fine. I would not return. The gereral feeling on the ship was very negative, even from long time Regent cruisers. I hope they find their way. Read Less