7-night Alaska Cruise (Vancouver/Seward)

My other half and I did a Mediterranean cruise from Athens to Ephesus (Kusadasi, Turkey), to Santorini, to Sicily, to Sorrento/Capri, to Rome, and finally landing in Monte Carlo.  We're experienced vacationers and cruise line participants and typically go on upper-end cruise lines because, in the long run, when you compare them to the moderate options, it's really worth the extra expense if you're not worried about saving money here and there.  We were not disappointed.

Overall, the ship, the staff, the size of the boat (490 full passenger capacity, but ours was just a bit below 300 on this particular segment), the cabin, the dining, the organization, etc., was all top notch and finely tuned.  They paid attention to everything and never missed a beat.  One would expect a mistake here and there on any vacation/cruise, but I can honestly tell you there were absolutely none.  What we really enjoyed a lot was the size of the ship, the amount of public spaces and the size of the public spaces.  There was never a feeling of being crowed at any time.  And getting passengers off the ship for shore excursions was also flawless and there was literally no waiting time.  Granted, there were 200 less passengers, but I truly don't believe that would have made the wait any longer. 

The cabins are nicely appointed, there is a bathtub (full size) AND a shower in the bathroom with marble sink, counters and floor.  The lighting, decor, bed comfort, lanai, living and separate bedroom space was very nice.  Even though we didn't spend that much time in the cabin, it was wonderful when we did. 

All of the dining options were top of the line.  They had selections to match any palate and even the Italian dining option, which is reservations only, was a great food experience.   

As one would expect with a 6-star all-inclusive cruise, everything was covered.  So, there were no additonal costs for beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic).  The only portion of the trip that was a charge were excursions.

The ports of call were truly wonderful.  Some we had been to before, and some we had not.  We mostly did our own thing, even taking a hydrofoil to Capri instead of going into Sorrento, although we had time at the end of the day and worked that in, too.  This entire trip is easy to do on your own sans excursions (other than transportation from the port city if that's the case), so preplanning and working out those details ahead of time can save you time and money by going it on your own.  If you're not the adventuresome type, then stick with the excurisons, but other than Rome, all the port call/towns were manageable and easy to do on your own.

My only complaint were the "big shows" they did for entertainment.  The lounge acts were great as was the ship's orchestra,  but the singers/dancers and performers were not much better than a high school production, in my opinion.  To be honest, I have friends who are professionals in the business (Broadway, West End in London), but I also didn't expect that level of talent either.  I think that Regent doesn't put much money in the "big shows" like other cruise lines do and it shows.  They would be better off just skipping the four or so shows they do and be done with it.  The performers were amateur at best, or too tall for the size of the stage, or the choreography was not at all creative or inventive, and certainly not executed well.  I could go on but won't.  And, we don't go on these cruises for the evening show, now do we?  But, I do look forward to them when they are done well.

I highly recommend Regent.  They are truly at the top of their game.  It's an experience that we look forward to repeating, but in different parts of the world.  It's a great treat to bestow upon yourselves. 

My husband and I went on an 8-day cruise of the Western Caribbean.  It was our first cruise and we had been told by friends to watch out for hidden costs and bar bills.  There are NO hidden costs or bar bills on this cruise line.  When they say everything is included - it is (except shore excursions).
 
When we got on the ship at 12:30, we were greeted with glasses of champagne and lunch.   All of the staff were cheerful and seemed genuinely happy to have us on board.  At 3:30, there was an announcement that the suites were ready.  Upon arriving at our suite, we were greeted by a bottle of champagne and fresh fruit bowl.  Our stewardess was soon there to welcome us, also.  I could go on for hours about the excellent service, warm atmosphere and luxury suite (we had a regular suite)! 

The Caribbean was never on my list of places that I wanted to see but this cruise line made the trip unforgettable. We had bad weather for the first three days but it only made the cruise ship better.   Instead of sitting at the pool, we took advantage of the lectures, demonstrations, and getting to meet other passengers.  One of our stops was Guatemala.  If you ever get to go, please do.  It was unbelievable - the rain forest and the river.  Our other excusion was in Belize.  We were picked up by a catamaran and brought to a private island to snorkel at the barrier reef.  Talk about service!  When we got back on the catamaran after snorkeling, they had champange, beer, wine and finger sandwiches for us.  They had been brought from the cruise ship.  This was NOT lunch, it was refreshments.  We were back on the ship for lunch.  On both excursions, we had staff from the ship with us with extra towels, water, etc., to ensure we enjoyed the excursion.

When we got off the ship at each port, there was a table with bottled water, beach towels and umbrellas for us to use on shore so even if you did not go on an excursion, you had  plenty of water and beach towels for your visit.
 
We tended to go to bed by 10 PM each night so we did not see too much of the entertainment or go to the casino.

Everything on the cruise was impeccable.  Each afternoon at 4:30, there was tea and traditional scones and finger sandwiches as well as choice of sweets and wine. Each evening at 6:00, in all of the lounges there were appetizers as well as your choice of wine or before dinner drink.  After dinner, there was wine and after dinner drinks.  All of this is included in the price.  None of this is extra.

We were so impressed with this cruise line that we are afraid to try a different one for fear that it would not be of this caliber.