12 Nights Spotlight with Chef Alain Roux - Athens to Barcelona Cruise

Southern Africa on Regent

We just returned from a Regent cruise which included both a pre and post cruise package. All travel arrangements were made through Regent. We selected the option of choosing our own flights going to Johannesburg through Atlanta with a direct flight from Atlanta to Jberg and a direct flight from Capetown to Dulles. We experienced no issues at all. From Johannesburg where we were accommodated at an airport hotel, we were flown to Kasane and driven to Chobe national Park. Regent agents were available to expedite our experience. The lodge at Chobe was an excellent choice in that it was 2 minutes from the park. Needless to say that visiting the park and seeing animals in a natural setting was amazing. After 3 nights there, we were driven to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls. Again, no issues at all. Great guides, excellent lodging. Then we were flown to Capetown for an overnight at the V and A hotel. Next morning, after a bus tour, we were taken to the cruise terminal for boarding. Here, we experienced a glitch. Insufficient ground personnel made check in a series of long annoying lines. Regent blamed the port authority, but check in was horrible. Once on board, everything ran quite smoothly. The ship is exceptional, the staff excellent though we felt they were less chatty than some other cruises. Food was varied and good, not great! We've yet to experience great food on a cruise. We did like that the pool bar served a wide variety of dishes at lunchtime which differentiated Regent from other cruise lines where you can basically get burgers and pizza at the pool luncheon. Entertainment was fine, though nothing exceptional. Several lounges had varying entertainment during the day. We opted for a Concierge Suite and found it roomy with tons of storage. Amenities were excellent. As alcohol is included, Regent allow one to ask for specific items to be delivered to the suite. For me, a bottle of single malt and a bottle of Cognac were excellent. All excursions were as described though we did miss Mosambique as there was political unrest. Leaving the ship went smoothly and we were taken to a good not great hotel for 2 nights. Only issue was that the written instructions we received were somewhat different than what actually occurred. We appreciated that Regent doesn't charge for drinks and does offer several included excursions at each port. This does set it apart from many other cruise lines. A great trip of nearly a month in southern Africa.

Regent Splendor mostly excellent

This ship is BEAUTIFUL, comfortable (almost better than home). We were in a concierge suite which is roomy, and king size bed is comfortable. Suite stewards professional and prompt. This was our longest cruise ever. Probably too long for us. Although the food was excellent with a few exceptions, coming later, it became repetitive, and I agree with many past reviewers that they need some kind of an informal small buffet, like at pool grill at lunch, incase you just want to stay in your shorts or jeans. Yes, room service is an option, but it's nice to get out. Regarding dining, the service at Compass Rose was sub-optimal. We had to wait too long for next course on may occasions. Simple requests, such as a request for hot tea rather than wine seemed to stymie staff. My observation is that there were too many wine servers, and not quite enough waiters. We thought food at Sette Mari was outstanding, and the service was great. We never had to wait more than 15 minutes for a table at this no reservation restaurant, and they would get you when your table was ready no matter where you were. The hostess had the most amazing memory- knew our names and suite numbers by second night. Specialty restaurants were good. Loved Pacific Rim, with amazing service and menu. My husband thought his rib-eye steak at Prime 7 was the best he'd ever had. I was a little disappointed by the lobster, which was obviously frozen and re-cooked, but service and setting were great. Lunch on sea-days at Chartreuse provided a light meal opportunity with table service. Bar service and drinks EXCELLENT My biggest beef was with the tours. Big groups, and unlike Viking which we'd last cruised on, no sound boxes. Yes, we were in Africa, but audio problems were the worst in Cape Town, where microphone didn't work, and guide didn't seem to care. In Ghana, we had the same experience, and the guide was sensitive to this , and came to the middle of the bus and repeated his spiel. We're not much for shows, but they had a pianist and tenor who performed apart and together who were wonderful!! Pools wonderful. Nothing like sailing away in infinity pool!!!!!

Another Great Cruise with Regent

Our recent cruise on the Regent Splendor was an overall wonderful experience. First, however, the “disappointments: We ran into some bad weather (Hurricane) and we unfortunately missed two ports (Bordeaux and Bilbao) where we were unable to dock. The captain and crew did their best to help us enjoy the 3 “unplanned” days at sea and they offered passengers a $1500 discount for a future cruise. Now the good news: this was our 3rd cruise with Regent; we did not meet anybody who hadn’t sailed with them before, which tells you this is a very loyal customer base. The onboard entertainment was excellent – both from the young and enthusiastic production company as well as the headliners; a comic, three different singers, and the wonderful orchestra. The food as always was top notch from the main dining room (Compass Rose), the Italian dinner choice in Seta Mari, and especially the Asian choice at Pacific Rim. We were upgraded to a Penthouse Suite which gave us lots more room, but the 12th deck was a bit rocky with the waves hitting the bow of the ship. Having a butler was a nice touch, but we hardly needed his assistance. He did help us get an extra reservation at Pacific Rim, but I would not pay “retail” for that bonus. We’ve usually been in the Concierge Level, which is more than sufficient for our needs and wants. A cruise with Regent is all about “little moments of truth” – here are some that made our experience special: On one of our rocky days at sea I was getting breakfast in the Veranda lounge when a wave hit the ship. I stumbled briefly and nearly fell. Bernadine, a waitress who could not have been more than 5 feet tall saw me struggle. She caught me and my plate and escorted me back to my table with nothing more than a smile. In Compass Rose, we enjoyed dinner more than usual because of our chosen waiter Paolo who quickly learned our preferences for pacing, doneness of our favorite fish, when we wanted dessert and how we liked our coffee. His dining room captains (Jason and Erik) also picked up on our likes and supported Paolo’s efforts and our complete enjoyment of our meals there. Our cruise director (Callie) was fun, funny, and always made sure to tell the joke on himself and never on a guest. His nightly joke after each evening’s show was always a reason to stay beyond the applause for the act had taken their final bows. Overall, a Regent cruise is a first class experience and well worth the premium. Our experience was certainly one of our favorite vacations. Looking forward to our next cruise with Regent on the Grandeur in January, 2025 when we travel from LA to Miami through the Panama Canal.