Seven Seas Navigator Reviews

ADEQUATE, BUT DID NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS. I HAVE CRUISED REGENTS FOUR TIMES AND THIS WAS THE VACATION I WISH I HADN'T TAKEN EXCEPT FOR THE SHORE EXCURSIONS. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME VISITING THE PACIFIC COAST OF MEXICO AND WAS EXTREMELY NICE.

THE STAFF NEEDS TEAM SPIRIT. ALL THE STAFF SHOULD TAKE A COURSE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE BEYOND EXPECTATION LUXORY GUESTS EXPECT SERVICE BEYOND AND BEYOND! "JONNY ON THE SPOT"

Regent Seven Seas Navigator is a nice ship, the food is fantastic, the service is better than I have seen on any of our other 16 Cruises. That said, the ship does have a few flaws depending on where you are located you can have a rough ride because of shuttering and you will not get in the amount of dancing you desire if that is one of the things you do on a cruise. I know its not a big thing for most people, it just happens to be OUR thing and this ship is lacking in that regard.

All of Australia, and New Zealand, Singapore, Dubai, Petra (Jordan), Luxor (Egypt,) The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the ruins in Rhodes and Greece wer some of the most amazing places we visited.

The pre-cruise safari in Shamwari Game Reserve was excellent: game drives, lodging and meals.

RSSC staff were also excellent both in Stateroom service and in the dining rooms. Tours varied by both who you had as a guide and where you were. Both South Africa and Namibia were very good to excellent. All of the other tours in Western Africa varied from terrible to good. On one tour the AC did not work on the bus for the entire 7 hours with temperatures in the bus probably over 100 degrees.

Tours in the Caribbean varied by island, though it seemed that those on the islands that were still part of France were better: Guides and buses.

Entertainment again was varied: Loved the NCL shows and most of the solo entertainers. Sometimes we did not make it to the shows because of the schedule on that given day.

The lecturer on the social and economic conditions of west African countries was excellent. The marine life lecturer was good. The rest were poor.

We originally signed up for a "Greek Islands" trip ending in Istanbul.  While we agree it was wise to not include Istanbul as a destination due to security concerns, we were very disappointed that the majority of destinations we really were interested in were eliminated as well (Mykonos, Santorini, Ephesus, etc) and replaced with destinations that were ok but not the reason we selected this cruise in the first place.  That aside, here's our rating of the cruise, ship, staffing, etc. 

The ship Navigator is the smallest in the RSSC line up and smaller than most any other of the competition.  While this means about 400 passengers rather than a horde of thousands, it comes with a price.  In our view, there was not enough room in the public areas for 400 guests.  For example, the small pool deck area resulted in all the lounge chairs being quickly taken up.  The smoking area on the pool deck was not really isolated and therefore smoke permeated the already limited non smoking area and made it uncomfortable for enjoying relaxation.  There were no deck areas on the  sides of the ship where there access for walking or lounging in chairs.  You had to be in the pool area or the running track above it to have a place to lounge.  The food was very good and abundant.  Due once again to space limitations it felt crowded in the Veranda dining area at breakfast or dinner.  Lunch on board was not a viable option because there were excursions every day but one and the excursion timing meant it was not possible to have lunch on board and still enjoy your time ashore.  On the subject of excursions, they were pretty well done with professional, experienced, knowledgeable local guides.  It would have been better to allow more time for exploring on your own or shopping before the excursion returned to the ship (especially Venice and the Murano glass factory tour).  We would like to have more than one day at sea rather than a port 7 days in a row.

The room was spacious and well laid out.  Large walk-in closet, large bathroom with plenty of storage area, nice bed, nice deck.  My wife was excited about having a bath tub, that is until she ran the bath water to find it a rusty brown color--complete turn off.  We think that's a sign of the ship's age and need for a redo or replacement.  The staff were uniformly friendly and excellent.  Very well trained and attentive.  Embarkation and disembarkation were smooth and easy. 

We would select a different RSSC ship next time.

OLD SHIP LOTS OF VIBRATION

TOURS INCLUDED BUT OVER CROWDED

FOOD GREAT BUT DID NOT KNOW UNTIL ON SHIP THAT WE WERE ALLOWED TO ONLY DINE ONCE AT PRIME 7

ENTERTAINMENT POOR

INTERNET A JOKE

This cruise was outstanding!  The stops and excursions were fabulous.  Food and service excellent.  The recent renovations on the ship were awesome.  Can't wait for another trip. 

Excellent. Great experience.

Everyone that I talked to recommended this cruise line. I say, I would not get on anther cruise line if this is the best out there.

See pros and cons. Note that weather was quite cool, a parka was essential to spend time on deck. It was never warm enough for the pool, so chair competition was not an issue.

We were treated like royalty and everything was well planned out by Regent.

Ship was very well maintained and ship's staff was very courteous and professional. We have already recommended this cruise to friends and will certainly book with this cruise line for our next trip.

Manzanillo is at the same latitude as Hawaii and has abundant rainfall. It has become the major container port for Mexico (gateway to Guadalajara and Mexico City). It produces huge yields of lime & coconuts. Good school and University systems. In 1992 a shopping center was under construction and they found a huge (100+ Acre) ancient city complex. Not yet registered as a UNESCO site La Campana is really cool.

Positive: Crew of Navigator is extremely helpful, courteous and charming. Chef Michael is a Gem!! He loves fresh fish - his Sushi and Miso seared seabass are a dream! Cruise director Jamie Logan and his assistant/wife are great in a 24/7/5months constant effort to please!!!! Negativ: excursions always cut short if ship late for some reason - shortest city tour was 15 minutes and could have easily swopped with harbour tour, which understandably has its own scheduling. Saying that excursion department on ship totally inflexible due to restraints from head office Miami. Tab water always brown, use bottled water for toothbrush and avoid laundry.

Wonderful cruise and Regent Seven Seas is my favorite with everything included. It is so nice not to worry about a thing as they take such good care of you. This is my first cruise on the Navigator and I loved the smaller ship size.

This was my very first time cruising, so i didn't know what to expect. I am 49, and I took my 19 year old niece. Obviosly youngest on Regent. While we enjoyed dressing up for dinner a few times, we didn't like feeling obligated to. Well, if you want to leave cabin that is... 

We had the first night at hotel in Miami. That was extremely disorganized. Even though Regent knew of an embarkation time change weeks before and notified me, they aparently didnt tell anyone at the hotel. Or the staff just didnt know. The Epic hotel, imo, was a complete disaster. On the plus side, transport both from airport and from hotel to port was great. Very organized.

The ship itself definitely not worth the amount we paid. I did read other reviews prior, so perhaps Navigator isn"t a fair representation of Regent. If not, it should be much cheaper than the other 3 in Regent's fleet. Since it was nicely refurbished, it looked really great. But old. There was a lot of vibration and noise!  I dont think all elevators were working simultaneously at any time the entire cruise. So you can imagine the wait times! And they actually use this ship for world cruises? I had my fill after only 11 nights. Definitely not a luxury experience. 

Service was excellant, everywhere. All waitstaff, bar staff, cabin steward.... They all go out of their way for you.

Any shows or entertainment were definitely geared to a much older crowd. Not an issue though. The crew gave a great performance on the last night. Not being a drinker I really can't comment on lounges or nightlife.

The food was good, but not the best. Certainly not what I was expecting. Room service menu was poor. But if it is during dinner, you can order from Compass Rose. 

We were both very pleased with the shore excursions. Both the quality and the way Regent handled them-very organized. Even when there were time changes. Towels and bottled water as you leave ship. But then, this is all what you should expect for a luxury cruise, right?

Overall, I would probably do Regent cruise again only if it were a different ship. Or a LOT cheaper! Otherwise I would go with a more casual line. I booked another cruise for 2019, but not with Regent.

This cruise, although pricey, was a wonderful way to see Africa.  It was worth every penny for the trip of a lifetime.  An all-inclusive cruise may be on the horizon again in my future.  It was so nice not having to be charged for anything outside of going to the shops or the spa.  The room was spacious with a sitting room and a balcony.  Our cabin stewardess was the best.  and the food...filet mignon and lobster tail every night of the week if you wanted it.  The only frown I would bestow would be the entertainment.  It was so-so, but they did have wonderful lecturers on board from the Smithsonian.  They also had free laundromats on board to be able to wash your clothes for such a long trip.  Would I cruise with Regent again - absolutely.

I have loved Regent since my first cruise with them in 2001 (then call Radisson) with impeccable service and spectacular ships but this cruise has changed everything.

The good points was the entertainment which was fabulous and not to be missed. The Jean Ann Ryan productions only lacked a "Playbill" program from being on broadway. Dancing was beautifully  coordinated with all the dancers in perfect sync (try to do that on a moving stage). The singers where equally good and the productions where fun to watch and well staged. The cast also handled the various games and actives which gave you the opportunity to really get to know some amazing your people on a one on one basis. Entertainment in the future will be provided by NCL Productions so we will have to wait a see to what level it will achieve. The addition performers where equally good and where not to missed.

For the most part the crew was truly up to Regent standards with cabins kept in perfect order by the wonderful staff we have come to love on Regent. John, the cruise director, was great  showing up everywhere, remembering names, always with a smile and took care of problems with a I'll get it taken care of it attitude. I would look forward to sailing with him again.

Staff in the Compass Rose dining room varied from the impeccable service expected on Regent to just going though the motions. How do you serve a Dover Sole with out deboning it for the diner? Why would you let your diners sit 20 minutes with out at least bring a bread basket instead of talking with the other servers. The pool grill staff was overwhelmed on nice days with long waits for drinks which is definitely not the norm for Regent.'

The itinerary was originally promoted with stops in Bermuda, Funchal, Gibraltar ending at Barcelona. This was changed after final payment was due dropping the stop at Gibraltar with no explanation being given and penalties imposed if you wanted to cancel (I know the cruise contract allows them to do anything the want but this isn't Carnival). I and a lot of my fellow passengers where disappointed on how this was handled by Regent.

The Bermuda stop was an overnight arriving on Palm Sunday with almost everything closed and having to leave early because of weather issues on Monday. I guess I should blame myself for not checking the calendar more closely. Our stop in Funchal was a total waste for the passengers since an engine failure got us in so late all the tours where cancelled but repairs to the engine where successful. Our arrival in Barcelona was on time at 2PM since they gave us an overnight in place of Gibraltar to a pier loaded with dumpsters and supplies. At least the tours offered where excellent and we got to see quite a lot of the city returning in time to see veranda and pool deck furniture loaded in the dumpsters (I think we now know why Gibraltar was dropped).

When you pay a lot for a cruise with a line known for providing a superior experience you are disappointed when you receive a third class product. We all received a $500 future cruise discount for missing Funchal but looking back I should have taken the substantial penalty and cancelled. We where only on the ship to help pay the cost of moving it to dry dock so with the exception of the entertainment I was disappointed with the new Regent (now that NCL has purchased them). Lets hope this is a one off experience.

1. Our first shore tour, St. Bart's, was cancelled at the last min. due to boat problems. There was no plan to replace this, after awhile they did give us an hour taxi ride around the island. Thought you could have done better.

2. Our shore tour was cancelled in Triniad due to lack of participation but notice was not given until we got on board. Our second choice was filled.

3. Water problems - twice we did not have water. When the water did come on it was the color of very dark tea. Sure glad this did not happen during the night. No notice given that they anticipated problems.

4. Entertainment - not as good as before.

5. Debarkation-took 1 hr 20 min. Longer than it should.