Luxury Cruise Bible

Regent Voyager Transatlantic Crossing

Submitted by: ColonelWes from Georgia, USA

Cruise Details

• Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas
• Ship: Seven Seas Voyager
• Date of sailing: 11/19/2008
• Number of nights: 10
• Embarkation point: Funchal
• Debarkation point: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• Ports of call: Transatlantic voyage with no ports other than Funchal and Ft. Lauderdale
• Stateroom category: Deluxe F
• Stateroom number: 810
• How did you book your cruise? Traditional travel agent
• Travel agent: Brown & Keene
• How many times have you sailed with this line? 7
• What other cruise lines have you sailed? Silversea
• What is your favorite cruise line? Silversea and Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Crossing for the Ages

Ratings

• Overall Rating 5
• Ship Condition 5
• Public Rooms 5
• Stateroom 5
• Food & Wine 5
• Spa, Gym, and Salon 5
• Entertainment 5
• Enrichment Program 5
• Internet & Phone Service 5
• Excursions n/r
• Service 4
• Value 5

Pre-Cruise

We made our own air arrangements through Cheaptickets.com. The price we paid for first class tickets from Atlanta to Boston (Delta), then Boston to Funchal (SATA air, Portugal’s airline) was less than the $1,200 air credit we got from Regent. We loved SATA air, relatively new planes, their biz class seats/service was equal to our better than that we’ve experienced on Delta. Moreover, many transatlantic travelers incorrectly fly from the East Coast to Europe, then connect to Funchal—adding two to three hours or air travel vs. flying from Boston to Funchal (shortest distance).

Once in Funchal, we stayed one night in the Albergaria Dias a wonderful small hotel that is rated #1 for small hotels on Trip Advisor (we paid $119 for two, including a delicious buffet breakfast. Funchal is a gorgeous island that we wish we had stayed longer on…we had enough time that Saturday (based on Luxury Cruise Talk review recommendations) to go to the downtown market in Funchal and buy fresh flowers. My bride picked out wonderful birds of paradise and other island flowers for less than $20. In the evening we walked a half-block from the Albergaria Dias to a delightful pizzeria where we had a simple, very tasty homemade pizza with a very good Chianti. We called it an early night, jet leg was pulling our eyelids closed. I woke up at 6 am and went for a seven-mile run on the waterfront, deliberately so I could see the Voyager at the pier. The Voyager was a majestic site berthed at the Funchal pier. We had the aforementioned buffet breakfast and then we had the friendly hotel manager (who let me use their computer/Internet for free for two hours Saturday night, Sunday morn) call us a taxi and on November 19, we left for the Voyager at 11:30 a.m. Our taxi ride cost us $12.00 plus tip. If you are staying in Funchal, strongly recommend the Albergaria Dias—tremendous value, friendly owners, location perfect for walking in downtown Funchal.

Embarkation

A snap…we arrived at 11:45 am knowing if we arrived just before noon, we could board the Voyager for lunch. We left our luggage at the gangway and took our garment bags (with formal wear) to our suite (#810) to meet our stewardesses. We hung our garment bag in our walk-in closet, checked on our champagne (we had our TA request the Heidseck vs the Regent house pour)—the Heidseck was in the champagne bucket. Regent had also ensured our pillow requests were met, along with beverage choices (tonic water, limes, Perrier, diet Sprite). We then left our cabin and went up to the pool deck for lunch.

Suite

We had a deluxe suite on deck 8, #810. The cabin (818) was in a good position; you could not feel any type of vibration. Our stewardesses (we had two) provided excellent service with precise attention to detail.

Service

In general, exceptional. We had dinner one third of the time in the Compass Rose (during one breakfast the mixed up our order, one night for dinner they forgot us (we were seated at a table for eight, since we were two, and 25 minutes and apologies later, our dinner service started—no other couples joined us). Other than these two exceptions, service in La Veranda (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Signatures, and Latitudes was terrific. Dining in each of these venues was outstanding. We especially enjoyed the specialty restaurants; Latitudes (Asian fusion) and Signatures (Le Cordon Bleu/French) cuisine. The fish (Dover sole) in Latitudes was the best our friends ever tasted.

We had a special dinner for Le Cordon Bleu cooking workshop participants (my bride took the workshop) and this meal was prefaced by a magnificent cocktail reception (where diplomas and LCB cookbooks were handed out to workshop participants) in the Voyager Lounge. We then proceeded to Signatures for the best meal and service we have ever had on a cruise ship (and we have paid $150 pp for dinner in Le Champange on the Silversea Silver Whisper (a close second best cruise meal).

Public Areas

This was our first time aboard the Voyager and we instantly pronounced it our favorite cruise ship. We like its public spaces, coffee corner outside of the Showroom on deck six, variety in dining venues; Compass Rose, La Veranda, Signatures, Latitudes, and Pool Deck barbeque.

The pool deck is larger than that on the Navigator or Silversea’s Whisper and Shadow, and the pool itself (I swim laps daily) is four strokes longer than their pools. I especially enjoyed the jogging track, overlooking the pool deck. Ran six to eight miles (five miles in the am, two to three miles in the pm) the cork surface was the safest I have run on a cruise ship (and on a crossing it gets wet from the weather, and the early morning crew washing it down). For us the crown jewel public space in the Voyager is the Observation Lounge (great place for a relaxing read during the day, perfect place for a before dinner drink) We had a before dinner drink eight out of ten nights on board, and the service (Arlene, bar waitress) was the best we have had anywhere (land or sea)

Entertainment & Enrichment

This is a center of gravity for a crossing, since there a few if any ports. Here the Voyager fall crossing excelled. PBS at Sea was on this crossing and we had the opportunity to hear multiple lectures from Charlie Cook, Ken Burns (Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker), and executive producer of PBS Great Performances, Jac Venza. In addition, Regent had daily enrichment series lectures that were informative and entertaining.

Gym and Spa

My wife loved the gym and spa (using our on board ship credits for massages). She enjoyed the aerobics, jazzercise classes. I enjoyed using the spa daily for an afternoon suana and steam bath (no charge) and then used the spa bathroom to shower/prep for dinner, allowing my bride to have our cabin bathroom to herself.

Internet

Voyager computer room is the best equipped we have seen at sea. Easily they have over 25 computer stations manned by the Voyager computer guru. If you are a Seven Seas Society member with 21 days at sea, you are entitled to free Internet. I must have used 1,000 minutes of Internet servie (would have cost close to $1,000). On the second day of our crossing, the Captain announced we would be spending an extra day at sea (ah shucks!) because our pod/propellers had caught a fishing net in Funchal and could not operate at top speed. I immediately went on CC/LCT and posted this new challenge…received many thank-yous from Regent cruisers who were booked on the Voyager cruise after our crossing who had to make new air/hotel reservations. (Regent pick up
the change fees for the Crossing sailors and the follow on cruise sailors as well as provided a generous future cruise credit.)

Disembarkation

Was slow due to Customs doing a complete inspection of the Voyager on docking at Ft. Lauderdale. Embarkation did not begin until 10 am (normally begins at 8 am) many passengers were pressed to make their flight schedules. We followed Regent’s recommendation to not make your return flight until after noon (but still were anxious).

In summary, we loved our first crossing—was our second favorite cruise out of nine. We had planned to book the 2010 Voyager crossing, but Regent increased the Voyager_crossing fares by over 60 percent so we are now booked on the new Silversea ship _Spirit maiden crossing, January 3–19.

For More Information…

…talk with your travel agent, call Regent Seven Seas Cruises at (877) 505-5370, or visit their website.