Luxury Cruise Bible

Around the World on Regent's Voyager

Submitted by: Crusing Sherry from California

Cruise Details

• Cruise line: Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• Ship: Seven Seas Voyager
• Date of sailing: 1/12/2009
• Number of nights: 98
• Embarkation point: Los Angeles, California
• Debarkation point: Rome, Italy
• Ports of call: World Cruise
• Stateroom category: Suite
• How did you book your cruise? Traditional travel agent
• How many times have you sailed with this line? 10+
• What other cruise lines have you sailed? Princess, Holland America, Crystal, Celebrity, and Norwegian Cruise Line
• What is your favorite cruise line? Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Ratings

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

Second World Cruise

Our second full World Cruise was from January 12, 2009 to May 8, 2009. We started sailing on Regent (then Radisson) in 2003: L.A. to Sydney. We did segments for many years and in 2008 decided to do the entire World Cruise.

A world cruise is something special. Different than most shorter cruises. People bond and become a “cruise community”. Many of the same people come together year after year. We find that we look forward to seeing our “cruise friends” as much as the places we travel to. We are already booked on the 2010 voyage and we spend a big part of our year preparing for it.

Seven Seas Voyager

Since we live in the L.A. area, it is great to be able to just drive to the port with all our luggage and board the ship. The Voyager is a midsize ship with wonderful, roomy staterooms. The bathrooms have separate showers and plenty of room for four months’ worth of toiletries. All cabins have verandas, flat screen TVs and wireless Internet. It is special to be able to write e-mails at anytime of the day or night.

Packing for four months is a challenge. We need clothes for many different climates, formal nights, and special occasion nights. We accomplish this with about nine to 10 pieces of luggage. I have heard that some bring as many as 25 pieces. Luggage shipping is available and is very helpful when we fly home.

The public rooms aboard the Voyager are varied. There is an Observation Lounge forward on Deck 11, the Horizon Lounge aft on Deck 5, and the Voyager Lounge just outside the Compass Rose Restaurant. After a few days onboard the waitstaff knows our drink requests and it shows up just as you sit down. The staff are friendly, courteous, and professional.

Dining Aboard Voyager

There are four dining venues aboard the ship: a new steak house, Prime 7; Signatures, the Cordon Bleu restaurant; La Veranda, a casual buffet; and Compass Rose, the main dining room. All the food is excellent and the service is exemplary. Sticking to one’s diet is difficult, as there are so many wonderful choices at all meals.

Sea Days and Ship’s Officers

The days at sea have many activities to choose from.: lectures, art classes, needlepoint, computer classes, games, sports, and just relaxing. It was hard to choose what to do each day. The ship’s officers were accessible and the general manager was always available to help with any situation. The captain, Dag, is out and about, and he hosts a dinner table on all the formal nights. He is personable, is a hands-on captain, and welcomes passengers to come to the bridge on most sea days.

Grace Under Pressure: World Cruise Ends Early

This year’s World Cruise ended three weeks before the scheduled date due to a problem with one of the pods. The ship needed to go into dry dock to fix the problem and all passengers were offered several options: Mariner, or go home. Our flights were arranged by Regent and they did their best to accomodate everyone. Regent did an excellent job of handling a difficult situation. It is part of what makes us come back year after year.

For More Information…

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