This was my last Regent Cruise because the company gives itself 6 stars, when the experience is really 3.5 at best. The real problems are with their mechanical maintenance and boat quality -- the things a person on a smallish boat in a big sea would like for the company they just paid more than $6k for a one week cruise to focus on when investing their profits!
Mechanical Issues: This boat (Navigator) has a very pronounced vibration, especially at the back of the ship. So much so that while whale watching at the back of the boat on at least two occasions, dishes and glasses vibrated right off of the table! The boat is in great need of repair and refurbishment, but their profits must go on so they instead cover up those problems with lipstick and hope that the hard working crew will help you forget, for example, that you just ate three day old salad that had already been out on the buffet at least 3 days in a row, or that the 5, 6 and 7 floors have a distinct smokey stink from the smoking lounge's poor ventilation.
Food Quality and Safety: the food was horrible -- most of it covered in slimy sauces to camouflage the age and poor quality of what you were being served. My husband could not get a nice unstringy breast of chicken anywhere on the boat all week. I could not get a decent vegan meal. Who loses weight on cruises? We did! We did document that food on the buffets was recycled -- both at La Veranda and at the pool where salads were merely covered and brought out again the next day- only a bit more congealed. That was salads with meat, dairy and oils in them -- to a one! We opted to eat our meals off of the boat to get better food quality and nutrition.
Needs to be redone: walls and carpeting were stained and worn, cracks in bathroom flooring, leaking shower and outlets did not always work. Being within one floor of the smoking lounge, we could still get a hint of smoke stink in our room -- and certainly strong in the hallway. Size was nice. Location was unspectacular.
Fantastically knowledgeable staff, great scenery, great experience -- easy trip, it was almost all sitting down! Worth it!