Seven Seas Navigator Review

Horrible Flight Arrangements, missed port and boring tours

Review for the South Pacific Cruise on Seven Seas Navigator
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GabKat
10+ Cruises • Age 80s

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Sail Date: Dec 2019
Cabin: Penthouse Suite

We actually didn't choose this cruise or itinerary but voluntarily accept a bump off our original cruise in exchange for numerous upgrades and rebates. We flew coach to LAX with me squeezed in the middle seat and I was unable to get upgraded with my AA miles. The return flight arrangement took us 30 hours from the time we disembarked in Papeete at 8:45 AM until we touched down at JFK at 8:30 PM Christmas Eve. There were excursions (6 in total because we missed a valuable port in the Hawaiian Island due to technical problems which were never explained or reimbursed)that were too commercial including stops at the tour operators' relatives' establishments. We were not advised to spray ourselves with Deet, nor was it provided, in French Polynesia where the mosquitos attacked us and boarded the tour bus at a scenic view stop. The ship is still wonderful, the nightly piano player, Jeff Spence, was incredible, some of the shows and entertainment marvelous, the Internet was spotty, the Library did away with its free passenger book exchange, Trivia was great, the service impeccable and the Cruise Director Jamie and his wife, the assistant cruise director, perfect and the food was fabulous. Will I cruise with Regent again, absolutely. Would I choose this Itinerary, absolutely not? Because of our age, travel insurance was exceptionally expensive. The boutiques are only suitable for those who don't have great shopping near them and have shipboard credits to spend. The enrichment lectures were generally not my cup of tea. The program leans heavily toward early morning activities with not much to do until 4:00 pm, by which time very little time is left of the afternoon to freshen oneself for the evening "elegant casual" or optional "formal" dress requirements after 6:00 pm in all public indoor spaces.

Once you disembark and are thrown off the bus at a deserted airport with no sense of where to wait and nowhere to sit, the bloom fades from the rose.

I must say, that once we boarded Regent's charter Atlas 767 airplane, we were treated perfectly. The employees of Atlas were wonderful and all seats equally fine business class accommodations. I personally will never return to French Polynesia because their International airport is a disaster and caused us great stress as well as physical pain after standing without information for almost two hours. The French equivalent of inspection is antiquated and elderly people had to remove shoes, belts, watches, suspenders, etc.

Cabin Review

Penthouse Suite

There is nothing different about this cabin than cabins I've stayed in on my three previous cruises on this ship. It had a "butler" who was excellent, but we really didn't need the afternoon canapes or veranda. Rooms stewards do the same for you. No need to books expensive suites for upgraded soap and shampoo.

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