In spite of a bit of jet lag, I thought it would be good to write now when I have a chance at remembering some details. We were on the Rome to Nice trip on the Voyager. As usual, one's experiience on a cruise is related to the people you met aboard.
We met so many wonderful and interesting people and developed a strong friendship with another couple In fact, we hit it off so well that we wished to book another cruise together on the Paul Gaugin for next spring. Like a previous post, we tried to discuss this with the cruise consultant. What an experience! She was clearly too busy for us. When we asked for information, she told us to read the brochure.."it's all in there." THEN..she asked us to return the brochure because she was in short supply. Was she kidding? There are four of us standing there ready to spend around $20,000 and she wants the brochure back.

Boarding:
I thought the embarkation was seamless. We arrived around 2:00 p.m. and were warmly greeted and wisked through registration. We had lunch on deck and had a chance to tour the ship. When we arrived at our cabin an hour later our bags were already there. You could not ask for a better introduction to Regent.

The cabin was fabulous. The cost for this size cabin on any other line would be much more expensive. I found the bed and linens to be plush and there was no need for egg carton topping. Having the mini bar was great but I am still confused about the set up. We had only water, soda, and beer. No wine and no liquor. When I inquired, the cabin steward said that was all that is placed in the fridge unless you are in a butler's suite. We did not pursue this any further...there was plenty to drink.
The service in the cabin was adequate but we really din't put them to the test...Other than breakfast in our room a couple of mornings(arrived on time and hot), we were pretty easy.

Food
I would say that the food was the greatest disappointment. The Compass Rose needs a complete review of the menu choices, the service, and the attitude of the waiters. I couldn't believe that lackluster choices, the poor preparation, and the presentation. One night they served Weinershnitzel (sp?). It was inedible. The entire plate looked beige! I thought I could revive the dish with some fresh tomatoes on top rather than sending it back. This seemed to be a difficult request for our waiter. He should have immediately offered to bring me another entree. By the way, others at the table ordered the same thing and were equally disappointed. The waiters' inquiries about how we were enjoying our meal were perfunctory....they really didn't care to please.
On the other hand, the staff and service in La Veranda were excellent. What a delight..they actually cared if we liked out food (which we did). They were enthusiastic and friendly.
The food in Lattitudes was very good and interesting with beautiful presentation. The service there was top notch...and friendly and smiling.
Signatures was fine with good service and food.

The buffet lunch and breakfast was just okay. I really thought there would have been more choices and better quality.

There is no question that having an all inclusive wine and liquor policy made it easier. The quality and selection of the wines was very good. We enjoyed every one.

While I think another meal/buffet late at night is ridiculous, it would have been nice to have a nibble while at the bar late at night. At the very least they could have replenished the pretzels. (Nuts would have been more elegant). I guess we could have ordered from room service but we didn't want to return to our rooms.

Entertainment:
The main show was okay for a ship its size. I enjoyed the company of our fellow passengers more. The Voyager lounge was the most vibrant of all the lounges. I thoroughly enjoyed the duo in there and the atmoshphere. There was one bartender who was by far the best staff person on aboard. The Horizon and Observation were beautiful with music for dancing. They would have had more ambience if more people filled the room. We were often only one of 4 to 6 couples.
Connoiseurs Club had no wait staff and no atmosphere.

I was surprised that music was played around the pool on only one afternoon. I am glad that there wasn't music everyday all afternoon long, but a bit more would have added something. They need more staff around the pool to move lounges and serve drinks.

So...overall we had a good time on a beautiful ship with some wonderful passengers. I have sailed on other lines including Crystal. I know there are many references to Crystal on this and other sites. They are very different experiences. Crystal is a bit bigger, more formal with set dining times. I enjoyed the informality of Regent but thought the food was better on Crystal.

I think Regent needs to guard against one thing that I heard a few people mention. They have so many loyal repeat cruisers who are familiar with the ship and the crew, that newcomers can feel like they are not part of the club. This is probably a natural feeling when everyone else knows everyone on a first name basis. The crew needs to make everyone feel special, not just those who take multiple cruises.

I hope this wasn't too long. I wanted to give my impressions of a first cruise on Regent.