Tom and I were talking about what has been our favorite RSSC cruise. They've ALL been fantastic in so many different ways but taking EVERY SINGLE THING into consideration I'd have to say our very favorite was the 60 day South America cruise. It not only had the fabulous ports, spectacular scenery, fabulous staff and lots of great passengers.

The Mariner staff (Martin, Rogerio, John Barron) put together such unusual over-the-top surprise events for the full SA passengers (called us the Los Marineros)!! We had the surprise dinner in the Constellation Theater on Academy Award night when they literally rolled out the red carpet and acted as if we were the "Stars" walking in and gave oscars to select passengers. Then there was the dinner under the stars on the life boat deck with a very long table where everyone sat (must have been over 100 ft. long), the Antarctica dinner in Latitudes where everything was ICE like we were really in Antarctica. We also had so many really fun private theme dinners (Italian night, Asia night, Penguin Races night)with lots of friends on one side of LaVeranda....the list could go on and on but we had to admit, this cruise was the very BEST and raised the bar considerably!!

What has been your favorite cruise and why?

Our favorite RSSC cruise was SAND. Of course that was our only Regent cruise! LOL And it won't be our last. It ranks right up there as the top of all cruises, inspite of the rough weather and a rather bland itinerary, because of all the wonderful LCT friends that we sailed with and all the fun that we had, as well as the great staff.

Best overall, was probably our first luxury cruise back in 1996 on the Seabourn Legend. We had perfect weather and got spoiled rotten with over the top service and fantastic food. It was our 25th anniversary and I can still remember having the evening BBQ out by the pool and singing to Diana as the Chicago song, "You're the Inspiration" played. Then there was the private beach party that took place in a cove off of Tortola. They lowered the sports platform on the back of the ship and launched the ski boat and other assorted water toys. What a memorable experience.

Thanks for a fun question Marcie.
But what a hard question to answer!!

I have 4 RSSC cruises under my belt.

I just got off the Mariner yesterday Dec 26
after 8 days in the beautiful Grand Suite #1100. I will never forget this cruise not because
the suite was so nice, but because of my sleeping arrangements: After an intolerable first night in the pull out sofa bed in the living room (my parents were in the separate master bedroom), I asked the room stewardess if I could get a rollaway bed. I had them place the rollaway bed right under the large, slanted windows in the front of the living room, and at night I would open up the drapes, turn out all the lights in the suite until it was pitch black, and I would lay in bed and gaze at countless, millions stars at night! Have you ever noticed the brilliance and clarity of a clear moonless night at sea?? AMAZING!!! I live in urban, smoggy Orange County and did not know there was that many stars in the sky--I can never see them at home!!! Shining twinkling stars! Shooting stars everywhere! Space satellites! (Maybe a UFO or two??? --or that could have been the free liquor.) Anyway, I will never forget my 8 nights of "Camping" aboard the Seven Seas Mariner!

Also, I have to say any cruise I can take my parents on with me because they are semi-handicapped and do not get out much so anything I can do to watch them enjoy themselves makes me happy.

Randall Witt

Well Marcie, you have lots more to choose from than most! But our favourite still has to be the 7-day Paul Gauguin Societies Island cruise, and I guess I'd choose the first one, our first ever cruise. I do hope we have the opportunity to make many more comparisons as we do more cruises.

Randall, I love your description of your "sleeping under the stars". It's my favorite thing to do while visiting islands way out in the middle of the sea, away from everything. There are brilliant clusters & clusters that I can even see without my contact lenses. I also experienced this wonderful sight under the stars on my only Regent cruise on a Crossing on the Voyager in Nov. 05. And that would have to be my favorite, too!

Marcie, what do you think the Voyager will do on Super Bowl Sunday? I think you guys may be on an inland safari and we will be leaving Cape Town. Linda & Larry

I cannot pick just one. I have some that were my least favorites but they were still good.

The WAVE cruise was incredible because everything was absolutely amazingly PERFECT, the ports, Service, the ship and particularly being with great friends;

The 1st Alaska cruise in 2001 on the Mariner was amazing -the scenery awe inspiring perfection, the brand new ship, the great service and we did some really great excursions and some lifelong friends we made onboard;

The Panama Canal on Mariner was a great combination of rest, relaxation and great people and the Canal a wonderful experience. I will never forget standing at the front of the ship with my Frank and Frank and Joann as Terry Breen narrated the final lock after an incredible dinner on the pool deck.

SAND was like that too - the ship was the destination for us and everything was wonderful.

The Paul Gauguin setting of the spectacular islands of Tahiti (but our least favorite of RSSC ships) and our first escorted by Ngaire cruise.

No, there is no one favorite. Well, maybe the next one will change that - but I will never really be able to choose and as a female I will have the ability to change my mind if I did!

I have enjoyed ALL my Regent cruises but I think my absolute favorite was the last Diamond Crossing. 8 days on the water with nothing in sight. Days just flew by and then on to Barcelona. Hoping to recreate the experience on the Navigator in April.

Hi Randall, welcome to LCT! I also enjoyed your description of sleeping under the stars. It brought back my best memory of a starry night that was onboard a 42 foot sloop in the Grenadines (south of St. Vincent in the Caribbean).

But to get back to my favorite RSSC cruise; my choice would be similar to Wendy's. We've been on the PG twice and my favorite was the 14 days that was their 7-day itinerary done back to back. My only other comparisons were the 10-day PG itinerary and the Mariner to Alaska (same cruise as ChatKat). Every trip was great but I loved the chance to stay on the ship when 96% of the other passengers disembarked and have a second time around to all the beautiful islands.

Randall:

Saw your note as to how pleased you are to see your parents have a good time. I also remember you inviting all to your suite for Holiday cheer during your recent cruise.

I like your style. Wish we would have been on board.

Marcie: We, too, never met a cruise we didn't like and the one's we have taken have been very special in their own way. We do believe, however, that a long cruise like you mentioned, would probably put us over the top.

Shoot, we enjoyed reminiscing about our cruises. Thanks for asking!!

Cheers! Ray & Penny

*The best one was on the Diamond over in Europe 5/04. The captain and the crew were wonderful and the ports of call were just great.
We took the baby Diamond under the Big Diamond to tender into Portifino. At the end of the cruise we had a limo pick us up at the pier and he was late and the Captain was starting to get concerned for us. The limo driver finally showed up and we arrived in Rome.
*The next one was Navigator- NY- Bermuda with the 4th of July celebration on board.
*Mariner- 3/02 or 3/03(?) we did have problems with the cabin and met Karen and Mark for the first time.
*The next one is when we met Father Gerry on board for a Christmas cruise and have stayed in tight communication with him. Matter of fact- he is doing the world cruise again this year.

I'd have to say whatever cruise i'm anticipating.

Of my 3 Regent cruises my favorite was the Iceland/ Norway fjords on Navigator in 2005. The scenery and the group we had was the best!

"MINT"
"PARTY"
and Tahiti all have equal billing in my mind.
Impossible to say one was better than another
because they were all fantastic for different reasons.

Good question Marcie.

We've liked them all but our favorites are Captain Dag's Homecoming (Norwegian Fjords 2004) and our Diamond Thanksgiving Cruise in 2003. MINT was great fun too. We loved Paul Gaugin and Tahiti. I agree with Jim they were all fun but for different reasons.

M'ellen

great question marcie
my favorite cruise is all of them
when i meet people like you and tom !!!
isnt that what cruising is all about
going to join the mariner for new years
and will toast to to great people!!!
and hope we meet more!!!


victor

The standouts:

- VJ7 cruise from Monte Carlo to Dover; the port stops, the company and the staff made that one truly special.
- Our South American San Francisco to Lima Peru was so remarkable. It was way back when and there were maybe 200 people at maximum capacity on the Mariner. We really enjoyed superb service and got to know our fellow travelers so well and enjoy watching Capt. Phillipe work his magic.
- Both of the Panama Canal trips.
- Baltics. First time on Voyager, meeting Ngaire, Ken, Linda, Ron, Peggy, Jerry, M'ellen, Jim and the carpetbaggers. Oh yea .. Moscow, Capt. Knut and the Peterhof, too. A really wonderful trip.

If I had to pick one .. just one .. it would be the Baltics.

Fun topic, Marcie! Thanks.

Cheers, Anne

As long as you limit it to RSSC, there is no doubt. My first one. It was the inagural cruise season on the Voyager to the Baltic, where I had cruised before.
The pre cruise was a disaster for a variety of reasons, but it all got settled with me being upgraded to a penthouse suite; every night I had dinner with an officer or staff member, icnluding the Captain on the formal welcome night! It was a dream come true cruise that will never be duplicated. Even Regent can't beat it. That was my 8th cruise overall and it was outstanding.
Lynn

My four have all been favorites for different reasons. The first through the Panama Canal was my first RSSC experience and I LOVED it!! I was hooked. The second on the PG was a wonderful romatic anniversary experience, but I must admit that French Polynesia was the best aspect, not necessarily the ship. The third for Christmas was a magical holiday experience that I was able to share with both my husband and daughter. Finally MUSH was wonderful because I was able to cruise with so many wonderful LCTers.

If I had to pick just one...I guess the Panama Canal. But PANDA may soon top them all.

Oh, it's hard to pick just one favorite cruise. I have favorite "moments" from each of the six (seven if you count two segments of WC 2006) Regent cruises I've taken.

But, if I'm picking just one cruise, it has to be LA to Hong Kong on WC 2006. Those World Cruise segments have a special feel to them that I can't quite describe. Plus being introduced to romantic Tahiti and then, later, exotic Bali, well life just doesnt' get any better.

Ok, Marcie, I'm ready to hide in your suitcase for WC 2007!

This is one really hard question!

I would have to say our first cruise on the Navigator to Alaska would be #1. I was totally convinced that I would HATE cruising and we chose to cruise Alaska only because it felt like a safe choice after 9/11. We stepped onto the Navigator and from that moment on, Alan and I were hooked, and continue to be! Alaska was incredible which only added to the awesome experience.

#2 would have to be our VOF sailing on Voyager, because it was our first time going to Europe. Entering the Grand Canal in Venice is an experience I will carry with me always - magnificent!

#3 - Baltics on Voyager. Beautiful cruise and amazing itinerary, and terrific travel companions - Leslie and Brad! We had a super time!

Wendy and I have been on the Paul Gauguin three times, the most recent a back-to-back, and intend to go back for more. So I guess it is our favorite, although all of our cruise experiences have been super-special for one reason or another.

However, neither of my favorite two events ever on a cruise were on the PG.

One was on the lamented Diamond, cruising up the Bosphorous into the Black Sea at dusk. The Istanbul mosques were lit up and I could just hear the call to prayers. Just remembering that moment still sends shivers up my spine.

The second was last summer on the Voyager Monte-Carlo to Dover cruise. About 10 one night we hovered just off Gibraltar for perhaps an hour. More shivers for me.

Each cruise adds to a dimension already mentioned by some others. Seeing old friends (hi Kathy and Frank!), renewing relationships with ship staff I have known from previous cruises, being with LCT people who I had only known from this board, and just meeting wonderful new people is all very special. So my most recent cruise is in some ways always my favorite.

-- David

MINT for me because it was my first LCT group cruise and I loved meeting all of you!

Masaki

We've loved them all! The shake down on the
Voyager was the most fun and the inaugural Mariner to Alaska with Mrs. Carlson aboard to christen her was memorable. But my favorite was the Mariner San Francisco to San Francisco via Nuka Heva, Tahiti, etc., with dinner at the Gov's mansion in Honolulu. So exotic, just unbeatable.
Babs

Babs,

We were on the inaugural Mariner to Alaska too! Yes, that was a special cruise!

Every Regent cruise has been special! The 2 segments of the WC 2005, Sydney to Hong Kong and HK to Singapore, were my favorite - it was "our" WC 34 nights (the most we'll ever do) and we loved the ports, people, and the Voyager - oh to be retired and have the funds - I think we would cruise 50% of the year!!! Joanna

I have to go with Maria (cruiseluv) on this one and say that the Iceland/Norway cruise (NINJA) on the Navigator was my favorite. Great cruise and great group (not a big group, but a "quality" one!) Going to Iceland early was a special treat, and we drove around and saw lots of good stuff before cruise. During the cruise, going to Magdalenenfjords was magnificent, one of my best photo shots ever watching a huge calving at the glacier. The Norway Fjords were spectacular, thus we are doing it again on FJORDS.

Next best was the Baltics, we did a 10 day on Navigator that ended with a cruise through Kiel Canal in Germany. It was fantastic. We had private guide in St. Pete for two days. Next time would go to Moscow.

Third, everything else! I have never had a dissapointing cruise!

Hmmm..all the cruises were special..Probably, the very best time was on the first segment of our PG trip. I celebrated my 29 again birthday and it was magical. Great weather, itinerary, accommodations, food, and people. Especially, the people.

Other trips had their highlights...our first trip on RSSC on the Mariner in a Penthouse was ultimate luxury. Our second cruise, where we met Gil, Arlene and Marc and the Bebop Bonnies! That was so much fun. And, then there were the magical moments on VOF...the towel pashminas, the beautiful views, Venice, Roma....Our Baltics tour...St. Pete (WOW); our Athens to Istabul...Turkey shouldn't be missed. And then, MUSH...such wonderful people and things to do...I wouldn't trade any of our cruises.