We will be on the Navigator for 28 nights Nov/Dec - PLEASE PLEASE do not have singing in Portofino's every night - I loved it for one night on Diamond (Don Vitos 2003) but please do not do this to us for a month - cute but can be tacky in a heartbeat -

Noted on a review on CC tonight, (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=794359) there was no singing on that cruise, and they enjoyed it as is!

Ditto Joanna !!! One or maybe two nights in our month on board will be more than enough !! We'll entertain ourselves....

When I saw this thread title and "instigator," I thought Tony was posting his B2B comments. :D

Someone corrected me and said there is no longer "audience participation" just a few bars of Arrivederci Roma and Mambo Italiano???

If true, hurray!

Agreed! I never sailed on the Diamond and maybe it was suited for that ship. However, we went once on Nav and have never been back! If it's been curtailed than Yippee!

I agree!! Maybe they could also try something besides Italian once in a while. But no matter what they do in Portofinos, we'd have a great time if we all go there together while we're sailing all those nights :pass:

I agree Peggy - we'll have fun - yes, it would be nice for them to offer something other than Italian - how about a seafood night?? Adding we met a couple on B2B who disliked the Navigator due to limited dining options - because they are introverted they avoided Portofino's - I thought that was so unfortunate...BUT I have never been a fan of dinner theater -

Joanna, seafood night is a perfect theme!!

Hi - my name is Steve. I've been lurking here for a few months and you all seem so nice (unlike that "other" board) I decided to register and maybe start posting a little. I agree that a seafood night would be a great theme.

Anyway - looking forward to "meeting" y'all!

And special thanks to Moderator Karen for helping me with my avatar.

Welcome Steve, I am glad to see you post and I love your avatar! Do you have any cruises in the future?

Steve, that's a great avatar. Welcome to LCT!

I'll go a bit against the grain here--I really enjoyed the singing in Portofino, and had a good time there. But then, I like Sinatra. That being said, I have a lengthy cruise coming up on N, and I certainly would like some variation in Portofino's offerings during that time. I doubt that I'd want to do the regular theme more than a couple of times during the whole DC, but would like an occasional alternative to the CR.

We would be happy if they just made it like the Italian steak house on The Mariner. Change the menu during a cruise to keep it interesting..

Crystal - exactly my point - we loved our one night at Don Vitos' on the Diamond - variation is what I hope for on the N

I've never sailed on Navigator but from the descriptions of Portofino's, it would be a once-a-cruise experince for me.

Joanna, I like the idea of a seafood night. Or, "billp1's"(sorry I dont' know your name), suggestion of a changing menu.

Welcome, Steve. Love your avatar. Now, if only you could put a picture of yourself inside the porthole - that would really be cool!

Last fall on the Nav. they tried a steak night in Portofino's and it was a DISASTER! We waited a very long time for service and when finally we got our steak it was awful. I understand it got better after that first night but we never went back to find out. Unless you're with a group you know, to my mind the "cocktail hour" previous to Italian night is uncomfortable and too long. Just me, I guess. Can't take too much standing (esp. after all that wine!!!

I am a Portofino fan, also, but one or two visits are definitely enough for a 28 night cruise. As on the longer cruises, I hope the dining will change over the course of the DC.

Crystal, just to let you know, I doubt they will be doing Sinatra in Portofino's. I heard that Vincenzo is no longer on the Navigator and is working in the restaurant industry on land now. Certainly Regent's loss, as he was absolutely wonderful and has a fantastic singing voice.

It seems if Silversea can manage opening up the entire equivalent of the Veranda for dinner on the Whisper for an alternate venue, it should be possible for Regent to manage it in that small area of Portofino's. I'm fine with CR most nights, but on a 23 night cruise, I'd be eager for a change now and then! I DO NOT like when they do much of the "audience participation" thing!

I remember when they used to have live singers and piano players in Latitudes. Even though the guy was very good, I had enough after 15 minutes.

I have found the people I have cruised with to be far more entertaining than anyting Regent has put out, and since we will be on Navigator for 13 nights in November, hopefully it will only be a couple nights of singing or whatever it is.

FV

Yeah Olivia. I am with you. I actally left before dessert because of the "audience participation".
Lynn

Frank, you floored me here, I never remember live singers in Latitudes, and have no idea where they would put a piano having been on many a cruise with Latitudes as a choice!

At any rate, looking forward to seeing you and Carla once again in November on the Navigator!

Lynn, if others didn't like it, we could probably launch a campaingn against "audience participation"! But for others, we might be squelching their fun. I will just keep going to CR or get room service!

Olivia,

It was short lived I think, we were on Voyager for our honeymoon, Athens to Monte Carlo back in Oct 2003, I believe the entertainers name was Christopher Hamilton, a very nice guy and got to know him pretty well since he was only a couple years older then us: but I felt it was still a bit annoying. We are hard core Compass Rose diners anyway: but nice to have another option.

Looking forward to seeing you again this November also, this will be our first time on Navigator.

FV

Our first time, too, Frank BUT we are so happy about seeing you and Carla again- you could put us in kayak and we'd be happy!!! :ch: :ch: of course with more selections from Portofinos and less singing

Joanna - You'll be pleased to learn that there was no singing (or any other sort of peculiar entertainment or audience participation) in Portofino's on CAVIAR, which ended a few days ago.

In fact, a couple of LCTers who were at the captain's table on evening were told that Regent was reassessing the whole concept of Portofino's and would likely change it to some degree (not clear whether that change would be subtle or dramatic).

Frankly, we were not impressed with the joint. In its Italian mode, with the terribly disorganized and inconvenient "wine and cheese tasting" before the meal, followed by every course being served simultaneously at all tables, irrespective of the dining pace of the table, it was not a dining experience to repeat.

At the end of the cruise, the venue morphed into a "Steakhouse" mode, including a buffet for salads and first courses, not our idea of a high-end dining evening. We cancelled our reservation there when our dining friends of the evening declared that they were not eager to do a buffet.

Perhaps Regent will get the concept right the next time. Clearly, they aren't sure what to do with the place, as SilverSea can't figure out what to do with with its alternative venues, particularly La Champagne. Much as we liked the small size and easy access on Navigator, we really missed the marvelous dining alternatives on Voyager and Mariner.

I do, however, remain grateful that there was no singing or audience participation nonsense in Portofino's on Navigator which may have forced me to stab some poor singer with my fork to make him get away from our table (and thereby render me a resident of the ship's brig).

In any event, it's our impression that annoying singing in Portofino's may well be a thing of the past. In that fond hope, I remain, Fred

Good news Fred!!!!! It is sad they can't figure out how to make the only other dining spot, vs CR, a win win - BOTH venues should be exceptional given what we are paying - I despise buffets and entertainment during dinner - yes, 4 dining choices on Voyager and Mariner hard to beat - and every course served simultaneously at all tables A BIG FLUNK

Maybe they could turn Portofino's into a Signatures type restaurant. Most people seem to enjoy the food and service which is more in keeping with a luxury cruise line type of dining venue.

Freddie,
You reminded me of another reason I wasn't crazy about Portofino's. During the wine and cheese party, at which I was wearing backless shoes, a man was so out of control that he backed into me (and you know how heavy men's shoes are) down the back of my foot. I gasped a bit because of the pain, but tried to forget about it until one of the gentlemen I was with said " Lynn, I think you better sit down, you are bleeding all over the carpet". Then it became hilarious as staff tried to put ice and towels on it and ran down somewhere to get band aids, etc. I never saw that guy the rest of the night and he never even said "Excuse me". In retrospect it is funny, but at the time it was maddening and painful. Then to have to put up with audience particiapation!!!!!!!!!!! Enough already.
Lynn

Joanna, I agree with you. No buffets for me. I can't stand them (except at the pool grill for lunch). If I want to go to a steakhouse with a salad buffet, I can stay in Tucson. Plenty of those to choose from here without paying a Regent premium price.

Lynn, no wonder you don't have fond memories of Portofino's. It's funny how people will ignore things. One time Alan and I were playing doubles tennis and the woman opponent hit a ball at his face and broke his prescription sunglasses. Never even an apology. We don't play with her anymore.

We've eaten in Latitudes on both the Mariner and the Voyager quite a few nights when they would transform the entire restaurant into some type of "themed" venue with live entertainment. They would serve various foods from around the world, not Asian/Fusion. Some were good but most of the time it wasn't to my taste.....I remember while in Africa they served strange things like Wild Boar, Ostrich etc.

CR is still our favorite !!