WINE SPOTLIGHT - Sacred Aegean Sanctuaries from Istanbul to Athens, 8 May 2024 (7 nights)

Sailed on Voyager November/December 2015, having previously been accustomed to Azamara Journey and Quest, and Oceania Marina and Riviera. All of these ships offer high levels of comfort, service and great food - but I was totally spoiled on Voyager - WOW! just WOW!

We did The Baltics, meeting the ship at Stockholm in August 2014. From the moment we arrived, nothing was too much bother for the crew. Check in was simple, no hanging around. Our suite was a generous size with a bottle of champagne waiting for us on arrival plus a bowl of fresh fruit which was replenished daily. The bathroom was large with a walk in shower and a bath and lovely L'Occitaine toiletries. We ate in Compass Rose and both specialality restaurants, the food was delicious and excellent service in all three. An excellent choice of excursions and extremely well organised, no queuing which was great. A bonus, was there were no photographers anywhere. No being asked to smile while you were enjoying your meal or waiting for you as you were getting off the ship. The entertainment was very good, and the Cruise Director did a few shows himself, he was very talented. Overall we were very pleased with our choice of cruise, ship, crew and itinary made it an extremely enjoyable holiday so much, that we have booked to go to The Baltics on Voyager again this year.

Ship OK. Crew excellent, good service from them and all very friendly. Most facilities one would expect. However we had to pay $199 for Wi-Fi access as we were only Silver members of the customer classification and were not in a high grade of cabin. Wi fi was to communicate with granson in Australia and Viet-nam etc. Also shameful that crew and stage performers were not given complimentary wi-fi; it cost them a large amount of their salary; and they are away from home for long periods. Not Good, but we had 60 minutes of free telephone time.

Although my wife and I cruised during October 2011 on Regent Seven Seas Voyager these circumstances are still relevent today. Our cruise was from Monte Carlo to Athens and everything about the ship was fantastic. The crew,the restuarants,the cleanliness of the cabins and public areas were splendid. All of the excursions were well organised with excellent guides. A major part of any cruise is the food and this was of top quality and served with good wines. However,on our way to Athens it was announced we were due to disembark just as a 48 hour general strike was due to take place in Greece.As one can imagine we were very concerned regarding our flight back to the U.K. and how we would cope in Athens for two days.We need not have been worried.Regent were super.They arranged a 5* hotel,rebooked our flights,had a representative in the hotel foyer all day keeping passengers informed of what was happening and ensured transfers to the airport once the strike was over.They could not have done more. My view on any company is not how well they perform when things are going right - one should always expect the best - but how do they perform if something goes wrong. Regent took command of the situation,dealt with it in a very professional manner which was a credit to everyone concerned. Although the problem was not of their own making on our return home a letter arrived apologising for what happened and offering a a decent credit against any RSSC we might choose in the future. Needless to say we have now reserved a further cruise with this company and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning a cruise.