Seven Seas Voyager

The Voyager is beginning to show its age, with certain areas feeling a bit worn and in need of updating. That said, the overall experience remains highly enjoyable, thanks largely to the exceptional staff, who were consistently friendly, attentive, and accommodating throughout the trip. One of the standout features of the cruise was the dining experience. We were especially impressed with the quality of the food in Compass Rose—surprisingly, it surpassed that of the specialty restaurants. Liquor choices onboard were extensive, and while the complimentary wines were varied—some excellent, others less memorable—there was always something to suit the occasion. The suites were another highlight: spacious, well-appointed, and featuring large bathrooms and luxurious, comfortable bedding. Cabin attendants were warm, responsive, and meticulous, contributing greatly to our comfort. The complimentary laundry service was a particularly convenient and efficient bonus. We also appreciated the well-organized shore excursions desk. They were efficient, helpful, and flexible when it came to making changes, which made planning and adjusting our outings stress-free. Overall, while the ship would benefit from some refurbishments, the top-notch service, comfortable accommodations, and well-executed amenities make the Voyager a solid choice for a luxury cruise.

BASICS The Voyager began service in 2003 and underwent a major multi-million dollar makeover in 2013, so it is pristine at the moment. Public areas include a fabulous library on Deck 7 with plenty of current reads. For once I didn't have the need to hoard sought after books. The Card Room is where active Bridge Lessons and play were a draw to many passengers, supervised and led by 2 bridge Masters, Bev and Joe Meyers. The card room was a multi purpose room used for Hanukkah candle lighting, church services, small lectures, etc. The atrium lobby offered the openness of nine decks, The Horizon Lounge where high tea takes place daily was a major gathering area as was the Voyager Lounge after the show each night for lively social dancing to Kasia and Boogie, a live edgy Duo. The Canyon Ranch SpaClub had daily classes such as Walk a Mile, Wake up Stretch, Circuit Training, Ab Fabs, TRX and Yoga. The beauty salon was larger than most ships and high quality as Canyon Ranch now manages it. The Voyager is an All-Suites ship and I asked the housekeeping manger to show me the least desirable cabin on the ship and frankly it was very desirable. This is one ship where all cabins are suites with verandas, marble bathrooms with tub, walk in closet, safe, simply perfectly appointed. The bed was so comfortable that I slept better than I do at home tucked into lusciously soft European Duvets and sheets. CUISINE I met with the executive Chef Jonathan Smid, who at 35 has already made it to the top of the career ladder. Jonathan is a brilliant Canadian trained Chef who was formerly at the Four Seasons in addition to other stellar posts. He runs the entire food service operation aboard and does it well. The Compass Rose Restaurant is the Main dining Rooms and I must emphasize that the food is perfectly prepared and delicious as it is in the Fine Dining Restaurants onboard. The daily Canyon Ranch SpaClub selection was my choice quite easy and after 28 days I lost 2 pounds. How is that possible on any cruise ship? The Prime 7 Steakhouse had fabulous dry aged Prime beef as well as Lobster, Chicken, Lamb Chops, and Dover Sole. Prime 7 has seating for just 80 diners each night so it is the toughest reservation to snag. Signature is the Classic French Restaurant with Le Cordon Bleu trained Chefs. Signature seats 125, so its significantly larger than Prime 7. The best Wild Mushroom Soup I ever had in my life was savored at Signatures. Casual meals Breakfast through dinner are available at the Veranda, buffet style with a few made to order stations both inside on deck 11 and outside near the pool on deck 11. At night the Veranda transforms into Sette Mari - an Italian bistro that does not disappoint. The coffee bar on Deck 7 makes Illy expresso and coffees made to order. Illy Coffee is served throughout the ship. ENTERTAINMENT never stops. The professional entertainment included the Jean Ryan Production shows with amazingly tall dancers all wonderful. The females looked like Rockettes tall, lean and talented. Every show was excellent. New Years Eve was special with a celebrity comedian, Yakov Smirnoff who performed 2 nights- Yakov was hilarious beyond words. ONBOARD ACTIVITIES Each night in our suite would be a copy of Passages , the daily newsletter with the following days program. A typical day of Activities includes Enrichment Lectures from Smithsonian experts in 2015, Bridge Lessons, Social Dance Class - I never missed it from Ballroom to Rumba, Tango to Salsa, the teachers were Alan and Lucy - Alan was a 3 time World Ballroom Champion who coaches instructors for DWTS. Cooking Demonstrations by Paulette Mitchell cookbook author were exceptional. She is brilliant and engaging. Bocce Tournaments Croquet, Toss contests, Pool Volleyball, Bingo, Needlepoint, Canyon Ranch Lectures and more available to keep everyone active if desired. SHORE EXCURSIONS At every port, a Highlights and Panorama Sightseeing Tour was offered. Several African ports offered Animal Game Reserves, Cultural Tribal Villages, Elephant Orphanage and Rides. I especially enjoyed the St Lucia Park Hippo and Crocodile boat tour known for the largest concentration of Hippos in the world. The unspoiled Jozani Forest in Zanzibar where we interacted with Bonobo Monkeys fabulous. Snorkeling in both the crystal clear Seychelles and the Maldives spoiled me for life. Shark Cage scuba diving was available which was a costly specialized excursion experience. Ceylon Tea Plantation tour, Beach outings, Batik making, Walking tours, kayaking, Art Galleries, the list of excursions seemed endless. ALL INCLUSIVE Now Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers an all inclusive feature which includes Unlimited Shore Excursions ( some more extensive have a cost) , all drinks, yes alcohol too and gratuities are included in the fare. Having shore Excursions included created a camaraderie with fellow passengers as everyone went on excursions and you really could meet various others under interesting circumstances. I will never forget the Zanzibar Bonobo monkey in a tree above tossing nut shells directly at me while fellow excursionists chuckled. Overall Regent Voyager is a Luxurious yet country club casual cruise experience. Worth every penny.

The Seven Seas Voyager was built in 2003 but underwent a multi million dollar upgrade in 2013 adding a wrap around deck and enhancements. The public rooms are almost all under the passenger decks located on deck 4 and 5, the spa encompasses a big chunk of deck 6 which has passenger cabins. my cabin was on deck 6 and as I normally opt for the highest deck on cruise ships, I have changed my preference after this wonderful voyage. Deck 6 was convenient to most of the entertainment, destination services, lobby and eating venues and right smack near the spa fitness area. I enjoyed the sound and sight of the water as I lazed on my private veranda, definitely a nice treat to be closer to the water rather than on a higher deck - best yet no problem with motion, very stable location. I stayed in a Penthouse category there are 64 of them sized about . 370 sq ft which included some nicer amentiies, soaps Hermes and L'occitane, and a butler Ryan who was superb. There are also Master Suites. 1162 sq ft, 2 baths, Grand Suite as 876 sq feet, full bath and a guest bath, Voyager Suites 603 sq feet, there are 29 Horizon Suites at 522 sq ft. this particular itinerary included Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richard's Bay, South Africa. highly recommend St Lucia Wetlands, Tala Game Reserve, Elephant Orphanage, and private reserves. Also stopped in Maputo, Mozambique which involved a pricey visa for the day. If you skip one port visit, Maputo may be the one. Mozambique lacks infrastructure and is not geared for tourism, very 3rd world. Madagasgar and Zanzibar excellent, as were Seychelles and Maldives and Sri Lanka. Langkawi and Penang Malaysia a positive surprise. Daily activities on the ship were rather good but there were large gaps of nothing to do. A typical day included Walk a Mile at 730 AM with the fitness director on the outdoor deck, followed by stretch class and circuit training in the gym. the gym and spa is run by Canyon Ranch SpaClub is an improvement over Steiner. The fitness instructor and therapists appear to be more educated on health and fitness than I recall in the past. at 9am there was a single solo traveler breakfast. An enrichment lecture at 945 was good but not port specific to our itinerary, it was about aviation history. Daily was Bridge Instruction, and my favorite was Social Dance instruction taught by Alan and Lucy, Alan a former world ballroom dance champion and a Ballroom teaching coach on Dancing with the Stars. Cooking demos, Bocce, Bingo Trivia, Needlepoint, etc. Teatime was daily at 4 in Horizon Lounge and including an interesting array of pastry themes, such as Waffle TeaTime, Chocolate Tea Time, CroNuts, etc. The dress code was primarily Elegant Casual, which is defined as skirt or slacks (no jeans) with blouse or sweater, pant suit or dress for ladies, slacks (no jeans) and collared shirt for gentlemen. Sport Jacket optional. there were two Formal Nights with Tux optional, most wore suits or sport coats and women wore a bit more glitz. Each night typically had a fabulous Show in the Constellation Lounge at approximately 9:30. After the show a favorite spot was Voyager Lounge with a great retro duo with live music and singing, plenty of dancing. All dining options were excellent. The main Compass Rose Dining Room offered plenty of choice, I chose the Canyon Ranch Spa Menu regularly, excellent flavor, minimum calories. The 80 seat Prime 7 restaurant was the toughest to book restaurant however it was clearly the best. The lamb. Porterhouse Steak and Dover Sole off the charts delicious. the 120 seat Signature a French Restaurant was good to excellent depending on the menu cycle. Settle Mari an Italian evening restaurant was consistently good, Cioppino and veal chop fabulous. I highly recommend this cruiseline and ship.

Ship is in good condition, with no wear and tear that I noticed. The staff were gracious and friendly. Food was wonderful. Loved Signature Restaurant the most.

We enjoyed the Canyon Ranch Spa services aboard the ship and liked having the spa menu as an option at each meal. The alternative restaurants were excellent, especially the Prime 7 Steak House. The shows were adequate.