With 2014 schedules out soon, what itineraries are everyone hoping for? Me, I am hoping they bring back the Grand Asia Pacific and Africa circumnavigation; cruises they haven't done in a while. I also would like to see a three week circle caribbean over Christmas New Years. I think that with only three ships keeping one in Alaska and two in Europe EVERY year gets a little limiting.

Thoughts?

Marc, I totally agree with you -- would love to see the Grand Asia Pacific back on the schedule and the Africa circumnavigation as well. They have definitely overdone Europe the last few years. We'd also like to see some transpacific cruises (even one would do) from Sydney or Auckland to LA or to Lima and up the western coast of South America.

Would like to see some new ones myself.. One of the BIG downfalls of only having three ships...

I'd like to see them use the Navigator (because it's smaller and can get into more small ports) to do a 60 day WWII Pacific circle. It could go from LA through the South Pacific, Aust, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, North Pacific islands, Japan, Midway, Hawaii and back to California.

Jim, I have asked for a WWII Pacific cruise for years to no avail; for some reason Regent does not want to go to out of the way Pacific ports. Even when Navigator went Chile to Auckland they skipped Robison Crusoe Island and didn't let passengers ashore at Pitcairn.

I still would like to see a Main land to Hawaii cruise.
About 4 days over 4 or 5 day tour islands then return.

If they did schedule a cruise to the South Pacific, I'd look for stops at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, and I'm not an ex-Marine! Some of the toughest battles of WWII. I don't think you can go ashore at Tarawa, but a pass-by would be interesting. It's where the landing craft got caught on the reef, forcing the Marines to wade ashore into Jap machine gun fire. We lost a lot of good men there!

When Libya quiets down, I'd like to go back there, to see Leptis Magna, a Roman ruin better preserved than anything I've seen since. It's on the coast between Tripoli and Misurata (which is how they spelled Misrata when I was there in 1956-'57). Also, I'd like to visit Benghazi, where I spent the bulk of my 15 month Air Force Libya tour, to see how it’s changed and to try and find Berka 2, the WWII B-24 Liberator base turned radar site where I was stationed. No telling if the country will be calmed down and safe enough in 2014 though.

Marc,
We did stop at Robinson Crusoe Island on the Mariner Ring of Fire cruise. The reason passengers didn't go ashore on Pitcairn is that it would be impossible for the tenders to navigate the inlet to the island and with a full ship it would take too long to get everyone ashore with the locals' long boats. We also stopped at Rapa Nui (Easter Island) but bypassed Raratonga because the swells were too rough.
I have visited Papua New Guinea, Solomons and Yamamoto's headquarters on Rabaul and those are all fascinating places to visit.

When we did South Amercia to Australia we stopped at Robison Crusoe Island, did NOT go ashore due to swells but they bought on the lobsters that are only found here and they were the BEST I have ever eaten. They grilled them on the deck and steamed them in Compass Rose. It was my DUTY to try them BOTH ways.

We stopped at Pitcairn but almost no ships land people there. It would have to be small ship that had zodiacs to get ashore safely. The people who lived there came on board and it was fascinating.

We were able to go ashore at Easter Island and that was a highlight of the trip. I heard we were VERY lucky usually it is not calm enough to land.

Raratonga again not able to be tendered ashore.

Not sure but it seems many of these smaller places in the South Pacific it is more likely you cannot land rather than can land. It may be why they dont do these places that do not have a lagoon or dock where they can get people off the ship. I have heard this request for the South Pacific so many times and they dont do it.

Has anyone ever researched to see if another line does this type of trip maybe from Australia that carries zodiacs so landings are possible? Marc there you go something for you to research.

Originally Posted By: jbittle

"I'd like to see them use the Navigator (because it's smaller and can get into more small ports) to do a 60 day WWII Pacific circle. It could go from LA through the South Pacific, Aust, Papua New Guinea, Solomons, North Pacific islands, Japan, Midway, Hawaii and back to California".

THAT is what I have been requesting for the last two years to no avail - - maybe if enough of us request it - - it will come true.

Would not have to be 60 days either - - just round trip from the West Coast !!

Thanks,
Rod

Princess did a cruise similar to the one Jim is describing for the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. As I recall they've done that itinerary several times for various WWII milestones. We haven't done it, but we sure will if Regent (or any other cruise line for that matter) ever does it again.
Personally, I'd like to see Regent do almost any South Pacific itinerary other than the standard Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora one.

I sure hope the folks at Regent see this thread and think about a South Pacific itinerary. Sounds like it would be a big seller

Would like to do a similiar cruise to what Oceania is doing (on the Voyager or Mariner):

Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa

Cruising the Cape of Good Hope

London, South Africa

Durban, South Africa

Richards Bay, South Africa

Maputo, Mozambique

Cruising the Mozambique Channel

Cruising the Mozambique Channel

Nosy Be, Madagascar

At Sea, International Waters

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Zanzibar, Tanzania

Mombasa, Kenya

At Sea, International Waters

At Sea, International Waters

Mahe, Seychelles

Mahe, Seychelles

Cruising the Indian Ocean

Cruising the Indian Ocean

Male, Maldives

Male, Maldives

Cruising the Indian Ocean
Colombo, Sri Lanka

Cruising the Bay of Bengal

Cruising the Bay of Bengal

Phuket, Thailand

Penang, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur (Port Klang), Malaysia

Singapore, Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

If we saw this itinerary on Regent, we'd be the first to book!