Regent 2025 World Cruise Review: Part II All About Ports of Call and Excursions
Thoughts--and lessons learned--about ports of call, docking vs. anchoring, tender rides, included vs. paid excursions,
THE CRUISE:
The 2025 Regent World Cruise, Away in Wonder, set sail aboard the Seven Seas Mariner from Miami, Florida, on January 7, 2025. We visited 81 of the 83 scheduled ports of call in 24 countries, five continents, and three oceans while logging 36,426 nautical miles over 150 days. We had overnight stays in fourteen ports. The cruise officially ended in San Francisco on June 6, 2025.
We missed only two planned ports of call: Stanley, Falkland Islands, and Mooloolaba (Brisbane), Australia. We were within a mile of each town, but strong winds prevented us from anchoring and tendering into the ports. Ports that required anchoring/tendering appeared to be the most difficult, as they were most affected by adverse weather. We also faced strong winds affecting our anchoring at Devil’s Island, French Guiana, Robinson Crusoe Island, Chile, and Easter Island. Nonetheless, we eventually tendered ashore despite the rough seas and after delays and repositioning the ship.
We had a few tender adventures too, especially for those of us returning from a late excursion in Belem, Brazil, and for many of us heading back to the ship during a downpour in Cooktown, Australia. Tender operations can be tricky, sometimes even a bit intimidating, and there’s always a risk of getting drenched too!
Lesson learned? The fewer “at anchor” ports of call on a cruise of any length, the better.
PORTS OF CALL:
There are all kinds of ports of call. Exciting attractions like Rio, Antarctica, Easter Island, Bora Bora, Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong, the Great Barrier Reef, and Shanghai—all bucket-list destinations. Some countries are major draws—Japan, New Zealand, Brazil, and Thailand. Other ports? Not as much. Some small ports—such as Dominica, some of the islands in French Polynesia, Ishigaki, Japan, and Pago Pago, American Samoa—were less exciting and offered fewer excursion options. Still, there were always fascinating people to meet, interesting things to learn about, and activities to enjoy.
Lesson learned: Some ports required more effort from cruisers, but that effort was always rewarded.
Sherpa and I hadn’t been to most of the places we stopped. Once we left South America, every port was new to us until we docked in Sitka, Alaska — 63 of 81 ports were new. We also added 18 countries to our list of visited places. And we traveled to three new continents! Maybe that’s one reason we loved every place we went — everything was new to us and seen through “new” eyes.
A note: some destinations are far away from the ports. If you’re uncertain of the travel time, always check the distances from the port to the city you hope to visit.
Pay attention to the following cities, with their ports listed in parentheses: Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan; Anchorage (Whittier), Alaska; Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile; Bangkok (Laem Chabang), Thailand; Hanoi (Ha Long Bay), Vietnam. Each city required a 1-3 hour drive, one way, from the port. A visit to Hanoi involved a 3-hour bus ride each way, so a 9.5-hour trip only left 3.5 hours to explore the city. Sometimes the travel time was manageable, sometimes it wasn’t, which sometimes led to misunderstandings and disappointment. We traveled longer distances to Taiwan, Anchorage, and Bangkok—and we were glad we did—but we canceled our trip to Hanoi and did an excursion in Ha Long to avoid the 3-hour bus ride.
When we returned home, one of the most common questions from our friends and family was, “What was your favorite port?” We answered in general terms because it was impossible to pick just one place. “Antarctica, Easter Island, all of New Zealand and Australia, Hong Kong, Shanghai, all the ports in Japan, and…” became our ongoing reply. And that sums up how much we loved this cruise—there were so many highlights, we can’t pick just one.
Every port of call is worth visiting at least once. Some lesser-known or less exciting ports had citizens deeply invested in the economic opportunities a cruise ship stop offered. A traditional group of Samoan singers and dancers performed a full-length show as we pulled into the dock at Apia. Traditional dancers in Surabaya performed the Tari Remo shoreside, an energetic dance art form often used to welcome guests. In Nagasaki, Japan, a girls’ high school band with a color guard and baton twirlers serenaded us as we prepared to sail away. The citizens of Miyako, Japan, put a lot of effort into welcoming us to their city—schoolchildren handed us small origami cranes, and an artisan’s market was set up at our disembarkation point. Calligraphers at one booth offered complimentary name plaques, writing our names in Japanese hanga.
EXCURSIONS:
We have traveled with other cruise lines that offer “one complimentary shore excursion in every port of call,” and quickly became disappointed with the quality of the included tours, which were usually just a panoramic bus ride with a few photo stops. Therefore, the quality of the excursions and their costs were significant factors in our decision to book a Regent World Cruise. We didn’t want to embark on a 5-month cruise with over 80 ports, only to need to upgrade many excursions.
We were exceptionally pleased with Regent’s variety and quality of excursions, and we felt there were excellent options for 95% of the ports. We explored every port the Mariner visited, never staying on the ship if there was a chance to disembark. We usually tried to book excursions that included nature, art, and/or historical and cultural experiences. Plenty of free time or the option to stay in town after the excursion and return on our own was always a bonus.
We also used the shuttle buses when they were available. We’d book a half-day excursion and then return to town via the shuttle. (Pay attention to shuttle bus schedules! We tried to catch a shuttle in Tokyo, but we found out it was only available on the first day of the two days we were in port! Sigh!)
Although Regent is helpful, we preferred to be proactive by studying the cruise calendar in the weeks leading up to the cruise. We paid attention to Sundays in predominantly Christian ports and noted national and religious holidays. Sometimes, all the homework didn’t help—we still decided to visit Xi’an, China, on an overland trip even though we knew it was during a major Chinese holiday weekend. It was a go-or-not-go situation, so we went.
Based on our experience, some countries shut down on Sundays, with shops and restaurants closed, and some also have limited hours on Saturday afternoons. This was the case in Ushuaia, Argentina, Fakarava in French Polynesia, and Roseau, Dominica. If you’re in port on a Sunday, you might decide against that excursion with two hours of shopping time or the visit to a museum that’s closed. It happens.
Some countries take mid-afternoon breaks, and businesses may be open from 9 AM to noon and 3 PM to 6 PM. When we walked to a museum in Ha Long, Vietnam, we checked the hours while still on the ship and realized we needed to arrive early—they were closed for several hours in the afternoon!
Lesson learned? Whether you book Regent excursions or explore on your own, paying attention to each location’s quirks is essential.
We added Regent-choice excursions—paid tours—on six occasions: an all-day excursion in Buenos Aires for (USD) $159 pp; a tour to the quarry at Easter Island for $122 pp; Snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef for $227 pp; Bangkok-in-a-Day for $110 pp; an all-day excursion to the pottery town of Arita from Nagasaki for $122 pp; and whale watching in Klawock, Alaska for $141 pp. Except for Easter Island and Klawock, the excursions were all-day tours and included lunch. We thought all of these day-long tours were of exceptional value.
One last item: When I compare the list of excursions we booked before boarding to the list of excursions we actually took, there is a significant difference. Booking excursions at Destination Services was very flexible once onboard. Sometimes, Regent canceled excursions because land tour operators couldn’t provide the tour, and new excursions were offered. Sometimes, we looked at the excursions we’d booked months earlier and preferred a different one. World cruisers could more easily change plans because we could swap excursions before the segment cruisers boarded. A packet of tickets arrived in our suite on the last day of each segment, and if we responded quickly, we could exchange excursions for different ones. This was a benefit of the world cruise we didn’t know about before we started.
Lessons learned? Don’t fret excessively about excursions. There are acceptable options 99% of the time. Those are pretty good percentages.
We went on dozens of excursions. Some of the more memorable Regent-included excursions we enjoyed were:
Recife, Olinda, and the Brennand Institute in Recife, Brazil—art and a Brazilian steakhouse meal!
Highlights of Santos in Santos, Brazil—two museums (Pele and Coffee) and a botanical garden.
Punta Del Este & the Casapueblo Museum in Punta del Este, Uruguay—two excellent art museums, one an artist’s home on the coast. Indescribable.
Coyhaique and Simpson Valley from Puerto Chacabuco, Chile—beautiful drive through countryside, shopping in a small town, then hiking in a national park.
Lagoon Cruise with Beach Break in Bora Bora—snorkeling with sharks in that crystal blue water
Taronga Zoo in Sydney—kangaroos and wallabies, and all those other Aussie animals!
Territory Wildlife Park in Darwin, Australia—more Aussie animals in a park-like setting.
Nine Dragons in Hong Kong—gardens and temples and markets
Highlights of Taipei from Keelung, Korea—National Palace Museum, a cruise highlight
Cultural Kasama from Hitachinaki, Japan—focus on pottery, an artist’s home, a walk through gardens.
Butchart Gardens/Tim Hortons Experience in Victoria, British Columbia—gardens and donuts. (What’s not to like?)
Anchorage Discovery from Whittier, Alaska—excellent scenic bus ride, then museum.
What made these excursions special? They were often longer trips focused on art and nature. Many included visits to museums and gardens, which we enjoy. The guides were knowledgeable and entertaining. Many of these tours also offered free time or self-guided options so we could explore at our own pace and follow our interests.
Lesson learned? Pursue your passions and schedule excursions that align with your interests.
Sherpa and I quickly realized that the best parts of cruising for us are the ports of call and the excursions. Itinerary is king!
That said, the cruise is the vessel that allows us to visit all those ports, and it must fulfill its part of the deal. If itinerary is king, then all the amenities on the ship give a great itinerary the royal treatment.
Next post: I’ll review the entertainment, enrichment series, the medical clinic, value for money, highlights, disappointments, surprises, and extras.
Thank you both for sharing your thoughts and experiences of the 2025 Regent World Cruise. ( and for sharing dinner with me from time to time) looking forward to our next adventure. Mary Pat
Thanks so much for the reviews. I was really missing your daily emails! I felt I was riding along on your cruise!! Looking forward to the next review. And your next cruise...