Regent/Oceania prices.

[neviboy]

I have read the threads comparing Oceania with Regent. We are planning a Feb. 19th. 2011 cruise from Rio to Buenos Aries.
Regent's fare is almost double that of Oceania for the equivalent veranda suites. The main differences are the free excursions on Regent , open bar, etc. free internet, and no tipping. But these costs are nowhere near the fare differences. Furthermore, G is waitlisted,
F is closed, and so E is the only alternative.
After 11 Regent's we would not change for a small overall cost, but the above cruise involves a few thousands.
I do feel that Regent has increased fares considerably for 2011. I also am aware of the costs of the free excursions, which, on our forthcoming cruise on Sept. 5th. amount to $1200 per couple based on the printed costs. This figure would approximate most 12 day cruises, I believe.
An acquaintance recently returned from an Oceania cruise. He felt just as comfortable as he does on Regent and with a considerable saving. This is a matter of opinion. But the tremendous price difference of the Rio cruise is not justified, in my opinion.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wow, they really are similar, aren't they! Studying prices.

Insignia PH2: $6,999
Mariner E Suite: $10,299

Sure does look like a significant saving. Perhaps not if you could get an H, but quite a difference.

I wonder what made the two cruise lines schedule almost parallel cruises ont he same route?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Neville, of course the situation is a little different if you want to avail yourself of the Business upgrade. $4799 versus $1998 pp.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

That was my finding when it came time to book my Baltic Cruise two years ago.

We aren't over the top drinkers - a bottle with dinner satisfies us. We booked private excursions with a group. We had a two week cruise in a concierge class cabin.

We liked the fellow cruisers a lot. Lots of Floridians, Californians and New Yorkers which is typical of most of the cruises anyway. Elegant Casual for the whole cruise. Well travelled educated passengers and a tough no smoking policy. We like the piano lounge entertainment.

[wripro]

I find in general that Regent is now not only more expensive than Oceania but also more than Seabourn and Silversea. The included excursions do not warrant the difference imo.

[JACKHAWK]

Neville, of course the situation is a little different if you want to avail yourself of the Business upgrade. $4799 versus $1998 pp.

Wendy, Is that the upgrade business when they are offering free air?

[Pincus]

I find in general that Regent is now not only more expensive than Oceania but also more than Seabourn and Silversea. The included excursions do not warrant the difference imo.

Well said, and I agree.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy, Is that the upgrade business when they are offering free air?

Yes. I saw it for this cruise. $999 pp each way.

It actually makes the two cruises reasonably comparable in price, at least the two cabin classes that I compared.

[Caroldoll]

WAY LOW. It had a wonderful itinerary too and I just got upgraded from Penthouse to Vista. I am on a waitlist for Owners and my TA says that I will probably get it. I have researched a lot and I don't think Oceania is bad...I have heard mostly all good.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The itinerary does look amazing! Funny that the two ships shadow each other most of the way.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I wonder if this Oceania price is an anomaly. Just comparing two other cruises, October 2011 in the Med. Both 10 days, prices much more comparable (Voyager, H GTY $6,999, Marina, PH2 $6,899). Now I wouldn't book an H guarantee on Voyager, but still.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Found another pair to compare, again quite comparable, April 2011, Panama Canal:

Regatta, 15 days, PH2, $7099
Navigator, 18 days, F balcony, $8199

This Rio trip on Oceania looks pretty darned good, doesn't it? Too bad I can't take it!

[Travelcat2]

I find in general that Regent is now not only more expensive than Oceania but also more than Seabourn and Silversea. The included excursions do not warrant the difference imo.

I agree with 50% of what you stated above. Regent is definitely more expensive, on most itineraries, than Silversea. However, if you fly Business Class to get to your embarkation and debarkation port, you will probably spend more money on Seabourn. They have very low specials (for instance, to Asia). . . . but, when you add $8,000-$10,000 per person on top of the cruise fare for airfare, it makes quite a difference. Obviously you are correct in terms of Oceania. . . . but, since when is Oceania in competition with Regent? One is a premium cruise line and the other is luxury (applies and oranges IMO).

[ChatKat in Ca.]

but, since when is Oceania in competition with Regent? One is a premium cruise line and the other is luxury (applies and oranges IMO).



When Regent went All Inclusive and raised the prices that created a differential. If you back out the things that make it All Inclusive and compare the PH Cabins to an H on Regent there is very little difference in accomodations. If I gave it a rating - the difference is about 5% - there are only a few food selections that are a bit different. Service is almost the same level. The passenger mix is only slightly different. Activities are quite close with the daily agenda. The only difference on Oceania that I think is noteable is that there are passengers in inside cabins that are generally working people like teachers and nurses - all educated....Editing to add that of course I would always choose Regent if the per diem were the same because it has a higher percieved luxury - but not that much to pay double for the same cruise.

[hondorner]

Echoing chatkat, I choose Regent if the per diem is close to what I normally pay on Oceania, and I therefore get those wonderful all-inclusive perks on Regent virtually for free. That normally only happens on Regent Caribbean cruises, where I've already been to the ports numerous times, and I go primarily to enjoy the ship for a week at a price I can afford.

All the rest of the time, I choose Oceania because I can get the same levels of food, service, activities and fellow passenger at a lower cost than Regent. At the same time, I'm willing to pay the premium for Oceania over the mass market cruise lines because of their smoking policy, open dining, elegant casual dress and smaller ships. Granted, I get much the same on Regent, but at much higher prices that Oceania.

On Oceania, sodas and bottled water are included, cappuccino and espresso are included, and our only bar bill is an occasional bottle of wine at dinner. There is no limit to the amount of wine or spirits you can bring to your cabin at any port, so we enjoy inexpensive drinks in the cabin, on the balcony, rather than in the bars. However, drinks are 2 for 1 during a happy hour before dinner.

Sometimes we take the occasional ship's tour on Oceania, sometimes we take part in a private tour organized by us or others on the roll call, sometimes we just walk around in the port town, and sometimes we stay on the ship. All in all our extra expenses are very small on Oceania, only on Regent do we take advantage of the drinks and excursions.

Frankly, we are not wealthy enough to sail on either of these cruise lines, except that we are thrifty enough throughout the year to enable us to spend extra to get this level of service. It's come to the point where it is Oceania or Regent or nothing, because we don't like the smoking policies of the other luxury lines or the mass market ships, or else we don't like the dress codes, or the fixed dining for those that still have it, or the large ships, or the too small ships, or whatever else all of the other cruise lines have wrong in our opinion.

It's just like someone said about our nation, it's got a lot of faults except that it's better than all the rest, and that's the way I feel about Regent and Oceania. They have a different approach to paying for the extras, but they have the same policies, the same service, the same management and increasingly, the same personnel. Life is Good.

[Travelcat2]

When Regent went All Inclusive and raised the prices that created a differential. If you back out the things that make it All Inclusive and compare the PH Cabins to an H on Regent there is very little difference in accomodations. If I gave it a rating - the difference is about 5% - there are only a few food selections that are a bit different. Service is almost the same level. The passenger mix is only slightly different. Activities are quite close with the daily agenda. The only difference on Oceania that I think is noteable is that there are passengers in inside cabins that are generally working people like teachers and nurses - all educated....Editing to add that of course I would always choose Regent if the per diem were the same because it has a higher percieved luxury - but not that much to pay double for the same cruise.

Hi Kathy -- think you are much more flexible than we are. My DH won't stay in a Mariner suite unless it's a Penthouse as he feels the regular suites are too small.

With the exception of a professional travel person, I have heard very positive reviews of Oceania. The only negative has been the ships themselves. Our friend, "Caroldoll" will be on Oceania. We are anxious to learn what their experience is. They are more like you in terms of being flexible and have sailed Regent, Celebrity and a whole lot more.

I also agree that it is not worth it to pay double just to sail on Regent. . . which is one reason why we will be on the Silver Spirit this year (an incredible bargain). I am not crazy about the included excursions that have increased the fares on Regent. Being herded like cattle on buses isn't my idea of luxury. :)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

It's just like someone said about our nation, it's got a lot of faults except that it's better than all the rest, and that's the way I feel about Regent and Oceania.

Nope. Our nation's better than the rest. :D

[Dreps]

I am looking forward to reading reviews as more and more Regent passengers try Oceania. A few comments on the comparison of the S. American cruises by the OP. We did the same type of comparison, and that is why we had booked a PH3 on an Oceania S. American cruise even though we didn't end up taking it. In general, I think that the most relevant comparison is a category H with a PH3, but I realize that if it is not available than you compare what is. I also agree that if business class flying is important, then the comparison is much closer as Wendy suggests (unless you can use FF miles and get an air credit). I have also found that the minute you bring in the Marina, things change because then you have to decide whether the relevant cabin comparison is with a standard veranda cabin on the Marina with the standard Regent Mariner or Voyager cabin or you move up to a Marina PH, which are even larger than the Regent standard cabins. I think in most cases that I've examined, the Marina PH costs exceed those of the Regent standard cabins. We may be in the minority, but we do like the flexibility of being able to close off the Regent cabins for the early riser or the late-night book reader.

[Longhorn1]

I agree with those who have said they have a problem with the included excursions. They have inflated the costs significantly. I understand the marketing concept behind the decison but it runs contrary to the attitudes of the "luxury" customer, in my opinion. I like the concept of all inclusive once shipboard--that makes a lot of sense and can be well marketed, no question. The additonal business class upgrade program is a no brainer for us, and a very retentive perk that we value. However, more often than not, we prefer to be on our own in port and avoid the cattle calls. I don't think reverting to paid excursions, and reducing prices accordingly, would handicap Regent in their marketing efforts to be "all inclusive", and I hope they consider it. Regent would still be the most inclusive line in the luxury market--just based on no upcharges for specialty restaurants.

[wripro]

I guess because I never use the air provided by any cruise lines I don't factor that into the equation. You make a good point, Travelcat2 about Regent's better policy regarding business class upgrades. However, very few people pay $8000 to $10000 for a business class ticket anymore. You can usually get a discounted business class ticket for anywhere from $2500 to $3800 nowadays.

[Travelcat2]

I guess because I never use the air provided by any cruise lines I don't factor that into the equation. You make a good point, Travelcat2 about Regent's better policy regarding business class upgrades. However, very few people pay $8000 to $10000 for a business class ticket anymore. You can usually get a discounted business class ticket for anywhere from $2500 to $3800 nowadays.

You must be checking flights in a different place than I am. I use "Yapta" quite a bit to research flights as it includes Expedia, Cheap Tickets, etc. When I fell in love with Cape Town last year, I checked the exact flight that Regent booked us on -- the flights were approx. $18,000 (this was a round-trip airfare while Regent was a one way fare -- don't know what they paid). I have repeatedly checked this particular flight and cannot find anything that could be considered reasonable.

I know there are good fares to and from Europe and sometimes to Asia. Where are you seeing these "reasonable" prices?:confused:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I also would like to know how, Wipro. Regent has been the only way Business class has been accessible to us in the past, as I said before.

[rallydave]

You must be checking flights in a different place than I am. I use "Yapta" quite a bit to research flights as it includes Expedia, Cheap Tickets, etc. When I fell in love with Cape Town last year, I checked the exact flight that Regent booked us on -- the flights were approx. $18,000 (this was a round-trip airfare while Regent was a one way fare -- don't know what they paid). I have repeatedly checked this particular flight and cannot find anything that could be considered reasonable.

I know there are good fares to and from Europe and sometimes to Asia. Where are you seeing these "reasonable" prices?:confused:

tc, you need to use itasoftware.com instead of those commercial sites you quoted. In a few seconds, was able to find 4700 us from Vancouver on South African Airlines plus others and for round trip around $7500 so don't understand your 18K price????

ITA will give you every airline plus combinations of different airlines and the codes to book them thru any TA. Not cheap but, an excellent source you should try. I was able to include Seattle and Vancouver in one search by specifying airports 200 miles apart so even included Portland.

Try it, you'll like it!!!

Dave

[mariners]

This thread has led me to research prices on both Regent and Oceania. I got my old Song of Flower brochure out of storage and used the cruise lines websites for current information.
The Song of Flower, October 19, 1996, cruise from Istanbul to Aqaba cost $7,595 for a Category B which would be equivalent size wise to the standard balcony suite on the Voyager. There was a $1,575 credit for not using the air and hotels which took the cost down to $6,020. The cruise was for 9 nights and worked out to a per diem of $668.88. This cost was all inclusive - tips, shore excursions, alcohol, etc. and the per diem is not much different than current pricing on Regent. In fact, for some of the cabin categories, it is actually a lower per diem now than it was in 1996.

A blanket statement on the comparison of costs between Oceania and Regent is not possible. For our 2011 cruise as well as the one prior to our cruise, Regent comes out at the better price.
Regent has a 14 night cruise on October 29, 2011 going from Istanbul to Safaga on the Voyager. The air credit for the cruise is $1,000. The per diem rate, without air, for Category H works out at $557.07 and Category F at $628.50. These costs are all inclusive.
Regent has a 16 night cruise on November 12, 2011 going from Safaga to Barcelona. The air credit is also $1000.00. The per diem rate, without air, for Category H works out to $516.68 and for Category F at $581.18. These costs are all inclusive.
Oceania has a 12 night cruise going from Istanbul to Athens. I did not sign on as if I was purchasing the cruise. I gave it the same $1000.00 air credit as Regent. Someone who has an Oceania account could work out the actual cost and post it to give this 100% accuracy. A PH3 category would have a per diem rate of $541.58. Additional costs would be excursions, internet and alcohol. Cruising Oceania would not be a cost saving cruise for us if we were to book an equivalent category.
Though it appears that I am in the minority on this board, I love the all inclusiveness direction that Regent has taken. I continue to feel that I have received value for the money I have spent on my cruise. I do not hesitate to book excursions separately or book Concierge choice excursions with a surcharge. I work out the per diems to any cruise we are considering and, on our cruises, Regent has come out ahead.
Our biggest factor in pricing a cruise has been the exchange rate on the Canadian dollar and we always keep our fingers crossed that it won't drop substantially as our cruise costs can increase significantly. I'd love it if Regent came out with pricing in Canadian dollars for those of us up north!

[Island Cruiser]

We too have done a cost comparison of R and O on several occasions. R has always emerged as a better deal for us. The only way we could save money by booking O is to book one of the smaller standard cabins. Of course we could save even more money by booking O and consuming much less alcohol than we do on R. But that just ain't going to happen!!!!!

[neviboy]

To return to my first posting, I was reluctant to post figures under the assumption that it was not allowed. The "Round S. America cruise" starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. (My home).
If there was a heavy booking then the segments would go for 'whatever the traffic will bear', presumably. G and H are all waitlisted and the desirable F is closed. The B.A. to Rio is the penultimate segment.
Regent's cost is $10,500. A PH3 on Oceania is $6800. Forget about the individual deductions for Society members, no air (we use our miles), and a T.A's perks. These are all individual 'bargaining' tools.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS $3700 PER PERSON. Suites, gourmet meals, service, etc. are all the same.
We have enjoyed 5 Mariners, 6 Voyagers, 1 Navigator and 3 Silver Seas. We never dine in the suite and enjoy meeting fellow passengers.
One could say that we are easy to please and an outgoing couple.
So you tell me what we should book.
Aside to Wendy, an article in the NY Times admitted that we are number 1 !! On the road to recovery.

[DaveFr]

To return to my first posting, I was reluctant to post figures under the assumption that it was not allowed. The "Round S. America cruise" starts and ends in Ft. Lauderdale. (My home).
If there was a heavy booking then the segments would go for 'whatever the traffic will bear', presumably. G and H are all waitlisted and the desirable F is closed. The B.A. to Rio is the penultimate segment.
Regent's cost is $10,500. A PH3 on Oceania is $6800. Forget about the individual deductions for Society members, no air (we use our miles), and a T.A's perks. These are all individual 'bargaining' tools.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS $3700 PER PERSON. Suites, gourmet meals, service, etc. are all the same.
We have enjoyed 5 Mariners, 6 Voyagers, 1 Navigator and 3 Silver Seas. We never dine in the suite and enjoy meeting fellow passengers.
One could say that we are easy to please and an outgoing couple.
So you tell me what we should book.
Aside to Wendy, an article in the NY Times admitted that we are number 1 !! On the road to recovery.
Personally, I think this is a no brainer. The Oceania cruise is so much less than the Regent cruise that all the included items on the Regent cruise, such as alcohol, excursions, etc. don't come close to making up the difference in fares. Using the online booking engines for both cruise lines, I calculated a cruise only fare of $9598 for a Cat E on Regent and $5699 on Oceania for a PH3. This is a difference of $3899 per person. One thing you didn't mention is that the Oceania cruise is 12 nights while the Regent cruise is 11 nights. The per diem works out to $872 on Regent and $474 on Oceania. So, for two, the Regent cruise costs $796 more per day than the Oceania cruise. Even if you could book a Cat H suite on Regent, it still would cost about $510 per day more for two people. In fact, you could book an Owner's Suite on the Oceania cruise for about the same amount as the Cat E on Regent.

For some reason, Regent, many times, is substantially more expensive than Oceania on South American cruises. However, as Wendy's example shows, there are other itineraries where Regent is a much better value.

The moral of the story is that you have to compare the prices for the particular cruise you're interested in, taking the exclusive nature of Regent cruises into account. You can't generalize that Oceania is always less expensive than Regent.

Dave

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Neville, I agree, it's a no-brainer. Plus you get to try a new cruise line!

[hrprof]

Here is another comparison I recently made - draw your own conclusion.



posted April 29, 2010 10:55 AM
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I currently hold reservations on 2 cruises. Both are 21 day voyages from San Francisco to NYC. They leave 3 days apart in Sept of 2011 and have virtually identical itineraries. One is a GS on R Navigator, the other is a Vista on O Regatta. Other than finding it curious that the owners would place 2 of their ships in direct competitiion sailing the same route in the same month, we are contemplating what we should do. We have sailed on both lines so are aware of the plus's and minus's of both (not too many minus's on R). The 2 suites are identical in size and both are forward facing.

Considering all the credits and charges R is $33,600 and O is $21,200. Have to decide by Tuesday.

What would you do?

[rallydave]

Here is another comparison I recently made - draw your own conclusion.



posted April 29, 2010 10:55 AM
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I currently hold reservations on 2 cruises. Both are 21 day voyages from San Francisco to NYC. They leave 3 days apart in Sept of 2011 and have virtually identical itineraries. One is a GS on R Navigator, the other is a Vista on O Regatta. Other than finding it curious that the owners would place 2 of their ships in direct competitiion sailing the same route in the same month, we are contemplating what we should do. We have sailed on both lines so are aware of the plus's and minus's of both (not too many minus's on R). The 2 suites are identical in size and both are forward facing.

Considering all the credits and charges R is $33,600 and O is $21,200. Have to decide by Tuesday.

What would you do?

Looks like a no-brainer to me with a delta of 12,400, thats $590/day less expensive on Oceania per day. Find it impossible that you would spend that much more on average on Oceania considering booze, tips, and excursions. $12,499 is a lot extra to pay for all inclusive especially after reading how close the two lines are for food, service, etc. I've only been on Regent and looking to stay there when the money is right but, almost $600/day is a lot of money to give up. Would expect the included things on Regent to average no more that $200/day on average so that is over $8,000 saved which isn't chump change for almost everything being the same and more speciality restaurants on Oceania. A few more passengers I could handle for $8K.

[orchestrapal]

Looks like a no-brainer to me with a delta of 12,400, thats $590/day less expensive on Oceania per day. Find it impossible that you would spend that much more on average on Oceania considering booze, tips, and excursions. $12,499 is a lot extra to pay for all inclusive especially after reading how close the two lines are for food, service, etc. I've only been on Regent and looking to stay there when the money is right but, almost $600/day is a lot of money to give up. Would expect the included things on Regent to average no more that $200/day on average so that is over $8,000 saved which isn't chump change for almost everything being the same and more speciality restaurants on Oceania. A few more passengers I could handle for $8K.
You'll never notice a few more passengers on Oceania... We have found that the ship never feels crowded and you never have to wait for anything. Great line and worth the money!:)

[wripro]

Sorry, I didn't realize we were talking about South Africa. Yes, here Regent offers a much better value of business class upgrades. No doubt.

[neviboy]

I have received the official quote on the Rio to BA Feb. 19th. cruise.
PH3 has a bath. Lower categories only a shower. We are used to both.
Fare $5699 p.p. without air. Tips $16.50 /day/pp is $396.
Total cost $6095.for the 12 days.
PH3 is a little larger than Regent's suites and comes with a butler which is not much of a plus for us.
A.A. has good fares to S.A. and upgrades are available with sufficient notice.
We have always enjoyed our cruises with Regent and Silverseas. Met wonderful people and still maintain contact with a few. But never compared costs until now. Regent has aimed for the 1st. and 2nd. cruisers of the mega ships who 'nickle and dime' their captives.
Free air, free excursions, no tipping, free bar, low cost internet.
CC has been an invaluable source of information over the years. This is the first time that I am pretty uptight on a subject, and I am not downgrading Regent . But they have outpriced themselves on many popular destinations.

Our introduction to Radisson in 2001 was when Renaissance folded.
We visited their office which is a mile from our home !!
Now we will probably be back on a Renaisssance ship !!

[wripro]

Neviboy,

Unless you're talking about the Oceania Marina which I don't think you are for a Barcelona to rio crossing the PHs on O are only larger than the Mariner suites (322 sq. ft. vs. 301) The Voyager and Navigators' come in at about 345. Still can't compare the rates though. O is a better deal.

[neviboy]

The cruise is Rio to Buenos Aries which I abbreviated BA. Sorry.

[commodore2010]

CC has been an invaluable source of information over the years. This is the first time that I am pretty uptight on a subject, and I am not downgrading Regent . But they have outpriced themselves on many popular destinations.


Since we got back from our Voyager cruise in April, we have been trying to get on another Regent Cruise before years end. Most are full or nearly full.
The marketplace has decided that Regent has not outpriced itself, but just the opposite. It appears there is even more room for price increases in the supply/demand.

BTW, Friends on a recent Alaska were asked to be bumped in exchange for 75% cash plus a full refund. They seem not only to be full, but overfull.

[kvisf]

Our April-May 2010 cruise was also overbooked and some passengers were offered major upgrades on alternative cruises to accommodate everyone. The ship did sail full. I would agree that the marketplace is saying that Regent hasn't overpriced its product. I would also agree that it's "expensive" in one sense (sticker price, even with the discounts), and the all-inclusive packaging makes it less attractive for those who don't drink and/or make use of the excursions. Apparently, there are enough people who do drink, take excursions, appreciate the relatively restrictive smoking policy, and generally like the food, superior accommodations and service, to keep three ships full enough to turn a profit.

[commodore2010]

Thats exactly what I was saying and you are correct. Regent hasn't outpriced itself. Some cruisers simply cannot afford Regent anymore or they have found a better value/price relationship on other lines in which they are comfortable.

A "better deal or value" is so subjective that it can't be argued or defended and is just an opinion. Carnival a better value than RCCL or vice versa? Its a circular argument unless you are comparing a commodity which I don't consider a cruise a commodity.

Its the companies responsibilty to its owners to maximize the profits. The magical rate/occupancy balance is what they are constantly trying to find. As long as they are full, and they certainly appear to be, don't expect anything but price increases.

[writer100]

Sorry, I didn't realize we were talking about South Africa. Yes, here Regent offers a much better value of business class upgrades. No doubt.
I seem torecall that Visa Signature through Merrill-Lynch has 2-for-1 on business class tickets. All such tix. And I think Amex has (or had, at least) a 50% off two business class tix. Not sure how that measures up to Rgent business class offers. Though the Regent b-class isn't really $999 if it is on top of a fare price that already includes economy air.

[wripro]

Those 241 tickets with Amex are usually full fare J class tickets. You can usually do better getting 2 Z class tickets.