29 April, 2011 Best Luxury Ships

[Travelcat2]

Interesting, yet disturbing article where Regent and Oceania are shown as premium/luxury While Silversea and Seabourn are luxury. This is something I hoped not to see (which is why some long time cruisers have posted repeatedly and loudly about the direction we saw Regent headed).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/8390531/Cruises-the-best-luxury-ships.html

[wripro]

The article also puts Crystal in the same luxury/premium category. Probably because it's not yet all inclusive. But this is just one person's opinion. If someone like a particular cruise line who cares what articles or polls say!

[Responder]

Interesting, yet disturbing article where Regent and Oceania are shown as premium/luxury While Silversea and Seabourn are luxury. This is something I hoped not to see (which is why some long time cruisers have posted repeatedly and loudly about the direction we saw Regent headed).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/8390531/Cruises-the-best-luxury-ships.html

I am a long time cruiser and I wish you wouldn't include me in the nebulous we category. I don't see Regent headed anywhere but where it is and maybe even higher. Not everyone feels as you do.

This review and self made poll is the work of a single person whose background I don't know and whose taste I don't know.

He mentions in his article that the line shouldn't treat people as commodities...we are commodities, no matter how many times we cruise with them. The staff is simply there because they need to make a living and this is one of the best opportunities for them. That they should offer excellent service is a given. To the cruise line we are customers.

These reviews are specious at best. Recently in Miami, a newspaper put out a poll for the best steak house. The restaurant that came out number 1 interviewed its owner who explained that he rose to the top simply because he or his staff made sure that every guest when they finished, was given a ballot and instructed to vote then and there. He said it worked.

He didn't mention how any of the inclusives or perks were managed. Seems to me that is the thrust of the naysayers.

[hondorner]

I have yet to be escorted to my stateroom, on Regent, Oceania or any other cruise line. Obviously, by this fellow's standards, I'm not sailing in luxury. By my standards, Oceania and Regent are both luxury, although one is more inclusive than the other -- the only difference I see. Many writers have called Oceania a luxury line -- the only reason Oceania calls it upper premium is to set it apart from Regent. Certainly, people who are paying more than double for a Regent cruise will be disturbed when some bloke calls them both at the same level.

My first question is, on which ones has he sailed, and at what category level?

[Anna B.]

I'm not going to give any more credence to this article than I do to the many negative posts on this board.

[flossie009]

We have no problem with what a Travel Writer decides to label Regent - whether it is Premium or Luxury.
We just go on whether we enjoy our cruising experience, are treated well and receive good value........ticks all round for Regent from our recent cruise :)
S&D

[Keith1010]

I agree with Wripro. In the end what counts most is what each person thinks.

As background, Douglas Ward has sailed extensively and has published an annual book now called the Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships which is published by Berlitz. I think his writeup in the book are excellent and they contain a nice two page writeup on hundreds of cruise ships.

He had shown the Regent and Crystal ships as luxury/premium for many years.

He rates the ships very highly.

Again, in the end, we all define luxury and premium differently and what counts the most is our own view.

Keith

[hondorner]

...He had shown the Regent and Crystal ships as luxury/premium for many years...
...Even before the management from that terrible lower-class cruise line? Go figure...

[Travelcat2]

One group who may care is the marketing folks at Regent. When someone is seeking a luxury cruise line and does their research, they may only look at cruise lines with the "luxury" designation.

Some Regent itineraries are priced higher than luxury lines. Some people may not want to pay more for what they perceive is a lesser cruise experience.

People who have sailed with Regent may care (or not). I care because of the direction Regent is going -- not solely because of the designation.

Whether the writer's points are valid, right or wrong. . . . this is what people are reading. It is what it is.

[Keith1010]

One group who may care is the marketing folks at Regent. When someone is seeking a luxury cruise line and does their research, they may only look at cruise lines with the "luxury" designation.

Some Regent itineraries are priced higher than luxury lines. Some people may not want to pay more for what they perceive is a lesser cruise experience.

People who have sailed with Regent may care (or not). I care because of the direction Regent is going -- not solely because of the designation.

Whether the writer's points are valid, right or wrong. . . . this is what people are reading. It is what it is.

Honestly, if someone reads his book or an article and it say luxury/premium or luxury I really don't think it is going to make a difference. Again, he's been rating it like this for many years and under mid size ships he has the two Crystal ships and two of the Regent ships at the top of the list.

I wouldn't loose sleep on this and regardless he will continue to rate them as he sees fit which is his prerogative.

No difference than on Cruise Critic when from time to time newsy items for cruise lines such as Oceania are posted on the luxury board. It is certainly the prerogative of CC to do that as well.

And in all the years it's been rated in his book I've never seen anyone bring it up on CC other than this newspaper article so I doubt it really is a big issue because if it was it would have come up on these boards a long time ago.

Keith

[Responder]

One group who may care is the marketing folks at Regent. When someone is seeking a luxury cruise line and does their research, they may only look at cruise lines with the "luxury" designation.

Some Regent itineraries are priced higher than luxury lines. Some people may not want to pay more for what they perceive is a lesser cruise experience.

People who have sailed with Regent may care (or not). I care because of the direction Regent is going -- not solely because of the designation.

Whether the writer's points are valid, right or wrong. . . . this is what people are reading. It is what it is.

Please don't take it personally, but they also read what you write....

[Travelcat2]

Keith, I honesty do not know anyone who has read that book (isn't he just one of many contributors?) And, today's article is not widespread. I found it by accident while researching a question for someone on another board. Only people in the U.K. who may be considering a luxury cruise would even read it.

Wripro: You (and I) are part of the little group on the "Luxury" board that reminds Laura that Oceania, Azamara, etc. are not luxury lines. So, it sounds like you care just a little bit:confused:

People on this thread will read the article and decide if they care or not. There is really nothing we can say to change their minds. I posted it as an article of interest -- not a point of debate.

For now, I'll continue to watch, read and not book. Regent is not the only cruise line with a questionable luxury future. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[freddie]

"I honesty do not know anyone who has read that book (isn't he just one of many contributors?)"

TC2 - As far as I can tell from the many cruising guides we've purchased and the info on Amazon.com, Douglas Ward's "Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships" is easily the No. 1 such guide. The 2011 edition is the 26th of the series and, according to one Amazon.com review, sells more copies than all of the other cruising guides added together. (Now, of course, that doesn't mean that Ward's comments are by extension either accurate or entirely credible.)

As Keith noted, the Berlitz guides are remarkably comprehensive guides to almost every cruise ship, giving loads of useful data, despite the occasional error of fact. (For example, Ward continues to state that the standard Voyager cabin bathroom has only a combination tub-shower, despite my having sent corrections numerous times to his "Dear Passenger" corrections email address.)

Ward has rated Regent ships as Luxury/Premium since at least the 2005 edition, the oldest one of the Berlitz guides of which I still have a copy on hand.

We have found the Berlitz guides to be quite useful in terms of getting a good idea of the size and amenities of various ships, as long as we recognize the apparent bias of Ward, who clearly prefers small ships. For example, he has rated Europa as the best ship in the world for at least the last 5 years, even though it might be a dreadful choice for most English-speaking passengers and is not at all all-inclusive.

Similarly, in the Telegraph article to which you posted the link, Ward includes in his "Ten things that mark out a truly luxurious cruise" some things that don't really exist for most of the cabins on some of the ships that he considers "luxury". Ward is nothing if not inconsistent, no??

Despite the occasional (or more than occasional) inaccuracies in Ward's Berlitz guides, they remain for us the most reliable (or least unrealiable) sources of info regarding cruise ships. They act as good foundations for further research.

One might note that Ward proclaims himself quite modestly as "The World's Foremost Authority on Cruising", blatantly insulting so many of us posters on CC who consider ourselves to be the most worthy bearers of that title. ;)

Cheers, Fred

[jhp]

I don't consider myself an expert or authority on anything, especially cruise lines. Don't buy those books anyway, as it didn't take long for me to know that river cruising (and other small European lines) had limitations for most ships in terms of cabin size, etc. TA searches out the best, she knows what her clients like.

So, whatever point TC is making in starting this thread, I am not listening, going instead to my personal experience. Seems whatever negative thoughts about Regent can be found, they will be posted here. And TC still planning cruise with them in the future, go figure.

[Travelcat2]

I don't consider myself an expert or authority on anything, especially cruise lines. Don't buy those books anyway, as it didn't take long for me to know that river cruising (and other small European lines) had limitations for most ships in terms of cabin size, etc. TA searches out the best, she knows what her clients like.

So, whatever point TC is making in starting this thread, I am not listening, going instead to my personal experience. Seems whatever negative thoughts about Regent can be found, they will be posted here. And TC still planning cruise with them in the future, go figure.

Not sure what this has to do with river cruises. If you think Hapag-Lloyd is a river cruise line, you are mistaken. Is the reason for your post to state that you are "not listening" or did you post because you have no interest in today's news?

[Responder]

Not sure what this has to do with river cruises. If you think Hapag-Lloyd is a river cruise line, you are mistaken. Is the reason for your post to state that you are "not listening" or did you post because you have no interest in today's news?

Tc..

I think you're trying to push a car uphill with a rope...:)

Maybe we should close this thread....it's going nowhere and will go nowhere.

[Host Dan]

Tc..

I think you're trying to push a car uphill with a rope...:)

Maybe we should close this thread....it's going nowhere and will go nowhere.
Good idea..

Host Dan