Regent Slipping?

[commodoredave]

We are currently on b-to-b cruises on the SS Voyager, our 9th and 10th Regent Cruises (and 56 and 57th cruises overall), but 4 years since our last Regent cruise in 2008 (a sailing on the Paul Gauguin with Mark Conroy). We are finding that Regent standards have slipped in almost every category, including quality of administration, food, service and excursions compared to previous voyages, and compared to our most recent luxury line cruises with Seabourn and Crystal. We have met many people on our cruise that feel the same way, several of whom are giving lousy ratings in their comment cards and said they will be writing Frank Del Rio and/or Mark Conroy with their comments. Up until now, Regent has been our favourite cruise line; but not anymore. Has anyone else had a similar experience since the change in Regent ownership?

[Travelcat2]

In my opinion, nothing can compare to the Paul Gauguin -- especially if it was your first luxury cruise (which in your case it was not). According to CruiseCritic reviews on all the luxury lines, there has been a cut-back in recent years -- coinciding with the downturn in the economy. We have sailed 11 times on Radisson/Regent since 2004 and have not noticed an overall decrease in service. Food has been consistantly inconsistent over the years. The ships look better now than under the previous owners (after multi million dollar refurbishments).

I understand that you are comparing your current cruise with Seabourn and Crystal which are different experiences than Regent. Actually, they are more like Regent used to be in terms of formality, smoking policies, etc. It is possible that your likes and dislikes may have changed a bit since you last sailed on Regent!?

It is difficult to remember exactly what everything was like before Regent was sold. The ships are running more full than they were and the staff is limited by space on the ship, This makes it appear that they need more staff on board -- they probably do -- just not enough room for them. They have added additional staff cabins on the Voyager recently -- taking away part of the staff gym.

Could you go into more detail about what you mean by Regent standards slipping? Thanks.

[PaulaJK]

Dave,
I am writing because our New Year cruise on Mariner had problems in precisely the areas you note plus very weak entertainment. I noted these problems by onboard actions [telephone + mid /end cruise comments]. Additionally when I returned home I wrote a serious but not hysterical [& not requesting anything] account of my experiences to Mark Conroy but never received the courtesy of an acknowledgment or reply. I have no idea what to ascribe the slippage to as noted in our cruise but do feel that some of our experiences represented lax on board management. We were disappointed in our experience as were our traveling companions. This is bringing an end to a decade of celebrating New Years on a Regent ship.

[mythologist]

Interesting. I am taking my fourth cruise onboard Regent in May. Decided after the first cruise that we would never cruise again. The second cruise I thought maybe I could cruise aagain. The third cruise we loved and couldn't wait to cruise again. We are hoping this next cruise will be just as much of an adventure as the last! :D

[LindaM]

Interesting. I am taking my fourth cruise onboard Regent in May. Decided after the first cruise that we would never cruise again. The second cruise I thought maybe I could cruise aagain. The third cruise we loved and couldn't wait to cruise again. We are hoping this next cruise will be just as much of an adventure as the last! :D

What was the order of the ships you sailed??? I hope Navigator wasn't the first. From my experience cruising, our satisfaction is dependent on the particular ship.

[baychilla]

We are currently on b-to-b cruises on the SS Voyager, our 9th and 10th Regent Cruises (and 56 and 57th cruises overall), but 4 years since our last Regent cruise in 2008 (a sailing on the Paul Gauguin with Mark Conroy). We are finding that Regent standards have slipped in almost every category, including quality of administration, food, service and excursions compared to previous voyages, and compared to our most recent luxury line cruises with Seabourn and Crystal. We have met many people on our cruise that feel the same way, several of whom are giving lousy ratings in their comment cards and said they will be writing Frank Del Rio and/or Mark Conroy with their comments. Up until now, Regent has been our favourite cruise line; but not anymore. Has anyone else had a similar experience since the change in Regent ownership?

Short answer: Yes & they should get the management back that Radisson had in say ~2003.

Longer answer:

Quality of the included wines can now reach sub plonk levels
Not enough staff in CR or other dining venues for a smooth experience
Lost most of their experienced staff to other ships in PCH group
Combining the room service kitchen with the CR kitchen has caused problems for pax dining en suite and dining in CR
All inclusive prices yet an obscene single supplement
Free tours worth about what you paid and no where near the quality of the old style pay as you go tours
Current pay tours seem to be the result of cronyism/bribery - eg: they obvioulsy didn't sample Chateau Kirwan before subjecting pax to it
Ships themselves don't seem to be as well maintained
They "forgot" to pickup a number of pax on the '11 world cruise that were supposed to have complimentary transportation
Management in the kitchen is lax - eg: obviously modly bread
Chef complains that he can't turn out food at the expected level given his meager purse strings
Removing imo the best dining venue - Signatures
Prime7 beef tasted and felt as if it had been stuck in an enzyme bath to tenderize an otherwise tough or freezer burned cut of beef
No more caviar
Foie Gros?
Half full Champagne flutes filled with overly sweet Sprite


I should probably stop there ;) It would appear that Del Rio/Conroy are cheapening the line to try to dump their old passenger base. Get a bunch of new pax who won't complain as they don't know what they're missing. That way you in theory keep the ships full, keep profits up and lower costs. A great way to inflate a line pre-sale or move yourself down market after that new base tries a real luxury line.

[Travelcat2]

Short answer: Yes & they should get the management back that Radisson had in say ~2003.


Longer answer:

Quality of the included wines can now reach sub plonk levels
The one wine we enjoy drinking on Regent is made by Bogle which is available at Trader Joe's for about $10. There are many better choices with a cost associated with them.
Not enough staff in CR or other dining venues for a smooth experience
I agree -- sometimes. There is too much staff in CR for breakfast and many times for lunch (even though they send staff up to La Veranda). Even though I agree with you, I don't really see a solution for staffing peak times that occur only on certain days.
Lost most of their experienced staff to other ships in PCH group
It seems that Regent employees were training staff on Oceania for a while. Do you know for sure that they remained there and did not just find a job on another cruise line? I've met many crew members on Regent from other luxury cruise lines and have seen former Regent employees on Silversea.
Combining the room service kitchen with the CR kitchen has caused problems for pax dining en suite and dining in CR
Is this new?
All inclusive prices yet an obscene single supplement
There is a recent long thread about this. If Regent (or any other cruise line) can fill a ship with 2 persons in each cabin, it does not make financial sense to give discounts for single supplements. They do lower the percent on cruises that are not selling well. Regent has plans to build single suites on their new ship.
Free tours worth about what you paid and no where near the quality of the old style pay as you go tours
Agree with you for the most part. However, included excursions have moved many passengers from other lines to Regent. I don't see this going away any time soon. It should be noted that there are excellent included tours in some parts of the world.
Current pay tours seem to be the result of cronyism/bribery - eg: they obvioulsy didn't sample Chateau Kirwan before subjecting pax to it
Could you go into more detail? Our experience with paid tours has been very good to excellent.
Ships themselves don't seem to be as well maintained
Really disagree here. There were thread bare linens on the ships before Regent was purchased by Apollo. The Navigator was in very poor shape -- listing for no apparent reason -- losing electricity for hours at a time, etc. Approximately $100M was invested in the Navigator to bring it back into shape. The Mariner and Voyager have been through two major renovations since under current ownership.
They "forgot" to pickup a number of pax on the '11 world cruise that were supposed to have complimentary transportation
Management in the kitchen is lax - eg: obviously modly bread
IMO, food is Regent's weakest area (more below)
Chef complains that he can't turn out food at the expected level given his meager purse strings
Removing imo the best dining venue - Signatures
Again, this is subjective. I am happy to see it go -- only wish it were something other than French. Perhaps it cost too much for Regent's affiliation with Le Cordon Bleu:confused: On the other hand, Oceania retains it's affiliation with a company.
Prime7 beef tasted and felt as if it had been stuck in an enzyme bath to tenderize an otherwise tough or freezer burned cut of beef
Why didn't you send it back?
No more caviar
I believe that Seabourn still has included caviar -- not sure of it's quality. Regent does have it on Sundays and at events like the Seven Seas Society parties.
Foie Gros?
Half full Champagne flutes filled with overly sweet Sprite
You can have your half full flute filled over and over again (okay -- just kidding). At least Regent has stopped serving sparkling wine and calling it champagne. Again, better quality is available for a price.

I should probably stop there ;) It would appear that Del Rio/Conroy are cheapening the line to try to dump their old passenger base. Get a bunch of new pax who won't complain as they don't know what they're missing. That way you in theory keep the ships full, keep profits up and lower costs. A great way to inflate a line pre-sale or move yourself down market after that new base tries a real luxury line.

The above really sounds like it is coming from a Regent cheerleader who finds no fault with the product. It would have been great if Regent could have filled their ships without giving included excursions . . . . but, they had to fill the ships. Advertising in their brochure to HAL, Celebrity and Princess customers was enough to make a person choke -- however, the powers that be decided it had to be done.

Just want to say a few words about the inconsistent and perhaps lower quality food. There are people who sail Regent from cities/countries where they cannot get the quality of beef that is served on Regent. They rave about Regent's food. People from the "Bay area" or other lovely large cities can get far better beef (and other meats, fish, vegetables, etc.) than they serve on Regent.

During the timeframe you are discussing, what in the U.S. is the same? In 2012, is your health care insurance costing more with higher premiums and co-pays? Have some food products not doubled in price?

Since words on a computer have no voice or personality, I will add that I am not in the least bit upset and you certainly are entitled to your opinions. It just seemed like a good time to debate some issues:)

Note to Regent (if you're out there). . . okay already -- you have been filling some itineraries a year in advance and have announced that you have had the best year or two in the cruise line's history. Please look into the quality and consistency of the food and wine. It is really hurting Regent's reputation (JMHO).

[JACKHAWK]

I have not sailed on PG. As you can see from my signature - I have sailed on Regent 6 times in the last 4 years (have 2 future cruises reserved) & have enjoyed all the cruises (I wish they weren't full all the time now).

I have not sailed on the other luxury cruises, because I am happy with Regent. Some people are unhappy with Regent, but on the other message boards - people have "opinions" that are uphappy with every cruise line.

I think you should pick cruises based on your experiences - I will.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

My first cruise was on the Paul Gauguin, in 2000, when it was run by Radisson. My first 3 cruises were Radisson ones, two on the PG. This has been my benchmark ever since, rarely attained. And the PG still has my heart, despite ups and downs.

But...Radisson was not running full ships in those days, and was probably losing money. It was very nice while it lasted, but it couldn't go on.

I'm booked on Navigator in May. This may be our last Regent cruise for a variety of reasons, but I have reasonably good hopes of a very nice time. I actually really like Navigator itself, despite the paucity of specialty dining venues. So we'll see. If half of the above turns out to be the case, we're "out of here" for sure, and I will proceed to try to wangle a Seabourn trip at some point if we can afford it, or Azamara or Oceania if not.

[kihei228]

My DH and I had a PH on the PG in 2005 when it was still Radisson, and then a PH on Oceania for an Istanbul to Barcelona (souther med.) in 2007. Don't consider Nile or Yangtze cruises in the same catagory. Since we are leaving in four weeks for Sydney, this thread is very disconcerting. I expect to find great service, excellent food, and wine of a higher quality than 'Bogle'. Sorry T.C., but we do live in the Bay Area and have access to many of the best wines available.

We have done many more land trips, some quite extensive, and have always had delightful experiences, with very few mishaps. I expect our trip on Voyager to be similar to our previous cruises which we enjoyed thoroughly.

Believe me, if that is not the case, this board will be the first to know.:D

Laurie

[jhp]

I have not sailed on PG.
I think you should pick cruises based on your experiences - I will.

I have to agree. I'm not swayed by other's impressions because I have enough of my own, but always interesting to hear what others say. I have tried only SS (twice) in competition with Regent, and find it almost identical in all ways other than the included excursions.

[FDV]

In my experience and this has happened more than once, when Regent ships are sailing full the service is very lacking... With the cut backs in staff they simply do not have the capability of keeping up. We really enjoy the Regent product but our Aust/NZ Voyager cruise last year was sold out and it showed.. Also several staff members we spoke with also confirmed this. Our friends had the segment right after ours and that segment was basically a 30 percent less passenger load and I knew they would have outstanding service and they did... The raved about it..
Our cruise food was left to be desired except for Prime 7 which was amazing, and longer waits and staff running around like crazy and just over stressed.. For the prices they are charging this should not be an issue on sold out segments.

[commodoredave]

In my opinion, nothing can compare to the Paul Gauguin -- especially if it was your first luxury cruise (which in your case it was not). According to CruiseCritic reviews on all the luxury lines, there has been a cut-back in recent years -- coinciding with the downturn in the economy. We have sailed 11 times on Radisson/Regent since 2004 and have not noticed an overall decrease in service. Food has been consistantly inconsistent over the years. The ships look better now than under the previous owners (after multi million dollar refurbishments).

I understand that you are comparing your current cruise with Seabourn and Crystal which are different experiences than Regent. Actually, they are more like Regent used to be in terms of formality, smoking policies, etc. It is possible that your likes and dislikes may have changed a bit since you last sailed on Regent!?

It is difficult to remember exactly what everything was like before Regent was sold. The ships are running more full than they were and the staff is limited by space on the ship, This makes it appear that they need more staff on board -- they probably do -- just not enough room for them. They have added additional staff cabins on the Voyager recently -- taking away part of the staff gym.

Could you go into more detail about what you mean by Regent standards slipping? Thanks.

Here are a few examples:

Administration/management:

1) We booked back to back cruises but our two bookings were not linked on the ship's computer. As a result, when we boarded they would only check us in for the first cruise. We had to go to the reception desk the next day and show our paper bookings to get key cards through to the next voyage. However, the system was never fixed and we kept getting information on debarking the ship in Sydney (rather than Auckland), but did not get the information necessary for staying on the ship. Finally had to have our travel agent contact Regent Head Office to get it fixed.
2) To order eggs in La Veranda, you need to give the cook your table number. However, on most mornings the staff forget to put out the number icons on some of the tables. This has resulted in our egg order going to the wrong table, or on two occasions, not arriving at all. And yesterday both us and the lady in front of us had the same table number.

Service:

We had a privacy sign on our door as I was alone in the cabin showering. The busboy ignored the sign, entered the cabin, and said hello, upon which I yelled not to enter as I was naked in the shower with the bathroom door open. He came in anyway, retrieved the room service tray, and then left without even so much as an apology.

Our previous room steward (we changed cabins for the second cruise), consistenly left dirty dishes, emply water bottles etc in our cabin after cleaning. She also was very slow to clean our cabin, and took several days to stock and restock our fridge. (We now have a great room steward in our new cabin).

Dining room waiters and someliers are inconsistent with service and attitude. Most have been wonderful, but a few have been grumpy and bored.

Food/Wine:

Most of the food has been very good, but not as consistently great as previous Regent cruises. Examples: In Prime 7, I ordered a medium fillet mignon steak, DW ordered a rare rib steak; hers came medium, and mine rare. The twice baked potato was very overcooked and dry.

We find the choices and options in La Veranda more limited than previous cruises, and not as appealing as on our recent Seabourn voyage. We also find some of the menu descriptions misleading -- one night DW ordered coquille st. jacques and instead got something completely different. The chef came out to apologize, and actually changed the description of the dish on future menus.

Food in CR and Signatures has been very good, but if we order 4 courses, there is always one that seems to be a bit off. .

The complimentary wine is not up to the same standard it used to be. We now ask for the the alternative free wines in the dining room, but it seems to annoy some of the someliers.

Communication:

There is more confusion on this ship than any we have sailed on. The in-room TV had the navigation channel telling us our next port was Bali right up until we arrived in Sydney. The program and elevator TVs say to exit the ship on deck 4, but we exit on deck 5. The pool is closed all day during a beautiful day at sea, but no one can tell us why. Etc.

Having said all this, in my view a cruise with Regent is still a great experience for the most part. We just feel it isn't as good as it once was and still could be, which is disappointing.

[Travel2Learn]

[quote=commodoredave;32152196]Here are a few examples:
Service:
We had a privacy sign on our door as I was alone in the cabin showering. The busboy ignored the sign, entered the cabin, and said hello, upon which I yelled not to enter as I was naked in the shower with the bathroom door open. He came in anyway, retrieved the room service tray, and then left without even so much as an apology.

YIKES! That is inexcusable! After having a similar experience and a theft during the night in hotels, I now sometimes put my heavy, full, large suitcase lying down at an angle, blocking the room door so it can not be easily opened. At the least, there would be a noise. I sleep and shower with less worry in hotels. A chair can also work.

[commodoredave]

[quote=commodoredave;32152196]Here are a few examples:
Service:
We had a privacy sign on our door as I was alone in the cabin showering. The busboy ignored the sign, entered the cabin, and said hello, upon which I yelled not to enter as I was naked in the shower with the bathroom door open. He came in anyway, retrieved the room service tray, and then left without even so much as an apology.

YIKES! That is inexcusable! After having a similar experience and a theft during the night in hotels, I now sometimes put my heavy, full, large suitcase lying down at an angle, blocking the room door so it can not be easily opened. At the least, there would be a noise. I sleep and shower with less worry in hotels. A chair can also work.

A chair is a good idea and easy to move in front of the door. I also now double lock the door.

[commodoredave]

Here are a few examples:

Administration/management:

1) We booked back to back cruises but our two bookings were not linked on the ship's computer. As a result, when we boarded they would only check us in for the first cruise. We had to go to the reception desk the next day and show our paper bookings to get key cards through to the next voyage. However, the system was never fixed and we kept getting information on debarking the ship in Sydney (rather than Auckland), but did not get the information necessary for staying on the ship. Finally had to have our travel agent contact Regent Head Office to get it fixed.
2) To order eggs in La Veranda, you need to give the cook your table number. However, on most mornings the staff forget to put out the number icons on some of the tables. This has resulted in our egg order going to the wrong table, or on two occasions, not arriving at all. And yesterday both us and the lady in front of us had the same table number.
3) Had to call the reception today because our on board credit had not yet been added to our account. Seems no one had told the purser we had moved cabins, so they did not know where to put the credit.
4) Forgot to mention, that when we moved cabins at the beginning of this leg, no one had told our new room steward. As a result, there was no welcome bottle of champagne in our cabin, etc.

Service:

We had a privacy sign on our door as I was alone in the cabin showering. The busboy ignored the sign, entered the cabin, and said hello, upon which I yelled not to enter as I was naked in the shower with the bathroom door open. He came in anyway, retrieved the room service tray, and then left without even so much as an apology.

Our previous room steward (we changed cabins for the second cruise), consistenly left dirty dishes, emply water bottles etc in our cabin after cleaning. She also was very slow to clean our cabin, and took several days to stock and restock our fridge. (We now have a great room steward in our new cabin).

Dining room waiters and someliers are inconsistent with service and attitude. Most have been wonderful, but a few have been grumpy and bored.

Food/Wine:

Most of the food has been very good, but not as consistently great as previous Regent cruises. Examples: In Prime 7, I ordered a medium fillet mignon steak, DW ordered a rare rib steak; hers came medium, and mine rare. The twice baked potato was very overcooked and dry.

We find the choices and options in La Veranda more limited than previous cruises, and not as appealing as on our recent Seabourn voyage. We also find some of the menu descriptions misleading -- one night DW ordered coquille st. jacques and instead got something completely different. The chef came out to apologize, and actually changed the description of the dish on future menus.

Food in CR and Signatures has been very good, but if we order 4 courses, there is always one that seems to be a bit off. .

The complimentary wine is not up to the same standard it used to be. We now ask for the the alternative free wines in the dining room, but it seems to annoy some of the someliers.

Communication:

There is more confusion on this ship than any we have sailed on. The in-room TV had the navigation channel telling us our next port was Bali right up until we arrived in Sydney. The program and elevator TVs say to exit the ship on deck 4, but we exit on deck 5. The pool is closed all day during a beautiful day at sea, but no one can tell us why. Etc.

Having said all this, in my view a cruise with Regent is still a great experience for the most part. We just feel it isn't as good as it once was and still could be, which is disappointing.

Additional items added above in bold.

[dog1]

Am currently on the Voyager sailing from Sydney to Voyager. This is our second Regent cruise. We have cruised many other lines. We selected this cruise to Australia /NZ because the price (including business class airfare) was equal to Oceania. The all inclusive nature of Regent made it a no brainier. The cruise is going fine, but I can easily say on those routes where Oceania is cheaper I would chose Oceania. The food on Regent is no better, and comparing a Penthouse suite on Oceania to a Deluxe suite on Regent, Oceania is better I may write more later, but for now these are my conclusory impressions. I would write more, but I am on Vacation!

[Mjflowers]

I am always at a wonder of the continuous complaints from fellow CC of the Regent experience. Why do you still sail with this company if so many things are always wrong? I travel to have a wonderful time, not to see how many things I can find not up to snuff. If your not happy with this particular cruise line, why not look elsewhere? There are many options out there. What say you all?

[commodoredave]

I am always at a wonder of the continuous complaints from fellow CC of the Regent experience. Why do you still sail with this company if so many things are always wrong? I travel to have a wonderful time, not to see how many things I can find not up to snuff. If your not happy with this particular cruise line, why not look elsewhere? There are many options out there. What say you all?

Your view is very simplistic. These are our 9th and 10th cruises with Regent, but the first that we have had any issues with. So we are not cruising with them despite problems -- this is the first time we have had any. We are reporting these issues to see if this is an isolated incident or whether others have experienced a decline in Regent. If a permanent decline, we will definitely not be sailing with them again. We will also be reporting these issues to Regent in the hopes they are interested in improving. After all, isn't that what the cruise line comment cards and the cruise line threads are for? Or would you prefer a Pollyanna World where everything is just peachy keeen and no one trys to make anything better?

[baychilla]

TravelCat2 -

I forgot something else in the bulleted list. Tours would routinely return to the ship right after CR had stopped serving lunch. However I've heard there was sufficient outrage over this cost saver that management reversed course.

From the list:
Staff: I'm not sure where they ultimately wound up but not on Regent and not in sufficient numbers.

Combining the CR and room service kitchens: As far as I know that started at least with the 2011 world cruise.

Prime7: I sent the dish back the first time, the second I figured all the meat was that bad.

Champagne: I was only halfway serious about the half filled flutes. The real issue was what they were serving.

The paid tour/Chateau Kirwan:
I figure that since our base fare includes charges for excursions that a pay excursion would be whatever that non itemized amount is plus a fee and be worth that increased amount. The fee by itself was large enough to cover dinner at the French Laundry or one of Gordon Ramsays restaurants. At that price I fully expect the ambiance, service and quality of food as the aforementioned establishments. Service was lackluster, the ambiance was an empty barn with a nice view of a John Deere out the window. Chairs were plastic fold ups like you'd use at a picnic, so not overly comfortable. The wine itself was mostly very disappointing. For food I recall having a roll but nothing to put on it (no butter in France :confused:) the entree could have been horsemeat ground into burger and then braised. I don't think I would give the food more than 1 star. I had the overall impression that no one from Regent had vetted the location, or service and food quality.

[Travelcat2]

baychilla: Thanks for replying! Yes -- Regent did get the message about closing restaurants before excursions returned. On our cruise last month, La Veranda stayed open for lunch to allow returning passengers to eat. It made a positive difference.

Actually we have had a similiar experience in P-7 only with salmon being returned twice before we received it properly cooked.

Hope you complained about that excursion. It sounds awful! We are thinking about cancelling a paid excursion in Santorini -- Regent is charging $286 for two people to have a cooking demonstration and lunch in addition to a 1/2 day tour of Santorini. We did a similiar excursion last month on an included tour (in Rhodes, Greece). The included tour, cooking demo and food were excellent. We are wondering how the excursion in Santorini could be worth the extra cost. We will probably cancel. Perhaps Regent is overpricing it's excursions because they know that many passengers are paying with OBC's!?

Really appreciated reading your comments:)

[RachelG]

This Regent slipping thing has been being mentioned for years. I will say that right after Radisson changed to Regent, we had a cruise that was not "great". But it wasn't too bad--because we have been on board many times since.
They are receptive to suggestions, like keeping La Veranda open for people coming back from tours.
The wine quality has been up and down--currently up in my opinion, definitely better than about 2 years ago. They actually serve real champagne now which is pretty decent.
Food also up and down, but at least on Mariner, up on our cruise a week ago with the exception of the lobster in P7 which was not good at all. And you can always order something different if you want. I have had to on occasion send back dishes, but rarely. Once, because I think a whole salt shaker had been spilled into the soup, but that was years ago.
I thought CR and room service kitchens had always been the same, but I guess I was wrong. Room service has been consistently good for us.

[BARBYQ]

Three cheers to baychilla !!!! You pushed all our buttons with your first post. The quality of the entire experience has eroded since Mr. del Rio's organization began firing those who knew how to run a 5 star cruise line. Our judgements are , we feel , fairly accurate since we have been with the line for such a long time. We have over 1000 nights . It's such a shame to see such a wonderful product stripped of what so many worked so hard to create. The new people DO want those of us who know how it used to be to go elsewhere . You are right . They DO want those who don't know to be their new guests. We have actually been told this by a person in authority , although they will all deny it , and I understand why. Enough said --- we're doing as they wish and going elsewhere quite soon.

[Travelcat2]

Three cheers to baychilla !!!! You pushed all our buttons with your first post. The quality of the entire experience has eroded since Mr. del Rio's organization began firing those who knew how to run a 5 star cruise line. Our judgements are , we feel , fairly accurate since we have been with the line for such a long time. We have over 1000 nights . It's such a shame to see such a wonderful product stripped of what so many worked so hard to create. The new people DO want those of us who know how it used to be to go elsewhere . You are right . They DO want those who don't know to be their new guests. We have actually been told this by a person in authority , although they will all deny it , and I understand why. Enough said --- we're doing as they wish and going elsewhere quite soon.

I believe that management at PCH felt that way earlier last year (as evidenced by the roll out of the original concierge program). For whatever reason (perhaps people cancelling cruises and going to other lines), they took a positive step to include in the concierge program the many thousands of guests who had sailed with them 21 days or more. Maybe they are rethinking things.

We have sailed with Regent since 2004 (not as many nights as we generally do 14 days or less) and found our Nov/Dec 2011 sailing on the Regent Voyager to be superior in every way to our 2006 sailing on the Voyager. Our January, 2011 Mariner cruise was also exemplary. On the other hand, we have had issues with both food and service on cruises before and after the sale to Apollo/PCH.

The comments I'm reading on this thread are not much different to what I've read on the Seabourn board in the past year. I also recall when Silversea had it's share of negative posts. Unfortunately, things have changed on all the cruise lines -- money is tight, etc. Even the #1 rated Crystal has been trying to find a way to fill their ships (and they only have two to fill). They tried the high OBC's so you could "purchase" drinks and/or excursions without money coming out of your pocket. That must not have done the trick since they are going all-inclusive this year. 2012 should be an interesting year in the luxury cruise industry.

Truly hope you find what you are looking for on other luxury ships. We tried and did not. Although Silversea is excellent in many ways (and we just booked another cruise for next year on an itinerary that Regent no longer offers), the smoking and dress policies are not to our taste.

[commodoredave]

Dave,
I am writing because our New Year cruise on Mariner had problems in precisely the areas you note plus very weak entertainment. I noted these problems by onboard actions [telephone + mid /end cruise comments]. Additionally when I returned home I wrote a serious but not hysterical [& not requesting anything] account of my experiences to Mark Conroy but never received the courtesy of an acknowledgment or reply. I have no idea what to ascribe the slippage to as noted in our cruise but do feel that some of our experiences represented lax on board management. We were disappointed in our experience as were our traveling companions. This is bringing an end to a decade of celebrating New Years on a Regent ship.

Sorry to hear you also had a poor experience. I do hope this is something that Regent will address as they could do so many things better with the right management on board as it used to be.

[commodoredave]

Three cheers to baychilla !!!! You pushed all our buttons with your first post. The quality of the entire experience has eroded since Mr. del Rio's organization began firing those who knew how to run a 5 star cruise line. Our judgements are , we feel , fairly accurate since we have been with the line for such a long time. We have over 1000 nights . It's such a shame to see such a wonderful product stripped of what so many worked so hard to create. The new people DO want those of us who know how it used to be to go elsewhere . You are right . They DO want those who don't know to be their new guests. We have actually been told this by a person in authority , although they will all deny it , and I understand why. Enough said --- we're doing as they wish and going elsewhere quite soon.

I'm keeping an open mind for now and hoping Regent will improve those areas that have slipped. However, DW and I both agree that our last cruise on Crystal was superior in many ways to this Regent cruise with the one exception of cabins. We like the Regent cabins more than any other line -- walk in closets, larger, better layout, etc.

[PaulaJK]

The Regent cabins, particularly on Voyager for us, are wonderful. We happily spent a month in one without feeling boxed in. Their appointments [software] are also very nice.

Some people perceive the common denominator on this board to be complaining but I feel that it is a yearning for Regent, who does soo many
things well, to attend to the areas that need 'repairing'.

[turtlemichael]

The Regent cabins, particularly on Voyager for us, are wonderful. We happily spent a month in one without feeling boxed in. Their appointments [software] are also very nice.

Some people perceive the common denominator on this board to be complaining but I feel that it is a yearning for Regent, who does soo many
things well, to attend to the areas that need 'repairing'.

Whether it is yearning for improvement or complaining I have to say that if I had paid attention to the flow of posts on this and the other boards I would never had done my first cruise. Fortunately, I had booked it before i joined CC! I can say that none of my dozen cruises on Celebrity, Seabourn, Silversea and Regent have been perfect. But I have also had a terrific time on each and every cruise, and been enthused enough to rebook. There have been niggles and annoyances each time but that is how life is, whatever I am paying.

While I am sure that the things that the OP described have happened the same and different things happen on other cruise lines. My approach is to go with the flow and when I find the truly awful cruise I'll know it is time to change to a land vacation. I am just grateful to be able to cruise at all.(Rant over :D)

[Mjflowers]

Your view is very simplistic. These are our 9th and 10th cruises with Regent, but the first that we have had any issues with. So we are not cruising with them despite problems -- this is the first time we have had any. We are reporting these issues to see if this is an isolated incident or whether others have experienced a decline in Regent. If a permanent decline, we will definitely not be sailing with them again. We will also be reporting these issues to Regent in the hopes they are interested in improving. After all, isn't that what the cruise line comment cards and the cruise line threads are for? Or would you prefer a Pollyanna World where everything is just peachy keeen and no one trys to make anything better?

Don't recall singling any one out in particular. I'll take my "pollyanna world". Don't take it so personal. Your in titled to you opinion, as am I.

[Observer]

Three cheers to baychilla !!!! You pushed all our buttons with your first post. The quality of the entire experience has eroded since Mr. del Rio's organization began firing those who knew how to run a 5 star cruise line. Our judgements are , we feel , fairly accurate since we have been with the line for such a long time. We have over 1000 nights . It's such a shame to see such a wonderful product stripped of what so many worked so hard to create. The new people DO want those of us who know how it used to be to go elsewhere . You are right . They DO want those who don't know to be their new guests. We have actually been told this by a person in authority , although they will all deny it , and I understand why. Enough said --- we're doing as they wish and going elsewhere quite soon.

It has long seemed to me that Regent is aiming at new cruisers and dissing people like the OP who are veterans. If one has cruised 1000 nights like the OP, one has presumably seen most of the traveled ports of the world and is quite capable of booking a pre-cruise hotel, etc. The included excursions with no opt-out/refund option must be a turn-off to experienced cruisers. Is this Regent's way of saying, "We don't want you onboard."?

[count florida]

When a venture capital firm takes over, you should expect just what has happened at RSSC - money is invested in things that can be seen or readily measured, everything else cut to the minimum necessary to get by, prices are raised to strengthen the bottom line, and the operation is put up for sale. Everything but that last part is what has happened to date, the question is, when will Apollo and Co. sell out and let someone who wants to run a top-notch cruise line take over, IF (big IF) that ever happens. They could sell out to a vulture capital firm that will strip out its assets, load it with debt, and leave us loyal customers without a good alternative.

Let's recall Mr. Del Rio's significant past: he ran Renaissance Cruises, which built the R-ships, probably a good move, except perhaps he went too far and built eight (yes, 8!) of them. When that proved to be something of a stretch, he tried to save a little money by bypassing travel agents to sell directly to cruisers, leaving Renaissance in an untenable position or condition when 9/11 happened, which is how Oceania, Azamara and Princess’ small ship cruising wound up with their vessels. The team which ran Radisson-Regent in its heyday (but notably not including President Mark Conroy, who personally led the company from its infancy in the 1990s to the peak of its popularity back in the middle of the last decade) have moved, almost en mass, to Silversea, which was reported to be on its death-bed (financially) before they were hired there.

As long as Conroy is around and has some clout, I expect things will continue to be okay to good, but even he won't be able to retain let alone re-build the near-fanatical following Radisson enjoyed in the "Good Old Days" so many posters here and elsewhere chronically hanker for. We’ve tried the other luxury lines, compared them to Regent as objectively as we can, and concluded that FOR US, near 300-night Platinum members of the Seven Seas Society who enjoy all those really nice benefits, Regent is still marginally the best choice, particularly when we are careful which cruises we book and whom we book them through. We’re sailing on two long, interesting, and well-priced Regent B2B cruises this year, but have yet to find anything of real interest in 2013.

[Balloon Man]

We take our first Regent cruise at the end of March on Voyager and after reading this forum I'm not certain whether I should remain excited or start to worry. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Previous cruise lines include Paul Gauguin (when Raddison), Celebrity, RCL, Princess, Seabourn and Azamara. None have been perfect in every way, but our best all round experience by far to date was on Azamara Journey.

[Travelcat2]

Just curious if anyone feels that their favorite luxury cruise line is as good as it was 10 years ago:confused:

[Stevanb]

"Let's recall Mr. Del Rio's significant past: he ran Renaissance Cruises, which built the R-ships, probably a good move, except perhaps he went too far and built eight (yes, 8!) of them."

Could it be he is going to far again building larger ships than the R's

Guest Capacity 684 Insignia

Guest Capacity 1250 Marina

Taking away travel agents from selling did not help either

[RachelG]

Just curious if anyone feels that their favorite luxury cruise line is as good as it was 10 years ago:confused:

Well said. We tend to view the past through rose colored glasses, forgetting bad or mediocre stuff.

[rarin2go]

We take our first Regent cruise at the end of March on Voyager and after reading this forum I'm not certain whether I should remain excited or start to worry. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


We had much the same experience last year. We originally booked Silversea but cancelled when we learnt about their smoking policy. Were then delighted to find the Regent alternative and booked after reading many positive reviews and posts. Then we started to read some negative comments and began to doubt our choice somewhat but, unwilling to risk another deposit, we went ahead - and were very pleased we did!
Of course, the cruise wasn't perfect - what is? - but it was excellent, we felt.
And of course we had no yardstick, such as those halcyon days when Radisson owned Regent, to compare it with;).

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've been reading Cruise Critic for something like ten years, or for as long as it's been around, and I certainly remember the old Radisson group here complaining about things.

[Hambagahle]

Room service and CR kitchen (galley?) was one and the same when I took a Cordon Bleu course in 2005... so this is hardly new.

If the OP had two different suites for one cruise after another this leads me to think that the cruises were indeed not "linked" in the Regent computer (and I can understand why...) and so the problems he or she has had resulting from this are understandable.

For the rest - wine is subjective. You can have a very inexpensive bottle of plonk (which by the way, is Cockney rhyming slang) which tastes very good. AND you can pay the earth for a bottle that is corked or over the hill and not worth it. I like having local wine as far as possible... and Regent has been quite good at this, I think. Champagne is something else. Either it IS or it is NOT. And it seems from reading other threads that more and more with Regent it IS!!

After having read all the points raised by the OP I think there is some merit in some. Not in others. We all have our opinions! But I would really expect that if Ihad put a "Do not disturb" sign on my door that I would not be disturbed... end of story!

[wristband]

I'll bounce in and concur with the thoughtful and detailed concerns above. Having taken three Mariner cruises in the past two years, and just returned from our fourth on the transatlantic in November, overall quality and service levels have most definitely slipped.

Perhaps this is due to Apollo bean counters slashing staffing - which was painfully unacceptable to this passenger twiddling thumbs in Compass Rose and Veranda - to scutting back the "quality" of house wines (2 buck Chuck was better in many cases) to food servings that simply did not measure up to past experiences, let alone a self-claimed 5 star line.

Based on the number of complaints voiced loudly by other passengers - who have taken far more Regent cruises then I (several notched well over 100!), the transatlantic cruise fell short in so many ways that were glaringly obvious and a constant source of complaint.
A number of long time passengers said this would be their last cruise with Regent for some time and they were switching to Seabourn, Crystal etc. Sad comment when your long time loyal customers feel you have let them down repeatedly.

I love Mariner but the reduction in staffing and declining quality is bone headed. Witness this thread where so many loyal passengers are voicing displeasure with the downward drift that serves to erode Regent's once-fine reputation.

Personally, I have booked out next two cruises on Oceania (same ownership). Several Oceania senior managers - Carlos and Roberto - were brought on board Mariner at the last minute in hopes of straightening out the obvious service problems. I hope both succeed.

[cruiseej]

It has long seemed to me that Regent is aiming at new cruisers and dissing people like the OP who are veterans. If one has cruised 1000 nights like the OP, one has presumably seen most of the traveled ports of the world and is quite capable of booking a pre-cruise hotel, etc. The included excursions with no opt-out/refund option must be a turn-off to experienced cruisers. Is this Regent's way of saying, "We don't want you onboard."?

Since most business people agree that it is far easier to retain an existing customer than acquire a new one, this would be a dubious business strategy. I don't see the policy changes at Regent over the years as being aimed at pushing aside past customers. All-inclusive drinks was a change that the majority (although certainly not all) Radisson/Regent customers applauded. The more-recent inclusion of tours, air and a hotel was, I believe, Regent's attempt to distinguish itself from its competitors in the luxury cruising market -- and if that helps them attract new customers, I don't see how they are "dissing" past customers.

The fact that one has 1,000 nights on Regent certainly does signify a veteran world traveler. It does not mean, however, that everyone want to book their own hotels (or air, or tours, or transfers). Some do. Probably more veteran travelers than not. But some, particularly less-experienced travelers or some elderly passengers, prefer the simplicity and luxury of having everything handled by Regent. For those who want to book their own, it's the simplest thing in the world to opt out of the pre-cruise hotel and/or air.

As long as Conroy is around and has some clout, I expect things will continue to be okay to good, but even he won't be able to retain let alone re-build the near-fanatical following Radisson enjoyed in the "Good Old Days" so many posters here and elsewhere chronically hanker for.

I think part of what built the loyal following in the "good old days" was that Radisson cost less than the other luxury cruise lines, yet offered a luxury experience. Nowawadays, with inflation, higher costs, more included features, Regent is not the bargain it once was. Regent has no doubt cut some corners to trim costs, but I suspect it would be difficult to elevate the Regent experience to the higher levels of food and service some people ding them for without pricing themselves out of the market.

Just curious if anyone feels that their favorite luxury cruise line is as good as it was 10 years ago:confused:

Jackie, I can't really compare. My first Regent cruise, not much more than 10 years ago, was on the Paul Gauguin. I know you've said you don't consider that ship at the same luxury level as Mariner and Voyager, but I agree with Wendy that for my first cruise, the overall experience -- the islands, tropical breezes, turquoise waters, the motu!, and excellent food and service -- was magical. My next two cruises were on the Diamond, which was delightfully small -- as captain Neil Broomhall jokingly-termed it, a large private yacht. Riding your tender back from an excursion through the hull of the ship (the Diamond was a catamaran design) was in incomparable experience.

I've subsequently been on Voyager and Mariner, and have enjoyed every cruise. There are some things I like more today -- like the all-inclusive beverages. There are some things I don't think are as good as they once were, like service in the dining rooms. Food, maybe a small notch down, but not enough that I can be sure. Included wines at dinner is probably the one thing that I can pinpoint as having dropped in quality -- yet I still managed to find something I liked (although I had to ask for an alternative more than I used to) every night on our cruise last month. But I'm finding it hard to say definitively that I find Regent less of a good experience than I did years ago.

-- Eric

[Travelcat2]

Jackie, I can't really compare. My first Regent cruise, not much more than 10 years ago, was on the Paul Gauguin. I know you've said you don't consider that ship at the same luxury level as Mariner and Voyager, but I agree with Wendy that for my first cruise, the overall experience -- the islands, tropical breezes, turquoise waters, the motu!, and excellent food and service -- was magical. My next two cruises were on the Diamond, which was delightfully small -- as captain Neil Broomhall jokingly-termed it, a large private yacht. Riding your tender back from an excursion through the hull of the ship (the Diamond was a catamaran design) was in incomparable experience.


-- Eric

The Paul Gauguin was our best cruise ever! That is why I don't think you can compare any of the Regent ships to the PG. The whole experience is incredible . . . the ship.....the water.......the people.......the atmosphere. We have not returned to the Paul Gauguin because we want the perfect memory we have to always be there. While it is probably not as luxurious as some ships, it will always be perfect in my eyes.

Really wish we had the opportunity to sail on the Diamond. We did get see some pictures online last year when she was for sale. The dining room was breathtaking!

[hondorner]

...Let's recall Mr. Del Rio's significant past: he ran Renaissance Cruises, which built the R-ships, probably a good move, except perhaps he went too far and built eight (yes, 8!) of them. When that proved to be something of a stretch, he tried to save a little money by bypassing travel agents to sell directly to cruisers, leaving Renaissance in an untenable position or condition when 9/11 happened, which is how Oceania, Azamara and Princess’ small ship cruising wound up with their vessels.
This is absolutely incorrrect.

Mr. Del Rio was NOT responsible for trying to "save a little money by bypassing travel agents to sell directly to cruisers". That was the policy of the owner of Renaissance. Mr. Del Rio was originally hired by Ren in his capacity as a CPA and was promoted to the position of Co-CEO for the express purpose of ending that policy and restoring relationships with Travel Agents. He was largely considered to be the reason why the cruise line almost turned the corner, and was successful enough that the cruise line was able to be sold to new owners in April, 2001. The new owers replaced Mr. Del Rio and the other Co-CEO, and under the new management, were not successful enough to weather the negative impact of the 9/11 tragedy on the travel industry.

He was also NOT responsible for the construction of 8 new ships be Ren -- again, that was the owner of the cruise line.

Please do not repeat these types of speculation unless you are certain of your facts.

The birth of Oceania came about because the French government, the holder of the mortgages issued to build the R ships, thought enough of Mr. Del Rio's ability and expertise at Renaissance to invite him to charter one or more of the R ships. He gathered some financial support from fellow Miamians and from Joe Watters, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Crystal Cruises, and former President of Royal Viking and Princess, who became Chairman of Oceania until 2007. Together, they put together $14 Million, a meager fund with which to start a cruise line. They began sailing in 2003 and in just 4 short years they were successul enough to be courted by Royal Caribbean and sold to Apollo for almost $1 Billion, even after retaining 30% of the company for the original founders. That's a success story unparalled in the cruise industry, and it's all largely due to the genius of Frank Del Rio.

Apollo then purchased RSSC when the Carlson familly no longer wanted it, and frankly, in my opinion, the "Old Guard" orf Regent is fortunate they did so. Someone was going to buy the cruise line, and I can think of a lot worse candidates. Apollo was wise enough to keep a "hands off" policy and turn management over to Prestige Cruise Holdings, with Mr. Del Rio and his closest associates at the helm, a division of Apolllo specifically created for that purpose, unlike most of it's other investments. Their faith in Mr. Del Rio has been justified by the simple fact that Regent is operating on a more secure basis than ever.

Now, I'm going to indulge in a little speculation of my own. It's well known that Regent's ships were being run almost as a hobby of the Carlson family, that they were sailing far less than full and with full staff, which is why the early guests felt so pampered. If it's true that many Regent staff left after the takeover, my guess it's largely because those staff knew that the line was going to be operated in a much more shipshape manner, and they didn't want to toe the line. I've heard that many went to SilverSea, but I've also heard that almost as many ex-SilverSea staff are now working for RSSC, along with Crystal and Seabourne staff. Presumably, these new staff members have a greater appreciation for the current operations at Regent than many of the Old Guard.

I've only sailed Regent twice, for a total of 17 days. I can hardley compare the "old" Regent with the "new" one, nor do I try. Like the vast majority of Oceania guests, however, I fell in love with that cruise line in 2006 and have sailed it as often as I could. The only reason I was willing to try Regent was because it is now managed by the founder of Oceania, who has dedicated himself to bringing the ships themselves, the dining experience and the staff procedures up to the level of Oceania.

In my opnion, the total experience aboard Oceania, except for the all-inclusiveness, surpasses Regent, but Regent is catching up. The experience is so great that it's inconceivable to me what it nust have been like when there were almost as few passengers as staff...I will say that most of the reports that I've been reading come under the heading of, "If you imagine things will go wrong ahead of time, they most likely will."

[cruiseej]

The Paul Gauguin was our best cruise ever! That is why I don't think you can compare any of the Regent ships to the PG. The whole experience is incredible . . . the ship.....the water.......the people.......the atmosphere. We have not returned to the Paul Gauguin because we want the perfect memory we have to always be there. While it is probably not as luxurious as some ships, it will always be perfect in my eyes.

My apologies for misconstruing your reason for saying (in other threads) that the PG doesn't compare to the luxury of the other Regent ships!

For what it's worth, we returned to the PG six years after our first cruise. (We used out 20th anniversary as the excuse, but who needs an excuse?) Perhaps it wasn't as magical as the first time in some ways, simply because it wasn't the first time, but it was every bit as special. Any possibly better! We did a different itinerary, so it wasn't a complete repeat. We lucked into a jazz group on our cruise, and they performed nightly in the aft La Palette lounge. When it's the coldest, darkest part of winter, as it is now, and I want to go to a "happy place" in my mind, it's sitting out on the aft deck of the PG on this second cruise, watching the sun set over the South Pacific, cocktail in hand, with the sound of dixieland jazz wafting out of the lounge. Nothing better! I know we won't be able to recapture that stroke of serendipity again -- but I'm betting we will go back to cruise on the PG again! Magic can strike more than once, right? ;)

Really wish we had the opportunity to sail on the Diamond. We did get see some pictures online last year when she was for sale. The dining room was breathtaking!

The Diamond was lovely -- but probably one of the reasons Radisson wasn't doing as well financially! It only held about 350 passengers, and it couldn't cruise as fast as most ships, while burning more fuel, so it was probably tough for it to make money. Talking with captain Broomhall -- it was easy to see him and have a conversation with him -- he accurately foretold that the ship probably wouldn't keep traveling the world as it had been, and that "they won't build one this size ever again." Broomhall was one of the reasons we fell in love with cruising on the Diamond; he was accessible like no captain I've seen since, and had a great sense of humor. The upper deck of the Diamond went right up to the bridge wings, and I often stood just a few feet away as he brought the ship into or out of ports -- usually with some amusing, snarky or self-deprecating comments directed quietly to the few of us who were observing.

By dumb luck, we ended up on the final cruise of the Diamond when it was sold in 2005. My second favorite Regent moment occurred on that cruise, when the head chef decided it was time to empty to the freezer of lobster tails on one of the last afternoons for a blow-out lunch; they set up a grill on the pool deck and grilled lobster tails by the hundreds. They gave them out two at a time, and then came around and encouraged us to go back for more. I don't think I ate a single side dish; I focused on the perfectly-done butter-drenched grilled lobster tails, and I have no idea how many I had, but I'm guessing it was four! Another serendipitous moment never to be repeated! But I'll be happy to continue cruising, as the bank account allows, waiting for the next special moment to occur, and the next...

-- Eric

P.S. Sorry to digress from the original topic of this thread; we're supposed to be griping, I believe, but TravelCat's question got me reminiscing, and the happy memories came flooding back... ;)

[Travelcat2]

You hit on a point that I have repeated a lot recently. Radisson/Regent under the former owners were not running full and had full staff. Now that they are have full ships most of the time, so it appears that additional staff is needed -- on a few nights only -- in Compass Rose. From what I have heard, there is no space for additional staff.

Also agree with Regent employees going to Silversea -- we have seen them there. Also a lot of Silversea crew on Regent ships. There does not necessarily have to be something wrong for crew to change cruise lines. Many times they want to be with friends or family on other ships or want to try new itineraries.

The reason for this post is to ask a question that I have posed previously and would really like an answer (if possible:-) Regent is advertised as a luxury cruise line which, by definition, is a higher level than premium or ultra premium. As such, it is astounding to me that many people find the food better on Oceania. While I am not in the restaurant business, I am friends with owners of several local restaurants and am aware that you can use the same suppliers and order different qualities of product. It sounds as if Oceania is receiving a higher quality of food than Regent. Any comments?

[azgkrudi]

We are currently on b-to-b cruises on the SS Voyager, our 9th and 10th Regent Cruises (and 56 and 57th cruises overall), but 4 years since our last Regent cruise in 2008 (a sailing on the Paul Gauguin with Mark Conroy). We are finding that Regent standards have slipped in almost every category, including quality of administration, food, service and excursions compared to previous voyages, and compared to our most recent luxury line cruises with Seabourn and Crystal. We have met many people on our cruise that feel the same way, several of whom are giving lousy ratings in their comment cards and said they will be writing Frank Del Rio and/or Mark Conroy with their comments. Up until now, Regent has been our favourite cruise line; but not anymore. Has anyone else had a similar experience since the change in Regent ownership?

Yes. We've had several issues with Regent (cancelled cruises, changes in itinerary, pod malfunctions). It's like we book a sailing and it's almost a joke, "what's going to go wrong next?" We call it "Regent Roulette".

Our first sailing was with Silversea, as well as subsequent sailings, and nothing remotely went wrong there. Always got what was promised and then some. Makes you wonder - were we just a case of continuous bad luck with Regent, or do they really have a serious problem? :(

[Cattravel10]

Awww the Diamond! I know a bit off topic again but I remember boarding her for the first time and having food stations around the pool deck similar to a luxurious Sunday brunch. Outstanding! It only went uphill from there. Oh the memories. And love that kayaking under the hull. Still love Regent but agree, not the same.

[juli2020]

The Paul Gauguin was our best cruise ever! That is why I don't think you can compare any of the Regent ships to the PG. The whole experience is incredible . . . the ship.....the water.......the people.......the atmosphere. We have not returned to the Paul Gauguin because we want the perfect memory we have to always be there. While it is probably not as luxurious as some ships, it will always be perfect in my eyes.

Really wish we had the opportunity to sail on the Diamond. We did get see some pictures online last year when she was for sale. The dining room was breathtaking!

I thought you might find this interesting regarding the Paul Gauguin:
Paul Gauguin Cruises, operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, is pleased to announce the largest renovation in the ship’s 14-year history. Scheduled for completion in January 2012, the $7 million renovation will include extensive enhancements to both interior and exterior of the ship.

The renovations will take place in January during the ship’s 10-night crossing from Tahiti to Brisbane and during an 11-night dry dock in Brisbane. When joining the South Pacific Discovery sailing departing 29th January 2012, guests will be onboard a vessel that has been thoroughly updated and redecorated for even greater comfort.

Following the renovations, all suites and staterooms will feature new carpeting, refinished furniture with new fabrics, new teak railings on the balconies, decorative side panels around the windows and new bathroom flooring.

Renovations throughout the ship will include new flooring and replaced carpeting, elegant new furniture, new window treatments and decorative wall panels and new signage, providing a lighter, brighter feel.

The m/s Paul Gauguin’s previous renovation, totalling $6 million, was completed in January 2009. The upcoming refurbishments show Paul Gauguin Cruises level of commitment to the vessel and the importance of the overall product and guest experience.

[hondorner]

...The reason for this post is to ask a question that I have posed previously and would really like an answer (if possible:-) Regent is advertised as a luxury cruise line which, by definition, is a higher level than premium or ultra premium. As such, it is astounding to me that many people find the food better on Oceania. While I am not in the restaurant business, I am friends with owners of several local restaurants and am aware that you can use the same suppliers and order different qualities of product. It sounds as if Oceania is receiving a higher quality of food than Regent. Any comments?
My own comparison is that as far as similar items are concerned, the quality of ingredients on both cruise lines is the same (and very good), but the creativity, imagination in menu variety, and preparation are a bit higher on Oceania than on Regent. Please keep in mind that this would be like 92 versus 96 on a realtivity scale -- hardly discernible, but still there.

Perhaps this is one of the things that brings up comparisons between "old" and "new" Regent. In my two cruises, I don't recall ever seeing a chef, let alone meeting one. That may have been different in the past, as so many of the more experienced Regent cruisers seem to remember kitchen personnel.

On Oceania, there is almost a "cult" of chefs. Starting with everyone's favorite, Jacques Pepin, who frequently sails with O and is always an approachable and delightful passenger, through executive Franck Garanger, whose bubbling personality livens up any voyage he's on, to Chef Kathryn Kelly, the executive chef of the new culinary at sea features on Marina and Riviera (and who is universally loved by all who have taken her classes), chefs are front and center on Oceania. If you're really interested, see if you can find a copy of Taste the World, an absolutely extraordinary (and beautiful) book about food, cooking and dining on Oceania (available through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Taste-World-Flavors-Oceania-Cruises/dp/B005MIR35K/ref=sr_1_21?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316196323&sr=1-21)).

And, in 2012 and 2013, there will be a series of cruises which are centered around food, called Cruising with the Chefs (http://www.cruisingwiththechefs.com/).

All in all, it boils down (pun intended) to the fact that Food is a Big Deal on Oceania. The single word that Frank Del Rio uses to decribe Oceania is "Taste".

[Travelcat2]

Thank you so much for that post. It certainly makes sailing the Paul Gauguin tempting!:D

[commodoredave]

My own comparison is that as far as similar items are concerned, the quality of ingredients on both cruise lines is the same (and very good), but the creativity, imagination in menu variety, and preparation are a bit higher on Oceania than on Regent. Please keep in mind that this would be like 92 versus 96 on a realtivity scale -- hardly discernible, but still there.

Perhaps this is one of the things that brings up comparisons between "old" and "new" Regent. In my two cruises, I don't recall ever seeing a chef, let alone meeting one. That may have been different in the past, as so many of the more experienced Regent cruisers seem to remember kitchen personnel.

On Oceania, there is almost a "cult" of chefs. Starting with everyone's favorite, Jacques Pepin, who frequently sails with O and is always an approachable and delightful passenger, through executive Franck Garanger, whose bubbling personality livens up any voyage he's on, to Chef Kathryn Kelly, the executive chef of the new culinary at sea features on Marina and Riviera (and who is universally loved by all who have taken her classes), chefs are front and center on Oceania. If you're really interested, see if you can find a copy of Taste the World, an absolutely extraordinary (and beautiful) book about food, cooking and dining on Oceania (available through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Taste-World-Flavors-Oceania-Cruises/dp/B005MIR35K/ref=sr_1_21?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316196323&sr=1-21)).

And, in 2012 and 2013, there will be a series of cruises which are centered around food, called Cruising with the Chefs (http://www.cruisingwiththechefs.com/).

All in all, it boils down (pun intended) to the fact that Food is a Big Deal on Oceania. The single word that Frank Del Rio uses to decribe Oceania is "Taste".

As a Regent Gold member, I hate to admit it, but it sounds like we should be sailing with Oceania. We love food, and it sounds like Oceania is focused on what we want, where Regent is not. Maybe Frank Del Rio knows more about luxury cruising that Mark Conroy does.

[commodoredave]

Yes. We've had several issues with Regent (cancelled cruises, changes in itinerary, pod malfunctions). It's like we book a sailing and it's almost a joke, "what's going to go wrong next?" We call it "Regent Roulette".

Our first sailing was with Silversea, as well as subsequent sailings, and nothing remotely went wrong there. Always got what was promised and then some. Makes you wonder - were we just a case of continuous bad luck with Regent, or do they really have a serious problem? :(

Thanks for your comments. I agree with your observation that it is a bit of Regent Roulette. Even the staff have been complaining to us on this voyage that too much goes wrong, and that the mangement is much weaker than it used to be. Can it be improved? Only if Mark Conroy and Frank Del Rio want it to. I hope it does; but if not, we will be cruisng with another luxury line. At $1,000 per day for a cabin, I think we have a right to expect the best, and not second best.

[commodoredave]

You hit on a point that I have repeated a lot recently. Radisson/Regent under the former owners were not running full and had full staff. Now that they are have full ships most of the time, so it appears that additional staff is needed -- on a few nights only -- in Compass Rose. From what I have heard, there is no space for additional staff.

Also agree with Regent employees going to Silversea -- we have seen them there. Also a lot of Silversea crew on Regent ships. There does not necessarily have to be something wrong for crew to change cruise lines. Many times they want to be with friends or family on other ships or want to try new itineraries.

The reason for this post is to ask a question that I have posed previously and would really like an answer (if possible:-) Regent is advertised as a luxury cruise line which, by definition, is a higher level than premium or ultra premium. As such, it is astounding to me that many people find the food better on Oceania. While I am not in the restaurant business, I am friends with owners of several local restaurants and am aware that you can use the same suppliers and order different qualities of product. It sounds as if Oceania is receiving a higher quality of food than Regent. Any comments?
We had a day at sea today, so I had a long chat with a waiter while we both alone at the bar. He said the staff were happy that this cruise was not full (only 550), as opposed to our first leg when the ship was full (700). He said staff like to give great service, but can't when the ship is full as they are too busy. I said I agreed with him as we were now experiencing much better service everywhere on the ship on this leg as opposed to our first. So you are likely right than lower occupancy in the past contributed to Regent's quality levels.

[commodoredave]

This is absolutely incorrrect.

Mr. Del Rio was NOT responsible for trying to "save a little money by bypassing travel agents to sell directly to cruisers". That was the policy of the owner of Renaissance. Mr. Del Rio was originally hired by Ren in his capacity as a CPA and was promoted to the position of Co-CEO for the express purpose of ending that policy and restoring relationships with Travel Agents. He was largely considered to be the reason why the cruise line almost turned the corner, and was successful enough that the cruise line was able to be sold to new owners in April, 2001. The new owers replaced Mr. Del Rio and the other Co-CEO, and under the new management, were not successful enough to weather the negative impact of the 9/11 tragedy on the travel industry.

He was also NOT responsible for the construction of 8 new ships be Ren -- again, that was the owner of the cruise line.

Please do not repeat these types of speculation unless you are certain of your facts.

The birth of Oceania came about because the French government, the holder of the mortgages issued to build the R ships, thought enough of Mr. Del Rio's ability and expertise at Renaissance to invite him to charter one or more of the R ships. He gathered some financial support from fellow Miamians and from Joe Watters, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Crystal Cruises, and former President of Royal Viking and Princess, who became Chairman of Oceania until 2007. Together, they put together $14 Million, a meager fund with which to start a cruise line. They began sailing in 2003 and in just 4 short years they were successul enough to be courted by Royal Caribbean and sold to Apollo for almost $1 Billion, even after retaining 30% of the company for the original founders. That's a success story unparalled in the cruise industry, and it's all largely due to the genius of Frank Del Rio.

Apollo then purchased RSSC when the Carlson familly no longer wanted it, and frankly, in my opinion, the "Old Guard" orf Regent is fortunate they did so. Someone was going to buy the cruise line, and I can think of a lot worse candidates. Apollo was wise enough to keep a "hands off" policy and turn management over to Prestige Cruise Holdings, with Mr. Del Rio and his closest associates at the helm, a division of Apolllo specifically created for that purpose, unlike most of it's other investments. Their faith in Mr. Del Rio has been justified by the simple fact that Regent is operating on a more secure basis than ever.

Now, I'm going to indulge in a little speculation of my own. It's well known that Regent's ships were being run almost as a hobby of the Carlson family, that they were sailing far less than full and with full staff, which is why the early guests felt so pampered. If it's true that many Regent staff left after the takeover, my guess it's largely because those staff knew that the line was going to be operated in a much more shipshape manner, and they didn't want to toe the line. I've heard that many went to SilverSea, but I've also heard that almost as many ex-SilverSea staff are now working for RSSC, along with Crystal and Seabourne staff. Presumably, these new staff members have a greater appreciation for the current operations at Regent than many of the Old Guard.

I've only sailed Regent twice, for a total of 17 days. I can hardley compare the "old" Regent with the "new" one, nor do I try. Like the vast majority of Oceania guests, however, I fell in love with that cruise line in 2006 and have sailed it as often as I could. The only reason I was willing to try Regent was because it is now managed by the founder of Oceania, who has dedicated himself to bringing the ships themselves, the dining experience and the staff procedures up to the level of Oceania.

In my opnion, the total experience aboard Oceania, except for the all-inclusiveness, surpasses Regent, but Regent is catching up. The experience is so great that it's inconceivable to me what it nust have been like when there were almost as few passengers as staff...I will say that most of the reports that I've been reading come under the heading of, "If you imagine things will go wrong ahead of time, they most likely will."

We've met about 15 people on this cruise who have sailed with Oceania, and all of them said they still prefer that line to Regent, and would not return to Regent as they feel they get better value on Oceania. I admire Oceania for creating such customer loyalty. But what is the value proposition for Regent in light of the high service, quality and value apparently being offered by Oceania?

[commodoredave]

Room service and CR kitchen (galley?) was one and the same when I took a Cordon Bleu course in 2005... so this is hardly new.

If the OP had two different suites for one cruise after another this leads me to think that the cruises were indeed not "linked" in the Regent computer (and I can understand why...) and so the problems he or she has had resulting from this are understandable.

For the rest - wine is subjective. You can have a very inexpensive bottle of plonk (which by the way, is Cockney rhyming slang) which tastes very good. AND you can pay the earth for a bottle that is corked or over the hill and not worth it. I like having local wine as far as possible... and Regent has been quite good at this, I think. Champagne is something else. Either it IS or it is NOT. And it seems from reading other threads that more and more with Regent it IS!!

After having read all the points raised by the OP I think there is some merit in some. Not in others. We all have our opinions! But I would really expect that if Ihad put a "Do not disturb" sign on my door that I would not be disturbed... end of story!

Thanks for your comments. The one issue I have to challenge is Regent having local wines. We are on a b-to-back cruises through Australia and New Zealand, both great wine producing countries. Yet, we do not have a single New Zealand wine on the complimentary wine list, and I do not recall a single Australian wine either. When I asked the somelier about this, he said that wines are ordered by and delivered from their head head office in florida. He also said there is a big emphasis now on Chilean wines. The Chilean wines are reasonably good -- but they are hardly local.

[commodoredave]

The Regent cabins, particularly on Voyager for us, are wonderful. We happily spent a month in one without feeling boxed in. Their appointments [software] are also very nice.

Some people perceive the common denominator on this board to be complaining but I feel that it is a yearning for Regent, who does soo many
things well, to attend to the areas that need 'repairing'.

You are so right!! We are gold members with Regent and have sailed with them more than any other cruise line. We would love to stay with them and help them fix the problems that have developed over the past few years. By the same token, when you pay $1000 per day for a cabin, I think it is fair to have high expectations and to voice concerns when things don't go well.

[hondorner]

We've met about 15 people on this cruise who have sailed with Oceania, and all of them said they still prefer that line to Regent, and would not return to Regent as they feel they get better value on Oceania. I admire Oceania for creating such customer loyalty. But what is the value proposition for Regent in light of the high service, quality and value apparently being offered by Oceania?
If I understand your question, you're asking why people should pay more to sail Regent compared to Oceania?

Fist of all, it is not always less expensive to travel Oceania. To get a comparable suite, one must generally step up to a penthouse on Oceania. While the technical sqaure footage of a veranda cabin on the Marina class, at 242 sq ft, approaches Voyager's 301 sq ft, the feel of the cab in is totally different and the space is not as usable or comfortable. Thje standard veranda on the R class is only 170 sq ft, and no seasoned Regent sailor would feel comfortable in one unless they are used to cramped quarters like I am (with a Class B RV of only 84 sq ft living space).

The penthouse cabins on the Marina class, at 420 sq ft, are technically larger than the basic suites on Navigator and Voyager (301 sq ft), but the feel of the Regent suites is better --- to me, they are just a better design. I've not yet been on Mariner to compare.

So, right off the bat, Oceaniain a penthouse on the Marina class would be the best choice for someone experienced with Regent, and on a typical European cruise, that's going to cost $500 to $600 per day, per guest. Of course, with a penthouse on Oceania one gets a butler, for what that's worth. I will say the butlers are not like the glorified stewards that Azamara called butlers until they abandoned them, but many don't find value in them.

Add to that the things that are ala carte on Oceania -- gratuities (although most travel agents will include them), excursions, adult beverages (sodas and most other non-alcoholic drinks are included, including specialty coffees, and on the Marina class, the Baristas coffee bar is among the best at sea; the coffee is all Illys) and even the lauderettes require tokens. The excursions are, on the surface, the same as Regent (the quality of the excursion depends on what's available in the port), but I can't comment on whether there are more people crammed into an Ocania excursion, because every Regent excursion I've taken used all of the available seating. I'd say they're about the same.

There is not as much popcorn available on an Oceania ship :(.

Oceania does offer the same air option at coach level, but the business class air on Regent is clearly a better deal. They also offer an included night before the cruise in a good hotel, but the credit if you don't use it is less -- $250 per guest. The same is true of the air credit if you don't use it -- much lower on Oceania ($400 per guest on a recent one way flight to Rome as opposed to $600 per guest for the same destination about 4 days apart).

If you imbibe freely, and if you take several excursions, and depending on your air and hotel preferences, the total costs approach, or may even exceed, Regent. Yet, the Owners, Vista and Oceania suites on Oceania ships are the first to go, usually within moments of the opening of the booking period, and those are clearly more expensive than, say, a penthouse on Regent.

What's the bottom line? For some time, on this forum, I've been saying that folks who want to go back to non-included excursions and non-included alcohol on Regent should be traveling Oceania. Same management, same staff in many cases, same target for service, same target for food (in my opinion, exposure to FDR has improved the food on Regent, except perhaps for lah-de-dah items like caviar and foie gras), and perhaps more comfortable beds.

What's the value proposition for Regent? First of all, there is an exclusivity ingredient -- while the amenities are all-inclusive, the perception is that it's intended for an exclusive group. The fact that they allow riff-raff like me aboard belies that perception, but still, it exists. Second, there is an tremendous feeling of freedom aboard Regent, at least for me -- everything was paid for a long time ago, and now that I'm finally aboard, I can relax and enjoy it without concerning myself abour additional cost. Of course, I'm ultra frugal, so that's important to me. Third, there is great resistance among many who sail Regent to have to sign a chit for things like a drink. While the process is discreet on Oceania, and everyone has to do it, it's still there. Fourth, there is a social freeedom in not having to be aware, and not having to feel obligated to respond in kind, in a social drinking situation. When it's the same price for everyone (free), there's no awwardness. Again, that may only be important to relative paupers like me.

I like those feelings of freedom and the perception of luxury (and the popcorn), and I'll sail Regent as often as I can afford it -- which is generally when it costs the same or a little less than the total bottom line on Oceania. But, I also feel more comfortable on Oceania, perhaps because the perception is that it's not as elegant, and have made many more long-time friends.

[Travelcat2]

Don: That was a great comparison of Regent and Oceania. It helped remind me why we stay with all-inclusive luxury ships. It does not make sense for us to pay more to sail on a ship where we sign for everything. I agree that Frank Del Rio has a lot to do with not only the beauty of the ships (particularly the Marina), but food as well. It would be nice if the effort that is put into food on Oceania was also put forth on Regent. Losing Regent customers to Oceania is not as big of a deal as losing Regent customers to Silversea or Seabourn. Regent's food needs to be equal to above it's competition.

commodoredave: Enjoying your comments but am wondering what it means that management is weaker than it used to be??? I just don't see it. In what ways are they weaker?

azgkrudi: The odds of what has happened to your cruises happening to other passengers is so low that it is almost impossible. You really had bad luck. Actually, the Voyager had bad luck as well. After the extensive work that was done on the pods last year, it should keep running smoothly for a long time (fingers crossed).

eric: Thank you so much for the description of sailing on the Diamond. How nice that you were able to have that experience (especially the lobsters:-) Do you know where Captain Broomhall?

[ChatKat in Ca.]

[quote=hondorner;32180104
Now, I'm going to indulge in a little speculation of my own. It's well known that Regent's ships were being run almost as a hobby of the Carlson family, that they were sailing far less than full and with full staff, which is why the early guests felt so pampered.

I've only sailed Regent twice, for a total of 17 days. I can hardley compare the "old" Regent with the "new" one, nor do I try
"[/quote]

Don - Actually using your own words - you speculate all the time. You constantly compare without basis really. Oceania is a nice product. I like it but as we know food is subjective. The food is not the same on Oceania as it is on the old Radisson/Regent; It is definitely gone down in quality from the Radisson days.

You were never on Radisson in it's earlier days. You prefer Oceania - we hear it time after time. Regent under PCH is a different animal than the original Radisson. Those of us who cruised on Radisson in it's infancy experienced real luxury - great wines, exceptional consistent high quality food and service without a blip. In comparison to the Radisson Hotel Chain, it was not a huge operation but it was not a hobby for the Carlson Family. But it was a well run from a passenger perspective.

I was recently on Regent in a great suite. The cruise was perfect but there were many things that are now run like Oceania. No way is it 6 star. There are many people if you compare with say Princess that will find it more upscale - than Princess. But to compare it to true luxury - you'd have to see it from the place of having been a Radisson customer. You just can't do that. You've not sailed in that capacity. If you see it from that perspective you would see it is not as luxurious as it formerly was.

[hondorner]

Don - Actually using your own words - you speculate all the time. You constantly compare without basis really. Oceania is a nice product. I like it but as we know food is subjective. The food is not the same on Oceania as it is on the old Radisson/Regent; It is definitely gone down in quality from the Radisson days.

You were never on Radisson in it's earlier days. You prefer Oceania - we hear it time after time. Regent under PCH is a different animal than the original Radisson. Those of us who cruised on Radisson in it's infancy experienced real luxury - great wines, exceptional consistent high quality food and service without a blip. In comparison to the Radisson Hotel Chain, it was not a huge operation but it was not a hobby for the Carlson Family. But it was a well run from a passenger perspective.

I was recently on Regent in a great suite. The cruise was perfect but there were many things that are now run like Oceania. No way is it 6 star. There are many people if you compare with say Princess that will find it more upscale - than Princess. But to compare it to true luxury - you'd have to see it from the place of having been a Radisson customer. You just can't do that. You've not sailed in that capacity. If you see it from that perspective you would see it is not as luxurious as it formerly was.

You are absolutely correct about me not having experienced the "old days", and I disclaim that all the time. But, the old days are gone. The Carlsons sold the cruise line. Someone was going to buy it. There's always the possibility that some other wealthy family that could stand to lose money might have purchased it and continued the old ways, but probably not for long -- the ships needed too much investment, paricularly Navigator.

There was also the very real possibility that some mass market cruise line might have purchased it and "Carnivalized" it. We all hear reports of how much better Princess, HAL, P & O and others were before they were sold. That could have happened to Regent.

So, instead of dwelling on the past, which was gone, never to return, once the cruise line was put up for sale, I choose to focus on whether Regent is better in 2012 than it was in 2008, and according to many reports, it is. It does no good, and creates a lot of worried folks among newcomers, to constantly harp on how the old days were so much better. Maybe they were -- it's irrelevant.

While I may prefer Oceania to Regent, nowhere do I say that I don't like the Regent product. I may sometimes bristle a little at some of the cattiness that I see on this board, but I like the cruise line very much and will continue to sail it whenver I save up enough of the necessary.

Also, almost all of my comparisons between Regent and Oceania are done in answer to questions posed by others. I do not gratuitiusly come on the board to tout other cruise lines. And, while my basis may not include the old Radisson days, I have sailed on Oceania more than most folks who have also sailed on Regent, I know quite a bit about the operation of both cruise lines, and I would hope that my experience is recognized as basis enough...

[cruiseej]

Losing Regent customers to Oceania is not as big of a deal as losing Regent customers to Silversea or Seabourn. Regent's food needs to be equal to above it's competition.

I don't know how the books of the separate companies under PCH are done -- whether they care about the individual bottom lines of Regent and Oceania or the combined bottom line more -- but I've wondered whether they might benefit from actually promoting customers crossing between the two lines, at least to sample them.

One of the things which inhibits that for loyal Regent or Oceania customers is the separate loyalty programs. Regent Seven Seas Society members don't want to give up their free Internet and other benefits; Oceania Club members don't want to give up their shipboard credits and other benefits. The programs are structured very differently, but they could certainly come up with some sort of exchange program to allow Regent customers to sail on Oceania and visa versa without giving up as much as they'd have to currently -- and perhaps they'd get more total business instead of having customers wander out of the PCH fold to sample other cruise lines.

azgkrudi: The odds of what has happened to your cruises happening to other passengers is so low that it is almost impossible. You really had bad luck. Actually, the Voyager had bad luck as well. After the extensive work that was done on the pods last year, it should keep running smoothly for a long time (fingers crossed).

Unless it hits another fishing net, or underwater debris or... ;)

eric: Thank you so much for the description of sailing on the Diamond. How nice that you were able to have that experience (especially the lobsters:-) Do you know where Captain Broomhall?

When the Diamond was sold, it was disappointing to many Radisson/Regent customers that the company apparently didn't make a strong effort to keep him; of course, they had captains for their other three ships, but Broomhall was incredibly popular among those who had sailed with him.
http://www.el-image.co.uk/cruises/saga/Captain_NeilBroomhall.jpg
He left Regent to work for European line Saga. He said it was good because he'd be based closer to his home in the UK, and he had one or two young children. But he clearly had regrets about leaving Regent. I occasionally checked his blog -- their captains post a daily blog, how cool! -- but sometime in 2010 I stopped seeing his name, even though there was never a farewell post. I just did a Google search but turned up nothing new, so I'm not sure if he's still with Saga or where he is now.

All the captains we've sailed with on Regent since Broomhall have been fine, but have had little-to-no emotional impact on our cruise; I don't even remember most of their names. Broomhall was different.

-- Eric

[RachelG]

As I have said before, my friend and I went on the same identical itineraries, she on Oceania and myself on Regent. We did the math, and her Oceania cruise was more expensive. I would love to try Oceania for the food and the fact that they do some itineraries that Regent doesn't. But I really don't want to give up my Regent benefits, particularly the free internet. That also inhibits me from trying Seabourn or Silversea, even though we are going to do a Silversea Explorer cruise in June. The reason is that it seems to be the perfect combination of luxury and remote destination for my husband.

We really did love the "old days" on Diamond. But guess what--the old days are gone and not going to return. So we move on.

BTW, the head chef was very visible on our recent Mariner cruise, and he seems very interested in providing a top quality product. I talked to him several times, and he was genuinely interested in what I and others had to say.

[mythologist]

LindaM - As a matter of fact, our first cruise was on the Navigator - to Bermuda. It was sometime before I would agree to try another cruise as I was so seasick. But then, eventually, a friend invited me on another cruise and we went on my 2nd cruise - the PG. Then, in August 2011, my husband and I went on the Voyager and that was it. Now we can't wait to go again. We really fell in love with the Voyager!

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Our experience with Regent (three cruises on the Voyager in the last 3 years) and Silversea (two cruises in last two years) shows no slippage, we actually prefer the changes that have taken place on board Regent.

Now, we enjoy Regent's new included excursions on exotic itineraries (e.g., Asia, middle east, SoAm) vs Silversea's non included excursions. We also think
entertainment (has been plussed up) e.g, the Voyager Cirque So lei is a plus not a slippage. Our recent cruising experience (we were on the Voyager (Hong Kong to Bangkok) last April and we sailed on Silvesea's Spirit three months ago-- last November clearly (for us) shows us a "Dorothy" experience on both lines. Thinking of the Wizard of Oz and the fabulous Judy Garland, closing her eyes and clicking her heals, (if we closed our eyes) we could be on either the Voyager or Silversea. We are half full (really almost full to brim) cruisers (vs half empty) and count ourselves as gosh dog lucky to be even sailing on Regent or gosh doggone lucky if we were on board Silversea (Whisper, Shadow or Spirit). Our recent on board experience on both SS and Rssc shows the software (service, dining) and hardware to be very similar (altho we prefer the Voyager (for the specialty restaurants (prefer P7/Signatures over Silversea's specialty restaurants; like the Voyager's more restrictive smoking policy and very much prefer the Voyager's near 360 promenade jogging track vs the Silversea's shorter jogging tracks on the Spirit, Whisper and Shadow. On board Silversea we mildly prefer their equivalent La Terraza over La Veranda (for lunch and dinner) and by far prefer Regent's (vs. Silversea's Venetian Society benefits) frequent floater benefits). Further, for us the main restaurants on both Silversea (three months ago) and Regent (nine months ago) were equal--including comp wine pours. In other words, for us, sailing on Regent now (vs eight years ago) and Silversea (seven years ago) are wonderful, memorable experiences whether we are sailing on either line.

Accordingly, we are booked on both Regent (two cruises for 2012, we board the Voyager in 61 days (Dubai to Istanbul) and Silversea (2013; Rome to Ft. Lauderdale).

[Travelcat2]

Wes: Found your post a bit confusing -- perhaps because you were including Silversea into the mix which is a bit off topic. Anyway, in one paragraph you posted that there has not been any change in Regent in the past three years. Later you mention that eight years ago Regent was a "memorable" experience. Assume you mean this in a positive way and that Regent is the same as it was eight years ago. While this is a nice response, it doesn't sound as if many repeat Regent customers see it the same way. Of course, you are entitled to your opinion.

Eric: Thanks for the picture of the Captain -- handsome devil:D Too bad he went with Saga. . . . that company left the U.S. with it's tail between it's legs after "9/11".

I understand your thinking about Regent and Oceania having incentives to try the other line. When we decided to try another luxury cruise line, we looked at ones that were similiar to Regent in as many ways as possible. This did not include Oceania or Crystal. We also know people who have sailed on Oceania and will not do so again (just as Oceania customers prefer Oceania to Regent). Recently we have read reviews from people that feel that Azamara is better than Oceania. The only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that Oceania has beautiful ships.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Really - just like any business investment, we each need to determine the return on investment for our personal travel. For me, I love so much about the line, but, it's like an old shoe that has stretched and really doesn't fit. I love the luxury, but some of that is now missing; The value I knew is gone since my personal travel style has left Regent. I have also traveled on most of the cruise itineraries that were on my wishlist. I have a deposit on a cruise that I want to move to a do a crossing now which means the ship is the destination for that itinerary. I would sail either Oceania or Regent and really the only thing in the passenger perks from the SSS society that I do not have are phone and internet on Oceania. The fare difference is that I pay for it and save the money from the overbloated prices that Regent now has including excursions.

[commodoredave]

Don: That was a great comparison of Regent and Oceania. It helped remind me why we stay with all-inclusive luxury ships. It does not make sense for us to pay more to sail on a ship where we sign for everything. I agree that Frank Del Rio has a lot to do with not only the beauty of the ships (particularly the Marina), but food as well. It would be nice if the effort that is put into food on Oceania was also put forth on Regent. Losing Regent customers to Oceania is not as big of a deal as losing Regent customers to Silversea or Seabourn. Regent's food needs to be equal to above it's competition.

commodoredave: Enjoying your comments but am wondering what it means that management is weaker than it used to be??? I just don't see it. In what ways are they weaker?

azgkrudi: The odds of what has happened to your cruises happening to other passengers is so low that it is almost impossible. You really had bad luck. Actually, the Voyager had bad luck as well. After the extensive work that was done on the pods last year, it should keep running smoothly for a long time (fingers crossed).

eric: Thank you so much for the description of sailing on the Diamond. How nice that you were able to have that experience (especially the lobsters:-) Do you know where Captain Broomhall?

Travelcat2, as usual I too enjoy your comments and deep insight into cruising that is clearly based on many cruise experiences.

My comments on weaker management are based solely on the two cruises that we are currently experiencing. It started with our cruise ticket package, which was the most confusing and complicated set of cruise documents that we have ever received. Now in fairness to Regent, this confusion is based on the fact that we booked back to back cruises, but it somehow never got linked in the Regent reservation system.

As a result, we received duplicate ticket and shore excurson information, but nothing was linked. When we got on the ship, the confusion continued until we finally had to contact our travel agent and ask for her to contact Regent head office to straighten things out. She did, and everything seemed fixed until we moved to another upgraded cabin for the 2nd leg of our cruise (at the General manager's invitation, not our request). Then the confusion returned, with the room steward not even expecting us to occupy the cabin, our on board credits remaining with our old cabin rather than being forwarded to our new cabin, and our daily newspaper not arriving in our new cabin. Of course, once we bring things to the attention of management, it is always fixed; but it seems only temporarily until the next problem arises.

I hope this is an isolated incident and that we are the only people who have ever had to go through this kind of frustration. But it does strike me as a sign of poor management that while we brought this issue to the attention of onboard management on the very first day that we boarded the ship, and then to Regent Head office 8 days later through our travel agent, that we are still experiencing problems 23 days later.

[commodoredave]

If I understand your question, you're asking why people should pay more to sail Regent compared to Oceania?

Fist of all, it is not always less expensive to travel Oceania. To get a comparable suite, one must generally step up to a penthouse on Oceania. While the technical sqaure footage of a veranda cabin on the Marina class, at 242 sq ft, approaches Voyager's 301 sq ft, the feel of the cab in is totally different and the space is not as usable or comfortable. Thje standard veranda on the R class is only 170 sq ft, and no seasoned Regent sailor would feel comfortable in one unless they are used to cramped quarters like I am (with a Class B RV of only 84 sq ft living space).

The penthouse cabins on the Marina class, at 420 sq ft, are technically larger than the basic suites on Navigator and Voyager (301 sq ft), but the feel of the Regent suites is better --- to me, they are just a better design. I've not yet been on Mariner to compare.

So, right off the bat, Oceaniain a penthouse on the Marina class would be the best choice for someone experienced with Regent, and on a typical European cruise, that's going to cost $500 to $600 per day, per guest. Of course, with a penthouse on Oceania one gets a butler, for what that's worth. I will say the butlers are not like the glorified stewards that Azamara called butlers until they abandoned them, but many don't find value in them.

Add to that the things that are ala carte on Oceania -- gratuities (although most travel agents will include them), excursions, adult beverages (sodas and most other non-alcoholic drinks are included, including specialty coffees, and on the Marina class, the Baristas coffee bar is among the best at sea; the coffee is all Illys) and even the lauderettes require tokens. The excursions are, on the surface, the same as Regent (the quality of the excursion depends on what's available in the port), but I can't comment on whether there are more people crammed into an Ocania excursion, because every Regent excursion I've taken used all of the available seating. I'd say they're about the same.

There is not as much popcorn available on an Oceania ship :(.

Oceania does offer the same air option at coach level, but the business class air on Regent is clearly a better deal. They also offer an included night before the cruise in a good hotel, but the credit if you don't use it is less -- $250 per guest. The same is true of the air credit if you don't use it -- much lower on Oceania ($400 per guest on a recent one way flight to Rome as opposed to $600 per guest for the same destination about 4 days apart).

If you imbibe freely, and if you take several excursions, and depending on your air and hotel preferences, the total costs approach, or may even exceed, Regent. Yet, the Owners, Vista and Oceania suites on Oceania ships are the first to go, usually within moments of the opening of the booking period, and those are clearly more expensive than, say, a penthouse on Regent.

What's the bottom line? For some time, on this forum, I've been saying that folks who want to go back to non-included excursions and non-included alcohol on Regent should be traveling Oceania. Same management, same staff in many cases, same target for service, same target for food (in my opinion, exposure to FDR has improved the food on Regent, except perhaps for lah-de-dah items like caviar and foie gras), and perhaps more comfortable beds.

What's the value proposition for Regent? First of all, there is an exclusivity ingredient -- while the amenities are all-inclusive, the perception is that it's intended for an exclusive group. The fact that they allow riff-raff like me aboard belies that perception, but still, it exists. Second, there is an tremendous feeling of freedom aboard Regent, at least for me -- everything was paid for a long time ago, and now that I'm finally aboard, I can relax and enjoy it without concerning myself abour additional cost. Of course, I'm ultra frugal, so that's important to me. Third, there is great resistance among many who sail Regent to have to sign a chit for things like a drink. While the process is discreet on Oceania, and everyone has to do it, it's still there. Fourth, there is a social freeedom in not having to be aware, and not having to feel obligated to respond in kind, in a social drinking situation. When it's the same price for everyone (free), there's no awwardness. Again, that may only be important to relative paupers like me.

I like those feelings of freedom and the perception of luxury (and the popcorn), and I'll sail Regent as often as I can afford it -- which is generally when it costs the same or a little less than the total bottom line on Oceania. But, I also feel more comfortable on Oceania, perhaps because the perception is that it's not as elegant, and have made many more long-time friends.

Thanks for the the well-thought out explanation of the differences between Oceania and Regent. I agree with almost everything you have said, except for the cuisine. While I have not yet cruised with Oceania, their fans on our current cruise believe the food on Oceania is as good or better than Regent. In my view, that is something that should be addressed if Regent wants to maintain its claim to "luxury" status.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

While I have not yet cruised with Oceania, their fans on our current cruise believe the food on Oceania is as good or better than Regent. In my view, that is something that should be addressed if Regent wants to maintain its claim to "luxury" status.

I absolutely believe that the food on Regent is better than on Oceania. There are many more choices on Regent, food quality is much superior, the ability to have special orders is without issue where on Oceania you can only order on the menu in the dining room.

[gcmv]

BTW, the head chef was very visible on our recent Mariner cruise, and he seems very interested in providing a top quality product. I talked to him several times, and he was genuinely interested in what I and others had to say.

I like visible chefs. Do you know his name and nationality?

[Hambagahle]

Just curious if anyone feels that their favorite luxury cruise line is as good as it was 10 years ago:confused:

I actually think it is BETTER! Lots better. Maybe I, too, inhabit a "pollyanna world" but we have never had a bad or even a mildly dissapointing cruise with Regent (Radison included) and our last three cruises have been outstanding.

We are part of those people who have lived in a lot of different countries and worked in more and travelled a huge amount... so we do not take many of the excursions on offer. But we do like the fact that they are included and we can take them if we want to. It gies a sort of nice flexible feeling and I certainly don't resent the fact that we aren't using everything we pay for.

I cannot tell you how much we are looking forward to our march cruise and if there is anything on it at all that I feel is not up to snuff be sure I will report it on this forum!
Gerry

[RachelG]

I like visible chefs. Do you know his name and nationality?

He is tall and thin, French I think, but I don't remember his name (even though he was introduced and also had his name printed right there on his jacket). He seemed very concerned that everything be just right and was seen not only in CR, but also in LV several times.

[gcmv]

He is tall and thin, French I think, but I don't remember his name (even though he was introduced and also had his name printed right there on his jacket). He seemed very concerned that everything be just right and was seen not only in CR, but also in LV several times.

Thanks a lot Rachel for your quick answer.
In Germany we have a saying: "Never trust a thin chef ..." :D but if he's French it should be OK.;)

[RachelG]

Thanks a lot Rachel for your quick answer.
In Germany we have a saying: "Never trust a thin chef ..." :D but if he's French it should be OK.;)

LOL, I have heard that saying too.

[baychilla]

...

Whether or not I agree or disagree with what you said:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Webcomic_xkcd_-_Wikipedian_protester.png

[hondorner]

Whether or not I agree or disagree with what you said:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Webcomic_xkcd_-_Wikipedian_protester.png
You're kidding, right? Right? Uh...citation for what? You want to see something published? About what? Oh, that's right, you're kidding...:rolleyes:

[wripro]

I like free internet as much as the next guy but certainly not enough to keep me from trying something new or having a different experience.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I like free internet as much as the next guy but certainly not enough to keep me from trying something new or having a different experience.

I'm with you on that! On my first 4 or 5 cruises I didn't touch the internet.

[baychilla]

You're kidding, right? Right? Uh...citation for what? You want to see something published? About what? Oh, that's right, you're kidding...:rolleyes:

I just find it humorous that one accusing another of being factually inaccurate would just dump their facts in and expect they be believed.

This is what I read:

Person 1: States Facts (no source)
Person 2: Person 1s facts are inaccurate, you should believe my facts instead! (no source)

Creates a bit of a quandary, yes?

[hondorner]

...Creates a bit of a quandary, yes?
Thank you for your input.

[Travelcat2]

Don, I must say (with the respect you deserve) that you have no way of understanding what Regent was like prior to being purchased by Apollo. You have heard about the need for refurbishment of the ships -- both hardware and software. . . . but, you would have had to experience to excellent service and food quality to understand the difference from what it is now.

While I stand by my statement that the ships look better now than before and there were some mis-steps upon occasion on Radisson/Regent in terms of service and food, the overall food quality was better than it is now. Food is definitely subjective. . . . however, overly fatty lamb chops (on our last cruise) and lesser qualitities beef is not a good thing under any circumstances. Filet Mignon was on the menu every night (as it is on Silversea). It is now an item saved for special nights. IMO, the food is definitely a quality issue. A chef may cook a piece of meat improperly, but the chef did not add gobs of fat into the meat.

On the positive side, the crab claws served in the Penthouse and above suites improved 100% in the past year and a half. Perhaps PCH could open their pockets a bit more so that beef and fish are are wonderful as the crab claws.

[jhp]

Wes: Found your post a bit confusing -- perhaps because you were including Silversea into the mix which is a bit off topic.

Don: That was a great comparison of Regent and Oceania.

TC, why are you confused by a comparison to Silversea, when you remarked that a comparison with Oceania was great? Especially since you do not want O and R ever be considered two peas in a pod and wish them to remain separate just as RSSC and SS?

Commodoredave, I guess I am most interested in your take of what will be your next favorite line, and where you will go from here. Regent seems to be upsetting you on this one, and I can't find fault with your complaints from your perspective. Admittedly, I have never been on a back to back cruise where I had problems, and I have done a couple of them. Just can't imagine where your solution could have been in advance to avoid. All my back to backs have been handled by my TA in advance, and thankfully I did not have the problems you have. I don't know that under the same circumstances, any other line would have been trouble free either. Eager to hear your continuing reports of your onboard experience.

[Travelcat2]

TC, why are you confused by a comparison to Silversea, when you remarked that a comparison with Oceania was great? Especially since you do not want O and R ever be considered two peas in a pod and wish them to remain separate just as RSSC and SS?



One was confusing and one wasn't. Don't worry if you do not understand since my posts were clearly directed to posters other than yourself.

[commodoredave]

TC, why are you confused by a comparison to Silversea, when you remarked that a comparison with Oceania was great? Especially since you do not want O and R ever be considered two peas in a pod and wish them to remain separate just as RSSC and SS?

Commodoredave, I guess I am most interested in your take of what will be your next favorite line, and where you will go from here. Regent seems to be upsetting you on this one, and I can't find fault with your complaints from your perspective. Admittedly, I have never been on a back to back cruise where I had problems, and I have done a couple of them. Just can't imagine where your solution could have been in advance to avoid. All my back to backs have been handled by my TA in advance, and thankfully I did not have the problems you have. I don't know that under the same circumstances, any other line would have been trouble free either. Eager to hear your continuing reports of your onboard experience.

Jhp, we finally got to the bottom what has been causing us the most problems -- the non-linkage of our 2 b-to-b cruises. Apparently, since we booked both legs a month apart rather than at the same time, the cruises were given different booking numbers from Regent. However, despite having 12 months to create a common booking number, Regent was either unwilling or unable to do it either at Head Office or on the ship. As for our other problems, there has been an improvement in service and food on our second leg, which one of the staff told me is likely a result of this leg not being full, while the last leg was full. In any event, we are enjoying the improvement and hoping the rest of the cruise goes off without any problems.

[commodoredave]

By the way, this may be common knowledge, but at the Seven Seas Society party the other night we were told that La Veranda is going to be changed to an Italian-themed speciality restaurant at night. We were pleased to hear this as we have found La Veranda to be the weakest link in the quality and range of food on the Voyager during this cruise. So from our perspective, this is good news.

[commodoredave]

We are currently caught in a nasty storm in 100-knot winds off the Southwest corner of New Zealand's South Island. Our ship tried to turn the corner around Cape Providence at around 6:00 pm local time and could not make the turn due to the wind on our beam. As a result, we have turned back north and are running directly into the wind to wait out the storm. There are no harbours in Fjordland that we can go into for protection, so we have little choice. The divider between our two balconies has just blown off one side of its hinges and is banging back and forth --it may not stay with the ship much longer. The balcony chairs look like they are about to go over the edge. We have been warned not to go on open decks or to open our balcony doors. We are making 6-7 knots speed right into the wind.

[wripro]

Service should be consistent whether a ship is full or not. If they can't handle providing good service with more people on board then they should sell fewer berths or stop advertising how great their service is.

[FDV]

Service should be consistent whether a ship is full or not. If they can't handle providing good service with more people on board then they should sell fewer berths or stop advertising how great their service is.

This is my biggest complaint... and we have experienced this 3 times in the last two years. They are not equipped to handle a full passenger load with there cutbacks!!!!!!! They have cut back dining staff so more tables are covered by less waiters so how possibly could they be keeping up with there Six Star cruising as they say..

[DaveFr]

This is my biggest complaint... and we have experienced this 3 times in the last two years. They are not equipped to handle a full passenger load with there cutbacks!!!!!!! They have cut back dining staff so more tables are covered by less waiters so how possibly could they be keeping up with there Six Star cruising as they say..
FDV

I'm curious about your statement that Regent has cut back on dining room staff requiring each waiter to cover more tables. Although I've seen some posts saying that Regent has cut back on dining room staff, I've never seen a reference to information from Regent acknowledging such a cut back. I'd appreciate it if you would point me to an announcement from Regent about reducing dining room staff. Thank you.

[freddie]

DaveFr - Clearly, your post was made with tongue firmly in cheek, as neither Regent nor any other cruise line would announce reductions in service staff. However, it is our very definite personal experience that both the restaurant staff and the cabin staff in our last few cruises are far more stretched than they were in our cruises prior to 2007 or so.

Although I would quite agree with Wripro that service should be as advertised whether the ship is full or not, we were on completely full ships in 2003-2007 and received excellent service in both the food venues and in our cabin service.

In some of our more recent cruises, we have witnessed restaurant staff dashing about trying to cover their tables. Similarly, the change from having a duo of cabin attendant and assistant servicing the cabins (a marvelous system that usually resulted in our having our cabin "magically" serviced if we were absent from it for more than 30 minutes) to the present system of one cabin attendant for X number of cabins is not a positive change. That critical "X" number of cabins is more than half of the number the duo handled together. Hmm, what results will that have??

Quite opposite to publicly announcing a diminution of staff, the executive staff on the Regent ships (many of whom we like very much on a personal basis, by the way, and who must feel quite awkward reciting the corporate line) insists that there are not fewer staff members in the restaurants and also sticks with the corporate spin regarding the cabin staff that changing from the very successful duo system to the single cabin attendant system creates "more accountability" for cabin service. Can we all call "Bull-***" on that preposterous claim?!

Sadly, the on-site experience belies those corp-speak messages. If, in fact, there are not fewer staff members in the restaurants, why do so many of us perceive that is so? Are we deluded in our recollections of their rushing about, forgetting orders, or just sometimes (usually at lunch when we are amongst the few people in Compass Rose) apologizing for the sloppy service the night before? These are very decent and dedicated staff members, who do not deserve to be placed in the position of being too stretched to provide proper service.

We remain Regent fans (and are booked on a Regent cruise in the Far East next year); but we will not drink the Kool-Aid and fail to note some of the unfortunate reductions in service on our favorite cruise line. Those reductions have resulted in our looking to other cruise lines (primarily, Seabourn) or other experiences (river cruising) for our future adventures.

Cheers, Fred

[FDV]

I do not know of any official announcement. I know the service I get and when two different waiters that we became friendly with who have been with Regent for many years told us that it used to be more staff per station than it is now I believe them... This should be of now surprise since Prestige or Apollo or whoever owns Regent now is driving more to the bottom line.

[FDV]

DaveFr - Clearly, your post was made with tongue firmly in cheek, as neither Regent nor any other cruise line would announce reductions in service staff. However, it is our very definite personal experience that both the restaurant staff and the cabin staff in our last few cruises are far more stretched than they were in our cruises prior to 2007 or so.

Although I would quite agree with Wripro that service should be as advertised whether the ship is full or not, we were on completely full ships in 2003-2007 and received excellent service in both the food venues and in our cabin service.

In some of our more recent cruises, we have witnessed restaurant staff dashing about trying to cover their tables. Similarly, the change from having a duo of cabin attendant and assistant servicing the cabins (a marvelous system that usually resulted in our having our cabin "magically" serviced if we were absent from it for more than 30 minutes) to the present system of one cabin attendant for X number of cabins is not a positive change. That critical "X" number of cabins is more than half of the number the duo handled together. Hmm, what results will that have??

Quite opposite to publicly announcing a diminution of staff, the executive staff on the Regent ships (many of whom we like very much on a personal basis, by the way, and who must feel quite awkward reciting the corporate line) insists that there are not fewer staff members in the restaurants and also sticks with the corporate spin regarding the cabin staff that changing from the very successful duo system to the single cabin attendant system creates "more accountability" for cabin service. Can we all call "Bull-***" on that preposterous claim?!

Sadly, the on-site experience belies those corp-speak messages. If, in fact, there are not fewer staff members in the restaurants, why do so many of us perceive that is so? Are we deluded in our recollections of their rushing about, forgetting orders, or just sometimes (usually at lunch when we are amongst the few people in Compass Rose) apologizing for the sloppy service the night before? These are very decent and dedicated staff members, who do not deserve to be placed in the position of being too stretched to provide proper service.

We remain Regent fans (and are booked on a Regent cruise in the Far East next year); but we will not drink the Kool-Aid and fail to note some of the unfortunate reductions in service on our favorite cruise line. Those reductions have resulted in our looking to other cruise lines (primarily, Seabourn) or other experiences (river cruising) for our future adventures.

Cheers, Fred


Totally agree with your post Freddie.. We are booked on Regent later this year but are trying Silversea in April to get another feel. In no way am I saying that the Staff is NOT doing a good job, they work very very hard. what I am saying is they can only cover so so much and they do the very best they can.

[commodoredave]

Totally agree with your post Freddie.. We are booked on Regent later this year but are trying Silversea in April to get another feel. In no way am I saying that the Staff is NOT doing a good job, they work very very hard. what I am saying is they can only cover so so much and they do the very best they can.

I agree entirely. There is no question in my mind that service and food quality have decreased since the PCH 2004 take over. Regent is still very good, and I still enjoy them. However, I will now be paying more attention to what other luxury lines have to offer.

[Travelcat2]

I agree entirely. There is no question in my mind that service and food quality have decreased since the PCH 2004 take over. Regent is still very good, and I still enjoy them. However, I will now be paying more attention to what other luxury lines have to offer.

We first sailed Radisson/Regent in 2004. PCH/Apollo did not buy them for at least 3-4 years after that. Hope someone online can post the actual year. We have tried Silversea as I have mentioned and liked it a lot with the exception of the smoking policy and formal dress. At the moment we are not considering Seabourn due to recent reviews and also the fact that their smoking policy is more liberal than Silversea.

BTW, really happy to hear that everyone is doing well on the Voyager:-)

[RachelG]

Just looked at my profile, TC. We first sailed radisson in 2004. We did not sail with them again till 2007, and it had just switched to regent right before that, so probably 2006. ( 2005-6 were my experimentation with lindblad and celebrity years).

[Travelcat2]

Just looked at my profile, TC. We first sailed radisson in 2004. We did not sail with them again till 2007, and it had just switched to regent right before that, so probably 2006. ( 2005-6 were my experimentation with lindblad and celebrity years).

I found it. You're right about the name change being around 2006 but the purchase was later (see below)

Apollo Management L.P. Acquires Regent Seven Seas Cruises



MIAMI, December 10 /PRNewswire/ --
- Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises to Remain Independent Brands
- Carlson to Retain and Expand Regent Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
- Bjorn Gullaksen, Carlson Hotels Veteran, to Lead New Regent Brand
Council

Minneapolis-based Carlson and Apollo Management L.P. (Apollo) today announced that Apollo has agreed to acquire Carlson's Regent Seven Seas Cruises operations. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008, subject to normal conditions for a transaction of this type, including regulatory approval. The cruise operations will continue as a key part of the global Regent brand.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will be placed under the ownership of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. (PCH), a corporation controlled by Apollo which will manage certain cruise portfolio assets of Apollo. NCL Corporation will remain a separate holding outside of PCH.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will remain a wholly independent brand under the guidance of Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and will continue to operate from its Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters, and Oceania Cruises will remain in its Miami headquarters, headed by Bob Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. Both Binder and Conroy will report directly to Frank Del Rio, chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings.
The transaction is part of a unified strategy undertaken by Apollo and Carlson to expand their respective core cruise and hotel operations, and become the world's preeminent operators of luxury hotels, resorts and cruises. Carlson will retain ownership of the master Regent brand, along with the worldwide operations of Regent Hotels & Resorts.

[commodoredave]

I found it. You're right about the name change being around 2006 but the purchase was later (see below)

Apollo Management L.P. Acquires Regent Seven Seas Cruises



MIAMI, December 10 /PRNewswire/ --
- Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises to Remain Independent Brands
- Carlson to Retain and Expand Regent Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
- Bjorn Gullaksen, Carlson Hotels Veteran, to Lead New Regent Brand
Council

Minneapolis-based Carlson and Apollo Management L.P. (Apollo) today announced that Apollo has agreed to acquire Carlson's Regent Seven Seas Cruises operations. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008, subject to normal conditions for a transaction of this type, including regulatory approval. The cruise operations will continue as a key part of the global Regent brand.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises will be placed under the ownership of Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc. (PCH), a corporation controlled by Apollo which will manage certain cruise portfolio assets of Apollo. NCL Corporation will remain a separate holding outside of PCH.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises will remain a wholly independent brand under the guidance of Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and will continue to operate from its Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters, and Oceania Cruises will remain in its Miami headquarters, headed by Bob Binder, president of Oceania Cruises. Both Binder and Conroy will report directly to Frank Del Rio, chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings.
The transaction is part of a unified strategy undertaken by Apollo and Carlson to expand their respective core cruise and hotel operations, and become the world's preeminent operators of luxury hotels, resorts and cruises. Carlson will retain ownership of the master Regent brand, along with the worldwide operations of Regent Hotels & Resorts.

Quite right. I typed 2004 instead of 2008. Our last cruise with Regent before our current ones was January of 2008.

[commodoredave]

We first sailed Radisson/Regent in 2004. PCH/Apollo did not buy them for at least 3-4 years after that. Hope someone online can post the actual year. We have tried Silversea as I have mentioned and liked it a lot with the exception of the smoking policy and formal dress. At the moment we are not considering Seabourn due to recent reviews and also the fact that their smoking policy is more liberal than Silversea.

BTW, really happy to hear that everyone is doing well on the Voyager:-)

Thanks TC2. We on the Voyager appreciate your concern and support.

[RachelG]

tC, you are correct. As I remember now, when we sailed with regent in 2007, the name had changed, but it was still run by Carlson. That didn't change till 2008.

[commodoredave]

Things continue to get better on this second leg of our cruise, which has 180 fewer pax than the last leg. Tonight, we had the General Manager of all the dining rooms (Carlos), the Head Chef, and the chief wine steward (Ricardo) visit our table after dinner to see how we were enjoying things. We've been on the ship since Jan 6 and this is the first time this has happened. We sure felt special tonight.

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Thanks for continued Voyager updates Dave. Can you double check who the Captain/CD will be for our Voyager b2b cruises (Dubai to Istanbul)..have heard Captain John McNeil will take over from Captain Mario in early March, but Paul will still be our CD...thx

[commodoredave]

Thanks for continued Voyager updates Dave. Can you double check who the Captain/CD will be for our Voyager b2b cruises (Dubai to Istanbul)..have heard Captain John McNeil will take over from Captain Mario in early March, but Paul will still be our CD...thx

Hi Wes. I'll try to get this info from the General Manager tomorrow as we are having dinner with him.

[commodoredave]

We are now on day 30 of our 32-day cruise from Singapore to Auckland, and I am delighted to report that things have improved significantly since the first 17-day leg of our cruise to Sydney. Everything we complained about on our first leg comment card has been acknowledged and addressed by onboard managment and we are now enjoying the type of Regent experience that we recall so fondly. We have had meetings with the ship's management, exchanged views, and they have picked up their socks and done a remarkable job of making things better. We have to give considerable credit to Davor, the GM, Carlos, the Restaurant Manager, Ricardo, the Chief Wine Sommilier, and all the other key staff in the dining room and specialty restaurants. Weare now so pleased that we are looking at booking another cruise before we leave on Feb 7!!!!!

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Thanks Dave for checking on crew leadership; and thanks for another Voyager update--Hooah!

[FDV]

We are now on day 30 of our 32-day cruise from Singapore to Auckland, and I am delighted to report that things have improved significantly since the first 17-day leg of our cruise to Sydney. Everything we complained about on our first leg comment card has been acknowledged and addressed by onboard managment and we are now enjoying the type of Regent experience that we recall so fondly. We have had meetings with the ship's management, exchanged views, and they have picked up their socks and done a remarkable job of making things better. We have to give considerable credit to Davor, the GM, Carlos, the Restaurant Manager, Ricardo, the Chief Wine Sommilier, and all the other key staff in the dining room and specialty restaurants. Weare now so pleased that we are looking at booking another cruise before we leave on Feb 7!!!!!

I am glad to hear that things have gotten better on the second leg of the trip for you...
Your review has proved my argument, same exact thing happened to us last Feb, we got off in Sydney and our friends got on, ship emptied out and they had Stellar service some of the best they ever had. With 180 less passengers how could it not be? The point is is they were properly staffed for a full ship there would not be the complaints that we have seen.

[commodoredave]

Thanks Dave for checking on crew leadership; and thanks for another Voyager update--Hooah!

Cpt Mario and Davor (GM) are getting off the ship in Auckland on Tuesday (Feb 7). CD Paul is staying. I was told by a senior officer that Cpt McNeil will be joining the ship in Auckland.

[commodoredave]

I am glad to hear that things have gotten better on the second leg of the trip for you...
Your review has proved my argument, same exact thing happened to us last Feb, we got off in Sydney and our friends got on, ship emptied out and they had Stellar service some of the best they ever had. With 180 less passengers how could it not be? The point is is they were properly staffed for a full ship there would not be the complaints that we have seen.

FDV, you are so right. And we have heard the same comments from some crew and officers aboard the ship. It's frustrating because it's like we were sailing back to back cruises on two different cruise lines. But when Regent gets it right, it is a delightful experience. Just wish they would fix this issue and consistently deliver a delightful experience on EVERY cruise regardless of pax load.

[Hambagahle]

So far I have not experienced the "down" side of Regent (and I have, several times, been on totally full ships...) but I am glad you have things sorted on the current cruise. This should not happen and should not need sorting!!

Wes - lucky you have have John McNeil as Captain on your cruise... I can hear the bagpipes skirling already!
Gerry

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Thanks Dave, believe Ralph de Klijn will follow Davor as our GM. Yes, Gerry--Ida and sincerely feel lucky anytime we're on board a Regent ship and twice lucky when we get to sail with Captain McNeil. We have enjoyed sailing with Captain McNeil...when we boarded the Navigator a few years ago in Ft. Lauderdale, Mark Conroy was on board (he frequently is, when the ship is in FLL) he introduced Ida and I to John McNeil--very friendly & engaging personality. Shortly thereafter, the wonderful McNeil bagpipes skirling entertained us as we slowly sailed out of Port Everglades.

[count florida]

Re: the "correction" posted by Hondorner January 28th, 2012, 11:07 PM, my source was an experienced Virtuoso agent we formerly booked through, who is no longer with that agency (I tried to call her to check on the "correction"). I must say we had found her reliable, and experienced with premium and luxury cruise lines. Her point was that Renaissance over-built and then tried to compensate by encouraging direct bookings, thus cutting agents out of commissions. We had a problem with her agency's (or Virtuoso's) policies, but more important we found an even better agent and switched. We kept in touch and she “warned” me about Apollo/PCH when they bought Regent; I didn’t try to check the exact dates or who was in charge when things happened.

Elsewhere here on CruiseCritic I’ve posted my comparison between Oceania and Regent, the bottom line of which agrees with most of the comments here – you can sail with Oceania for less than doing the same itinerary with Regent, but if you want to compare similar experiences, excursions, air, hotels, cabin sizes, libations, etc., Regent will be equal or less expensive. My main gripe with Oceania (we cruised with them from Miami up the Amazon Manaus and back to last spring) was the total rip-off they are perpetuating with their Internet charges. Here’s what I wrote after that cruise:

The absolute worst thing was the Internet charges. I spend a lot of time on the computer and Internet; I enjoy it. On Oceania we were told we would be provided a laptop computer for our use in our penthouse suite. Because I have a lot of 'stuff' on my laptop, and a very nice small roll-on that has a special compartment for it, I brought it along. Thank goodness! Oceania has contracted out management of its computers and Internet access, and is providing laptop computers in PH staterooms. The charges (which start at $0.95 cents a minute) are atrocious, even when you buy one of the discounted packages. But wait, it gets worse! Any use of the so-called "free" computer requires you to “log in”, at which point the charging meter starts ticking. So you can’t read or draft e-mails off line, or play Solitaire, or make any use of the thing without paying through the nose. The real killer: I haven’t experienced such poor response since I was using a first generation PC-XT to access bulletin boards using a 1200 baud modem back in the mid-1980s. This is, of course, to Oceania’s (or their contractor’s) great advantage; THEY ARE CHARGING BY THE MINUTE, so the slower the response the longer it takes and more you are charged! A total rip-off and the raison d'être we will never again cruise with Oceania while this policy is in place. In this uber-connected era, a decent connection at reasonable cost is a minimum expectation of most travelers. Not so at Oceania. For me, Internet access at reasonable cost, preferably included in the room or cruise tariff, is a sine qua non!

Mr. Del Rio was then and is now unquestionably the CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, and is therefore at least responsible for the unconscionable Internet policy or practice described above. Looking deeper, what can we read into the recent rapid turnover in Presidents of Oceania? Last fall a gentleman from Ritz Carlton, widely noted for its high levels of service, left after just six months in that job, replaced by a gentleman from Bank of America, widely noted for its limited service, rip-off fees, robo-signed foreclosure documents and other questionable legal practices. I wonder what FDR’s role in that change was? I would certainly hope the first change, to the RC guy, was his idea, and the second, to the BofA guy, was Apollo’s, but I guess we’ll never really know, will we.

While the cut-backs, specifically including the cut in room steward/ess from two to one, started before Apollo/PCH bought Regent in 2008, it’s our experience that these 'changes for the worse' we've noticed, as spelled out here and elsewhere, seem to have accelerated since the takeover. I'm happy to note comodoredave’s remarks that things have improved, as we too are joining the Voyager in Dubai en route to Athens and on to Istanbul. Any comments or judgments that dining room staff haven’t been cut are plainly inaccurate/mistaken – we sailed on the Voyager’s 2003 shakedown cruise, stayed on for the christening in Monaco and her maiden cruise to Venice, and were again on board for the first two legs of her first World Cruise early the following year. In 2006 we made a crossing in her from Rome to Ft. Lauderdale, and in 2010 sailed in her from Ft. Lauderdale to Reykjavik. There have definitely been cutbacks both in wait staff and sommeliers, and it seems to us the quality of staff has slipped as well, although admittedly that is more of a personal judgment call.

[Travelcat2]

count florida: Is it not possible that the ship(s) were not built to accommodate the number of staff that is required for full passenger loads? None of us know what the Carlson people were thinking when they built the Mariner and Voyager. What we do know is that there was not enough space on the Voyager to add staff. For this reason they remodeled the staff gym so that a few new crew cabins could be added.

It seems that Regent is trying to get a closer handle on the number of people to expect in Compass Rose each evening (this seems to be the main area of service issues). By making La Veranda a reservation only restaurant and changing it's offerings, it wll no doubt be booked on most sailings which will allow management to have a better feel as to how many guests will be in Compass Rose.

Carlson, IMO, put too many cabins on the Navigator which has caused a variety of problems. As mentioned in other threads, Silversea's Whisper and Shadow are approximately the same size as the Navigator and have 50 fewer suites. It works much better than the Navigator. So, it is very possible they make similiar decisions with the Mariner and Voyager.

It also seems that reviews are more positive when there are 550 - 600 passengers on the Voyager and Mariner. Most of us do see the problem in Compass Rose, but there does not appear anyone has a solution:confused:

[Stevanb]

Count Florida

All most every cruise line uses MTN Satellite Communications

Regent price is 250 minutes for $50

Oceania price is 200 minutes for $140.00

Princess 250 minutes for $100


But what Regent is costing per day the others are much cheaper and not every spends a lot of time on the computer and Internet when they are on vacation so to most it is not a issue.

[count florida]

Travelcat2, I have to take issue with your premise: "Is it not possible that the ship(s) were not built to accommodate the number of staff that is required for full passenger loads? None of us know what the Carlson people were thinking when they built the Mariner and Voyager. What we do know is that there was not enough space on the Voyager to add staff. When the ships first came out, clearly there was space to house enough staff to provide really excellent, timely service in all dining venues, and there certainly were more housekeeping staff on board than there is now. We sailed on both the Mariner and Voyager when they were full or nearly so back then (before 2007), without any noticeable shortage of staff in any of those areas.

I heard Mark Conroy's explanation that there wasn't enough space to house more crew in the Town Meeting held on the 2010 Presidents Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Reykjavik, but didn't raise the issue because I'd just read about the Art vendor's lawsuit loss and wanted to find out about that. In the summer of 2001, its inaugural season in Alaska, the Mariner was jam packed at least the week that spanned July-August, but the service was near the best we've ever experienced, which was probably on the Voyager's christening and maiden cruise, or perhaps on the trans-Pacific part of its first world cruise.

The only thing I can think of is if they have given more staff single accommodations in order to attract and hold them in the face of the rising euro/falling dollar wage squeeze. That might explain a shortage of crew accommodations. Or if since 9/11 they have expanded the security or other "below decks" department we don't see. I do think they have expanded the number of butlers carried. I hadn't heard they had converted the crew gym to crew cabins, but I don't doubt you. What I do question is the reported shortage of staff/crew cabins, as it’s pretty clear that both the wait and housekeeping staffs have been substantially reduced in recent years to control costs and improve profits to enhance results for the up-coming IPO.

[mariners]

I think that there is another issue when it comes to staffing levels. Crew are not hired per sailing but are on for months at a time. It would be impossible for Regent to switch the number of crew for each sailing. Given the need for profit, I would imagine that Regent does a balancing act in terms of number of crew. I know that they use times when the ship is less full for further training of crew members and also assign them different tasks so that they are not idle but that could not happen for many cruises without it becoming an inefficient way for Regent to spend money.

[Travelcat2]

You do bring up good points! It is certainly possible that some crew members were given single accommodations. Increasing the amount of security is another area that could cause more crew space to be taken up.

The best service we have ever received on a Regent ship was in 2011. The worst was on the Navigator in the Caribbean prior to the sale of Regent to Apollo. The only consistent drop in service that we have noticed is in Compass Rose at the conclusion of a special event when most of the ship heads there to dine at the same time. On our Nov./December 2011 sailing, the service in La Veranda was the best in our 11 cruises. The inconsistancy of this is confusing to us as are the number of us who are happy with Regent's service and the number who are not:confused:

[commodoredave]

Thanks Dave, believe Ralph de Klijn will follow Davor as our GM. Yes, Gerry--Ida and sincerely feel lucky anytime we're on board a Regent ship and twice lucky when we get to sail with Captain McNeil. We have enjoyed sailing with Captain McNeil...when we boarded the Navigator a few years ago in Ft. Lauderdale, Mark Conroy was on board (he frequently is, when the ship is in FLL) he introduced Ida and I to John McNeil--very friendly & engaging personality. Shortly thereafter, the wonderful McNeil bagpipes skirling entertained us as we slowly sailed out of Port Everglades.

I'm told Cpt McNeil will be with the ship for 10 weeks starting tomorrow (Feb 7). Will your b-to-b be within that time frame?

[fjdelrio]

Let me see if I can once for all put an end to all the speculations that the "known it all's" profess:

Since PCH acquired Regent, we have NOT reduced staff- we have instead, ADDED staff.

When we changed from 2 stewards (actually1 steward and 1 asst) per suite to 1 steward, we Also DOUBLED the number of stewards and eliminated the assistants meaning that each suite now has a higher caliber person attending to each suite.

When we added Prime 7 and eliminated Latiudes, we added to the galley staff in order to accommodate the much more extensive and complex menu of Prime 7.

We have added more buttlers

Because of these and other fleet wide OnBoard staff additions, we have taken several guest suites off-line and have assigned them to crew.

The result of EVERYTHING we have done since the acquisition is to improve guest satisfaction ratings to all-time highs which in turn has led to occupancy reaching all-time highs and a few other metrics (thankfully) also reaching record levels.

Are we perfect?
How can we be, we're only human.

But I will tell you this: no organization could possibly be as concerned with and focused on guest satisfaction as the Regent Team is. While we strive to deliver flawless service in everything we do, when issues do arise, we are lightning quick to address the shortfall and fix whatever needs fixing immediately. That is my promise and pledge to you.

FDR
Chairman and CEO
Prestige Cruise Holdings

[Anna B.]

Let me see if I can once for all put an end to all the speculations that the "known it all's" profess:

Since PCH acquired Regent, we have NOT reduced staff- we have instead, ADDED staff.

When we changed from 2 stewards (actually1 steward and 1 asst) per suite to 1 steward, we Also DOUBLED the number of stewards and eliminated the assistants meaning that each suite now has a higher caliber person attending to each suite.

When we added Prime 7 and eliminated Latiudes, we added to the galley staff in order to accommodate the much more extensive and complex menu of Prime 7.

We have added more buttlers

Because of these and other fleet wide OnBoard staff additions, we have taken several guest suites off-line and have assigned them to crew.

The result of EVERYTHING we have done since the acquisition is to improve guest satisfaction ratings to all-time highs which in turn has led to occupancy reaching all-time highs and a few other metrics (thankfully) also reaching record levels.

Are we perfect?
How can we be, we're only human.

But I will tell you this: no organization could possibly be as concerned with and focused on guest satisfaction as the Regent Team is. While we strive to deliver flawless service in everything we do, when issues do arise, we are lightning quick to address the shortfall and fix whatever needs fixing immediately. That is my promise and pledge to you.

FDR
Chairman and CEO
Prestige Cruise Holdings

Thank you, FDR!

Every day I have been lucky enough to spend on a Regent ship has been a memorable one. It is the personal touches, for example your taking the time to post here, that make Regent so special.

[commodoredave]

Let me see if I can once for all put an end to all the speculations that the "known it all's" profess:

Since PCH acquired Regent, we have NOT reduced staff- we have instead, ADDED staff.

When we changed from 2 stewards (actually1 steward and 1 asst) per suite to 1 steward, we Also DOUBLED the number of stewards and eliminated the assistants meaning that each suite now has a higher caliber person attending to each suite.

When we added Prime 7 and eliminated Latiudes, we added to the galley staff in order to accommodate the much more extensive and complex menu of Prime 7.

We have added more buttlers

Because of these and other fleet wide OnBoard staff additions, we have taken several guest suites off-line and have assigned them to crew.

The result of EVERYTHING we have done since the acquisition is to improve guest satisfaction ratings to all-time highs which in turn has led to occupancy reaching all-time highs and a few other metrics (thankfully) also reaching record levels.

Are we perfect?
How can we be, we're only human.

But I will tell you this: no organization could possibly be as concerned with and focused on guest satisfaction as the Regent Team is. While we strive to deliver flawless service in everything we do, when issues do arise, we are lightning quick to address the shortfall and fix whatever needs fixing immediately. That is my promise and pledge to you.

FDR
Chairman and CEO
Prestige Cruise Holdings

FDR, I certainly give you and team credit for quickly turning around things on the second leg of our current voyage after receiving our comment cards from the first. And if you continue to work at ways to consistently deliver an excellent level of service and quality as you pledge to, I am confident you will get there. It's never easy, but that's why we pay a premium to sail with a luxury line.

[Travelcat2]

Thank you for taking the time to post Mr. Del Rio! It is appreciated by so many loyal Regent customers! While I do not always understand why certain things are changing on Regent, the end result seems to always be positive:)

[FDV]

Its nice that Mr. Del Rio comes on the board and gives us info and tries to clarify things, it is much appreciated. I truly love the Regent product and along with some of the best people we have cruised with which make the experience wonderful as well. We have cruised Regent eight times with another cruise booked so its clear to say that all the pros outweigh the small cons here and there: I will leave it on this note, when I am on the Voyager and the ship is full and several nights at dinner the waiter wants to take my order before I can even sample a glass of wine or try another, that is NOT Six Star service and that would NEVER happen in a fine dining Venue: so if staff had been added how would this happen???

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Thanks Frank, for taking the time to post. Your explanation helps us understand why our experiences over the last two years on multiple Regent sailings have been simply exceptional. For Ida and I (we count our blessings when we board either Regent or Silversea) we have observed (e.g. new specialty restaurants, included excursions) very positive differences since our first Regent sailing on the Navigator in late 2004.

[RachelG]

Just want to say that I really appreciate Mr. Del Rio responding. I haven't gotten into this discussion much as I don't think Regent has slipped in standards, but I am happy to see someone with authority in the business respond.

[Island Cruiser]

FDR, it is good you are not running the marketing department. Your "know it all" crack doesn't become you our your product. We welcome explanations and clarifications. None of us has a monopoly on truth. Although reports of our personal experiences cruising Regent are valid notwithstanding. You come across to me as a thin-skinned defensive individual. And I bet the next thing you do is ban me from future cruises on Regent. That will improve the bottom line for your competitors.

[Anna B.]

FDR, it is good you are not running the marketing department. Your "know it all" crack doesn't become you our your product. We welcome explanations and clarifications. None of us has a monopoly on truth. Although reports of our personal experiences cruising Regent are valid notwithstanding. You come across to me as a thin-skinned defensive individual. And I bet the next thing you do is ban me from future cruises on Regent. That will improve the bottom line for your competitors.

Ouch! Guess it's time to unsubscribe from this thread and log out of CC. I used to so enjoy posting here.....now the negativity makes me really sad.

[jhp]

Does me too, AnnaB. My what a rude post that was, from someone I have enjoyed cruising with in the past. Pat, don't know what bug has attacked you tonight!

BTW, I appreciated FDR's comments, whether you agree or disagree. No reason he should not be able to come here at anytime he wishes and post, but if I were he, not sure I would want to return again, given that post.

[Island Cruiser]

Olivia, it's called the "know it all" bug. This board hosts people's perceptions, the good, the bad, the ugly. That is it's essential value. Name calling by the CEO is not something to applaud IMO. Perceptions are going to vary dramatically. In our case, when Regent switched from two cabin attendants to one we noticed we, as early risers, no longer got our cabin serviced early. A big deal? No. But not an improvement. I didn't like the change and probably posted my perception. Does that make me a know it all? This is an opinon board. Bravo. We've got FDR's. And now mine.

[Anna B.]

Does me too, AnnaB. My what a rude post that was, from someone I have enjoyed cruising with in the past. Pat, don't know what bug has attacked you tonight!

BTW, I appreciated FDR's comments, whether you agree or disagree. No reason he should not be able to come here at anytime he wishes and post, but if I were he, not sure I would want to return again, given that post.

Thanks, jhp.......not sure why some folks feel the need to be so irrascible at times.....

[Island Cruiser]

Anna B, just expressing my opinion. If that isn't an amen to your point of view, why are you bothered?

[jhp]

Olivia, it's called the "know it all" bug. This board hosts people's perceptions, the good, the bad, the ugly. That is it's essential value. Name calling by the CEO is not something to applaud IMO. Perceptions are going to vary dramatically. In our case, when Regent switched from two cabin attendants to one we noticed we, as early risers, no longer got our cabin serviced early. A big deal? No. But not an improvement. I didn't like the change and probably posted my perception. Does that make me a know it all? This is an opinon board. Bravo. We've got FDR's. And now mine.

Here's my beef, Pat, "essential value" does not always come from every post that might be culled from one cruise, one event, one moment in time, or even a particular cruiser. Or a beef like yours about cabin service does not tell the whole story. Over the past couple of years, negativity has reigned on this site, for the most part.

I cruised same year that you found your perceived "lowering of service" I am sure, after Regent went back to the one attendant per cabin. I KNEW that they were servicing twice the cabins, for two of them, my stewardess told me so. And so they went back to former service. Maybe you were on a hall where your cabin might have been last in her rotation? I had that happen to me on a cruise, ONCE. I didn't like it, but I didn't make a tornado out of it, and yes, it happend day after day. I guess someone has to be last in line..

I just think you were WAY out of line to make a post this rude to a CEO who has chosen to come on line to talk with us..

[Travelcat2]

Olivia, it's called the "know it all" bug. This board hosts people's perceptions, the good, the bad, the ugly. That is it's essential value. Name calling by the CEO is not something to applaud IMO. Perceptions are going to vary dramatically. In our case, when Regent switched from two cabin attendants to one we noticed we, as early risers, no longer got our cabin serviced early. A big deal? No. But not an improvement. I didn't like the change and probably posted my perception. Does that make me a know it all? This is an opinon board. Bravo. We've got FDR's. And now mine.

Some posters like to pass judgement on opinions. It is something I have fought back against for a long time. You certainly have a right to state your experiences and opinion and should not be scolded (for lack of a better word) for it.

I am interested in all opinions and am satisfied that FDR and others in PCH/Regent management read CruiseCritic and care about what is said.

[hondorner]

I believe the "know-it-alls" cooment was directed to those who have repeatedly stated that staff has been reduced under PCH management, not as a perception or an opinion, but stating it as if it were a fact. Given the actuality that staff has been increased, not reduced, and given the negative reactions by newcomers to to such erroneous statements, I think it's entirely reasonable that Mr. Del Rio should be a bit "miffed".

We are all entitled to our own opinions and perceptions, but none of us are entitled to our own facts.

[cruiseej]

FDR, it is good you are not running the marketing department. Your "know it all" crack doesn't become you our your product. We welcome explanations and clarifications. None of us has a monopoly on truth. Although reports of our personal experiences cruising Regent are valid notwithstanding. You come across to me as a thin-skinned defensive individual.

Actually, Island Cruiser, with that response, it seems that description applies more to you than Mr. Del Rio. ;)

He didn't say that people's less-than-ideal experiences, like yours, haven't happened or aren't truthful. He does say that the company is dedicated to responding and improving when things aren't up to their standards. (I'd expect most CEOs to say that, of course.)

What his reply is doing, though, is debunking speculation and "confirmed reports" from crew members about staff cutbacks to make the cruise line more profitable. A number of people have posted on this forum -- some repeatedly -- that Regent switched the cabin steward staffing set-up to reduce staff and save money. Mr. Del Rio now lays that to rest and tell us that's not so. It doesn't mean that the change worked smoothly in all cases, so it doesn't attempt to dispute or diminish what you experienced. Others have talked about Regent not having cabin space for more crew; he explains that they have added crew and that they have taken some revenue-producing suites out of guest service to use for crew.

I certainly appreciate hearing from the CEO what is and isn't true, especially when we repeatedly read reports and speculation on this forum, some of which do purport to be "in the know" and others of which are repeated time after time.

-- Eric

[Travelcat2]

I believe the "know-it-alls" cooment was directed to those who have repeatedly stated that staff has been reduced under PCH management, not as a perception or an opinion, but stating it as if it were a fact. Given the actuality that staff has been increased, not reduced, and given the negative reactions by newcomers to to such erroneous statements, I think it's entirely reasonable that Mr. Del Rio should be a bit "miffed".

We are all entitled to our own opinions and perceptions, but none of us are entitled to our own facts.

Don: Really didn't think FDR sounded "miffed" at all. I really wish that he and/or Marc Conroy would post more often. This discussion has been going on considerably longer than this particular thread and now it can be put to rest.

The perceptions newcomers to Regent get on this boards is difficult to address. Coming across as a Regent cheerleader 100% of the time sounds (and usually is) phony and comes across as disingenuous. Honesty is usually the best policy. For instance, when I speak to a newbie and service in CR is mentioned, I recommend not going there directly after a special event since upwards of 400 guests ascend on this dining venue at the same time.

IMO, with a little research and thought, the Regent experience can be almost perfect (JMHO)

[Mjflowers]

Appreciate your response to the "know it alls" I sail with Regent for the complete experience of cruising. Take the good with the bad. Until something better comes along, Regent will be at the top of my list. Unfortunately people will still give their IMHO:confused:, wether they know what they speak of or not. I say, keep up the good work with always trying to improve your cruise line. Let the nay sayers have their opinion, some must always complain or will not be happy.

[commodoredave]

I feel obliged to rejoin the conversation as I have seen what I believe to be unwarranted attacks on people who objected to Mr. Del Rio's use of the term "know it alls" in rejecting some of the comments on this thread.
I make my comments as someone who has worked for almost 40 years in the communications business, including as an accredited journalist covering travel, finance and business, as well as a corporate PR executive for a multi-national company, and now as a communications consultant with clients around the world in media, travel and finance.

I understand and appreciate FDR's frustration with some of the comments on this thread purporting to be facts. I also understand his passion for the cruise business, and his love of the cruise lines and people working under PCH. I also admire his openess in posting on this thread.

However, PR 101 clearly says that executives never, never defend their product by insulting consumers who use it. Company executives are intelligent and insightfull people who can defend their position and proudly explain their company's situation without resorting to derogatory statements about others, no matter how frustrating the situation may be. FDR made some powerful and important points in his post, but it would have been even more powerful without the cheap shot. It is not becoming of an executive, and it is something that I would never have let happen to any of my clients. Frankly, it borders on arrogance, which I'm sure is not how FDR wants to be percieved on a public social media site. In fact, I'm sure it is not how FDR normally operates, and that he now regrets this unfortunate framing of his comments in a moment of emotion and frustration. (Frank, if I'm wrong, let me know.)

So, while you may disagree with people who have posted statements about Regent on this thread, please don't attack them for taking issue with FDR's comment about "know it alls". They may be wrong about everything they have posted, but they are absolutely right that it is not becoming of an executive like FDR to use cheap shots in defending his company.

[OrpingtonT]

I must say that I disagree with commodoredave above. Many times we are told as facts things which we doubt and the so-called reduction in staff was one of those. I think it only right that, in putting the facts straight, FDR is able to speak his mind about those who purport to know things the rest of us don't and I applaud honest, straight speaking.

Hondorner hit the nail on the head in his post.

[marinaro44]

Ouch! Guess it's time to unsubscribe from this thread and log out of CC. I used to so enjoy posting here.....now the negativity makes me really sad.
Well said, Kathy.

[FDV]

Olivia, it's called the "know it all" bug. This board hosts people's perceptions, the good, the bad, the ugly. That is it's essential value. Name calling by the CEO is not something to applaud IMO. Perceptions are going to vary dramatically. In our case, when Regent switched from two cabin attendants to one we noticed we, as early risers, no longer got our cabin serviced early. A big deal? No. But not an improvement. I didn't like the change and probably posted my perception. Does that make me a know it all? This is an opinon board. Bravo. We've got FDR's. And now mine.

I too agree that the "Know it all" statement was just a bit condascending. This board is too talk about our experience on Regent or our opinions about Regent and everyone I believe has the right to respond how they feel. As I said in my earlier post it was nice to have Mr. Del Rio come on the board and post info and give time lines and such, but if he is going to call us Know it All's when clearly people have had major service issues, I believe Islandcruiser has the right to respond. Mr. Del Rio might be the CEO but WE are the ones that pay sometimes well over $1k per day to cruise on his ships and we gladly do it: So when his own Staff and officers tell us info or confide in us, sorry I believe them..

[findacruise]

Let me see if I can once for all put an end to all the speculations that the "known it all's" profess:

Since PCH acquired Regent, we have NOT reduced staff- we have instead, ADDED staff.

When we changed from 2 stewards (actually1 steward and 1 asst) per suite to 1 steward, we Also DOUBLED the number of stewards and eliminated the assistants meaning that each suite now has a higher caliber person attending to each suite.

When we added Prime 7 and eliminated Latiudes, we added to the galley staff in order to accommodate the much more extensive and complex menu of Prime 7.
We have added more buttlers

Because of these and other fleet wide OnBoard staff additions, we have taken several guest suites off-line and have assigned them to crew.

The result of EVERYTHING we have done since the acquisition is to improve guest satisfaction ratings to all-time highs which in turn has led to occupancy reaching all-time highs and a few other metrics (thankfully) also reaching record levels.

Are we perfect?
How can we be, we're only human.

But I will tell you this: no organization could possibly be as concerned with and focused on guest satisfaction as the Regent Team is. While we strive to deliver flawless service in everything we do, when issues do arise, we are lightning quick to address the shortfall and fix whatever needs fixing immediately. That is my promise and pledge to you.

FDR
Chairman and CEO
Prestige Cruise Holdings

Thank you for taking the time to respond. We took our first Regent cruise in November, having been on 6 Oceania (with 2 more coming up in 10 days) and found our cabin steward to be the best we have ever had on any cruise line, including Oceania. We still give the nod to food, IMHO to Oceania. Our only real lack of service issue was the inconsistency we found in Compass Rose (and not on big party nights) where it did seem short staffed and dinner could take over 2 hours and much, much time between courses. We were always VERY pleased with the dinner service in La Veranda, though. We did love the Regent experience and have booked another cruise.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

My perception and my opinions are mine to have and discuss. In Management 101 if I don't agree with your opinion or perception it doesn't make me wrong. As a matter of fact, it's actually good management to listen because there is truth in everything. And that applies to the boards as well.

If we all thought Regent was perfection all the time, we'd not have these conversations. My personal opinion is that the direction Regent has taken with everything included as a well traveled and cruised individual has caused me to go elsewhere to cruise. I do see a marked difference in the product and don't feel the value is the same for me. I saw many changes in service and food quality in the last several years. I see a total turn over of passenger demographics and feel the past passengers are not as valued as they had been in the past with Regent marketing to passengers of the HAL/CELEBRITY/PRINCESS lines to replace the old Radisson/Regent loyal who are now on Seabourne Silverseas and Crystal more frequently

[Suite Travels]

Crystal is sill rated number one for consistent service and excellent food...and yes the CEO does read the Crystal boards.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Phew, I go away for a couple of hours and all "h-e-double hockeysticks" breaks out.

Let me see if I can once for all put an end to all the speculations that the "known it all's" profess:

Since PCH acquired Regent, we have NOT reduced staff- we have instead, ADDED staff.

...
The result of EVERYTHING we have done since the acquisition is to improve guest satisfaction ratings to all-time highs which in turn has led to occupancy reaching all-time highs and a few other metrics (thankfully) also reaching record levels.


I appreciate you posting, and wish that you and others at Regent would respond to these items more frequently.

But I agree with Island Cruiser that the "know it all" comment was a bit untoward. We all have our opinions, and very few have stated these as fact.

All of our perceptions, based on our individual cruise experiences, are valid, but by definition anecdotal. I feel that much of the perception of staff reduction comes from the fact that many of us cruised in the "old days" on Radisson when the ships sailed less than full.

Not sure this is correct, but it sure feels like it. We too have perceived a diminution of service over the last few cruises, since about 2007. In CR this includes hurried (and harried) wait-staff, abentee sommeliers, slow meal service. Less than perfect food coming out too--sometimes lukewarm. In the suite, we have gotten used to not having our room cleaned until well after lunch, despite the fact that we're out and about very early in the morning. Pool buffet service is often frenetic, and frankly sloppy.

Sometimes it feels like the ships were really not designed for full-occupancy.

All the staff, with very few exceptions, work tirelessly for us through this, and with a smile on their face, so cudos for that.

Oh, and one more thing--our satisfaction levels may have gone down in recent years along with the perceived value of what we receive. This is probably a legacy of the "bad old days" after 9-11 when RSSC cruises could be found for $250-$400 per night. So the value proposition has changed considerably since then--we pay a lot more than that now, and we expect the service, food, etc. to live up to all of those (imho) over-inflated prices. Gotta love you, you're making those prices stick, so after my cruise on Navigator, I will most likely be taking my business elsewhere.

[journeyfan]

FDR, I don't think most cruisers will be pleased to hear that probably the main reason service in Compass Rose is lacking when the ship is full is because more butlers have been added to service the suites and more cooks have been added to Prime 7 due to the complexity of the menu. Most, if not all cruisers, spend considerable time dining in Compass Rose whereas very few of us stay in suites and most of us never get to dine more than once per cruise in Prime 7.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

FDR, I don't think most cruisers will be pleased to hear that probably the main reason service in Compass Rose is lacking when the ship is full is because more butlers have been added to service the suites and more cooks have been added to Prime 7 due to the complexity of the menu. Most, if not all cruisers, spend considerable time dining in Compass Rose whereas very few of us stay in suites and most of us never get to dine more than once per cruise in Prime 7.

Very good point!

[PaulaJK]

Wow! from the CEO ???

[nana541]

I'm just glad to know he is lurking and maybe paying attention.....now if he would just get the landside "customer :rolleyes: service" folks up to the same level of "can do" as we experiance (in most cases) onboard!

[marinaro44]

I think the point Del Rio was making was that those who wrote with certitude that staff had been reduced were wrong, and that people who write such things without really knowing whether it's true or not are doing both fellow Cruise Critic members and the cruise line a real disservice. People have posted that particular canard over and over and over as if they knew it for a fact, and, as it turns out, they were very much incorrect. Similarly, the initial description in this thread about Frank Del Rio's tenure at Renaissance turned out to be quite incorrect, although it conveniently as written supported the poster's negative attitude toward Regent since PCH took over the cruise line.

There's a difference between posting your "opinion" or "perception" and posting something as fact when what you've written is based only on hearsay or speculation.

[poss]

And there's a difference between posting one's points or one's opinions or one's facts in a civil, courteous manner or in a sarcastic, belittling manner.

[LindaM]

And there's a difference between posting one's points or one's opinions or one's facts in a civil, courteous manner or in a sarcastic, belittling manner.

Hmmmmm.... I guess some of us do not have the same interpretation of the meaning of "sarcastic". Or, what is acceptable here as an opinion I don't think he said anything more belittling than I have been exposed to on CC. Just sayin!! (Notice I am not mentioning names or the numbers of posts!)

[charltonkerry]

Could someone please explain to me what is wrong with Regent advertising to people who have previously cruised on Princess, HAL and in my case P&O, I am sure that I am misreading / misunderstanding the comments it seems to indicate that newbies like myself are somehow not good enough to be experiencing the wonders of Regent, or alternatively our present is somehow watering down the experience for other more regular travellers.

I am certain this isn't the case, but an explanation would be appriciated to put our minds at rest prior to departing on what I am expecting to be a wonderful cruise, hopefully the first of many with Regent.

Regards
Marion and Kerry

[Travelcat2]

And there's a difference between posting one's points or one's opinions or one's facts in a civil, courteous manner or in a sarcastic, belittling manner.

Excellent point. From a poster who posts almost daily, some of us on the Regent board post things that they believe are true - based on the information they have received. The staff aboard ships do confide in passengers and what they share can certainly be true at the time. . . . then things change. Something as simple as who the Captain or GM of a particular ship is going to be in 3 months can change and make the poster sound like a liar. However, at the time the information was shared, it was a fact. Even when we post our opinion, there is criticism. IMO (use that phrase a lot -- just to remind readers that it is an opinion), unless a poster states that "I know as a fact that........", it should be considered an opinion.

There are things Marc Conroy said a year ago onboard the Mariner that has not come to pass. Mr. Conroy is certainly not a liar. . . . he simply stated what was going on at the time and what was expected over the next few months.

Then there are posters who like to criticize, belittle or just be sarcastic to a poster because they disagree or think they are being negative. These type of comments, IMO, are adding negativity to negativity. As has been pointed out, this is a board where all views can be heard. It is not a place to belittle or criticize other posters (JMHO)

Last, there have been comments lately about how many posts a person has. Most times, having 5,000 - 10,000 posts simply signifies a poster that has a long history with Regent and/or other cruise lines. One of the best sources of information on Crystal and Seabourn has 30,000+ posts. There are people new to the board all the time. They come on and ask the same questions that have been asked for years. A group of us enjoy answering the questions over and over and over as we are helping new cruisers -- just like we were helped when we were new. It is no ones business if someone has to repeat what they have posted twice or twenty times.

While this post may seem off subject, go back and read how many posts were not adding content to the subject. They were criticizing someone. If I were summing up this thread, it would be fairly simple:

1. Some posters feel there are fewer staff than in the past.
2. Others feel that food and wine quality have declined.
3. There are various other comments about management being weaker, excursions, stewardess/stewards, etc.
4. The CEO sets the record straight.
5. There are positive and negative opinions to the CEO's statement.
6. People continue to criticize each other.

Go figure:confused:

[Balloon Man]

As a newcomer to Regent - we make our first cruise with the line 30 March from Dubai to Athens (and I'm hoping for a Seabourn equivalent experience. Or close). So I'm not in a position to comment on what FDR or other posters have said about the standards of service. But as a marketing man I was struck that a senior executive of the line felt the need to personally respond to some of the many negative comments about Regent I've read on this thread. Good for him, but the sarcasm would not have helped his cause. My advice to all cruise lines is that they should employ a professional CC blogger - as do Azamara in Bill Leiber - who will tell you which criticisms he will take to management, why, and the outcome. In this way you know that somebody is always listening and responding.

[Host Dan]

Thank you TravelCat2 and Baloon Man for two posts that make the most sense...

Host Dan

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Could someone please explain to me what is wrong with Regent advertising to people who have previously cruised on Princess, HAL and in my case P&O, I am sure that I am misreading / misunderstanding the comments it seems to indicate that newbies like myself are somehow not good enough to be experiencing the wonders of Regent, or alternatively our present is somehow watering down the experience for other more regular travellers.

I am certain this isn't the case, but an explanation would be appriciated to put our minds at rest prior to departing on what I am expecting to be a wonderful cruise, hopefully the first of many with Regent.

Regards
Marion and Kerry

Absolutely nothing is wrong with marketing to those clients. I cruise HAL, Celebrity and Princess and have been spoiled by Regent. But it's not the same Regent it used to be! But what they are doing is marketing to people who have not been on a luxury cruise and may not have experienced the quality of service that used to be and is no longer. Yes, it is better than the mass markets and the cost is far greater - you will have a great time - but, and I realize things do change - there is a difference from what it was in the past in terms of food quality, excursion quality, availability of luxury food items like crab and caviar, and while they may have more staff, the perception is there is less now.

[fizzy]

I am sure that many people who frequent the CC boards do so for a variety of reasons . There is tons of stuff to read for people who love cruising and a wealth of good information and opinions across the boards. I personally rarely post but enjoy the reading immensely and I have no doubt that there are many others like me. Several years ago at a hosted table on the Navigator, somebody brought up the subject of CC. A couple of people knew about it and others were not aware. Now, having read the back and forth comments about FDR's post, I am wondering if that one line should have been omitted. At that dinner table. the officer hosting{who was formerly from SS} had said that all the cruiselines keep an active eye on all of the message boards to get a feel for their customers' opinions , etc. but that they also at the corporate level have terminologies that they use in house to make note of comments.....valid criticisms, good points, need looking into or some of the posts come from the"gnats". I remember being a little taken aback by that comment in the way that people today are annoyed at the "know it all" comment. I think the guy was making a funny in his mind and it might well be true but I also agree that it could have been ommitted from the otherwise very precise and informative message. Public relations are very important.

[Caroldoll]

be confronted with just simply attack posts when they post their opinion. I am very hesitant to post my OPINION as I really feel uncomfortable being a pin cushion. It is so sad that people can't be objective and post what is their "opinion" EVERYONE IS ENTITLED to an opinion. These "people" are just downgrading the value of these boards. Facts are facts. Opinions are opinions. I am just plain SCAIRT! LOL to express anything here. OMG...what a horrible thread.

[count florida]

I for one genuinely appreciate Mr. DelRio's response. He has the facts and his posting do clarify things somewhat. It’s encouraging that he reads these boards, and takes our comments to heart. In my opinion, it’s evidence he really tries to do what he says in the last paragraph. BRAVO! I take exception to just one statement he made:
"When we changed from 2 stewards (actually1 steward and 1 asst) per suite to 1 steward, we Also DOUBLED the number of stewards and eliminated the assistants meaning that each suite now has a higher caliber person attending to each suite."

I seem to recall the change to a single steward/ess took place before the name change and thus before Apollo/PCH acquired Regent from the Carlson group, so the 'we Also DOUBLED' statement must apply to the RSSC team he now directs. In the immediate aftermath of that change, members of the housekeeping staff complained to my wife or to me that they had more than half the number of suites to care for than before the change; one was a housekeeping officer responding to an issue! Before the change, the 'team' was in and out of a suite in 10-15 minutes most days; now the steward/ess take up to half an hour, and getting your suite done while at breakfast seems difficult to arrange. On our last cruise, we had an outstanding steward who kept our suite spotless, but he was only able to do the morning cleanup while we were enjoying our breakfast I think just twice during the 15 days; we had asked him to try to do it then at embarkation, by the way.

I do wish Mr. DelRio would use these boards to speak to common criticisms such as slow service in Compass Rose, and the perceived decline in variety and quality of the food and wine while Regent’s fares have sky-rocketed. To be candid, I feel these declines started before Apollo and PCH became involved, as did the frequency of negative responses to customer/guest requests – it seems that many things formerly at the discretion of the captain and/or hotel director are now tightly controlled from South Florida, hindering the ability to be ”lightning quick to address the shortfall and fix whatever needs fixing immediately”. The change in title from ‘hotel director’ to ‘general manager’ is perhaps emblematic of the new approach or change in strategy. I don’t expect or even want Regent to give the product away; they must make a profit or someone will come in and do something else, probably worse from our perspective, with RSSC’s considerable assets.

Let’s be clear, my wife and I have been unhappy with many of the changes we’ve seen or become aware of. We have made a concerted effort over several years to try other competing lines, specifically Silversea and Crystal, although we’ve also tried Oceania and Princess, and had earlier less than stellar experiences with Cunard and Holland American, which may explain why we haven’t yet tried Seaborne. Frankly, we’ve tried to find an alternative, unsuccessfully. Silversea comes the closest, but a fair, objective assessment is that, for anyone with a decent number of nights on Regent, say 75+, Regent’s loyalty program gives them a competitive advantage akin to that enjoyed by American Airlines after it created the original frequent flyer program. In retrospect, design and introduction of the Seven Seas Society Member Benefits Program was a genuinely brilliant move! This from someone who taught graduate-level IT strategy and management at two Research 1 universities in the 1980s and 1990s.

Enough said. But we still miss the “Good Old Days”!

[charltonkerry]

Absolutely nothing is wrong with marketing to those clients. I cruise HAL, Celebrity and Princess and have been spoiled by Regent. But it's not the same Regent it used to be! But what they are doing is marketing to people who have not been on a luxury cruise and may not have experienced the quality of service that used to be and is no longer. Yes, it is better than the mass markets and the cost is far greater - you will have a great time - but, and I realize things do change - there is a difference from what it was in the past in terms of food quality, excursion quality, availability of luxury food items like crab and caviar, and while they may have more staff, the perception is there is less now.

Thank you for your explanation, you explained it very well. Funny when I first started cruising there was a similar suggestions being made then with PandO and certainly after 10 cruises with PandO over 10 years their standards has dropped and the nice luxury touches have totally disappeared.
Thanks again,
Regards
Marion and Kerry

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

+1 (well said) Chatkat/Kathy and also very well said Professor/Count/Mike.

ps..Mike, look forward to meeting/sailing with Pat and you on board the Voyager next month.

[esimon]

Ok -- Regent isn't what it use to be -- get over it -- It is what it is today -- it is discouraging to new Regent cruisers to hear how it 'isn't' any more --- neither is most of the world -- like it use to be -- could you keep the posts in regard to now -- recently -- not years ago. thanks

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Sorry then to tell you that there are service lapses that shouldn't be, 4 good shows on a 10 day cruise and inferior shows or movies the other nights. Even that they allowed the art auction company to take over Prime 7 on a Saturday night for their own clients is not indicative of 6 star luxury. Waiting in long lines and then a full half hour in the theater for an excursion to board a bus. Excursions where the guide takes you shopping and talks about only stores who give her kickback.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Ok -- Regent isn't what it use to be -- get over it -- It is what it is today -- it is discouraging to new Regent cruisers to hear how it 'isn't' any more --- neither is most of the world -- like it use to be -- could you keep the posts in regard to now -- recently -- not years ago. thanks

Why? Isn't that what the thread is about? Our mandate here, after all, is to be critics, among other things. It's not to be cheerleaders.
(

[msmillie]

Count Florida, Thank you for your thoughtful post. You made some excellent points; I do agree with you that it would be helpful to have Mr. Del Rio, Mr. Mark Conroy, or another knowledgeable representative from Regent respond to concerns on this board.

[LindaM]

My post would only make sense to the person I was responding to!!

Travelcat...I was not referring to the the number of posts a person has contributed. That should never be relevent--in most cases!! It had to do with people making reference to a particular post number.

[cruiseluv]

Ok -- Regent isn't what it use to be -- get over it -- It is what it is today -- it is discouraging to new Regent cruisers to hear how it 'isn't' any more --- neither is most of the world -- like it use to be -- could you keep the posts in regard to now -- recently -- not years ago. thanks

Since you started posting on the Regent board your only "contribution" has been to tell the rest of us to shut up, be grateful and move on. I dont know about others but I'm not taking my marching orders from you. Maybe come back after you take a Regent cruise and tell us what you thought of it. In the meantime, I welcome all critics to continue posting their experiences.

[esimon]

wow so sorry -- I don't personally take critic to mean criticize - my mistake and I will rate REgent after our cruise -- I have not told anyone to shut up -- I asked you to stop talking about the past. That doesn't help new cruisers know what to expect. didn't mean to step on your toes -

[Travelcat2]

Travelcat...I was not referring to the the number of posts a person has contributed. That should never be relevent--in most cases!! It had to do with people making reference to a particular post number.

Sorry ... there was a recent poster who recommended ignoring posts from people who have a lot of posts because it indicates that they have nothing to do (or something like that). This person said that they have a very busy life. Did not mean to misunderstand your post.:o

esimon: It is difficult sometimes to understand some of the topics and posts on this board. When the "regulars" aren't helping new people, we do tend to make comparisons about how things were and how they are now. Our "past" is only 4+ years ago.

When a person new to CC indicates that they are taking their first Regent cruise after sailing on non-luxury ships, is taking their first Regent cruise after sailing on other luxury lines. . . or, is taking their first cruise, we will not respond will how things have changed. We try to respond to the questions or give tips for when they sail on Regent.

I remember when I was taking my first Navigator cruise and could not find one positive thing on the Regent board about that ship. It ended up being a lovely cruise. One suggestion I would have for someone new to Regent is not to read threads that sound negative (not always easy to do). Certainly read reviews and threads relating to things you are interested in.

A suggestion for "regulars" (including myself) would be not interjecting how things were better in the old days unless it is relevant to the thread. Most "newbies" want to know about how Regent is now . . . without comparisons unless they are asked for. JMHO:)

[wripro]

This board is not solely for new cruisers. It's for ALL Regent cruisers who should be allowed to say anything they want. Anyone is free to ignore any post he/she finds unhelpful.

[Travelcat2]

This board is not solely for new cruisers. It's for ALL Regent cruisers who should be allowed to say anything they want. Anyone is free to ignore any post he/she finds unhelpful.

That is not what I meant. I agree with you completely. Just suggested that new cruisers may not want to read theads like this one. You pretty much know going in that people are going to make reference to how things were. Of course anyone can read anything they want. For those (old and new) that are objecting to negativity or reflection may want to ignore the whole thread. It was only a suggestion.:)

[FDV]

I think the past has a lot to do what we are talking about. My first cruise was with RCCL and I vowed never to cruise again because cruising was NOT for me. I have a hospitality back round and felt the service on the bigger ships was just not for me.. Then I found Regent back in 2003 and was blown away, so one of the points that a previous poster was making I believe is the service was better back then and Regent was half the price. Now Regent is double and the service is lacking in certain areas from past cruisers, its a totally reasonable argument.

FV

[Travelcat2]

I think the past has a lot to do what we are talking about. My first cruise was with RCCL and I vowed never to cruise again because cruising was NOT for me. I have a hospitality back round and felt the service on the bigger ships was just not for me.. Then I found Regent back in 2003 and was blown away, so one of the points that a previous poster was making I believe is the service was better back then and Regent was half the price. Now Regent is double and the service is lacking in certain areas from past cruisers, its a totally reasonable argument.

FV

Let's say that your statement about Regent is true about service and price. How is this knowledge going to help someone taking their first Regent cruise?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Let's say that your statement about Regent is true about service and price. How is this knowledge going to help someone taking their first Regent cruise?

Jackie, it was my statement I believe. Although I didn't put it that way, but quoted some low prices from the early 2000's (post 9/11).

It's not going to help a new cruiser at all. But we who have been around RSSC for a while can say it all they like, in hopes that something will change, or that something better will come along.

[FDV]

Let's say that your statement about Regent is true about service and price. How is this knowledge going to help someone taking their first Regent cruise?

How will it help them?? Not really sure, but I think that if a newbie is going to pay todays prices and again I do really like the Regent product, because I have a cruise booked with them later this year, but I also have a Silversea cruise booked in April because its time to try something else and the Value is there as well: People have options I guess, and can vote with there money and there feet..

[cruiseluv]

Let's say that your statement about Regent is true about service and price. How is this knowledge going to help someone taking their first Regent cruise?

Since when did this board become a counseling/information center solely for Regent's new customers? I was under the impression that it was a board to ask questions and provide information, the good with the bad. I don't feel I need to constrain what I say based on if the "newbie" is interested on it or not. If they're not they can move right along.

I dont know about you, but I don't see myself as part of the Regent marketing effort.

[Travelcat2]

Jackie, it was my statement I believe. Although I didn't put it that way, but quoted some low prices from the early 2000's (post 9/11).

It's not going to help a new cruiser at all. But we who have been around RSSC for a while can say it all they like, in hopes that something will change, or that something better will come along.

Think I need a nap or something since I'm not explaining this well:p I am not disagreeing with anyone. . . . just suggesting that newbies not read negative threads because we do make comparisons there. Then I thought about "us" (meaning regulars) and thought that it might help if we didn't insert how it used to be on almost every thread. It is going to happen -- it would be nice if happened less. On the other hand, this is not a big deal. . . . certainly not as big as posters criticizing each other.

[mariners]

TC2, Am I missing something that makes this thread specifically for new cruisers? The title of this thread is "Regent Slipping" so I think any post that relates to the title is relevant - both the positive and the negative points of view.

[Travelcat2]

TC2, Am I missing something that makes this thread specifically for new cruisers? The title of this thread is "Regent Slipping" so I think any post that relates to the title is relevant - both the positive and the negative points of view.

My unsuccessful posts were an attempt to help esimon from being chastised by a regular on this thread (see above). They wanted to know why the past is being brought up all the time (not only on this thread). I attempted to direct esimon to threads where the posts were more helpful to new cruisers. Obviously this thread would cater to people who want to give reasons why Regent is or is not slipping and in order to do so will look at the past.

This thread is just as it should be (well, sort of -- the nastiness sucks!) I did reflect upon how often regulars bring up the past and am personally going to be aware of times when I do that inappropriatelyl.

Mariners, sorry if it seems like I am taking it out on you (or Wendy). It bothers me to see people new to CruiseCritic be scolded as if they were children. Actually, IMO, there is no place for that behavior period!

[baychilla]

If anything I think a thread such as this would be more for people with a history with Regent. IMO it's hard to see a trend if you only have few data points and those points are clustered at a single end of the timeline.

For people stepping up to Regent I'd think the best threads would be from people in similar shoes, eg: those that just cruised Regent for the first time after having sailed on a more mass market line. However, IMO this allows dilution of quality. If the new guests don't know what they're missing they won't complain, will they?

There was a thread recently that I think combined both the old and new. The thread was "Is Regent worth the money?". Well this is where everyones opinion comes in (aside from the odd egg that "reviews" something they haven't yet experienced). For some the emperors new clothing is great, but for others he's currently stark naked.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

I think the change is very relevant to new cruisers. The per diem on a Regent cruise is now over $1000 per person per day or even more. They tout everything is FREE; For those prices, it's not free. You are paying for it and you are paying more for it and getting less.

The demographics of the average Regent Cruiser is most likely in upper income brackets and college educated and about 60 years of age. The marketing makes out like we are not intelligent and unable to figure out what we are paying for. Which while they like to say everything is included at Six Star luxury. My definition of six star luxury is not their definition of six star luxury. I should not have to wait for a waiter 15 minutes at a table; I expect that the wine glass will be filled and topped off or I will be asked if I want it. I don't expect for those prices wine that is available at Costco at $7.99 a bottle to be served.

[Travelcat2]

I think the change is very relevant to new cruisers. The per diem on a Regent cruise is now over $1000 per person per day or even more. They tout everything is FREE; For those prices, it's not free. You are paying for it and you are paying more for it and getting less.

The demographics of the average Regent Cruiser is most likely in upper income brackets and college educated and about 60 years of age. The marketing makes out like we are not intelligent and unable to figure out what we are paying for. Which while they like to say everything is included at Six Star luxury. My definition of six star luxury is not their definition of six star luxury. I should not have to wait for a waiter 15 minutes at a table; I expect that the wine glass will be filled and topped off or I will be asked if I want it. I don't expect for those prices wine that is available at Costco at $7.99 a bottle to be served.

Yes -- per diem is over $1,000 a day. Not sure what your point is since almost everything has increased dramatically . . . most certainly all luxury cruise lines and airlines. I can remember when gas was 25 cents per gallon (there isn't even "cent" signs on the keyboard anymore). . . . so what? It is now closer to $4.00 per gallon. This is life. When/if we can no longer afford Regent, we will stop cruising as I would rather return to land travel than to sail on anything other than Regent or Silversea. As a very famous poster on CruiseCritic repeats frequently, thankfully we have choices. If you do not like one cruise line, you can try another. What is sad, however, is badmouthing Regent to future cruisers. I know a few people who have left Regent. . . . but, they are not hanging around simply to repeat how bad it has become.

When we book a luxury hotel that we have not been to before, we heavily depend upon reviews on TripAdvisor. We could care less what people paid 5 years ago. We look for statements (positive or negative) that are repetitive. If 10 out of 15 people say the pool is cold, I believe it is cold. If a couple of people say the service is bad but most say it is good, I discount the negatives. The hotels we have booked have been 100% positive.

If you wait 15 minutes at a table on Regent, that is certainly relevant. The wine quality is what it is. Either someone accepts it or not. After all, it is all-inclusive and there is wine available for a price (and usually paid for with OBCs). Silversea, Seabourn and Regent passengers all complain about wine quality. That is a fact. The fact that they used to have 2 stewardess' and now have one, IMO, is not relevant.

Almost all passengers new to Regent who have not cruised another luxury line love it. Regent is so far above most mainstream and premium cruise lines. For those that no longer care for Regent, I urge you to try another luxury line (not Oceania as it is not true luxury -- by definition).

And, here we are talking about newbies again. Thought that was over.

The only other luxury line we have been on is Silversea. The wine and service is no better or worse than on Regent. A close friend of mine just returned from a cruise on Seabourn and would never cruise that line again. Bottom line for me. . . . if you don't like where you are, try something else.

Since the written word has no emotion. . . . and, because 99% of my posts are made when I'm smiling. . .. I just want to mention that this makes me angry.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

he per diem on a Regent cruise is now over $1000 per person per day or even more.

I just paid for our upcoming Alaska cruise. The per diem pp is not much over $500. That's without air or hotel and with SSS discounts, etc., but even with those things added it's under $600 pp/pd. Just one data point.

[Travelcat2]

I just paid for our upcoming Alaska cruise. The per diem pp is not much over $500. That's without air or hotel and with SSS discounts, etc., but even with those things added it's under $600 pp/pd. Just one data point.

You posted at the same time I did. This is a good point and refutes what others have posted.

[FDV]

I just paid for our upcoming Alaska cruise. The per diem pp is not much over $500. That's without air or hotel and with SSS discounts, etc., but even with those things added it's under $600 pp/pd. Just one data point.

Yes, I agree there are some good deals they have and I have gotten them as well. Your per diem is on the Navigator I assume which you can get the lower price on because you have the option of the Non Balcony suites. Very hard to get that pier diem on the Mariner or Voyager unless its one of the select sailings...

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

We are have 24 days booked on the Voyager (Dubai to Istanbul) next month; our per diem (no air, no hotel, alumni discount, b2b discount, TA discount) is about $425 pp (and we have B PH for one leg)..my last few Voyager cruises (Crossing 2010, HK to Bangkok, 2011) each have had per diems under $300 pp and $400 pp (this (HK to Bangkok) was a military discount granted, but the other two were not) respectively. As FDV notes above, u can cherry pick some good deals.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

My recent cruise on the Med was over $1000 a day before upgraded to an AFT Suite. For that money I want perfection or close to it.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yes, I agree there are some good deals they have and I have gotten them as well. Your per diem is on the Navigator I assume which you can get the lower price on because you have the option of the Non Balcony suites. Very hard to get that pier diem on the Mariner or Voyager unless its one of the select sailings...

Yes but this is Alaska, albeit the season-opener. We have an F balcony.

[Suite Travels]

The difference between the Regent threads and Crystal threads....is you will never see anything like this thread there.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

The days of the week on Navigator we had in 2006 for $1600 for 7 days are long gone

[newlondon]

TC2, I would point out that the cruise we're taking next Jan isn't even close to $1000 per day pp.

[Travelcat2]

TC2, I would point out that the cruise we're taking next Jan isn't even close to $1000 per day pp.

You're right.:) I was simply agreeing with the premise of another poster. Per diems have gone up on most itineraries which is to be expected.

There are per diems -- even on the Voyager and Mariner -- that are quite a bit less than $1,000/day/person. They sell out rapidly. (Example is the November crossing of the Mariner -- Monte Carlo to Rio. This sold out a year in advance)

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I've just received a fantastic price on Seven Seas Mariner from my travel agent- for a week cruise during the peak season, at $3700 per person, which adds up at $1056 per night for a H suite (couple). The only thing that's stopping me from grabbing it is the unfortunate fact that I've been to 4 of the 7 ports.

I can honestly see the value of RSSC when they give prices fixed on our (Middle East) region, but on cruises which sell well, we get the US prices, but don't get all the inclusive aspects, so paying $7699 for 10 nights suddenly makes no sense, especially when Seabourn's rate is at $4200 pp (how much will you spend on shore excursions, not $3000).

[scb]

Well, I rarely post here, but the statement that Regent is now well over $1000 per person/day just did not seem right so I went to RSSC and took a look at some of the Voyager's itineraries. Please note that I did not check every one--this is just a sampling.

London-Reykjavik 10 nights starting at $8794 for a per diem pp of 879

London-Copenhagen 22 nights starting at $16428 for a per diem pp of 746.

Athens-Istanbul 7 nights starting at $4917 for a per diem pp of 702

Istanbul-Venice 10 nights starting at $6282 for a per diem pp of 628

Mumbai-Bali 18 nights starting at $10350 for a per diem pp of 575.

And of course these are all including airfare. Obviously if you choose a higher category suite you will pay more.

Feel free to let me know if I have erred somewhere--math is not my strong suit! :p

[DaveFr]

Well, I rarely post here, but the statement that Regent is now well over $1000 per person/day just did not seem right so I went to RSSC and took a look at some of the Voyager's itineraries. Please note that I did not check every one--this is just a sampling.

London-Reykjavik 10 nights starting at $8794 for a per diem pp of 879

London-Copenhagen 22 nights starting at $16428 for a per diem pp of 746.

Athens-Istanbul 7 nights starting at $4917 for a per diem pp of 702

Istanbul-Venice 10 nights starting at $6282 for a per diem pp of 628

Mumbai-Bali 18 nights starting at $10350 for a per diem pp of 575.

And of course these are all including airfare. Obviously if you choose a higher category suite you will pay more.

Feel free to let me know if I have erred somewhere--math is not my strong suit! :p
You haven't erred. I also checked a number of cruises and in the great majority of cases, per person per diems do not get to the $1000 level until you get to Penthouses and above.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

Can I say though, what is the point in measuring the price per night, per person ?

In a hotel, usually, they'd charge you for the room, not per person, and we know that you can't book a suite on RSSC or any cruise line for the per person price. Even as a single, the supplement will be at least 100% of the price, almost always more. As such, perhaps the way forward would be to measure the price per couple, rather than per person. We all know for a cabin priced at $4000 per person, the least someone will be paying is $8000. As such the real per night price of that suite is, for a 7 night cruise, $1142 per night, not the $571 pp per night that the cruise line advertises.

I feel that when we start measuring the per night cost per person, when nobody pays that price at the end of the voyage, it is playing into the hands of the cruise line's marketing department- just like 2 for 1 fares, it's all a sham. The per night rate of a suite is the cost of a double, which is what all the rates on RSSC or indeed any luxury cruise line's website are based on.

Hope you see where I'm coming from.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

Well, I rarely post here, but the statement that Regent is now well over $1000 per person/day just did not seem right so I went to RSSC and took a look at some of the Voyager's itineraries. Please note that I did not check every one--this is just a sampling.

London-Reykjavik 10 nights starting at $8794 for a $1758 per night per suite

London-Copenhagen 22 nights starting at $16428 for a $1493 per night per suite

Athens-Istanbul 7 nights starting at $4917 for $1404 per night per suite

Istanbul-Venice 10 nights starting at $6282 for $1256 per night per suite

Mumbai-Bali 18 nights starting at $10350 for $1150 per night per suite

And of course these are all including airfare. Obviously if you choose a higher category suite you will pay more.

Feel free to let me know if I have erred somewhere--math is not my strong suit! :p



In line to what I have said above, I have adjusted the prices you have kindly placed to show how much it would cost per night, per suite for a double, which is ultimately what these prices are based on.

Nobody is ever going to pay the per person price unless sharing the room with a friend, and lets be honest, the vast majority of passengers travel with spouses thus only one person (or family) footing the bill. As with hotels, room is calculated as a double, and if you want to add a third or fourth guest/passenger, then you are welcome to do so at a supplement. Same with a solo passenger, who will also pay considerably more. I think working out the double price (done by multiplying the per person fare by two) then dividing it by the number of days gives a much more accurate showcase of how much the suite shall cost the passenger booked in it per night than working out what every individual passenger pays.

[scb]

I think the change is very relevant to new cruisers. The per diem on a Regent cruise is now over $1000 per person per day or even more. They tout everything is FREE; For those prices, it's not free. You are paying for it and you are paying more for it and getting less.

I do understand (and agree with you b_not_d) completely--it was only because of the above quote that I was curious to check and see if the pp per diems were now over $1000.

[wripro]

TC2,

Just to be clear my post about this board not being solely for new Regent cruisers was not directed at you by any means.

[Travelcat2]

TC2,

Just to be clear my post about this board not being solely for new Regent cruisers was not directed at you by any means.

No problem;)

[DaveFr]

In line to what I have said above, I have adjusted the prices you have kindly placed to show how much it would cost per night, per suite for a double, which is ultimately what these prices are based on.

Nobody is ever going to pay the per person price unless sharing the room with a friend, and lets be honest, the vast majority of passengers travel with spouses thus only one person (or family) footing the bill. As with hotels, room is calculated as a double, and if you want to add a third or fourth guest/passenger, then you are welcome to do so at a supplement. Same with a solo passenger, who will also pay considerably more. I think working out the double price (done by multiplying the per person fare by two) then dividing it by the number of days gives a much more accurate showcase of how much the suite shall cost the passenger booked in it per night than working out what every individual passenger pays.
To be fair, when you modified scb's post to show per diems per suite instead of per person, you should have also modified the first line of his post to read: "Well, I rarely post here, but the statement that Regent is now well over $2000 per suite/day just did not seem right so I went to RSSC and took a look at some of the Voyager's itineraries."

If the issue here was whether Regent and most, if not all, other cruise lines, mislead consumers by using per person instead of per suite pricing, I would agree with you. In a way, it's similar to the reason items are priced at $19.99 instead of $20.00. Consumers focus on the $19 and forget about the $0.99. The item price seems to be less than it really is. However, misleading pricing is not the issue being discussed in this thread. In the context of ChatKat's post which used per person per diem pricing, replies using the same measure of per diem were appropriate, IMHO.

[FDV]

Can I say though, what is the point in measuring the price per night, per person ?

In a hotel, usually, they'd charge you for the room, not per person, and we know that you can't book a suite on RSSC or any cruise line for the per person price. Even as a single, the supplement will be at least 100% of the price, almost always more. As such, perhaps the way forward would be to measure the price per couple, rather than per person. We all know for a cabin priced at $4000 per person, the least someone will be paying is $8000. As such the real per night price of that suite is, for a 7 night cruise, $1142 per night, not the $571 pp per night that the cruise line advertises.

I feel that when we start measuring the per night cost per person, when nobody pays that price at the end of the voyage, it is playing into the hands of the cruise line's marketing department- just like 2 for 1 fares, it's all a sham. The per night rate of a suite is the cost of a double, which is what all the rates on RSSC or indeed any luxury cruise line's website are based on.

Hope you see where I'm coming from.

I totally agree with you.. That was my point when I said that Regent is now over $1k per day I was referring to per couple not PP.

[newlondon]

I would point out, however, that many luxury resorts in the Caribbean, are over $1500 per night and all you do is sit on the beach. I still consider luxury cruising a good deal; even if it isn't the great deal it once was.

[nana541]

Ok so FLAME ME now, but this thread is now 11 pages long......exactly how much longer are you all going to spend ripping on Regent! Ya we all bitch now and then but .....how is this productive?:(

[baychilla]

Ok so FLAME ME now, but this thread is now 11 pages long......exactly how much longer are you all going to spend ripping on Regent! Ya we all bitch now and then but .....how is this productive?:(

If you had truly wanted the thread to die off you wouldn't have added a new post and brought it to the top of the page. :p

Also:

The difference between the Regent threads and Crystal threads....is you will never see anything like this thread there.

Interesting difference between two allegedly similar brands.

[Stevanb]

If you had truly wanted the thread to die off you wouldn't have added a new post and brought it to the top of the page. :p

Also:



Interesting difference between two allegedly similar brands.


Never seen it on Sliver Sea either

But you only see the same few people posting on the Regent board

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Bahrain, I've always found it best to stick with the pp/pd cost, since those are the ones listed on the website (and no, I don't think that's deceptive.) Everybody knows how to multiply by two.

I'm seeing ballpark $850 pp/pd on Mariner, in the Med this summer. I'm seeing about $600-$750 pp/pd on Mariner, in SA next fall/winter. Crossing from not much more than $400. All in category H, which of course are all full or waitlisted.

I shudder to think what these prices will be in 2013.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Fares for my per diem were based on a Cat E - which is all that was available when we booked. Same cabin as an H if you are comparing apples and oranges and more money per diem. So you are right if you are comparing that category.

The fact is still the same - it's what I paid to be in a standard cabin. And if you look at my signature - I am no longer looking only to Regent to book because for my travel dollar, I am also looking for either a high quality cruise that I can pick and choose my excursion, open dining, decent cabins and excellent service. At one time I did not even look elsewhere. I do have a deposit on a 2013 cruise and am waiting for the fall itineraries to move the deposit to - but - there is a likely chance it will be a crossing or end up being the Caribbean where the lower prices cruises are with in the Regent itins

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Wendy, we're booked on the Mariner this December (32 nights; Buenos Aires to Miami) in great G mid ship, our per diem is $370 pp. (we do our own air).

[DaveFr]

Fares for my per diem were based on a Cat E - which is all that was available when we booked. Same cabin as an H if you are comparing apples and oranges and more money per diem. So you are right if you are comparing that category.

The fact is still the same - it's what I paid to be in a standard cabin. And if you look at my signature - I am no longer looking only to Regent to book because for my travel dollar, I am also looking for either a high quality cruise that I can pick and choose my excursion, open dining, decent cabins and excellent service. At one time I did not even look elsewhere. I do have a deposit on a 2013 cruise and am waiting for the fall itineraries to move the deposit to - but - there is a likely chance it will be a crossing or end up being the Caribbean where the lower prices cruises are with in the Regent itins
Kathy,

Now I'm really confused. You said your per diem was in excess of $1000 per person for your October 31, 2011 Mariner cruise. However, when I looked up your cruise in an old Regent brochure from August 2011, it said the per person fare for a Cat. E plus taxes was $7819 which is a per diem of about $782. I don't see how you came up with a per person per diem of more than $1000. Did you mistakenly use the brochure price of $15798 in your calculation? Did you take the total fare for you and your husband and forget to divide it by two? Is there some other way you calculated a per person per diem of more than $1000?

Thanks.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Kathy, I don't need to tell you to think of us if you look at the Caribbean itins. We would love to cruise with you again, that goes without saying.

[Travelcat2]

Wendy, we're booked on the Mariner this December (32 nights; Buenos Aires to Miami) in great G mid ship, our per diem is $370 pp. (we do our own air).

As I am sure you are aware, longer cruises have lower per diems. So, it isn't a fair comparison. Plus, you receive some kind of military discount. Most of the posters on this thread are looking at average length cruises without special discounts.:cool:

[ChatKat in Ca.]

I will have to find my original invoice

[jhp]

Oh my, this thread went from bad to worse for any new cruiser trying to figure out what the fares are. $1000 a day per person, or do you mean a couple? I am speaking not to the "vets" here, if you are even still reading. I know that most have it all straight when they have cruised multiple times, but this thread is confusing..

Simply, all cruise lines, every one of them, list the prices per person, per cruise. They all do, irrespective of what land hotels do. In your mind, if you are a couple, you double it. If you are single, you have to figure out whether to double it, or increase it by a multiple that is listed for your particular cruise. Simple.

Sometimes air is included in other luxury cruise line prices, sometimes not. Regent allows you a credit if you wish to book your own air. I don't know of any line that includes a hotel the night before except for Regent but it does, and you can accept a credit if you want to book your own hotel, or come in the day of the cruise.

The "casual" new cruiser, or even a lurker on this board doesn't always automatically know these things

If this discussion has gravitated to pricing, I would suggest it needs to be a new thread that others surely would be drawn to for discussion. Actually, I would love to see the recent strong critics of Regent find me some cruises I want that are better priced on other lines. I look often, and find nothing better in almost all cases. I don't want to go to the Caribbean!

For anyone looking at pricing, I think Regent on the whole stands to look pretty well most of the time in comparison to the competition, considering what is included (air, excursions, hotel, all of it). But you need to compare to know what is best for you and your needs. Price seekers have to look at whether air is included on other lines. And, the value to them of included pre-cruise hotels, and back off those prices from Regent if they are not going to use those service.

[nana541]

Ok so FLAME ME now, but this thread is now 11 pages long......exactly how much longer are you all going to spend ripping on Regent! Ya we all bitch now and then but .....how is this productive?:(

My purpose for posting was to "politely" say stop, enough is enough !!!
Posters on this board for the most part have a wealth of information to contribute to everyone seeking information about the Regent experience.
I respect everyone's right to share but this is ENOUGH!
And please respect my right to feel this way....

Moving on to fair seas and happy sailing :)

[jhp]

This board is not solely for new cruisers. It's for ALL Regent cruisers who should be allowed to say anything they want. Anyone is free to ignore any post he/she finds unhelpful.

Nana I hope you know that my post before yours had nothing to do with anything about you or or posts.

[nana541]

Nana I hope you know that my post before yours had nothing to do with anything about you or or posts.

JHP :) we are looking forward to having a glass of wine ( or 2) and meeting onboard very very soon.... Of course you get the joy of a very long journey !
I know you weren't talking about me... I too on occasion get a little out of sorts but I just thought that this endless thread needed to come to an end!!!

Counting the days until we board the Mariner, we have finally gotten all our tours, hotels and arrangements made. We have made private tour arrangements in Ephesus, Pompeii, Rome and debarkation day in Istanbul should your family be looking for a differant experience let me know.

Looking forward to calm seas and smooth sailing!

[TahoeTraveler]

As I am sure you are aware, longer cruises have lower per diems. So, it isn't a fair comparison. Plus, you receive some kind of military discount. Most of the posters on this thread are looking at average length cruises without special discounts.:cool:
Nope, Regent doesn't offer military discounts, at least not at this time. I use the same TA that you do, and she specifically checked on military discounts on Regent for me. Her response to me was:

"I double checked with Regent this morning…..as far as anyone knows, Regent does not have a military discount program in place. I know it has been under consideration….but as of today, no such program exists."

So, as nice as it might be, military folks don't currently get a break on Regent (other cruise lines do offer military discounts though, which might make a difference to potential customers).

[Travelcat2]

Nope, Regent doesn't offer military discounts, at least not at this time. I use the same TA that you do, and she specifically checked on military discounts on Regent for me. Her response to me was:

"I double checked with Regent this morning…..as far as anyone knows, Regent does not have a military discount program in place. I know it has been under consideration….but as of today, no such program exists."

So, as nice as it might be, military folks don't currently get a break on Regent (other cruise lines do offer military discounts though, which might make a difference to potential customers).

Thanks for posting that. Perhaps I misunderstood Wes's post on this thread. He wrote:

We are have 24 days booked on the Voyager (Dubai to Istanbul) next month; our per diem (no air, no hotel, alumni discount, b2b discount, TA discount) is about $425 pp (and we have B PH for one leg)..my last few Voyager cruises (Crossing 2010, HK to Bangkok, 2011) each have had per diems under $300 pp and $400 pp (this (HK to Bangkok) was a military discount granted, but the other two were not) respectively. As FDV notes above, u can cherry pick some good deals.
__________________
Colonelretwes@yahoo.com

nana541: Unfortunately, when someone asks for a thread to end the poster gets flamed. It has happened to me many times (but I still request it -- flaming doesn't phase me:-) They do eventually end. . . . . and hopefully do not pop up again in 6 months as so many have done lately.

Have a great cruise!

[TahoeTraveler]

No, TC, it sounds as if you read Col Wes' post exactly right. I can't explain it, except that maybe his TA knows something ours doesn't????

[casbar777]

I am in the UK and spoke to Regent directly about Military discount, they told me there was no discount given! So I pay normal TA costs, the same as everyone else I guess.

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Good Morning Tami, You're exactly right, we received no military discount on the Mariner SoAm cruise this December; last time we got one (our first in over 15 booked cruises) was on the Hongkong to Bangkok Voyager cruises last April offered by a secondary travel organization that Regent has used in the past when sailings are not selling well (due to CC rules, can't mention Tvl Organization). Fortunately, for Regent their current cruise sales are now terrific so they have not offered US passengers military discounts via the Tvl organization that last offered a Regent mil discount fare in over ten months.

As Mike and you know (thank you again y'all s service) intimately, in our opinion, our military men and women (esp active duty) for their daily sacrifices--absolutely deserve military discount fares (now 14 different cruise lines offer military discount fares (e.g., Azamara, Celebrity Carnival, HAL, MSC, Princess, Paul Gauguin-- to list just half of those now offering mil discounts). Presently, these military discount fares are offered to US military and Canadian Forces.

Have been working with Mark Conroy (President of Regent) for over five years to hopefully implement a Regent military discount program. Good for our deserving military and IMO, would help separate Regent from it's peers as Regent would be the first Lux cruise line (Crystal, SB, SS, SD do not offer mil discounts) implementing a lux cruise program. Update Tami, heard from Mark Conroy ten days ago that he is working on a Regent military discount program now.
Have recommended to Mark Conroy, that Regent's military discount program be limited to only Active duty and reserve forces serving on active duty.

Lastly, Tami; (absolutely we get an exceptional Regent deal from our very, very generous TA that significantly lowers our Regent (or Silversea) cruise fare not only on the 32 day Mariner voyage, but now is just (50 days (can u tell we're excited) 17 day Dubai to Athens voyage and two Silversea cruises booked for 2013 )per diems.

Intent for posting our upcoming Regent per diem cost (since Chatkat first posted (#179 on this thread) her high per person (e.g., $1000pp) Mariner cruise fare) was to communicate that for many fares (on deluxe suites-- on Regent--your benchmark rate can be lower (in our case by less, much lower) than $1000 pp.

ps..Fair Winds and Following seas to our good cruise friend Olivia (JHP) and also well wishes to Nana541 for their upcoming Regent cruise.

[bissel]

Thank you. Colonel, for continuing to try to get military discounts for active and reservists members. I fully support your efforts and know how much this would mean.

[Hambagahle]

Wes - I think your efforts for a Military discoutn are laudable, but I also think they should apply to ALL military people - I mean, those who served in other armies than the US and Canada. I totally agree though that the discount should be (if it happens!) for serving military only. Imagine the loss of revenue if it were offered to anyone who had been in the service at any time - even if it were offered to anyone who had been on active duty!!

[Travelcat2]

Gerry, I agree with you, but sadly, people returning from the armed services are having difficulty getting jobs and medical treatment (at least in the U.S.). . . sailing on a luxury ship probably isn't even in their thoughts. Instead of a discount, it would be nice if Regent made donations to help these brave men and women!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I found one cruise that almost hits Kathy's ceiling:
London (Southampton) to Reykjavik, Voyager
10 Nights - Departs Jun 02, 2013

The G cabin is $940 pp/pd. Yowza! That's really stratospheric as far as I'm concerned!

But then you look at a Navigator Canal trip, and it's $530 pp/pd for a minimum balcony. This I know reflects Navigator's lesser clout as a "destination".

[Travelcat2]

As I mentioned earlier.. . . generally, the longer cruises have better per diems. The cruise that sold out almost a year before the sailing (Monte Carlo to Buenos Aires, 27 nights, November, 2012) had a per diem of $418/night/pp when we booked it (since cancelled).

Rome to Beijing in October of this year (143 nights) was $489/night/pp (in the October, 2011 Regent book.

These are great per diems, however, you are paying for a lot of nights.

[rallydave]

never mind

[gdlamberth]

Regarding the Military discount discussion; an easy option to validate and that corresponds to Disney and other discounts would be "active duty and retired service members and dependents." In the US this status comes complete with government issued ID Cards so would be relatively easy logistically. I don't know if other countries provide ssimilar ID for their retired members.

[Host Dan]

Wow this thread really has taken an interesting turn(s). As the discussion has gone completely off-topic, its time to close the discussion. If anyone would like to -re-open any of the subjects on this thread, please create a new thread. Thanks!

Host Dan