Regent vs. Seabourn

I sailed the Mariner last year and loved the ship. I'm planning another cruise for May and was surprised to see how high the prices were for the Mariner. I'm looking at the 5/17 sailing. It looks like Seabourn has a sailing around the same time on the Sojourn with some attractive ports. I would get a penthouse on the Mariner and a veranda suite on the Sojourn. I belive the veranda suite on the Sojourn is slightly larger than the penthouse on the Mariner.

I'm having trouble justifying the additional cost of the Mariner. I have never sailed on Seabourn, so if someone experienced in both can shed some light on the differences, I would most appreciate it.

I am looking at $13,000 for the Mariner vs. $6,000 for Seabourn. I do undserstand that the Mariner includes business class airfare, so even if I allow $4000 for air, there is still a significant price difference.

Any help is appreciated.

Well - This should be an interesting discussion! :p I'm making up a batch of popcorn and putting some beer on ice! Best Regards to all

I've been on both ships. After making adjustments for airfare and included excursions on Regent, my opinion is that I would NOT pay extra for Regent. I actually give Seabourn an edge over Regent in terms of food, service, ambiance, etc. You do need to compare prices carefully as there may be a few things other than air and excursions which would impact the financial calculation - hotels, transfers, internet, whatever. I follow both the Regent and Seabourn boards on CC, and on both there have been mixed reviews over the past six months or so, but I would say a bit more complaining about Regent cruises. That may have more to do with the specific posters for each line, however. Make sure you have a good travel agent that knows each ship, as some cabins on both ships may be more desirable to you than others. You can find such agents that will also rebate a portion of their commission, reducing your cruise cost by 10% or more.

Pingpong, I'm with you, but I think I'll get a martini. I hope it's an interesting discussion as I'm currently looking at both cruise lines. For me, I'm not really interested in Regent's included excursions which does tip the scale a bit.

I belive the veranda suite on the Sojourn is slightly larger than the penthouse on the Mariner.

Seabourn lists veranda suites at 365 square feet, but it's actually 300 plus a 65 square foot veranda. The Mariner's penthouse suites are 376 plus the 73 square foot veranda. If I'm wrong on this, I'm sure someone will correct me.

There are some other extras in the Regent fare, specifically port taxes, a pre cruise room (you can take a credit if you don't want it), and of course excursions. We found it was really pretty close between the two cruises, and chose Mariner because we preferred the itinerary.

Well, I usually agree w Pingpong but will have to hunt down some red wine as I don't drink beer!

If you are doing the Med and lunch in the diningroom is important to you, please check with SB regarding whether theirs will be open as it wasnot August 14.

It is challenging to factor in the excursions on Regent since we missed the three ports for which we had selected them. Of course, since they are 'free' there is no compensation!

Think I'll sit back with a chocolate martini and watch :)

Mariner's PH suites are far larger than Seabourn's verandah suites.

Mariner's PH suites are far larger than Seabourn's verandah suites.

Yes, but the majority of suites on both ships are verandahs, and those on Sojourn and sister ships are 300 sq ft plus a 65 sq ft verandah, and those on Mariner are 252 sq ft plus 49 sq ft verandah - this is more comparing like with like, probably also price-wise. No doubt Mariner PH are much larger than Sojourn verandahs, but are likely to cost much more per diem.

This is a factual comparison, but no doubt there will be a lot of personal comparisons made also! I could do some, having done quite a few on Regent (on Voyager admittedly) and before excursions and flights included, and even more on the new Seabourn ships. I will refrain for now, however - it may get heated.

We sailed 24 days on Sojourn in 2013, Montreal to Antigua to Ft. Lauderdale. (b to b) We recently sailed 18 days on Mariner, Los Angeles to Hawaii/Tahiti. Both choices were made based mainly on itinerary. Both offered drinks included, so that may be considered a wash. Seabourn did not include air, but to fly to Montreal and back from Florida was at a reasonable cost. Regent included air to Los Angeles and from Tahiti. We spent plenty on excursions on Seabourn, whereas Regents were included. Seabourn takes the edge in excursions. Most of the aforementioned is common knowledge. Both cruise lines have their plusses and minus'. We liked the Sojourns layout better and spent plenty of time in the observation lounge. The view/fellow guests in the bar just seemed more "in tune" for us. We were invited on five occasions to dine with various crew members, but never once on Regent. (That may not be a big deal to many, but we enjoyed it) Food is subjective and was very good on both, with the edge going to Seabourn. We placed a future cruise deposit with Seabourn, but then sailed again with Regent, and did not place a future cruise deposit. We have a cruise booked on Oceania, and recently booked one on Norwegian, now that they are the "owners" of Regent and Oceania. lol

We give a slight edge to Seabourn, but would not rule out a future cruise on either line. Reading this over, it's probably not very helpful, is it?? lol

How about Dress "requirements" in the evening. Regent is very relaxed and on our recent cruise of 28 days two nights were Formal Optional and the others were smart casual which meant for men no jackets required. With few exceptions everyone dressed well. Seabourn remains stuffy.

Seabourn is a lot less 'stuffy' than some might think. Yes, men will need a jacket on quite a few nights, but do not need to wear the 'shirt and tie' combo, and this even applies now to formal optional nights, when an open necked shirt or what in the UK is called a polo neck sweater is fine, including in the restaurant.

I don't like "stuffy" - I like casual: neat and clean.

How about Dress "requirements" in the evening. Regent is very relaxed and on our recent cruise of 28 days two nights were Formal Optional and the others were smart casual which meant for men no jackets required. With few exceptions everyone dressed well. Seabourn remains stuffy.

It seems I was wrong. Seabourn have recently changed their dress code and it is now similar to Regent. Well done Seabourn.

I think you should try Seabourn and expand your horizons. We sailed 41 nights on the Quest in 2013, Singapore to Venice. Sailed the Mariner, Lisbon to Miami in 2014. The Mariner is a beautiful ship, I think nicer then the O class of Seabourn, they are very modern and minimalist. 450 passengers vs 700 is noticeable and we like that a lot. The veranda suite is very nice and roomy. I give the edge to Seabourn for service. Food is equivalent. Good on both. Less choice in restaurants, however. We didn't care for Restaurant 2 on the Quest. I used to consider Regent my favorite line, but now give the edge to Seabourn. Flexibility as to excursions on Seabourn is a plus. Seabourn is not stuffy.

IF you like Mariner you will LOVE Voyager. Voyager standard suites are 50 sq. feet larger than Mariner's and also is Navigator's. That extra space is great - closet, bathroom and even the safes are larger!

IF you like Mariner you will LOVE Voyager. Voyager standard suites are 50 sq. feet larger than Mariner's and also is Navigator's. That extra space is great - closet, bathroom and even the safes are larger!

This post made me smile as it exactly how I feel. However, there are plenty of people out there who prefer the Mariner to the Voyager. I suspect that we have a special feeling for our first Regent ship. In our case, the PG was our first Radisson/Regent experience but the Voyager was our first "real" experience on a ship built and owned by Radisson.

It may not sound like a big deal that the Voyager safes are larger but we find the Mariner safes too small and the closets much too small. The public spaces on the Mariner are amazing but, IMO, it does not make up for the cramped "regular" suites.

In terms of Seabourn, I was hoping to read some interesting "new" information like the smoking policy that has changed in the past year, exactly what the dress code is, etc. Hoping that that there will be a bit more enthusiasm from Seabourn customers -- something to whet our taste buds a bit.

T....

In terms of Seabourn, I was hoping to read some interesting "new" information like the smoking policy that has changed in the past year, exactly what the dress code is, etc. Hoping that that there will be a bit more enthusiasm from Seabourn customers -- something to whet our taste buds a bit.

Just checked the Seabourn website as we were considering them for 2016 but found they still permit smoking on balconies which is a deal-breaker for us - shame as Regent is pricing out of our reach now :(

Smoking on balcony....no bookings from us then.I agree,a deal breaker...:eek:

Travelcat2 - I thought I had described the dress code on Seabourn above - it varies of course depending on the itinerary, days at sea, and probably the Captain's wishes, but generally there are a few evenings which a jacket is not required, and some when it is, but ties etc. no longer necessary, including 'formal optional'. Day wear just like Regent and the other luxury lines. I think perhaps now Regent does not require a jacket on any evening, in which case it is more casual.

Smoking still allowed on Seabourn in a couple of places, sadly including verandahs.

You are a Regent fan, I am one of Seabourn, essentially, and it seems likely that we will not agree on which is better . Not a problem.

Just checked the Seabourn website as we were considering them for 2016 but found they still permit smoking on balconies which is a deal-breaker for us - shame as Regent is pricing out of our reach now :(

I am doing a "test" Seabourn cruise in July, so I will report back. I am very allergic to smoke so let's see how I make out. There might be a problem, or maybe it will be a non-issue if there are few smokers. Even on Regent the smoking bothered me...the smell of smoke on the Navigator outside of the smoking lounge was terrible, it even was a prob in the Navigator lounge next door.

Rarin- I agree on Regent pricing as I posted before. Regent was almost $10000 more, even after factoring in us buying our own business class air for Seabourn!

Of course, the more cruise lines restrict smoking, the more smokers will turn to those with the least restrictions so the proportion of smoking passengers on lines like Seabourn might well increase. We have experienced second-hand smoke from the balcony of a neighbouring suite and will not take the risk again.

Of course, the more cruise lines restrict smoking, the more smokers will turn to those with the least restrictions so the proportion of smoking passengers on lines like Seabourn might well increase. We have experienced second-hand smoke from the balcony of a neighbouring suite and will not take the risk again.

Exactly--the number of smokers would be higher because they gravitate to the line with less restrictions. A reason I will not be sailing on Seabourn anytime soon.

Travelcat2 - I thought I had described the dress code on Seabourn above - it varies of course depending on the itinerary, days at sea, and probably the Captain's wishes, but generally there are a few evenings which a jacket is not required, and some when it is, but ties etc. no longer necessary, including 'formal optional'. Day wear just like Regent and the other luxury lines. I think perhaps now Regent does not require a jacket on any evening, in which case it is more casual.

 

Smoking still allowed on Seabourn in a couple of places, sadly including verandahs.

 

You are a Regent fan, I am one of Seabourn, essentially, and it seems likely that we will not agree on which is better . Not a problem.

Thank you for explaining the dress code again. I found the first post a bit unclear (probably the way I was reading it). We are not 100% happy with the Elegant Casual dress code on Regent. While we do not want the dress code to go back to when jackets were required, some people dress as if they are going to a backyard barbeque on Regent. They "barely" meet the dress code. While polo shirts are acceptable on Regent, I find them a bit out of place when attending the Captain's Reception or similar events. We also like to see at least a long sleeved shirt with nice slacks when dining in the specialty restaurants.

From what I am reading, dress code would not be a deal breaker for us. However, smoking on balconies is.

While polo shirts are acceptable on Regent, I find them a bit out of place when attending the Captain's Reception or similar events. We also like to see at least a long sleeved shirt with nice slacks when dining in the specialty restaurants.

 

Will provide a suggestion you have given others who don't like some of Regent's rules:

Find another cruise line that is satisfactory for what you would like the rules to be.