SilverSea vs Regent

SilverSea vs. Regent

Last spring we had our first Regent experience aboard the Navigator. Now we had our first (and second) SilverSea experience aboard the Silver Spirit. It must be said that both cruise lines are very similar as both are approx. the same size ship (490 vs. 540) and both are All-Inclusive. From the brochure, for us the largest difference would be the included shore excursions on Regent and the butler in every suite at SilverSea. As we chose an itinerary with mostly ports we had already been to, we opted for SilverSea as this does not include the shore excursions and is therefore priced a little friendlier.

The following list is far from a complete comparison, just some things we noted. I’m not stating that every item is of equal importance, it are just differences we noted and valued towards our needs and standards. Others may therefore come to other conclusions or see things differently.

For these items, Regent wins

• Rules: Regent has less rules (e.g. dress code) then SilverSea. On the other hand, at Regent, the few rules they have seem to be enforced, on SilverSea they are not. Examples:

o the dress code for formal nights at SilverSea is very clear, yet we saw (on the first formal night) several (men) without a tie in the MDR, some even without a diner jacket. On the second formal night we saw men in short sleeved Hawaii shirts without socks in sandals, and again, no comments from the staff. Seems that if you don’t want to adhere to the dress code at SilverSea, that’s ok. Imho the cruise line should just remove the dress code as it is not going to be enforced anyway.

o Jeans are not allowed in the evening on both, at least that is how we read the dress codes. On Regent one is asked to change when wearing jeans in the evening, on SilverSea, one is not.

o Short are not allowed after 6PM in public venues on both ships. On Regent we saw people in shorts being requested to leave the public area at 6:05PM, on SilverSea people in shorts are served drinks etc. in different lounges without being asked to change, even up to and past 7PM.

o on both ships ‘reserving’ deck chairs is not allowed. On Regent, unused chairs were emptied after 30 minutes, on SilverSea a lot of chairs were ‘reserved’ and empty for several hours while no action was taken, even when people were searching for available chairs. The most appalling we saw were chair being reserved at 8AM and not being used to far after 2PM. We even saw that the staff supports the ‘reserving’ by, e.g., placing ice water at reserved chairs and regularly changing that (when the ice melted) for over 3 hours.

o Smoking is not allowed on the balconies on both, on SilverSea this is not enforced as we found out the ‘hard’ way on both cruises. Smoking seems to be more widely allowed on SilverSea, or perhaps better, the borders of the ‘smoking-allowed’ areas seems to be more flexible and easier to enlarge on SilverSea, especially around the pool area.

• People seem more polite and appear to be a class above SilverSea:

o As on Regent when people go for lunch they vacate their deck chair for others to use. On SilverSea, from 12.00 to 14.30 over 50% of the chairs are taken but empty.

o The tattoo (and piercing) concentration is a lot lower on Regent. The Regent people were just a bit more sophisticated. This became even more apparent on the second part of our B2B with when the tattoo concentration (including piercings) at least tripled with several people conforming to the ‘English football hooligan’ look. We did meet very sophisticated people on both segments, they just seemed more apparent on Regent.

o Both ships had and equal share of wine barbarians (people who select wine with their dinner without even the smallest attempt to pair the wine with the food they are going to have). Which imho is an insult to both the wine and the food.

• Regent is really All-Inclusive while SilverSea is not, on SilverSea one has to pay for 2 of the specialty restaurants. In these restaurants they then push you to purchase additional drinks and make it very difficult to obtain any of the included drinks. As an example: We ate at Seishin and as a true Dutchman, I drink beer with Asian food. They said they offered 2 Japanese beers that were not included, it took me 10 minutes of discussion and a firm stand to be able to get one of the included beers. In my opinion, this behavior is unacceptable. As we found the food not worth the additional $40 per person, we cancelled our second reservation. Le Champagne was much better in this regard, when indicated one would like to drink the included wines, they are very helpful in selecting the right wine with the food.

• Food at the pool grill is always hot at Regent where at SilverSea it is hot 25% of the time. Both are cooked to order and delivered to your table/chair.

• People on Regent are a bit more private then on SilverSea. As we are Dutch, and therefore speak Dutch, we would be asked about the language we were speaking approx. 5 times per day on Regent and at least 10 times per day on SilverSea. As we like to keep to ourselves, we prefer the first, yet we are not bothered with it, so the SilverSea practice is ok too.

• Regent has a bowl of fresh fruit in the room, SilverSea has no fruit, at least, not without asking.

Here we have a draw

• Butlers on both lines have difficulty complying to even the simplest of requests at the beginning of the cruise. A simple request to the butler for a few bottles of Corona cannot be fulfilled within 48 hours on either line. However on both lines, with a firm hand they can be shaped into very functioning servants and with the proper instructions they will, after a few days, get you what you want when you want it. On both lines the butler does not offer serviced that are advertised in the brochure, like e.g. packing or unpacking luggage, offering different toiletries etc.

• The brand, type and origin of the included wines seem to be a very important secret as both lines refuse to give any insight in the available choices. We’ve asked the butler, sommelier and concierge, all to no avail. On Regent we could attend the wine tasting and get a glimpse of the available choices, on SilverSea it was always a guess and a good relationship with the wine steward is needed in order to expand ones choices. According to the Chronicles they should have approx. 80 included wines. In the 18 days we sailed, we may have seen 20.

• Both ships are well appointed and maintained. The navigator has a vibration in the aft (which we did not have in the room being in 909), the Spirit has very loud and vibrating bow thrusters we noted as we were in 615 (low up front). We do not like one ship better than the other, we like both very much. It seemed that on the Silver Spirit there was more space for the guests as it was never crowded (or even busy) anywhere. But on the Navigator, it was fine also: never crowded but a bit more busy. On both ships, the amount of deck loungers on around the pool on sea days seems not to be enough. As we were at the pool at 8AM on both ships, that was not a problem for us.

• Not an opinion, just something we found strange: In the Chronicles on SilverSea an A-la-carte Sandwich lunch is provided. This however is just room service, with less choices, delivered to the bar. We couldn’t really see the point, but then again, we tried it once and weren’t bothered by it the other days.

• Both ships seems to have their fair share of, let’s say, odd people. At least, what we would define as odd. Regent e.g. had a gentlemen wearing a ‘captains hat’ insisting that everyone would call him ‘captain’. The Regent staff was nice enough to humor him. On SilverSea we spoke to several ‘foodies’ or that’s what they call themselves. Interestingly enough, they would choose their wine before looking at the menu. We actually saw people eat at Le Champagne, drinking a heavy red wine while eating either seafood or lamb (all requiring something else then a heavy red wine). Call me a snob, but that was an insult to both the wine and the food. There was also one guest who insisted on wearing his golden Seabourn pin (on a SilverSea cruise) for which the point he was trying to make completely eludes us.

In these cases SilverSea prevails.

• The ingredients used in the food is of similar high quality. The presentation however is better on SilverSea, making the dishes more attractive.

• The amount of staff in the dining room, pool area and bar areas on the ship seems higher on SilverSea then on Regent making service available continuously and quickly.

• French Fries available at every meal: SilverSea definitely wins this one.

• The shore excursion department at first seemed equally poor. On both lines the ‘sold’ departure time has no meaning as it will be changed when you are on board to whatever suits the cruise line. Planning activities on the same day as shore excursions is futile as the excursion times will change to mess up your day. In the end it turned out that the change on SilverSea in starting time was only to accommodate for the tender transfer to shore. The bus started at the exact advertised time. Another plus for SilverSea is that a Shore Excursion Desk representative is present during the entire excursion, while at Regent, there is just the local guide. Therefore SilverSea wins this one.

• Shore excursions are paid at SilverSea and perhaps therefore they are of better quality. We did one shore excursion on SilverSea and 3 on our last Regent cruise and the SilverSea excursion was far superior to any of the Regent excursions. In hindsight it may be that we were just unlucky at Regent since the SilverSea excursion we did was also available on Regent

• As the specialty restaurants are paid venues, one does not have to share a table with other guests. As we like to keep to ourselves, we prefer this approach and wish it they would set up more tables for 2 on Regent as we prefer to have the specialty restaurants included in the fare.

• The flower in the room is an Orchid, and a prettier arrangement then on Regent.

• The dinner choices in the MDR seem to be more ‘alike’ in the manner that they require a similar kind of wine making the house pour wine a better choice with each of the different courses then on Regent. E.g. Fois Gras de Canard, Lobster Ravioli and Salmon as appetizer all require a mineral tasting white wine. Therefore making the house pour wine a mineral white wine, one can never go wrong. On Regent the different choices require more variety in wine options making the house pour wine less suitable (hope this makes sense). It keeps surprising me though how people can order their wine before looking at the menu, barbarians.

• As we are a couple this is of significant less importance to us but it seems SilverSea would be the cruise line of choice for solo travelers. We overheard that there are 57 solo travelers on board on the second cruise and read in the Chronicles all the wonderful activities organized for solo travelers.

• The Specialty restaurant ‘Le Champagne’ is much better the Prime7 on Regent. Even though the first has a $40 surcharge per person we were happy to pay that given the exquisite quality and presentation of the food. Even with the included wines, this was a feast to dine. SilverSea definitely wins this one (based on quality, surcharge not taken into account). We found Seishin however not up to expectations and cancelled our second reservation. The food is adequate, however the $40 sampling menu is designed poorly, inconsistent and not building towards a climax but more of a hill ride: up and down and up and down. Definitely not worth the surcharge. Even if no surcharge was requested, I would not have eaten there more than once as it was really nothing special and we found the MDR better.

Just observations, no comparison between the lines:

Please note that the previous is completely subjective and based on one cruise with Regent and two (B2B) cruises with SilverSea. As we like both we have cruises lined up with Regent in May (Alaska where we need shore excursions) and with SilverSea in December of 2015 (Caribbean where we do not need shore excursions). Our conclusion on having sailed both is that when we would need/require shore excursion we would prefer Regent, when no shore excursions are needed, we would sail SilverSea. However all is determined by the itinerary.

Another note which kind of surprised us. We did a B2B, which, as all know, are 2 cruises consecutively. We found that both cruises were completely different, solely based on the different (type of) guests on board. The first one was much quieter and a bit more sophisticated. Based on the first cruise we would book another SilverSea cruise in a heartbeat, which we did. Based on the second cruise we began to doubt the wisdom of our decision to book so quickly. In the end we stick to our choice as we make our own vacation, but the second cruise had a larger group of guest that were just ‘not our kind of people’.

You have worked hard on that, but I genuinely hope that some of your comments were intended not to be serious. and offensive. It is rather difficult to tell whether you are genuinely a snob thst looks down on others or it's just a bit of fun. Perhaps you can clarify whether all the opinions you expressed are serious?

By the way, I see a fair amount more piercings in Amsteram than I do in London What would we call the Dutch version of what you call the "English Hooligan Look"?

I also consider myself reasonably well mannered and considerate to others but i drink what I like with whatever I eat and do not see that a potential cause for offence to anyone else. I don't like people being called "wine barbarians".

i'm sure your efforts at this comparison will be appreciated but for me it is somewhat spoiled by a rather unacceptable tone of wanting pthers to be sensitive to you and your needs and the politeness of others but you being pretty impolite when discussing your fellow passengers. You do rather come across as an insensitive snob.

Is this a wind up?

Calling it the Dutch or English football hooligan look is both fine for me, I just assumed that the English football hooligan is more generally known throughout the world then the Dutch football hooligan.

As I stated in the beginning: 'The following list is far from a complete comparison, just some things we noted. I’m not stating that every item is of equal importance, it are just differences we noted and valued towards our needs and standards. Others may therefore come to other conclusions or see things differently.'

If that means you're offended, that's not something I can do something about as it is not my emotion.

We have sailed both Regent and Silversea, Regent the most but Silversea 4 times. I agree with most all of your observations actually.

Just a few points. You can get french fries anytime in the MDR at lunch or dinner on regent too, even if they are not on the menu. You just have to ask--though there are usually so many other good choices on the menu that I would not waste my calories on french fries.

The man in the captain's hat is "The Captain". He is actually a real retired ship captain and lives aboard Navigator. He is a very nice man.

Thank you for a great comparison between Regent and Silversea. We have never sailed on Regent but have sailed many times on Silversea. I believe you hit the nail on the head when you commented that the ambiance on the ship was quite different based on the passenger component.

We joke about the one cruise we took on Carnival where we did not have the requisite number of tatoos and piercings to qualify, but I was amused to hear that this seemed to be prevalent on one of your cruises.

The make up of the passengers, as you no doubt know, is dependent on the length of the cruise, the timing and the itinerary. We opt for longer cruises not during periods of school holidays whenever possible, so our experience has been quite different from yours.

I hope that the next cruise you take on Silversea reconfirms your faith in the company.

We have sailed both Regent and Silversea, Regent the most but Silversea 4 times. I agree with most all of your observations actually.

 

Just a few points. You can get french fries anytime in the MDR at lunch or dinner on regent too, even if they are not on the menu. You just have to ask--though there are usually so many other good choices on the menu that I would not waste my calories on french fries.

 

The man in the captain's hat is "The Captain". He is actually a real retired ship captain and lives aboard Navigator. He is a very nice man.

Rachel - is that the "captain" who defected from Silversea a few years ago after the death of his wife? I can't remember the surname but the description rings a bell.

If so, he's really up there in years.

Rachel - is that the "captain" who defected from Silversea a few years ago after the death of his wife? I can't remember the surname but the description rings a bell.

If so, he's really up there in years.

What do you mean "defected from Silversea"? Was he a captain of a Silversea ship? Or simply a maritime captain who had patronized Silversea before his wife's passing and moved his patronage to Regent?

I I]don't know if he defected from silversea or not, but he is quite up in years. And his wife is deceased. He was a maritime captain, not for silversea though.

He is a retired US Navy Captain, the crew whether the Voyager, Mariner, now the Navigator love him.

What do you mean "defected from Silversea"? Was he a captain of a Silversea ship? Or simply a maritime captain who had patronized Silversea before his wife's passing and moved his patronage to Regent?

Col. Wes cleared up my rather glib "defected" comment. There was a "misunderstanding", and he quit SS after living on board for months at a time, only getting off between cruises to pick up his mail (don't mind me - another facetious comment).

He was much my senior when I first became aware of him on SS back in the late 90s. Just proves going to sea keeps you young !!

The original review was a fair appraisal of the 2 cruise lines. I generally ignore critiques that totally positive or negative and this one was fair. My comments are on some of the major items.

I totally agree that SS does not consistently enforce their dress code. I saw numerous cases where it was ignored even in the specialty restaurants. Also I saw the smoking policy ignored when several people were smoking on the balconies. On the wine issue, I think people can drink whatever pleases them. I do agree that both lines will not disclose the list of complementary wines that are available. SS was worse in that respect than Regent. Seabourn did provide the list at the start and also all of them were available at any time and they would also look for additional ones if you wanted it. On SS they had only a few available for each meal. If you found one you liked you could not reorder it without tasting the designated wine. I asked the waiter why and he said that it was the policy of the sommelier. I attended two terrible wine tastings with this sommelier and I agreed with what the waiter said. He made a number of errors in his presentations and when corrected he got insulted.

We use ship excursions only when trying to use cruise credits. Regent's "free" excursions range from totally the worse to one of the best. Please note if you have a terrible tour Regent will ignore your comments unless there are multiple complaints. Our two SS tours were great and concur that SS puts a representative on each tour. Seabourn tours were just OK especially since the tour guide lost one of the couples on the tour. Please note that one Alaska tours you can get the same tour locally at 1/3 to 1/2 the cruise price.

We found Le Champagne to be of lesser quality than Prime 7 and also got the same pitch to buy a higher class of wine. I agree with the comment on the disjointed menu in Seishan. However the lunch there is great and free of a surcharge. I had no problem getting Japanese beer for free.

Afte dozen cruises, we have met people we liked and disliked but that is the way it is in normal life. We generally avoid ships that have any organized children's program. On Regent and SS, the children's program is geared to the 50 year old accompanying their 70+ year old parents.

As I am contemplating an Alaska cruise this summer on either SS Shadow or the Regal Navigator, I found the comparison very interesting. However, I found the term "wine barbarians" insulting. My wife and I drink whatever we like but usually go by the white with this and red with that theme. We first glance at the menu and decide. But if the red being offered is very good, then I choose the red. My wife usually prefers a chardonnay but will go with a red if she wants a steak or something.

We had only done one SS cruise and found it to be very nice. From the crew to our fellow passengers, all was great. However, there were some folks, Germans I believe, that did not like the formal dress code. I really did not care.

Interesting comment regarding shore excursions by the OP. Regal does have "free excursions" but if they are not any good, then SS would be the better choice. A comparable cruise is about $1500 less on SS. But Regal provides free air fare, which, of course, is included in the original price.

Not sure what I will do if anything.

Happy cruising,

Bill

I am not German :), but I dislike the Silversea dress code and the need to bring a dark suit/tux for one or two nights use if one wants to eat in the MDR. But I follow the rules and especially regret the failure of SS staff to enforce the rules. If I take the trouble to dress up after 6, I don't see that I should have to sit in the Bar or Panorama with a bunch of people in shorts and T shirts (some of whom may have begun drinking at 5:30). The wait staff are in an awkward position to enforce the rules. Perhaps an officer/HD/F&B head should go around shortly after 6 to ensure that the day's dress code is being followed. The Maitre d' should surely be able to do this in the MDR.

On the wine issue, I think people can drink whatever pleases them. I do agree that both lines will not disclose the list of complementary wines that are available. SS was worse in that respect than Regent. Seabourn did provide the list at the start and also all of them were available at any time and they would also look for additional ones if you wanted it. On SS they had only a few available for each meal. If you found one you liked you could not reorder it without tasting the designated wine. I asked the waiter why and he said that it was the policy of the sommelier. I attended two terrible wine tastings with this sommelier and I agreed with what the waiter said. He made a number of errors in his presentations and when corrected he got insulted.

Choosing a wine without a wine list

;)

OP:

Just a heads up. You should plan on most guests wearing jeans almost all of the time in Alaska. It is a very different atmosphere than you describe. Often the ship sails very late, and excursions run until 8 or even 9 p.m. because it is daylight until well after midnight, and there are lots of outdoor activities.

The original review was a fair appraisal of the 2 cruise lines. I generally ignore critiques that totally positive or negative and this one was fair. My comments are on some of the major items.

We use ship excursions only when trying to use cruise credits. Regent's "free" excursions range from totally the worse to one of the best. Please note if you have a terrible tour Regent will ignore your comments unless there are multiple complaints. Our two SS tours were great and concur that SS puts a representative on each tour. Seabourn tours were just OK especially since the tour guide lost one of the couples on the tour. Please note that one Alaska tours you can get the same tour locally at 1/3 to 1/2 the cruise price.

Just proves going to sea keeps you young !!

Love the above comment from dusababy on sailing keeping you young. Let's hope it's true!!

Appreciate the above analysis/comparison, plus the original poster's comments. There is no way to do a "perfect" comparison as individual tastes/needs vary, plus many staff personnel on both lines' have varied performance and experience levels. Just like in a football game, the same "team" can have "good days" and a later other match-ups against the same opponent, end up not doing as well. Good interesting discussions on this thread.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 167,668 views. Appreciate the interest and follow-up questions/comments!!

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

As I am contemplating an Alaska cruise this summer on either SS Shadow or the Regal Navigator, I found the comparison very interesting. However, I found the term "wine barbarians" insulting. My wife and I drink whatever we like but usually go by the white with this and red with that theme. We first glance at the menu and decide. But if the red being offered is very good, then I choose the red. My wife usually prefers a chardonnay but will go with a red if she wants a steak or something.

Bravo! Works for me. Wonder what method the OP (AKA "Call me a Snob") employs when ordering his French Fries?

I had only one issue with SS while dining at the hot rocks venue on deck. The dress code clearly states trousers should be worn in inside venues which is fine by me.

On our first night we chose to eat at hot rocks. I wore a very smart (expensive) pair of tailored shorts with a long sleeved shirt. When we arrived the Maitre de told me I MUST get changed as short pants were not allowed. I did point out SS policy but he remained firm, I did get changed.

The following night I saw three gentlemen in shorts eating there, I was not happy. When I asked the hotel director the following day, he said we "prefer" gents to wear long trousers but we can't enforce it.

The problem in enforcing the dress code in dining facilities rests with Maitre d.Some are good at the job and some are useless nowadays compared with the Maitre d's of 10 to 15 years ago.Long live Antonio & Gilbert!!!The answer to shorts is to politely suggest the offenders either change or take room service.Hope this is not another example of things not being of the standard they used to be as refered to on a number of SS threads by long standing SS clients in the last few months.

...The dress code clearly states trousers should be worn in inside venues...

 

...I wore a very smart (expensive) pair of tailored shorts with a long sleeved shirt. When we arrived [...at Hot Rocks...] the Maitre de told me I MUST get changed as short pants were not allowed...

 

...The following night I saw three gentlemen in shorts eating there...

I remember your consternation. We ate there just twice (we don't really get the Hot Rocks thing but horses for courses); on the second occasion a group of 6 were dressed as if fresh from their weekly Chavs Anonymous meeting - shorts, T-shirts and (God help us all) 2 of the men were sporting baseball caps. At Night!

Maybe the Maitre d'Hotel finds it easier to bully a couple than a sixsome?

The point is that enforcing the dress code should NOT be up to the maitre d'. If the code is a Silversea policy it should be fleet wide and enforced by everyone. Or dropped completely.

As someone who had sailed several times on the Cloud and Spirit and decided to try the larger Navigator with some trepidation because it had an itinerary that I particularly liked, I found this a very interesting thread. I liked both lines and had a great time on both. To start with, the friend with whom I cruise and I spent ages comparing the two lines. We started off on a low with Regent as we thought the meet and greet at the airport was far inferior to SS as was the hotel and transfer to the ship but after that things picked up enormously. The spaciousness of the suite with a bath and a separate shower on the Navigator was preferable. Obviously the dress code is a matter of individual taste but we were far more comfortable with the elegant casual which was the main dress code on the Navigator than with the dressier SS. We also much preferred the atmosphere on the Navigator finding our fellow passengers much more down to earth and friendly, whatever their backgrounds and experiences, than on SS. We met 'The Captain', referred to previously, and he was delightful. We have met many truly delightful people on SS ships, of course, but we have met some pretty snobby ones too. A woman who prefaced every sentence with, 'Of course I come from Harrogate', springs to mind. If there were snobby ones on Navigator they kept well away from us!

The really huge advantage Regent had for us was the vegetarian food. My friend, a Veggie, has suffered dreadfully on SS since they abandoned their separate vegetarian menu a few years ago. On Regent the vegetarian choice was extensive and the quality excellent. On our last two SS cruises we could not get a veggie burger on the pool deck and it was seldom that there was a vegetarian option, let alone a choice, for each course at lunch and dinner. There was rarely a vegetarian lunch time soup in the Terrace restaurant. I found this disgraceful as a little effort could have remedied the situation and SS advertise that they cater to special diets. Vegetarians pay the same price as everyone else and deserve a choice. Even talking to the Maitre D and Restaurant manager failed to produce decent choices. On one occasion we asked for a vegetarian curry (24 hours in advance) only to be told it was impossible! Instead we were offered and accepted a vegetarian lasagne that arrived without any lasagne at all but with a grey paste, probably potato, instead! The vegans on that cruise had an even worse time. It is true that we got a substantial discount towards another cruise as compensation but it did not help at the time. On Regent they had three different Veggie burgers on the pool deck and a wide choice in all the restaurants, even in Prime 7, and the quality was superb.

On the other hand we thought that Regent's inclusive wines were far inferior to SS although once we had found a few we liked the Sommelier soon remembered and was very happy to provide them. No-one tried to sell us more expensive wines in Prime 7.

Regent's tours on the whole were inferior to SS and we did not like the clear distinctions they made in several areas according to the level of suite booked. There was nothing to match the special SS 'Experiences'

There was much better laundry provision on Regent - more important than it sounds on long cruises.

As two women travelling together (our partners dislike cruising) we have quite often found that some staff on SS have given us less respect and attention than when we are in a party with a man. An example of this is, on one cruise I found that with my cheese order, with which I tend to conclude meals in the main dining room, on SS I was only offered Port with it if a gentleman also ordered cheese! Without a man I had to ask! Perhaps this sounds trivial, and I only noticed after a couple of times when no Port was offered, but it is indicative of how 'unaccompanied by a a male' women are still viewed by some people and it is infuriating. On Regent I noticed no differentiation. To be fair the crew are mostly great on both ships but there was a subtle difference which typical mixed sex couples would not experience.

We have always had wonderful Cruise Directors on SS, especially the late Judy Abbott, while the woman on the Navigator was a disaster - I have even expunged her name from my memory!

We found the post cruise experience poorer on Regent than with SS.

Overall it is impossible to come up with a clear preference. Both are great and we feel very fortunate to be able to travel with them. It will be down to itinerary and dates probably.

uksu, thank you for an absolutely delightful SS/Regent comparison post based on recent first hand experience.

You are very welcome. Thanks for your comment.

uksu, totally agree about the vegetarian choices. I am not a vegetarian but try to avoid a lot of meat. Much easier to do so on Regent, and I think the fish choices are better in general on regent. They still often bring aboard locally caught fresh fish and seafood. Apparently this is not allowed on silversea.