People raving about Radisson

From some comversations I have had people seem to rave about Radisson. Being a cruise wanna-be and being in the research mode I am trying to truly understand the difference vs. other cruise lines. I thought I would come here to where the experts live. Based on some pricing differences where is the line drawn to choose Radisson? Is it worth hundreds of extra dollars to sail with them?

There are a number of threads on this topic; many of them right near the top of this board. Check out the Value for Money thread, for example. I guess a summary would be that Radisson has some very vocal fans and some very vocal past (or, better, "concerned") fans. I don't think I have read any "Radisson is a terrible line" threads of any moment.

There is unanimity that its suites (even the lowest) are very nice and large, the food is wonderful, the semi-inclusiveness a big plus (no nickel and diming for water, soft drinks, etc. and wine and cocktails are included with dinner), the smaller ship experience a real positive and the ports very good as well.

Areas of concern by some - but certainly not all - is a fall off in service and a very substantial increase in drink prices...while the prices of the cruises have increased notably as the discounts offered to past passengers has shrunk. (That is not to say that service is not as good as most mass market lines. While some of us have seen exceptions or changes in style, overall the service is notably better than on most.)

Radisson has held very interesting place in the market as a cruise line that is a step above the premium mass market lines (such as Celebrity and HAL), but a notch below Seabourn and Silversea. Radisson supporters have said that it is as good as Seabourn and Silversea while other Radisson past passengers have said that is not the case and all considered, very much cruise dependent, Celebrity or HAL might be a better value.

It is alas a very personal decision and, hopefully, from what I have said, one worthy of investigating. Not having cruised before that investigation is hard to do just on a cruise message board and, most certainly, on a single board regarding a particular cruise line. I would suggest you read the Seabourn, Silversea, Radisson, Celebrity and HAL boards for a bit to get a more broad view of the differences.

Hope this helps.

I'm not a raver about much of anything.

My husband and I have never been ardent cruisers, so haven't experienced a lot of cruiselines like most people here. We went a few times on RCCL, had one horrible experience that was enough to say "never again on that line". Nothing earth-shattering or life-threatening, just left a nasty taste in our mouths.

Then we tried Radisson. It fits us and our wants/needs.

We need space in our cabin/suite, and we need a full balcony. It's nice to walk down the hall and have all the crew smile/nod and speak. We want fairly simple but good food, and the ability to request different sauces/side dishes. We don't always even drink the wine provided with dinner, it depends on our mood, so all-inclusive isn't important to us. We enjoy smaller quantities of fellow passengers so that faces become familiar as we encounter them. And I love having the tables of chilled bottle water waiting as we head off to explore a port.

I understand fully that there are other lines out there that are at least equal, and quite probably superior, in a lot of ways. Right now, we don't consider RSSC "broke", and "If it's not broke, then don't fix it".

Our personal opinion only, of course, and that is never humble.

For me it is Itinerary Itinerary Itinerary. And single Sup. my last year's Amazon cruise for a veranda room was only a couple hundred more than Princess but with a larger suite and wine with dinner and no tips.

Having said that RSSC has the worst home office and air desk in all my cruises. SO as long as you do not have to deal with them, the ships are good.

sobore:

As one with 77 nights on Radisson in the past four years, including a fairly recent cruise, let me address your question. We felt that a Radisson cruise of 3 to 4 years ago was a darn near perfect cruise for the money. It is true that alcoholic beverages were "gratis" only at certain times, but also two liters were included as room bottles, along with a constantly restocked mini-fridge for mixers. And, guests could carry on what they wanted, if need be. And soft drinks and water were always included. as were tips. As a result, our bill for extras would actually include only excursions, ship's store pruchases, and nothing more. Given Radisson's fares, specials, and discounts then. when all was said and done, we found Radisson to be no more costly than what we would spend in total on, say RCCL. And Radisson was a much better cruise --- no lines or crowds, better service, and open seating dining.

From my perspecitve and experience, the main thing that has changed that is causing some Radisson regulars to do some "rethinking" is the increase in fares since 3 or 4 years ago. Back then, we were able to catch some really outstanding specials, and actually cruised Radisson at times for fares well under $2000per week pp.! It is difficult to assign a percentage to the fare increase, as Radisson's pricing has increased far more for some ships and itineraries than for others. The increase percentage seems to be fairly small for the Paul Gauguin, but up to nearly 100% on the Voyager. I have not experienced any declines in service of a broad and major nature. There were a few "glitches" on our last cruise, but all seem to have been the result of the fact that the itinerary was new for Radisson. So to me, any concern I have boils down to "sticker shock."

Radisson is a line in a state of flux and change. There are well-placed accounts that the name will change to "Regent" in '07, and the ships will then become fully all inclusive. What this will do to the price/value relationship, of course, remains to be seen.

Hope this helps,

Richard

Richard,

The Name change to Regent will be effective on March 7th, according to Cindy, who is on the PG, where they just had a "Town Hall" Meeting with Mark Conroy.

Editing to add, that I have cruised 46 days will RSSC. The only thing that I can complain about is that I haven't been on board their ships for more days than that. I will have 76 days by the end of 2006 and I can never go back to the mass market cruising. I love open seating dining, the big suites, the wonderful service, small ships, well decorated with luxury appointments in linen, china etc.. There are few lines, if any, and the experiences have been terrific. I've met wonderful people on board who have become truly friends.

In the luxury market comparing lines is like selecting a fragrance...it comes down to tastes, and perceptions. As to things slipping..I see the same concerns on the Crystal Board as I see on Radisson. Things will change if costs do not go up to support increased operating costs and profit margins for investors.

I think it might be simpler to look at hardware to either justify the added cost of a "luxury" line over a mass market ship.

1. Is a small ship more for you?

2. Lack of passenger lines on board

3. Do crowded decks and lack of deck chairs become an issue

4. Unassigned seating and times for dinner?

4. Cabin configuration and balcony...does size matter, is a tub desired?

5. More intimate surroundings...or show rooms seating 1000+ passengers grab you?

6. Less nickel and diming....pay for water?

What you get for the money and not how it makes you feel should be considered.......now if how you feel is the main driver, then no one on this board can direct you for you and your tastes as special only to you.

Me, Radisson is in no way perfect by any means, but the lack of crowds, open seating, cabin size, not paying for water, open deck space.less formality...this is black and white to me and in my case fits me to a "T".

No cruise line is perfect and even the same ship can provide a different experience from week to week depending on crew on board and more importantly your fellow passengers.

Me, I will stay with Radisson until such time as they build big ships...then I am back to the mass market lines.

Thanks for reading my 4.5 cents

Richard,

 

The Name change to Regent will be effective on March 7th, according to Cindy, who is on the PG, where they just had a "Town Hall" Meeting with Mark Conroy.

Any chance that Cindy or anyone else currently on the newly renovated PG can post to this board about the changes to the ship and their opinion of them? I'm booked in one of the new "B" staterooms (created out of former crew-use area). I'm also curious about that and whether the infamously hard beds and ragged beach towels have been upgraded/replaced. Any info/gossip from first crusiers after dry dock I'll very much appreciate! Thanks!

Went on a Silversea cruise last fall. The staff and fellow guests were just some of the nicest people and the Whisper only had some 200 people on board and it was all inclusive. But I found their cuisine some what bland and the choices themselves did not appeal. They didn't appear to use butter and cream in many of their dishes and the beef was indifferent meat. It wasn't bad foodstuffs as I found on Hal but it just didn't compare to the wonderful cuisine I had on the Diamond and The Navigator. So Radisson is confirmed for me as my favorite/preferred cruise line. Friends say you are just spoiled by Radisson. Well isn't that the point?!:)

It is interesting to hear everyone's opinions. I have a friend (not a client) that has been a solid Radisson cruiser that recently tried Crystal expecting dissapointment...and was pleasantly surprised.

Similarly, the last poster complained that Silversea does not use enough butter or cream in dishes for his/her liking. Personally, I am not a fan of butter or cream in my dishes; preferring herbs and spices to flavor them.

Ya just never know what is going to work or not work for a mass of people, as the tastes of each individual are very important.

I stated that I felt Silversea did not use any(!) butter or cream in many dishes. Many classic, especially, European dishes would be frauds without use of butter and or cream....Dover sole, crepes, omelettes, pastries,bouillabaisse, onion soup, souffles. I have never been disappointed in the preparation of those wonderful dishes on the Radisson.:rolleyes:

sobore, after my last cruise, I now have 150 days on RSSC. Certainly not that many compared to those who have done multiple World Cruises, and/or many longer ones. Last cruise I took, there were several people with over 500 days, and I think that says something for the line.

You ask where is the line drawn to choose Radisson, and I think that is a question of personal likes and dislikes, and yes, you will pay more for a luxury cruise experience, no matter the line! If you choose it, I think you will be a happy camper I choose first for the itinerary and price, service and other things being the same. For what I like, I am into the "luxury" range, so only consider Crystal, RSSC, Silversea, and Seabourn. I would never choose to cruise on a ship of more than 1,000. pax. I require a balcony, open seating, and mostly inclusive (yes, you pay for bar drinks on RSSC). So for ME, that knocks out Crystal and Seabourn (regimented seating and no wine with dinner on the former, no real balconies on the latter). I loved my one cruise on Silversea, and hope to cruise with them again. If those things are not important to you, look into the others.

As for what Blackbird said about dealing with the home office, I don't have to do that, as I have a wonderful TA, who deals alot with RSSC, she takes care of any problems, but I have to say I have never to date had any that were not resolved completely to my satisfaction!

As for Iamboatman's assement that RSSC is a "step above premium.... but a notch below Seabourn and Silversea", I have to disagree, except I have never been on Seabourn, as they have no real balcony cabins. He also seems to be a supporter of Celebrity and HAL. You should know he is a Travel Agent, as is Ngaire who posts on this board. On my one wonderful cruise in Silversea, I came on with a very critical eye and nitpicked the little things in the beginning. At the end, I thought SS and RSSC are two peas in a pod. Just pick the best price for what you want and where you want to go!

Cindy posted that she did not see the new staterooms, but to quote her "The soft goods are nice

Food is always one night at a time IMHO. While I liked the food on the RSSC Mariner, they had the worst wiener schnitzel I have had. I love wiener schnitzel and of my 12 night cruise, the only night I dined by myself was the night it was on the menu, because I thought I would be going bad for seconds. Then this dried out piece of cardboard showed up on my plate and I knew there would be no need for seconds on this dish. :(

I am a travel agent and, unlike some others, I do not focus on or promote one line versus another.

By way of example, I do think HAL has a very good product but my worst cruise (I have not been on a bad cruise) was on HAL (Maasdam) and I just haven't had a great demand for booking HAL recently. I just try to give my honest opinion here from what I personally have learned, what my clients advise me and what others I meet have to say. (A world cruiser on HAL won't even consider a RSSC world cruise...my experience.)

Ironically, I find the food on RSSC to be very good to excellent. However, one of the things that really put me off on my last cruise was when I enquired about the venison on the menu in one of the specialty restaurants. My assistant waiter was very forthright and advised me it was "nothing special" as it was whitetail deer from Wisconsin and was frozen. Then I overheard the head waiter telling the table next to us that it was fresh blacktail deer from Sitka, where we had just been the day before. I double-checked and each held to their stories. Now, call me what you want, but don't call me stupid. Make up a story for the dumb passengers...but keep it consistent. How do you think that dinner tasted...and I had the halibut!?

With further irony, I have a group booked on RSSC this summer and will be traveling on that cruise. The more sales, the better for me...Right? Maybe. I don't sell one cruise; I sell lots of them, so I don't want clients coming back disappointed because "It ain't what it used to be" just so I can get a short term profit and a free cruise. I have my fingers crossed I will come back raving about RSSC again.

I have cruised on Seabourn. I sell a good bit of Seabourn. I think it is a fantastic cruise line...for those that want that sort of experience. I honestly don't think RSSC and Seabourn are in the same league on many levels. I also believe there are many people that would really like RSSC that would not enjoy the Seabourn experience. That's why I try to fit the cruise to the person; not the person to the presently promoted cruise. I may well sell less, but I try to sell good.

So much for my opinions being slanted because I am a TA. BTW, I am not going to engage in a discussion of TA selling methods and I am off on a business trip so I'm not going to be checking here for a while, so no implications on my silence.:)

One of my favorite meals when we were on Mariner last time was wiener schnitzel. Mr. Bird, did you ask to send it back and get a different serving?

Mr. Boatman, did you escalate your question above the waiters? I asked a question on Navigator about an obscure sparkling wine that I like, and immediately had about four people at the table to see if they could some up with a substitute for me (it wasn't necessary but they tried).

I'm never shy with my questions or opinions, and I haven't encountered a problem getting answers or solutions. Of course, I haven't cruised as much as either of you gentlemen, so maybe I'm naive.

No, I didn't escalate the issue. I try to travel without making fusses unless necessary. Since I listened to my assistant waiter, and I love fresh fish probably more than venison, I was happy with the halibut. It was just a disappointing moment. (It was similar, but not as bad, as our room stewardess on the same cruise that had numerous errors and omissions, but for which I did not complain...until we ran out of toilet paper.)

No, I didn't escalate the issue. I try to travel without making fusses unless necessary.

Same here. :)

Plus I had already put in a formal complaint about a problem with the ship's security and found out they ignore problems. :(

I've experienced similar "inconsistency" when inquiring about sauces or soups. I don't eat meat (except some poultry and an occasional piece of bacon or pork sausage) and never, ever eat beef. I've had to send several dishes back when they obviously used a meat-based sauce, and not chicken or vegetable as I was told. After a few sailings I knew what to order, but it's frustrating that the waiters (or butlers) don't understand the dishes better.

And no, I don't "escalate"it. It's not a huge deal for me, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents that it actually is a consistent pattern, not a "one time" thing.

I obviously didn't word my question correctly. By "escalate", I just meant asking somebody a slight bit "up the ladder" which kind of deer it was; somebody a little bit closer to the source.

And I certainly didn't mean to insinuate that anyone should make a fuss in the dining room! If I was counting on a specific dish and it came to my table not as good as I knew it could be, I don't think sending it back for a different portion would be considered making a fuss. On our Navigator cruise, there was a mix-up on who wanted their steak cooked to which temperature. The persons involved were able to switch out steaks, but Ricardo was right there to have them corrected if need be. There would have been NO fuss, just a discreet passing of a plate to the waiter.

Sorry for the wrong terminology.

For what it's worth, only special, USDA-certified game ranches and packing plants can raise and process deer/venison (of any kind) for sale in restaurants or supermarkets in the U.S. and it is virtually all flash-frozen before it is shipped. "Hunter's venison" cannot be served in restaurants.

We're off for Buenos Aires and the Mariner in about an hour, so we'll have a cruise report for you in about a month. From what I've heard from pax currently on board, the Mariner is better than ever. We haven't been aboard her for @ 2 1/2 years, so we'll see. We're on our 11th RSSC cruise in the past 3 1/2 years and we've never had anything but the best from RSSC. Expect the same on this cruise. For SSS purposes, we're currently Gold, but going to Platinum.

I'm curious -- could any of you tell the difference between white-tail and black-tail deer? Is one really better tasting than the other? If you've had venison on an RSSC cruise, did you like it?

I've only tasted hunter-caught deer myself (caught by my cousin's husband) and I thought it was pretty tasty, although I admit to being a bit creeped out by the deer heads on the wall. I don't think it was ever on the menu of any of my cruises, but I'd probably order it if it was! :) I don't know if I'd really want to know the details of how it came to be on my plate, tho...that's a bit too much reality for this carnivore. ;)

LeeAnne

Leeanne, I think you can be assured that any meat that comes to your plate on RSSC comes straight out of the freezer, as regulations require. This is not the case with fish, however.

For what its worth from a food non-expert like me, I've always found the food on Radisson to be excelent. In fact, I wish I had some now! I don't think anything as good is even available here in Oklahoma.

On a Radisson ship, I tend to use the dining experience as a chance to try new and different things, not available in my part of the country. I generally ask my wiater if I can exchange an "experimental dish" for something else if it's not to my liking. The answer has always been "of course." I haven't liked my "experiments" 100% of the time, and it is certainly been no problem to get a substitute course. On the other hand, the trying of new and different dishes has led to the discovery of something I do like, most of the time.

Thanks,

Richard