Regent vs. Crystal

I have been an ardent cruiser with Crystal for more than a decade, and I am in the midst of deciding whether I should give Regent a try. Can somebody who has cruised on both lines give me a comparison? Thanks.

Sheila

I love Crystal in some ways, but do not like assigned seating and do not like to have to call for a reservation every day for the other. I do not like that you have to pay after the first time you use the alternative restaurants, and I find that their cabins are quite small, even the Penthouse suite with Verandah.

Their food is excellent on Crystal.

Regent is VERY all inclusive. I believe you can go to each of the alternative restaurants twice and then hope for more or try. I like the VERY all inclusive, but I find the food quite salty. This is purely subjective though and others do not feel that way.

Their ships are all older...for me. I prefer a newer ship. I believe at least on the Voyager that the ship has been tastefully decorated.

Truly the lectures and entertainment are much better on Crystal.

I think you should give Regent a try. There is no caviar (although I think I heard that Crystal has cut that out for the most part).

It is a toss up, in my humble opinion.

Regent offers some tours at no extra cost and I believe they have pre and post cruise arrangements, although I have never used them.

Give it a try...at least you will have larger accommodations.

With the new policy, even guests in penthouses have to pay for caviar. The quality of Crystal has been diminishing slowly but surely over the years, other than the exceptional service of the crew.

Been there, done both, like both. It's like comparing apples and oranges. We're on an April cruise on the Mariner and a late summer TA on the Symphony.

Pro's for Regent.....bigger cabins, dine when you wish (no fixed seating times), very inclusive; air, tours if you wish, included pre cruise hotel (conceirge level and above)

Pro's for Crystal.....better food and presentation, better wine, better ship design, better service, better entertainment, better bars.

The above are only my opinions so are totally subjective. We enjoy Crystal's "included wines" more than Regents, but that's a crap shoot and can vary. Two of Crystal's biggest detractors are the two fixed dining times unless you do the reservation daily thing and the size of the cabins. Neither have been any sort of a problem for us. Even though the Crystal ships are older, I prefer the deck plan and the style of the ships as opposed to Regents.

It is a balancing act for sure and very subjective. If you're a Crystal regular then you already know the pros and cons (if that's what you consider them). Regent has much larger staterooms and especially bathrooms. Flexible dining times in all venues. Excursions included (although the quality can be disappointing). The smaller Regent ships have a more intimate, friendly atmosphere IMO. But I would say that Crystal's entertainment is much better. It really does depend on what Makes or Breaks a cruise for you. The only way you will find out is to give Regent a go!

Caviar is still offered for free during semi-formal optional evening in the NDR or room service. They do offer a caviar menu other times at very reasonable prices and higher quality. Regent charges as well when it is not offered on the menu. I love caviar and I don't mind paying such a reasonable price. This is how I use some of my cruise credits so in essence it is free.

Regent does not have a Bistro like Crystal with gourmet snacks and coffee made for you by the Barista. If you want a drink or a glass of wine it is offered there as well. We love the Bistro for a light snack and it is open until 11PM. Think Ritz Carlton club floor in the Atrium.

Regent has great suites but people on Crystal seem not to mind the standard cabins as they are very functional. We stay in either a PS or CP which is very luxurious.

Single supplement is a better deal for solo's. As has been pointed out entertainment, food and service is where Crystal excels.

Regent is a very good line but a different culture from Crystal. No two luxury lines are the same. They all have good qualities. In the end, it is up to you to decide.

In the pros for Crystal, I had forgotten about the Bistro......that's a really nice thing! Always something interesting, from sweet to savory AND you can get a nice glass of wine to accompany your treats as well as wonderful coffees, teas, etc. Loved the bistro!

A big plus on Regent is the open seating dining. Also the canapés, snacks in the bars are much better on Regent. On a recent Crystal cruise I only saw a waiter twice serving canapés etc and they were a pretty pathetic offering.

If you want a nice steak at dinner Regent with Prime 7 is on another planet from what the people at Crystal call a steak. Seriously.

We enjoyed both cruise lines but prefer Regent. That said, Regents current price structure seems a bit high.

I expect 2016 to be a buyers market with new Viking and Seabourn and Regent ships and lower fuel costs, of course I may be mistaken.

Unless it has changed, we found Crystal to be much more "formal" than Regent with most everyone dressing up for dinner.

Forgot to add that in our experience the Afternoon Tea on Regent is better than Crystal's. Both lines tick lots of boxes, it really does depend on which ones are important to you.

If you are anxious about moving away from your Crystal "comfort zone" then stick with Crystal. If you want to expand your horizons a bit then try Regent. It really isn't so very different overall but offers an alternative experience. Our first priority with any cruise line is the itinerary so maybe focus on that?

I agree totally with "Baggy". We use both Regent and Crystal. We go with the itinerary and the price at any given moment. Feel we can't go wrong with either, although each line has it's own "flavor".

Unless it has changed, we found Crystal to be much more "formal" than Regent with most everyone dressing up for dinner.

Linda, I don't know when you sailed Crystal last. The dress code is much more relaxed. The dress code is either casual or formal optional. Some people like to dress up and that is their own personal choice.

As for Tea, we think Crystal does a top notch job in the beautiful Palm Court with the quartet and being served with white glove waiters serving canapés and a choice of a variety of teas. The Motzart tea is the highlight with all the servers being dressed in period costumes.....very elegant.

As far as steak is concerned we were not impressed with Regent offerings. Longhorn serves better steak. I only eat filet and I find Crystal does a pretty good job. Of course this is all subjective. I have read here some people don't like Prime 7 and some do.

In the end, I think the poster should try Regent and make their own decision. Regent is still considered a luxury line just a bit different in product.

Regent has "Coffee Connection" with snacks, fuit, sandwichs etc. Also Regent has caviar every Sunday am with all that goes with it. (You can have mine)

Jan and I look forward to Regent's caviar on sunday morning. To us caviar is emblematic of the good old days of yore. On our first cruise long ago we had booked steerage (internal cabin for four) on the last leg (ny to southhampton) of the premier world cruse of the QE2. We were upgraded to two first class cabins and the first class dining room. a Stewardess fed our two kids and put them down, while Jan and i enjoyed caviar and all the fixings with other great food every night. We never thought life could be that good again.

+1 - love caviar Sundays. Although the caviar served is now from the U.S., when you add all of fixings it is sure is good (plus a nice mimosa).

When we were planning our next cruise at the British Isles, we were torn between Crystal Cruise (14 days) and Regent Seven Seas (10 days). After much thought, we decided to book with Regent Seven Seas. even though the cruise will only be 10 days

Why? For the price we got in Regent, we saw it as a win considering the things that came with it.

There will be 3 of us in our group. For Crystal Cruise, we were considering to book one Penthouse Suite with Verandah which will give us about 491 square feet since one person can use the sofa bed. For Regent, we end up getting one Concierge Suite about 354 square feet and one Penthouse Suite about 370 square feet.

We love to travel in Business Class, and the price came with airfare in Business Class. For our other companion we requested an upgrade from Coach to Business.

We have free one-night pre-cruise stay in London.

All shore excursions were included on the price. We know that some excursions are premium so there will be additional costs. Which is okay with us considering we can pre-pay them before our cruise. With Crystal, you cannot pre-pay your excursions.

Dining anytime with 4 restaurants to choose from. This is a plus to us since we do not want to seat in at a specific time for dining.

So, overall, we balance out what we will get in Regent vs Crystal for the same price. And when we add up the things we need in Crystal, Regent came with the better price.

A small correction. You can book and pay for excursions on Crystal. Crystal will also arrange private excursions if you desire.

A small correction. You can book and pay for excursions on Crystal. Crystal will also arrange private excursions if you desire.

Unless something has changed since last summer, I do not think you can pre-pay for shore excursions booked online in advance. The cost is added to your shipboard account. Interesting that most people see having to pay in advance for shore excursions as a negative!! Each to their own I guess.:D

Unless something has changed since last summer, I do not think you can pre-pay for shore excursions booked online in advance. The cost is added to your shipboard account. Interesting that most people see having to pay in advance for shore excursions as a negative!! Each to their own I guess.:D

Some Regent customers object to paying for their shore excursions in advance as it must be paid with a credit card. It does not come out of your shipboard account. When you get onboard, depending upon availability of the excursion, you may be able to cancel the excursion and rebook using on board credits. Also, if you decide to cancel the excursion while on the ship, the refund is in cash -- not on your credit card.

Thank you very much for the information regarding changing your excursion while on board. I really appreciate the information.

We are looking forward to our cruise with Regent.:)

Forgot to add that in our experience the Afternoon Tea on Regent is better than Crystal's. Both lines tick lots of boxes, it really does depend on which ones are important to you.

 

If you are anxious about moving away from your Crystal "comfort zone" then stick with Crystal. If you want to expand your horizons a bit then try Regent. It really isn't so very different overall but offers an aence. Our first priority with any cruise line is the itinerary so maybe focus on that?[/QUO

Absolutely agree about itinerary. We have cruised both lines for many years.They are different but both deliver a luxury product.We always get a penthouse catagory with Crystal and are very comfortable with the size.We really love them both!

Unless something has changed since last summer, I do not think you can pre-pay for shore excursions booked online in advance. The cost is added to your shipboard account. Interesting that most people see having to pay in advance for shore excursions as a negative!! Each to their own I guess.:D

You are correct...my mistake. You can reserve excursions and they can be paid for with credits or charged to your shipboard account. What is the advantage of paying for them in advance?

We stopped doing ship bus excursions a long time ago as we want more flexibility and now do them private.

Some Regent customers object to paying for their shore excursions in advance as it must be paid with a credit card. It does not come out of your shipboard account. When you get onboard, depending upon availability of the excursion, you may be able to cancel the excursion and rebook using on board credits. Also, if you decide to cancel the excursion while on the ship, the refund is in cash -- not on your credit card.

That really is pretty much standard practice for most lines. You book in advance, you pay in advance with a credit card. Interesting about the cash refund on Regent. I was not aware of that. Thanks.

You are correct...my mistake. You can reserve excursions and they can be paid for with credits or charged to your shipboard account. What is the advantage of paying for them in advance?

 

We stopped doing ship bus excursions a long time ago as we want more flexibility and now do them private.

Some people just like to have all of the "cruise related" expenses paid before they board so they know it is done. Crystal is actually among the very few that do not require payment for excursions at the time of booking.

That really is pretty much standard practice for most lines. You book in advance, you pay in advance with a credit card. Interesting about the cash refund on Regent. I was not aware of that. Thanks.

I am only familiar with Regent and Silversea. Silversea does not make you pay in advance but you can book in advance. Once onboard, you will find the charges on your account and can pay by credit card or use on board credits. Obviously, I prefer the way it is handled by Silversea.