Dolebludger

The Haven on NCL gem class ships, including the Pearl, include only large rooms and a refilled  bar in-suite. There is no separate lounge, restaurant. It does not even include drinks in the regular lounges. 

I’m waiting to what is in the mini bar (and how much) in SS and CS from someone who has cruised after the “enhancement”. It seems from reading this thread that it included only a one time fill of soda and beer on a complementary basis. (Not great on longer cruises.) And for the record, lines like Regent include refil of these items on request, plus spirits and wine.

Also, we don’t wear anything that can’t be washed and dried in a drier here at home. And we certainly don’t pack anything that requires special handling on a cruise. We don’t take cruises of 16 days or more, so we have no experience with “formal optional” on Regent. But sometimes I take a sports jacket to the cruise to give extra pockets. And sometimes I wear it to dinner on Regent, because I want to do so. I haven’t worn a tie in over 12 years, and don’t know where my old ties are — if they haven’t been thrown away.

Now, seriously, the fact that Regent has included laundry service is a major reason why we chose it over other lux lines. We know that while good denim jeans are acceptable for dining in our town (Durango, CO), Regent (and other lux lines) don’t feel that way. No problem. There are slacks (not denim) that are cut just like jeans and are not as heavy as well, and are acceptable for evening hours on Regent. Because of this, I bought a bunch oh these slacks, and found that I liked them better than jeans — even where they are not “required”. And they are lighter in the luggage also. And if , like us, you want to spend an additional night or two in the embarkation port city, you might arrive on board in need of laundry service. If you ask, you probably will get it.

Oh, I think we all know that “2025” was a typo. But I’m confused about the “elevated” wine prices. They range from $5 to $23 on the menu you posted. Isn’t that the price over and above the $17 covered under PDP? If so, no math is needed. 

Well, if Celebrity desires to furnish a true lux experience with its Retreat and Premium beverage package, it is missing the mark. I just returned from a Regent cruise (with a fare a bit less than a SS). There was no extra charge for anything we would actually drink. There were some wines and spirits an extra cost, and I have never heard of them. And they were at major extra cost. I jotted down a few names, and asked a local liquor store manager what they are and how expensive they are. His store is in an upscale area, and he had to look these up! He told me that the $200 or so per bottle average that Regent was charging for these was CHEAP!  They are (IMHO) not drinks — they are collector’s items.  My wife loves prosecco, and was introduced to a brand on that cruise. She loved it. I asked my local liquor store manager to get us some. He did. His price is $22/bottle. It was not only included, but recommended on Regent — where grocery store wines are not extra cost, they aren’t even offered.  

The dress code always in effect — elegant casual — describes a minimum (not a maximum) of dress on all nights. So you can wear a tux anytime you wish. We cruised Regent before the 16 night rule for formal optional was in effect, and sometimes there were formal nights on shorter cruises. On those, a coat and tie was the minimum. Of course, tuxes were welcome also. But we saw very few tuxes.

I can’t give an answer, as it is a matter of how much you would actually use the real balcony. And the interior size of the cabin is important too.

How did it go? 

4 hours ago, JohnRuby said:

Any details you learned from the sister ship Eclipse dry dock?  Like could you see or hear what was changed?  I hear exterior paint, carpet, sheets, drapes, etc?  Would love to hear what changed.  Much appreciated

Well, it has been a long time ago. But as I recall, the carpets, paint and furniture on the Eclipse looked new and fresh. But on the Equinox they were a bit worn, but everything was functional. This was before all the revolutionalizing stuff that made ship’s interiors look like the “Ikea of the seas”, which I might not have liked much. Instead, the Eclipse then looked classy and new. 

In 2019 we cruised the Equinox in Alaska. While it looked to be near the end of its redecorating cycle. It provided a very functional experience. We could know how she would look all refreshed, as a few months before we had cruised her sister ship, the Eclipse, which had recently returned from a dry dock. Sharpe!

We had signed up for a tour of the Normandy beaches on our August Splendor cruise. It was scheduled to depart at 8:45 AM. We received an email from Regent that it was cancelled. We contacted our TA and she was informed that the tour would now depart at 9:45 AM. We are still on it. Wonder why the email said cancelled instead of simple informing us of the new time? 

38 minutes ago, Got2Cruise said:

Or maybe their credit is not good. The Caribbean is booming. 

Good point. This would account for Regent’s failure to secure hotel and transfers in Barbados.And it had the same problem in Iceland too.

Just a guess, but it looks like Regent is having problems finding suitable providers of shorex hotels, land transportation, and all land services. For what ever reason, the end of the pandemic left us with world-wide shortages of labor, which could be the root of these problems.

Five years ago, the Retreat was real competition for the lux lines. Almost the same degree of service and inclusions but for a lower fare. Been there — enjoyed that. Now, post-pandemic it looks as if some of the former inclusions aren’t there any more, and the fares are not lower (if at all and  even higher) than the lux lines. So, while the Retreat may still be enjoyable, it is no longer a “good deal” given the price. For some reason, some like a larger ship than the lux lines offer. I can’t see why. We returned from a cruise on the Regent Splendor two weeks ago. We found the service, food, and entertainment to be great. Can’t imagine what would have been better if that ship held 3000 guests instead of 750. More guests onboard would seem to be a negative factor — not positive.

This may be a bit off topic, but it is funny. A friend was asking me about cruises, and said he was tired of lines and crowds everywhere and extra cost for many things.  Told him to check out Regent, which almost  never has such things. He said he wouldn’t like it because their ads showed all dressed up people (coats, ties and evening dresses). I said “don’t believe all the pictures you see in ads — it’s not that way onboard” I had to show him some pictures of guests I took on the Splendor a couple of weeks ago to convince him. Makes me wonder how many people avoid Regent because they think it is too dressy. 

 I guess I should contact Regent and tell the folks there that their ads showing dressed up guests are DRIVING AWAY potential customers! It would drive me away too if I didn’t know better — which I do.

NCL can compete with the Retreat only on their newest, larger ships..back in 2015 we were on a music cruise in their Haven on the NCL Pearl. There was no separate dining room, no,Haven included lounges, and no included drinks on the main ship. I posted on the NCL board here to see if this were still true. I found that it is still the case. To me, the NCL haven on some of their ships is no competition for the MSC Yacht club or the X Retreat

30 minutes ago, Merc85 said:

Are the dress codes the same?  The brochure photos I've seen seem to indicate that the smaller/higher end ships have a dressier dress code than X.  Is that so or is that just advertisements?  Thanks.

I can only speak for Regent as it is the only lux line with which we have recent experience. For casual nights (which is all they have unless the cruise is 16 nights or more) the evening dress code is the same as Celebrity’s, except jeans aren’t allowed after 6:00 PM in restaurants and lounges, where shirts need to have collars. On longer cruises, there might be a few ‘formal optional” nights. On these, the majority of guests still do the casual thing. A few might wear a sports jacket and very few might wear a tux. I’ve cruise Celebrity and Regent. The only difference in what I take might take on Regent substitutes casual slacks for jeans. 

 I well recognize the bad result that can come from good reviews. When I posted reviews of our 2017 and 2018 retreat cruises on the Eclipse and Equinox, I said they were the best value at sea. And back then, they were. And other posters said the same. And look what happened. Prices doubled (or close to it). Perks were reduced. And now the retreat is no longer the best deal. I certainly hope that Celebrity finds its way back to the value position it once held

Lastdance, just  week or so ago, we were on the Regent Splendor and never “dressed up” for dinner beyond slacks and polo shirt. 

Cruise ship dress codes do require a bit of research to get it right. Some lines we cruised a long time ago applied their dress code only to restaurants and lounges, but shorts and T shirts were fine in the theater.  Maybe some cruise lines are like that now. IDK. But, of course, we know that Regent’s “after 6” dress code applies to all public areas. But maybe some don’t understand that.

We are usually Regent cruisers, but we cruised in a CS shortly before the pandemic. We liked that cruise, so we booked another in a RS on board. We liked that one also. Celebrity suites offered much of what we were used to on Regent, with larger suites and lower price tag. Checking on cruises post pandemic, we found a reduction of perks in the Retreat and big price increases that put it at a higher cost than Regent on many cruises, with fewer inclusions. So, we went back to Regent recently, and found the experience improved. Given the diversity of things other people want on a cruise, it is of course impossible to recommend Regent to all. But for us, it is currently the best for the price.

On our last Regent cruise (Splendor — 03/24/2024 to 03/31/2024) my wife wore nice slacks, tops, and shoes. I wore non-denim  slacks (different material, but same cut as jeans), a collared polo shirt, and shoes exactly like sneakers but with leather uppers. No problems, and we felt we “fitted in”, as fellow guests were dressed in similar fashion. On one evening after 6:PM, I wore a dress T with a black sports coat. No problem with that either. And I think we fitted the Regent dress code as well. We live in a very informal area where dress is concerned (Durango, CO — nobody wears a tie). And that’s pretty much the way we dress around home. So I think Regent’s dress code is very reasonable, considering that it is a “lux line” — and the best one.

Here are my observations from our Splendor E. Caribbean cruise which ended a dozen or so days ago. 
 

MEN: wear pants not made of denim. It doesn’t matter if the pants are cut like jeans ( patch rear pockets, rivets, etc.) just as long as they aren’t made of denim fabric. Shirts should have collars, worn tucked in or out. Or you can wear a dress “T” shirt with a sports jacket. Wear shoes, of course, but the type doesn’t seem to matter. I wore leather shoes cut like sneakers, and nobody cared. And don’t wear a hat in any dining venue. 
 

WOMEN: wear a dress or pants with a nice top. Shoes, of course, — the exact type doesn’t seem to matter.

Even on a longer cruise with “formal optional evenings”, you can still opt for the casual  code, and you’ll have plenty of company.