Regent going in the wrong direction

After some serious thought and hesitation I decided to make a post on my opinion of Regent. In the past I have gained so much insightful and helpful information by reading the forums and reviews. First let me say we have been on 23 cruises from the old Renaissance R2 & R5 ships, Celebrity, RCCL, Norweigian, Princess, Regent and Seabourn. My opinion on Regent is the cruise line is going in the wrong direction. The pricing has become ridiculous and the quality of the experience as can be read on many boards now is slipping fast in virtually all categories. I have met Regent loyalist who have been on 10 world cruises with Regent and that is saying a great deal about loyalty. Many of these loyal cruisers have left to Crystal, Seabourn and or Silver Seas. What action have I taken? Recently booked a 50 night on the new Viking Star. The concept Viking has taken on this Ocean going ship sounds like a Regent model. We are all looking for the best best cruise experience and this has become more and more difficult to obtain with Regent. If you doubt me spend a few hours and just poke around the boards and you will soon know the truth. In my opinion when one spends in excess of $1,000 a day you deserve a great experience otherwise find another venue.

Very interesting post/thread. It will be good to hear from those who may have been Regent loyalists and have switched to other lines. I do know someone who has done multiple around the world cruises and switched to Crystal because Regent no longer offered them. While I cannot speak for her, I know she still sails Regent and believe she will do an the around the world cruise when Regent offers it again.

I personally do not feel that Regent has slipped in all categories. When I started on CC a few years ago, I was afraid to go on a cruise because of the negative reviews. Those reviews were very similar to what I am reading today. The service was better in Compass Rose a few years ago but the ships were not running full. The restaurant that was in the Prime 7 space (Latitudes) was better for our tastes. Regent/Radisson was not all-inclusive and did not include airfare on all itineraries. All luxury lines have now switched to the all-inclusive model -- slight differences on each cruise line. Regent does include excursions -- something we are not happy with.

In terms of price, we find Crystal is higher in cost than Regent for the category and size of suite that we book. Seabourn would be an option except for the smoking policy (good for some - not for others). Silversea has been our alternate luxury option when Regent did not offer the same itineraries. Unfortunately, their current problems need to be resolved before we would book another SS cruise. So much for current options.

The Viking Star does sound lovely..... however, until it is has sailed a while and we've read reviews, it really isn't something we want to risk since Viking is just entering the "ocean" market. When I think of the Viking Star, it reminds me of Apollo/PCH when they purchased Regent. They already had a wonderful premium plus cruise line that was successful. The first year it seemed that PCH did not understand the luxury market and the Regent experience was not what it used to be. Once they "got it", things improved dramatically. I do not recall if the Viking Star is planning on being a premium or luxury cruise line. In either case, they have some well-established, successful competition (IMHO)

DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.

7 posts in two years. Just trying to stir it up.

If you doubt me spend a few hours and just poke around the boards and you will soon know the truth.

I very much doubt that.

Very interesting post/thread. It will be good to hear from those who may have been Regent loyalists and have switched to other lines. I do know someone who has done multiple around the world cruises and switched to Crystal because Regent no longer offered them. While I cannot speak for her, I know she still sails Regent and believe she will do an the around the world cruise when Regent offers it again.

 

I personally do not feel that Regent has slipped in all categories. When I started on CC a few years ago, I was afraid to go on a cruise because of the negative reviews. Those reviews were very similar to what I am reading today. The service was better in Compass Rose a few years ago but the ships were not running full. The restaurant that was in the Prime 7 space (Latitudes) was better for our tastes. Regent/Radisson was not all-inclusive and did not include airfare on all itineraries. All luxury lines have now switched to the all-inclusive model -- slight differences on each cruise line. Regent does include excursions -- something we are not happy with.

 

In terms of price, we find Crystal is higher in cost than Regent for the category and size of suite that we book. Seabourn would be an option except for the smoking policy (good for some - not for others). Silversea has been our alternate luxury option when Regent did not offer the same itineraries. Unfortunately, their current problems need to be resolved before we would book another SS cruise. So much for current options.

 

The Viking Star does sound lovely..... however, until it is has sailed a while and we've read reviews, it really isn't something we want to risk since Viking is just entering the "ocean" market. When I think of the Viking Star, it reminds me of Apollo/PCH when they purchased Regent. They already had a wonderful premium plus cruise line that was successful. The first year it seemed that PCH did not understand the luxury market and the Regent experience was not what it used to be. Once they "got it", things improved dramatically. I do not recall if the Viking Star is planning on being a premium or luxury cruise line. In either case, they have some well-established, successful competition (IMHO)

OMG!!!

TC...this is an historic moment.

I fully agree with everything you said in your post. I was on before and just after Apollo purchased Regent and that trip was not the best. But we hung in and for us, Regent is still the line of choice.

The service was better in Compass Rose a few years ago but the ships were not running full.

(IMHO)

The above regarding occupancy is simply NOT true. The 7% increase for 2011 is only 49 people on Voyager/Mariner and then then for 2012 and 2013, a decrease of 28 people on average. Check the financials on Regent's home page,

2010-87% occupancy

2011-94% occupancy

2012-90% occupanch

1st Quarter 2013 90% occupancy.

While that isn't a bad occupancy rate, please stop stating the ships are running full. Regent's own statistics provide definitive data.

Viking is actually not new. It's CEO ran Royal Viking Lines. They own Viking River Cruises. They are more in competition with Oceania or Azamara. We would not cruise them because of their River Cruise experience is far less than Regent or Oceania.

The above regarding occupancy is simply NOT true. The 7% increase for 2011 is only 49 people on Voyager/Mariner and then then for 2012 and 2013, a decrease of 28 people on average. Check the financials on Regent's home page,

 

2010-87% occupancy

2011-94% occupancy

2012-90% occupanch

1st Quarter 2013 90% occupancy.

 

While that isn't a bad occupancy rate, please stop stating the ships are running full. Regent's own statistics provide definitive data.

You're right:-) I was talking about the years 2004-2007. This was when Radisson/Regent was still owned by the Carlsons. Occupancy has definitely been way up in recent years.

DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.

 

7 posts in two years. Just trying to stir it up.

I think you're right. Really hope the "baiting" doesn't work and that this thread stays calm and maybe will go away quickly. There was no reason for this subject to suddenly come up.

I can understand choosing a different cruise line if you are not pleased with Regent. I can't understand choosing a completely untested line like Viking, especially for a 50 day cruise. I assume they will operate things very differently from their river cruises but until I get some feedback on exactly how service, food etc are being handled I'll stay away.

Aloha all,

For anyone who has worked in the hotel business, these numbers indicate that Regent is running "full." Any land-based hotel, or most cruise lines, I venture to guess, would love to have these kinds of year-round occupancy numbers.

2010-87% occupancy

2011-94% occupancy

2012-90% occupancy

Aloha from Hanalei,

Mark

I don't believe you can necessarily tell the "truth" from reading the boards. I found the comments on CC often more extreme than the actual experience. We have done only 2 Regent cruises but have probably cruised around 150 days. Do I think everything is perfect on Regent - no but then I am pretty realistic about anything being perfect.

As far as the pricing goes i understand the comments regarding them being expensive. We use Regent for those itineraries where we take advantage of all the perks offered in the all-inclusive package and look at other lines when itineraries and pricing are more attractive. When we take advantage of all or most of the perks then we find Regent very competitive to other lines.

We still think Regent is the best experience we have ever had. We love Voyager, the spacious staterooms, the wonderful staff, the delicious food, the great pre and post cruise offerings and access to reasonable business upgrades. I have complained about certain things regarding Regent on these boards but not always raved about the good things. I am not likely the only one that does that so i am not sure the boards are necessarily a balanced account of Regent. I think you need to experience Regent to know the "truth".

There are sooooo many options out there that everyone should be able to find something they like. Constructive criticism is important for the owners so they can work on issues brought to light. The nasty comments by some are just not helpful to anyone.

Aloha all,

 

For anyone who has worked in the hotel business, these numbers indicate that Regent is running "full." Any land-based hotel, or most cruise lines, I venture to guess, would love to have these kinds of year-round occupancy numbers.

 

2010-87% occupancy

2011-94% occupancy

2012-90% occupancy

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

You may very well be correct Mark except for the fact that Mark Conroy stated that it took 80% occupancy for Regent to break even and pretty sure that is much higher than most hotels or cruise lines.

Also, the OP was using the full as an excuse for poor Compass Rose service as well as other reasons in the past. The OP further explained that they were comparing to 04-07 pre-Apollo/PCH when occupancy was significantly lower according to the OP.

Was simply making sure we all were talking apples and apples as most of us don't know what full occupancy represents as you evidently do. Also showing that the recent occupancy has been fairly stable so that others don't use occupancy as an excuse or reason for poor or changes in service.

Well I believe the occupancy was much lower from 2001-2006 perhaps. I know we got great deals on Regent ships during that period!

My opinion on Regent is the cruise line is going in the wrong direction.

By comparison, here's the wrong direction in my mind:

Viking Star 48,000 Tons 928 Passengers

Seven Seas Explorer 54,000 Tons 738 Passengers

Who wants to go on an unproven ship with smaller cabins, less public space and questionable culinary experience. To me, burning money on 50 days of a ship that has a less space per passenger and many unknowns is the wrong direction.

Here's to joining the inaugural run of the Seven Seas Explorer!

By comparison, here's the wrong direction in my mind:

 

Viking Star 48,000 Tons 928 Passengers

 

Seven Seas Explorer 54,000 Tons 738 Passengers

 

Who wants to go on an unproven ship with smaller cabins, less public space and questionable culinary experience. To me, burning money on 50 days of a ship that has a less space per passenger and many unknowns is the wrong direction.

 

.....!

Using gross tonnage/passenger ratio is a poor way to determine how much space each passeger might have. Factors like how interior space used is designated and designed will greatly influence the ratio as will amount open deck space.

j

Well right off the back I made a post on my thoughts about Regent and I was researched and deemed a "troll" who had hadn't posted but a few times in the last few years. Message boards are indeed a tough lot. Let me expand on my comments. I am not a shill for any other cruise line just a paying customer who enjoys cruising and experiencing travel and meeting a variety of interesting people and cultures. As a retired serviceman and business entrepreneur formerly in the service business. I can assure you I have a keen value for services. Some have remarked about my decision to book a cruise on Viking Ocean who has not proven themselves in the ocean going arena. I think you should check and see how many river vessels Viking is operating around the world and the awards they have won. The maiden voyage on this particular ship includes, from what I understand all services including internet, shore excursions, gratuities, drinks, wine etc. The price advertised as a special for the first level balcony cabin was !4k which comes to $300/day per person. The cabin size including balcony is 30 sf less then Regents Cat H balcony. Wether or not there is the same public space area per passenger is irrelevant in my opinion. I have walked around Regent in the evening and after 10pm you feel like the ship is your private yacht as there are few people around. Does it matter you might see a fellow shipmate passing by really matter? As this is a brand new ship I expect Viking will absolutely pull out all of the stops on this maiden voyage. At least at $300/person even if the final product is a little less then 6 star it is better then spending $1,200 or $1,300 a day don't you think? Don't get me wrong on the two previous Regent Cruises we enjoyed them both. One for 21 days and the other for 20 days on both the Mariner and Voyager. For the comment about Regent not having a world cruise that is incorrect they do. After the knuckle head in charge decided to break the world cruise up into segments to obtain higher per diem costs from this loyal passengers. What Regent found out was en mass they booked on Crystal. After that reality must have set in and Regent went back to a world cruise offering. For those of you who have not read on the boards about the numerous propulsion problems I suggest you go back and do some additional research. There is with out doubt a design problem with propulsion and I guarantee you will feel vibration in your bed as we did with out putting the 25 cents in. When we disembark on all cruises I am serious about writing comments and reviews so the cruise line knows how I feel. And another note on all inclusive comments. What we found was the shore excursions like walking tour, or bus into the city with a guide were the included ones. The excursions with off road trekking, horseback riding, etc were not free. What started me thinking one night after dinner a gentleman was walking up the stairs. As he passed me I could see the irritation in his face and his comment struck on chord in me. He said ' This is not worth $1,400 a day". All I could think about was Geez I am sure glad I didn't pay what he did because if I did i would be upset as well. Perhaps some of the posters have forgotten what six star is really all about. It certainly isn't about eating poor quality beef, rubber chicken and drinking $5-$7 a bottle wines. Regent pricing in my opinion is going through the roof and the overall experience is not keep up. If you read the Crystal boards and their paying even more the comments are much different. So there you have it not a Troll, just a couple looking for great value in a luxury vacation. By the way the Viking 50 day Europe sailing is selling out quickly so there is more then one fool like me out there. The price I quoted is now no longer available. for the poster above me Voyager and Mariner are 50,000 tons and 2,000 tons one way or another means nothing. Safe travels to all of you.

While I do appreciate your post, I do not agree with it. First of all, calling the CEO of Regent a "knuckle head" is rude and offensive to many Regent loyalists. Second, many of us do not consider long cruises the same as a world cruise. Just the opinion of some of us.

IMO, you will receive what you pay for on Viking. The experience will not be the same as on Regent, Seabourn, Silversea or Crystal.

In terms of propulsion problems....... yes -- all ships with Dolphin pods have had problems (this includes Crystal). While hindsight is typically 20/20, I'm sure that Regent and Crystal would not have chosen pods. However, the vibration on the Voyager is only felt in aft cabins (and then only sometimes). The rest of the ship is very stable and without vibration.

While I accept your comment that you are not a "troll" touting another cruise line, I must ask why you started this thread. If you were comparing the onboard experience on Viking ocean cruises and Regent, it would make sense....... however, there is no comparison available at the present time. IMO, there is no way to compare river vessels and ocean cruising. It isn't like apples and oranges...... it is more like apples and meatballs:-) Viking river cruises do not have to tender into ports. The Viking ships are smaller than ocean cruise lines. How can the service on the proposed Viking cruise line be compared to ocean cruise lines that have been in business 10+ years? There is a lot that Viking must master in order to compete with cruise lines that have been in the business for a long time.

Again I must ask why you felt the need to start a thread that would make prospective Regent customers feel that Regent is going in the wrong direction? IMO, your comments would have had more weight if you were not touting another cruise line.

I don't think being called a kucklehead is rude and offensive. We call the president of the United states all sorts of names in the press and on radio a lot worse then that. A CEO who drove away some of his most loyal customers to another competitor by any definition is just that. Just like the CEO who decided he wanted to change the 100 yr old coke formula. If it was such a good decision they certainly would not have gone back to the world cruise in the very next year. On the propulsion I did not say the entire ship had vibration but there are some cabins that do because I was in one of them. If someone just paid a small fortune and had to experience that believe me they would not be a happy cruiser. The reason the thread was started was because of my observations about Regent. in the same manner they made a wrong decision in alienating customers that were spending over a 250,000 a year on world cruises they are making the same mistake now. Or maybe just maybe as all cruise lines read the boards and gleam information from the passengers, perhaps Regent may decide to re look some of their procedures and pricing . Of course if everyone just kept their mouths shut and only complained about the food, the wine list, or the buffet not being replenished toward the end of the meal that would be enough. This begs to a bigger issue and that is value for money and true six star service. After all isn't that what their selling and constantly marketing? On Viking once again I didn't say i was recommending only that I had booked it because of the price point, itinerary (europe), and the all inclusiveness of the voyage. Even the majors like Princess, Celebrity and Holland are often times near the $250/night balcony rate before all the nit picking at your wallet. By the time all is said and done your paying much more the $300/nt. But as I also said that offer is now past and the rate is somewhat higher from what I understand. The nature of business is competition. Who would have thought all of these cruise lines could be adding larger and larger ships with more and more activities just 5 years ago. Now the ships have become the destination just like the hotels in Las Vegas. Do we really think only Regent can produce a luxury product in the cruise industry and an upstart like Viking can not? I for one find it exciting after experiencing Regent, Seabourn, Celebrity, RCCL to try this newcomer. Had I not read these threads over the years I never would tried Regent. As Emerald and Diamond status on Celebrity and RCCL I thought the pricing and service were just fine and we were happy. Then i got curious on what 6 star cruising would feel like and decided to take the plunge on our first Regent cruise Rio to Ft Lauderdale. Obviously we enjoyed it and not long after booked our 2nd. However, what I am now seeing from the boards is a lot of complaints on everything from food, entertainment, shore excursions, handling of customer complaints, and in general a company that has taken a step down but is still commanding a premium. In my opinion you can buy a lot of vacation for $1,300 or $1,400 a day. By the way I was not looking for your acceptance as not being a "troll". One could say that your condescending comment is a bit offensive as is the reason you question my reasoning on why the thread was started.

Holy wall of text! Unreadable. Make paragraphs your friends.

......If it was such a good decision they certainly would not have gone back to the world cruise in the very next year...

Please educate me about which cruise is the world cruise -- I can't find one on Regent any time in the future, and haven't been able to since they were stopped a few years ago. Regent's sister cruise line, Oceania, is doing a true Around the World in 180 Days world cruise in January, 2015; perhaps this is what you thought was Regent?

Knowing the Chairman and CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings, the parent company of Regent and Oceania, I can safely assure you that the description "genius" regarding the operation of cruise lines is more apt than "knucklehead", although I'm sure he got a good chuckle from your lack of real information. I can assure you that the World Cruises on Regent were no longer producing the sort of income one would expect or they would not have been cancelled. One only has to look at the World Cruise on Oceania that he personally designed, and that sold out in a matter of hours on the first booking day.

For a comparison,check out the Silversea CC board thread re:

Silver Shadow flunks sanitary inspection. There are some

pretty angry posters there. CBS News did a story on this.

...If you doubt me spend a few hours and just poke around the boards and you will soon know the truth. In my opinion when one spends in excess of $1,000 a day you deserve a great experience otherwise find another venue.

1. Please use paragraphs. It will get your points across more easily.

2. I agree with the basic premise that Regent's packaged product is not competitive. In the other 'Mariner' thread, I broke down Regent's all inclusive (cruise, coach air, hotel, transfers, excursions) v. Seabourn ala cart and clearly in at least the 2 side by side similar itinerary cruise comparisons, one saves a lot of money booking their own air, hotel and getting private car excursions for less versus taking the Regent packaged product.

In our opinion, Regent service is slipping and changing for the worse. It's not what it used to be, not as exclusive and while this bothers some to hear it, it's more akin to a HAL or Celebrity quality cruise with open bar and fewer passengers.

One of Regents most popular crew, Captain Dag (for those who go back to Song of Flower daze) and beyond, can find him now Piloting Seabourn, not Regent ships. That says something to us.

Be that as it may, on a dolla' for dolla' comparison, Regent seems to be targeting people who don't care it cost more or whom cannot book their own cruises versus premium cruise only fares elsewhere and thus are paying a premium for the packaged product.

___‹~›__‹(•¿•)›__‹~›___

On Mariner last Nov. from Monte Carlo to Rio I found excellent service from the hard working staff.

The excursions were fine and the buses were not jammed - there always had some unoccupied seats.

My only complaint was food wasn't always top notch - especially the beef ordered medium rare was still dry and almost flavorless.

Really difficult to read that very long paragraph. I think I read that the OPS last Regent cruise was five years ago - which was probably right after Apollo purchased Regent. I am assuming that the rest of the comments are based on CC posts. As I posted earlier, if I believed everything I read on boards (not just CC), I would have not taken my first Regent cruise.

Fortunately, the OP has other choices which I hope he/she takes advantage of.