Seabourn or Regent.....

[watergal]

Perhaps this has been answered ad infinitum but I need a fairly quick answer. We thoroughly enjoyed Seabourn last year and are contemplating a Med cruise, again on a Seabourn ship - but we could change to another destination this fall. Die-hard Regent friends are insistent we try their favorite but they've never tried Seabourn. Conde Nast has a current overview of the best ships out there and Seabourn is at the top every time and we would agree.

For those of you who have experienced both, sure would appreciate your input. :)

[JaneBP]

Do a forum search with 'Regent' Here's a start:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1348714&highlight=regent

 

I have done both, Regent Voyager was fine, but not enough pluses to return. But you should try it. LIfe's short.

[annually]

Cruised Alaska on Regent's Navigator in 2010 and Caribbean on Seabourn's Legend this past February. Both excellent in terms of service, suites, staff and food; they each warrant their 6 star ratings. But we liked the smaller (205 passenger) ship for the feeling of intimacy and friendliness that permeated the SB cruise; the 490 passengers were much more diverse on the Navigator. However, Alaska provided a much more exciting and adventurous experience than the Caribbean. So, at the end of the day, you'll have to decide if you like a small or large ship and most important, where you'll be cruising. I will say that our next cruise is planned on SB! Book, go, and enjoy!

[ITravelNow]

We've done both and liked both but I still favor Seabourn if all other things are equal.

 

I really think they try harder on the little things. Just a personal opinion.

 

And of course the Voyager and the Mariner are much larger ships - something to consider - the larger Seabourn ships are terrific and only half the number of passengers - a real plus in our book!

[turtlemichael]

We've sailed both lines recently - Mariner in Dec-Jan and Spirit in Feb-Mar. The two ships are of course not directly comparable. Neverthess our view is Seabourn wins hands down on food in the main restaurant, though we like very much Signatures and P7 on Mariner. The newer Seabourn ships have, by all reports, very good secondary restaurants. The consistency and high quality of the Spirit restaurant was the best we have struck at sea. On included wines Regent wins hands down as I thought Spirit's offerings on our cruise were very poor.

 

On suites I'd narrowly give it to Seabourn. I prefer the Regent bathroom but the extra spaciousness of the Spirit cabin in the sitting area was a great plus for us.

 

On public areas I much preferred Mariner's both for the greater variety and because they felt less crowded at busy times. This would most probably be different on the newer Seabourn ships. Seabourn seemed a touch more formal but not significantly so.

 

Service on both lines was excellent most of the time. I am prepared to think we were just unlucky with several Seabourn service failures. But, despite that the standard, was very high.

 

All up, I'd happily sail with either line again and will try one of the larger Seabourn ships for our next cruise with them. Both lines are very good indeed.

[hoosier74]

I agree with those who have posted. We sailed Regent Mariner last year on a transatlantic and had a great time (we were in a PH on that ship so really can't compare the cabins...I do know that the regular suites on Mariner are much smaller, but the regular suites on the triplets are a little smaller than the regular suites on Voyager and Navigator.)

 

The food was as has been posted previously here-- I'd give the edge to Seabourn overall (I know much is made of the breadsticks and the onion rings, which are both super, but the french fries are absolutely the best I have ever eaten...and I've eaten a few!), and I'd also give the edge to Regent on wines, but it has occured to me that because we were in the Caribbean on Seabourn Legend, perhaps the wines were selected for a warmer climate and lighter fare.

 

Service was wonderful on both lines. The smaller size of the Legend provided a more personal atmosphere.

 

As with turtlemichael, I'd sail either line again, but I do prefer the smaller ships on Seabourn. Just my taste.

[JaneBP]

Found this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1353973

[watergal]

Found this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1353973

 

Thanks to all of you who responded! Made my decision just a little easier. We do like the smaller venue and all things considered, we'll decide with all of your comments in mind.

Many thanks:)