Regent Cruise Line??

[markham]

Kilroyshere,

 

Settle down. And enjoy the hols. Like I will.

 

If and when you reread the flow of this thread please do tell me how Seabourn is becoming more like Regent. You made that assertion and I am patiently waiting to learn from you how that might be the case. It's all about details and supplying a proper and fair assessment of the facts. You might start with the loyalty programs but at this juncture I am all ears.

 

From afar, the Regent brand with its old ships, "free" tours and butlers looks confused and tired. Like their rusty ship in Key West last March. If there's more to the brand and you can relate it to the Seabourn brand please clue me in.

 

You can even become a brand ambassador!

 

Good luck and enjoy the opportunity to educate the interested!

 

Happy sailing!

Edited December 16, 2014 by markham

[oregon50]

It is much more fun to watch a markham sideshow that does not involve me.

 

Kilroy's posts make sense to me. He has probably repeated himself out of kindness. Doubt there will be a third act.

[writer100]

Sir: As a long time NY Giant fan--proposed to my wife on the big board at Giants Stadium--I applaud your use of the logo.(And I join with you in a state of mourning for this season.)

As to Regent, yes, their smoking policy is excellent. That said, our one experience on Regent Navigator was not a good exemplar for the line. Indifferent service, humdrum food, and a vibration that had to be overcome if one wanted to sleep. It was our very first cruise experience, and we remained landlocked until fortune found us a cabin on Seabourn Legend. While I fancy myself a tolerant person, I do not think Regent and SB are really comparable.

[Emperor Norton]

Hello fellow Seabourners,

Most of you, like me, adore Seabourn, although I have limited experience on other cruise lines. That said, has anyone ever been on Regent? I ask because I just received a booklet and went on-line and it looks quite nice as far as amenities, suites, restaurants, all-inclusive, etc. - all seem similar to the Seabourn model. There are some other itineraries, and I know that is one factor in selecting a cruise, but I would like to hear from fellow Seabourn cruisers who have been on Regent what your thoughts are about Regent?

Thanks in advance to all who respond.

 

Dislcaimer: This is all IMO -

 

Once upon a time Regent was Radisson and things were (imo) better. The pricing was better, service was better, the amount spent on food per guest was better and excursions were totally a la carte.

 

Since going all inclusive the overall level of service has declined (it doesn't help that some of the better Regent staff disappeared to Oceania never to return). Id put it on about the same level as the angry pirate crew I experienced on Silversea. In some areas Disney crew blew them away (I'm not trying to knock Disney but each of their crew members deals with far more guests). Service levels seemed far below Crystal and Seabourn.

 

In one cost cutting move the room service galley was combined with the MDR galley. This may have been good for the line, but when you wait 45 minutes for an English muffin that's not right, nor anywhere near luxury (or worth the price they charge). On my last Regent cruise I got to chatting with the chef and his biggest challenge was trying to get the purse strings opened to buy the kinds of quality ingredients the guests expected.

 

In the restaurants you definitely had to find the good server and stick with them. At least on the Voyager I found Prime 7 to be a stench pit. While I like the smell of roasting or cooking meat, I can't stand the smell of burned oil. Guess which smell seemed to constantly move from the open kitchen into the dining room?

 

The bars were fine, I certainly never found anyone comparable to say Nelson, or Sonja or Stewart but service wasn't bad.

 

The above can be improved with staff changes and going back to more guest centric ways of doing things. That still leaves the elephant sitting in the room. The all inclusive excursions.

 

Things may have changed but the last time I was on Regent the 'free' (you paid for them, they're not free) excursions were mostly of the get on a bus and wander around town variety. They were however spectacularly timed to bring you back to the ship right after the main restaurant had stopped serving lunch. If you wanted to do a more expensive excursion it was priced as if you were paying from scratch rather than an upgrade from the included excursion (eg: if your 'free' excursion was 90-125 the next tier would be 150-225 of which you'd pay the full boat - no credit for the included one so in the end their excursions were far more expensive than the competitions). Other than not sailing with them you have no way to opt out of paying for the excursions.

 

Hopefully under NCL the damage wrought by certain individuals can be undone. And while they're at it maybe they could build a new Diamond.:D

 

I'd give Silversea and Crystal another try before Regent I think. Perhaps even Windstar.

[Emperor Norton]

Something else I forgot to mention: Regent has those annoying block parties where they expect everyone to congregate in the passageways and drink warm champagne while passing around stale canapes.

[Kilroyshere]

Something else I forgot to mention: Regent has those annoying block parties where they expect everyone to congregate in the passageways and drink warm champagne while passing around stale canapes.

 

SB did the same sale away block party on our last 2 cruises with them.

 

Attendance was voluntary.

[oregon50]

Something else I forgot to mention: Regent has those annoying block parties where they expect everyone to congregate in the passageways and drink warm champagne while passing around stale canapes.

 

Another example of how SB is becoming more like Regent.

 

I've never considered Regent to be playing in the luxury league that includes Crystal, Europa, Seabourn, Silversea (barely).

[markham]

That Regent import?

 

I thought the block party import idea from Regent a silly idea even before I experienced the event on Seabourn. I put it down to one particular cruise director "innovating" and making his mark and decided it was to amuse him as much as anything else.

 

We had some fun on a thread a few months ago swapping green bean, mushroom, canned dry onion casserole and mock jalapeno dip recipes, suggesting roles for everyone e.g. Wripro on the beer keg, Host Dan on the name tag committee, and Mr Luxury on the banjo while playing the harmonica- all to entertain the CD and the hapless captain and hotel managerswho would be trailing behind, sadly and self-consciously participating in a "Seabourn experience" pretending to enjoy themselves.

 

That's an import I have since chosen to ignore until the official howdy-doody party moves past my suite on my deck and I can slip down the corridor to the Sky Bar. But for those who like it and especially for the newbies, let the good times roll!

 

Happy sailing!

[wripro]

See you at the Sky Bar, Markham. I even dread skulking through the block party corridors in an effort to escape them.

[Kilroyshere]

...At least on the Voyager I found Prime 7 to be a stench pit. While I like the smell of roasting or cooking meat, I can't stand the smell of burned oil...

 

Interesting opinion.

 

In regards to the OP asking SB versus Regent for their consideration, perhaps they might find this interesting about Prime 7.

 

Cruise Critics Annual Awards for the 6 Best Specialty Restaurants At Sea listed Regent's Prime 7 venue amongst the Best 6 with this just posted yesterday:

 

Prime 7 epitomizes a classic steakhouse, and its USDA-approved beef has all been dry-aged at least 28 days. While meat-lovers will pay hefty surcharges for this kind of fare on other lines, Regent's best beef is complimentary.

 

The Dish: Like any steakhouse, the menu features steaks and seafood. We recommend the ahi tuna tartare or jumbo lump crab cake starters, huge entrees like prime porterhouse (carved tableside), whole Maine lobster or surf and turf (6 oz. filet mignon with your choice of lobster tail or Alaskan king crab legs). For dessert, treat yourself to Regent Seven Seas' famous 14-layer Valrhona chocolate cake with roasted pistachio sauce.

 

In our opinion, Prime 7 served a better steak than any on SB...yet, we still prefer SB over Regent.

 

Again; just our opinion weighing in on the thread's original question.

 

Link: http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1684&et_cid=1912015&et_rid=49822869&et_referrer=Boards

Edited December 18, 2014 by Kilroyshere

[wripro]

With all due respect to CC these kinds of surveys are as useless as the ones put out by Conde Nast Traveller and Travel and Leisure.

[Les Picantins]

Thumbs up for Regent´s choice of chocolate used for their dessert (Valrhona). The chocolate used on board Seabourn is of very poor quality.

[countflorida]

We've sailed with Radisson and now Regent 300+ nights, and have enjoyed most of them, but lately, under Premier Cruise Holdings, things - service, food, willingness to say 'yes' and do the right thing in questionable circumstances, cleanliness and state of repair - have slipped, in our opinion. Tomorrow we board the SB Quest for our first SB experience, and we'll let you know.

 

Some things Regent does very well: the standard suites on Voyager and Navigator are probably the best at sea, and we've sailed with Silverseas, Crystal, Oceania, HAL (Prinsendam- the former Viking and then Seabourn Sun, one of the finest ships afloat in it's day, before HAL ruined it taking out part of a dining room to put in more cabins while also reputedly cutting the crew), Cunard Grill class, and Princess, so we have a good basis to compare. The Mariners standard suites are 50 sq.ft. smaller, and it's noticeable. But the Mariners Penthouse suites, which often come with an included business air upgrade, are really great - amid-ships, some (the most reasonable) on lower decks. Never did understand how they all get away with charging more for higher decks which really move around a lot more, uncomfortably - we prefer low and in the middle.

 

I do agree with the comments on Prime 7; it's a fine restaurant, and Signatures, Regent's other specialty eatery, is also good although it has gone down a bit since it lost (Regent dropped?) it's affiliation with Cordon Blu. We'll have to see how the specialty restaurants on Seabourn compare. The Regent air business upgrade deals are usually very good, and if you pay $150 each for an air deviation (or sail with them 200 nights and get it "free") you can usually get good flights and connections at a real savings, a big plus in our minds.

 

With our Platinum Regent status, we get a lot of benefits, but the changes and cutbacks there have sent us looking for a new 'favorite'. Appolo, which owned Regent and Oceania, had been spiffing the books in preparation for a public offering or sale, which has now happened - sold to NCL. We're watching with much hope for a return to better times; we've even got a couple of Regent cruises booked over the next 16 months, but we're trying Seaborn starting tomorrow and Azamara in March. The jury is out!

 

Give us a few days and we'll let you know how we think Regent and Seabourn stack up against each other.

Edited December 19, 2014 by countflorida
Add info on Mariner suites.

[Hobar]

Thank you all for taking the time to post. I appreciate as well the passion. I value the opinions of all who posted. As a true die-hard SB cruiser, as well as a creature of habit, I do not want to "jump ship." My husband said, hey, this Regent looks good, good value, so let's consider. I remember going to Silversea (because of its itineraries when SB was so limited) and just not being excited -- and perhaps my lack of enthusiasm is partly to "blame" for my disappointment both times on SS. And so I would fear that if I booked Regent, I would also be not enthusiastic, and as with any self-fulfilling prophecy, would be disappointed. Have decided to stay with SB which I know I am always happy with, even though I do find the last two or three cruises were not to the level of perfection as my first couple of SB cruises. But still, I know we are most certainly guaranteed a wonderful cruise returning to SB. Sorry for rambling and perhaps sharing TMI, but thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts and musings.

Edited December 20, 2014 by Hobar

[flossie009]

This is a very interesting thread.

 

We have regularly sailed on Regent (Mariner & Voyager) since 2009 and are thinking of trying a change in 2015. I therefore came onto the Seabourn Board to see if I could find out what Seabourn regulars thought of the line.

Having sorted out the 'wheat' from the 'chaff' in this thread it appears that Seabourn offers a similar product to Regent, albeit with fewer passengers.

 

We have thoroughly enjoyed our voyages on Regent - itineraries, service, food, drink, entertainment and excursions have all been good to excellent.

 

Two things I wanted to understand about Seabourn:

1. A couple of posters have said that Regent is more expensive than Regent. I have priced out a number of cruises for 2015 and Seabourn generally comes out at just over £400pp per day (excl flights) whereas Regent comes out at just under £400pp per day (inc flights) for equivalent itineraries. For those that have cruised with both companies recently is the extra cost of Seabourn worth it?

2. What is the demographic of the passengers on Seabourn? We like the mix of nationalities on Regent but have found the average age seems to have increased on our last two voyages. We would rather have a mix of age groups.

 

Thanks for any info you can give to help with our decision on our next cruise(s) :)

[Silver Spectre]

Prime 7 epitomizes a classic steakhouse, and its USDA-approved beef has all been dry-aged at least 28 days. While meat-lovers will pay hefty surcharges for this kind of fare on other lines, Regent's best beef is complimentary.

 

The Dish: Like any steakhouse, the menu features steaks and seafood. We recommend the ahi tuna tartare or jumbo lump crab cake starters, huge entrees like prime porterhouse (carved tableside), whole Maine lobster or surf and turf (6 oz. filet mignon with your choice of lobster tail or Alaskan king crab legs). For dessert, treat yourself to Regent Seven Seas' famous 14-layer Valrhona chocolate cake with roasted pistachio sauce.

 

This sounds like an American's foodie wet dream and every Brits worst nightmare. Oh, and what on earth is USDA-approved beef?

[frantic36]

This is a very interesting thread.

 

We have regularly sailed on Regent (Mariner & Voyager) since 2009 and are thinking of trying a change in 2015. I therefore came onto the Seabourn Board to see if I could find out what Seabourn regulars thought of the line.

Having sorted out the 'wheat' from the 'chaff' in this thread it appears that Seabourn offers a similar product to Regent, albeit with fewer passengers.

 

We have thoroughly enjoyed our voyages on Regent - itineraries, service, food, drink, entertainment and excursions have all been good to excellent.

 

Two things I wanted to understand about Seabourn:

1. A couple of posters have said that Regent is more expensive than Regent. I have priced out a number of cruises for 2015 and Seabourn generally comes out at just over £400pp per day (excl flights) whereas Regent comes out at just under £400pp per day (inc flights) for equivalent itineraries. For those that have cruised with both companies recently is the extra cost of Seabourn worth it?

2. What is the demographic of the passengers on Seabourn? We like the mix of nationalities on Regent but have found the average age seems to have increased on our last two voyages. We would rather have a mix of age groups.

 

Thanks for any info you can give to help with our decision on our next cruise(s) :)

 

 

Hi flossie009

 

I haven't cruised with Regent so I can't help with the comparison but will just put forward my thoughts regarding prices for 2015. I will say up front Seabourn is my favourite cruise line. The prices for 2015/2016 itinerary are more per passenger per day then previously. However with the selling of the three smaller ships there are less available cabins. Therefore until the new ship/s come into the fleet I think the price will remain higher. As with anything a discount closer to sailing date might turn up if the ship still has cabins to sell.

 

We still have a 39 day cruise booked for 2016 as we enjoy the cruise line and the itinerary is one we wanted to do.

 

With regards age demographic it will vary I think on the itinerary. We are in our mid 50's. On a world cruise segment we did in February, 2014 the age was definitely older then what we have sailed with in the past........though we did meet people our age who we still keep in contact with. Mediterranean last year was a younger crowd. Baltic and British Isles in August a mix though mainly older. From some of the people I know on my upcoming South Africa cruise it seems more 50's and 60's but we will see when we get on board. I have found the older people I have travelled with generally well travelled and interesting to chat with. As they have often been to places I haven't but want to go they are very helpful with their knowledge.:)

 

I just thought friends we made last year from San Diego have sailed Regent before and they enjoyed both cruise lines. They quite liked the included excursions but for me at this stage I like smaller more private excursions and finding my own adventures so that is why I haven't done Regent.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Julie

[nowornever]

This sounds like an American's foodie wet dream and every Brits worst nightmare. Oh, and what on earth is USDA-approved beef?

 

They're the people who keep us from getting Mad Cow Disease. Or maybe you don't.......

[Emperor Norton]

We've sailed with Radisson and now Regent 300+ nights, and have enjoyed most of them, but lately, under Premier Cruise Holdings, things - service, food, willingness to say 'yes' and do the right thing in questionable circumstances, cleanliness and state of repair - have slipped, in our opinion. Tomorrow we board the SB Quest for our first SB experience, and we'll let you know.

Apologies to the op I quoted -

 

Some things Regent does very well: the standard suites on Voyager and Navigator are probably the best at sea, and we've sailed with Silverseas, Crystal, Oceania, HAL (Prinsendam- the former Viking and then Seabourn Sun, one of the finest ships afloat in it's day, before HAL ruined it taking out part of a dining room to put in more cabins while also reputedly cutting the crew), Cunard Grill class, and Princess, so we have a good basis to compare. The Mariners standard suites are 50 sq.ft. smaller, and it's noticeable. But the Mariners Penthouse suites, which often come with an included business air upgrade, are really great - amid-ships, some (the most reasonable) on lower decks. Never did understand how they all get away with charging more for higher decks which really move around a lot more, uncomfortably - we prefer low and in the middle.

 

I do agree with the comments on Prime 7; it's a fine restaurant, and Signatures, Regent's other specialty eatery, is also good although it has gone down a bit since it lost (Regent dropped?) it's affiliation with Cordon Blu. We'll have to see how the specialty restaurants on Seabourn compare. The Regent air business upgrade deals are usually very good, and if you pay $150 each for an air deviation (or sail with them 200 nights and get it "free") you can usually get good flights and connections at a real savings, a big plus in our minds.

 

With our Platinum Regent status, we get a lot of benefits, but the changes and cutbacks there have sent us looking for a new 'favorite'. Appolo, which owned Regent and Oceania, had been spiffing the books in preparation for a public offering or sale, which has now happened - sold to NCL. We're watching with much hope for a return to better times; we've even got a couple of Regent cruises booked over the next 16 months, but we're trying Seaborn starting tomorrow and Azamara in March. The jury is out!

 

Give us a few days and we'll let you know how we think Regent and Seabourn stack up against each other.

 

Apologies to the person quoted...:

 

Let me try to put this gently, due to the amount of days I have access to on Regent I will be among the first asked to sail the new ship (in fact of t Ive already received a bit of the new hull.) If Regent had a class FAR beyond platinum Id have access to that. While valhrona is indeed an excellent chocolate it IMO pales in comparison to Scharffenburger (also if you pair it with meh ingredients itll be flat). There is always the ne plus ultra and Regent either wouldn't recognize it or wouldn't pay for it if Castros OK depended upon it.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Emperor Norton

[secoma4]

Re the pax mix on Seabourn, it will depend on the itinerary. The further you get from the US the less Americans and more Brits, Australians and Europeans. We have always found a pretty good mix with the age group tending to be dominated by 60s to early 70s with a good smattering of pax on either side of this range. The longer the cruise itinerary the older the age bracket seems to be the way it works.

 

Can't help with a comment re the pricing.

[countflorida]

After just two days on board the SB Quest: We have a handicap room. I asked about the shower and was offered a "shower-only suite", which turns out to be full handicap-equipped and (I believe - can't tell because the ship is sold out, everything saleable is taken) significantly different from the standard veranda suite. Example: no walk-in closet, rather a mickey-mouse sliding-door contraption opposite the bed which has the tendency to crush fingers when closing, which it does by itself regularly when the ship rolls. Also, the handicap staterooms are way forward, a long hike for this old, somewhat infirm gent, from nearly everything - Club, Seaborne Square, casino, show room, restaurant, etc. in the aft end of the ship. Bad design, IMnsHO.

 

Having said that, everything else seems as good as Regent, except dining service, which is very noticeably better. Food is at least as good, perhaps better, although it seems (impression!) to offer slightly less choice. But things are spread out in a multi-page menu; we might be missing some options. Sending around the next day's menu highlights with the evening turndown chocolates is a very nice touch. And speaking of chocolate, I love the stuff but don't notice any real difference between that on the two lines. I know, that's because I'm a tasteless barbarian, so save your breath (or snarky remarks). We do like our coffee, and to both of us it is clearly better here on SB than any on Regent except in the Coffee Corner, which does compete with the coffee in all parts of the Quest.

 

We've been this way before, having rounded Cape Horn on the Radisson Mariner about 10 years ago, so we won't be taking many of the excursions offered; we came for the Antarctic experience. The ordinary excursion offerings seem expensive to us, but who knows, maybe its because they're included on Regent so we haven't noticed the inflation. Included excursions are mostly a waste for us, because we like to go off on our own or with a few kindred spirits, avoiding busses and crowds. The excursion prices here on SB seem a bit high, perhaps because they're better? We'll sample a couple and give an impression if warranted.

 

Enough at this point. More if/when there's something to comment on or report.

Edited December 23, 2014 by countflorida
clarify a couple of things

[flossie009]

Thanks to frantic36 and secoma4 for the information.

 

Looking forward to more comparisons from countflorida.

[Eager2Travel]

Hi Count Florida

 

We appreciate your comments. We will be following your lead on the Quest in January. Our last several cruises have been on Regent so your comparisons make for interesting reading. Enjoy your cruise and the upcoming Antartica Experience. You are in for a treat.

[countflorida]

We've now been on board the SB Quest for five days, and are still enjoying a marvelous cruise, but are forced to report that, either our choices have been poor and uninformed OR SB has dropped the ball in the food area over the Christmas holiday. Last night we both had the Christmas Goose, which was unfortunately dry and tough. Tonight, we again ordered the same entre, Tom Turkey, this time dry and un-appetizing. A significant disappointment, as we expected the holiday offerings to be 'over the top'; they weren't even worthy of the table, IourHO.

 

Breakfasts and lunches (when we have lunch, about every other day) are still top-notch, and service continues to be excellent, particularly in the Restaurant, where it has been superior to our recent experiences on the larger Regent Voyager and Mariner. On our last Navigator cruise, Franco was on board as Dining Room Manager; anything he touches exudes excellence, he's just terrific. But service here is nearly comparable to the exceptionally high standard he sets, and certainly very satisfactory.

 

A surprise is that the stewardesses are mostly European, something notably absent from Regent for eight or nine years. In fact, a large segment of the SB staff seems to be European. We were told that, because of the unfavorable euro: dollar exchange rate, European staffs are just not available any more. Our Swedish stewardess is an absolute delight; pleasant, knowledgeable, quick, thorough and always willing to get or change something after just a hint. Europeans know how to serve without being servile, something many others have not learned or do not practice. Personally, I'm not comfortable with servility; we're all just humans with different roles to play, not superiors and inferiors. We find the entire experience better here on Seaborne, and this young lady is a key part of the reason why.

 

There are a few minor disappointments though. One example: we both prefer French Burgundies, particularly reds. We can get Pouilly-Fuissé and one or more Burgundy pinots and Beaujolais as standard (no-charge) offerings on Regent. Seaborne hasn't a single French Burgundy on its standard list, not even a Beaujolais, although it does offer a white Sancerre from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, which I like much less than the chardonnay grape generally used in Burgundy. A minor regret, not a disaster, as they are offering the very nice Santa Margareta Pinot Grigio, which makes my lovely wife happy; it's her favorite this year. Prices for the reserve wine packages seem unreasonably high despite the absence of taxes at sea, although it’s hard to make exact comparisons due to 'package' size and groupings.

 

More when there is something notable to add.

[Mr Luxury]

I am on the Sojourn and last night we had Tom Turkey.

It was very moist and tasty.

The only thing that has been a bit dry or tough has been the lamb.

 

Service sometimes a bit slow but that usually has to do with the amount of guests that choose to be seated at the same time and that is around 19.30

 

 

 

 

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