Edge or Regatta

[hulamoon]

Hi Experienced Oceania Cruisers,

 

I am also thinking of ditching my booked Celebrity Cruise and trying Regatta out of SF to Tahiti.  I love a good TA, but it seems I am always flying someplace and would like a local option. My Last 10 years of cruising have been only on X. I am a bit hesitant though because the reviews, which used to be rather good, are sitting at 3.5. I understand the Regatta is refurbished.  We usually book suites and end up moving to senior discount. I know what to expect on X food wise, usually darn good. 

 

What is the current status? Is this as amazing as I thought it was a few years ago?

 

I did a three day Edge, so I have a bit of an idea of how that ship began. I have also looked at Seabourn and  Regent Seven Seas

 

I see familiar names here so I know you folks will give me the real scoop.

 

Thank you.

[LHT28]

wow  that is an apples & grapes  question

Edge is  4 times the size of Regatta  (not redone yet)  with 4 + times the passenger load  newer ship with all the bells & whistles

How can you compare ??

Maybe the price is better on X  cabin size large on X   private area for Top suites  on X

 

Go for the itinerary

 

 

[Cruseforme]

I have not been on the Edge, so do not know what that ship is like, however, I have been on Regatta many times and other Celebrity ships, and the choice is:  

Small intimate ship, no class separation (everyone has access to all dining, etc), all non alcoholic beverages included (however we had all non alcoholic on Celebrity also included with our suites), fewer crowds when you disembark..most likely better food on Regatta and the two specialty restaurants included.   Now, the downside, is that if you want the bells and whistles, Regatta is not your ship.  Also probably smaller cabins, suites.     Toss up.   Personally, I may try the Edge!  Depends on you and what you enjoy..smaller more intimate, or larger, and possibly more to do.  

[hulamoon]

We usually hang out in the suite area and spend more time in suite room than most. I have a good idea of the quality of X. As an example, I do like the Solstice ships, but I like the bathrooms better on Edge. If the Solstice ships had new furnishings I would be quite happy, especially if service was as amazing as it was 10 years ago and the food was good in all venues. I was hoping for simple feedback about those surprisingly low ratings on CC.

 

The price is actually not better on X at the moment. 

 

If the Insignia refurbishment so I thought your current thoughts would be helpful.

[ORV]

The Regatta had a rough patch a year or two ago with engine and other issues on a extended round Australia cruise. It continued on to HI. Hopefully it's straightened out now. It really is a nice ship. If you are in a PH room or higher then space is no problem. 

 

Is the Edge doing Tahiti? 

[Redtravel]

Try Oceania.  We are elite plus on Celebrity. Celebrity has good food. However after too many cruises, the menus are boring.  Been looking at same old menus for years. We tried Oceania a few years ago.  We were really impressed by the service and food quality.  Oceania prides itself on having the best food at sea. They are right. We also love the daily elegant tea. Scones are delicious. Looking forward to more cruises on Oceania. 

[hulamoon]

The Edge is interesting. I did a three day B2B with the Silhouette and my initial thought was how soothing 

Solstice class of ship was, too bad they didn't refurbish as frequently as it needed. Edge in my 3 days in December had amazing food in the dining rooms, it was as good as the suite when I got back to Luminae. X used to sell that restaurant as the best on the ship. So I like it if the whole ship has good food and I don't feel like I must have a suite for that. It also seems very alcohol oriented. Bars everywhere. Eden is interesting dining, you just have to go with it. But I am not sure how that wears over time.

 

Maybe this is a climate choice. South Pacific homecoming vs November crossing. Where I will unlikely be able to take advantage of suite pool. BTW for those still who go on X the interior pool is beautiful but so small. I think they are better on other classes of X.

 

Do you mean shows when you say bells and whistles?  After the budget was cut we just haven't made much effort.

 

I appreciate your thoughts. Glad to hear the food is better than the reviews I read.

[hulamoon]

No the Edge is in Europe and I am booked on TA Rome to FLL. I was wanting same quality less flying. Thanks ORV on the Regatta history. 

[ORV]

I meant to point out that during this period it received a lot of negative reviews, resulting in the lower rating you see.

 

FWIW, we cruised Regatta from Tahiti to SF a few years ago and it's still one of our favorite cruises. Of course you have to enjoy low key. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, hulamoon said:

Hi Experienced Oceania Cruisers,

 

I am also thinking of ditching my booked Celebrity Cruise and trying Regatta out of SF to Tahiti.  I love a good TA, but it seems I am always flying someplace and would like a local option. My Last 10 years of cruising have been only on X. I am a bit hesitant though because the reviews, which used to be rather good, are sitting at 3.5. I understand the Regatta is refurbished.  We usually book suites and end up moving to senior discount. I know what to expect on X food wise, usually darn good. 

 

What is the current status? Is this as amazing as I thought it was a few years ago?

 

I did a three day Edge, so I have a bit of an idea of how that ship began. I have also looked at Seabourn and  Regent Seven Seas

 

I see familiar names here so I know you folks will give me the real scoop.

 

Thank you.

On average, more than 70% of the folks on any particular Oceania cruise are repeat customers -many of whom had been Celebrity regulars until they tried Oceania (and never looked back).

 

[sabrefan]

I too am elite on Celebrity and have been on 4 previous Oceania Cruises with another one on Marina coming up in October. I was on the first cruise on Regatta after a drydock and refurb back in 2014 just before our cruise to Alaska. We didn’t have hot water in our shower for three days. A lesson learned here. I will also be going on Edge for the first time in March of 2020. At the end of the day the Edge and Regatta are two very different ships. Oceania food quality is better than Celebrity but Celebrity is much more of a mass market cruise line. I would let itinerary and determine my final choice.

[Cruseforme]

3 hours ago, sabrefan said:

I would let itinerary and determine my final choice.

+1 .    While we enjoy Oceania, we also enjoy multiple other lines, depending on itinerary, and who we are traveling with (younger, older, fancier, etc).   We have even done charters with some close friends, that allows us to get into ports that commercial cruise lines cannot.  So, chose whatever line fits your budget, and where you wish to go.   It’s difficult asking on an Oceania forum which line to chose, as our needs and wants may be different, as well as tastes.   We have had some bad meals and experiences on Oceania,  but we have also had some bad meals and experiences on Regent, and Crystal, and others..  So, it may happen.   This is why we hesitate to tell folks that Oceania has “the best food at sea”  blah blah, because depending on chefs, and local sourcing, and expectations, you may not have the same experience.   Have fun on whichever you choose!  

[LHT28]

2 minutes ago, Cruseforme said:

  We have had some bad meals and experiences on Oceania,  but we have also had some bad meals and experiences on Regent, and Crystal, and others..  So, it may happen.   This is why we hesitate to tell folks that Oceania has “the best food at sea”  blah blah, because depending on chefs, and local sourcing, and expectations, you may not have the same experience.   Have fun on whichever you choose!  

I agree

when O was new they did have the best food  & service  we had experienced  but sadly  things change

[hulamoon]

I adore the O cruise board, You folks rock. I am going to watch the ship closely and the reviews when they come out after drydock. I appreciate your input.

[Paulchili]

On ‎7‎/‎31‎/‎2019 at 7:35 AM, LHT28 said:

but sadly  things change

I definitely agree with that, but...

Has anyone gotten better over the years? We all hear about, HAL, X and other mass market lines declining over the years, then the clients of the luxury lines blame the take-over by mass market lines in declining quality, etc.

Who is getting better and better? 😀

[ricka47]

17 hours ago, Paulchili said:

I definitely agree with that, but...

Has anyone gotten better over the years? We all hear about, HAL, X and other mass market lines declining over the years, then the clients of the luxury lines blame the take-over by mass market lines in declining quality, etc.

Who is getting better and better? 😀

I don't see any cruise line getting better.  Instead, the consumer has to take a step up to maintain a certain level of quality.  Years ago, when we were mostly sailing RCI, we had friends who made the move to X.  Some time later, we began to spend more time on X in Aqua Class.  Then, those same friends moved from X to Oceania.  Now, we're following suit with our first cruise coming up in October on the Insignia  It's nice to have so many options!

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by ricka47

[Hawaiidan]

On 7/30/2019 at 3:12 PM, hulamoon said:

Hi Experienced Oceania Cruisers,

 

I am also thinking of ditching my booked Celebrity Cruise and trying Regatta out of SF to Tahiti.  I love a good TA, but it seems I am always flying someplace and would like a local option. My Last 10 years of cruising have been only on X. I am a bit hesitant though because the reviews, which used to be rather good, are sitting at 3.5. I understand the Regatta is refurbished.  We usually book suites and end up moving to senior discount. I know what to expect on X food wise, usually darn good. 

 

What is the current status? Is this as amazing as I thought it was a few years ago?

 

I did a three day Edge, so I have a bit of an idea of how that ship began. I have also looked at Seabourn and  Regent Seven Seas

 

I see familiar names here so I know you folks will give me the real scoop.

 

Thank you.

There is no senior discount....   You can not compare ships... one a massive massive  monster, mass market for 3000+ and the other a boutique  luxury ship for 600      If you think Celeb food is good.....Regatta will be another world for you....  The Tahiti cruise is wonderful took it several times.

[hulamoon]

Thanks Dan, 

 

Sorry about the confusion, I was referring to X senior discount. I am aware they are different ships. It would have been easier to ask if the current reviews at 3.5 was reflected in customers experiences here. 

 

I appreciate your and everyone’s responses.

[hulamoon]

Ricka47 that is pretty much my experience! Moved from Princess to HAL, HAL to X for smoking and Aqua. Then when that went uneven I went to suites and pay pretty close to luxury brands. We do use the ship in the bubble experience, Pools off hours, spa and the best restaurants. Not sure if it’s still true but for a short time  the main dining rooms in Edge were as good as specialties. (I miss the days when all restaurants were good.)

 

 

[rrunner]

We have sailed on both ships and several cruises with both Oceania and Celebrity.    There is no  comparison  between the lines.  .  The Edge is mass market - loud music - crowds of people and not so great food and way to many specialty restaurants.      We thought The Edge was closer to a Royal Caribbean ship.   .  The Edge is more suited to the 40ish  crowd - we are mid to late 70s.   Regatta is a  very elegant ship.      Soft music -  great food and few passengers.      I was told by staff that Celebrity is trying to attract  younger passengers that like to gamble  drink and enjoy noisy evening shows.   If that is your style you will have a great time .     If you like to relax and enjoy super food - love the lobster tail lunches - then Regatta wins.  

[Ken the cruiser]

My recommendation is to definitely give Oceania a try. We are in our mid 60s and have fun on all the cruise lines we have sailed with. In 2018 we sailed for 95 days with Oceania on 2 of their R class ships (Nautica and Sirena) and one of their larger O class ships (Riviera) and had a great time! This year we've sailed 21 days on the Celebrity Reflection, 30 days on the Crystal Symphony, 12 days on the Crown Princess and are getting ready to go on a 40 day HAL cruise on the Maasdam. 

 

Each cruise line has their pluses and minuses, but for us it comes down to itinerary and will we have fun on sea days. But everyone's preferences are different, so give Oceania a try and make your own decision

 

BTW make sure you try eating outside at least once up at the Terrace Cafe, both in the morning as well as the evening. They serve the same food as in the GDR and it is so peaceful eating out under the stars! It won't be as lively as a X or Princess cruise, but if you like going to lectures on sea days and playing trivia, you'll have a great time. They also usually have pretty good entertainment in the main theater if you don't mind going to the show at 9:30 as they usually only have one show.

Edited August 4, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[ricka47]

On 8/2/2019 at 3:22 PM, hulamoon said:

Ricka47 that is pretty much my experience! Moved from Princess to HAL, HAL to X for smoking and Aqua. Then when that went uneven I went to suites and pay pretty close to luxury brands. We do use the ship in the bubble experience, Pools off hours, spa and the best restaurants. Not sure if it’s still true but for a short time  the main dining rooms in Edge were as good as specialties. (I miss the days when all restaurants were good.)

 

 

It's sad in a way as we've had some great cruises in the past on RCI and other mainstream lines.  We've finally reached the upper levels of the loyalty program and now we'll be a "newbie" again on our first Oceania cruise in October.  But, at the same time, it's exciting to try something new.

 

It seems to me that, what we will have on Oceania, is what I like best about Aqua Class on X: good food, no set dining times, the same dress code each night and good service. 

[hulamoon]

I look forward to hear of your experiences with Oceania. Thanks for sharing.

[AtA]

On 7/30/2019 at 7:32 PM, Flatbush Flyer said:

On average, more than 70% of the folks on any particular Oceania cruise are repeat customers -many of whom had been Celebrity regulars until they tried Oceania (and never looked back).

 

I liked Oceania and will be taking my son on Regatta's sister ship but I LOVE Crystal. Especially if you do a crossing since on Crystal there are on average 3 lectures a day, plus whatever the specialty is for the cruise (the TA we're doing in November is big band and food and wine, so plus the 3 lectures a day will be wine tastings, food demos by top chefs and lectures and big band concerts ), the computer school, golf lessons, tennis, and I could go on and on. One can do as little or as much as you want. In fact most days there is too much to choose from. I didn't find the same to be true on Oceania sea days.

 

All drinks are included and specialty restaurants are free. That includes Nobu's restaurant onboard.

Oceania's food is excellent as is Crystal's.

I've found while Oceania's service is very good, it can't compare to Crystal's. 

 

FYI, before we found Crystal we mostly sailed on Regent. Excellent, but once again it can't compare to Crystal

 

Of course with any ship it does depend on what you are looking for.

Edited August 6, 2019 by AtA

[Hawaiidan]

14 hours ago, AtA said:

 

All drinks are included and specialty restaurants are free. That includes Nobu's restaurant onboard.

Are you sure?  I was told you only get 1 specialty reservation per cruise and that the rest will be charged at like $39pp      and there are very limited specialty options  compered to O. 

 

Glad it fits you..... and your needs. .    I am sure it is wonderful for you.... Glad you found your niche. 

Edited August 6, 2019 by Hawaiidan