New to Regent - any tips?

[Mocamps]

Hi,

 

We are almost new to Regent!! We did one cruise a long time ago and have good memories but we were fairly new to cruising in those days. Now we are old hands, but mainly on Silversea and Windstar - and occasionally Celebrity if we go with my dad and my sister who like BIG ships!!

 

But we are currently looking at Regent as they have a few itineraries we like the look of.

 

I'd really welcome some comments on the advantages and disadvantages of the various ships in order to guide our choice. Our previous Regent cruise was only a 7 day cruise in Alaska on Mariner and we had nothing but good to say about it. How do the other ships compare? 

 

We're not particularly bothered about having top of the range suites but do like a balcony on a hot cruise. That shouldn't be a problem on Regent I think? Neither of us get seasick so not too bothered about location unless there are any clear things to avoid? Or tips for good locations? For example, we liked being near the laundry on SS on a long cruise.

 

I've been looking at one cruise on Voyager and all the more basic cabins seem to be a similar size so is there any clear advantage in opting for something above Grade H? I do like the idea of a coffee maker in a Concierge but is there any other reason to pay $1000 more per person?

 

These are the kind of things it would be useful to know before booking so would welcome any pointers from more experienced Regent cruisers before we go for it!!

 

Many thanks in anticipation of your help

[Mocamps]

By the way, not at all fussed about having a butler so don't need a penthouse unless there are other clear advantages!! We've had a butler on all of our SS cruises and never really know what they do that the cabin steward doesn't!! Ours has always had absolutely no demands from us!!

[jeb_bud]

In Concierge you are also paying for a precruise hotel room and additional WiFi logins, and some other minor perks. 

[1982CruzStart]

For someone without loyalty status on Regent you may want to consider the Concierge suite inspite of the cost because of the following:

1. fly in 1 day early with Regent air otherwise you fly in the same day unless you deviate

2. hotel room included along with the transfers from the airport to hotel and then to the port

3. same booking dates for shore excursions and dining reservations as the passengers with loyalty status which means you have better access to them than if you book a suite below concierge

4. in suite coffee machine

5. as Jeb_bud says you have 4 wifi logins instead of 1

 

As everyone gets free laundry now it may not be as important for you to be near the laundry. 

 

 

[Jchisley]

W weren’t concierge but we just visited the IT chap on Grandeur and he gave us extra log ins with no problem and no extra charge 😉 

[1982CruzStart]

Voyager vs the explorer class ships. 

Explorer class ships are newer and more updated though they have their issues. They have an extra specialty restaurant.  In the F class suites and I think the Concierge suites the bed faces the ocean and though it may seem minor it really is an improvement over the older ships. 

 

The concierge suites on explorer class ships have larger balconies and to me better locations on the ship. 

 

Having remarked on the above all our cruises except 1 have been on Voyager and we have enjoyed them all.  In the past, we booked almost solely for itinerary and Voyager was going where we wanted to go except the 1 cruise where Explorer was going where we wanted to go.  We have made the decision now to book explorer class because we like the extras of that class though we still make sure the itinerary is the most important thing. 

 

We won't book Mariner because their basic suites are smaller and that doesn't work for me. Size of cabin is more important than larger public rooms. 

Edited April 14 by 1982CruzStart
typing error

[Mocamps]

26 minutes ago, 1982CruzStart said:

For someone without loyalty status on Regent you may want to consider the Concierge suite inspite of the cost because of the following:

1. fly in 1 day early with Regent air otherwise you fly in the same day unless you deviate

2. hotel room included along with the transfers from the airport to hotel and then to the port

3. same booking dates for shore excursions and dining reservations as the passengers with loyalty status which means you have better access to them than if you book a suite below concierge

4. in suite coffee machine

5. as Jeb_bud says you have 4 wifi logins instead of 1

 

As everyone gets free laundry now it may not be as important for you to be near the laundry. 

 

 

Forgot to say - we tend to make our own flight arrangements as we get discounted flights on British Airways and Emirates  and we also often add a few days at one end or the other to do our own thing!

[RetiredOnVacation]

@MocampsWe have 2x Voyager cruises later this year and Grandeur next year, and were on Splendor & Navigator last year. 

Navigator is the oldest in the RSSC fleet and it's quite noisy and vibrating when underway, you'll notice your drinks vibrating in their glasses in the rear theatre for example! The was originally built as a Russian ship of some kind! Lol! 

 

But one big difference you'll see between SS and RSSC is that on SS (except the newest Nova class) all rooms are mid or forward locations, with public areas all aft. Whereas rssc ships have rooms spread the full length of the ship on upper decks, with public areas full length on lower decks (except pool obviously). 

 

With that in mind we found that rooms in Explorer class that are in close proximity to the funnels (mid-rear) suffer from vibration, maybe from the generators exhaust ducts, so now avoid this area, preferring more forward locations. 

 

Also on explorer class, check out the deck plans for the much larger balconies on D & E Concierge suites which allow for a full sun lounger rather than just chairs if budget allows. Some size cabin as F. 

 

Hth and hope you enjoy! (stage entertainment much better on Regent than SS too!) 

 

 

Edited April 14 by RetiredOnVacation

[Techno123]

Use the suite guru sticky at the very top of the Regent board - lots of info on specific suites from people who have sailed in them 😁

[Chateaunole-du-pape]

43 minutes ago, RetiredOnVacation said:

Also on explorer class, check out the deck plans for the much larger balconies on D & E Concierge suites which allow for a full sun lounger rather than just chairs if budget allows. Some size cabin as F. 

We had one of those balconies last summer when in a D on Splendor, and agree that it it was really nice, though the weather was usually too cool to enjoy it while we were underway. (We were on the Baltic, and while the weather was pretty temperate, I think the water was still quite chilly, which made the breeze cool.)

 

There's a handful of F cabins on Splendor and Explorer (and, presumably, Grandeur) that have those huge balconies, too. They're near the rear of the ship, which some might not like, but I would book one of those in a heartbeat.

[Mocamps]

Thank you all so much. This is all really good info and very helpful. Do keep it coming!!

[Pcardad]

Use a TA who has 200 paid nights on Regent...its the only way you will get what you are paying for. 

[Mocamps]

13 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Use a TA who has 200 paid nights on Regent...its the only way you will get what you are paying for. 

Sorry, I don't understand this? Can you possibly explain?

[Pcardad]

36 minutes ago, Mocamps said:

Sorry, I don't understand this? Can you possibly explain?

My personal opinion is that to best understand Regent, the TA must have traveled extensively on board and done so paying the fare as guest.

[mango puddin]

I found penthouse on Explorer to be very comfortable. Could I survive in a smaller cabin with fewer perks? Yes, but I was quite satisfied with penthouse and would have enjoyed my trip slightly less (included laundry etc). 

 

I preferred Regent to Celebrity (Retreat) overall. 

Edited April 14 by mango puddin

[Pcardad]

All cabins get free laundry now...

[briar14]

14 hours ago, Chateaunole-du-pape said:

We had one of those balconies last summer when in a D on Splendor, and agree that it it was really nice, though the weather was usually too cool to enjoy it while we were underway. (We were on the Baltic, and while the weather was pretty temperate, I think the water was still quite chilly, which made the breeze cool.)

 

There's a handful of F cabins on Splendor and Explorer (and, presumably, Grandeur) that have those huge balconies, too. They're near the rear of the ship, which some might not like, but I would book one of those in a heartbeat.

On the inaugural crossing, we had one of those suites, 780, and liked it. The furniture on the balcony was 2 chairs and a table, which was disappointing. Maybe more has been added?

[flossie009]

17 hours ago, Mocamps said:

I'd really welcome some comments on the advantages and disadvantages of the various ships in order to guide our choice.

Our subjective view of the Regent fleet:

 

Navigator - smallest & oldest ship in the fleet. Only one speciality restaurant. A few window suites. All suites are a good size. Avoid suites to the rear of the ship if you are bothered by vibration. Somewhat of a “Marmite” ship; some, like us, love her …….. others don’t 

 

Voyager - basic suites are same size as Navigator. Two speciality restaurants.

 

Mariner - best layout of public areas. Basic suites are a little small. Penthouse & Horizon suites are an excellent size & layout. Most guests prefer “shower only” suites on Mariner, otherwise you get a tub with shower over. Two speciality restaurants.

 

Explorer, Splendor & Grandeur - D, E & F suites offer the best value. Three speciality restaurants. Splendor improved on Explorer by correcting some design errors & using a lighter colour palette for decoration.

 

We have sailed on all the ships except Grandeur and generally make our choice based on itinerary & our perception of best value.

In our experience all Regent ships offer the same level of comfort & service.

[papaflamingo]

17 hours ago, Mocamps said:

I've been looking at one cruise on Voyager and all the more basic cabins seem to be a similar size so is there any clear advantage in opting for something above Grade H? I do like the idea of a coffee maker in a Concierge but is there any other reason to pay $1000 more per person?

Personal opinion.... the only difference between Concierge and the basic cabin on Voyager is location and perks.  The best bet is to add up the value of the perks, and see if it's worth the extra $1000 pp.  You can get a pretty nice hotel and a very nice limo to the port for much less than $2000.  The biggest perk for Concierge is that you can select shore excursions and specialty dining early.  That is very important to some and not so much for others.  If shore excursions are "make it or break it" for you then by all means it might warrant the extra $2000.  As for the in suite coffee maker, it's espresso pods. But the Coffee Connection is a great place to relax early for me while my wife sleeps in, and they have a 24 hour machine.  Also remember you have free room service and can always order coffee to your room.  So that may or may not factor in.  

My best advice is consider the "value" of the perks along with the location and decide if they're worth it to you.  We have never thought so, but our first cruise was in a Penthouse on Mariner (extremely large cabin upgrade) for 40 nights so we became Silver on day one and have always had early reservations. So it never made sense to upgrade for us. 

 

[UUNetBill]

20 hours ago, Mocamps said:

I'd really welcome some comments on the advantages and disadvantages of the various ships in order to guide our choice. Our previous Regent cruise was only a 7 day cruise in Alaska on Mariner and we had nothing but good to say about it. How do the other ships compare? 

 

We're not particularly bothered about having top of the range suites but do like a balcony on a hot cruise. That shouldn't be a problem on Regent I think? Neither of us get seasick so not too bothered about location unless there are any clear things to avoid? Or tips for good locations? For example, we liked being near the laundry on SS on a long cruise.

 

I've been looking at one cruise on Voyager and all the more basic cabins seem to be a similar size so is there any clear advantage in opting for something above Grade H? I do like the idea of a coffee maker in a Concierge but is there any other reason to pay $1000 more per person?

 

These are the kind of things it would be useful to know before booking so would welcome any pointers from more experienced Regent cruisers before we go for it!!

 

Many thanks in anticipation of your help

To some of your points/questions above:  Flossie's comments about the ships are spot-on in our experience as well.  If you liked Mariner, you'll be fine on Voyager.  Cabins are a bit larger on Voyager and they don't have the 'pizazz' of the newer ships, but they're still a nice place to spend a few weeks.  We just came off of Voyager last month in a Cat G which was perfect for us - lower deck, midships, perfect for crossing the Drake Passage, IMO.  The decor is starting to look a bit dated to me, but it's still in excellent condition and the service was, as almost always, impeccable.

 

The only 'hard avoid' I mention to people is aft suites on Navigator - very buzzy.  The aft suites on the other ships sometimes get comments about vibration but unless you're very sensitive to the buzz you should be okay.

 

As mentioned, Concierge only makes sense if you need the hotel or transfers - I think we've upgraded to Concierge once or twice but it's not usually necessary for most folks.  If you get offered a choice of cabins, look them up on the SuiteGuru sticky and see what others have said about them.

 

Enjoy!

[Lonedaddy]

5 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

Personal opinion.... the only difference between Concierge and the basic cabin on Voyager is location and perks.  The best bet is to add up the value of the perks, and see if it's worth the extra $1000 pp.  You can get a pretty nice hotel and a very nice limo to the port for much less than $2000.  The biggest perk for Concierge is that you can select shore excursions and specialty dining early.  That is very important to some and not so much for others.  If shore excursions are "make it or break it" for you then by all means it might warrant the extra $2000.  

 

If you like to purchase any land package or regent choice excursions concierge also gets:

10% Discount on Premium Wine and Liquor

5% savings on Pre- or Post-Cruise Hotel or Land Programs

5% savings on Regent Choice Shore Excursions

[JSOL1]

Lots of great feedback and I wish I saw something like this before we started cruising with Regent.

 

one thing I’ll add from our personal experience is anything over 2 weeks we prefer a Penthouse-not for the amenities, but for the separate bedroom/living area. My wife tends to sleep in (more accurately I get up quite early) and it’s nice to be able to my coffee in the room without bothering her.

 

The butler service doesn’t do anything for us-nice to have for a few things but we could do without no problem.

 

We have only sailed on the Explorer class ships and really like all of them. I would say Granduer is our favorite though.

[CruiserFromMaine]

On 4/14/2024 at 1:33 PM, Jchisley said:

W weren’t concierge but we just visited the IT chap on Grandeur and he gave us extra log ins with no problem and no extra charge 😉 

We didn’t even have to visit anybody—we just kept logging in. I know we had three simultaneous logins, I didn’t try for more. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

5 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

10% Discount on Premium Wine and Liquor

You also get a 10% discount on wine lunches. 

[Lonedaddy]

8 hours ago, JSOL1 said:

Lots of great feedback and I wish I saw something like this before we started cruising with Regent.

 

one thing I’ll add from our personal experience is anything over 2 weeks we prefer a Penthouse-not for the amenities, but for the separate bedroom/living area. My wife tends to sleep in (more accurately I get up quite early) and it’s nice to be able to my coffee in the room without bothering her.

 

The butler service doesn’t do anything for us-nice to have for a few things but we could do without no problem.

 

We have only sailed on the Explorer class ships and really like all of them. I would say Granduer is our favorite though.

We are the opposite wife gets up early and I sleep in but I go to the shows she rarely does.