Dolebludger

Well, if Celebrity desires to furnish a true lux experience with its Retreat and Premium beverage package, it is missing the mark. I just returned from a Regent cruise (with a fare a bit less than a SS). There was no extra charge for anything we would actually drink. There were some wines and spirits an extra cost, and I have never heard of them. And they were at major extra cost. I jotted down a few names, and asked a local liquor store manager what they are and how expensive they are. His store is in an upscale area, and he had to look these up! He told me that the $200 or so per bottle average that Regent was charging for these was CHEAP! They are (IMHO) not drinks — they are collector’s items. My wife loves prosecco, and was introduced to a brand on that cruise. She loved it. I asked my local liquor store manager to get us some. He did. His price is $22/bottle. It was not only included, but recommended on Regent — where grocery store wines are not extra cost, they aren’t even offered.

The dress code always in effect — elegant casual — describes a minimum (not a maximum) of dress on all nights. So you can wear a tux anytime you wish. We cruised Regent before the 16 night rule for formal optional was in effect, and sometimes there were formal nights on shorter cruises. On those, a coat and tie was the minimum. Of course, tuxes were welcome also. But we saw very few tuxes.

I can’t give an answer, as it is a matter of how much you would actually use the real balcony. And the interior size of the cabin is important too.

How did it go?

Well, it has been a long time ago. But as I recall, the carpets, paint and furniture on the Eclipse looked new and fresh. But on the Equinox they were a bit worn, but everything was functional. This was before all the revolutionalizing stuff that made ship’s interiors look like the “Ikea of the seas”, which I might not have liked much. Instead, the Eclipse then looked classy and new.

In 2019 we cruised the Equinox in Alaska. While it looked to be near the end of its redecorating cycle. It provided a very functional experience. We could know how she would look all refreshed, as a few months before we had cruised her sister ship, the Eclipse, which had recently returned from a dry dock. Sharpe!

We had signed up for a tour of the Normandy beaches on our August Splendor cruise. It was scheduled to depart at 8:45 AM. We received an email from Regent that it was cancelled. We contacted our TA and she was informed that the tour would now depart at 9:45 AM. We are still on it. Wonder why the email said cancelled instead of simple informing us of the new time?

Good point. This would account for Regent’s failure to secure hotel and transfers in Barbados.And it had the same problem in Iceland too.

Just a guess, but it looks like Regent is having problems finding suitable providers of shorex hotels, land transportation, and all land services. For what ever reason, the end of the pandemic left us with world-wide shortages of labor, which could be the root of these problems.

Five years ago, the Retreat was real competition for the lux lines. Almost the same degree of service and inclusions but for a lower fare. Been there — enjoyed that. Now, post-pandemic it looks as if some of the former inclusions aren’t there any more, and the fares are not lower (if at all and even higher) than the lux lines. So, while the Retreat may still be enjoyable, it is no longer a “good deal” given the price. For some reason, some like a larger ship than the lux lines offer. I can’t see why. We returned from a cruise on the Regent Splendor two weeks ago. We found the service, food, and entertainment to be great. Can’t imagine what would have been better if that ship held 3000 guests instead of 750. More guests onboard would seem to be a negative factor — not positive.

This may be a bit off topic, but it is funny. A friend was asking me about cruises, and said he was tired of lines and crowds everywhere and extra cost for many things. Told him to check out Regent, which almost never has such things. He said he wouldn’t like it because their ads showed all dressed up people (coats, ties and evening dresses). I said “don’t believe all the pictures you see in ads — it’s not that way onboard” I had to show him some pictures of guests I took on the Splendor a couple of weeks ago to convince him. Makes me wonder how many people avoid Regent because they think it is too dressy.

I guess I should contact Regent and tell the folks there that their ads showing dressed up guests are DRIVING AWAY potential customers! It would drive me away too if I didn’t know better — which I do.

NCL can compete with the Retreat only on their newest, larger ships..back in 2015 we were on a music cruise in their Haven on the NCL Pearl. There was no separate dining room, no,Haven included lounges, and no included drinks on the main ship. I posted on the NCL board here to see if this were still true. I found that it is still the case. To me, the NCL haven on some of their ships is no competition for the MSC Yacht club or the X Retreat

I can only speak for Regent as it is the only lux line with which we have recent experience. For casual nights (which is all they have unless the cruise is 16 nights or more) the evening dress code is the same as Celebrity’s, except jeans aren’t allowed after 6:00 PM in restaurants and lounges, where shirts need to have collars. On longer cruises, there might be a few ‘formal optional” nights. On these, the majority of guests still do the casual thing. A few might wear a sports jacket and very few might wear a tux. I’ve cruise Celebrity and Regent. The only difference in what I take might take on Regent substitutes casual slacks for jeans.

I well recognize the bad result that can come from good reviews. When I posted reviews of our 2017 and 2018 retreat cruises on the Eclipse and Equinox, I said they were the best value at sea. And back then, they were. And other posters said the same. And look what happened. Prices doubled (or close to it). Perks were reduced. And now the retreat is no longer the best deal. I certainly hope that Celebrity finds its way back to the value position it once held