Needing Sage Advice From Regent Aficionados...

For NO other reason than “what we can afford” and “where we wanted to go” we have decided on a Regent cruise in 2016 rather than our dearly loved Crystal.

MIAMI TO BARCELONA

CELESTIAL CROSSING | 14 NIGHTS | DEPARTS MAR 17, 2016

We are staying in a Master Suite. #901 on the Navigator.

And our questions are these:

1.) Have we made a mistake?

2.) How will Regent compare to Crystal?

3.) What if anything should we be forewarned about regarding Regent?

4.) How will the Navigator compare to the Symphony (we have not sailed on Crystal Serenity)?

5.) Navigator is going into dry-dock immediately after our cruise. Is that a concern?

6.) If you have sailed both lines, what would YOU say are the main differences?

7.) What are some special secrets we should know to make our cruise on the Navigator better?

8.) Should we ask for a specific butler?

Thank you, any and all of you, who will answer these questions. I'm sure there will be LOTS more before we sail.

:D:D:D,

Scott

You are asking a lot of questions that are sure to raise the hackles of dedicated Regent cruisers. The same would be true if you asked those questions about Crystal on the Crystal board, Seabourn on the Seabourn board etc.

I'm sure you'll enjoy your cruise.

I'd second guess your choice...

I sense too much cognitive dissonance coming out of the gate. :p:p

Maybe ask happier questions? :cool:

While not adding much to the conversation, I do want to say that I've seen videos posted on the Crystal board from these guys and they are quite charming and funny.

There are some Regent cruisers that have cruised on both lines but, for the most part, the set seating and/or open seating by reservation plus the small cabins are not a draw for Regent passengers. On the other hand, we have heard wonderful things about the food, service and, of course, the entertainment (which reportedly exceeds anything on other luxury cruise lines).

My secrets are not so secret anymore -- think I've been on Cruise Critic too many years:) When dining in Compass Rose (main dining room), I suggest finding a server and sticking to his/her area because they will become accustomed to your likes and can be pro-active -- making suggestions etc. While you can get excellent service anywhere, this works best for us.

Avoid Compass Rose on the nights of the Captain's Reception, Seven Seas Society Cocktail party and Captain's Farewell (this is when the crew puts on a "not to be missed" show) until later in the evening. Or, go the minute CR opens. At the conclusion of these events (7ish), 300-400 people descend upon CR and it is impossible to give the best service. Making a reservation in Prime 7 one of these nights is an option but the menu in CR is particularly good on these special nights!

If there is a dish you particularly like, special order it in Compass Rose 24 hours in advance (speak to the Dining Room Manager). They will make anything that they have ingredients for.

Should there be two entrée items on the menu that you can't choose between, order a appetizer portion of one and entrée portion of the other (or two appetizer portions - whatever works for you).

My only concern is trying to judge Regent too quickly. We are long time Regent loyalists. When we tried Silversea, I made a concerted effort not to constantly compare the two cruise lines but to just enjoy the cruise. Although we were not in love with the ship, we went on to sail Silversea two more times (on ships that are equal to or better than Regent).

Okay, that is my 2 or 3 cents worth!

Scott,

One thing you should consider is the difference in size between the Crystal ships and the Navigator. I probably wouldn't have mentioned this if you were talking about the Mariner or the Voyager but the Navigator is far smaller.

I have sailed on both Crystal and Regent and there are good points to each line and everyone has his/her own opinion.

And yes, for the person who asked - Scott asked a similar question on the Crystal Board.

Peggy

Thank you all for the kind responses.

I have to address the concept of me being negative or having "cognitive dissonance" in my post. NOT my intent. And I am ONLY asking these questions because of concerns that have arisen from what I've read HERE on the REGENT board. From REGENT cruisers and fans.

There is a lot of Regent, especially Navigator, bashing that goes on here and I was concerned. Hence this post.

NO disrespect intended at all.

Again, thank you for responding.

:D:D:D,

Scott

We have few cruising credentials with but a single cruise to our names but that a Regent Navigator in January on the western Caribbean itinerary and we were booked into master suite 901 which we adored.

We need that sort of space and appreciated the plush digs even if the decor was on the glitzy side and the art regrettable. It was very comfortable, the bathrooms were marvelous together with spacious walk-in closet. Our only quibble was the size of the balcony which we thought somewhat abstemious, nevertheless we spent a lot of time out there. Service in the suite was terrific. We could not get the silly coffee machine to work which was a shame because that coffee would have been so much better than room-service coffee which, sadly, was our default.

Things you need to know: Being so far forward sometimes produces a bumpy ride but we enjoyed that -- felt we were genuinely at sea. No noise whatsoever from above or below but at tender ports there will be minute or so of wrenching noise as ship's anchor is deployed but we didn't mind that, either. One of our TV remotes didn't work but we aren't TV people.

Other positives of our voyage: we gave up eating lunch in favor of the wonderful ice cream bar poolside. In the Compass Rose main dining room my best meals were the curries. Some wines were good. The premium wine list is quite good and an excellent way to use onboard credit should you have some. Being at sea is great fun, we have three more cruises booked on Silverseas and Seabourn.

Dislikes: Did not get the fuss about Prime 7 where service was stiff and the cuisine a let down. Afternoon tea is a mad scramble to get a seat, comestibles OK, tea in bags but the worst is the trivia production which shares tea-time and can be exceedingly raucous. And before trivia, we suffered amplified electric guitar "music." Some wines were poor. Desserts, other than ice cream, were underwhelming. In general we didn't think much of the food onboard. Insufficient lounges in shaded areas but there are always a few available near the smokers, sigh. We avoided entertainment as none of it was to our taste; we prefer classical music, there was none.

Excursions were cancelled two days due to poor weather. We heard complaints from folk who excursioned other days.

There is enough onboard to appreciate if your expectations are modest and if you are OK with a minimalist, low-end view of "luxury."

Just read the Crystal board and have some additional input. Really happy that Peggy (xrvlcruiser) posted as she has extensive experience on both Regent and Crystal (unlike myself and previous posters).

Crystal has long been known for their entertainment and enrichment programs. Regent just began the "Smithsonian Collection by Smithsonian Journeys" enrichment program. While I do not know if they will be on your cruise, they will be on our September, 2015 and November, 2015 cruise.

Also, Regent as the contracts expire with their current entertainment group, they are changing to NCL's entertainers. Okay - on the surface that doesn't sound good :p - I agree. However, NCL's has high ratings for entertainment (but little else). While I do not know when the Jean Ann Ryan singers and dancers contract ends on the Navigator, it is possible that it will occur prior to your cruise (a good thing IMO).

Contrary to the last post, most Regent cruisers really enjoy Trivia and tea time. While not a big tea drinker, my DH is (British) overcomes the problem of tea bags by adding several to his tea. The scones and clotted cream are wonderful as are the offerings of sandwiches and pastries/cakes. On sea days Regent puts out spectacular displays of beautiful (fattening) goodies.

I strongly disagree that you need to have a "modest" or "minimalist low-end" view of luxury to sail on Regent. While the previous poster is being honest with her opinions, she has only cruised once in her adult life. It will be interesting to learn her views of luxury once she has completed her cruises on Silversea and Seabourn.

The most important thing that I want to ask is that you do videos of your Navigator cruise. They are the best videos we have seen on CC:D

P.S. The art referred to in a previous post is selected (on all Regent ships) by Frank Del Rio, CEO of Regent, Oceania and NCL. It does take some getting used to - however, when I study it, there is a lot there (the artists are mainly Cuban artists which makes me smile as I am happy that Regent supports them).

[quote

Also, Regent as the contracts expire with their current entertainment group, they are changing to NCL's entertainers. Okay - on the surface that doesn't sound good :p - I agree. However, NCL's has high ratings for entertainment (but little else). .

You complain that you were not made to feel welcome on the NCL board. Recently, when I asked Computerworks for some NCL opinions, I started reading their board and there you were embroiled in several threads of arguments while trying to explain to them the facts of cruising as you see them and the error of their ways. Why are you bashing a sister cruise line? Could you explain the poor ratings (other than entertainment) on NCL so that anyone interested doesn't make a mistake? Have the Regent cruisers that indicated that they enjoyed NCL been mistaken?

For NO other reason than “what we can afford” and “where we wanted to go” we have decided on a Regent cruise in 2016 rather than our dearly loved Crystal.

 

MIAMI TO BARCELONA

CELESTIAL CROSSING | 14 NIGHTS | DEPARTS MAR 17, 2016

We are staying in a Master Suite. #901 on the Navigator.

 

And our questions are these:

 

1.) Have we made a mistake?

2.) How will Regent compare to Crystal?

3.) What if anything should we be forewarned about regarding Regent?

4.) How will the Navigator compare to the Symphony (we have not sailed on Crystal Serenity)?

5.) Navigator is going into dry-dock immediately after our cruise. Is that a concern?

6.) If you have sailed both lines, what would YOU say are the main differences?

7.) What are some special secrets we should know to make our cruise on the Navigator better?

8.) Should we ask for a specific butler?

 

Thank you, any and all of you, who will answer these questions. I'm sure there will be LOTS more before we sail.

 

:D:D:D,

Scott

Scott,

I have been on the Navigator in a Penthouse (I know it is the same size suite as the lower suites but we picked a PH for the location-pool deck and butler service) and we have stayed in a Penthouse on the Crystal Symphony.

My experience: Crystal Symphony surpassed the Regent Navigator in terms of service, food, (specialty restaurants/The Bistro/Lido Cafe), decor, entertainment, computer classes, enrichment, the different lounges, staff, and the Lido crew.

I was on the Navigator after one of their dry docks...the ship/suite/bathroom felt dated.

The Crystal Symphony on the other hand was in pristine condition and the lounges were not crowded compared to the the few lounges on the Navigator.

I have been on other small luxury ships and they were great. (Silver Cloud, Seabourn Legend, and the Paul Gauguin). Those three small ships never felt crowded like the Navigator did.

While the previous poster is being honest with her opinions, she has only cruised once in her adult life.

Another arrogant & condescending attack on OctoberKat who has demonstrated there is no correlation between intelligent & rational posts and number of cruises. In fact, with 2 data points, it could be said there is an inverse correlation.

I hope other cruisers who have cruised only once in their adult life are not intimidated by these arrogant put downs & will feel free to post their honest opinions.

...

There is enough onboard to appreciate if your expectations are modest and if you are OK with a minimalist, low-end view of "luxury."

I would rather call it a "relaxed" form of luxury. Definitely not low-end, perhaps not gaudy or overwrought, so maybe you could call that minimalist. I call it relaxed and comfortable, very comfortable.

I have friends who always travelled in the Master Suites on the Regent ships, and did so frequently. Until they were underwhelmed by that suite on Navigator. This was prior to a major soft goods overhaul--I have heard those suites are now really very nice.

But my friends, before they had to retire from cruising completely, switched to Oceania because of their marvellous large named suites. They loved Oceania.

Another arrogant & condescending attack on OctoberKat who has demonstrated there is no correlation between intelligent & rational posts and number of cruises. In fact, with 2 data points, it could be said there is an inverse correlation.

I hope other cruisers who have cruised only once in their adult life are not intimidated by these arrogant put downs & will feel free to post their honest opinions.

Definitely not meant as "arrogant & condescending attack". The OP wanted comments from people who have cruised both Crystal and Regent. After almost 100 "views", comments were not forthcoming so I gave some information regarding the Navigator and how it will change between now and when they sail. IMO, stating that 'There is enough onboard to appreciate if your expectations are modest and if you are OK with a minimalist, low-end view of "luxury." ' without having a frame of reference is not fair to the OP. On the other hand, the unique perspective posted about the Navigator is interesting.

In terms of bashing or attacking, I recall being bashed for years because the only luxury cruise line I had sailed was Regent. So, we sailed on Silversea - not once but three times. Now I get bashed if I comment on Seabourn or Crystal. In any case, my post was not meant in the way you seemed to have taken it.

Hope we can get back on topic now.

Oktoberkat, Please take this in fun as that is my intention. I could not help notice your reference to the size of your balcony as abstemious. Abstemious is used with food or drink, no cocktails on the balcony:D?

Oktoberkat, Please take this in fun as that is my intention. I could not help notice your reference to the size of your balcony as abstemious. Abstemious is used with food or drink, no cocktails on the balcony:D?

Heh, cocktails and bubbles aplenty. I like "abstemious" as a way to characterize lack of indulgence which was the case with the hard product afforded by the balcony.

>>I would rather call it a "relaxed" form of luxury. Definitely not low-end, perhaps not gaudy or overwrought, so maybe you could call that minimalist. I call it relaxed and comfortable, very comfortable.<<

I agree with Wendy's description . . .

Peggy

I have been on several Navigator Cruises. I find the layout of the common areas disappointing - there is no forward lounge. The only social areas on the ship are cramped. The decor is very minimalist. I have found food very good. All that said - most of the Navigator sailings have included friends so there was little concern about the lack of entertainment.

I will be on the Symphony soon. Can't wait to try Crystal even if I am in a little tiny cabin.

Kathy, it is not that tiny and well laid out. Over 500 guests just completed a world cruise and loved it and many were Regent sailors.

Kathy we look forward to your review on both boards. You will at least get the feel of both lines and trust me you will enjoy your different cruise experience.

My comment was specifically about bashing the sister line....NCL..... with a snide comment. I believe you know that.

I/we never sailed Crystal, sailed several times on Navigator in both Master and Grand Suites, but can't compare. One thing OctoberKat said that jumped out at me was that Regent isn't up to expectations in desserts. We always said that; they looked a lot prettier than they actually were. We never got in on the ice cream bar, but had ice cream for dessert a bunch of times and it was always good.

>>I would rather call it a "relaxed" form of luxury. Definitely not low-end, perhaps not gaudy or overwrought, so maybe you could call that minimalist. I call it relaxed and comfortable, very comfortable.<<

 

I agree with Wendy's description . . .

 

Peggy

I also agree with Wendy's description. Actually, the previous poster called the suite "gaudy" and the ship "minimalist" :confused:. IMO, Regent ships have never come close to being gaudy and I do not recall that term ever being used.

The Navigator, after it's last upgrade, looks like the other two ships (in terms of color/design/furnishings). We also miss the forward lounge but find the aft lounge, Gaileo's, quite lovely. The suites are larger than on the Mariner. There will be some design changes made in the area of the library and computer room during dry dock but this will be after the OP sails on her.

Peggy - I also agree with you in terms of going from a ship the size of Crystal to Regent's smallest ship.

fizzy: NCL is so far of topic that I don't want to go there. My comment was mainly about NCL's entertainment which is reportedly excellent. As mentioned, it will be on Regent ships soon (already on at least one Oceania ship). I would be happy to have a discussion about NCL on a different thread.

CwazeAndCwaze: Prior to our first Navigator cruise, the negative reviews were at least at poor as they are now. We ended up loving the cruise and the Navigator. It wasn't until quite a while later that we decided that we preferred the Voyager and Mariner. One reason was the itineraries that the Navigator was doing in recent years (Alaska and Caribbean). These short cruises bring more children and families - something we choose to avoid. Based on your posts, I predict that you will enjoy your Navigator cruise....... however, you won't be leaving Crystal for Regent any time soon:)

Actually Jackie, Oktoberkat called the suite on the glitzy side; not gaudy. Not sure I agree, but I concur about the art--regrettable.

Obviously all depends on your definition and taste.

I have done Atlantic crossings on Regent's Voyager and the Oceania Riviera

If I did another crossing, I'd pick the Riviera again. I would not sail on the Navigator. The size of the Riviera is close to the size of the Symphony. The food is exceptional. I do like it's layout - some of my favorite things on that ship are what I also like on the Regent Mariner. To me the size differential between Mariner and Voyager and Navigator is really not that huge. The promenade on Mariner is similar to the Promenade area of Martini's. We tried the Concierge A on Marina recently to see if we will be comfortable in the Crystal standard suite and it was acceptable for us.

My comment about the size of the Navigator was in relation to the Crystal ships - I don't know the tonnage of any of the ships (and am too lazy to look it up). Also the number of passengers is about half on the Navigator than what it is on either Crystal ship. Very different.

These are simply facts - not preferences.

Peggy

Actually Jackie, Oktoberkat called the suite on the glitzy side; not gaudy. Not sure I agree, but I concur about the art--regrettable.

Obviously all depends on your definition and taste.

Agree - but wonder how glitzy or gaudy (my mistake) décor or art on the walls that you don't care for affects your cruise? As I have mentioned about the Silver Spirit, there was little that I liked about the ship but really appreciated the service, attitude of the crew and other passengers, etc. I could be on the most beautiful ship in the world, but if the service, food and fellow passengers were snobs, it would not be enjoyable.

Peggy: I was agreeing about the difference in size of the Navigator vs. Crystal. Definitely a different experience going on a smaller ship (just as it was for us going on the 1,250 passenger Riviera (it felt like walking a mile - going from one end of the ship to the other).