Why do you sail Regent over other lux lines?

Different versions of this topic have been done before - hoping that this thread will have provide a different slant and will answer questions for some folks. In the past couple of weeks there have been some harsh allegations posted about Regent..... here are a few (not quotes - paraphrasing and not indicating who the poster was because, IMO, it doesn't matter).

....... Dishonest marketing

....... Regent is low end luxury.

....... Ineffective operations

In terms of free excursions (that have been in place for a few years), the following comments:

....... Regent must deliver what it sells to their guests. The current policy is unacceptable.

....... The way Regent handles free excursions is close to a scam or at least questionable.

....... Being unable to provide included excursions to everyone that wants it (without giving a refund if Regent cannot provide the excursion) is a travesty.

Understand that I am not questioning or asking for explanations for the above comments. The policies have not changed but the expectations of the passengers seem to have changed (i.e. there have always been excursions that people could not get on -- while many clear waitlist - there are some that do not). The advertising for "free" inclusions has also been around a while.

So, for those of us that cruise Regent and will continue to do so, what is it about Regent that keeps you returning (even if you cruise other luxury lines in addition to Regent).? If you are looking forward to your first Regent cruise, why did you select Regent?

Trying to keep this a calm and informative thread. I'll start!

- Regent ships are designed in a way that we find comfortable. The suite sizes are large (with great walk-in closets). The lounges are open and airy (except the ones in the middle of the ships that are cozy). The décor is neither overstated or understated.

- The benefits for returning guests have been amongst the best of any luxury cruise line. Other luxury lines are improving their benefits (offering free internet, etc.) but some of the benefits offered are not the same as those offered by Regent to their loyal customers (example is internet...... "free" internet on most cruise lines - including Regent's promotions - are for one person per suite at a time. The Gold and above benefit allows everyone in your suite to log onto the internet at the same time - using their unique password).

- Dress code and fellow passengers. Love the Elegant Casual dress code - even if we do dress it up a bit for special nights. Our fellow passengers are friendly, not pretentious or snobby in any way.

- Service and crew - Excellent service and a very hard working crew (which is probably the case on all luxury cruise lines).

- Itineraries - specifically pre and post-cruise land programs (some are free - some are offered at a very low cost). Our pre-cruise safari in South Africa sounds nothing short of amazing - luxury safari camp - flights, land transportation, food -- all included (at no cost in most cases).

There are more things I could mention and could also list things that I do not like about Regent or their policies..... but, this is a positive thread and we have been reading negatives a lot lately (in my opinion).

This thread could crash and burn - or, it could be removed -- hopefully neither will happen and we can spend some time thinking about why we cruise Regent.:)

We have only been on one RSS cruise and we chose it because close friends said they loved Regent, so we picked an itinerary that we wanted and away we went. That was our first cruise ever.

My husband likes to be taken care of on vacation, getting to the ship went very smooth, loved the size of our cabin, I loved the bathroom size, room to unpack and feel comfortable. Dinner, drinks on our schedule, no need to sign for anything.

Entertainment- we lucked out and by chance we had Broadway Performers, the regular cruise performers are just ok and not a big priority for us.

Food-we enjoyed our meals and by the end of the cruise I figured out I could order grilled vegetables and a protein and I was happy.

Tours-not all perfect, but we don't want to think too much or plan in advance so for us the included tours work and when we want to go out on our own we do.

Staff-we felt well taken care of.

Our next RSS cruise is in 79 days, looking forward to a relaxing time.

In no particular order -

- We prefer the more relaxed dress code and atmosphere

- I still work and Regent has 7-10 day itineraries that interest us

- Business class airfare to Europe for PH suites and above

- Large suites

- It's what we know

Hi Jackie, I think this is an excellent thread, but I think only posting negative comments in your lead in does not do justice to the many posters who are more than satisfied. TBH, although I will never do it, and I know there is no search engine for it, if positive/negative comments on the Regent board were counted I would bet my first born (a wonderful daughter) that there are many more of the former.

I, however, will read with interest. I think the easy answer is; what is better?

Good thread, although I think you perhaps missed one complaint that is frequently made: the prices have gotten completely out of hand.

Because of that, I am not cruising Regent at the moment. But, if there was a good deal, or a great itinerary, I would again, and the big attraction would be:

- elegant but relaxed atmosphere

- open dining (a must for me)

- lovely large standard suites with balconies

- terrific deals often on Business Class upgrades (for standard cabins)

- great staff, very good service

- very nice food for the most part, nice dining venues

I would sail Regent again in a heartbeat, if the price was right, and it would feel like I was coming home.

Hi Jackie, I think this is an excellent thread, but I think only posting negative comments in your lead in does not do justice to the many posters who are more than satisfied. TBH, although I will never do it, and I know there is no search engine for it, if positive/negative comments on the Regent board were counted I would bet my first born (a wonderful daughter) that there are many more of the former.

I, however, will read with interest. I think the easy answer is; what is better?

Agree about leading into this thread with negative comments, however, this is why I started the thread. I'm hoping that some CC members that may not post often but would like to have their opinions heard without negativity will post. Also agree that overall, there are more positive than negative posts on Cruise Critic about Regent (especially by cruisers that have actually sailed on Regent in the past couple of years). I'm looking forward to reading more about what is right with Regent.

Cost of cruises have become impossibly high. Have decided that for a similar price the smaller Silversea is more to our liking.

I realize this is somewhat negative but it is what it is. My DH and I love Regent!! We've sailed on all three ships but alas, our cruises are coming to an end with Regent. They have priced themselves out of our comfort zone. Our favorite ship, believe it or not, is the little Navigator. Honestly neither one of us noticed a vibration while on ship and it wasn't until I got home and started reading CC. One posted about the vib and i'm thinking to myself,what on earth are they talking about....of course, we never felt the one on the Voyager either and we were aft on that cruise to the Baltic.

The good: We have made so many friends while on the navigator and still keep in touch thru emails. I don't know why the Navigator seems friendlier than the other 2 unless it's the smaller size and lends itself to conversing with strangers. Of course, I can't say enough great things about the friendly crew,delicious food, etc. Maybe their prices will drop so we can once again sail our favorite line but, not going to hold my breath! Happy sailing to all.....Patty

Along with the excellent things that others have mentioned about their pleasure in Regent, we happen to like the fact that excursions are included. (Sorry there, Tc. ;-) I like not having to research everything on my own (though I do, of course, read about the ports and the various options, so that I can choose sensibly). I like not having to rent a car, find guides on my own, find people to hook up with. Actually, we prefer being with more people on an excursion, rather than just four or six; we can be more "anonymous" that way. Ok, we're not especially social people, but I have to say that, like so many others, we find our fellow cruisers to be cordial and interesting people: except on very rare occasions, quite pleasant to be around. The "feeling" on the ships is comfortable for us, even though we don't mix to the extent that many do. In short, we feel that we can be ourselves and embrace all that we love about cruising Regent without being concerned about how we "fit in."

With over 150 nights on Regent spread over several years we have looked at other luxury lines but as we don't have many gripes we have stayed with them in spite of continually rising prices.

We like the 'perks' such as Internet, phone calls ( we have to phone home daily) and newspapers. All of these would cost $s on other lines.

We particularly like open dining. We are not unsociable but like to eat on our own as we never go through the whole menu. In all these years we have never had to wait for a table for two.

We like the size of the standard suites, we would feel cramped on other lines.

We like 'familiar' hence no surprises.

We like not having to sign for anything

We like the excellent service from all crew members and have never had to complain.

We like the quiet informality of fellow travellers.

We don't like the included excursions as many are poor quality but wherever possible we go on the paid for ones which are much better. However, this would not be a deal breaker for us.

We feel that the MDR menu requires changing more often as we know it off by heart and doesn't seem to have changed much in all the time we have been with Regent. This would be our main issue. Not that we are complaining about the standard of the food.

We like the fact the we are looked after right up to the airport check in desk after the cruise, not forgotten as soon as we disembark.

We have looked at other lines but when spending this amount we would not take the risk as the grass is very seldom greener!

1) Included air and reasonable up grades for business class. We do not have tons of "points" to pay for air or upgrades

2) Shore excursions......we've only started to explore the world and have few ports that we've been to before. If we find some excursions we like, we can get a good idea of what a place is like....(did that make sense??!)

3) We've paid, we're done......love getting off a ship with no bill or sometimes even a credit that's cash refundable!

We love Regent also because of service, suite size, food, fellow passengers and for other reasons posted above. One consideration that we also have when choosing our cruise lines is the memory of how wonderful the Voyager staff was when we experienced a medical emergency while at sea. From the captain and other officers checking in with us, our confidence with the ship's doctor and nurse and the subsequent handling of logistics to get us off the ship and back to Ft. Lauderdale by Coast Guard and medical jet service, it was just outstanding. Peace of mind is what I think of with Regent. Thankfully I haven't experienced this with other cruise lines but outside of Crystal, I'm not sure how it would go.

Price is relative to meeting your ideal value proposition. For me, Regent is still a good value considering the other travel options.

the price has gone up substantially in the past 5 or so years, but so has the inclusions. The "all-inclusive" product appeals to us. LOVE the included excursions. LOVE the included bar drinks.

We are treated very well by the staff. We like the food. Suite size is good. We find the atmosphere terrific. The friendly nature of the other cruisers.

We haven't sailed Silversea because there is no reason to switch. Crystal was not for us.

We have migrated to Oceania's "O" ships due to wider choices of restaurants and amenities (but only Penthouse 3 or above because Regent's basic suites, even on Mariner, are significantly larger). We would not travel on Oceania's "R" ships because the suites are too small.

However, our next booked cruise is at the end of 2016 on the new Regent Explorer, which has more restaurant options (adding an Asian fusion that is similar to Red Ginger on the Oceania ships) and amenities (a 12-couples station cooking class demonstration kitchen, which only Oceania's "O" ships had previously offered among all cruise ships in the world). We are excited about this brand new ship.

We just returned from a 7 night Alaska trip on Navigator.

We loved the cabin, especially the walk in closet. Bathroom was decent. Bed and pillows were comfortable.

Enjoyed the open dining options. One negative, there didn't seem to be any snack/sandwich options after the pool buffet closed. I didn't really want to order room service, and the only available late afternoon option was the tea. It was delicious, but wasn't always what we wanted.

Food was very good. Desserts were very good. Ice cream was very good.

Alcohol options were very good. Anything I was interested in drinking was always available. Of course, being from the USA, I am not a Hendricks guy, so I didn't miss not having that on board. LOL.

Shows were as expected. Decent quality and entertaining.

For me, the Alaskan excursions were very good. We ended up with Allen Marine on three different excursions. Allen Marine is very professional and consistent. Plus we saw whales on all three excursions. Our other excursions were also entertaining. None appeared weak or cheap. I can't comment about excursions in other countries or itineraries.

All our excursions were easily accessible and the small Navigator crowds made it that much better.

Smaller can be better. No lines anywhere: Embarkation and debarkation. and locating our bags, excursions, restaurants, bars etc.

If you want crowds and glitz and loud music, then another lines may be a better fit. Having said that, I don't mean that as a negative. We also enjoy the busy ships, glitz and people watching. But I also recognize and enjoy better food, better service, all inclusive pricing, and an upscale experience, in a casually elegant manner.

We really enjoyed our experience on Regent.

Agree completely with all of the posters on this thread....we are Gold working on Titanium

1 all inclusive works best for us and we prefer the included tours

2 business class upgrades are very reasonable compared to what we can find on our own

3 wonderful crew and almost too much service

4 generous ship board credits

5 food and drinks are just fine

6 country club casual is how we travel

We love Regent for the same reasons stated: small ships, large cabins (I love the walk-in closets and large showers), food, service (we have made many friends with the crew and they are all lovely people), tours (I enjoy I can plan my tours ahead and not worry about booking outside tours...I don't mind traveling with a crowd and our tours have been good), people we have met, so all in all Regent is the best. I also agree that prices are getting too steep and we may have to stop cruising with them in the future. We cruised with Oceania (Riviera) last year and didn't care that much for it. I found the cabin too small (Concierge), the service very good but the crew didn't seem to interact with passengers the way the do in Regent, food was good in specialty restaurant but I didn't find it that good in DR, the drink package was expensive and I didn't care for having to sign for every drink, the tours were outrageously expensive so we only signed for one. The bottom line is we prefer Regent. I have compared prices of Oceania vs Regent and after we add drinks, tips, Internet, and tours Regent is a better. Besides, we are Gold (working on Platinum) so we have perks. I also think Regent has the best program for frequent travelers.

Forevertravel:)

I agree with everything others have said. We were sold when we walked into the cabin on our first cruise. In particular we like the reasonable business class upgrade, the size of cabins, the great staff and very good food, on and on.

It is just such a comfortable way to travel.

I am a numbers person, I run the numbers on every cruise and compare other options on the same or close to itineraries and Regent has won out every time until now.

With our $ doing badly against the USD we have had to go looking at options that price in CAD $. Hope someday we can come 'home' again.

While I agree that the prices are getting higher, honestly - what's not getting more expensive?? Granted, we could probably save some $$ by sailing on other lines and booking our own excursions, but we both still work and we prefer to just vacation. Just get on a plane, then a ship, and go. One check, one trip.

We chose Regent for our first cruise 6 years ago based mostly on internet research. We liked the small ships, all-inclusive travel, more casual environment, etc...after our first cruise, we were hooked. We've only taken one non-Regent cruise, and although it was a good cruise, it wasn't a great cruise.

Would we enjoy one of the other luxury lines? Possibly, and if the itinerary and timing were right we might try one...but so far, Regent has met our needs and exceeded our expectations. That is why we keep returning.

Now, Regent...about those prices... :p

Let me say up front that we are not as experienced as many other cruisers on this board. We are Canadians who have taken just two cruises, both on the Mariner, and have booked a third for December, also on the Mariner. We were originally attracted to Regent by a specific itinerary, a segment of the 2009 Ring of Fire cruise that started in Osaka and visited Petropavlovsk and Dutch Harbor. We enjoyed all aspects of this trip and gladly booked another, in the same cabin no less. We like days at sea especially, so the 2014 Trans-Atlantic crossing was particularly attractive. We have chosen our Regent cruises based on the itineraries and the size of the ship, but the biggest benefit to us by far is the all-inclusiveness. Not having to sign for meals and drinks or worry about the added cost is in large measure what makes the experience a good one for us.

While I understand why experienced travellers might not need or appreciate the “free” excursions, for us they largely work because we have never seen many of the places to be visited and are therefore less likely to strike out on our own into the unknown. We have found that the quality of the excursions depends on the quality of the guide, and being flexible, managing your expectations, and not demanding or expecting perfection. In this regard we have rarely been disappointed in the free excursions, and have added a few premium ones along the way, too. While Regent cruises are not cheap, and as others have pointed out, increasingly expensive, in our view they remain good value when you cost out all the included features, such as air fare, pre- and post-cruise hotels, and the expansive balcony of the Horizon View suites. So while we have thought about trying other cruise lines, we have had no issues with Regent and could not think of a reason to change. Every alternative we have considered seems to involve making a compromise from our excellent Regent experiences to date, so we haven’t done so.

That said, we are a retiree and a mature college student and must manage our budget carefully to be able to afford any cruise. And sadly, our upcoming cruise in December will be our last for a while because of the weakness of the Canadian dollar vs. the US. At an exchange rate of $0.78, Regent cruises are no longer within our grasp. Luckily, we were able to hedge the cost of our next cruise by having a USD bank account. But that will come to and end with this cruise. While I appreciate that in the past Regent has offered some special pricing for Canadians, this has been limited to select cruises which were not at times or with itineraries that suited us. So after we sail from Cape Town to Rio at the end of this year we will sadly say goodbye to Regent until the exchange rate becomes more favourable to those of us fortunate enough to live in Canada.

Let me say up front that we are not as experienced as many other cruisers on this board. We are Canadians who have taken just two cruises, both on the Mariner, and have booked a third for December, also on the Mariner. We were originally attracted to Regent by a specific itinerary, a segment of the 2009 Ring of Fire cruise that started in Osaka and visited Petropavlovsk and Dutch Harbor. We enjoyed all aspects of this trip and gladly booked another, in the same cabin no less. We like days at sea especially, so the 2014 Trans-Atlantic crossing was particularly attractive. We have chosen our Regent cruises based on the itineraries and the size of the ship, but the biggest benefit to us by far is the all-inclusiveness. Not having to sign for meals and drinks or worry about the added cost is in large measure what makes the experience a good one for us.

 

While I understand why experienced travellers might not need or appreciate the “free” excursions, for us they largely work because we have never seen many of the places to be visited and are therefore less likely to strike out on our own into the unknown. We have found that the quality of the excursions depends on the quality of the guide, and being flexible, managing your expectations, and not demanding or expecting perfection. In this regard we have rarely been disappointed in the free excursions, and have added a few premium ones along the way, too. While Regent cruises are not cheap, and as others have pointed out, increasingly expensive, in our view they remain good value when you cost out all the included features, such as air fare, pre- and post-cruise hotels, and the expansive balcony of the Horizon View suites. So while we have thought about trying other cruise lines, we have had no issues with Regent and could not think of a reason to change. Every alternative we have considered seems to involve making a compromise from our excellent Regent experiences to date, so we haven’t done so.

 

That said, we are a retiree and a mature college student and must manage our budget carefully to be able to afford any cruise. And sadly, our upcoming cruise in December will be our last for a while because of the weakness of the Canadian dollar vs. the US. At an exchange rate of $0.78, Regent cruises are no longer within our grasp. Luckily, we were able to hedge the cost of our next cruise by having a USD bank account. But that will come to and end with this cruise. While I appreciate that in the past Regent has offered some special pricing for Canadians, this has been limited to select cruises which were not at times or with itineraries that suited us. So after we sail from Cape Town to Rio at the end of this year we will sadly say goodbye to Regent until the exchange rate becomes more favourable to those of us fortunate enough to live in Canada.

Love your wording of managing your expectations. My husband and I love Regent. We also enjoy returning to familiar surroundings sailing to destinations we have yet to travel. As long as Regent treats us well we have no desire to sail aboard another cruise line. We enjoy the perks Regent offers to repeat customers. I am sure there are other cruise lines that do a great job. We never expect perfection with anything. Perhaps that is why we are always satisfied. We too have pretty much the same views of excursions.

Complainers we choose to avoid. I am always surprised when I read negative posts in regard to Regent. I am sorry some feel Regent is not quality or worth the money. There is a choice in cruise lines. To them I say good luck and enjoy sailing with another cruise line. Isn't it awesome we have a choice!

This cruise is an unbelievable bargain. Excited to spend part of the Christmas Season traveling. Hoping to hear lots of Christmas music on board. Sorry you are affected by the weakness of the Canadian dollar. Hope you enjoy a marvelous cruise. See you on board!

great thread. Am aboard Voyager in Barent's sea. We agree with almost all of the abve (rare).

Over the last week, I asked several first time Regent cruisers (mostly German/Swiss/Swedes) what they thought about Regent. Here's some ancedotal info/opinion from them:

Seaborn is preferred because the ships are smaller but Seabourn is more expensive (?). Oceania food is much better and of greater variety but regular cabins are claustraphobic!

Oceania has a better frequent cruiser rewards program than regent but Oceania excursions are expensive, 50% higher than the same on Silverseas.

Intersting meal-time discussion, but our preference remains Regent (we have never been on another "luxury" line. however, included excursions are getting tiresome for us.

Surprised to read people think Seabourn is more expensive than Regent. This does not apply in the UK, don't know about the USA, but would suggest worth looking prices up on the internet. I am admittedly a fan of Seabourn, having done several on Regent and others. In particular if you are finding the included excursions unnecessary and tiresome, but obviously are paying for them, it might be good to investigate another line.

We have cruised with Regent 3 times, all on the Navigator. We loved each cruise and cherish the memories. The crew, ambiance, food, service, everything, was wonderful.

However, since our income has not kept up with Regent's price increases, memories are all we are going to have for the foreseeable future. For those of us living on a teacher's pension and social security, Regent has become the proverbial carrot just dangling out of our reach. Just when I think we can possibly afford to cruise with them, up go the prices again. :(

Ok, we have only cruised once and it was Regent. We decided to book another and I looked at all the smaller ship lines.

1. No smoking policy kicks out on of the lux lines

2. Relaxed dress of evening, still nice but no formal, this kicked out at least one other t

Line.

3. Room size, I don't know want to be in a cracker box and by the time I was going to get close in room size it is as going to take a penthouse suite which brought me up to same price as entry Regent suite, but without excursions.

These are the reasons we booked another Regent cruise.