Regent vs Crystal Food

Thoughts on food quality, service and wine in these two great cruise lines?

We have not sailed Regent for years but we have almost 30 cruises with Crystal. Crystal service is impeccable. In the MDR you have a choice of modern or traditional and always availabe. Special requests are granted with 24hrs notice if they have all the ingredients.

Now you also have Nobu the best Japanese restaurant at sea. Sushi, sashimi and the best miso black cod I have ever had. All his chefs are trained by the famous Nobu. If you like you can dine at the sushi bar and watch their culinary talent at work.

Now you have Prego the Italian restaurant. Pasta made to order and beef carpaccio that is outstanding. Rich mushroom soup served in a bread bowl is a signature dish. Osso buco absolutly delicious. Reservation required for Silk Road and Prego.

Tastes on the Serenity is a tapas restaurant which you can share or not share a variety of Mediterranean items near the pool deck open for lunch and dinner.

The Bistro for a nice snack in a Bistro setting with wine and speciality coffees made to your liking.

Bottom line for Crystal is the service and attention to detail is over the top. We had five cruises with Regent and hopefully they have improved over the years. We were not wowed in the past.

We have not sailed Regent for years but we have almost 30 cruises with Crystal. Crystal service is impeccable. In the MDR you have a choice of modern or traditional and always availabe. Special requests are granted with 24hrs notice if they have all the ingredients.

 

Now you also have Nobu the best Japanese restaurant at sea. Sushi, sashimi and the best miso black cod I have ever had. All his chefs are trained by the famous Nobu. If you like you can dine at the sushi bar and watch their culinary talent at work.

 

Now you have Prego the Italian restaurant. Pasta made to order and beef carpaccio that is outstanding. Rich mushroom soup served in a bread bowl is a signature dish. Osso buco absolutly delicious. Reservation required for Silk Road and Prego.

 

Tastes on the Serenity is a tapas restaurant which you can share or not share a variety of Mediterranean items near the pool deck open for lunch and dinner.

 

The Bistro for a nice snack in a Bistro setting with wine and speciality coffees made to your liking.

 

Bottom line for Crystal is the service and attention to detail is over the top. We had five cruises with Regent and hopefully they have improved over the years. We were not wowed in the past.

Totally agree with you about Crystal service and food.

Just got off a 20 day on Regent Mariner and I have to say that although we had some small issues in the beginning, once we mentioned anything to the maitre'd service improved two-fold. Food was good in CR and some nights I thought it was exceptional. We liked Signatures better that Prime 7 for the service. It was like two different worlds in those two restaurants. Plus Prime 7 couldn't cook the meat to order. It always came out rare and was sent back. Signatures was perfect.

The key factor which rules Crystal out for us is the restricted dining arrangement. We love that on a Regent ship, we can relax over pre-dinner drinks either with friends or à deux and make our way to dinner when we are ready, where and with whom we choose. These flexible dining arrangements offer us the complete freedom we value, although are not the only reason why we continue to choose Regent.

Prego on Crystal is Piero Selveggio's of Valentino in Los Angeles amazing cuisine.

We felt that Crystal knocks it out of the park. Menus are varied and well prepared. We feel like the service with fixed seating over the top amazing. The daily wine pours are fabulous. Wine to us is very important - we felt on Regent and Oceania the wine program is very poor unless you go to the wine list and over pay. On Crystal - we have greatly enjoyed the daily selections. No nickel and diming for upsell in the wine department and the sommliers know their wines.

In fairness, we have taken Regent off of our radar after attaining Gold status. Last cruise the food was mediocre. The daily pours of wine were $10 a bottle undrinkable wine. Signatures food was over salted and unmemorable. We moved to Oceania for a while and our last sailing left us feeling the same - except for Jacques and Red Ginger. We think that Oceania's food is a notch above Regent's food now. Their F and B department is the same. Our last Oceania Cruise they had all the head chefs in for a menu conference to decide what new menus would be out. We had a long talk with Regent's Chef de Cuisine on the Riviera. Polo steaks are no where near a land based steakhouse for prep.

To clarify one thing on the last post - "Polo" is on Oceania - not Regent. Regent has Prime 7 (also a steakhouse). The level of beef (and many other items) on Regent are a step up from Oceania. On the other hand, Oceania's French restaurant is better than Regent's "old" French restaurant, Signatures (being replaced with a new French restaurant, Chartreuse on three of Regent's ships).

One reason this question may be difficult to answer on the Regent side is that some of the restaurants and the menus are in the process of being changed/upgraded. Compass Rose, for instance, (the main dining venue) was good in the past but is now excellent (based on our meals on the Explorer). So, what passengers are experiencing on the Mariner and Voyager today is not what it will be in the future (the Voyager will be refurbished and the restaurants will change within weeks - the Mariner won't be until next spring).

We have not sailed Crystal due to the set seating and/or seating by reservation (as well as the small cabins). We were also taken aback when we learned that you can only dine once in a specialty restaurant on Crystal without paying $30/person.

I have no doubt that the food on both Crystal and Regent are good to excellent but food is subjective and what I like may not be what you like. We have no problem with the wines on Regent. If we do not like their pours of the day, we speak with the sommelier and they will find something more suited to our taste.

Although Crystal would be interesting to try after so many cruises on Regent, we cannot get past the small cabins, older ships and the way dining is set up. We are simply too spontaneous to know exactly what time we will want to dine on any particular evening.

As many of you may know already we sail both lines and appreciate different things on different ships. Yup, cabins are small on Crystal (not a big deal for us) and dining is fixed unless you go to the "by reservation" system. We actually like fixed dining. I know we're in a total minority on that one. Reason being, you really get to know your waiter, asst. waiter and sommolier (sp?). They know what we like without even asking. I agree with the wonderful spontaneous dining we can do on Regent as well.

We have not been on Regent for at least 3 years now, but we are doing the Explorer TA in November. We're very excited about the new menus....they sound wonderful! In the past, I've honestly found Regent's CR a little lacking. I thought plating was boring and uninspired. Never had anything "bad" , but nothing fabulous either. Service was always pleasant and professional, although it took FOREVER to get thru a meal and we like to linger.....3+hrs can sort of screw up an evening....giggle! I've had no problem with wine, but thought it could've been a little more inspired! Champagne was always cold, so I could deal with whatever!

On Crystal, each plate looked like it was prepared just for me. Beautifully turned out. A feast for the eyes as well as the palate. Wines were varied and interesting.

So it comes down to what you like, whether fixed or open seating, or just how involved you like to be with your food and wine. There isn't a right or wrong answer here, just what you prefer and there is no bad choice.

<<There isn't a right or wrong answer here, just what you prefer and there is no bad choice. >>

Mudhen, you got it in one. We are fortunate to be able to choose, aren't we? Since this is the Regent forum, however, I will express my preference!

To clarify one thing on the last post - "Polo" is on Oceania - not Regent. Regent has Prime 7 (also a steakhouse). The level of beef (and many other items) on Regent are a step up from Oceania.

Both are Prime steakhouses. Prime is a USDA classification of steak. My family was in the wholesale meat business. I grew up eating meat and know this quite well. The only possible differentiation is size of the Prime Steak and preparation. I have eaten in both and they are quite identical other than the name of the restaurant.

Not in the meat business - just reporting what I've been told from Regent management. It made sense to me since Regent is NCHL's luxury line and Oceania is their mid-range line. I would not expect the same level of food on NCL as on Oceania either. My main reason for posting about "Polo" is that the previous post sounded as if Polo was a Regent dining venue. which it obviously is not. Also, although P7 is not our favorite dining venue by far, neither was Polo. Purchasing 'prime" meat is one thing...... knowing how to cook it properly is another. IMO, both kitchens have challenges in this area. OTOH, Compass Rose's steaks seem to have no problem preparing the meat as ordered.

Having eaten in both polo and prime 7, both serve "prime " beef. We own a ranch which produces organic grass fed beef. Neither restaurant provides the quality we are used to at home, which I am actually eating as I write, but both are very good. The differences are going to be in preparation which varies depending on who happens to be cooking that day

About to take our first Regent cruise, but the food on the Crystal Serenity last summer was excellent. That said, the set dining times were quite problematic, and we would have loved a little more flexibility. We also had a chatty waiter we actually couldn't stand, and it affected our enjoyment of the main dining room.

Aside from the cabin design, you couldn't really tell the ship was a little older. We did love the wraparound promenade deck, which we'll miss on the Explorer.

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We've sailed 160 days on Regent. Only 20 on Crystal. On our limited experience on the Symphony, we'd rank Crystal a notch above the "old" Regent which is quite good. I say "old" because Regent has recently upgraded menus. We will be experiencing the new Regent this December on Voyager. We are hoping all the raves about the new Regent prove justified.

The new Regent menu is one thing, execution by the kitchen and wait staff is something entirely different. I hope that Regent execution matches the ambitious new menu. I'll find out on the Explorer in November.

The new Regent menu is one thing, execution by the kitchen and wait staff is something entirely different. I hope that Regent execution matches the ambitious new menu. I'll find out on the Explorer in November.

Yes - execution is extremely important. On our July sailing on the Explorer, the execution was perfection. The service, on the other hand, was a bit slow for various reasons (mainly the fact that the ship was turned over to Regent late and the staff had little time to get used to the new setup of the kitchen and the dining venue. Also, I read that there were quite a few servers from Oceania who, IMHO, are clueless when it comes to Regent (as Regent long time servers would be on Oceania). I feel this was a big misstep.

Not in the meat business - just reporting what I've been told from Regent management. It made sense to me since Regent is NCHL's luxury line and Oceania is their mid-range line. I would not expect the same level of food on NCL as on Oceania either. My main reason for posting about "Polo" is that the previous post sounded as if Polo was a Regent dining venue. which it obviously is not. Also, although P7 is not our favorite dining venue by far, neither was Polo. Purchasing 'prime" meat is one thing...... knowing how to cook it properly is another. IMO, both kitchens have challenges in this area. OTOH, Compass Rose's steaks seem to have no problem preparing the meat as ordered.

Jackie, having sailed on both Oceania and Regent in the last 4 months, I must take issue with your comment. Oceania clearly knocked it out of the park when comparing our 19 night Baltic versus our 10 day NYC to Montreal Regent cruise. Every meal in Toscana, Jacques, Polo, Red Ginger, and The Terrace, was excellent and better than anything on our Regent cruise with the exception of the King Crab in Prime 7 :). Both lines do get their provisions from the same sources and the only difference between lines are the menus and the chefs. I know you know this, so forgive me for stating the obvious. In our book after this last Regent cruise, O seems to have leaped to the front over R when it comes to delivery in the dining rooms.

Jackie, having sailed on both Oceania and Regent in the last 4 months, I must take issue with your comment. Oceania clearly knocked it out of the park when comparing our 19 night Baltic versus our 10 day NYC to Montreal Regent cruise. Every meal in Toscana, Jacques, Polo, Red Ginger, and The Terrace, was excellent and better than anything on our Regent cruise with the exception of the King Crab in Prime 7 :). Both lines do get their provisions from the same sources and the only difference between lines are the menus and the chefs. I know you know this, so forgive me for stating the obvious. In our book after this last Regent cruise, O seems to have leaped to the front over R when it comes to delivery in the dining rooms.

Your post does not surprise me. Very few people dislike The Terrace Café on Oceania as much as we do. We do not even want to walk into that dining venue for reasons that we have posted before ("cooking" spaghetti in cold water, trying to pry open a clam and serve it, etc.) Obviously, food is extremely subjective. I agree that Jacques is better than anything on Regent (even their new French restaurant, Chartreuse). We also liked the other specialty restaurants on Oceania but not more than on Regent.

Yes - most of the food is sourced from the same place (except for local fish that is picked up along the way). However, even in land restaurants, most restaurants get their food from a small handful of places. The difference is the quality that is ordered. Regent orders a higher quality of food (mostly) than on Oceania. Both are good quality - Regent is just a step above (not counting specialty restaurants).

Unfortunately you do not plan on sailing with Regent again. I think that most people will find the new dining venues - particularly CR -- considerably better than before. Chartreuse is receiving mostly positive reviews and Pacific Rim, being Asian fusion (as is Red Ginger on Oceania) is still "Asian confusion" in my mind. We like authentic Thai, Chinese and Japanese food which, IMO, is not what you get in any Asian fusion restaurant (again, our tastes are different). IMO, the steaks in the "new" CR is better than in Prime 7 (and so is the lobster on the everyday menu).

P.S. To show how subjective food really is, we don't care for the crab in Prime 7 (actually, we do not care for much in Prime 7).

(actually, we do not care for much in Prime 7).

My wife says those are fighting words :D

Totally understand. After all, food IS subjective. I just don't want to subject myself to cold food.

My wife says those are fighting words :D

 

Totally understand. After all, food IS subjective. I just don't want to subject myself to cold food.

Definitely do not want to fight:D Could not agree more about cold food - it is completely unacceptable!

food with Crystal to that on Regent if one had not cruised on Crystal.

That being said, I must say that I like the dining by reservation on Crystal. I was hesitant to use the MDR after a hiatus for years on Oceania, but I found the food absolute perfection. I did not find it perfect on Regent.

However, we have two cruises booked on Regent Explorer and believe it will be excellent per reviews.

Crystal is mighty fine though.

Do not disagree with last post but also feel that you cannot compare Regent's current menus until you tried them. Unfortunately, at least for now, this includes the majority of people that have ever sailed on Regent.

Do not disagree with last post but also feel that you cannot compare Regent's current menus until you tried them. Unfortunately, at least for now, this includes the majority of people that have ever sailed on Regent.

:confused::confused::confused:

Do you mean 'Regent's current menus' or 'the new CR menu after ship refurbishment'?

I cannot really make comment on this thread as I have never sailed on Crystal and have yet to experience the new Regent CR menu

However I am more than satisfied with the offerings on Regent Mariner at present

:confused::confused::confused:

 

Do you mean 'Regent's current menus' or 'the new CR menu after ship refurbishment'?

 

I cannot really make comment on this thread as I have never sailed on Crystal and have yet to experience the new Regent CR menu

However I am more than satisfied with the offerings on Regent Mariner at present

I was referring to the current menu on the Navigator, Explorer and in a couple of weeks, the Voyager. Suppose that I should call it the "new CR menu" until after the Mariner is refurbished in 5 months or so. Agree that a comparison between Regent and Crystal cannot be made unless you have dined on both cruise lines. A poster introduced Oceania into this thread which more or less took off as many of us have cruised Oceania.

In terms of the offerings in CR on the Mariner at present, there is nothing wrong with it -- same as it has been for years however most people that have tried the "new CR" much prefer the new menu. IMO, in order to properly compare Crystal's food in the MDR and Regent's food in CR, one needs to compare the new CR menu that has been offered for over 3 months.

In any case, food is so subjective that whichever cruise line's food one person prefers, another person may have a different opinion.

A new menu doesn't necessarily equate to better food, just moe options.

We will be on the Voyager for 40 nights in Jan. I'm wondering how the new La Veranda will work. I think I read somewhere that it will have a grilling station like the Oceania ships. If this is so, I would think it would be a buffet style dinner option and Sette Mari would disappear. Regent's website seems to imply Sette Mari will stay. Anybody know? Thanks. We are really looking forward to the new menu in CR.