Regent vrs Oceania or Celebrity

Sorry if I have posted twice...was not sure if there was a hiccup in processing...

Never cruised before which is silly as we are now sixty...anyhow, opportunity to grab a last minute Regent med cruise mid October. Am a little worried about how I will take the seas as the Voyageur is a lot smaller than, say Celebrity ships. I know all about exclusions in inclusions on these...regardless, how do you find the experience on these ships compares. We have done Uniworld so I would want that level of care and luxury, don't need formal nights, don't need flashy, ritzy haughtiness...

This cruise has a fabulous itinerary...Barcelona to Venice...

My big hangup is being sick...it is a smaller ship..

Also...would you rather I travel late May than mid October? Am content to wait and find something similar.

They are not THAT small. Both Voyager and Mariner are very stable on the seas. I have been in some very rough water on both, and there was some movement but nothing bad, even a couple of times when they closed the outside decks because of a storm with high winds. Actually most of the time, you don't even know you are on a ship. Have never felt seasick on either.

I have been seasick on small fishing boats, and I have felt very sleepy on Silversea Explorer going between Baffin Island and Greenland in a storm, but that is very small compared to Voyager and Mariner.

Agree that the ships are not that small. If seasickness is an issue, book a suite that is mid-ship and on one of the lower decks.

We would much rather sail in October than May (unless it was very early in May) as the heat is already building in the Med. We have done cruises in that part of the world in in May, September and October and prefer October.

Oceania is a sister company to Regent and we have sailed them as well. The larger ships (Riviera and Marina) are lovely but not necessarily more stable than the Regent ships (note: have only been on the Riviera). The other three ships are approximately the size of the Voyager but have much smaller staterooms and tiny bathrooms. The fare to sail on Oceania is lower than Regent, however, when you add on tips, alcohol and the very expensive excursions, the price evens out a bit.

If you are looking at a first cruise, Celebrity may be fine since you have nothing to compare it to. I understand that their top suites are lovely but you are on a ship with a LOT of people. In terms of the three ships you are comparing, Regent is luxury, Oceania is premium plus and Celebrity is premium.

One more point (and yes - I am prejudiced as we are long time Regent customers) if you are in a concierge level suite or above, you will arrive the day before the cruise and are put up in a hotel (assuming you use Regent air which is also included). Regent provides transportation from the airport to the hotel - then to the ship the next day and finally to the airport at the conclusion of your cruise.

Hope this helps.:)

Agree that the ships are not that small. If seasickness is an issue, book a suite that is mid-ship and on one of the lower decks.

 

 

 

We would much rather sail in October than May (unless it was very early in May) as the heat is already building in the Med. We have done cruises in that part of the world in in May, September and October and prefer October.

 

 

 

Oceania is a sister company to Regent and we have sailed them as well. The larger ships (Riviera and Marina) are lovely but not necessarily more stable than the Regent ships (note: have only been on the Riviera). The other three ships are approximately the size of the Voyager but have much smaller staterooms and tiny bathrooms. The fare to sail on Oceania is lower than Regent, however, when you add on tips, alcohol and the very expensive excursions, the price evens out a bit.

 

 

 

If you are looking at a first cruise, Celebrity may be fine since you have nothing to compare it to. I understand that their top suites are lovely but you are on a ship with a LOT of people. In terms of the three ships you are comparing, Regent is luxury, Oceania is premium plus and Celebrity is premium.

 

 

 

One more point (and yes - I am prejudiced as we are long time Regent customers) if you are in a concierge level suite or above, you will arrive the day before the cruise and are put up in a hotel (assuming you use Regent air which is also included). Regent provides transportation from the airport to the hotel - then to the ship the next day and finally to the airport at the conclusion of your cruise.

 

 

 

Hope this helps.:)

Actually, when you add the ala carte Oceania items (prestige alcohol, excursions, etc.), the bottom line O fare remains significantly less than Regent. I've done a number of side-by-side comparisons to arrive at this conclusion. And, now with "O Life," the only missing item to make an apples to apples comparison with Regent is alcohol.

Actually, when you add the ala carte Oceania items (prestige alcohol, excursions, etc.), the bottom line O fare remains significantly less than Regent. I've done a number of side-by-side comparisons to arrive at this conclusion. And, now with "O Life," the only missing item to make an apples to apples comparison with Regent is alcohol.

You are definitely correct when comparing the lower category staterooms/suites, however, most Regent customers that sail on Oceania are looking for suites that are the same size as Regent. On the larger ships, that pretty much takes you to the PH level. Recent comparisons on Cruise Critic indicate that the prices are close. As you know, it depends upon itinerary. We sailed in a Vista Suite on Oceania at an amazingly low price - however, it was in the Caribbean which is typically less expensive.

We found Oceania more expensive on some itineraries when you add Business Class air. When you sail Regent in Europe, Business Class air is included for PH and above. Regent also has very low upgrades on these itineraries. We cancelled the maiden voyage of the Riviera due to Business Air costs (which in the end didn't matter since the original "maiden voyage" was delayed).

"O" Life is new so I do not have comparisons on that. Have you compared penthouse suites with upgraded air?

It's funny how different people view ship size. I consider Voyager and Mariner to be large ships.

I thought so too until we sailed on the Riviera and were in a suite all the way forward. The walk to the aft part of the ship was so long that I had to take off my heels as the long walk was killing my feet:D

You are definitely correct when comparing the lower category staterooms/suites, however, most Regent customers that sail on Oceania are looking for suites that are the same size as Regent. On the larger ships, that pretty much takes you to the PH level. Recent comparisons on Cruise Critic indicate that the prices are close. As you know, it depends upon itinerary. We sailed in a Vista Suite on Oceania at an amazingly low price - however, it was in the Caribbean which is typically less expensive.

 

 

 

We found Oceania more expensive on some itineraries when you add Business Class air. When you sail Regent in Europe, Business Class air is included for PH and above. Regent also has very low upgrades on these itineraries. We cancelled the maiden voyage of the Riviera due to Business Air costs (which in the end didn't matter since the original "maiden voyage" was delayed).

 

 

 

"O" Life is new so I do not have comparisons on that. Have you compared penthouse suites with upgraded air?

Haven't given penthouses much thought since we're pretty much Veranda types (part of that comes from being small yacht sailors here on SF Bay). So, quality of the bedding, utility of the bath, etc. are what matter to us (more than space).

I do notice from the most recent Regent mailing I received that some itineraries have business air upgrades at $499 for veranda folks. That is definitely a huge consideration. And I will be keeping my eye on the continuing comparison- especially when the bank of United miles we built before retirement starts to dwindle.

As for O Life (tips/internet/5 excursions), we will have it on O's Regatta next August when we do the 18 day Canal (SF to NY). Price is right for Veranda at under $6500/person (if you take the "free" economy air). If we add prestige alcohol, it adds just over $1000 per person. We'll only need the return air so will use United miles for business tix back. Sadly, the air credit only lowers the cabin price by $350 (drinks in Manhattan during post cruise stay :-)

Is your TA as generous (% cabin cost) with OBC on Regent as on O?

Thanks for the advice on best month to travel...sounds like October is the way to go.

Wont be doing penthouses nor business class so those are not issues for us...looking at about a Cat F on Regent....they have added a Canadian incentive on some remaining cruises....still pricier than Oceania I think but the all inclusive is a terrific incentive.....itinerary...Barcelona, Sete, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Palermo, a croatia and slovenia stop and then Venice...does that not sound perfect?

The tours on Oceania seem really pricey...

Your are right...tricky to do the apples to apples comparison pricewise...we have a quote on Regent for about 8000US per person...Can I get about the same in 2016 on Oceania? If so, maybe I will wait it out...

Flatbush Flyer: It depends upon the TA but most TA's give generous % on cabin cost plus OBC - depending upon itinerary (note: only OBC is dependent upon itinerary).

horatio123: Are you on Regent's email list? I would keep an eye out on your cruise as some Med. cruises have not been selling well. Some prices have dropped and, in some cases, Business Class air has been included for all categories.

We received a 4th of July special from Regent and ended up booking a cruise for next month and received a 3 category upgrade so it is worth paying attention to specials:)

Thanks for the advice on best month to travel...sounds like October is the way to go.

Wont be doing penthouses nor business class so those are not issues for us...looking at about a Cat F on Regent....they have added a Canadian incentive on some remaining cruises....still pricier than Oceania I think but the all inclusive is a terrific incentive.....itinerary...Barcelona, Sete, Marseille, Monte Carlo, Florence, Rome, Palermo, a croatia and slovenia stop and then Venice...does that not sound perfect?

The tours on Oceania seem really pricey...

Your are right...tricky to do the apples to apples comparison pricewise...we have a quote on Regent for about 8000US per person...Can I get about the same in 2016 on Oceania? If so, maybe I will wait it out...

Recently returned from 10 day Med cruise on O Riviera (extended veranda). Fare included tips, internet and O's OBC of $200/person. We added prestige alcohol packages and 5 excursions from O. If we hadn't taken the $1200/person economy air credit, total cost would've been about $6500/person (before TA added OBC).

Don't know how many days your talking about on your Regent quote (or other details).

I'm sure you can figure it out by looking at a similar O itinerary. BTW, having a TA who is a top producer for O will probably add anywhere from 7-10 % of cabin cost for added OBC. Don't know how it goes with Regent's top TAs.

We aren't experienced cruisers but have recently returned from a Baltic cruise on RSS Voyager and did Oceania insignia last year but know nothing about Celebrity.

I would say they are pretty close as I wasn't overly impressed with the Regent excursions as in most cases I would have preferred to do our own thing. Also I noticed a significant vibration aft on Regent Voyager and would not have liked accommodation in that area.

However if your cruise stops in Rome and Florence I would certainly do those excursions with R.

I liked that O had a list of the included wines (if you did the alcohol package) but it was a pain having to constantly show your card. No such problems on R but they keep their wines a closely guarded secret! :D

Hubby hated the fact that O served the buffet and whilst the selection seemed better at lunchtime he preferred R as it was serve yourself. Also come 2pm, O were practically marching you out the door whilst R were more relaxed. I preferred the main dining room and library on O as far as decor went but R's food just about won out (only barely though).

Suites were a different matter. Concierge and Balcony are the same size on O and the same size on R, however, R's are much more spacious and the bathroom includes a shower and bath and the toilet on O is set at a very strange angle so would definitely have to go for a Penthouse on O's smaller ships to get the same suite quality as a veranda on R.

Re the mal de mer - I was quite ill on O but not on R. 2 reasons - I didn't take my travel sickness meds quite so often on O and also it was pretty rough sailing between Florence and Rome and also around the heel of Italy in comparison to the Baltic which was quite calm. Advice would be take the meds and also try the sea bands which are elasticated bracelets which sit over certain acupressure points on your wrist which work quite well. I thoroughly enjoyed both but would say Regent just has the edge if prices are comparable.

So the vibration aft was only if you were in that area...nowhere else then?

We are on the email list as of yesterday..that is how I found out about the Canadian incentive.

The quote I received from R was about 500 dollars less than from my own TA..surprising.

This R cruise is 11 nights all in....for 7500US per person.....do you think an Oceania cruise adding flight, transfers, excursions, alcohol with mostly meals only, would cost about the same or does my R cruise actually look like the deal I have been told it is?

My TA once told me she puts on a patch or is it a band even before she leaves the house and has been in all kinds of cruise weather and never feels a thing...they work such magic?

Regent provides transportation from the airport to the hotel - then to the ship the next day and finally to the airport at the conclusion of your cruise.

Regent pleasantly surprised us last month when they sent a car for us at our hotel in Barcelona...a Porsche Panamera! It was a nice touch to be whisked to the airport in leather lined, high performance comfort. A fitting end to a superb cruise!

Regent pleasantly surprised us last month when they sent a car for us at our hotel in Barcelona...a Porsche Panamera! It was a nice touch to be whisked to the airport in leather lined, high performance comfort. A fitting end to a superb cruise!

WOW - that is amazing!!!!!

You might have to get it on the net. It is not that expensive.

WOW - that is amazing!!!!!

No, what would have been amazing is if they had let me drive...:eek:

My TA once told me she puts on a patch or is it a band even before she leaves the house and has been in all kinds of cruise weather and never feels a thing...they work such magic?

My husband and kids have used the sea bands and they work great. You need to put them on before setting sail. Also helps to take ginger tablets.

So the vibration aft was only if you were in that area...nowhere else then?

 

Seems to be. It was particularly bad in Le Veranda which is on deck 11. Strangely it didn't seem so bad in the Horizons longe on deck 5. It was worse when we were docked than when moving! We were in suite 953 which is just by the rear elevators but not too far back and we didn't notice any vibration in the suite.

I thought so too until we sailed on the Riviera and were in a suite all the way forward. The walk to the aft part of the ship was so long that I had to take off my heels as the long walk was killing my feet:D

Try the QM2 sometime. By the time we got back to our cabin after lunch it was time to go to dinner.

Welcome aboard! We will be sailing with you....there is a very inactive Roll Call on these boards...would post the link but am a bit technologically challenged these days...

We will be near the port at Tryp Apolo the night before embarkation.

Sandy & Dana (aka Kwaj Girl and Kwaj Boy)