Have things improved?

Those of you that are long time Regent cruisers, do you think things are better since Regent has new ownership under NCL?

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No. No worse and no better.

Yes - in some ways. When Regent was first purchased by Apollo (PCH - Prestige Cruise Holdings), it was a disaster. I hadn't realized what bad shape that Regent was in (threadbare towels, sheets, etc.) because the ships were sailing half full which we loved and it made the service seem better. The Navigator was listing in the water, losing power and was a mess. After the purchase, PCH started changing things.

Before PCH purchased Regent, there was no "Concierge Suites" that gave priority reservations to passengers. I recall vividly that they wanted to start having passengers board according to their suite category (which is done on Oceania). I felt that PCH had no clue what Regent cruisers want. At this point I was already looking at other cruise lines and eventually did three cruises on Silversea. I ranted endlessly on CC about these changes and felt that PCH was turning Regent into a "class" oriented ship. After a while, I got used to it (but still don't like it).

While I don't recall the exact dates, around this time the ships started failing. The Mariner had pod issues and limped back to port. It took over a year to have a new pod built and all of their itineraries had to be changed to accommodate the lower speed.

Then the Voyager's pod got caught in a fishing net and the entire world cruise was halted. The Voyager had another pod issue that saw passengers boarding the ship, having muster and then learning that the cruise was cancelled!

Then the included excursions began which I am still not happy about but understood the reasoning behind it. This was during the downturn of the economy and all cruise lines needed passengers. The included excursions worked but I still wonder why they still have it (in a reasonably good economy.

While PCH (which I believe still has a big share of Regent) was refurbishing the ships regularly (which had not been done in the past ....... the carpeting on the ships looked stained (from 2006 when we first cruised with them until maybe 4 years ago). When NCLH purchased Regent, big money went into the ships (especially the Navigator). Although some customers perceived cut-backs, one has to realize that Regent customers have perceived nonexistent cutbacks as long as we have been cruising with them.

Regent ships were no longer getting normal refurbishments, they were getting major refurbishments. It seemed that once NCHL saw that Regent was doing well, they turned up the heat (i.e. started really spending money). I cannot imagine how much the new CR menu is costing Regent over what their former menu was. I also do not recall how much the refurbishment of the Navigator and Voyager was but do know that $50M will be put into the refurbishment of the Mariner.

I understand the perception that things were better before (many of tend to think of past decades and remember the good rather than the less than good things that occurred.

For us, the biggest thing to get over was the amazing service that Regent had when the ships were not sailing full. Even though Regent has done what they can to add crew cabins to the ships and even use passenger cabins for officers and some lecturers and entertainers, I do understand the perception of the service being a bit slower. The number of crew members needed in CR, for instance, was determined under the first owner. Since the ships were rarely full, there were more than enough crew members to serve diners. Customers got used to that. Then, when the ships started running at capacity, it'd seemed that there were not enough servers, etc, in CR.

While you may regret asking this question, I am giving you my perceptions - based on cruising on Regent under private ownership, under PCH and now under NCHL. Lastly, it is important to note that no new ships were built under the private owners and the Explorer had only begun when NCHL purchased Regent. So, IMO, things are definitely not worse on Regent than they were before but they are different!

DaveFR: When you get to this thread, I look forward to your comments since you have sailed Regent longer than we have (and consistently).

Well I will give my answer prior to Dave FR. We went on the Renissance just before Regent. Fabulous. Then we went on Regent and met Travelcat and Dennis. We were on two legs and the first was fabulous, but when they got off and all the inclusive "stuff" started it was a different thing altogether.

Since Joe and I do not pay alligence to any one particular line, we can firmly say there is no difference between the top six. Yes, I say six, as I include what some say is premium and upper premium

Since this is a Regent board I will say our very long cruise on the Explorer last December/January was fabulous. Great crew. Great food in the MDR (where I never go); great entertainment Natures Rhythm (on Voyager now), Crew much more friendly. Nothing else to write home about.

No one line is perfect. We cancelled almost 30 days on Explorer this coming Christmas to go for 12 days on the Voyager, just because of the entertainment, Natures Rhythm. To each his own!

I go back (I think) to the year 2000 on Regent ships. Most recent cruise was on the November 2016 Explorer transatlantic. I've always had a good time on Regent, never looking for little glitches as some seem to, and recognizing that five star or six star at sea is not the same as Michelin three star. My number one impression over this period is that Regent has really pushed the envelope on pricing. I don't have the data to prove it, but I believe in the early 2000's, Regent was a real bargain compared to, say, Seabourn. Better cabins and good service for a much better price. More recently, and I think this started five or six years ago as we recovered from the recession, Regent has really jacked up prices. I know, of course, of all the changes from unlimited booze early on to "free" excursions and "free" air. And I'm not complaining, I understand business. Just my impression.

I go back (I think) to the year 2000 on Regent ships. I've always had a good time on Regent, never looking for little glitches as some seem to, and recognizing that five star or six star at sea is not the same as Michelin three star. My number one impression over this period is that Regent has really pushed the envelope on pricing. More recently, and I think this started five or six years ago as we recovered from the recession, Regent has really jacked up prices. I know, of course, of all the changes from unlimited booze early on to "free" excursions and "free" air.

We haven't cruised Regent yet, which is why I'm reading a lot from CC. We have 3 cruise's booked on Regent starting in Nov 2017, Apr 2018 and Apr 2019. We're looking for a great time and looking forward to service, food, etc. We don't drink nor do we tour everyday. Sometimes we just want to get off the ship and walk around the city and have a good lunch. That said we pay for those drinks and tours that we don't use. And we expect a really great cruise on Regent-otherwise we'll be back on "O" which we do like. We picked Regent because we want a step or two up. Hope we find what we what were looking for. Rick

We haven't cruised Regent yet, which is why I'm reading a lot from CC. We have 3 cruise's booked on Regent starting in Nov 2017, Apr 2018 and Apr 2019. We're looking for a great time and looking forward to service, food, etc. We don't drink nor do we tour everyday. Sometimes we just want to get off the ship and walk around the city and have a good lunch. That said we pay for those drinks and tours that we don't use. And we expect a really great cruise on Regent-otherwise we'll be back on "O" which we do like. We picked Regent because we want a step or two up. Hope we find what we what were looking for. Rick

While I hope that you find Regent a "step or two up", I'm not convinced that you will. IMO, the Owners Suite on the Riviera, for instance, is nicer than the Master Suite on Explorer (also feel that the Vista Suite on Riviera is miles above any Grand Suite on Regent.) Food is subjective - many Oceania passengers feel that the food is better on Oceania while "some" Regent passengers feel that it is not. OTOH, we prefer the Explorer overall to the Riviera.

Looking forward to your review of the Explorer and Regent.

Overall I would say Yes.

The condition of the ships are far superior to when Carlson owed Regent. It was pretty obvious that Carlson was just sucking the cash out of Regent and not investing in its infrastructure. Now, under PCH/NCLH, the older ships have virtually been renewed. Also, Regent never would have gotten a new ship with Carlson as the owner.

Service and food is too subjective and opinions vary greatly. I am a laid back person and not really demanding. I would say it is about the same as before. Maybe the food is a little inferior than before.

Overall I would say Yes.

 

The condition of the ships are far superior to when Carlson owed Regent. It was pretty obvious that Carlson was just sucking the cash out of Regent and not investing in its infrastructure. Now, under PCH/NCLH, the older ships have virtually been renewed. Also, Regent never would have gotten a new ship with Carlson as the owner.

 

Service and food is too subjective and opinions vary greatly. I am a laid back person and not really demanding. I would say it is about the same as before. Maybe the food is a little inferior than before.

Your last sentence begs one question....... have you sailed on Regent since the new CR menu was debuted? I know that food is subjective but the new menu has some incredible items on it.

While I hope that you find Regent a "step or two up", I'm not convinced that you will. IMO, the Owners Suite on the Riviera, for instance, is nicer than the Master Suite on Explorer (also feel that the Vista Suite on Riviera is miles above any Grand Suite on Regent.) Food is subjective - many Oceania passengers feel that the food is better on Oceania while "some" Regent passengers feel that it is not. OTOH, we prefer the Explorer overall to the Riviera.

Looking forward to your review of the Explorer and Regent.

No, I'm really not that demanding. Since we enjoy the ship a little more than the ports--we do enjoy the larger suites. But I can be happy in 1000sq foot suite. In fact I do like the Owners Suite on "O", but it's really to big. To us it's really all about service and if Regent is a step or two above "O", so should the service. We'll still cruise "O" depending on the time-like Cuba we booked "O" and I think Tahiti will be on "O" just because its a larger ship for the ocean. But I always cruise with the idea it's going to be a great cruise--little problems I can deal with, big ones too. Why get upset on your vacation or anytime, things will always work out. And I never ever let someone with a over "rated" problem become my problem. That's one on the reasons we dine by ourselfs-unless we meet people we enjoy to be with. And that will be done over a light lunch, by the pool or in a lounge. So if the service is what I think it will be, we'll be just great. Rick

No, I'm really not that demanding. Since we enjoy the ship a little more than the ports--we do enjoy the larger suites. But I can be happy in 1000sq foot suite. In fact I do like the Owners Suite on "O", but it's really to big. To us it's really all about service and if Regent is a step or two above "O", so should the service. We'll still cruise "O" depending on the time-like Cuba we booked "O" and I think Tahiti will be on "O" just because its a larger ship for the ocean. But I always cruise with the idea it's going to be a great cruise--little problems I can deal with, big ones too. Why get upset on your vacation or anytime, things will always work out. And I never ever let someone with a over "rated" problem become my problem. That's one on the reasons we dine by ourselfs-unless we meet people we enjoy to be with. And that will be done over a light lunch, by the pool or in a lounge. So if the service is what I think it will be, we'll be just great. Rick

The best butler we have ever had was on Oceania. The second best was on Regent but is now on Oceania. IMO, the service is just about the same on Oceania and Regent. The biggest difference in terms of crew and officers is that the officers on Regent interact more with passengers. Having said that, IMO, Thierry Tholon on Oceania is so amazing that I wish he were on Regent.

I do think that you will appreciate the Explorer. She is an amazing ship. But, if service is your #1 consideration, I am not sure that you will find the service on Regent to be a step or two above the service on Oceania (which, for a Regent cheerleader is a big statement).

Hi I am answering as a first time Regent cruise veteran now that we returned from the Barcelona to Lisbon cruise on Voyager August 11-20.

I don't know what Regent was like before purchase but I first cruised on Oceania under old management and in May under the new ownership. Having two close in time cruises to compare, I totally would choose Oceania again over Regent.

I had a penthouse suite on both cruises. I found the penthouse much nicer on Oceania Riviera which included two sinks in the bathroom as well as a jetted tub. Voyager had a smaller shower which was a hand held mounted, whereas Oceania is a full shower head and much roomier. I even liked the toiletries better on Oceania.

Food is not that subjective. It is just far better on Oceania, which I don't understand since the same company owns both. Why pay the premium for Regent? I just don't get it.

We cruised for the first time on Seabourn last October and also had the penthouse suite. While the penthouse suite was far nicer than either of the O or R ships, I found the food better on even Regent over Seabourn. Still Oceania overall with the beauty of the overall decor of the ship, the layout of the rooms, and the fine dining selections, I far prefer Oceania.

The tours was truly overwhelming on this Barcelona to Lisbon cruise. There was no way to prebook a seat near the front of the bus. You had to take your chance and rush to get to the theater early to put in a request for one of the first row seats. On top of that, the tour guides sat in the right side first row which should be reserved for those with disabilities instead of the small seat on the level with the bus driver. Oceania does not do this! Also we were able to reserve our seats for every tour ahead of time and our names were on the seats when we boarded.

The buses were poorly air conditioned! There were days the temp reached over or near 100 degrees and I don't think the bus ever got below 85 either. The day we went to the Alhambra was the most miserable one of all.

I far prefer to book my private tours with private drivers, Mercedes S vehicle or vans with wonderful air conditioning and choose the times and itinerary than the provided tours included in Regent. Sharing with 2 friends, was even far more reasonable.

The room did not seem to be penthouse category to me. The decor was quite plain even after the "refurbishing", so I don't know what it looked like before. Our "butler" was really of no special assistance on Regent. Our butler on Riviera was excellent. Comparing with Seabourn which didn't call them butlers, our cabin assistant was wonderful. Maybe it was our butler but she was very stiff, formal and not the least bit warm and welcoming. She did her job delivering breakfast and daily canapes, but little else. When I did ask her for some assistance like seeing if she could find out if we could reserve bus seating, she assured us she would find out - yet never got back to us. One time we wanted to change our specialty dining to an earlier time - she also agreed to check - yet never got back to us. We stopped by the restaurant and they seated us directly - without her assistance. Also I could not find the Regent complimentary tote during the night when I was preparing for the next days tour. I knew I had taken it the day before and it had my ipad, iphone, credit cards in it. I told her at breakfast that I was afraid we had left it at security checkpoint. She said she would inquire. I started frantically looking again and looked where our luggage had been stowed under the bed, and sure enough there was the Regent tote with everything in it! Housekeeping had put it under the bed.

Should have listened to everyone who said that all Regent cabins are ok no matter what category. In fact, it seemed those without butlers got much more assistance from the room assistants who also seemed friendly and cheerful to anyone who walked down the halls.

Food was far superior in the Compass Rose to the specialty restaurants. But again Oceania beats Regent hands down.

I don't understand really why Oceania is considered the lower brand. By the time you would include a drink package and pay for all of the tours, actually Oceania is more expensive.

:halo:

Those of you that are long time Regent cruisers, do you think things are better since Regent has new ownership under NCL?

 

 

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goldenrod: My sincere apologies for accidentally getting this thread off topic. I only mentioned Oceania to briefly respond to ronrick. Now we have a full blown "review" of Oceania. Let me just say that my impression of that cruise line is completely different than kkmiausa on every point that was made. If this were not a thread about how Regent used to be, I'd go point by point but I know that you specifically asked about how Regent was in the past and how it is now. I will make one comment and hope we can get back to the subject. Frank Del Rio, the man who started Oceania and has had most of the input on how Regent is today considers Regent a level up from Oceania. Enough said!

I know that there are more posters out there that sailed Regent years ago and still sail on Regent today (but do know that a few CC members are currently on sailing). Would love to hear from DaveFr, Rachael G, Wendy, etc.

While thinking of how Regent used to be, I remember that it was not all-inclusive and did not include most of what is included today. There are so many crew members that have been with Regent since before we began sailing with them 13 years ago. Regent is just one big family in many ways. They don't just pretend to like passengers -- their fondness towards us ("us" meaning Regent passengers) is real. Some passengers remind crew members of their parents/grandparents, etc. One crew member calls me "mama" and never fails to give hugs. This is how Regent was and this is how Regent is. It is the heart of Regent that keeps us returning.

Sorry, I tend to disagree with a number of the previous posters; I preferred the old Radisson (ok, Regent after alcohol included). The ships were friendlier with an empowered crew. Ever since PCH and then Norwegian took over, the crews are not empowered to go out of their way to make the cruises as enjoyable as they were in the past. I am not just talking about Captain Dag's antics, I am talking about the most mundane items such as reimbursements for shore excursions or giving chef's flexibility on recipes. One other memory from old Radisson (and early Regent) days were the times when they moved all passengers to Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok for an overnight (so we didn't have long drives to and from excursions two days in a row) and then a couple of years later put us all up in Regent hotel in Beijing overnight for same reason; both port stops mid-cruise.

Don't get me wrong, I still love Regent and cruise them almost exclusively (I wish they would get an expedition ship); it is just not the same cruise line that I fell in love with in 2002.

Marc

I echo Marq's sentiments. The crew does not seem empowered in the same way as before. We have only been sailing Radisson/Regent since 2006 but definitely notice changes.

On a positive note, the ships are refurbished more often. Per diem rates have essentially doubled or tripled since those days....included drinks, included excursions....it all adds up.

I echo Marq's sentiments. The crew does not seem empowered in the same way as before. We have only been sailing Radisson/Regent since 2006 but definitely notice changes.

 

On a positive note, the ships are refurbished more often. Per diem rates have essentially doubled or tripled since those days....included drinks, included excursions....it all adds up.

IMO, there is good and bad in terms of the officers being empowered. When the Carlson's owned the ships, they seemed to be pretty hands off. This allowed the officers to make up their rules which were not always consistent. And, in hindsight, the fact that a Captain used to "drive" the ship around like his own private yacht (especially when visiting his home town) could have proven disastrous (thinking of the Costa Concordia - getting too close to shore to bid greetings to friends, etc.). Thankfully, nothing happened.

IMO, officers should be empowered but within a certain set of guidelines.

Definitely agree about prices but when you look at competing luxury lines (Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea), their fares have increased as well. There are ways to make Regent more affordable....... take a cruise with Seven Seas Society benefits, book onboard, take the hotel credit and book your own hotel and - if you don't mind flying coach, take the international air credit. These items add up to thousands of dollars in savings.

Yes, but when a per diem increases from about 233 per day to 1100-1400 per day, the value also needs to increase.

To be honest, several excursions that were included a few years back are now offered as paid excursions

There are many changes, not all good

Yes, but when a per diem increases from about 233 per day to 1100-1400 per day, the value also needs to increase.

 

To be honest, several excursions that were included a few years back are now offered as paid excursions

 

There are many changes, not all good

Agree about excursions ....... but I tend to agree with anything negative said about included excursions.

It is hard to argue about how things were when Regent was a privately owned company vs. what it is now - especially when cost wasn't an issue (at least it didn't appear to be with the Carlson's). Ultimately, they ended up having to sell the ships and left PCH with the daunting task of trying to bring the ships back to the condition that they should have been kept in all along.

I'm happy that PCH purchased Regent and not some other random company. Despite some policies that we didn't agree with, they really fixed up the ships and turned them into a cruise line that made a profit. When NCLH purchased them, once again I was fearful. It wasn't until I learned that the majority of the Board of Directors and the CEO of NCLH were the same people that ran Regent under PCH that I breathed a sign of relief.

Not sure if you have been onboard since Regent changed their menu in CR. If you have, what do you think about the food offerings? IMO, this change added to Regent's food cost (and unfortunately, we might all end up paying for it).

In terms of fares, I just checked a 7 night cruise for next month on the Voyager. The per diem is $600/night/person (without air). There are deals out there (as you know) and sometime these deals are bare bone deals (no OBC's, no hotel, no transportation or air). OTOH, the per diem for those of us that enjoy larger suites is over the top expensive.

In terms of value increasing, this one area where I can see improvement and the cost involved. Business Class international air is super expensive and is included in these high fares. The bloody included excursions are costly and some people do feel that there is value received in that. Food is rather difficult to compare. It was really good when it was Radisson - went downhill for a while and is now back up (with even Seabourn cruisers finding Regent's food a bit better than on Seabourn ...... this is something that I do not recall reading in the past).

TC2,

Please adjust your post to read "some" Seabourn cruisers find Regent's food better. Not many.

TC2,

 

Please adjust your post to read "some" Seabourn cruisers find Regent's food better. Not many.

I acknowledge your post. Keep in mind that I didn't say "all" Seabourn cruisers. I was referring to Regent posters that recently sailed on Seabourn.

I acknowledge your post. Keep in mind that I didn't say "all" Seabourn cruisers. I was referring to Regent posters that recently sailed on Seabourn.

Can you point me to those posts of people finding Seabourn's food inferior. We sailed on Regent (albeit several years ago) and have done several Seabourn cruises in recent years. We have found the food to be excellent on our last several cruises. As an additional aside, when we sailed on Regent it was our first time and we were in a suite with a butler. The butler was useless in our opinion. We asked for additional reservations at the two specialty restaurants and he made no effort to secure them at all. We also found that despite the discussion that has ensued on this forum about preferential treatment in Compass Rose there was a distinct difference between the seating and service for us newbies and people who were seasoned Regent sailors. We dined with a long time Regent cruiser and his wife and had a lovely time in CR (he and his wife are wonderful people!). On other nights when my husband and I were alone we were relegated to a table next to a large hosted table and were the invisible people. Our service was spotty and inattentive. Don't get me wrong; we had a wonderful cruise because we love every cruise, but our experience was such that we have not booked another Regent cruise.

Wish that I could remember the threads where the posts were. However, IMO, the "new" CR menu is over the top wonderful. Just a couple of years ago I felt the food was good but now it is, for the mot part, fabulous. Still don't care for everything in the specialty restaurants (especially Prime 7) so we tend to eat in CR more often.

The secret to loving the service in CR (even when it is crowded) is to find a server and stick to their section. They learn you and your preferences and can make recommendations. We find that our favorite wine is waiting for us. This has little to do with us being long term customers and more to do with letting our server get to know us.

I'm sorry that your experiences were not as great as they could have been. I'm going to do a quick search to see if I can find the posts that I was referring to.

Here is one of them (see post #12 and post #14) http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2534752&highlight=Seabourn

You will see on post 15 that I was surprised by this review.

This one (posts #5 and #6) isn't about food but about the overall experience. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2413343&highlight=Seabourn

Just my 2 cents--

My first sailing on Raddison Diamond, was 25 years ago. It was absolutely wonderful. I had sailed on many other cruise lines before this. Enjoyed them all-- sometimes more, sometimes a little less.

Since then, we have sailed these last 25 years on many other cruise lines. Several years ago, we did our first Regent cruise (on the Navigator). We have sailed on all the Regent ships ever since. You name the category, we have had that suite. (Highest category is the Explorer Suite). Sometimes everything was great, sometimes a little disappointing.

But we stick with Regent because we are, overall, very happy with their services. We are most comfortable on their ships.

I keep reading all the posts with some very strong opinions. It's ok to be happy. It's ok to be unhappy. Everyone must choose whichever cruise line and ship suits their needs best.

I think too many posters get so bogged down in detail and forget the overall experience.

Very few posters never cruised before. Some posters have a specific question. It's good to help another cruiser with answers..however, all the bickering over small detail is totally unnecessary.

I am always grateful that I can afford to cruise (on whichever cruise line we choose). I am always grateful after months and/or years of planning, that we are healthy enough to sail again.

That's all!!

Sheila

I will add one thought to this thread. I first sailed on Diamond and have since sailed several times on Navigator and Mariner. I was a loyal and satisfied customer and referred others to RSSC. I believe that my last Regent cruise was in 2012 or 2013. However, Regent has priced solo fares so high as to make travel on the line unattractive. As I recall, if one worked well enough in advance one could get a solo fair with a surcharge of 40% over a double fair per person. This situation drove me back to Silversea and to Crystal.

I am the 'guilty' one who said that food was better on the Regent than Seabourn. We have sailed on both lines this year, having sailed previously many times on both lines, and found that In most respects Seabourn was inferior to Regent. In fact Regent has recovered to the old Radisson standards. My comparison of Seabourn with Regent, albeit based mainly on two recent cruises on the Eclipse and Explorer, is on another Regent thread. We will, however, continue to cruise on both lines, although for rather special health reasons our next cruise is on Cunard as it is from and back to Southampton which means no flying. We are hoping it will not be too much of a disappointment after Regent and Seabourn.