Divina VS Mariner

I have been seeing Regent Mariner 7 day Caribbean trips for their least quality suites as low as $2,199 with airfare.

Has anyone done both the low end Regent Mariner suite compared to the Divina Yacht Club? I have read where the Yacht Club beats the NCL Haven when price is considered. I am curious how cruisers that have done the traditional luxury ships compare the Yacht Club to the usually more expensive alternatives.

I have never cruised before but follow CC to gain insight into your world.

I have read a lot about Regent's ship Navigator being a real problem with vibration. Generally their reviews tend to talk about how great the experiences used to be compared to today. Not very comforting.

But at the same time it appears that reviews of MSC indicate that the Yacht Club is the experience that is the most positive. A lot of cruisers in their reviews seem to not like the standard non YC cruise. I got the feeling that the Yacht Club is the way to go if considering MSC. I loved the YC review videos by Guitar Singapore Travels, I watch them all the time! It sure appears from his videos that there is nothing better than the Yacht Club experience.

I had asked in an earlier post about Celebrity suites but I had apparently got a bad lower price than the real cost when I was trying to compare them.

The MSC web site issues I read about all the time scares me a little. But I was intending to go through a TA anyhow. I am hoping that when I actually decide to go with MSC that the TA can handle the cruise, flights, trip insurance etc so that I don't lose a lot of money if the flight has an issue or some crazy people block the road with a protest on the way to the airport.

I am amazed at how many people have taking cruise after cruise and love them. I have taken unfortunately few vacations before I retired and now I am looking forward to at least one cruise that would make me want me to do it again!!!!!!

Can I ask what your favourite land vacation is, please?

Just for instance, we've cruised on NCL 6x's and enjoyed each cruise for different reasons. We love meeting new people and sharing experiences, dining in different venues and partaking of different cuisine... does this sound like you or do you like privacy and quietude with little interaction of others? There are so many variables that it's hard to say what you'd like.

We've cruised in suites on NCL and yes, they are great, however, we feel almost isolated by the separation from the regular ship passengers.

I guess the question is, "What are you looking for?" is it seclusion or inclusion, elegance or simplistic, formal or informal...? There are no wrong answers, just differences of preference... it helps define what we want in a vacation. JMO, :)

Cheers,

Can I ask what your favourite land vacation is, please?

 

Just for instance, we've cruised on NCL 6x's and enjoyed each cruise for different reasons. We love meeting new people and sharing experiences, dining in different venues and partaking of different cuisine... does this sound like you or do you like privacy and quietude with little interaction of others? There are so many variables that it's hard to say what you'd like.

 

We've cruised in suites on NCL and yes, they are great, however, we feel almost isolated by the separation from the regular ship passengers.

 

I guess the question is, "What are you looking for?" is it seclusion or inclusion, elegance or simplistic, formal or informal...? There are no wrong answers, just differences of preference... it helps define what we want in a vacation. JMO, :)

 

Cheers,

All-ready2cruise,

Thank you for replying! We haven't taken many vacations to be honest. I traveled extensively while on business and in the military but rare personal trips.

The only real family vacation was to Jamaica Grande in Ochos Rios about 20 years ago which was very nice! Did a few trips to places like Branson and Colorado as well as camping in Missouri and Illinois.

These days it is hard just to make it through to retirement with a few dollars left to possibly enjoy an experience described on this board.

My wife has not been overseas but I spent 5 years in Germany while in the Army. The idea of a MSC European experience while staying here in the Caribbean is appealing!

I guess my basic expectation is to have a low stress reasonable priced inclusive experience that would make my wife happy to have a rare vacation as we try to enjoy retirement.

I'm actually easy! A few drinks and a good meal makes me a happy camper! I would hate to take the wife on a MSC cruise and have her complain like I have seen by people not taking Yacht Club lodging.

Money means nothing if your better half gives you that look or forbid that talk that the vacation was poorly thought out. :(

I have been truly impressed by the way members of this board take the time to share their personal experiences to assist others! :)

Thanks to everyone that makes CC board the wonderful tool that it is to help folks learn the best way to cruise proper!!!!

I agree with you about posters on this forum and CC in general, I've found them to be very helpful. We haven't cruised on MSC yet, our 1st is our NYE cruise so I can be general and relate to what's been said here.

I can see you have a bit of a conundrum finding something that pleases your wife yet having no idea what it would be. I've read some reviews here that might put me off but not likely since we go with the flow.

Are you thinking you'd like to sail in the YC or just a regular cabin? We chose to cruise in a Fantastica balcony and were lucky enough to get an aft. When comparing apples to apples we made out very well with the price for a holiday cruise.

Hopefully you've had time to read the stickies at the top of the page so you get an idea of what the differences are. Skier52 has added lots of info here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2224649

Good luck with your decision making,

Cheers,

Well... First of all welcome to the forums!!!... :)

I've never gone on an uber luxury line like Regent, I only happilly went as a regular passenger with MSC (4 cruises) and RCI (1 cruise), but I'm quite familiar with what the whole market really is...

TBHH, I think that the price you quoted for a Regent cruise with flights is extremely low to be possible... Regent is top luxury in the market... Generally on the most expensive side of the pound... Maybe a glitch on your TA's website?... Well, unless, of course, if you're top member of your TA's fidelity system and they're giving you a special offer, but even here I seriously doubt... If I were you, I would put here a real red flag... Of couse If you have purchased at that price, they should had honoured it... But I'm starting to think something wasn't well with it... Ship needs maintenance but there is no place in drydock and they need to at least not waste all the money by removing ship from operation? Lower occupancy than expected? An "exotic" partial charter like a big gay or religious group on your sailing? (uncommon for luxury lines, but who nows?) Whatever situation, I think that if that price is the correct, your sailing might not be a common one...

Regarding the MSC Yatch Club it seems for me that the secret for their quite low prices comparatively withe other lines lies on the fact that they have, gengerally speaking, the smaller suites of all mainstream lines or even of all the luxury suite market... And of course less space per passenger means cheaper prices despite all the possible and imaginary perks they may offer to each guest...

Hope to have helped a little bit!... Good luck and good sailings!!!... :)

Well... First of all welcome to the forums!!!... :)

 

I've never gone on an uber luxury line like Regent, I only happilly went as a regular passenger with MSC (4 cruises) and RCI (1 cruise), but I'm quite familiar with what the whole market really is...

 

TBHH, I think that the price you quoted for a Regent cruise with flights is extremely low to be possible... Regent is top luxury in the market... Generally on the most expensive side of the pound... Maybe a glitch on your TA's website?... Well, unless, of course, if you're top member of your TA's fidelity system and they're giving you a special offer, but even here I seriously doubt... If I were you, I would put here a real red flag... Of couse If you have purchased at that price, they should had honoured it... But I'm starting to think something wasn't well with it... Ship needs maintenance but there is no place in drydock and they need to at least not waste all the money by removing ship from operation? Lower occupancy than expected? An "exotic" partial charter like a big gay or religious group on your sailing? (uncommon for luxury lines, but who nows?) Whatever situation, I think that if that price is the correct, your sailing might not be a common one...

 

Regarding the MSC Yatch Club it seems for me that the secret for their quite low prices comparatively withe other lines lies on the fact that they have, gengerally speaking, the smaller suites of all mainstream lines or even of all the luxury suite market... And of course less space per passenger means cheaper prices despite all the possible and imaginary perks they may offer to each guest...

 

Hope to have helped a little bit!... Good luck and good sailings!!!... :)

Thank you Nunagoras for your input!

https://www.rssc.com/cruises/MAR170418/summary/default.aspx

The Mariner had a couple sailings starting at $2199 and then you can take $300 off if you do your own air and transfers. I just looked and the $2199 low end H cabin is now waitlisted but the G cabin is available at $2399.

I was also surprised that the price was low on a couple of these April 2017 7 day sailings to the Caribbean. But this same ship on different dates is much more expensive as well as their other ships.

As I mentioned, I have read many good things about the MSC Yacht Club. I notice in the reviews of the Regent ships that their are several people complaining about the lowered standards and ever increasing prices.

Perhaps the Regent web site has an error with their pricing but I thought it seemed like a good price offer for a couple of their Mariner cruises.

We have done regent voyager (standard stateroom) in 2013 and divina YC in 2014. Overall we prefer msc. We loved regent but found fellow cruisers to be moaners. They moaned about price paid, the butlers, access to the speciality restaurants.

We did the Baltic so free excursions were a welcome bonus.

Msc divina was a pleasure, love YC.

We did preziosa on a balcony deal in 2015 and it was good but preferred Fantasia back In YC earlier this year.

So I would say regent gives you a full Experience, a full package holiday. Msc lets you get away from the tourists and do your own thing,

.

Hope this helps

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We have done regent voyager (standard stateroom) in 2013 and divina YC in 2014. Overall we prefer msc. We loved regent but found fellow cruisers to be moaners. They moaned about price paid, the butlers, access to the speciality restaurants.

We did the Baltic so free excursions were a welcome bonus.

Msc divina was a pleasure, love YC.

We did preziosa on a balcony deal in 2015 and it was good but preferred Fantasia back In YC earlier this year.

So I would say regent gives you a full Experience, a full package holiday. Msc lets you get away from the tourists and do your own thing,

.

Hope this helps

 

 

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ferniedog,

Thank you for your response!

I was surprised when I saw the low fares for Mariner for their Apr 11 and Apr 18 cruises. It appears that these were special prices because originally the ship was going to be in dry dock but the damage in the Bahamas made them delay. So these were two cruises that came up at the last minute. Cheaper than Yacht Club and it also included airfare.

April wouldn't work for us anyway. When I looked at other Regent cruises the prices were a whole lot higher than MSC Yacht Club. So the YC is back on top as far as price and trip flexibility.

Thank you for your providing a comparison between the two. I had followed the Cruise Critic Regent threads and I have also notice a lot of complaints about little stuff. They even were complaining that the low special April prices would cause "the wrong kind of people" to show up and ruin their cruise. :-)

I also notice a lot of complaints about vibration on some of their ships that if you are unlucky you get a cabin that you can't get to sleep because of.

Onkel_Ken, We may well have been "the wrong kind of people".

DH favorite moment, on asking which bottle he wanted in the room, he replied Macallan and got a litre of 15 year old for the room. WE had to buy a hip flask from russia to take some of it home

Dare I suggest: You can still have a great holiday in a normal balcony room on the Divina (and many people do!).

I keep on trying to 'push' myself into booking the yacht club, but for the price I could have 2 holidays in a normal balcony room. I just can't justify having a butler that I can't see myself using....

Dare I suggest: You can still have a great holiday in a normal balcony room on the Divina (and many people do!).

 

I keep on trying to 'push' myself into booking the yacht club, but for the price I could have 2 holidays in a normal balcony room. I just can't justify having a butler that I can't see myself using....

8420PR,

Thank you for your input!

I hadn't really thought about it in terms of having a butler. My main interest was in the special ship within a ship concept which appears to provide a less hectic retreat but still allowing the ability to enjoy the benefits of a large ship.

We have never cruised and my wife and I are in our late 60s and earlier 70s and are considering this kind of cruise as sort of a bucket list thing. I would hate to have what could be an one and only cruise experience be like some of the negative comments I have read on Cruise Critic.

If I was going to have a 50th wedding anniversary dinner for example I would want it to be a very special once in a lifetime experience. I would tend to go all out and possibly overspend to make it a evening to remember by going to a really swanky restaurant although I could save money and eat several times in a less expensive Applebees for a still enjoyable meal.

Of course if we actually do take a more expensive cruise someday I may regret spending more on that trip and possibly eliminating the opportunity to enjoy a repeat experience even if it would have been a little less special.

Thank you again! I truly have appreciated yours and all the informative and supportive input from CC. I especially liked the video reviews from people like Gambee and Singapore Guitar Travels experiences on MSC.

Well, I just checked and the price jumped from $2,199 to $2,999 over the last few days for the low end suite on the April Regent 7 day Mariner Caribbean cruise. The original price was unbelievable but didn't last more than a week or so. It would have been a good chance for someone to have tried Regent at a reasonable price.

Early bird gets the worm!

At least the MSC Yacht Club prices are still reasonable for a 7 day extra nice cruise.

Well, I just checked and the price jumped from $2,199 to $2,999 over the last few days for the low end suite on the April Regent 7 day Mariner Caribbean cruise. The original price was unbelievable but didn't last more than a week or so. It would have been a good chance for someone to have tried Regent at a reasonable price.

 

Early bird gets the worm!

 

At least the MSC Yacht Club prices are still reasonable for a 7 day extra nice cruise.

Found out something interesting today!

Along with increasing the lowest cabin from $2,199 to $2,999 they are spending from 8 AM till 5PM the following day in Havana, Cuba. This was a sudden change in itinerary that came as a surprise to a lot of people per the Regent CC forum.

Several people said that their jobs or clearances would not allow them to participate on the cruise.

RSSC website said that they had approved people to people excursions that would satisfy the US requirements or you could do your own but you had to be sure to record your activities that meet the regulations and maintain these records for 5 years.

Yes, there have been postings on other forums regarding Cuba and it appears there will be some restrictions for some people. While some countries, ours included, have been visiting Cuba as tourists for many years, there seems to be some hesitation on the part of the US to allow full access... or perhaps it's Cuba not allowing it. I'm not political so have no interest in the why's and wherefores. However, we've already visited Cuba and have seen the poverty with no desire to return at present.

Hopefully, things will begin to change for the better for the Cuban people who have suffered for so long.