commodore2010

Thank you so much for taking the time to do these posts.  We are on the Sept 30th cruise. I believe it is the same itin. as yours.  Couple questions.  1) I noticed people wearing wet suits for snokeling. Are they provided by Silversea?  2) We have been on expedition cruises before and dress code was casual. What are people wearing in the dining room?  Our first sailing on Silversea. 

We sailed in the Haven on the Bliss and I wanted to give some perspective on comparing it to the  Oceania or Regent product. 

The Haven Area is very nice. We had the best bar crew we have ever had on land or sea. The concierge was also very helpful. The haven observation lounge was great and so was the private sun deck.

They really missed the mark on design when they did not put the bar in the Haven Observation Lounge.  

Our stateroom was good. On par with Oceania and Regent verandah staterooms. 

The Haven restaurant service for Dinner was SLOOOOOOOOW.   Ate there 4 times. 1 Breakfast. 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners.  Simple 3 course dinner should not take 1 1/2 hours and they were not even busy. Finally complained to the staff and I honestly think they were shocked. 

Also why the same menu every day. Can't they have some specials? or mix it up a little?

In our opinion, the food and service is much better in the Regent and Oceania Main Dining than in the Haven Restaurant.  That goes for the Specialty restaurants as well.

However, we found the service in the Haven (lounges/steward/butler) is on par with Oceania and fairly close to Regent.  

The big issue is that you have to leave the Haven and then you are with 4000 other people. At that point there is no comparison.

For us we will return to Oceania and Regent for our future cruises where the entire ship is like the Haven.   We are glad we tried the Haven and we had a great time as we had other family members travelling with us and that made for alot of memories and laughs. 

In reviewing what we spent, you can sometimes get similar priced staterooms on Oceania. As for Regent, I don't think you will find anything similarly priced. 

On 12/20/2022 at 2:18 PM, seaknots said:

 

the ousted regent man was a senior accountant 🤔

 

To be exact,  CFO of Prestige Cruise Holdings when they owned Oceania and Regent. Before NCLH purchased Prestige.

On 12/15/2022 at 11:23 AM, FlyerTalker said:

Similar to the new CEO at Silversea, who is the wife of the former CEO.  Husband got a promotion, and then named wife as his successor.

 

In both cases, I am sure that a highly independent search committee vetted a number of very qualified possible candidates before making these choices.

Have some friends in high places at RCL.  It was not a promotion.  It is a crazy story and their marriage relationship is truly unique. The wife worked to get her husband demoted because she wanted the job. She submarined him.  

Its just the luck of the draw.....We crossed Jan 2022 with Atlas Ocean. 12 day that crossed the Antartic Circle.  Smallish expedition ship. Great ship and crew by the way.   

Anyways going was fine.

Coming back we had to wait behind King George Island for a day while a large storm went thru the strait.  We had 35ft+ coming back. The bow was diving into the waves as they broke over the top of the ship.  I have video of the waves going over the observation lounge. I quite enjoyed it although I almost rolled out of bed a couple times.

If you do not want to cross the Drake, I believe Silversea does a flight from Ushuaia or Punta Arenas to King George and you embark there. 

11 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If it's just once or twice, the concierge can give her permission to dine in the Haven but there is a fee.  IIRC it's like $50 per time.  Some times they will and sometimes they won't allow it.  

Thank you.  The fee would be fine.  

Quick question. 

Sailing on the Bliss Haven in a couple weeks. Our Daughter is also sailing with a friend in a non-Haven cabin.  Can we have her eat with us in the Haven Restaurant?  Just once or maybe twice. 

On 11/21/2022 at 1:24 PM, Sthrngary said:

@CDR BensonHello sir and love to read your posts.  Please share with your lovely bride that you did her a great service.  All my life, I have wanted to cruise on a "Luxury Brand".  I wanted to know what the difference was and evaluate the benefits.  When that day finally came, I came to a very different realization than I had ever thought.

 

The differences are subtle which make them work well.  The biggest difference is that the entire ship is like being in the Haven on Steroids. Once you leave your stateroom, everyone is treated the same.  The "Personalized Service" becomes much more visible on day two when the crew gets to know you. The atmosphere tends to be much less busy allowing for a much less rushed vacation.  The need to show our suite card for a drink is no more.  The food in the Main Dining room is as good or better than the specialty restaurants on most other ships.  The Specialty Restaurants are outstanding. 

 

If there is some things that are similar to insure your vacation is all it can be, it is some of the same preparations.  Regents most of the excursions are part of your fare. Still some get sold out so plan to book them early.  The same thing holds true for Specialty restaurants.  Book what you can early and got to the restaurant when you get on board for additional bookings. If you do their Airfare, read the blogs and the fine print.  We have share lots of information with each other over the years.  My goal is the assist you and Ms. B with setting expectations that are both realistic and can be exceeded.......

 

 

I would agree with your overall assessment of a Regent Cruise. Another BIG plus is the amount of guests vs crew on board versus the mass market.  The ships have plenty of space and no feeling of crowds what so ever.  

30 days until my first Haven experience on the Bliss 12/24.  I'll put a write up in here with my thoughts on Haven vs. Oceania vs.  Regent. 

On 9/28/2022 at 11:29 AM, Sthrngary said:

@CDR Benson  Sir, Regent Seven Seas is a completely different animal.  Funny, I also considered a cruise November 2023 in the Mediterranean on Regent.  Our friends could not choose this cruise due to budget concerns. It was disappointing to my wife and I but we would rather be with them and chose Oceania.  

 

On to Regent.  Consider the service you got from the Haven on the entire ship.  It is the Haven on steroids.  The main dining room is better then the best Specialty Restaurant or Haven Restaurant from service to food quality.  I know that is hard to believe.  There is a much better crew to guest ratio making "Personalized Service" even better.  If you have a butler, they are much better trained is you can believe that.  They also have a lot more time to focus on their guest rather than behind the scenes work duties. 

 

That said, the size of the ship, they nature of port intensive approach, create a very hard to describe experience.  You deserve to be treated like "Rock Stars" and I assure you that is what is going to happen.  BTW, I truly loved the Haven on the Joy as well.  My favorite place was the Horizon Observation Lounge and the Library. Lovely ship.

 

Cruise well and I know you will, and enjoy every moment. 

Sailing in the Haven for the first time this December. We have been on Regent many times and Oceania a few times.  Looking forward to the experience. I have been in regular cabin on NCL as well when on family vacatons and always had a good time.  

On 6/23/2022 at 8:19 PM, Tranquility Base said:

When we cruised to Geiranger (not on Oceania) we tendered in to Hellesylt and did a full day tour to rejoin the ship which had continued on to Geiranger.

It was a great day and we would happily do this again.

Does Oceania do this ?

Did the same on Regent. Was a spectacular Day of Hiking

You had my hopes up.

An 8oz Kobe beef A5 Steak runs about $300+ for just the meat. In a restaurant you are looking at $500+.   Also only about a dozen restaurants in the U.S. serve 100% REAL Kobe beef.

Most restaurants serve Waygu, of which, most of the cows are inbred with pure KOBE cows. Still good meat, but that's how you get the cheap Waygu sliders. LOL

4 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Obviously we are all participating in friendly speculation. 

 

This is what I know about MCS. We need to ship product to the USA for hubby's business. A container that cost less than $1,800 in 2020 just priced at $11,300.

 

I believe MSC shipping is flush. 

 

 

Going to be an interesting next couple years.   

CCL and RCL both have very bad debt issues. CCL just issued 

NCLH is not quite as bad. 

Lets see who gets to cash flow positive first.   My bet is NCLH. 

The horizon is 50 sqft more inside room.  Basically it takes the balcony and puts it inside with a floor to ceiling window. That window goes down. 

For me, it would depend on the itinerary as to which room to choose. I was in Horizon in Antarctica and appreciated the extra 50 sq ft inside since most of the trip you are not sitting on the balcony. Especially while sailing in 50mph freezing winds.

Overall we both thought the cruise was fantastic. Yes there were some issues, but considering we travelled in the midst of a pandemic they were not really a big deal.

SHIP

The ship is perfect for a luxury Antarctic Expedition ship. It is a well thought out ship design.  The observation lounge is perfect for a panoramic view of all the sights.  We had a Horizon Deluxe room. We liked the electric window that you could put up and down. Not really needed for Antarctica, but thought this was a nice feature for other destinations.  The bathroom shower was excellent for a stateroom. A rain shower from the top, 3 side sprayers and a hand held sprayer.  Also plenty of room in the shower with a small seat at the rear.  The bed could be a little softer though. Maybe a pillow top needs to be added. 

CREW

The crew on this ship was excellent. Being a Regent regular, this crew was on par with any I have sailed with from Regent.  They were always there with a smile and willing to help with any request. Our steward was also one of the best we have ever had.

FOOD

Food is subjective.  Since this was an Antarctic Expedition, there was only the indoor dining available. They had a different menu every night and there were also standards that you could order like steak, etc. They chose a different cuisine each night. We both thought the food was well prepared and presented. There was some excellent dishes. Overall, we both thought the food was good to very good. 

EXPEDITION STAFF

We both thought that they were great. The staff has experts on history, birds, geography, etc.   They bring a knowledge and perspective of Antarctica that was interesting and fun.  Each land excursion was good. We missed a couple due to wind, seas, etc.  It happens on these type of trips. I think we did a total of 6 including one zodiac ride around.   

Antarctica is an amazing destination and its feels almost like you are on a different planet.  If you are considering Antarctica, we both encourage you to go.  

We are both very happy that we chose Atlas for our Antarctic cruise. 

Nice review. Thanks for all the pics.

The ship looks empty. 

In your pics of restaurants- no one

In your pics of bars - no one

In your pics of restaurants at port - no one

Totally Empty Street in Ketchikan? What?

In you pics of common areas - no one

In your pics of casino  - no one

Is there only 100 people aboard? Or are you taking all these pics at 3am?  Lol

On 10/6/2021 at 9:19 PM, mauibabes said:

Kate and others,

I’d like to share a bit of what I have learned while sailing with Oceania over the last 14 years. I have looked for an agent who is professional, extremely helpful, accurate with their information and works with me and for me. I am paying the booking that generates their income so I have every reason to expect outstanding service.  If I dread talking to the TA, then I have the wrong TA. If they are not honest with me, I have the wrong TA. Some TA’s think they own their customers and that is flat wrong and they are not my TA. 
An Oceania Connoisseur Club member is definitely a person who knows their product. They will always try to maximize your Oceania cruise benefits and amenities because if you are happy with their services, you will come back for more bookings and bring friends along. Oceania always provides all the contract information, insurance documents, and everything you need for your fabulous cruise. Any TA that can not attach that information to an email does not deserve you as a client.  
Some posters on these Boards and Roll Calls try to emphasize how they have received major discounts or rebates and that is why they use that TA. I can tell you Oceania and many other lines have an Anti-Rebating policies and I for one have too much respect for that TA to ask them to jeopardize their relationship with their Agency and most importantly Oceania Cruises.  I want a TA that respects their clients and treats them with integrity and respect. If I can spend $10 to 20,000 or much more on a vacation, I am not going to ask the TA to give me their livelihood.

 

Kate, you deserve a great Oceania TA and I hope you find yours real soon, they are out there.  Maybe one day our paths, or should I say seas, will cross and over a glass of something special, we can talk. 
Ciao, Mauibabes
 

What I find perplexing is why do the cruise lines let this rebating go on?  They all have a policy but turn a blind eye. In essence, they let travel agents undercut the cruise line pricing.

If you all remember back in the 90's, the airlines put a stop to all that nonsense when they went to 0% commissions.  That is the REAL reason your agent won't to air. 

In my opinion, enjoy your rebates now, because once the cruise lines get to that critical number of direct bookings, they will go the way of the airlines with 0 commissions and the end of the cruise travel agent. The company stockholders will be ecstatic as the net profit dramatically improves.  

How will any Cruise line know if anyone is fully vaccinated?

CDC has a database that I am sure the cruise lines will NOT be given access.  HIPPA privacy.   

Those little cards are easily forged/faked. Just google fake vaccine card. 

How would NCL or any cruise line know someone was vaccinated? 

Those cards you get are easily forged/faked.  Signing an attestation is not going to work.

Just google fake vaccine cards

I know the data of all vaccinated people is in the CDC database, but if you think the cruise lines will be allowed access, you are wrong. 

4 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

so back to my question

Who would take them over ?

Too early to tell what, if any, consolidation would occur in this industry.  Each major cruise line has 8-12 months of cash burn to sustain themselves as the picture of recovery become clearer.  

No cruise line is in a strong financial position right now. Its all relative.  Yes,  all the cruise lines are looking at all types of money. They would be doing a disservice to their stockholders if they did not. 

My point was, and I still stand by it, is that an S&P 500 company is much more likely to survive than a private company. 

15 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Who would take them over?

Viking  maybe?

More likely the other way around.  Viking is a private owned company that does not have nearly the access to capital than that of an S&P 500 company.  I would be surprised if Viking even makes it out of this. 

On 4/4/2020 at 1:41 AM, Guindalf said:

Where's the 'Appalling Behavior By Oceania Cruise Passengers' thread?

 

So many people think that after THEY decide to cancel, the cruise line has any obligation to backdate their offer when they cancel the cruise for whatever reason - and they want MORE than they paid, too!

 

Sorry, but it doesn't work like that. You decided to cancel so you got the current offer of FCC. Your booking no longer exists, so when O cancelled the cruise, you had made your choice and they have no further obligation to you. End of.

 

You paid the money expecting to cruise. O was generous enough to extend an offer of a FCC, but that's not good enough. They should bend over and take it up the rear because you're not happy with your choice. Sorry, doesn't work like that.

 

I had a cruise booked to Alaska on Princess, supposedly leaving Vancouver on May 17th. We know it's not happening, but P hasn't yet cancelled it - in fact it's still possible to book. However, we had until March 22nd to cancel and get 100% refunded (less $200 deposit in FCC) before it went to 50/50 refund/FCC. We took it and have no more to do with it. If P offers 200% FCC tomorrow, we can be disappointed if we would rather have held on and taken it, but we have what we got and no more.

 

If people weren't so self-centered and greedy, perhaps the threads about cruise lines going bankrupt wouldn't be needed!

 

 

Agree 1000%  

State Department is a good resource. You can check any country and it will give you visa and other info

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Indonesia.html

On 1/13/2020 at 4:03 PM, makai 7 said:

If you want a boutique hotel, check out the Pillars.  We always stay there before cruises leaving from fll or Miami. 

I have stayed there. Nice little place with a good restaurant right on the intracoastal. 

Not really many decent airbnb near the beach. Most are $$$$ per night. Small apt airbnb's that I have seen are just ok.  Early april is HIGH season and wherever you stay, if by the beach or Las Olas,  it will be costly. 

We usually stay at the Conrad while in FLL

I am fond of Shippy McShipface