Regent is a large step down from Oceania

[tallship]

LindaM and MightyQuinn- Like others on this board we have done many cruises on Regent but find the inconsistency to be more prevalent in the last few years. To me, luxury means meeting AND exceeding expectations, providing consistent and superior service, being superb in follow up and problem solving and so on....

 

It is sad and makes one wonder what is happening. I would look closely at two areas - cost cutting as well as HR/training....it seems that there are a lot of new crew not onboarded well....

 

Many long time Regent and Oceania psgrs are noting these issues with some frequency

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The weird thing is there seem to be staff moving between the two lines, so I don't get it.

 

To wade in a bit, I did find O more consistently good than R, based one one cruise on Riviera versus eleven on Regent. But despite Riviera undeniably being a beautiful ship, for me it lacked a bit of intimacy because of the size and formality of the service--it's not perfect and public spaces get crowded at times. And there were service lapses there as well. So maybe I have to try an R ship, but that would mean a tiny cabin, so not sure. I think if the Regent prices weren't so outrageous, and they uncoupled the included excursion thing, I'd be apt to choose Regent still, despite the inconsistencies.

 

We're going back to the PG this year, and are not thinking of any luxury cruises after that.

[Sunprince]

Thank you for asking the question on what truly designates luxury. I have asked this question and never really got an answer.

 

If you believe it is food and service, I do believe you have a good chance of being disappointed. Regent seems to be spotty in these areas, unfortunately. Their "suites" would be classified as luxury, IMHO. Their size alone is superior to Oceania's 3 smaller ships. You would have to book something better than a standard verandah on that line to get close to Regent's standard cabin.

 

I just wanted to comment on this post regarding the suites being luxury. As far as size is concerned I agree. However, unless you are in the top suites that have recently been redecorated, I found the regular suites just average. The decor is dated and there is a bit of a worn look and feel. To me, dings and scratches in the woodwork is not luxury, nor is the awful upholstery (I.e. the sofa in our suite looked loooong overdue for a refresh in both quality of the upholstery and the dated color).

[LindaM]

I just wanted to comment on this post regarding the suites being luxury. As far as size is concerned I agree. However, unless you are in the top suites that have recently been redecorated, I found the regular suites just average. The decor is dated and there is a bit of a worn look and feel. To me, dings and scratches in the woodwork is not luxury, nor is the awful upholstery (I.e. the sofa in our suite looked loooong overdue for a refresh in both quality of the upholstery and the dated color).

 

I agree about shabby furnishings not appearing to be "luxury". I didn't notice excessive wear on Navigator. From my recollection, it looked pretty average. I think they are in the process of some dry docks for some of the ships. Navigator will probably be last.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree about shabby furnishings not appearing to be "luxury". I didn't notice excessive wear on Navigator. From my recollection, it looked pretty average. I think they are in the process of some dry docks for some of the ships. Navigator will probably be last.

 

Navigator had a huge refurb in 2012. Not a real drydock, not out of the water, but soft goods.

[LindaM]

Navigator had a huge refurb in 2012. Not a real drydock, not out of the water, but soft goods.

 

Ok,that explains why I didn't notice anything looking shabby or worn. We were on it March 2012, and April 2013.

[hondorner]

Back to Franck Galzy -- Ken and I first met him when we had dinner with him and Louise Ross (Social Hostess and charming person!) on a Voyager TA cruise in 2006. At that time he clearly worked for Regent AND was F&B Manager...

We were on the January, 2010 cruise on Navigator, the one that tallship mentioned, the first one after Nav had her major refit. It was also the first cruise with Franck Galzy promoted to GM. We had dinner with him and enjoyed several other interactions, with time for conversation.

 

He told us most of his Regent career had been on Navigator. He served as a waiter on her maiden voyage in 1999, worked his way up through Restaurant Manager to Food and Beverage Manager and was promoted to General Manager of Navigator 10 years later. He knew we were regular Oceania cruisers, yet he never mentioned having worked with Oceania, nor did we ever encounter him on an Oceania ship (which began service in 2003, with our first cruise in 2006).

 

He was -- and is -- the most personable and most accomplished General Manager with whom we have ever sailed, with the possible exception of Thierrey Tholon, who also comes from the Provence region of France.

Edited January 27, 2014 by hondorner

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Ok,that explains why I didn't notice anything looking shabby or worn. We were on it March 2012, and April 2013.

 

Right. The refit was about the third week of May as I remember (we could see the ship over in North Vancouver). So you should have noticed a difference, although I don't remember anything at all being "shabby".

[Travelcat2]

We were on the January, 2010 cruise on Navigator, the one that tallship mentioned, the first one after Nav had her major refit. It was also the first cruise with Franck Galzy promoted to GM. We had dinner with him and enjoyed several other interactions, with time for conversation.

 

He told us most of his Regent career had been on Navigator. He served as a waiter on her maiden voyage in 1999, worked his way up through Restaurant Manager to Food and Beverage Manager and was promoted to General Manager of Navigator 10 years later. He knew we were regular Oceania cruisers, yet he never mentioned having worked with Oceania, nor did we ever encounter him on an Oceania ship (which began service in 2003, with our first cruise in 2006).

 

He was -- and is -- the most personable and most accomplished General Manager with whom we have ever sailed, with the possible exception of Thierrey Tholon, who also comes from the Provence region of France.

 

Definitely agree! We'll be seeing Franck at the end of March and look forward to discussing his career prior to Regent. Want to add Davor to the list of accomplished General Managers. We sailed with him on the Mariner last year and were extremely impressed with him. We enjoyed Thierry so much that we booked a Riviera cruise just so we could see him (and Natalie and also our mutual friend);)

[hondorner]

Definitely agree! We'll be seeing Franck at the end of March and look forward to discussing his career prior to Regent. Want to add Davor to the list of accomplished General Managers. We sailed with him on the Mariner last year and were extremely impressed with him. We enjoyed Thierry so much that we booked a Riviera cruise just so we could see him (and Natalie and also our mutual friend);)

TC, you may not have heard, but Natalie has left Oceania. She still sails on occasional voyages with Thierry but is no longer a regular. She didn't elucidate the exact reasons, but she hastened to say she is NOT pregnant :D. So, you may see her, or may not...

[Travelcat2]

TC, you may not have heard, but Natalie has left Oceania. She still sails on occasional voyages with Thierry but is no longer a regular. She didn't elucidate the exact reasons, but she hastened to say she is NOT pregnant :D. So, you may see her, or may not...

 

 

Yes -- unfortunately she told me the news. She and I really clicked and regularly email each other. It is our hope that Thierry will be the GM on our cruise and that she will be traveling with him. It is hard to predict these things so far in advance:-)

[magwun]

Regent Voyager Sydney to Auckland in Jan 14 was only our second cruise, but I cannot think of any negative things to say. I have been a caterer and entertain frequently and the food was amazing at every meal but breakfast. Our cabin was gorgeous, the service was perfection. Perhaps people who have been on 29 cruises (like some we met) would have complaints, but I was completely happy with the entire experience. I never want to get to the point in my life where that type of luxury becomes ordinary. What would I have to look forward to?

[Travelcat2]

I could write a short book detailing why Regent is better for luxury cruisers than Oceania. I read the Oceania board a lot but do not post much since only one cruise makes me pretty much a newbie. The majority of newbies on Oceania seem to be from mainstream cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The questions asked on the Oceania board deal with things you would never see on this board. There is a current discussion about whether you can get a hot breakfast from room service in concierge "staterooms" (and posters cannot come to a consensus). Another thread discusses what special coffees cost.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with main stream cruisers moving up to a premium cruise line but this has little to do with Regent or its own customers.

 

Oceania has incredible food in their speciality restaurants..... However their other restaurants are not "special". I do not see where Oceania is any more or less consistent than Regent or even Silversea. Is any cruise line 100% consistent?

 

Before we sailed on Oceania I called comparisons between Oceania's and Regent like comparing apples and oranges. After sailing on Oceania with another cruise booked, I feel more strongly that this is the case. The only things they have in common is a great crew that provide wonderful service and the same parent company.

 

Regent caters to luxury cruisers... Oceania does not. this is clearly delineated in the paperwork filed for the IPO.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Travelcat2

[dlouise]

We were Regent Cruisers with a half a dozen or so cruises on the Voyager. We have never sailed on a mainstream ship. We are now Oceania cruisers that love the Riviera.

 

There is no charge for specialty coffees on the Riviera, and you should know that since you sailed on the Riviera.

 

No hot breakfast from room service in the regular cabins is clearly stated in the Oceania literature. This is not something new. I don't happen to agree with the policy. You can get a hot breakfast in the GDR or up at Terraces which we find perfect in every way, and eat there every morning, even though we book an Oceania or Vista suite each trip.

 

We have found the service to be as good or better than the Voyager, and the food so much better in all the restaurants onboard.

 

Our experiences with Oceania have been nothing but 6 star, first class luxury all the way.

[JPR]

Specialty coffees have alcohol added and are indeed charged for on

Riviera.

[Travelcat2]

Specialty coffees have alcohol added and are indeed charged for on

Riviera.

 

You're right -- and, I didn't know that until I read the thread on the Oceania board. Like I said, these aren't things Regent customers even think about since coffee - whether it is a special type of mocha latte or a French coffee with alcohol, you just order it and it appears. If I had to think about it, I'd probably not get it (which is why we buy the package when we do sail on Oceania). I don't think you have to be a heavy drinker to sail on Regent. Most of us on Regent just want to have almost anything we want without thinking about cost or signing or paying.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Travelcat2

[LindaM]

I could write a short book detailing why Regent is better for luxury cruisers than Oceania. I read the Oceania board a lot but do not post much since only one cruise makes me pretty much a newbie. The majority of newbies on Oceania seem to be from mainstream cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The questions asked on the Oceania board deal with things you would never see on this board. There is a current discussion about whether you can get a hot breakfast from room service in concierge "staterooms" (and posters cannot come to a consensus). Another thread discusses what special coffees cost.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with main stream cruisers moving up to a premium cruise line but this has little to do with Regent or its own customers.

 

Oceania has incredible food in their speciality restaurants..... However their other restaurants are not "special". I do not see where Oceania is any more or less consistent than Regent or even Silversea. Is any cruise line 100% consistent?

 

Before we sailed on Oceania I called comparisons between Oceania's and Regent like comparing apples and oranges. After sailing on Oceania with another cruise booked, I feel more strongly that this is the case. The only things they have in common is a great crew that provide wonderful service and the same parent company.

 

Regent caters to luxury cruisers... Oceania does not. this is clearly delineated in the paperwork filed for the IPO.

 

TC-----I would really appreciate if you could share even a few examples of why Regent is better for luxury cruisers. I just didn't see the difference, between my favorite HAL ship (which is considered their only " close to luxury" ship) I did not see any difference in quality of food or service. Except that when I filled out the midcruise questionaire, it was followed up immediately. I have to admit, dinner service was faster----2 hours, instead of 2 1/2. We are aware of the size of stateroom and stocked fridge advantage, along with white tablecloth room service. DH and I are not impressed with the food. We both had gritty scallops, not once but twice in 10 days. That's only one example.

 

Please share your thoughts.

[jertom]

Specialty coffees have alcohol added and are indeed charged for on

Riviera.

 

Part of the confusion is that "specialty coffees" on Oceania might be interpreted as coffees with alcohol, which are not free (except with a specific alcoholic beverage package) or it might be interpreted as versions of non alcoholic coffee such as cappuccino, espresso, etc, which are free on Oceania but not free on some mainstream cruise lines.

[Travelcat2]

Part of the confusion is that "specialty coffees" on Oceania might be interpreted as coffees with alcohol, which are not free (except with a specific alcoholic beverage package) or it might be interpreted as versions of non alcoholic coffee such as cappuccino, espresso, etc, which are free on Oceania but not free on some mainstream cruise lines.

 

Very well said. It explained my confusion very well:)

 

LindaM: We have almost had this discussion before and, once again, I will back off from it. I think that it's great that there is a HAL ship that you enjoy so much. Regent usually has close to 80% return guests on their ships which says a lot about how we feel about Regent. There is really little I can say other than to continue to enjoy your experiences on HAL.

[juli2020]

I could write a short book detailing why Regent is better for luxury cruisers than Oceania. I read the Oceania board a lot but do not post much since only one cruise makes me pretty much a newbie. The majority of newbies on Oceania seem to be from mainstream cruise lines including Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. The questions asked on the Oceania board deal with things you would never see on this board. There is a current discussion about whether you can get a hot breakfast from room service in concierge "staterooms" (and posters cannot come to a consensus). Another thread discusses what special coffees cost.

 

There is certainly nothing wrong with main stream cruisers moving up to a premium cruise line but this has little to do with Regent or its own customers.

Oceania has incredible food in their speciality restaurants..... However their other restaurants are not "special". I do not see where Oceania is any more or less consistent than Regent or even Silversea. Is any cruise line 100% consistent?

Before we sailed on Oceania I called comparisons between Oceania's and Regent like comparing apples and oranges. After sailing on Oceania with another cruise booked, I feel more strongly that this is the case. The only things they have in common is a great crew that provide wonderful service and the same parent company.

 

Regent caters to luxury cruisers... Oceania does not. this is clearly delineated in the paperwork filed for the IPO.

 

Jackie,

Not everyone comes from mainstream cruise lines to cruise on Oceania. My husband and I and friends came over from Seabourn, Silversea etc. to try Oceania.

Only a very small percentage of people post on Cruise Critic...and by you going around the ship and asking people what cruise line they came from is not a scientific way of knowing what line that most Oceania passengers come from.

 

I have to disagree with you saying that Regent caters to luxury cruisers and Oceania doesn't. Staying in an Oceania Suite or any suite on Oceania was much more of a luxury experience than sailing on Regent.

 

One line is a la carte and the other is all-inclusive. I have stated that all-inclusive doesn't alway equate with luxury. I would rather arrange my own private transfers, pick out luxury hotels and not be herded with a bus load of people. That is anything but luxury in my opinion.

 

We stay at luxury hotels that are not all-inclusive. Most luxury hotels are not all-inclusive. You have to sign for drinks, tips etc.

 

There are plenty of all-inclusive hotels such as Sandals, Club Med etc. that are not considered luxury at all.

 

Until recently....Crystal was not all-inclusive and was still considered luxury. Crystal still gets top ratings as being one of the best of the luxury lines.

 

You find Silversea luxury. It might have been years ago but after our last sailing with them in 2012....Oceania put them to shame in terms of food, service, decor, suites, butlers etc. Too many cutbacks on Silversea compared to what Silversea used to be.

 

Seems Regent will have some major competition with Seabourn's new ship that is coming out in 2016. Hopefully by then their smoking policy on Seabourn will become more restrictive. Sailing on one of the small triplets years ago was a truly luxury experience. You could not put Regent anywhere close to that experience.

 

Plus you know that specialty coffees are included but not with alcohol.

 

If you feel that you are stepping down to cruise on Oceania...why did you book another cruise on the Riviera again? I certainly would not cruise on a line if I felt I was stepping down from what I am used to even staying in a suite.

 

I have to agree with what MightyQuinn said in his post: "In fact, when we returned from our first - and only - cruise on Regent Mariner, I titled my CC review as "All Inclusive But Not Luxury." That cruise didn't meet our expectations for luxury and fell short of other cruise experiences we had on premium lines. We haven't returned. I also agree with the OP that Regent is a step down from Oceania."

[computerworks]

Most of us on Regent just want to have almost anything we want without thinking about cost or signing or paying.

 

Most all of us want that too. :cool:

 

Oceania + Beverage Package = Regent drink experience.

 

 

Quote=juli2020

One line is a la carte and the other is all-inclusive. I have stated that all-inclusive doesn't alway equate with luxury.

 

My opinion also...from research and talking to past guests on Regent. I won't dig in my heels on this until we experience Regent firsthand next year...

 

...but right now, perception and comparison is reality for me.

[Travelcat2]

Jackie,

Not everyone comes from mainstream cruise lines to cruise on Oceania. My husband and I and friends came over from Seabourn, Silversea etc. to try Oceania.

Only a very small percentage of people post on Cruise Critic...and by you going around the ship and asking people what cruise line they came from is not a scientific way of knowing what line that most Oceania passengers come from.

 

Did not say "everyone" comes from mainstream cruise lines. Yes - only about 5% of cruisers post or read Cruise Critic. It may be a small sampling but it may be representative of a larger group. Don't want to say much more about the people on Oceania or how I've come to the conclusions that I have (definitely not scientific)

 

I have to disagree with you saying that Regent caters to luxury cruisers and Oceania doesn't. Staying in an Oceania Suite or any suite on Oceania was much more of a luxury experience than sailing on Regent.

 

I'm in the process of reading "UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION , Washington, D.C. 20549, FORM S-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 . Prestige Cruises International, Inc." where it states clearly the demographic that Oceania and Regent market to. I believe this is the document that is filed for the IPO (VERY long document). This is where my information came from (in addition to my opinion)

 

In terms of the Oceania, Vista and Owners Suites, they are indeed luxury. But, so are the 2,000 sq. ft. suites on mainstream cruise lines. In the case of Oceania, at least when you walk out of the door of your suite, you are still on a beautiful ship.

 

One line is a la carte and the other is all-inclusive. I have stated that all-inclusive doesn't alway equate with luxury. I would rather arrange my own private transfers, pick out luxury hotels and not be herded with a bus load of people. That is anything but luxury in my opinion.

 

Agree that all-inclusive does not equal luxury.

 

We stay at luxury hotels that are not all-inclusive. Most luxury hotels are not all-inclusive. You have to sign for drinks, tips etc.

 

There are plenty of all-inclusive hotels such as Sandals, Club Med etc. that are not considered luxury at all.

 

Until recently....Crystal was not all-inclusive and was still considered luxury. Crystal still gets top ratings as being one of the best of the luxury lines.

 

You find Silversea luxury. It might have been years ago but after our last sailing with them in 2012....Oceania put them to shame in terms of food, service, decor, suites, butlers etc. Too many cutbacks on Silversea compared to what Silversea used to be.

 

Once again, not arguing that all-inclusive equals luxury. In terms of food, Oceania's specialty restaurants (ONLY specialty restaurants) put most cruise lines to shame. However, there are some fabulous restaurants on mainstream cruise lines (according to friends that have sailed on them). For instance, the Queens Grill on Cunard is reported to be amazing..... but, once you walk out of your special area :eek:

 

Seems Regent will have some major competition with Seabourn's new ship that is coming out in 2016. Hopefully by then their smoking policy on Seabourn will become more restrictive. Sailing on one of the small triplets years ago was a truly luxury experience. You could not put Regent anywhere close to that experience.

 

IMO, Seabourn, Silversea and Crystal will have some major competition in 2016 with Regent's new ship. According to Mr. Del Rio, it will top the Riviera in terms of being the most beautiful ship at sea.

 

Plus you know that specialty coffees are included but not with alcohol.

 

How would I know that? I truly thought that specialty coffees were like the coffees at Starbucks. Note: I do not drink coffee regularly -- only the special frozen coffee drinks at Starbucks during the summer and French coffee onboard Regent.

 

If you feel that you are stepping down to cruise on Oceania...why did you book another cruise on the Riviera again? I certainly would not cruise on a line if I felt I was stepping down from what I am used to even staying in a suite.

 

My reasoning is rather strange. Firstly, I am hoping that the General Manager will be the same as on our last cruise. We spent time with him and his girlfriend and would love to see them again. Then, we have special friends in Miami that we hope to have lunch with. Lastly, want to try the Vista Suite (those upper suites are so hard to get). We can dine 2 times in each specialty restaurant because of the suite we are staying in, That takes care of 8 nights. We can dine in our suite and order from the specialty restaurants at least 4 nights and we may possibly try the MDR one night and the Terrace Café (our very least favorite dining venue) once.[ Actually, we do not care for the Caribbean so this cruise is definitely about friends.

 

I have to agree with what MightyQuinn said in his post: "In fact, when we returned from our first - and only - cruise on Regent Mariner, I titled my CC review as "All Inclusive But Not Luxury." That cruise didn't meet our expectations for luxury and fell short of other cruise experiences we had on premium lines. We haven't returned. I also agree with the OP that Regent is a step down from Oceania."[

 

No one can argue what you and MightyQuinn determined about Regent after your cruises. If you feel that Regent is a step down from Oceania, that is how you feel -- no arguments with your personal view. My point is that Regent is set up to be luxury and has a very high return customer rate. They certainly cannot please everyone since we all have different tastes and different measures of what we consider luxury/B]

 

Hoping that my responses in red worked:)

Edited February 1, 2014 by Travelcat2

[LindaM]

Very well said. It explained my confusion very well:)

 

LindaM: We have almost had this discussion before and, once again, I will back off from it. I think that it's great that there is a HAL ship that you enjoy so much. Regent usually has close to 80% return guests on their ships which says a lot about how we feel about Regent. There is really little I can say other than to continue to enjoy your experiences on HAL.

 

TC,

 

I believe you are confused. I am not trying to promote what ship I like and I certainly intend to sail Regent in the future. My question is, when you say you could write a book on what makes Regent luxury in comparison to Oceania, that is what I want to know. That is why I mentioned things like stocked fridge, size of suite etc.

 

I most seriously want to know what makes Regent luxury, as you have sailed on Oceania and can compare them. In skimming some comments, I believe I saw a "wide variety of specialty coffees" mentioned. What else? That is why I asked you to share specifics. I am not trying to start something but genuinely want to know. I could be missing something---the only way to educate myself is to ask. I could very likely sail Oceania in the future as well.

 

By the way, when you say to continue to enjoy my experiences on HAL you are not reading my posts. I only sail ONE HAL ship and will not sail the others, --unless a perfect itinerary shows up! But, that is neither here nor there. I was hoping you could give specifics on what makes Regent luxury as compared to Oceania. You said you could write a book.

[Travelcat2]

TC,

 

I believe you are confused. I am not trying to promote what ship I like and I certainly intend to sail Regent in the future. My question is, when you say you could write a book on what makes Regent luxury in comparison to Oceania, that is what I want to know. That is why I mentioned things like stocked fridge, size of suite etc.

 

I most seriously want to know what makes Regent luxury, as you have sailed on Oceania and can compare them. In skimming some comments, I believe I saw a "wide variety of specialty coffees" mentioned. What else? That is why I asked you to share specifics. I am not trying to start something but genuinely want to know. I could be missing something---the only way to educate myself is to ask. I could very likely sail Oceania in the future as well.

 

By the way, when you say to continue to enjoy my experiences on HAL you are not reading my posts. I only sail ONE HAL ship and will not sail the others, --unless a perfect itinerary shows up! But, that is neither here nor there. I was hoping you could give specifics on what makes Regent luxury as compared to Oceania. You said you could write a book.

 

I was referring to the one HAL ship -- not the whole fleet. Sorry if that was not clear.

 

Regarding the subject I keep backing away from....... I am happy to discuss this subject in person (and have done so with quite a few people) but not on a public forum. Yes -- I could write a short book (or long story) on the subject but do not feel it is appropriate for sharing on CC.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Travelcat2

[hypercafe]

All this talk of what really is a luxury line, we have cruised and have a trip planned on Oceania, have a trip planned on Crystal altho it does sound a little stuffy, we shall see. We are looking at the MS Europa2, new ship from Hapag-Lloyd. Looks reall nice.