Jim & Kat on Navigator: our 1st cruise --commentary & thoughts

[Mudhen]

Been there, done both Regent and Crystal. Hard to compare. Each has it's own strengths and weaknesses. TC did a good job of summerizing what's wrong with Crystal. Smaller cabins, fixed dining times or by reservation, extra pay for speciality restaurants after your first two times that are complimentary. I prefer Crystal's food (in general) over Regents. Like Silk Road and the sushi bar on C. Entertainment is better. Bars; a slight nod to Crystal for the Saloon and Mark Ferris. I also like the layout of the ship more on C. Longer, more narrow(?) not as "short and fat" (haha!) as Regents ships. Regent's cabins are MUCH larger, cabin layout better. Shore excursions, even the ones you don't pay extra for are well done( I think).

Track is fast out there for the "big 4"....Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Crystal. Pick what you like. After doing general math, they're all pretty close in price.

[Hambagahle]

jackie - i think you are out of date on Crystal. To the best of my understanding they abandoned their "seating" policy for dinner some time ago. That said, crystal is not for us because of the small sized suites. Having travelled and worked in Japan i think that this "comes with the territory". That said I have good friends here who cruise on Crystal, Regent and Silversea and love Crystal... But they prefer a standard cabin.

 

I think that Octoberkat has really hit the nail on the head. I thought (please note past tense) that Regent had met all my criteria when it came to luxury -- until i took a cruise on Oceania. OK - I admit it was in an Oceania Suite on Riviera. But the standard of food, service etc blew me away. I cannot wait for our 1 April cruise on Riviera .... And to be very honest, unless someone persuades me to the contrary, I doubt we will sail on Regent again. Like her, I have a relatively well-honed view of what "luxury" is. And Oceania met and exceded that. By comparison, Regent came in a rather poor second.

 

Of course things can change... I will report on our Riviera cruise. And I hope it will be as good or even better than the last...

Gerry

Edited February 10, 2015 by Hambagahle

[OctoberKat]

A quick and dirty review of web sites together with info provided in posts here indicates I may prefer Oceania over Crystal so I'll be looking to book the former at some point. I can't really say why but I'm put off by Crystal -- I think it must be ads which irritate me.

 

Thanks, Gerry!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

A quick and dirty review of web sites together with info provided in posts here indicates I may prefer Oceania over Crystal so I'll be looking to book the former at some point. I can't really say why but I'm put off by Crystal -- I think it must be ads which irritate me.

 

Thanks, Gerry!

 

I would definitely try Oceania if I were you--we are not "big suite" people, but we did see some of those suites on Riviera and they were very, very nice. Didn't enjoy the ship's ambience as much as Regent for some reason, but the food was amazing and the ship itself is beautiful.

[mariners]

I used to post that I would never sail on Crystal, and, even after my first sailing, was not sure that Crystal would be a cruise line I would sail again. I loved sailing the smaller ships of other "luxury" cruise lines. Based on the price point I paid, I felt that Regent, SeaDream, and Seabourn were perfect for me; however, actually sailing Crystal rather than reading about sailing Crystal changed my mind.

 

Yes, the standard staterooms (not suites) are small. The larger or largest Penthouse Suites are more likely to provide you with the experience that is more to your liking. (You are able to dine course by course from any of the restaurants, and with no surcharge, if you are booked in one of the Penthouse Suites.) On our sailings, there have been a very eclectic group of people sailing, and, in my experience, there is no need for anyone to "fit in". The service is top notch. The dining is fabulous, and you have a choice of a traditional menu or "new age" in the MDR. All one has to do is read the reviews of the specialty restaurants to know that they are well received. The lectures, daily activities, etc. are the best that we have experienced on any cruise line. I could go on and on and on.....

 

IMO, one sailing on any line, is often not enough to decide if it is the "perfect" line for you. You've got more cruises booked on different lines. Once again, IMO, that is great. The only suggestion I have is to take a look at different reviews, postings, etc., rather than advertising, to determine if you would like to try another different line.

 

Thanks so much for providing a great review, and information regarding your sailing! I can't wait to read your opinion on your next sailings.

Edited February 10, 2015 by mariners

[NJBelle]

Hi all, I posted a while back in a different thread about my recent experiences on SS, Regent and Crystal. Since comparison to Crystal seems to be a topic on this thread, I thought I would cut and paste my previous remarks since they might be helpful to some of you:

 

Silversea vs Regent vs - Crystal!

My husband and I have traveled on all three of these lines over the past 15 months (1 on SS, 2 on Regent and 2 on Crystal) - although we have cruised on all three lines between 7-9 times each over the years. Before I really get started, let me reveal the punch line - I agree with some of the others that it is really not possible to choose a clear winner. That is really why I have not done an extensive comparison and posted on all three boards....even with recent experience on all 3 lines, it is really too difficult to compare since each one has its own pros and cons. And what we learned on a back-to-back on Crystal this past fall (and to echo an earlier poster) is that each cruise, even on the same line, has an entirely different feel.

 

In general, we find SS and Regent to be very similar and those have been our "go-to" cruise lines over the past 5-6 years. Regent is a little more expensive since it includes excursions, but since we usually take ship's excursions (vs contracting with vendors on our own) that usually works out fine for us. We find Silversea to have more diverse (from a global perspective) passengers - and we see that as a positive. We hate smoking so had some concerns about Silversea, given that it seemed that some former Regent passengers went to Silversea due to more "lax" smoking regs, but we have not found it to be a real concern in reality. Food and wine seem similar - and food does depend on the chef to some extent. We have enjoyed some of the smaller SS cruises where we felt like we got to know the chef a little - for example, on the Cloud a few years ago, the Chef came to the boat dock after my husband's boat (a SS excursion) returned and took the fish they caught and the next night 14 of us had a fabulous "Chef's dinner" that he prepared especially for us. Anyway, we see both of these lines as offering an attractive product and we will be on a SS cruise in a couple of months and a Regent one in October.

 

Just to mention Crystal, since some consider it a luxury line to be compared to SS and Regent (and Seabourn). Others dismiss it since there is the set seating and also the smaller staterooms. Admittedly, those are real drawbacks, but we enjoyed a number of Crystal cruises (before we found SS and Regent) and so we thought we would try them again this past fall. There is much to love about Crystal - the entertainment and spaciousness of the ship come to mind - but it is true that we missed having open seating and missed the large standard staterooms of SS and Regent (but we did sign up for another Crystal cruise in 2016). This was when we saw how very different two cruises - even back-to-back - can be. The first leg was a trans-Atlantic with lots of sea days. It was a much older crowd but they were very lively and fit, lots of really interesting people. The next cruise was a younger crowd, with many family groups (maybe because it was a Miami to San Diego route) - and it seemed that there were quite a few who were maybe new to Crystal (and overdoing the all-inclusive). Anyway, it was a different vibe and we really missed our friends from the first leg. (Also, the main seating on this second leg was extremely crowded so our Dining by Reservation was a disaster.). Anyway, I bring this up since I would have rated the two cruises very differently - and if I had only been on one of them, I would have been left with a different opinion about Crystal, especially if I had never been on Crystal before.

 

So, bottom line, I can't pick a favorite or best line. All 3 of these can work for us (and someday we will try Seabourn). We base our choices on the itinerary for the times we are looking for, and of course on price - if we find two cruises that are similar around the same time. We are just glad there are so many choices!

[Travelcat2]

NJBelle: Great post! We feel the way you do in terms of trying to select which is "best" as each cruise line has some strong positives. Although we sail on other cruise lines, our preference for Regent has a lot to do with the crew that we have met over the years as well as the benefits. I'm sure that the crew on all of the cruise lines are wonderful -- we just have known those on Regent for many years. Just this past week we heard from Zaldy, a server whose photo I posted on our July Mariner cruise. He is home with his family and hopes to be on the Mariner when we board on April 2nd. He is one of many crew members that simply melt my heart.

 

Mudhen: It would be great if you were on Crystal and we were on Regent in the same port. Then you could pack up some food from Crystal and we could have a great picnic (we'll bring the booze):-)

 

Gerry: I could well be out of date on many things:-) It would be great to hear that Crystal changed their dining policy but I read that they could not change it if they wanted to because the main restaurant size would not accommodate. I have a friend on Crystal at the moment and will email her and ask about the dining policy. In terms of Oceania, I agree with you on many points. The food, service, etc. are great....... but, for us, the food in the Main Dining Room and Terrace Café (equivalent to Compass Rose and La Veranda) are far below the quality of Regent. Fortunately we could dine in the specialty restaurants every night because we were in a Vista Suite. Hope you saw the FDR video that was shot on the Riviera:-)

Edited February 11, 2015 by Travelcat2

[Caroldoll]

I WAS an ardent Crystalite! We formerly took the CP, which is way over the top expensive. When I strayed was when we went on Regent which for the same number of days was half of what Crystal was. In the meantime, we have gone on a Penthouse Suite on Crystal which is their NEXT largest. Unfortunately at that time I got Norovirus. There is only one bathroom, and if my husband was at the sink, I could not get to the toilet unless I walked around through the suite to go in the other door. Not a good thing! Their suites are soooo small. Now I hear that they have discontinued the caviar which I loved. Now I know that you don't HAVE to wear a jacket, which IS A GOOD THING...but you still have assigned seating, unless you call every day and hope and pray for another at whatever time! They have two alternative dining rooms, which WE LOVED, particularly the Asian one, but now you only get one time each and then you pay $30 EACH for each time. This is NOT all inclusive IN MY OPINION...and this is NOT luxury. So, now we get to Regent...I loved the suite, but still you only get two times in each diningroom. I am sensitive to salt, so I could not eat in the MDR. They made arrangements for me to eat on the top deck which is now Sette Mare, I guess. The chef was so good, and he made me food I could eat. If you want to live like this, then that is a good thing! For me, I agree with Hamburghale...Oceania has it. I want a beautiful suite, on a newer ship (no worries about pods (old technology). I want to know the ship won't break down and ruin my vacation...check the boards. Oceania has it for me!

[newlondon]

lincslady, I was very surprised to read your post about the price of luxury hotels in the UK being more expensive than Regent. I admit we use a penthouse B which usually comes out to $1000/day for the two of us. We have stayed at many luxury hotels in the UK, two of our favorites are Chewton Glen and Isle of Eriska. I don't think anyone would argue about their status. Neither comes to $1000 even with all included. If you do go for really expensive wine then they might top the charge on Regent.

We cruise Regent and Silversea, knowing they are expensive. We enjoy luxury hotels the world over, also knowing they are expensive, as an example check out Huka Lodge in NZ. Wonderful experience; heart stopping bill:eek:

Just remember the Brinks truck doesn't follow the hearse and shrouds don't have pockets:D

[newlondon]

lincslady, Meant to say $1k perday perperson. Way more than the examples I cited.

[NJBelle]

Thanks, Jackie, for the kind words. Agree that each cruise is different and each cruise line has different things to offer.

 

And agree that Crystal has NOT changed their dining policy. They offer "Dining By Reservation" but it is really just a way to try to offer something in addition to the set seating at 6 and 8:15 (times may be different on different cruises) in order to "compete" with the other luxury lines (since it is not possible with the size of their dining room on both Crystal ships to be able to offer true open seating). As I mentioned, it was a reasonable compromise for us during the first leg of our cruise (but still not as good as "open seating" by any means) but for the second leg, it was a disaster (not just for us, but for others who were going with "DBR" on that leg) and we ended up having to go with the set seating at 8:15 (not our real choice, obviously).

[lincslady]

newlondon - our comparisons are a bit different from yours, I think. First, we tend to cruise only with Seabourn these days, and as our pockets are not very deep, not in a top end suite, and usually book when the brochure prices (we all know they are rubbish) have come down considerably. We always feel, especially on Seabourn, that there is absolutely no difference in how you are treated regardless of where your suite is, and even the entry level ones are, at 300 sq. ft., large and comfortable enough for us. We don't need butlers or concierges etc. I would say that generally we average about £200 to £250 per day per person, and if we had the equivalent meals and drinks (we do enjoy a few cocktails and glasses of wine, plus a Remy or two after dinner!) it would cost us more in a fairly top hotel (perhaps not quite as top as Chewton Glen, which is really beyhond our means). And now that we have quite a few days on board we get completely free internet and laundry as well as a few other perks.

 

Maybe I am doing my 'sums' wrong - do say if I am.

[lincslady]

ERRATUM - before anyone shouts me down, my financial adviser tells me it is a few years since we could travel Seabourn for £200 a day; now at least £250 and more likely £300. Apologies. Also, of course, Regent includes flights and the (to me useless) excursions, whereas with Seabourn flights are extra. Otherwise, this expresses my opinion on comparing hotels with 'luxury' cruising. And, newlondon, I presume you were not including your flights in your hotel comparison?

[Hambagahle]

Jackie - your experience and mine differ.

 

On our last Regent cruise the food in the Compass Rose was definitely not terrific. Nor was the food in la Veranda... but on our Riviera cruise in 2013 we found the food in the GDR to be superb. I had a Châteaubriand with Béarnaise one night that was simply the best I have ever eaten. Anywhere. And there were other dishes that were superb as well. Plates were hot. Presentation was lovely. etc. And we ate - a lot - at the Terrace. Why? because we found it amazing. We love being served and not having to fight to grab buffet items. We also appreciated the portion size. AND the fact that we could ask for more - or less.

 

It is a good job that people on this planet have different opinions about things. It would be very boring if we didn't...

[newlondon]

lincslady, You are correct, we did not include the flights. TBH I have not sailed on Seabourn so I can't make a comparison, but 300 lbs per day seems low to me even without the excursions. $450 v $1000 ??

[OctoberKat]

As a direct result of our Regent cruise narrated here, I cancelled the Norwegian fjords cruise we booked on Azamara for August 2016. It occurred to me that if I was unsure of value delivered by Regent we'd likely be disappointed by Azamara Quest. So I rebooked a similar cruise aboard Seabourn Quest in and out of Copenhagen (which we're more enthusiastic about than Amsterdam, the Azamara embark/disembark harbor). Plus, we get to sail six weeks earlier! And, a smaller ship which may mean we can sail into more nooks and crannies and closer to shore. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong in this assumption.

 

Of course we're paying very much more and I am confident we'll be happier and that's what counts. We'll be in a Signiture suite.

Edited February 12, 2015 by OctoberKat

[OctoberKat]

Speaking of flights, our first class, non-stop airfare SFO-MIA-SFO ran $3,900. I just booked air for our November Amazon cruise aboard Silversea Whisper and it weighed in at $3,200 which seems a bargain comparatively. The domestic flights are first class; the MIA-Barbados-MIA routes are biz.

 

Living I'd the San Francisco Bay Area means we don't get many airfare breaks when cruising Europe or the Caribbean.

Edited February 12, 2015 by OctoberKat

[Travelcat2]

While we have not sailed on Seabourn or Azamara, based on reviews and the fact that Seabourn is a luxury cruise line while Azamara is a premium cruise line, it sounds like a good decision.

[Cruising Librarian]

Another Bay Area librarian here, OctoberKat, have followed your thread with interest. Glad you enjoyed your cruise on the Navigator, and will look for your reviews on your upcoming cruises.

 

I'm sorry to hear you cancelled your Azamara cruise. We had lunch (and a gentle sales pitch) on board when the Quest was in San Francisco last February

and thought the ship was very nice. It is one of the "R" ships and they have many afficenados in the cruise world. We booked a transatlantic for this fall and I've been following the Azamara CC board and reviews with interest. They are much better than the Regent reviews and we have met many people on our Regent cruises who have sailed on the line and recommend it. We like Regent alot, but the prices have skyrocketed in the last couple of years and although we have one booked in 2016, it might be our last. Our on board experience is like yours, nice but "luxurious". We thought we'd give Azamara a chance for about half the cost (albeit in a slightly smaller cabin). Cost is an important factor in our "value" equation---we don't have a huge travel budget.

 

BTW, one of my favorite cruise memories was on the Navigator. We sailed into San Francisco at dawn and as we sailed under the Golden Gate, the north side of the city glowed pink and gradually came into beautiful focus.

 

Again, thanks for sharing your cruise with us and enjoy your upcoming travels as well!

[OctoberKat]

Lovely to have your post here, Crusing Librarian. I hope you will post about your Azamara voyage because I should like to know more about that line. I expect I'm more trepidatious being a sort-of new cruiser. Also, we're looking to cram in as much highest-quality traveling in the near time frame as possible. Health issues may impinge later. But, let's not talk about that.

 

Very much anticipating your cruising reports.

 

Cheers,

Kat(hryn)

Edited February 13, 2015 by OctoberKat

[Pam]

Kat, we were never in the Master Suites on the two larger Regent ships, but from tours we know that the Master on Navigator is quite a bit smaller. We were in the next one down (is that the Grand Suites? Those were definitely smaller on Navigator than on Mariner. and I simply do't remember that next step down on Voyager other than it might have been the one with the big square hot tub/bath tub over on the wall next to the outside. That one I would have avoided. But they are all larger, because those larger ships just get larger upper-level suites.

[Travelcat2]

Kat, we were never in the Master Suites on the two larger Regent ships, but from tours we know that the Master on Navigator is quite a bit smaller. We were in the next one down (is that the Grand Suites? Those were definitely smaller on Navigator than on Mariner. and I simply do't remember that next step down on Voyager other than it might have been the one with the big square hot tub/bath tub over on the wall next to the outside. That one I would have avoided. But they are all larger, because those larger ships just get larger upper-level suites.

 

Pam, we have stayed in both types of Master Suites on the Voyager and a Master Suite on the Navigator as well as the suite you would avoid (the Grand Suite on the Voyager). You are correct, the Navigator Master Suite was smaller. Actually, we did not care for the Master Suite on the Navigator at all but loved both Master Suites on the Voyager. Agree with you about the Grand Suite on the Voyager -- while it is a lovely suite, putting the big hot tub/bath tub next to the outside as a waste of space. The "master" bathroom in the Grand Suite was tiny -- really disliked that as well. We would prefer the Voyager or Mariner suite over that suite any time despite the fact that it is smaller (it is laid out well - particularly on the Mariner).

 

Just reread that paragraph -- hope it makes sense:-)

[OctoberKat]

Jim and I thought the Navigator master suite was just fine and were glad we popped for it. Our reservations of Regent have naught to do with our suite which was a haven (other than the too-small veranda).

[OctoberKat]

While we have not sailed on Seabourn or Azamara, based on reviews and the fact that Seabourn is a luxury cruise line while Azamara is a premium cruise line, it sounds like a good decision.

 

Gracias a dios. (Smile)

[OctoberKat]

I've been meaning to post this but keep forgetting. My two favorite meals during our cruise were in Compass Rose and both were vegetable curries. Although I am by no means vegan nor vegetarian and adore red meat.