Regent more like 3* than 6

[pingpong1]

English Tim - I have quite enjoyed reading and benefitting from your past observations and reviews - both the "good" and the "bad". I hope they have not come to an end.

 

No one should be browbeaten or dismissed out of hand for relating their unique and specific experiences, along with their opinions about it. Most particularly when they don't necessarily comport to the "group think". I also believe that one person's experiences and opinions should be given the same equal and fair hearing as the next persons without certain CC members feeling the need to compulsively "defend the brand", and no matter whether the opinion is expressed by just an "occasional" poster or a "multi-thousand-times" poster.

 

I believe that HostDan really tries, as best he can, to allow for a fair, balanced, and diverse spectrum of opinions to be presented - Until the discussion inevitably (as seemingly always) gets "hijacked" by one side and the thread has to be ended (exactly what happened in the past 24 hours on another thread).

 

CruisetheCs and Lincslady - I completely agree with your viewpoints. Particularly the "dismissive", "belittle", and "ascerbic" parts.

 

Travelcat2 - How ironic, it is, that you should make the observation regarding "snarkiness" on the thread/s.

[juli2020]

Because I have travelled with several lines, i.e. Silversea, Seabourn and Regent, I do read the threads on each with interest.

I have to say that I find the Regent fans much more likely to be dismissive and sometimes positively rude about adverse comments on Regent than you ever see from the devotees of Silversea or Seabourn.

 

I agree.....We have sailed on all the luxe lines and do not see the dismissive and rude comments on other boards if you post anything negative. After all this is Cruise Critic not a fan page for Regent.

 

One thing I forgot to mention on our May 8-18 cruise to Alaska.....the passengers next door to us had a bunch of silver magnets posted all over their door given to them by Regent. It showed all of their many cruises on Regent. We thought it was very tacky...something you don't expect to see on a luxury ship.

 

People passing by their door would look and just shake their heads and laugh.

 

We were on the pool deck and there weren't many suites on our deck. Why the need to do this is beyond me. I have never seen this on any other luxe or premium line.

Edited June 4, 2016 by juli2020

[Gilly]

Our first cruise with Regent was a segment of the World Cruise in 2008. We too were amused by the plethora of plaques on several doors throughout the ship and were informed that Regent supplies them to people sailing extended voyages. On this particular WC, it was a popular habit to collect ephemera to attach to the door too, as "trophies" from the various segments so by the time we joined the ship in Mumbai, some doors were laden with Hawaiian Lei, shell necklaces, Chinese knots and heaven knows what else. Like you, we were amused but attributed it to the nesting instinct and the need to make their mark on what was their home for months on end.

 

Since then, we've become accustomed to seeing a few doors littered with these plaques, collected as a kind of campaign medal for cruises over the years. It's not something I would wish to do myself (if I had a single plaque to post, which I haven't!) but as I already said earlier in the thread, "each to his/her own".

 

This is generally such a useful resource for sharing information and varied opinion but things can quickly descend and frequently do. I think I have identified the trigger and usually stop reading from that point onwards.

[casbar777]

Bit like the people who parade around with their pins. Mine are in the cupboard, I would never wear a pin. The problem with Regent is its, seen as a Gentleman's or some kine of exclusive club. Its a cruise line, and anyone can come if they pay! And as I pointed out on our Atlantic crossing, us mere mortals that are just Silver will possible be the Platinum holders if they treat us correct. I still have 40 years plus left in my cruising career so the best product will get my hard earned pounds.

[Philandher]

Each to their own & all that but this has to be a wind up. I can't believe anyone can get that worked up about coffee! ;)

 

Breakfast coffee is, generally, heavy going but after an evening meal it is usually more palatable - in any hotel & on board any ship in my personal experience. I wouldn't start concerning myself with which type of beans they use. If I don't like it, I'd drink something else.

 

On Mariner last year there was nothing wrong with any of the coffee that I drank, either in suite or in the restaurants. In fact I'd say it was extremely palatable. It all tasted rather like........coffee tbh. Admittedly, I usually drink the tea in coffee connections but there you go. Of course, I am from the UK and we are probably more exposed to the freeze dried instant stuff, maybe?

 

"Coffee snobs" - great expression. :)

 

Thank goodness for some common sense!

[DreamflightPat]

English Tim - I have quite enjoyed reading and benefitting from your past observations and reviews - both the "good" and the "bad". I hope they have not come to an end.

 

No one should be browbeaten or dismissed out of hand for relating their unique and specific experiences, along with their opinions about it. Most particularly when they don't necessarily comport to the "group think". I also believe that one person's experiences and opinions should be given the same equal and fair hearing as the next persons without certain CC members feeling the need to compulsively "defend the brand", and no matter whether the opinion is expressed by just an "occasional" poster or a "multi-thousand-times" poster.

 

I believe that HostDan really tries, as best he can, to allow for a fair, balanced, and diverse spectrum of opinions to be presented - Until the discussion inevitably (as seemingly always) gets "hijacked" by one side and the thread has to be ended (exactly what happened in the past 24 hours on another thread).

 

CruisetheCs and Lincslady - I completely agree with your viewpoints. Particularly the "dismissive", "belittle", and "ascerbic" parts.

 

Travelcat2 - How ironic, it is, that you should make the observation regarding "snarkiness" on the thread/s.

Well said.

[beauty123]

Our last cruise with Regent was on Voyager, in 2012. Standards appears to have slipped and costs cit, presumably after NCL takeover.

 

We had Dover Sole in Prime 7 and portion was very small, not like what used to cover plate. Caviar only included on Sunday's, whereas on Seabourn it's available all the time.

 

Service on open decks is very poor and staff need training in good manners and to smile, even if not feeling like it.

 

We're considering Explorer in October and if not significantly better we'll cross Regent off our list.

 

New suites are excellent and staff in restaurants and suites up to usual high standards.

Well I have posted a couple of times prior to my Mariner 14nt Alaska cruise and I am just back. It was my third cruise but my first on Regent and I said when I paid my money that if a supposed 6 star cruise didn't measure up well thats it cos 6 star is supposed to be the best. I had an amazing time in Alaska and Regent was fine but I think 6 star land hotel equals 4 star on a cruise ship and was it really worth the higher price tag than say Holland America or Royal Caribbean when there was still the same formats such as bingo, karaoke and being coralled like sheep for shore excertions?. Yes I will do it again when I see an exciting itinery I fancy but I am just accepting urely from my limited experience that the star ratings at sea are a lot lower than on land

[Travelcat2]

Well I have posted a couple of times prior to my Mariner 14nt Alaska cruise and I am just back. It was my third cruise but my first on Regent and I said when I paid my money that if a supposed 6 star cruise didn't measure up well thats it cos 6 star is supposed to be the best. I had an amazing time in Alaska and Regent was fine but I think 6 star land hotel equals 4 star on a cruise ship and was it really worth the higher price tag than say Holland America or Royal Caribbean when there was still the same formats such as bingo, karaoke and being coralled like sheep for shore excertions?. Yes I will do it again when I see an exciting itinery I fancy but I am just accepting urely from my limited experience that the star ratings at sea are a lot lower than on land

 

Your post was very insightful! While I tend to agree that you can't compare hotels or restaurants at sea with those on land, IMO, there are some unavoidable reasons for that. In terms of food, Regent cannot always get the freshest fruits, veggies, seafood, etc. so they are forced to use frozen product. When Regent is able to get fresh seafood, it tends to rival land-based restaurants. A few years ago we took a Le Cordon Bleu class on the Voyager and was amazed at the challenges the cooks face. Although they are used to it, cooking on induction ranges is really a challenge (at least it was for us).

 

Unless you are comparing a luxury all-inclusive resort, it is hard to compare a hotel with a cruise ship. After all, we are being "taken care of" 24/7 on the ship which is not the case in most hotels. Generally people do not eat three meals a day at a hotel and have to depend upon the hotel for their entertainment. Having said that, I do not believe that Regent excursions are 6 star (some are around 2 star in my opinion). Plus, I dislike being herded like sheep as you mentioned. My solution is to avoid most excursions.

 

Glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise!

[Gcto]

just a short note on this...I will write a review later when I have more time

But here are some comments to clarify.

 

1. Coffee...still bad, but the various coffee machines can make a better coffee than what's served. Again, it's a matter of taste, travelled with some people who liked it.

2, Espresso machines are great to have, but the illy coffee is truly not what it used to be.

3. Loved the small portions and the possibility to order more

 

 

On the ice and other issues :-). Normally Regent has a larger group of US guest than any other nationality. This time, the Navigator had approx 175 US residents and 280 from The UK and Scotland (I mention both as I stepped on a few toes when asking whether they were from England or the UK...and got the correction of people being from Scotland :-) ) Now, without implying anything negatively :-), I had a hard time understanding some :-), my Scottish is very rustic :-). Now consider a new crew member from the Philippines, Rumania, Thailand, etc trying to understand a new "language" ;-). For example, we played trivia with various UK guest and had a blast, but not always were clear on everything. Add to that speaking quickly, many servers had a problems understanding everything. I have to say I can't blame them. As some staff was new, this added to the confusion. :-)....Again, not implying anything, but it added.

 

Was everything perfect...no, but all small stuff....like all the British food at breakfast....:-)

 

We had a great time, and met a few new friends from all over (including Scotland )

 

More later

[eliana]

Thanks Franz, looking forward to your full review as we are sailing on Navigator next week. What are 'small portions'? Incidentally Scots (or Scottish) are British and voted a couple of years ago to remain part of the U.K. But they are not English as you have discovered. We are British and English and sometimes have difficulties in understanding strong Scottish accents.

Edited June 6, 2016 by eliana

[UUNetBill]

We are British and English and sometimes have difficulties in understanding strong Scottish accents.

 

I'm glad it's not just me!

 

We were in Dublin years back for New Year's Eve and were just getting used to the Irish accents when we ran into a group of Scots in Temple Bar (yes, there was alcohol involved) and frankly, we had an easier time talking to our Italian buddies!

 

Good times... :)

[Travelcat2]

Good points. When Brits, English or whomever lives in the U.K. post colloquialisms, most people in North America are lost (and it works both ways). It isn't just the accents:)

[JMARINER]

...........................Now consider a new crew member from the Philippines, Rumania, Thailand, etc trying to understand a new "language" ;-). For example, we played trivia with various UK guest and had a blast, but not always were clear on everything. Add to that speaking quickly, many servers had a problems understanding everything. ........................

 

 

 

I think that this is my biggest area of complaint. And the problem is exacerbated by the introduction of the new ship. There are far to many new hires working on Regent. I know that this a problem particularly for the wait staff. There is a lot of time spent on training or correcting mistakes and service over all suffers. Staffing size on the the ship has remained a constant for years. But when the staff is not properly trained the efficiency goes way down and it seem like there are less people working.

 

Years ago this was a major problem when PCH was mixing staff from Oceania with Regent. That problem seemed to abate after a while. Now it has come back. And I think the passenger experience suffers.

 

J

[Suite Travels]

I think that this is my biggest area of complaint. And the problem is exacerbated by the introduction of the new ship. There are far to many new hires working on Regent. I know that this a problem particularly for the wait staff. There is a lot of time spent on training or correcting mistakes and service over all suffers. Staffing size on the the ship has remained a constant for years. But when the staff is not properly trained the efficiency goes way down and it seem like there are less people working.

 

Years ago this was a major problem when PCH was mixing staff from Oceania with Regent. That problem seemed to abate after a while. Now it has come back. And I think the passenger experience suffers.

 

J

 

I agree with you JM and this happens on any line that introduces a new ship. Training is not like airline flight attendant training for six to eight weeks it is on the job training on a ship.

 

I would like to comment further but I can't for fear that a prolific poster will ask host Dan to remove my comments or have the whole thread deleted. So I will just keep my further thoughts to myself.

 

My partner saw a great itinerary on Regent for next year and we were about to book it after an eight year absence. I was about to cave in and give Regent another try but decided not to at this time.

 

I think we will give Seabourn a try. Crystal has always been our line of choice but we want to change it up a bit.

[English Tim]

We are now home and I shall write a review (with pictures) in due course.

 

Clearly I was not alone in being somewhat disappointed by this cruise, compared with my 2012 Regent Voyager sailing.

 

I believe a fair few communication problems have been due to some experienced crew members transferring to the new ship and some new contracts following the refit.

 

The embarkation, tendering and disembarkation procedures need a complete revamp.

 

Today we missed our post cruise tour due to sheer incompetence. We were at the designated meet point early, registered with the only staff member present, then with his consent ventured outside in the sunshine for a few minutes, returning before the time he advised. I asked him if our group had been called and he said no, go wait in the lounge, which we did. An hour later I enquiries and was told we had missed our slot, which apparently had been called in the few minutes we were outside. I feel sorry for the crew member, but the whole affair was a shambles, with many people very frustrated with his abruptness, but he was on his own and not n the designated check in point, so many people missed the check in. I'm still unsure as to why he took everyone's suite numbers!

 

We left the ship and had to join a transfer to the airport, which was then delayed by Regent filing to provide disabled assistance, or so the guide told us in full chapter and verse.

 

As an aside, when we landed at LHR, our taxi didn't show, so we had to wait 90 minutes for it to be replaced.

 

We had a tremendous cruise, but there were enough small disappointments to make us consider either, Seabourn, Azamara or Oceania next cruise.

[eliana]

We are now home and I shall write a review (with pictures) in due course.

 

[Clearly I was not alone in being somewhat disappointed by this cruise, compared with my 2012 Regent Voyager sailing.

 

I believe a fair few communication problems have been due to some experienced crew members transferring to the new ship and some new contracts following the refit.]

 

We embark on the Navigator in a week's time. i trust we will be able to thank Tim and Franz and JMariner for training the inexperienced crew and we will have excellent service. Curiously we experienced a similar situation a few years ago on Seaboard when we sailed on one of their then smaller ships and had very poor service which was attributed to all the better staff having been transferred to their very recently launched larger ship.

[Travelcat2]

We are now home and I shall write a review (with pictures) in due course.

 

Clearly I was not alone in being somewhat disappointed by this cruise, compared with my 2012 Regent Voyager sailing.

 

I believe a fair few communication problems have been due to some experienced crew members transferring to the new ship and some new contracts following the refit.

 

The embarkation, tendering and disembarkation procedures need a complete revamp.

 

Today we missed our post cruise tour due to sheer incompetence. We were at the designated meet point early, registered with the only staff member present, then with his consent ventured outside in the sunshine for a few minutes, returning before the time he advised. I asked him if our group had been called and he said no, go wait in the lounge, which we did. An hour later I enquiries and was told we had missed our slot, which apparently had been called in the few minutes we were outside. I feel sorry for the crew member, but the whole affair was a shambles, with many people very frustrated with his abruptness, but he was on his own and not n the designated check in point, so many people missed the check in. I'm still unsure as to why he took everyone's suite numbers!

 

We left the ship and had to join a transfer to the airport, which was then delayed by Regent filing to provide disabled assistance, or so the guide told us in full chapter and verse.

 

As an aside, when we landed at LHR, our taxi didn't show, so we had to wait 90 minutes for it to be replaced.

 

We had a tremendous cruise, but there were enough small disappointments to make us consider either, Seabourn, Azamara or Oceania next cruise.

 

Looking forward to your review (and pictures). After sailing on luxury lines, Oceania and Azamara may not meet your expectations. However, if you go for an upper suite on Oceania's Riviera or Marina, they are gorgeous and some of the perks make up for other things (we stayed in a huge suite for the price of a PH on Regent). We hear good reports about Seabourn but their smoking policy is a deal breaker for us.

 

Get some rest and catch up on sleep!

[flossie009]

Lucky you weren't sailing last week with Celebrity in Alaska: