Regent Cruise Line not the same after Norwegian Purchase

[SGolffan]

Oh, and FWIW, I don't think the 'cost-cutting' and/or 'changes in service and amenities' are exclusive to Regent - you should read some of the panicked posts on the Crystal boards - and I've seen some less than positive posts on Seabourn and Silverseas boards as well. Maybe not as vocal as here on the Regent board, but enough to make me think the grass isn't necessarily greener on another line...

 

 

 

Yes, I will go and check out the reviews. Interested to see what they say... :) That is our struggle the grass may not be greener on the other side.... That is why I wanted to post this from our point of view and see what others thought.

 

Appreciate all feedback! We use to be HUGE cheerleaders of Regent!

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Just recently (on one of the very active posts), one poster felt that Regent's food was better than Seabourn (just one opinion but a recent one), the cabins are too small on Crystal (who, BTW, just announced a new CEO today) and some people find Silversea too formal. There are good choices and likely the experience on any luxury cruise line would be excellent ..... one just needs to decide which negatives are acceptable.

[SGolffan]

Sgolffan, no, sorry - only one non-Regent cruise in my portfolio and that was on the QM2 many years ago. But just between you and me, Seabourn is at the top of my 'to try' list if I ever decide I need a change.

 

 

 

That is our thought if we would switch trying Seabourn. Going out and reading reviews. Several of our fiends have done Seabourn. I asked for their advice; however, not fair to compare since they haven't done Regent. They have stuck by to Seabourn as we did with Regent.

 

 

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[Eager2Travel]

We have been cruising Regent for quite awhile and have always loved it. However a few wrinkles have shown up recently. We were last on in April.

 

We board Seabourn in early October. We chose the cruise based on the convenience and interest in itinerary.

We have one previous experience with Seabourn.

 

I will post our conclusions when we return. Am sorry to hear about your disappointment and the decline of the Regent experience.

[SGolffan]

We have been cruising Regent for quite awhile and have always loved it. However a few wrinkles have shown up recently. We were last on in April.

 

 

 

We board Seabourn in early October. We chose the cruise based on the convenience and interest in itinerary.

 

We have one previous experience with Seabourn.

 

 

 

I will post our conclusions when we return. Am sorry to hear about your disappointment and the decline of the Regent experience.

 

 

 

Terrific! I would love to hear your thoughts.

 

 

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[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We have sailed consistently on Regent for many years. The last few sailings were--- on the Explorer- Transatlantic in November 2016. It was so wonderful that we are sailing again this November. Best cruise we ever had.

We had sailed the Mariner in December 2015. South Africa. We enjoyed it very much.

This past April 2017, we sailed the Mariner again. We were a bit disappointed in the suite. (same one as before). it needed to be refurbished badly.. food and service was inconsistent. I agree I loved the Jean Ryan group better. We chalked it up to "one bad apple" theory. We hope it doesn't spoil the whole basket. In spite of our complaints, we still enjoyed ourselves.

However, We do have five cruises booked in the next two years on Regent. If the Explorer disappoints us ---well then we will have to reconsider and make a decision.

But, hopefully we will remain loyal Regent sailors.

[goldenrod]

We sailed Regent in 03 & 04 on the Navigator 05 on the Mariner and 08 on the Voyager. Back then we felt the entertainment was very amateurish, thought we were at a high school tallest show! Somewhat entertaining but very unprofessional. The main reason we stopped sailing Regent was we were traveling a lot with friends who could not afford Regent. We are Elite with Princess which is there highest level. We are greatly my looking forward to our 24 day cruise in 2018 on the Explorer and will let you know how we feel it compares to the old days. These Oldbees will become Newbees.

 

 

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[Silver Sweethearts]

Agree - you give up a lot of perks when you go to another cruise line. What I would miss most is the crew that remember repeat guests and welcome you "home" when you get onboard

 

By virtue of having sailed with other lines such as Seabourn and Silversea, etc. more than once, we are remembered as repeat guests and welcomed "home" when we get onboard their ships too, so this perk is not exclusive to Regent.

[Caroldoll]

We had a cabin booked on Crystal Mozart this past summer but when we decided to invite our in-laws to come with us there were no more cabins...so we released our booking and went with Regent to the Baltic instead. I'm still intrigued by the new Crystal riverboats, though - they look amazing, but I'm not 100% sure they'll be able to keep them adequately staffed. It looks good so far, but their expansion plans have me worried.

 

I haven't sailed on Silversea but I've heard their dress code is a bit more formal than Regent's - which although it isn't a deal-breaker for us, it sure costs them some points in our book. I'd prefer not to have to lug suits and ties on my vacation...but that's just me...

 

You don't need a tux, just bring a jacket

[Caroldoll]

Sorry can't answer your $100 question... Wish I had the answer of where we would go if not Regent. Have you been on Seabourn?

 

 

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Seabourn is great. No butlers and they have cavier.

[Caroldoll]

We don't live to eat! LOL, so that is not what is our main driver. We will be on Voyager in a week and a half. We do "ports" and we do love Natures Rhythm. That alone would be a deciding factor for us, Natures Rhythm.

[UUNetBill]

You don't need a tux, just bring a jacket

Caroldoll, just to clarify, I didn't mention a tux, just suits and ties. The last time I went the tuxedo route was on Cunard over Christmas and packing for that was a bear. Ugh.

 

On Regent, I usually take one jacket, maybe two depending on the itinerary. That's plenty for me while I'm on vacation. ;)

[SGolffan]

We have sailed consistently on Regent for many years. The last few sailings were--- on the Explorer- Transatlantic in November 2016. It was so wonderful that we are sailing again this November. Best cruise we ever had.

We had sailed the Mariner in December 2015. South Africa. We enjoyed it very much.

This past April 2017, we sailed the Mariner again. We were a bit disappointed in the suite. (same one as before). it needed to be refurbished badly.. food and service was inconsistent. I agree I loved the Jean Ryan group better. We chalked it up to "one bad apple" theory. We hope it doesn't spoil the whole basket. In spite of our complaints, we still enjoyed ourselves.

However, We do have five cruises booked in the next two years on Regent. If the Explorer disappoints us ---well then we will have to reconsider and make a decision.

But, hopefully we will remain loyal Regent sailors.

 

 

 

We would also love to remain a Regent cheer squad if they can keep up with what we know Regent. We have been on the Explorer four times as we were on their Maiden Voyage from Monte Carlo to Rome, Inaugural Caribbean during Christmas of 2016, next crossing from Miami to Barcelona in spring of 2017 and finally our last cruise London to Reykjavik. The Explorer is beautiful and I hope you absolutely love and enjoy!

 

As mentioned we are currently on Mariner now for 24 days from San Francisco to Montreal.

 

 

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[SGolffan]

 

 

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[SGolffan]

 

The first time the Explorer in the Greenland/Iceland region and we saw quite an iceberg!

 

 

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[SGolffan]

Fyi.. I posted and asked what others think of Regent VS Seabourn on their CR Seabourn cite, curious. My husband and I have always enjoyed our Regent cruises; however, wanted to reflect on the changes we have noticed and wanted others feedback. Is it time for us to change or try a different luxury cruise line?

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

By virtue of having sailed with other lines such as Seabourn and Silversea, etc. more than once, we are remembered as repeat guests and welcomed "home" when we get onboard their ships too, so this perk is not exclusive to Regent.

 

I don't consider it a perk and it would not feel the same if the welcome were not from people that we actually know (and it took years to develop relationships).

 

To the TS: IMO, no one can tell you whether or not to try another cruise line -- it is a personal decision. What one person thinks is wonderful, another may dislike for a variety of reasons. From the subject of this thread and post #1, it sounded as if the decision was made and you were booking a cruise with another cruise line.

[Mudhen]

This is the bottom line for us. The big four are Regent, Crystal, Silver Sea and Seabourn. We've been on all of them except for Seabourn. Each line has it's own strengths and weaknesses. None of them are perfect. Some may come closer to perfect than others depending on what you're looking for. If you are so very unhappy with Regent, than pick another line!

The track is very fast out there. We tried SS just as a change and were pretty happy with it. We're basically itinerary and price driven and look for the most bangs for the least bucks. We got that in spades from a Regent cruise up the Amazon. To list all of our pros and cons of each of the above lines has been done before. Be brave, try something else. Then you'll be better prepared to make future decisions. Doesn't mean you "can never go home again"!

[SGolffan]

Agree :). We are looking forward to trying our first river cruise on Crystal next year.

 

That is why I was curious if others felt the same about Regent now...

 

I know the grass is not always greener; however, I think we will try Seabourn as a comparison. Like you we are definitely itinerary driven.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

 

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[Hambagahle]

Watch out for icebergs! In 2004 we were on the Mariner and hit a "growler" - very small one. Bent the propulsion pod and we had to "limp" down to Vancouver. Hope the Captain stays well clear of these things.

 

As for the thread - we don't often go to the evening entertainment but think that since NCL took over both Regent and Oceania the entertainment has been a touch better than the old Jean Ryan lot.

[Responder]

My husband and I have cruised nearly 200 days on Regent cruise line and it has changed after Norwegian purchased Regent and Oceania. We have cruised on all four ships after the buyout and Norwegian has diminished the quality of the Regent Luxury line, while still charging the Regent premium price. Disappointing as we use to speak highly of the Regent brand and can no longer do so. We are currently on the Voyager from San Francisco to Montreal for 28 days.

 

Listed below are the changes we have noticed and not for the better:

Entertainment

* By cutting costs Norwegian termed their contract with the Jean Ann Ryan production company. What a huge miss... We couldn't wait to watch the Productions/Cirque de Soleil while cruising and now we don't even go to the shows. The quality of the entertainment crew is like watching a high school production and the bios reflect so. Bios commenting they are excited to be leaving the country for the first time or happy to be on their first cruise. When you are paying the price for a luxury line the entertainment should reflect so. We have been on board eight days and the entertainment for two of those nights were movies: Beauty and the Beast and Pirates of the Caribbean. Did they buy the rights so it can be shown on all three lines: Norwegian, Oceania and Regent. Isn't Beauty and the beast a kid movie - not many kids on board?

 

Wine

* We use to thoroughly enjoy the various wines offered and typically provisioned around the region you were cruising. This is not the case anymore, Norwegian is now purchasing from very large vintners that can supply all three cruise lines and cutting cost. We may have purchased a bottle prior to buyout; however, now we average buying a bottle every other night for assortment. Very limited rotation now.

 

Food

* Lunch

The Compass Rose for lunch had a quite varied menu selection including Canyon Ranch/healthy options and build your own sandwich. Now they offer the same exact menu, everyday and on every ship. They do offer one daily special selection; however, you hope it's something you like or you are back to the same menu. It feels they are pushing you to go to buffet style eating rather than dining on white table cloth. We are now eating more at La Veranda buffet just for assortment.

 

* Dinner

Prior to Norwegian purchasing Regent we couldn't wait for dinner and to view the dinner options. We would always say after our cruise, wow not one bad bite. Not anymore... The creativity, quality and preparation are nothing near the Regent standards we use to know.

 

* Service

While we have had great service it has been spotty. We feel the quality of the service is lacking up to Regent standards.

 

Good note!

Housekeeping has been doing a fantastic job on this cruise, yet on our last cruise our Steward did a poor job.

 

For what we spend and knowing the decline in quality we are switching to another five star luxury cruise line.

 

 

 

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At the risk of incurring the wrath of the fanboys, I do agree with you. We have been sailing for over 50 years and for 10 of those with Regent..it was far classier when it was Renaissance. We eventually began to understand that we became our own victims while thinking this was the best. Since we untethered ourselves, we discovered there were other worlds of cruising out there that didn't require overpaying for our perceived luxury.

As in the past, I expect the flame throwers to erupt 🐯

[SGolffan]

I appreciate your comments and wanted to outreach to see if others were feeling the same as us. Again as mentioned we have always been BIG cheerleaders for Regent; however, we feel it has changed. We are in the Mariner up to New York and staying on through Montreal.

 

We are going to try our first river cruise on Crystal next year. We are thinking of booking an ocean cruise on Seabourn to compare for us.

 

 

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[mrlevin]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the fanboys, I do agree with you. We have been sailing for over 50 years and for 10 of those with Regent..it was far classier when it was Renaissance. We eventually began to understand that we became our own victims while thinking this was the best. Since we untethered ourselves, we discovered there were other worlds of cruising out there that didn't require overpaying for our perceived luxury.

As in the past, I expect the flame throwers to erupt 🐯

 

I assume you meant Radisson. If you did, in fact, mean Renaissance, no comparison in passenger to space ratio Radisson/Regent versus Renaissance.

 

Marc

[Responder]

I assume you meant Radisson. If you did, in fact, mean Renaissance, no comparison in passenger to space ratio Radisson/Regent versus Renaissance.

 

Marc

You are correct... I did mean Radisson.

Thanks

[Travelcat2]

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the fanboys, I do agree with you. We have been sailing for over 50 years and for 10 of those with Regent..it was far classier when it was Renaissance. We eventually began to understand that we became our own victims while thinking this was the best. Since we untethered ourselves, we discovered there were other worlds of cruising out there that didn't require overpaying for our perceived luxury.

As in the past, I expect the flame throwers to erupt ��

 

Yes - when Radisson was losing money by providing more than they could afford to please guests, it was better in some ways. No flames - just facts.. The ships were mechanically in disrepair because money was not being spent to refurbish them (mechanically or physically). The Navigator, Mariner and Voyager all had significant problems that were not being corrected. Had they continued the way they were going, they likely would have gone bankrupt.

 

Thankfully they were purchased by a company willing to put multi-millions of dollars into the ships (PCH). Now, NCLH is putting more multi-millions of dollars into the ships and increasing food costs, they are building new ships. The Voyager is no longer breaking down, the Navigator has power all of the time and is not listing without power in the middle of the ocean (we were onboard when this happened once) and the Mariner would likely not have to limp around the world for over a year because one of their pods failed and a new one had to be built from scratch. It is easy to forget the negative and remember only the positive.

 

In order to make the ships profitable, gifts given to passengers went away, dance hosts went away and other things changed. There has not been a decrease in service other than what has happened to all cruise lines (too many ships and not enough experienced crew to fill them). As mentioned, under NCLH, food quality has improved back to the level that it was during the Radisson years.

 

While it is said that "hindsight is 20/20", this is not necessarily true in many cases. For instance, the 60's were great but not as great as some think that they were (people tend to forget about the Vietnam war, etc.). Our first couple of cruises were under Radisson ownership and they hooked us on the product. The reason we remained is because of the positive changes that occurred when they were sold.

 

BTW, you can look at any luxury cruise line board and old timers (not by age but by years sailing on the cruise line) mostly feel the same way that the some posters do. There is nothing wrong with feeling this way but, IMO, it is far from reality.

 

Marc - there are not more crew members now than there was under Radisson. It is a fact that more crew facilities have been built to accommodate more crew and officers are now in passenger suites which takes revenue away from the company. The service was better under Radisson because the ships were not sailing full (again - this is a fact).