Regent vs Oceania aka Luxury vs Premium Plus

[Got2Cruise]

Winter’s Gate thank you for your very balanced review. You were able to articulate many of the points I wanted to explain.

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Winter's Gate - I also thank you for your comprehensive review. Your opinions of the food on Oceania and Regent come very close to ours - especially about Jacques vs. Chartreuse and the quality of food on the buffet in the Terrace Cafe. Regent does not have the array that Oceania has but the quality is better on Regent.

 

I want to address the comment that I make occasionally about luxury cruise lines vs. premium plus, premium, etc. In terms of comparing apples to oranges, yes - one can compare the food, service, suite size and several items on all cruise lines. For instance, there is a French restaurant on NCL that is almost as good as Jacques (service and food) but that does not mean that the experience on NCL is the same as Regent or Oceania.

 

What is difficult to accurately compare is the differences of other things on Oceania and Regent (for instance). Oceania has a much more casual dress code and it is not unusual to see men and women in shorts in the evening (while they are only permitted in the Terrace Cafe, is is apparently okay to wear them around the ship at night as we saw them quite a bit on our two Oceania cruises.) Oceania has stepped its foot into the "class system" which is not unusual for non-luxury cruise lines. Having places on a ship that are only for "suite guests" is something typical of mass market and premium cruise lines. The beauty of luxury cruise lines is that once you are onboard the ship, passengers are treated the same (outside of their suite) and there is nowhere on the ship that is limited to certain guests*

 

Then there is the darn key card - having to show it whether you have the included alcohol package or not. The keycard has imbedded information (not only on Oceania - likely on all cruise lines). I asked a bartender what he knows about us based on the information he saw when he swiped our card. His response was "you are rich because of the suite that you are staying in". While you do not have to be "rich" to be in a upper suite, this classifies passengers in the eyes of whomever is swiping your card. Thankfully, the only time you need a keycard on Regent is to get on or off of the ship .... when your picture pops up on the screen and when you purchase something onboard.

 

I'm addressing this only because I find it difficult to make proper comparisons between different categories of cruise ships. There is so much more to a cruising experience than food and service (although that is very important). As mentioned, one can get superb service and food on a mass market cruise line but that does not make it a luxury cruise line (especially when you are sailing with 4,000 other passengers and up to 900 children).

 

I feel that your comments about consistency were right on but I did not feel that the consistency on the Riviera was always there either. I find it interesting that two different chefs can follow the same recipe, same food quality and can come up with different tasting dishes. On the other hand, if my DH and I cook the same dish, his will be better than mine out of the time.

 

I'm glad to read that you will be sailing Regent again. May I recommend trying the Explorer as it is a very different Regent ship (in a positive way).

 

 

*The Explorer has a room that is only available to guests in the Regent suite (the one that is $10,000/night). The room is actually a waste of space and Regent tried a few different things and finally gave it to the Regent suite guests. Having toured the Regent suite a couple of times, I can't imagine wanting to have dinner in an enclosed room (yes - a couple of slanted windows but it feels like a box).

[alainciao]

TC, I'll be the first to point out that you reiterated your belief about not being able to compare premium and luxury cruise lines and then spent two rather lengthy paragraphs comparing Oceania and Regent. People do want to know the differences and your paragraphs have very relevant information.

[WesW]

Per & Isabelle; most often when I reply to a post, if I know the posters first name/names I use them. I learned your names by clicking on your Cruise Critic name, then three options pop up including Find All posts by Winters Gate. During one of your early cruise critic posts you introduced yourself as Per & Isabelle to another cruise critic on your sailing a few years ago. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize--my nature is to be friendly. By the way, we have friends from Oslo, one of our friends name is also Per.

[Travelcat2]

TC, I'll be the first to point out that you reiterated your belief about not being able to compare premium and luxury cruise lines and then spent two rather lengthy paragraphs comparing Oceania and Regent. People do want to know the differences and your paragraphs have very relevant information.

 

Okay - you made a good point and I have compared Regent to Oceania previously. Perhaps it is easier for me since I've sailed on both cruise lines. Actually, NCL, Oceania, Silversea and Regent are the only cruise Iines that we have sailed on this century. It would be very difficult for me to go into details about NCL vs. Regent except for the comparison I did with their French restaurant and number of passengers on the ship. We will be on a premium cruise line in about 6 weeks and will see if I can make another comparison. Interestingly, what I know about NCL and Celebrity through booking a cruise, I already have an opinion about their upper suites (and so far we prefer NCL).

 

Perhaps it is my laziness that makes me not want to make certain comparisons. When comparing luxury cruise lines, it is easy ....... some are more inclusive than others, one has a more formal dress code, one has smaller suites, etc. When it comes to comparing non-luxury cruise lines with luxury cruise lines, it would be easier to just point out what is the same since the list would be considerably smaller than to point out what is different since just about everything is different (IMHO). How does one even begin to explain all of the things that you pay for when onboard - even bottled water or a soft drink (both NCL and Celebrity).

 

While writing this it occurred to me that the easiest way to learn about another cruise line is to hang out on their board for a while and see what their issues are (positive and negative). You will see comments and questions that you would never see on a luxury board. The latest thing on the Celebrity board that caught my attention is that people go into a lounge that is suppose to be for "suite guests only" and take/steal water and/or beer.

 

P.S. Just thought of another (of many) differences on Oceania. Only passengers in certain suites (think that it is concierge level and above) can have a "hot breakfast" from room service. Go figure!

[Silver Sweethearts]

The Explorer has a room that is only available to guests in the Regent suite (the one that is $10,000/night). The room is actually a waste of space and Regent tried a few different things and finally gave it to the Regent suite guests. Having toured the Regent suite a couple of times, I can't imagine wanting to have dinner in an enclosed room (yes - a couple of slanted windows but it feels like a box).

 

We have dined twice in that "enclosed room", and found the evening to be something you cannot explain unless you have experienced it. With all due respect, did you ever actually dine there?

[fizzy]

I would like to thank the OP for a really well written and interesting review. I hope that the discussion continues with nicely thought out and relevant comments.

[Travelcat2]

We have dined twice in that "enclosed room", and found the evening to be something you cannot explain unless you have experienced it. With all due respect, did you ever actually dine there?

 

Yes we did! We were the only couple there and did not care for the venue at all (but it would make a nice, quiet game room). Since the food choices were from Chartreuse or P7, it really wasn't special at all. I guess you could say that the door was special since you walk through the restaurant - go to the left and the door opens to reveal the space.

 

Perhaps it is better now if/when whomever is staying in the Regent suite invites people to dine with them IF they have one large table. Still, I'd rather sit on the floor and eat in the Regent suite that sit at a table in the "closet" (hmmmm, it would make a wonderful closet!)

[Winters Gate]

Per & Isabelle; most often when I reply to a post, if I know the posters first name/names I use them. I learned your names by clicking on your Cruise Critic name, then three options pop up including Find All posts by Winters Gate. During one of your early cruise critic posts you introduced yourself as Per & Isabelle to another cruise critic on your sailing a few years ago. If I have offended you in any way, I apologize--my nature is to be friendly. By the way, we have friends from Oslo, one of our friends name is also Per.

No I’m not offended at all I was just curios:D, I tought it was nice actually!

[MalbecWine]

Even though we have not met Wes and his beautiful wife, don’t let other posters ruin your day. Every post from Wes is with class unlike a few others I have read that like to argue.

 

I for one enjoyed your honest critiques and also the positive comments.

 

We love Stockholm and look forward to visiting again.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Per & Isabelle; most often when I reply to a post, if I know the posters first name/names I use them. I learned your names by clicking on your Cruise Critic name, then three options pop up including Find All posts by Winters Gate...

 

Wes, didn't see the original posts but glad no one was offended. I have done the same thing in the past, but find it uncomfortable at times, as I feel like I'm purporting to be an insider.

 

When others do it, I often don't know who they are referring to--it's tough to follow threads when you don't know a person's real name. I think it's important that newcomers don't feel left out in some way.

[Travelcat2]

Agree with Wendy. I try to use posters "CC names" whenever possible to avoid confusion. While I do use my real name when posting to some people that I know, at least the poster reading the post can see my CC name as well. Since this has been brought up, I will try to use CC names more often as I do not want anyone to assume familiarity when it does not exist.

 

As an aside, Regent is able to determine who we are when we use real names. While this might be fine for some people, others may not be comfortable having Regent know who they are. I am the same with taking photos and would never post photos without permission. It also seems that CC want us to be anonymous (not using our real names or giving personal information like email addresses on a public site ...... unless we want to).

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

I most often sign my posts with my first name so that if someone wants to reply, it’s easy. I have no problem with familiarity. CC is a place to make friends. And, fortunately I have made some good friends here.

But, if I wrote some of the nasty posts I read, I wouldn’t sign my name either!

Sheila

[Travelcat2]

I most often sign my posts with my first name so that if someone wants to reply, it’s easy. I have no problem with familiarity. CC is a place to make friends. And, fortunately I have made some good friends here.

But, if I wrote some of the nasty posts I read, I wouldn’t sign my name either!

Sheila

 

You more or less made my point. Some people do not want their names mentioned on CC. You and I may not feel that way (Regent knows who I am anyway) but we cannot assume that others do not care.

 

Personally, I do not find CC to be a place to make friends though sometimes meeting through CC works towards that end. I just would not assume that someone is okay with my using their first name. In this day and age, respect for each other's privacy is really important.

[Pamela1]

You more or less made my point. Some people do not want their names mentioned on CC. You and I may not feel that way (Regent knows who I am anyway) but we cannot assume that others do not care.

 

Personally, I do not find CC to be a place to make friends though sometimes meeting through CC works towards that end. I just would not assume that someone is okay with my using their first name. In this day and age, respect for each other's privacy is really important.

 

 

If people use their real names on here then surely thats the issue of the person that gives their name out rather than the people replying to them?

Also, is there a precedence for when you can use a persons first name when they have used it themselves or is it only reserved for people that they want to know or reply to?....complicated for sure.

 

I think (in my opinion of course) that if you don't want anyone to know anything about you then don't give anything about you!!!.........simples!!!

 

Pam. :D

[Travelcat2]

If people use their real names on here then surely thats the issue of the person that gives their name out rather than the people replying to them?

Also, is there a precedence for when you can use a persons first name when they have used it themselves or is it only reserved for people that they want to know or reply to?....complicated for sure.

 

I think (in my opinion of course) that if you don't want anyone to know anything about you then don't give anything about you!!!.........simples!!!

 

Pam. :D

 

If you reread the last page (especially post 79), you will see that it is not that simple.

 

Wendy brought up the best point........ (and I quote - highlighting is mine): "When others do it, I often don't know who they are referring to--it's tough to follow threads when you don't know a person's real name. I think it's important that newcomers don't feel left out in some way."

 

Since we are here to help answer questions for newbies, the last thing that we want to do is to alienate them by making it sound like we are a clique which clearly we are not.

[Pamela1]

If you reread the last page (especially post 79), you will see that it is not that simple.

 

Wendy brought up the best point........ (and I quote - highlighting is mine): "When others do it, I often don't know who they are referring to--it's tough to follow threads when you don't know a person's real name. I think it's important that newcomers don't feel left out in some way."

 

Since we are here to help answer questions for newbies, the last thing that we want to do is to alienate them by making it sound like we are a clique which clearly we are not.

 

Right Jackie, thanks for that. :D

 

Pam.

[Winters Gate]

 

What is difficult to accurately compare is the differences of other things on Oceania and Regent (for instance). Oceania has a much more casual dress code and it is not unusual to see men and women in shorts in the evening (while they are only permitted in the Terrace Cafe, is is apparently okay to wear them around the ship at night as we saw them quite a bit on our two Oceania cruises.)

Then there is the darn key card - having to show it whether you have the included alcohol package or not. The keycard has imbedded information (not only on Oceania - likely on all cruise lines). I asked a bartender what he knows about us based on the information he saw when he swiped our card. His response was "you are rich because of the suite that you are staying in". While you do not have to be "rich" to be in a upper suite, this classifies passengers in the eyes of whomever is swiping your card. Thankfully, the only time you need a keycard on Regent is to get on or off of the ship .... when your picture pops up on the screen and when you purchase something onboard.

 

TC2- Yes I agree that that the dress code on Regent is more elegant then on Oceania and that might ad to a more luxurios feeling, but even if the dress code is there they for sure don´t applying it all the time. I saw both baseball hats and shorts in the lounges after six a clock just not that much as on Oceania, but the worst was one night in the Voyager lounges where a guy was dressed in a Hoodie and jogging pants and nobody of the staff said anything, and he was on stage singing karaoke so he was clearly to be seen!

 

I also agree strongly about the keycard, it was so nice not to have to show it for every drink you had, or to wait in the restaurant when the wine waiter is running away to swipe your card at the end of the meal. However I´m not sure that you get inferior service because they can see your not in a suite on Oceania, as a matter of fact the one time we took a pothole cabin on Insignia we received practically the best service ever on Ocenaia, and we where also able to make more speciality restaurants booking then on any other cruise!

 

TC2- You and I had previously had some discussion abut whether one should complain when a issue occur onboard, you think a complain is the right way to go and my viewpoint was that there should not be so large issues on a Ultra Luxury line like Regent because then the people that you are complaining to are the ones that don't do their job properly.

Well I took you on your word and did wright a complain about the cocktails in the mid cruise form and I was pleasantly surprised when the F&B manager suddenly showed up at our table in CR the next night, he asked us about the problems we have had, he said that sometimes when the bartender is away the servars had made the drinks and that had not turned out well and that he should see to that it stopped immediately, and that he should see to that the cocktails had a consistent higher quality thru the ship from now on.

The problem was that nothing happened, on the contrary I thought it just got a little bit worse as the cruise went on.

So his appearance witch I first thought was a nice gesture just turned out to be empty words. That left a kind of bad taste in my mouth, because the feeling afterwords when we realize nothing happened was that he thought that we will be so flattered by him searched us upp and show us attention that we will feel special just forget about the issue. But he was badly mistaken, in my opinion supervisors and officers are there to do a job not run around flattering guests and make them feel special

He should have either corrected the issue as he said or just stayed away, not just prattle empty words trying to make us feel special!

[Travelcat2]

Hi again Winters Gate. So sorry that the information given to you about the cocktails was not followed through by the F&B Director. I personally would have escalated it to the General Manager but understand if you did not want to do that. After all, the F&B Director should be able to handle issues and follow through. He/she should have asked you a couple of days later if things had improved.

 

Also disappointed to learn about how people were dressed after 6:00 p.m. This seems to be an ongoing issue on Regent. While I understand that it is uncomfortable for both the crew and passengers to have to be reminded of the dress code, this is not an excuse. Each time that I have broached this subject with corporate, they strongly agree that their policies should be adhered to.

 

The next time I speak with corporate, I will let them know that I am uncomfortable recommending solutions to issues onboard since they appear to be ignored. In fact, I will email someone at corporate when I finish this post!

[rcandkc]

Agree with Wendy. I try to use posters "CC names" whenever possible to avoid confusion. While I do use my real name when posting to some people that I know, at least the poster reading the post can see my CC name as well. Since this has been brought up, I will try to use CC names more often as I do not want anyone to assume familiarity when it does not exist.

 

As an aside, Regent is able to determine who we are when we use real names. While this might be fine for some people, others may not be comfortable having Regent know who they are. I am the same with taking photos and would never post photos without permission. It also seems that CC want us to be anonymous (not using our real names or giving personal information like email addresses on a public site ...... unless we want to).

 

I don’t use my real name but Regent still figured out who I was on one cruise. My husband was having difficulty finding coffee to his liking. I went to the boards asking for advice. Anyway, next day phone rings and manager wants to talk “coffee”. I handed phone to husband. 😀

[Travelcat2]

I don’t use my real name but Regent still figured out who I was on one cruise. My husband was having difficulty finding coffee to his liking. I went to the boards asking for advice. Anyway, next day phone rings and manager wants to talk “coffee”. I handed phone to husband.

 

Very interesting. I wonder how they figured it out. Did you ever mention your names in one of you posts because that is apparently how the name of a current poster was found out.

 

Posters don't seem to realize that Regent can easily figure out who you are based on your name. It is even easier when they know both first names (like "Mary and Joe"). So between people looking into our posting history, using first names, etc., in my opinion, you are invading the privacy of the posters.

 

In any case, I have no clue how they figured out who you were but it is nice that they called. Did Regent offer you any helpful comments about their coffee?

 

I am really going to try to stop using identifying names on CC unless specifically told that I can do so by the poster. In terms of Dennis (my DH) and myself, as I mentioned, everyone already knows our names so it is no big deal.

 

P.S. I do have an admission to make........ based on how a poster learned first names (from a post made "years ago"), I am not looking up posters to see if they have ever sailed on Regent. While not 100% accurate, it gives you a very good idea of what cruise lines the poster sails. So, I guess I am also invading poster's privacy but it is a public board and as long as I am not hurting anyone by looking up the information, it is probably borderline "okay".

[Winters Gate]

I will only be happy if Regent did identify us and read the review, then someone higher up will know whats not so good and have a chance to correct it, but they will also learn about all the thing they do just right and thats important as well, as people usually tend to write more reviews when they are not satisfied then the other way around.

Even if you know your good it always feels nice to hear it anyway so you know that your on the right path.

[rcandkc]

Very interesting. I wonder how they figured it out. Did you ever mention your names in one of you posts because that is apparently how the name of a current poster was found out.

 

Posters don't seem to realize that Regent can easily figure out who you are based on your name. It is even easier when they know both first names (like "Mary and Joe"). So between people looking into our posting history, using first names, etc., in my opinion, you are invading the privacy of the posters.

 

In any case, I have no clue how they figured out who you were but it is nice that they called. Did Regent offer you any helpful comments about their coffee?

 

I am really going to try to stop using identifying names on CC unless specifically told that I can do so by the poster. In terms of Dennis (my DH) and myself, as I mentioned, everyone already knows our names so it is no big deal.

 

P.S. I do have an admission to make........ based on how a poster learned first names (from a post made "years ago"), I am not looking up posters to see if they have ever sailed on Regent. While not 100% accurate, it gives you a very good idea of what cruise lines the poster sails. So, I guess I am also invading poster's privacy but it is a public board and as long as I am not hurting anyone by looking up the information, it is probably borderline "okay".

 

Yes, they gave him some tips to try based on his tastes. I don’t drink coffee so don’t remember what they told him. It’s been a couple years. Yes, we appreciated the phone call.

[RachelG]

I am very sure Regent knows who I am when I post, as do Silversea and Oceania. But I use my real name, so it is not hard.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I don’t use my real name but Regent still figured out who I was on one cruise. My husband was having difficulty finding coffee to his liking. I went to the boards asking for advice. Anyway, next day phone rings and manager wants to talk “coffee”. I handed phone to husband. 😀

 

That's a great story. I'm guessing that your screen name would be a great clue. All he'd have to do is look for a pair of guests with your initials, eh?