Choosing a cabin on Splendor?

[the_dylaness]

We are new to sailing RSSC and thinking about booking the Splendor for Feb 2021.  We would be choosing a lower end veranda suite.  Looking at the deck plans has been helpful, but I am wondering if anyone has any tips about how to choose a cabin specifically on this ship? Is it a template similar to other RSSC ships or am I totally in the dark?  

 

Thank you!

[Travelcat2]

Welcome to the Regent board!

 

Splendor will debut in February, 2021 and does have quite a bit of information (deck plans, suite descriptions, etc.) on the rssc,com website.  This link should take you there https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_splendor

 

Splendor will be almost a twin to Regent's Explorer.  Both the Explorer and Splendor are quite different than other ships.

 

Depending upon what ships that you have sailed on in the past, the two lowest categories on Splendor are small and many Regent passengers feel that they are more suited to solo travelers due to the size (especially the tiny bathroom - you can compare bathrooms in the category "H" and "G" suites compared to the F1/F2 suites if you look at the layout on the website.  

 

Most Regent passengers seem to love the F1/F2 suites with their large bathroom with a tub, shower, two sinks and tons of storage space.  I would highly recommend these two suite levels.

[the_dylaness]

6 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Welcome to the Regent board!

 

Splendor will debut in February, 2021 and does have quite a bit of information (deck plans, suite descriptions, etc.) on the rssc,com website.  This link should take you there https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_splendor

 

Splendor will be almost a twin to Regent's Explorer.  Both the Explorer and Splendor are quite different than other ships.

 

Depending upon what ships that you have sailed on in the past, the two lowest categories on Splendor are small and many Regent passengers feel that they are more suited to solo travelers due to the size (especially the tiny bathroom - you can compare bathrooms in the category "H" and "G" suites compared to the F1/F2 suites if you look at the layout on the website.  

 

Most Regent passengers seem to love the F1/F2 suites with their large bathroom with a tub, shower, two sinks and tons of storage space.  I would highly recommend these two suite levels.

 

This is very helpful!  I did not realize that it was a "sister" to the Explorer.

 

I have had the joy (mostly!) of sailing in a pretty wide variety of staterooms on a wide variety of ships- everything from an inside on Carnival (!!), to Neptune suites on HAL, 2 bedroom suites in NCL Haven, outside on a very old RCCL ship, and verandas on Crystal and Seabourn, and an OV suite on Silversea.  Our budget tends to allow a low-level suite on something like X, or an entryish-level room on a more luxurious line, and I prefer to take the smaller cabin on the nicer ship if we aren't traveling with our kids.  300ish square foot is fine for us in a warm-climate itinerary where we are outside most of the time anyway.

 

I will definitely take a look at the price difference for an F1/F2 vs G or H, though.  I don't know how often the upgrade fairy comes to Regent ships, but I have had some good luck in the past, notably on Crystal and Seabourn, booking "steerage" and getting nice upgrades.  But it is certainly a game of roulette.

 

I will use the Explorer reviews as a starting point now that I realize they are very similar ships.

Thanks for your tips, very useful!

 

 

 

[the_dylaness]

Oh! Just realized the 300 sqft includes the balcony on the H staterooms... hmm maybe an upgrade is in order!

[Travelcat2]

Most of the differences between the Explorer and Splendor will be on Deck 5 where the Coffee Connection, Spa, etc. are located. The Coffee Connection is moving and will have a seating area outside, the PH suites are changing a bit and the theater will be different (Explorer's theater has site line issues).  In our 32 Regent cruises, Explorer is by far our favorite ship and we are booked on Splendor in March 2020!

 

As you know, the service will be as good - no matter which size suite you select.  It is about what you are comfortable with.

 

P.S.  Make sure that you are using a TA that gives a percentage back on your cruise.  It does help!

Edited January 30, 2019 by Travelcat2

[flossie009]

@the_dylaness,

Fully agree that the F suites are excellent - good size & layout with plenty of storage and a well appointed bathroom.

 

However, since you are new to Regent, you may wish to consider the extras that come with the concierge level suites, grade D or E. 

These extras include earlier on-line booking for dining & excursions, extra device connections for Wi-Fi plus a pre-cruise hotel amongst others. The following link will allow you to compare:

https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_splendor/suites (for room layouts see Explorer)

 

Hope you find something that is to your liking 🙂

[Travelcat2]

Since the TS was interested in "entry level" suites, I did not make the recommendation that you did about concierge suites. If/when money is an issue, the few benefits offered in concierge suites may not be important!

[flossie009]

But IMHO it is still useful for those new to cruise line to be advised of all the possible options so that they can make their own value judgements.

 

For those new to Regent the description "Concierge Suite" can be very confusing as it bears so little relation to the way the term is used on other lines or elsewhere in the hospitality industry. 

[poss]

I'm trying to figure out the difference between an F1 and F2 on Splendor.   They seem to be in equally good parts of the ship.   They seem to be the same size.   (In fact, there seems to be a difference in sq footage among the cabins in each category.   I wonder how difficult it would be to learn which cabins have the greater space.)

Also, if I'm not mistaken, Splendor debuts in Feb. 2020, not 2021.

Thread starter: I hope you love Regent as much as we do.

[Travelcat2]

22 minutes ago, poss said:

I'm trying to figure out the difference between an F1 and F2 on Splendor.   They seem to be in equally good parts of the ship.   They seem to be the same size.   (In fact, there seems to be a difference in sq footage among the cabins in each category.   I wonder how difficult it would be to learn which cabins have the greater space.)

Also, if I'm not mistaken, Splendor debuts in Feb. 2020, not 2021.

Thread starter: I hope you love Regent as much as we do.

 

I'm trying to remember to type this year as "2019" and end up typing 2020 in one place and 2021 in another.  

 

The main difference we see between F1 and F2 is balcony size!

[taxare]

Hello, welcome to the Regent board. A couple of thoughts. While there are some changes from the Explorer to the Splendor you may want to look at Bill's excellent sticky "Suite Guru". You can at least see some of the reviews of particular categories of cabins on the Explorer which may help you choose. Also if you book you may want to look at the member referral thread. If you or your travel agent completes the referral form within 14 days of making your deposit you will get a $250 credit on your booked cruise. We really enjoy Regent!

[the_dylaness]

Great! I will take a look at the member referral thread for sure, I remember Seabourn did this (although it never worked out for us unfortunately...)

 

No decisions just yet- I book all of my cruises anymore through one of two TAs and I am waiting for a reply from the second.

 

 

[the_dylaness]

A few questions:

 

Difference per person between H and F2 is just over 500- does that sound like a good deal for an 8 day cruise? Difference between H and E is 1000 per person... ?

 

TA including some perks like “private excursion”, cocktail party... is this a big deal?

 

If in concierge and not getting air through Regent  do you still get pre cruise hotel?

 

 Thanks!

[Travelcat2]

Definitely worth $500 to get into an F2.  Yes, if you book an "E" category suite, you get the pre-cruise hotel - even if you do not book through Regent (you also get an air credit).

 

Regent sponsored cocktail parties are for upper suites, however, you can always have a couple of two in your suite -- it is just not catered the way a cocktail party is.  To me, this is definitely not a big deal.

 

What "private excursion" are you referring to?  Is this something provided by your travel agent?  If they are also giving you a percentage back on your cruise fare, it is a good thing but if not, I'd book with another TA.

 

Note:  We had a TA associated with a consortium that provided excursions.  We prefer the cash!

[the_dylaness]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

Definitely worth $500 to get into an F2.  Yes, if you book an "E" category suite, you get the pre-cruise hotel - even if you do not book through Regent (you also get an air credit).

 

Regent sponsored cocktail parties are for upper suites, however, you can always have a couple of two in your suite -- it is just not catered the way a cocktail party is.  To me, this is definitely not a big deal.

 

What "private excursion" are you referring to?  Is this something provided by your travel agent?  If they are also giving you a percentage back on your cruise fare, it is a good thing but if not, I'd book with another TA.

 

Note:  We had a TA associated with a consortium that provided excursions.  We prefer the cash!

 

 

The TA is providing "private host, cocktail party, and private excursion".  Could not get a lot more info just yet, but also comes with $ and it is a TA I have used for at least a decade and am very comfy with, have booked other luxury cruises with them and had good experiences.

 

I guess the biggest perk for us of the concierge room would be the priority for dining and shore excursions.  I looked at the "suggested" excursions for the cruise (obviously 2 years out they aren't available)- we tend to prefer more active excursions. Kayaking, zipline, hiking, etc.  I think what I can't figure out is what likelihood we have to still get reasonably preferred excursions if we are in an H or G or F vs an E.  The other E perks are nice but not really a dealbreaker for us.   But, if we are paying more to get included excursions and all that's left is what my husband called "bus tour of Diamonds international" (jokingly)... then it is pointless.  How quickly do shore excursions tend to fill for Regent newbies?  Do Fs have priority over H?

[the_dylaness]

The host/party/excursion is through a consortium.

[jeb_bud]

2 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

A few questions:

 

Difference per person between H and F2 is just over 500- does that sound like a good deal for an 8 day cruise? Difference between H and E is 1000 per person... ?

 

TA including some perks like “private excursion”, cocktail party... is this a big deal?

 

If in concierge and not getting air through Regent  do you still get pre cruise hotel?

 

 Thanks!

F2 looks like a much nicer suite, worth $500 to me. Concierge gets you earlier excursion and dinner reservations, a coffee maker and multiple WiFi logins. Worth another $500?  It was for me to avoid conflict with my wife over iPad time. 

 

The booze is free anyway so the cocktail party has some social value but probably not financial value. With all the included excursions on Regent, I would value an excursion provided by my TA based on the details of the excursion. 

 

You can can arrange your own air and still get the pre-cruise hotel but you need to find your own way from the airport to the hotel, and from the ship to the airport at the end. 

[the_dylaness]

6 minutes ago, jeb_bud said:

F2 looks like a much nicer suite, worth $500 to me. Concierge gets you earlier excursion and dinner reservations, a coffee maker and multiple WiFi logins. Worth another $500?  It was for me to avoid conflict with my wife over iPad time. 

 

The booze is free anyway so the cocktail party has some social value but probably not financial value. With all the included excursions on Regent, I would value an excursion provided by my TA based on the details of the excursion. 

 

You can can arrange your own air and still get the pre-cruise hotel but you need to find your own way from the airport to the hotel, and from the ship to the airport at the end. 

 

Great example of how different things are of different value to different folks!  We probably spend less than an hour total each on the internet on a week long cruise so the wifi is of almost no value to us.  Mostly just to email our kids 🙂  Missing preferred shore excursions would be a big bummer for us, though.

 

No details on excursion from TA available yet (remember this is 2 years away...)

Travel to/from airport no problem for us.  Regent hotels usually quite nice it seems, so that is a plus.

 

[UUNetBill]

The extra $$ for an F2 is a must-spend for us.  Going for Concierge is dependent on hotel rates, flight schedules, and how we feel when we book.  🤪

 

We’ve done Concierge and not done Concierge, it really depends on the bottom dollar.  But I highly recommend doing at least an F...

[ronrick1943]

I agree with Bill---I'd figure out what you can spend and go with that amount.  It's your get way time to enjoy, so what ever you can afford and be comfortable with---do it and go for the best suite in that range and don't look back.

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, the_dylaness said:

 

Great example of how different things are of different value to different folks!  We probably spend less than an hour total each on the internet on a week long cruise so the wifi is of almost no value to us.  Mostly just to email our kids 🙂  Missing preferred shore excursions would be a big bummer for us, though.

 

No details on excursion from TA available yet (remember this is 2 years away...)

Travel to/from airport no problem for us.  Regent hotels usually quite nice it seems, so that is a plus.

 

 

If your cruise depends upon going on certain excursions, suggest that you book a concierge suite AND go online the minute that excursions open.

 

Have you checked the excursions on your cruise?  They are on the website!  Based on your description, I looked up the only 8 day cruise on Splendor in February 2021.  I checked out the excursions for one site here https://www.rssc.com/cruises/SPL210325/activities/regent-choice-plus-free/day-3

 

Basically, if you go to the rssc.com website and click on a port, this page will come up.  If you scroll to the bottom you will be able to "check" the more active excursions and read the description (sorry - have no clue why this is partly in bold and partly not -- very strange).  While Regent could make small tweaks between now and when you can book excursions, you can periodically check the website to see if any excursions have been added or deleted.  Hope that this helps.

[Kwaj girl]

1 hour ago, drib said:

FYI: new, this week, I think, the inaugural Transatlantic changed from embarkation on February 7 to February 6, and the availability status from "wait list" to "call," whatever that means.

 

https://www.rssc.com/cruises/SPL200206/summary

 

 

Hmm...we are on this voyage and received no notification.  So now one extra day on MIA as we are on the next voyage, too.

[Snore42]

13 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

Hmm...we are on this voyage and received no notification.  So now one extra day on MIA as we are on the next voyage, too.

 

Yes looks like it arrives a day early as well, I wonder if you'll have to get off the boat between cruises?   In a case like this, would Regent allow cancellation since the days shifted?  With the inaugural sailings I thought they were non cancellable, but moving dates should be cause for being able to cancel. 

[Kwaj girl]

2 hours ago, Snore42 said:

 

Yes looks like it arrives a day early as well, I wonder if you'll have to get off the boat between cruises?   In a case like this, would Regent allow cancellation since the days shifted?  With the inaugural sailings I thought they were non cancellable, but moving dates should be cause for being able to cancel. 

 

Regent sent the notification today. We have no plans to cancel at this point - I'm certain there's something we can find to do in FL if we don;t get an invite to any of the Miami festivities in between voyages.  As Titaniums we might have a shot.  Were informed when booking both voyages that we'd have to pack up & leave in between as they'd need the suites for the media events.

[Hambagahle]

Seems the Splendour will arrive in Miami on 20 February and sail for San Diego on 25 February which gives Regent longer to "show off" the Splendour in Miami...and of course have all the tra-la-la that goes on with the naming ceremony etc.  "Our" cruise has not been changed.  We leave San Diego on 14 March as planned...

 

I would think the insertion of "call" on the 6 Feb. cruise is because some people might cancel because of the date change and they want potential clients to put themselves on a wait list in case of this happening??