Returning to cruising - TA spring 2023 - Voyager Vs Splendor?

[slidebite]

Hi folks!

Long time no post! Mrs. Slidebite and I were booked for a TA cruise back in spring 2020 on Explorer... and we all know what happened then. So, we're finally getting to a comfortable place and looking to revisit this.

 

We're looking at 2 TA cruises (I've never done a TA or repositioning cruise).

 

Choices are Miami - Lisbon (Splendor) March 28 - 12 nights

or

Miami-Barcelona (Voyager) April 5 - 14 nights

 

We've never sailed on any of the new class of ships. All previous Regent cruises have been on Mariner or Voyager. Last cruise was Voyager in 2018 on an ill-faited Med/Adriatic cruise where we collided with the pier in Civitavecchia and caused an alteration to our voyage. BUT, the Voyager is anything but disappointing and we've never had anything but excellent service and food.

 

I would like to *try* a new ship (either Explorer or Splendor) but we're certainly not desperate to. About the only thing I can think of that the Voyager doesn't have is the culinary arts center to try. Otherwise, the F/Superior cabins on the new ships seem nicer/little larger than the F on Voyager, but we certainly did not feel anything but comfortable on the Voyager previously.

 

Questions are this:

 

Has the Voyager been refitted/refitted at all since fall 2018?

 

Is the new class ships a "must try" over an older ship?

 

I received quotes from our TA for both cruises, even though the Voyager cruise is a couple days longer, it is *significantly*  less $$ (like 20%) than Splendor for a similar, and I'd actually argue, better itinerary both with "F" cabins. I am aware the Voyager F is likely not quite up to a Explorer F, but that alone really doesn't factor much in my formula.

 

Thoughts/opinions? Specifically with the Voyager vs Splendor?

Edited January 10, 2023 by slidebite

[DeepFreeze63]

30 minutes ago, slidebite said:

Hi folks!

Long time no post! Mrs. Slidebite and I were booked for a TA cruise back in spring 2020 on Explorer... and we all know what happened then. So, we're finally getting to a comfortable place and looking to revisit this.

 

We're looking at 2 TA cruises (I've never done a TA or repositioning cruise).

 

Choices are Miami - Lisbon (Splendor) March 28 - 12 nights

or

Miami-Barcelona (Voyager) April 5 - 14 nights

 

We've never sailed on any of the new class of ships. All previous Regent cruises have been on Mariner or Voyager. Last cruise was Voyager in 2018 on an ill-faited Med/Adriatic cruise where we collided with the pier in Civitavecchia and caused an alteration to our voyage. BUT, the Voyager is anything but disappointing and we've never had anything but excellent service and food.

 

I would like to *try* a new ship (either Explorer or Splendor) but we're certainly not desperate to. About the only thing I can think of that the Voyager doesn't have is the culinary arts center to try. Otherwise, the F/Superior cabins on the new ships seem nicer/little larger than the F on Voyager, but we certainly did not feel anything but comfortable on the Voyager previously.

 

Questions are this:

 

Has the Voyager been refitted/refitted at all since fall 2018?

 

Is the new class ships a "must try" over an older ship?

 

I received quotes from our TA for both cruises, even though the Voyager cruise is a couple days longer, it is *significantly*  less $$ (like 20%) than Splendor for a similar, and I'd actually argue, better itinerary both with "F" cabins. I am aware the Voyager F is likely not quite up to a Explorer F, but that alone really doesn't factor much in my formula.

 

Thoughts/opinions? Specifically with the Voyager vs Splendor?

Choosing between ships involves a LOT of personal preferences but based upon what you posted, it’d be a “coin flip” or a change of pace for DW and I. We did 4 Voyager cruises in 2022 (and 2 on Explorer) as well as the Splendor Inaugural in 2020; we are on the 3/28/2023 Splendor TA - as a change of pace for us.

 

For us, the Voyager’s theater is a better experience and the availability of a Horizon Lounge is a BIG plus.

For us, the availability of the Splendor’s specialty restaurants for lunch on sea days is a big plus.

The Voyager has not had a retro fit recently and our F cabins were in need of such while the Splendor’s F cabins are magnificent.

 

Yes, the Splendor is a "must try".  I wouldn't rate the Explorer as a "must try" as it has several "warts" (which were corrected on the Splendor).

[Gpilon]

36 minutes ago, slidebite said:

Hi folks!

Long time no post! Mrs. Slidebite and I were booked for a TA cruise back in spring 2020 on Explorer... and we all know what happened then. So, we're finally getting to a comfortable place and looking to revisit this.

 

We're looking at 2 TA cruises (I've never done a TA or repositioning cruise).

 

Choices are Miami - Lisbon (Splendor) March 28 - 12 nights

or

Miami-Barcelona (Voyager) April 5 - 14 nights

 

We've never sailed on any of the new class of ships. All previous Regent cruises have been on Mariner or Voyager. Last cruise was Voyager in 2018 on an ill-faited Med/Adriatic cruise where we collided with the pier in Civitavecchia and caused an alteration to our voyage. BUT, the Voyager is anything but disappointing and we've never had anything but excellent service and food.

 

I would like to *try* a new ship (either Explorer or Splendor) but we're certainly not desperate to. About the only thing I can think of that the Voyager doesn't have is the culinary arts center to try. Otherwise, the F/Superior cabins on the new ships seem nicer/little larger than the F on Voyager, but we certainly did not feel anything but comfortable on the Voyager previously.

 

Questions are this:

 

Has the Voyager been refitted/refitted at all since fall 2018?

 

Is the new class ships a "must try" over an older ship?

 

I received quotes from our TA for both cruises, even though the Voyager cruise is a couple days longer, it is *significantly*  less $$ (like 20%) than Splendor for a similar, and I'd actually argue, better itinerary both with "F" cabins. I am aware the Voyager F is likely not quite up to a Explorer F, but that alone really doesn't factor much in my formula.

 

Thoughts/opinions? Specifically with the Voyager vs Splendor?

We are on the Splendor TA March 28 and can’t wait, especially having sailed on her this past March. A gorgeous ship with more dining venues/options and as Deepfreeze mentions, having specialty restaurants open on sea days (virtually the entire cruise) should make for some terrific meals. Also agree that Splendor is a “must try”. If you book this cruise, let’s look to have a drink together around the pool bar and talk about the Flames and Oilers. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I feel for you!  Our last cruise was 2018, on Mariner, and we've been on Voyager a few times.  We'll be boarding Splendor in a little over two weeks and really looking forward to cruising again, and it was nice to be able to try one of the new ships, I admit. But for me, I'd probably choose Voyager because it's cheaper, but it might depend on what cabins were available.  It would also be a toss-up to end in Barcelona or Lisbon, love both cities.

[flossie009]

Voyager plus points:

  - longer cruise

  - Horizon Lounge

  - cheaper because of a special offer

 

Splendor plus points:

  - Suite layout, storage & bathroom 🙂

  - cookery classes

  - Pacific Rim restaurant 😋

  - Chartreuse and/or Prime 7 open for lunch

  - Sunday sea day brunch

 

Both cruises have the drawback that travelling east you lose time - clocks will advance 1 hour a number of times during the cruise…………… but you will have a daytime flight going home.

 

Decisions, decisions ………… 

[mj_holiday]

For me - I would compare prices in suites of similar size and compare any ports along the way and would probably choose the longer cruise - Voyager.

[1982CruzStart]

I would probably chose to do Voyager for the extra 2 days, less money and ending in Lisbon rather than Barcelona as i prefer Lisbon over Barcelona but only slightly. 

We board Voyager in a couple of weeks and admit to being a little disappointed in her after being on Explorer the last time we sailed because of the differences pointed out by Flossie about Splendor. As well the cabins on Voyager were showing their age in 2019 and as far as i know not too much has been done since. We are going on Voyager again because it is going where we want to go. We chose our itinerary first and then the ship.

We did book a cruise in 2024 specifically to go on one of the newer ships as we are not sure how much more cruising we will do and i wanted to sail on 1 of them, 1 last time.  It turns out to be on Grandeur because the timing and money were right. 

[slidebite]

Firstly, I really appreciate the replies and thoughts on this.

 

I never considered lunch in the specialty at sea. Although, to be totally fair, we have enough trouble as it is choosing where to have our meals. For lunch, even throwing in the pool grill makes things difficult enough for me as it is lol!

 

I actually think I do prefer the itinerary on Voyager a bit more than Splendor. Extra half day in Bermuda (right in Hamilton), Seville (never been), going through strait of Gibraltar (never been, but also realize it'll probably be dark).

 

Both call on the Ponta Delgada Azores *although* Splendor calls on Madeira (never been) so that is a missed opportunity. Not sure how much of a must see island it is though.

 

They both basically leave in the middle of the week so departure and even return days are kind of a wash. If one were on a Sat/Sun/Mon that might actually make an impact as Mrs. and I still work so it impacts the number of vacation days we take.

 

I assume - but obviously don't know for sure - probably better flights out of Barcelona instead of Lisbon back to North America... although that really isn't factoring in the decision to any significant amount. I don't sleep on planes regardless so I'm not expecting a fun day coming back either way in that regard. Back from Venice/Frankfurt/Vancouver/Calgary in 2018 was a looooong day.

 

If all things were equal, and it came down to the ship I think it would be a no-brainer and I'd do Splendor if for nothing else but to try.

 

However, while obviously not cheap, it's not a trivial $$ better deal for Voyager, extra couple of days, and going into the Med will likely give it the edge to us. Voyager is a known quantity and we both really like the ship. It has semi decent cabin availability too (probably also impacting the $$ difference as it's really not far away now).

 

I know the F in the new ships is a little larger and different layout than Voyager and Mariner which I'm sure we would love, but my experience with the concierge we last stayed in (I believe identical cabin to F?) on Voyager was more than roomy enough for us, even for us spending some time in the cabin.

Edited January 11, 2023 by slidebite

[Gpilon]

1 hour ago, slidebite said:

Firstly, I really appreciate the replies and thoughts on this.

 

I never considered lunch in the specialty at sea. Although, to be totally fair, we have enough trouble as it is choosing where to have our meals. For lunch, even throwing in the pool grill makes things difficult enough for me as it is lol!

 

I actually think I do prefer the itinerary on Voyager a bit more than Splendor. Extra half day in Bermuda (right in Hamilton), Seville (never been), going through strait of Gibraltar (never been, but also realize it'll probably be dark).

 

Both call on the Ponta Delgada Azores *although* Splendor calls on Madeira (never been) so that is a missed opportunity. Not sure how much of a must see island it is though.

 

They both basically leave in the middle of the week so departure and even return days are kind of a wash. If one were on a Sat/Sun/Mon that might actually make an impact as Mrs. and I still work so it impacts the number of vacation days we take.

 

I assume - but obviously don't know for sure - probably better flights out of Barcelona instead of Lisbon back to North America... although that really isn't factoring in the decision to any significant amount. I don't sleep on planes regardless so I'm not expecting a fun day coming back either way in that regard. Back from Venice/Frankfurt/Vancouver/Calgary in 2018 was a looooong day.

 

If all things were equal, and it came down to the ship I think it would be a no-brainer and I'd do Splendor if for nothing else but to try.

 

However, while obviously not cheap, it's not a trivial $$ better deal for Voyager, extra couple of days, and going into the Med will likely give it the edge to us. Voyager is a known quantity and we both really like the ship. It has semi decent cabin availability too (probably also impacting the $$ difference as it's really not far away now).

 

I know the F in the new ships is a little larger and different layout than Voyager and Mariner which I'm sure we would love, but my experience with the concierge we last stayed in (I believe identical cabin to F?) on Voyager was more than roomy enough for us, even for us spending some time in the cabin.

Good luck with whichever one you choose. Doubt you can go wrong either way. If Splendor is the winner, will look forward to some hearty hockey talk around the pool bar. Where in Alberta are you? A number of friends involved in the NHL.

[slidebite]

LOL, I'll absolutely let you know if we go the Splendor route.

 

Pains me to admit though, but I'm not really a hockey fan other than getting on the bandwagon with the playoffs. Martial arts is more my thing, of which I am personally very active. Mrs. Slidebite would say too active lol. Got into it a little late in life though (mid 40s!)

 

That said, I'm from far south, in the Lethbridge area. We used to be neighbors/friends to a family that has a marriage relation into the Sutter clan and also lived very close to Kris Versteeg's parents for some time although I never really met them. Even pretty sure I saw Mr. Stanley being brought by their house one summer. Definitely feel like the odd man out when it gets to hockey talk though lol.

Edited January 11, 2023 by slidebite

[Gpilon]

13 minutes ago, slidebite said:

LOL, I'll absolutely let you know if we go the Splendor route.

 

Pains me to admit though, but I'm not really a hockey fan other than getting on the bandwagon with the playoffs. Martial arts is more my thing, of which I am personally very active. Mrs. Slidebite would say too active lol. Got into it a little late in life though (mid 40s!)

 

That said, I'm from far south, in the Lethbridge area. We used to be neighbors/friends to a family that has a marriage relation into the Sutter clan and also lived very close to Kris Versteeg's parents for some time although I never really met them. Even pretty sure I saw Mr. Stanley being brought by their house one summer. Definitely feel like the odd man out when it gets to hockey talk though lol.

Martial arts? Forget the hearty hockey talk around the pool bar then. Or, look for the guy wearing a helmet.

[Clutj]

I have only been on Splendor but I found it to be very luxuriously appointed.  Really just beautiful.  And the spa was amazing.  The public areas were very open and spacious.  I’d think there would be lots of upgrades over the other ship based on years of experience since it was built.   I found the cooking classes to be great, and you have lots of sea days to fill. 

Edited January 21, 2023 by Clutj

[slidebite]

Firmly booked up on Voyager. The $$ savings and extra couple of days clinched it. I'm suspect we'll do one of the new class ships within another year or two but in the meantime Voyager has some really good memories for us so I'm sure we'll be happy.

[MadisonBay]

We were on the Splendor out of Barcelona in October and the Voyager in January from Capetown to Rio. So our comparison experience is recent.

 

We prefer the Splendor (larger cabins, Pacific Rim, Specialty lunches in Prime 7 & Chartreuse, cooking class, huge library.) Our penthouse suite on the Voyager was in need of refreshing. Upholstery was becoming threadbare. The balcony was tiny. 

 

Food and service were outstanding on both ships.

 

However itinerary and price always override concerns about small balconies and frayed cushions. We recently booked a Voyager Med cruise for next month - price + itinerary.  We do have another cruise booked on the Splendor but not until 2025.

 

You made a good choice. $$ savings + extra days.  Just give the Old Lady (Voyager) some grace and enjoy your TA.

[slidebite]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I recently went through some old photos and realized we are 2 doors down from the cabin we were in 2018 which was identical. You're right, the balcony wasn't large, but it was adequate.

 

Thanks again and enjoy your med cruise!