Well... that settles it, then...

[knotheadusc]

My husband Bill and I just enjoyed our very first Regent Seven Seas cruise on Splendor.  We did a week in the Baltic Sea on this beautiful, but huge ship, with about 740 other people.  And it made me realize something very important.  I am a confirmed small ship lover!

 

Don't get me wrong.  We really enjoyed ourselves on the Splendor, and I would book it again if the price and itinerary were right.  It's a magnificent ship, all inclusive, with lots of amenities and a hard working crew.  BUT... I could not help but remember how much I enjoyed our cruises on SeaDream and the wonderful, personal touches we got from the staff, as well as the ease of meeting new people.  It was actually kind of HARD to meet people on Splendor, although one plus was that we also weren't constantly running into anyone with whom we didn't mesh.

 

I really, really missed SeaDream's piano bar, too.  Splendor just had one karaoke night.  It was only 90 minutes and very loud and crowded.  It was fun, and there were some very talented singers there, but I really missed the camaraderie of singing with George while sipping champagne and cocktails.  I think I prefer SeaDream's food, too.    

 

So... I am keeping my eyes peeled in hopes of finding my next SeaDream cruise.  Cheating was (kinda) wrong, and now I'm ready to repent.  😄

[Rothko1]

It wasn't really cheating; you were exploring your options and you learned some valuable lessons.

 

I too have a hard time thinking that you will get the same personal attention and touches on a ship that has 800 or more passengers on it.  Although others have said that's not an issue.

[garysarah]

We were on Seadream 2 last month docked next to a regent ship in Casablanca and even that looked too big for us! Would try though for an itinerary we couldn't get on a smaller ship. Or maybe if/when we could no longer get on and off Seadream tenders!

[knotheadusc]

There were a few notable great crew members on Splendor.  Two of them actually remembered our names, which was very impressive on a ship that big.  But I have fond memories of having actual conversations with crew on much smaller ships, like SeaDream.  Also, it seemed to me like the crews on smaller ships (including Hebridean Princess) seemed happier and more relaxed.  
 

Our stateroom was gorgeous and very comfortable, and the muster drill was a breeze.  But, it was kind of a challenge to get around easily.  I like to take photos, and Splendor didn’t have as many easily accessible outdoor areas in public areas.  That was less of an issue in the Baltic Sea, since it was fairly cool there.  
 

Anyway, this cruise was very good, but it confirmed to me that I think small ships rock!  

[knotheadusc]

5 minutes ago, garysarah said:

We were on Seadream 2 last month docked next to a regent ship in Casablanca and even that looked too big for us! Would try though for an itinerary we couldn't get on a smaller ship. Or maybe if/when we could no longer get on and off Seadream tenders!

it’s interesting to notice how diverse people’s tastes are.  Some people love the big ships because they have so many amenities.  They are more concerned with balconies, square footage in their staterooms, and having a bunch of restaurants to choose from.  The cruise worked well for us and our goals for that trip.  Regent was going to a place where I never see SeaDream going, so we pulled the trigger.  But given a choice between SeaDream and Regent in, say, the Caribbean or the Med, I think I would choose SeaDream, if they were going the same week and had similar itineraries. 
 

One plus for Regent is that I didn’t get seasick at all!  😄
 

 

 

 

[Rothko1]

Just now, knotheadusc said:

One plus for Regent is that I didn’t get seasick at all!  😄
 

 

 

 

 

That is a major advantage of a mega-ship.

[SWFLAOK]

We have enjoyed both Regent and Sea Dream. Even though I get sea sick, I love the smaller ships where you can easily interact with the other passengers. Bonine works for me, and I take it whenever the Captain predicts high seas.

On out first cruise from Barbados to St. Thomas on Sea Dream 1,  there were fewer passengers than crew. We had a great time, and didn't miss the balcony that we always feel the need for on bigger ships.

We enjoyed Regent Splendor last September on our around the UK cruise, followed by Southampton to Barcelona, There were more public spaces, and more restaurant choices. Lunch at Prime 7 was often offered, and we had a great wine pairing lunch at Pacific Rim with only 14 guests. We more recently tried to sign up for the same type of lunch for the same price on Regent Navigator. It was the same extra cost, but there were 40 guests, and was lunch at open sea, which would have been very rocky. We didn't need to worry about cancelling it since they lost our reservation. But we always enjoy Compass Rose for our meals.

The biggest ship we've ever sailed on was the HAL Prinsendam (sold off around the time around the UK we sailed on it), which was a beautiful classic ship, but even in a huge Neptune Suite, it was way too crowded for us. It was a Florida to Florida 2 week cruise, and had many scooter chairs clogging up the halls, elevators and restaurants. We recently did a 2 week cruise from Miami to Miami on Regent Navigator. We didn't have a huge suite, but we enjoyed it much more than the Neptune Suite since there were so many fewer passengers.

[knotheadusc]

Yeah, Bonine worked on SeaDream for me, too.  It was just nice not to need it this time.  Our last cruise before Splendor was on Hebridean Princess, which is a tiny and very old ship.  When went through Cape Wrath in Scotland, I thought I was going to die!  Worst seasickness ever!  But, I love Hebridean Princess anyway, for reasons similar to why I love SeaDream… very personalized service, and probably as all inclusive as Regent is.  It just doesn’t have as many amenities.

Splendor wasn’t crowded.  I saw areas where there were hardly ever any passengers, like the cigar room.  It’s funny when people refer to it as a mega ship, when there are only 750 people on it.  It seemed huge to me, but then I read about ships that have 6000 or 7000 people!  Seems like a nightmare. 

 

Edited July 6, 2023 by knotheadusc

[TrapperZimmy]

Yes, 700 is hardly a megaship.  Think ten times that.  We have done a number of sailings, although not recently, on the R ships, with Renaissance, Oceania and Azamara.  They run about 630 passengers with deck 8 being the penthouse suites.  It is a nice size ship and easy to get around.  But they are still large, as far as we are concerned.  When you have to wait in line or get a number for a tender, it takes away from the relaxation.  The great thing about the cruise industry is that there is a cruise for everybody's taste and interest.  Check out Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas which will launch soon.  The largest ship yet, with something like 20 dining venues.

 

Seasickness is not necessarily related to the size of the ship.  Our worst case of it was on Azamara during the 24 mile trip from Haifa to Ashdod.  By morning, everything in the room was on the floor.  On the other hand, we did the crossing on SDII a couple of months ago and had 3 or 4 days of rough seas with glassware crashing all over, and didn't even need the Bonine.

[knotheadusc]

Well, Hebridean Princess started as a car ferry in 1964, so she doesn't have new fangled stabilizers. 😉 Most of the cruises they do are usually confined in very calm waters, but that particular cruise went over the top of Scotland.  We had heard it was going to be rough going, and it definitely was!  Nobody was at breakfast!  😮

 

They gave us seasickness meds on Hebridean Princess that were incredible.  They were like magic.  We read that they don't sell them in the US. 

 

We may give Silversea a whirl at some point, mainly due to an unusual itinerary they offer.  But those ships are probably too big for me, too!

 

 

[Jim Avery]

Trapper is right.  The worst seas we experienced so far were on Queen Mary 2 in the Bay of Biscay.  Have always thought SD had a really nice sea kindly ride.  And our limit is 1,000.  Which allows us to sail Viking Oceans.  Beautiful uncrowded ships and crew as good as SD.  That is probably the best thing about Viking is the crew.  But then on World Cruises they tend to have their best onboard.  As has been said, different strokes for different folks.  We have some good friends that are otherwise normal but they just love Royal Caribbean and are booked on the new largest ship out there the Icon of the Seas.  7,500 passengers and something like 4,000 crew.  Way too many humans for this misanthrope....😱🍸🥃

[knotheadusc]

I can’t imagine enjoying a ship with 7500 people on it.  It honesty sounds like hell to me.  But I know the new ships have all kinds of cool surprises on them that some people love.

[Rothko1]

4 minutes ago, knotheadusc said:

I can’t imagine enjoying a ship with 7500 people on it.  It honesty sounds like hell to me.  But I know the new ships have all kinds of cool surprises on them that some people love.

 

That's like the size of a small town.

 

On those ships, the ship itself is the destination.

[Jim Avery]

7 minutes ago, knotheadusc said:

I can’t imagine enjoying a ship with 7500 people on it.  It honesty sounds like hell to me.  But I know the new ships have all kinds of cool surprises on them that some people love.

Hah.  Count the crew and over 11,000 peeps.  I surely hope they never have an emergency.  In an emergency I trust SeaDream's crew to get us all off the ship efficiently.

Edited July 6, 2023 by Jim Avery

[SWFLAOK]

3 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Hah.  Count the crew and over 11,000 peeps.  I surely hope they never have an emergency.  In an emergency I trust SeaDream's crew to get us all off the ship efficiently.

And I hope that we never end up in the same port on a cruise on a small ship when there is one of these overpopulated ships in the same port. That would ruin the whole cruise experience. I hope that more ports put limits on the size of cruise ships, as Venice has. But if the tourists from the large ships can get cheap food and drink in port, I think that won't happen. We take excursions from our ship, and eat and drink onboard, or as part of our excursion. Ports may find they make more from the giant ships that don't include anything other than room and onboard buffets. Once we see a lot of that, we'll stop cruising. There were several ports in the Caribbean in late April/early May on our Navigator cruise this year, and it made it unlikely that we would do that route again.

[knotheadusc]

6 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Hah.  Count the crew and over 11,000 peeps.  I surely hope they never have an emergency.  In an emergency I trust SeaDream's crew to get us all off the ship efficiently.

I read an account from one person who said they were on a MSC ship with 6500, and it was “absolute bedlam”. Yes, they had enough beds, but every spot was crowded.  But some people think that that’s “cool”.  
 

Give me a ship where my waiter knows I prefer sparkling water to still.  

[Rothko1]

11 hours ago, SWFLAOK said:

And I hope that we never end up in the same port on a cruise on a small ship when there is one of these overpopulated ships in the same port. That would ruin the whole cruise experience. I hope that more ports put limits on the size of cruise ships, as Venice has. But if the tourists from the large ships can get cheap food and drink in port, I think that won't happen. We take excursions from our ship, and eat and drink onboard, or as part of our excursion. Ports may find they make more from the giant ships that don't include anything other than room and onboard buffets. Once we see a lot of that, we'll stop cruising. There were several ports in the Caribbean in late April/early May on our Navigator cruise this year, and it made it unlikely that we would do that route again.

 

A number of ports would welcome the mega ships.  Having 7000 tourists descend on your town for a few hours, spend money in shops, restaurants, on excursions and tours, brings a lot of cash into those economies.  

[TrapperZimmy]

Rothko is right.  Just follow the money.  If I ran a Caribbean island, I would waive all port charges for any ship with 4000 or more passengers.  We'd make it up on mai tai and t-shirt sales alone.  Frankly, I think the only reason these ships go to an island is to meet the requirement of having a foreign port on a round trip US cruise.  Otherwise, there is so much to do onboard that there would be no reason to get off.  And the company would make more money keeping the passengers on board where they pay for everything beyond the basics.

[knotheadusc]

I found some locals unfriendly last time we did a Caribbean cruise on SeaDream.  I guess I could understand why they were unfriendly… we were showing up on a fancy ship, and they were living in a place where people were struggling.  I didn’t realize it when I booked, but I did when we went on the island. 
 

I am sure many locals love the money generated by cruises, but I would not assume they all do.  

 

[TrapperZimmy]

22 hours ago, knotheadusc said:

I am sure many locals love the money generated by cruises, but I would not assume they all do.  

 

Only the ones who get to see it.  But it is good for those of us who sail on fancy ships to see up close what poverty looks like in lands of no opportunity.  And if we are prompted to do something about it, either on the island or at home, it is worth the trip.

[knotheadusc]

15 minutes ago, TrapperZimmy said:

Only the ones who get to see it.  But it is good for those of us who sail on fancy ships to see up close what poverty looks like in lands of no opportunity.  And if we are prompted to do something about it, either on the island or at home, it is worth the trip.

I don’t disagree.  I might be more sensitive to the reactions of locals in some ways because I spent two years in the Peace Corps when I was a lot younger and hardier. 
 

I remember getting somewhat obvious hostile treatment when we visited a museum on Carriacou, even though we bought a carving from the gift shop.  But then, we made a another local guy ecstatic by buying one of his carvings.  So I guess it goes both ways.  I know the guy with the carvings sold at least a couple that day.  
 

Anyway, I probably never would have gone there if not for SeaDream.  That’s another thing I like about it.  They go to small ports. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Piaa]

On 7/7/2023 at 4:31 PM, knotheadusc said:

I found some locals unfriendly last time we did a Caribbean cruise on SeaDream.  I guess I could understand why they were unfriendly… we were showing up on a fancy ship, and they were living in a place where people were struggling.  I didn’t realize it when I booked, but I did when we went on the island. 
 

I am sure many locals love the money generated by cruises, but I would not assume they all do.  

 

 

Definitely not all do - especially when they have done zero research into the customs of the island they are visiting ... oh and leave their trash everywhere !!!

[knotheadusc]

1 hour ago, Piaa said:

 

Definitely not all do - especially when they have done zero research into the customs of the island they are visiting ... oh and leave their trash everywhere !!!

 

Yes... 

We were in Norway for a land based break a few days before our most recent cruise, and though we did not experience this ourselves, we became aware of an anti-cruising campaign there.  They had signs up in some cities, shaming cruisers and saying they should book a "proper vacation".  There's even news about it.

 

I would imagine that, for many reasons, having hundreds of people hitting your town for a few hours every day could get old, increased cash flow notwithstanding.    

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/norway-anticruise-poster-campaign-b2125605.html 

[Jim Avery]

Hi Knothead,

It's ships like these that are the problem.  When I lived at the beach in Florida I would have been very annoyed with thousands of clueless tourists milling about, taking a few pictures, and hurrying back to the ships for the "free" lunch.  Unfortunately SeaDream is tossed in the same boat (sorry) with the growing movement to cruise ship bans and locals hostility.  SeaDream arrival is not a bit of problem for locals best I can tell.

 

[Rothko1]

24 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Hi Knothead,

It's ships like these that are the problem.  When I lived at the beach in Florida I would have been very annoyed with thousands of clueless tourists milling about, taking a few pictures, and hurrying back to the ships for the "free" lunch.  Unfortunately SeaDream is tossed in the same boat (sorry) with the growing movement to cruise ship bans and locals hostility.  SeaDream arrival is not a bit of problem for locals best I can tell.

 

 

Yes, but if you owned a bar or restaurant in port, you'd be setting up a "Happy Hour Specials" sign and trying to get as many of those thousands of tourists into your bar to spend their good old American dollars on booze and food.

 

The people who aren't profiting from the visitors certainly don't like the mega cruise ships.  But any business owner in the port town sure likes them.  As does all of their employees.