A few questions

[flare3192]

Hello! We are new to cruising. Our recent (last 30 years) experience consists of two Viking cruises this year and we enjoyed them. I am wondering how you would compare Viking to Regent. What is better or worse? How do the guests compare? How many people are on a tour? What about the entertainment? The dress code?

We like this itinerary and are trying to figure out if what you get with concierge is worth the price difference. It is about $2,000 more but, if we use their air we would come in a day early and have the hotel stay included as well as the additional wifi devices that would cost about $500 extra with a superior suite.

The black Friday sale took about $4,000 each off the fare which made it more attractive. Having not followed Regent is this likely to occur again? Do they do many sales less than the 2 for 1 they always advertise?

How much does picking your flights cost? I have been confused with that. If you don't use their air but stay in a concierge suite do you still get the hotel stay or is that only if you let them do the air?

What do you wish you had known before you chose Regent? What surprised you?

We are looking at the July 25 Iceland to London trip on the Splendor

Thank you

 

[PhD-iva]

Bless your heart! So many questions. Good for you!
I think you will get answers soon from experienced Regent cruisers. That’s not me. I’ve been on 1 Regent cruise so far, and am anxiously awaiting my next in February - so excited! I had a GREAT time on my first, and I’m confident my second will be just as great!

Enjoy your cruise!

[BaileyMJ]

I have been on both Viking and Regent and have enjoyed both but they are very different cruise experiences.  I book based on itinerary and bottom line price per day so say both have same itinerary and price per day is comparable then without a doubt Regent is the superior:

1) comparing size of ship and number of passengers Regent is more spacious

2) Regent Tours are preferable- Viking only 1 included tour per port not per port day so if you are at a port overnight on one of the days tour not included plus the optional paid tours on Viking are overpriced so best to book independent tour

    I have found Regent excursions are very good

3) Viking no casino - for me plus

4) Viking has World Cafe dining option that you can have dinner casual dress/jeans

5) Viking Thermal Spa is Fabulous and so much larger than Regent and much larger and have Snow Steam etc larger and cold plunge pool - options 

5) Entertainment subjective but Regent has live band for dancing - Viking concentrates more on seminars so can feel like back in school

6) For solos Regent very welcoming Viking all couples - no kids

 well these are my experiences but Regent with biz air and fee laundry it has the edge!

[-Lew-]

My DW and I are currently sailing on our first Viking Ocean cruise on the Sky.  We embarked in Civitavecchia on October 6th and will disembark in Fort Lauderdale on November 30h.  We have sailed on about 65 cruises on various lines.  Our most recent experience before our current cruise was on Regent Splendor for 32 days in January and February of this year.

 

The two lines are more similar than different.  Some noticeable differences...

 

Excursions:  Viking offers one, sometimes two, included excursions in each port.  Regent offers many more included excursions plus some requiring payment.

 

Buffet:  The World Cafe's buffet offers much more than the one in Regent's La Veranda.  We sometimes enjoy dining casually in shorts after a day off the ship...most of the time we can't do that on Regent.

 

Suite layout:  Our room category on Viking is comparable to that on Regent.  Although the interior  square footage is about the same, Regent's balcony is much larger with much better furniture, including a large table for dining.  Regent's bathroom is much larger with two sinks, a shower, and tub.  There's also a large walkin closet.  Although there is plenty of drawer space on Sky, closet space is much smaller.

 

Laundry: Professional laundry service is free on Regent while available for a fee on Viking.  Both offer self-service laundries.

 

Entertainment:  Regent provided excellent evening entertainment with only a few repeated performances over 32 nights, including off-ship entertainers.  In a little over 16 days, entertainment on the Sky has been reduced to repeated on-ship entertainment.  There was some excellent off-ship entertainment during the first week, but that has sadly disappeared.

 

Alcoholic beverages:  All Included except for super high end on Regent; Viking requires purchase of an upgraded package for coctails and better wines.  Room service will provide a full bottle of wine or liquor for in-room use upon request at no charge.

 

Both lines are excellent...we're enjoying our Med cruise very much.

[papaflamingo]

A few answers: 

"How much does picking your flights cost?"

 The Deviation fee is $175 per person plus any up charge that MAY occur.  You can deviate 210 days before your cruise and it's highly recommended you do so.  You will be charged a single $75 fee to talk to the Air Department, but that will be included in one of the $175 deviation fees if you choose to accept a deviation.  If you choose to do this, research flights and have 3 or so options that you are most interested in and don't hesitate to ask the agents anything as they are very willing to help.  Once you agree on flights you are booked at that point, and the agent can usually pick your seats for you on the spot.  You can then enter the reservation number into the airlines website and change seats, etc. if you want. Also watch your flights as airlines very often make changes and you may not be notified as the cruise approaches.  If they do and you need to change, you can call Regent air for free and discuss options. 

 

"If you don't use their air but stay in a concierge suite do you still get the hotel stay?"

Yes.  And if you don't want the hotel stay you  get $150 per person  off the price of the cruise.

 

"The black Friday sale took about $4,000 each off the fare which made it more attractive. Having not followed Regent is this likely to occur again?"

Yes, but in my experience, prices usually rise more than they reduce for a sale, and the ships sell out very quickly.  So if there's a cruise you want to book, book it.  Otherwise you run a very great risk that the cruise will both go up in price and also sell out.  The sales seem to be on the less popular cruises only, and if your cruise does go on sale after you booked it you should be able to take advantage of the reduced price (note "should"), but you have to also factor in any OBC, etc. that you'll lose if you reprice the cruise. Remember, if you cancel a cruise your only lose $100 per person and that is available as Future Cruise Credit (one change only, then you will lose it if you cancel) if you book within a year.

 

"What surprised you?"  How much I really enjoy the small luxury cruise experience, and how incredible the crew members are.  How personal the service is and I have never seen a crew member that isn't smiling or more than willing to please. 

[pappy1022]

Regent does offer several tours per port. An additional benefit of getting a concierge suite is that you get to choose your excursions and specialty dining reservations earlier than the lesser cost suites. Excursions can get sold out and your chances of getting hat you want are better with a concierge suite. I choose concierge suites because Regent will get you form the airport to the hotel to the ship and then back to the airport. Yes you can save a few dollars by doing this yourself but for a first time Regent cruiser it may give you peace of mind that Regent is taking care of all that for you. Regent excursions can range from poor to very good depending on the guide. Look at the descriptions of each excursion is detail. I would recommend a private tour at a couple of sites where you really want to explore in detail and/or it is a port where you have a strong interest in seeing. Yes, it will cost you more but private tours provide so much more. We did a private tour in Belfast in September and it was by far the best tour we were on. There were 6 of us in our group so the cost was very manageable. Enjoy Regent, they are the best but certainly not perfect.

[mj_holiday]

What surprised (really impressed) me on Regent - The lectures.  They are not just port advisors on where to shop.  On the cruises we have been on with lecturers there has been one that talked about the places we are visiting (history, geography, nature, people etc) If there is a second lecturer they will be talking about an interesting subject, but may not be about where we are going.  Concierge perks - better location on the ship, booking excursions and specialties sooner.  And yes, many times you can handle the transfers and book a hotel, but sometimes it is just good to let someone else be responsible.

The pre and post cruise trips are a great thing. On our very first Regent cruise, I went to book a cruise through Suez canal and at that time I learned there was an included post trip - 3 days in Cairo.  Booking limited to max number.  They seem to have expanded this quite a bit, some included and some with add on.

Don't know how to categorize the guests.  Part of it depends on the length of the cruise.  We have met some really nice people and also some that I started avoiding.  Basically all are friendly and it is just fun to meet people with different experiences.

A lot has been posted about the service and food since COVID.  We have been on one Regent since COVID and the service and food were very good.  The contracted port services were lacking.

And you will get spoiled by the included Business Class air for cruises that start/end out of North America.

 

[flare3192]

Thank you I am reading all your comments and appreciate each one.

Has any one done Iceland?

[papaflamingo]

1 hour ago, flare3192 said:

Thank you I am reading all your comments and appreciate each one.

Has any one done Iceland?

We did Iceland in 2022 on Navigator. Started in Montreal then to NYC then to Southampton via Iceland (40 nights).   Stopped in Akureyri, Isafjordur, and Reykjavik.  Were supposed to stop at Eskifjordur also but couldn't get in due to winds.  It was a great cruise!  Lots of waterfalls and a bit chilly, but really enjoyed the cruise. 

[rcandkc]

On 11/18/2023 at 5:01 PM, flare3192 said:

Thank you I am reading all your comments and appreciate each one.

Has any one done Iceland?

If you can, go to Iceland and Greenland.  Great trip. 

[talljules1]

On 11/18/2023 at 11:01 PM, flare3192 said:

Thank you I am reading all your comments and appreciate each one.

Has any one done Iceland?

We've cruised to Iceland several times (but not on Regent, yet). I love it.  It is not a populous country (fewer people in the whole country than the number of people in the city I live in). Places are, therefore, small (and interesting). Reykjavik is a good jumping off point for the Golden Circle and/or Blue Lagoon (but keep an eye on Blue Lagoon - it is a bit volcanoey there at the moment!!!). Akureyri is good for Jewels of the North. We saw the Northern Lights cruising from Akureyri to Reykjavik, but that was in September. In July we're in Land of the Midnight Sun territory. 

 

Iceland is often cold, and the weather is changeable. Pack layers, including a waterproof/windproof layer and all will be well.

 

We're going to do the one before the cruise the OP is interested in, to Greenland. Looking forward to some amazing scenery. 

[Gilly]

20 hours ago, talljules1 said:

We're going to do the one before the cruise the OP is interested in, to Greenland. Looking forward to some amazing scenery. 

We sailed on Splendor to Greenland last year and loved it!  Icebergs!!  (And even fewer people than Iceland....)   If you're interested, I blogged about it at the time...start here in Prince Christian Sound 😉 

Edited January 22 by Gilly