Regent versus Oceania Thread on Oceania

[Iamboatman]

I haven't personally been on Oceania YET. What I hear is that there is a mix which is a bit different from Regent, but still very positive overall.

 

Most cabins are smaller, but well done. (Regent does have excellent suites.) The public spaces are very nice (probably better than Regent, which have not ever impressed me...other than the beautiful dining room on the Diamond).

 

The service is said to be very good, probably akin to Celebrity; which is not a bad thing. As you know, I have been very disappointed with the dining room service on Regent for the past two years and the cabin service two years ago - which was a transitional period to be fair. For me, decent food with solid service is more enjoyable than great food and weak service. (Just as a great food with rude tablemates does not make for an enjoyable evening.)

 

I really am not bothered about signing for drinks, as I do it at my country club, restaurants, etc. For some it is a big deal. I also look at the total cruise cost, so if inclusive means I am really paying $12 for a $8 drink I will gladly go ala carte. HOWEVER, it bothers me to pay for water which you do on Oceania.

 

The feedback is also that Regent generally does better tours, at better pricing, with less people. (I am, however, still steaming about some poor experiences I had on Regent last summer and the unresponsive customer service for both myself and my clients...as in "promised responses that haven't come.")

 

I, personally, think Oceania has some great itineraries and it goes to some locales that Regent doesn't (and vis-a-versa). They are, however, different products.

 

In the end neither line is perfect. I am cruising with Regent again this summer...but with a more realistic expectation (discounting the new marketing)...because Regent does do much very well. When the opportunity arises I will also give Oceania a try.

 

How's that??;)

[pvgal]

I am the one that started that thread on the Oceania board and my husband and I just returned from our first cruise on the Regatta. To compare the two lines, in my opinion, not even close. Regent has it all over Oceania. Food better, service better, cabins better. Wine is over priced on Oceania. Drinks are $9.00 for Martini. Must pay for water. Our bathroom was smaller than our shower here at home. The one thing we did like was the length of the cruise. Oceania seems to run longer cruises and we do like that. Regent does lots of 7 days. And the Country Club casual is just dressing down. Most of the people would not be seated at our club if they dressed that way for dinner. But maybe I am just a snob:) . Next cruise is on the Westerdam trans Atlantic. Looking forward to that one.

[surfklutz]

"encouraging" rather than requiring isn't enough imho.

Does anyone have any opinion on Regent's cuisine versus Oceania's, as per my original query?

 

I have sailed on both lines. This is why I can speak with some sort of authority. Oceania is in a whole different ball park than any of the luxury lines - and yet they keep cropping up with comparisons made to many of the luxury offering. No one can have sailed them both and been confused about which is which.

 

The food is FAR better on Regent - better raw ingredients, better food preparation techniques, more creative pairings, and better presentation.

 

My theory is that those who are making comparisons have not ACTUALLY been on both. They have been on Oceania - and think it is lovely - but do not really have luxury cruising experience to compare it to. I really think Oceanic is a cheap immitation of luxury - this side of garish and tacky - not understated and elegant.

 

Just my thought.

[poss]

I don't think anyone has mentioned one specific detail which puts Oceania out of the running for us. We can't sleep in queen size bed-- need king (or separate- blah) Actually, I think we'd be quite interested in Oceania, since we're less interested in "luxury" than many other people-- but that one factor nixes the possibility for us. Our one cruise was on Voyager to Baltics two years ago and we absolutely loved it. We're scheduled for Dover-Monte Carlo this year and much looking forward.

 

P.S. I appreciate cruisecritic site-- always very helpful.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

A Queen. The European sized bedding is confusing. The beds on Voyager when put together are Queen size in the US.

[poss]

Hi Chatcat: Voyager beds are definitely not US queen size. I don't still have the measurements, but before we did our first cruise, I made very very careful measurements-- got the exact number of inches from Voyager, width and length, measured our king, measured queens, etc-- and the Voyager beds are absolutely considerably larger than US queens. Don't get me worried about our up-coming! If the beds were queen, we couldn't go. :-(

[poss]

ChatKat (got the spelling right this time): I just noticed that you were on Voyager in 2006. Our Baltic trip was 2005. I wonder if for some reason they actually downsized the bed size last year. I'd better find out fast, because, alas, if they did we really couldn't cruise Regent anymore.

 

Also: We'll be on the cruise in reverse of your Monte Carlo-Dover trip. May I ask if you did excursions through Regent? And if there were any excursiions you (and others) especially liked or didn't especially like? Thanks for your feedback.

[joannapvb]

Poss: We, too, cannot stand queen beds - have NEVER felt I was in anything but a King on Mariner or Voyager- people can get technical and call it a European Queen but here is info you need if you call Regent - I have these jotted down from a bedroom remodeling job - Queen 60X80, King 76X80, King Split 78X80 CA King 72X84 - call Regent and use this as a guide - you'll feel better!!! Let us know what you learn - Joanna

[jhp]

I travel with my daughter, so our beds are always split. If those single beds were only 30 inches wide, I'd fall out while sleeping! US twins are 39 inches, European and UK are 36 inches, so a King anyway you look at it.

[neviboy]

As I said at the beginning of this topic, if they charge for water, then everything else must be 'tacky.'

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Whatever size they are on the ships, the beds are smaller than my California King.

 

Poss - the Monte Carlo to Dover cruise was wonderful but we did use private guides for the ports on that one. One of them in Lisbon did not appear at the dock and we ended up taking a cab to Sintra and a tour of Lisbon. We went with Wandra who posts here and another couple so we shared the excursions.

[joannapvb]

Sorry Poss - I thought someone, incorrectly, said the beds are now queens - I was alarmed, too, thinking a change had been made - I give two hoots less about a CA King just give me a King!!!

[poss]

Hi Everyone-- and thanks for replying.

 

I did call Regent and confirmed the size of the beds on Voyager: 6'5" long, 6' wide. Whew! In other words, slightly less wide than U.S. kings, but plenty larger than queens to keep us "king needies" comfy. I remember that Voyager room and bed so fondly; I'd've been surprised to learn that the bed was much smaller than we're used to. So: Time again to relax!

 

ChatKat: Any particular reason why you don't use Regent tours? Seems so much easier to us just to book excursions through them. And we were very pleased with our Baltic excursions. I think we'll do Barcelona and Lisbon on our own because we know (and love!) those two cities fairly well. We know Seville even better, so I think we'll just walk around Cadiz, since we don't know it at all. When we did Baltic, the excursions were so long adn tiring that we scarcely had the opportunity to experience the pleasures of the ship. We're thinking this time to maybe spend less time touring and more time just relaxing onboard. (We're 70-somethings.)

 

Also I'm trying to decide whether to book air ourselves or book through Regent. Since we'll be going a day early and leaving 3 days after disembarkation, it'd cost $100 extra per person for Regent to make air, plus I think I can get tickets for less than the $1000 that Regent charges. BUT: I hate the idea that British Airways doesn't allow seat selection until 24 hrs before flight. (I'm a white-knuckle flier and if I were separated from my husband, I think I'd expire.) Regent insists that they can provide seat selection immediately on booking-- which British Air denies-- so I'm perplexed.

 

Thanks again.

[joannapvb]

Good news Poss!!! I knew those beds were plenty big and were NOT queens -

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hi Poss,

 

The big reason we used private tours on our M-C to Dover trip (with Kathy), was that there were six of us, three couples, who had cruised together before and so we were able to plan things together and save some money. With 6, private tours are fairly cost-effective.

 

But I've never had a bad experience with Regent excursions. You just have less freedom to choose what you're going to do, and be with a larger group. But the groups aren't huge by any means, and the quality of the guides and any entertainment very good.

 

But booking privately for instance, in St. Emilion, our friend Fred had made it clear to the guide that we wanted a nice light lunch somewhere, but not a whole typical French lunch taking hours. It was lovely, and very relaxing. Same in Santander, we called the shots, and had a great time, including a tapas lunch.

 

I'm sure British Air wouldn't separate the two of you. But I find booking air with Regent makes me more relaxed--I'm not a white-knuckle flier, but I am a nervous traveler, and like things to go smoothly, and having R book the air gives me one less thing to worry about.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

I have been happy with most RSSC Excursions but in most cases, I would choose a private guide over an excursion when I get a guide that has been highly recommended by someone I know and trust if there are others to share the cost with. I would much rather be in a van seating 6 with Air than on a bus with 40 other people so that we can stop if we choose, eat where we want. I do a lot of research for most cruises so that I can see what I want to see. Also, with a private guide, you can frequently see more while in a port than you could on a bus with more people.

 

Also, you are not stuck with that one obnoxious person who is waiting to finish her cigarette or shopping and holding up every one else who is ready to go.

[bettywh]

Private guides are great. But I really enjoy many of the ship tours. Great opportunities for meeting new and interesting people that you can continue to get to know better back on the ship.

[joannapvb]

So true Betty - they both have a plus and minus - we have never been disappointed in a Regent bus tour - maybe we have lucked out? always large, lovely A/C buses and sooo much fun - can you get annoying fellow passengers? Of course!!! We had a gal in front of us with annoying whiny voice and talked incessantly blah blah gave me headache ..thank goodness bus not full we moved but I think that is rare - private tours great too - you can't lose

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Good points, everybody. As Kathy will attest, we had a great time last year for the most part on our privately-arranged tours. And good company! But we already knew each other, and knew we would have fun and enjoy each other's company while we were being pampered by the tour guide. But I'm not sure about arranging private tours with people I don't know--I think I'd rather do the bus tour, since at least you have some choice of who you're with--one of your tour mates could be one of those (few) annoying people, and then you're stuck with them for the day!

 

Maybe the Diamond was different, I don't remember a tour with more than 30 people, usually considerably less, and the two we took in the Caribbean this winter were very small, less than 20 people.

[bettywh]

I must be always be signing up for the most popular tours. I don't remember one that the bus wasn't totally full.

I've also signed up for tours that were canceled for lack of interest.