Regent vs. Silver Seas

[crusinbanjo]

I have sailed on both SS and Regent. I have always found the SS crowd to be a bit elitist, (hope I spelled that correctly), and the Air Department to be completely unreasonable. Having said that, SS ships are very, Very good, however, I just cannot deal with the attitude.

 

On our first Regent cruise, (they were Raddisson at the time), when the wife & I ventured into the Compass Rose Dinning room we were greeted by the Maitr'd who remembered us from SS. I won't mention any names, but I'll just say that on the date of our wedding anniversary, I asked him to do something special for us. We got royal treatment that we could just not believe. He went way out of his way to make our evening memorable. After our "Party" I tried to give him a nice $$$ tip, he declined the offer and said "it was just part of his job and he enjoyed doing it". For the wife and I, He made us feel like Regent was home. I even have met a few additional crew members who worked on SS and are now with Regent.

 

Will we cruise on SS again? Maybe, but not likely.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Interesting about your perception of the elitist attitude on Silversea. This was a concern of mine when I first started looking around at luxury cruiselines in 1999. We are rather laid-back, comfortable in our skins, but not captains of industry or anything. Something about the way Seabourn was pitched made me think we would be uncomfortable. We chose the Paul Gauguin mostly because I wanted to see the South Pacific, but partly because it was CCC, and I thought we could "pass" as luxury cruisers. :o So I was obviously a little intimidated by the idea. And the first time we walked into L'Etoile and were greeted by Franco, I was completely intimidated, but we were treated like the proverbial kings and queens, despite having a lowly window cabin. I have never seen any elitism on Regent since then (6 cruises later), and would react quite strongly if I encountered it on another line. Who knows, we haven't tried one yet, but may try either SS or O in future.

[Iamboatman]

I hear the same thing about Silversea.

 

I have not cruised on it, but figure with comments about an elitist attitude from both staff and guests (obviously not all - that would be unfair to say) and other good options available, I just don't think it worth investing my time and money to find out if it is true or not. I may be missing out on something good, but at least for now, I will take that chance.

[crusinbanjo]

Interesting about your perception of the elitist attitude on Silversea. This was a concern of mine when I first started looking around at luxury cruiselines in 1999. We are rather laid-back, comfortable in our skins, but not captains of industry or anything. Something about the way Seabourn was pitched made me think we would be uncomfortable. We chose the Paul Gauguin mostly because I wanted to see the South Pacific, but partly because it was CCC, and I thought we could "pass" as luxury cruisers. :o So I was obviously a little intimidated by the idea. And the first time we walked into L'Etoile and were greeted by Franco, I was completely intimidated, but we were treated like the proverbial kings and queens, despite having a lowly window cabin. I have never seen any elitism on Regent since then (6 cruises later), and would react quite strongly if I encountered it on another line. Who knows, we haven't tried one yet, but may try either SS or O in future.

 

Here is where my attidude about SS comes from. Passengers..... ....well you know, a couple of the folks I met on SS thought I was just too damd young to be on a cruise that cost as much as SS, and thought my, and my wife's dress was a little "casual" on shore excursions. they were not shy about saying so. Not all of them of course, but it was there.

 

As far as the crew, let me just tell you this story; I usually book a midship cabin. I convinced a friend of mine to book a cruise with us on a 14 day South American cruise, he booked a suite. The captain and the cruise director invited my friends to sit with them at their dinner table. When my friend declined saying they were traveling with us, we were invited to the table as well. WE all accepted..... .....but at dinner my wife & I were completely ignored by both the Captain and cruise director.

 

When they invited us again, we simply declined and told our friends to go and enjoy. They declined and we had a great formal night having dinner catered in their suite, enjoying the sunset and avoiding the rest of it.:confused:

 

That was the last cruise we booked with SS.

 

Any way, didn't mean to slam SS, (just relating my experiences). SS does have very good ships and we did enjoy the cruises and the ships, but Regent has equally good ships, similar itineraries, GREAT food, good shore excursions and a clientel and crews more to my liking.:D

[Dolebludger]

I'm getting the distinct impression that the types of "fellow guests" differ on SS, depending on the cruise. We've had reports of snobbishness and reports of a "Carnival-like" cruise! I think it is agreed that SS has more of an international clientelle than Regent, and much of this may depend on country of origin of the guests. And I would guess that on the longer and costlier cruises, the more snobbery one might encounter.

 

On our ten night Stockholm to London on the Cloud, fellow guests were a bit more formal in their conduct than on any of my many Regent cruises -- but not so much so that it was a bother to me. Of course, formal nights were close to 100% tuxes. But on shore excursions of a pure sight seeing nature, I wore jeans as always, and had plenty of company.

 

But this is not to say that what I experienced applies to all SS cruises, as I know well from reputable sources that it does not. When you book SS, you do run a risk of entering "snob city."

 

This is one thing I like about Regent. The type of fellow guests, and the atmosphere they create, is relatively predictable. And IMO, they are the best fellow guests on the seas.

[Travelcat2]

We heard that it was, at times, difficult to balance the comfort level of Americans vs. Europeans. Without putting people into categories -- it seems that, in general, European's tend to enjoy a bit more formality than American's. Our Regent contact indicated that SS will be focusing more on the European market.

 

While I have not been on a SS cruise, we'll probably try it some time. I just assume it that I'll feel like I do when my DH and I are in England and I'm the only American at a dinner that seems a bit too formal for me. It's enjoyable -- just a bit different:rolleyes:

 

Think it would be good to get some input from Europeans on this.

[Observer]

The biggest difference in the 2 cruise lines is THE FRONT OFFICE. We have in the past written to the "powers that be" on SS & either received no answer or at best a delayed letter from some lackey, with an unsatisfactory reply. We have written to Regent, and have received a rapid response directly from the president. We will pick our cruises by the itinerary, but I will tend to seriously consider Regent as my cruise line of choice.

When Bill Smith was president of SS it was a perfect line.....and never heard any complaints, since he left, there have been many complaints from "the old timers", as well as the crew, entertainers,& staff. Interesting to note that the President of Regent has been with them a very long time, and the line has improved & prospered.

 

I agree entirely. The SS front office is a mess, and it is a nightmare trying to sort out any problems. Letters and calls are not answered, etc. I have written once by email to the RSSC CEO. I received a personal response -- a response that was truly responsive to my concerns -- from him within 48 hours.

 

All things considered, I think that Regent is far better value for money than SS. The only areas where SS may have an edge is smaller size of ships and lack of art auctions!

[Iamboatman]

Silversea has expressly stated that it is marketing so that over 50% of its passengers are non-American. You can, therefore, expect such a mix to exist.

 

As far as formality, and being that I travel quite a bit, I think calling it a "Europeans are more formal" thing is mistaken. There are many Americans who are "more formal" though the posters here may not rub elbows with them regularly. Similarly, one of the most wonderful things about dining in Europe is that it can be so casual and at ease. (A business lunch in Italy is far more enjoyable than one in New York.)

 

Also keep in mind that Seabourn is more formal than Regent (jackets basically always required in the dining room, etc.), but there is not the sense of stiffness or snobbery from the staff or guests. BTW, Seabourn also has a high (but not as high) percentage of non-American guests.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The mix of nationalities appeals to me (I'm Canadian.) The jackets every night does not (well, not to my husband, mostly).

 

But I'm sticking with Regent for now.

[wripro]

I think everyone should stick to his or her preferred cruise line. The only problem is these boards would probably disappear since there would be no reason to post if not to exclaim how much better one's preferred line is to the competition.

[JPR]

The Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper are quite comparable to the Voyager and the Mariner. The Front Office and the overall service is superior on Regent--that is becoming a consensus viewpoint. The food is very good on Regent but here the consensus is that Silversea's cuisine is a bit better than Regent's.

 

Overall, we prefer Regent, which we find to be friendlier. However, if a particular itinerary is available only on Silversea, Regent fans won't be disappointed with the Shadow or the Whisper. The one-syllable Silversea ships are comparable to the Paul Gauguin, it appears, but I have never sailed on them.

[Travelcat2]

As far as formality, and being that I travel quite a bit, I think calling it a "Europeans are more formal" thing is mistaken. There are many Americans who are "more formal" though the posters here may not rub elbows with them regularly. Similarly, one of the most wonderful things about dining in Europe is that it can be so casual and at ease. (A business lunch in Italy is far more enjoyable than one in New York.)

Perhaps I stated "Europeans" incorrectly. My experience is specifically with those from the U.K. My DH was raised and graduated university in London -- we stay in Somerset annually -- socializing, dining out as well as in private residences. The formality is always there -- they are warm, lovely people who always address others "properly" (Mr. and/or Mrs. ..........). If you knock on your neighbor's door, you would not expect to be invited in (without prior arrangement).

 

While Regent has a casual elegence that I love, some people prefer a bit more formality. Having choices in cruise lines is great. Hopefully, through message boards like CruiseCritic, people will learn enough to make the right choice for them. Fortunately, Regent is formal enough for my DH and casual enough for me.

[Iamboatman]

TC2, you should come over and join my Scottish relatives for dinner! Those UK residents don't exactly approach life with the same formality. (Ay, sit for a wee dram an' we'll have a blither, ya' b&(&)(*!):D :D :D

[Travelcat2]

TC2, you should come over and join my Scottish relatives for dinner! Those UK residents don't exactly approach life with the same formality. (Ay, sit for a wee dram an' we'll have a blither, ya' b&(&)(*!):D :D :D

 

Actually, it sounds like we should have been going to Scotland (we are going to Belfast for a couple of days of relaxation prior to our annual Somerset visit at the end of August).

 

While I'm on this thread, in the opinion of your customers (don't think you've been on Silversea?) -- do you think people who "love" Regent -- the food, suites, service, etc. would find Silversea fairly equal (except for the wee bit of snobbiness?):confused:

[EZ99B5]

I have sailed Silversea 5 times and was most recently aboard Mariner roundtrip out of Ft. Lauderdale for our only RSSC cruise. Both lines are very close - I'd say that given the exact same itinerary, SS is probably "worth" about $50-100 more per day, IMO. More than that and I'd probably lean towards RSSC.

 

Silversea pros for us:

Staff/Service - waiters always carry your plate from the buffet, no ship-roaming photographer

Food - we only had lobster on the menu twice on our RSSC cruise and it was a bisque both times whereas on SS we always had lobster tails on menus at least twice, RSSC did a beach BBQ which just had burgers, hotdogs and chicken whereas the beach BBQ for SS was much more elaborate with crab, fish, lobster, etc.

Suites - a tad larger with twin vanity sinks in the bathroom, bit more closet space

 

Regent has the edge in:

Activities - larger ships lead to more to do (2 golf cages, tennis, etc.)

Guests - My wife and I are always the youngest on the Silversea cruises (mid 30's), but there were 5-10 couples our age on Mariner.

Pool Deck - much larger on Mariner with 3 jacuzzi's instead of Whisper/Shadow's 2 (although the pool didn't seem that much larger on Mariner, just the deck)

 

One of the major differences was in ship design, which I wasn't expecting. The main hallways to get from place to place on SS are in the middle of the ship, whereas on Mariner the hallways ran down the sides of the ship on a few of the popular public space decks. This makes for nicer scenery when walking around, but at the cost of not being able to sit right at a window in the night club or at the coffee bar, for example. Not an issue in resturants or bars mind you, and nothing that would be a deal breaker.

[Iamboatman]

While I'm on this thread, in the opinion of your customers (don't think you've been on Silversea?) -- do you think people who "love" Regent -- the food, suites, service, etc. would find Silversea fairly equal (except for the wee bit of snobbiness?):confused:

 

I find that most of those that "love" Regent will still love Regent more, just like loyal Seabourn and Silversea past passengers.

 

Regent is decidedly less formal and IMHO less polished (though improving) in some important areas. From the comment here, and what I see on board, that "polish" for some is to a degree seen as a negative or unnecessary. It is truly personal.

 

I like the Seabourn style much better than Regent. It is just what I like better. It doesn't mean I don't like Regent - as I am soon to depart on my 5th cruise on 4 Regent ships - but it isn't my idea of "the best". Others will say there is no difference and yet others will say Regent is better because of the ships, if not the service.

 

Does that make SS "fairly equal"? To me: No. To some others: Probably. (Excluding pricing - which is another factor.)

[Dolebludger]

Wel we "love" Regent generally, and recently cruised SS and loved it too. It was a wee bit more formal, but we knew that going in so no problem. We were on the Cloud (290 pax max) and we loved the size as we like small ships.

 

I have only one objective complaint about our sole SS cruise. (I won't go into subjective matters, as all have different tastes.) On our particular cruise, we would be in virtually every port from very early in the AM till 6:00 PM or later. Yet all the ship's excursions seemed to leave about 8:00 AM. I don't know about you, but when I'm on a cruise 8:00 AM DOES NOT EXIST! Some afternoon excursions would have been most welcome.

[johnnycruise]

I have sailed Silversea 5 times and was most recently aboard Mariner roundtrip out of Ft. Lauderdale for our only RSSC cruise. Both lines are very close - I'd say that given the exact same itinerary, SS is probably "worth" about $50-100 more per day, IMO. More than that and I'd probably lean towards RSSC.

 

Silversea pros for us:

Staff/Service - waiters always carry your plate from the buffet, no ship-roaming photographer

Food - we only had lobster on the menu twice on our RSSC cruise and it was a bisque both times whereas on SS we always had lobster tails on menus at least twice, RSSC did a beach BBQ which just had burgers, hotdogs and chicken whereas the beach BBQ for SS was much more elaborate with crab, fish, lobster, etc.

Suites - a tad larger with twin vanity sinks in the bathroom, bit more closet space

 

Regent has the edge in:

Activities - larger ships lead to more to do (2 golf cages, tennis, etc.)

Guests - My wife and I are always the youngest on the Silversea cruises (mid 30's), but there were 5-10 couples our age on Mariner.

Pool Deck - much larger on Mariner with 3 jacuzzi's instead of Whisper/Shadow's 2 (although the pool didn't seem that much larger on Mariner, just the deck)

 

One of the major differences was in ship design, which I wasn't expecting. The main hallways to get from place to place on SS are in the middle of the ship, whereas on Mariner the hallways ran down the sides of the ship on a few of the popular public space decks. This makes for nicer scenery when walking around, but at the cost of not being able to sit right at a window in the night club or at the coffee bar, for example. Not an issue in resturants or bars mind you, and nothing that would be a deal breaker.

 

Thanks for making such an objective comparison! It sounds like Silverseas' food is in a different league than RSSC's.

 

johnny

[dafne]

Here is my review of Silver Whisper- how can anything me more perfect than this.

 

We did not find anyone snobby-( as some in this board stated)- all the guests we encountered were very friendly and wanted to socialize.

 

So, after reading my review- please let me know if this compares to Regent:

 

My husband and I were on Silver Wind ten years ago and had the trip of our lifetime.

I never thought it could be repeated again but it was!

Another trip of a lifetime on Silversea!

 

We were on a 9 day cruise in June to the Greek Islands, Sicily and Italy.

 

Of course the ports were wonderful but I am not going to review the ports since everyone chooses an itinerary based on their own preferences. My objective is to discuss our experience on Silversea.

 

From the moment we boarded the ship the service was incredible! Every staff person always greeted us and had a big smile on their faces.

 

We woke up very early every morning, we couldn't wait to start our day on the Silver Whisper and ordered cappuccino delivered to our rooms. Ten minutes later it would arrive and be placed on our balcony with fine linens and china. Twenty four hour room service, you can order anything to eat or drink. Ordered drinks at 2:00 am and experienced the same efficient and quick service.

 

Then we would go to La Terrazza for a buffet breakfast when it opened. Huge and wonderful assortment of breakfast items, juices, fresh omelet station, fresh fruit station with staff cutting the fruit etc. Glasses for juices were chilled.

The attention to this kind of detail was evident in everything they did on the ship.

Then you could have pancakes, waffles etc. prepared for you.

 

I am not a breakfast eater, so ordered Lamb Chops with wild mushrooms and ice tea every morning. I asked for a fresh pineapple slice in my ice tea.

By the second day, the waiters knew me and would say, are you ready for your Lamb Chops and your iced tea with fresh pineapple.

10-15 minutes later the Lamb Chops arrived.

The point I am trying to get across is whatever special request you may want, the answer is always yes!

The waiters would carry your plates to your table from the buffet. All the waiters had wonderful attitudes and were there to please you in every way. You are made to feel very special!

 

We had a veranda suite which included a balcony. We loved having the balcony and used it all the time. The room is lovely, with plenty of closet space and more drawers than you can fill up and we had 4 pieces of luggage. Personalized stationary with your name on it. Fresh flowers in your cabin. The bathrooms were fantastic! Double sinks, shower and tub with Bulgari amenities such as soap, shampoo, conditioner etc.

Very comfortable bed with fine linens and duvet cover.

The stewardess was fantastic. Always smiling and calling us by our names. The stewardess' work in teams, with two people taking care of your suite. The cabins are cleaned twice a day and the cleaning was immaculate.

They even lined up my makeup in a straight row!

We kept saying to ourselves, this service is unbelievable!

We had to keep asking ourselves how anything can be so perfect like this.

 

We ate dinner every night in the main dining room and also ate once in the Italian Restaurant.

The food was excellent. Many choices and if you don’t see what you like on the menu they will bring you what you request. One day I saw an appetizer from lunch that looked interesting and requested it for dinner. Nothing was ever a problem!

The dining room wait staff was so professional, great attitudes and impeccable service.

We were greeted by the waiter and wine steward the minute you sat down.

Every night it was like eating in a fine restaurant. Presentation of the food on the plates was always beautifully done. The beef dishes were extraordinary, beef melted in our mouths!

You will be pampered beyond belief!

Most nights we would stay in the dining room for 3 hours talking to the fellow guests we were dining with at our table.

 

We enjoyed the formal nights as it made for a glamorous evening!

 

Chef David was accessible to all the guests. He came out to the dining room, greeting everyone and making sure you were happy. One day my husband told the chef, he may prefer something different instead of a fillet of fish. The chef said call me and let me know, he asked if my husband wanted a whole fish, he said he would cook it any way he wanted.

Almost on every port before we were ready to sail, there would be a lovely small buffet set up by the pool area before dinner. Chef David was always walking around, getting to know all the guests.

 

One night we had a Barbecue Dinner on the pool deck. It was fantastic! Forty desserts to choose from, I know cos I counted them! The pool deck was set up with fabric covered chairs, linen tablecloths. Great entertainment and dancing into the wee hours. We were talking to a few couples and the Captain came by our table and talk to us for one hour! That is what made our cruise so special, all the staff treated you like family!

 

Every cruise they do an open kitchen Galley Buffet lunch. What a magnificent presentation!

So interesting to see how the kitchen functions.

 

At the bars they use linen napkins, another attention to fine detail! All the bartenders made great drinks!

I like Pina Coladas and had it prepared in Hawaii with vanilla ice cream. I told the bartender and with in a few minutes they went down to the kitchen galley and got the ice cream. No request is denied!

 

When we disembarked at the ports they had cold bottled water to take ashore and on the way back they waited for the tenders to return to the ship, at the ports they had cold punch, water and chilled towels!

 

What makes Silversea cruises so special are the fellow passengers you meet.

We met wonderful, fascinating people from all over the world. Everyone was so friendly and wanted to socialize. We have made some lasting friendships that we will keep in touch with.

 

If you want wonderful service, great food and a smaller ship then there is only one Cruise Line, Silversea!

 

The advantage of the smaller ship is that it is easier to make friends, since you run into the same people all the time and the staff members get to know you personally.

 

Ron our cruise director was so friendly and eloquent making announcements, he always had a big smile when he greeted us.

 

The entertainment was classy, a Broadway singer, a famous pianist etc.

 

On the third day the cruise hotel director delivered a sheet of paper to all cabins asking if there is anything that he can do to make your cruise more pleasant, please let him know.

I wrote back on the sheet, how can you improve perfection, and I meant it. There is nothing that I would add or change.

 

I spoke to many fellow passengers the last day of the cruise and everyone had the same opinion saying it was fabulous!

 

If you like Four Seasons hotels than you will love Silversea!

 

In fact I think Silversea is a cut above Four Seasons hotels if you compare everything.

 

Silversea is a class act! You will not be disappointed. In fact it will probably be one of the highlights of your life!

You will be blown away with the perfection in everything they do to make your cruise a memorable experience.

 

Silversea is expensive but worth every dollar you pay.

We loved an all inclusive cruise, never have to sign for anything. Everything is included.

 

We kept asking ourselves how can a cruise line deliver such a perfect product, down to every last detail.

 

We travel all over the world for our business and have stayed in the finest hotels and the cruise we just went on with Silversea for all round service, food, attention to detail and staff is top on our list.

 

To be honest it was hard to go back to reality when the cruise ended as this cruise was a fantasy come true!

 

Our experience on Silversea was beyond our wildest dreams!

 

How would we describe our cruise? Magnificent! Amazing! Perfect! Fantastic! Incredible! Fabulous!

 

If you want the best service, great food, a wonderful cruise experience than Silversea is for you!

[Travelcat2]

Dafne, thank you for the detail on that review. From what you said, there are some areas of Silversea that exceed Regent -- specifically the size of the the ship (Silversea is smaller) and possibly the food. I say "possibly" as there has been a lot of discussion on deteriorating food on Silversea (I take this with a grain of salt since Regent can be great one week and mediocre the next -- depends on many factors).

 

The service you described is extremely similiar to what we received on the Navigator this year. The "yes" attitude is very present on Regent and you can order what you wish from the kitchen. Breakfast set-up in the suite also sounds the same as Regent.

 

Based on what you and Boatman said, we will look into Silversea for next year (in addition to our already booked Regent cruise) even though it would be strange to take a "first cruise" on another line when we have finally reached a level on Regent where we get some "perks" as the result of being "Gold" status (not particularly high but at least we get internet, a phone call, etc).

 

Thanks again:D

[Iamboatman]

Great firsthand input! Thanks.

 

TC2, congrats for keeping an open mind! There is a small, but very good, buffet of excellent cruise lines. Why always have steak when there is lobster and pheasant as well?!

[Dolebludger]

Boatman:

 

I agree with your post just above. Reportedly, SS is having a new ship built, which will be just below 500 pax maximum. The president of SS has been quoted as saying that a true luxury cruise experience cannot be offered in a ship larger than this. I tend to agree with him on this, and that is probably why my favorite Regent ships are the Paul Gauguin and the Navigator (despite its vibration, though livable). They are both under 500 pax ships. While I like the Mariner and the Voyager (if one doesn't book too close to the stern where the vibration can become unlivable), these ships are just a wee bit too large for my tastes.

 

I must comment here that the price of a luxury cruise has increased rather geometrically in the past five years. So we are no longer cruising three + times per year but only once per year (if that). So my choice as between Regent and SS (and Seabourn and Sea Dream) has become more price-dictated than line-dictated. There may be lines other than these that I would find to be more of a pleasure than a nuisance, but I have not discovered them yet. But among these four lines (if one avoids certain suites with problems) one cannot go too far wrong.

[Iamboatman]

Richard,

 

I agree about size: Smaller is better (Yes, It's True!!).

 

I love Seabourn because of the type of service provided, which Regent just can't do because - among other things - the size of the vessel.

 

When the Diamond was in the fleet, the service was exceptional and far more personalized. (One member of the staff remembered me and even what I drank when I was on the Navigator last year.) I am looking forward to my cruise on the PG in August, in part, for the same reason.

 

However, I have no expectation that the service or food will be equal to that on my Seabourn cruise in late September. (Yet smaller ship, much larger suites, more polish, etc.) It would be a wonderful surprise if it is!

 

And these are the "problems" I am (and most of us here are) so very fortunate to have.

[neviboy]

Richard, Hannah sympathises with you. She, definitely, is no early riser. Not like me. I always plan our own excursions based on several factors. We usually start out around 9,30 a.m. after a terrace breakfast.

 

Our cruise on Silver Wind in May had 6 ports in 7 days. We held to our sightseeing plans, and everything was splendid.

 

Conversely, our Amazon cruise in Jan. on Mariner, had too few ports. The guest lecturers, however, relieved the boredom of the afternoons.

 

After 4 Mariners, 4 Voyagers and 3 Silverseas, we have rarely complained, bearing in mind that 100% perfection is what is strived for rather than achieved. Arriving home, we have always been satisfied, and our enjoyment enhanced by meeting many wonderful people, several of whom we retain contact via the wonders of digital photography.

[Dolebludger]

Boatman:

 

I have yet to experience Seabourn, and its food and service, but all seeem to agree it is the best there is. But I will bet you return with a rave review of the Paul Gauguin. It is not so much the ship itself that makes this cruise (IMO) the best in the world, but a combination of the Polynesian entertainment on the ship plus the itinerary. The ship itself just wouldn't be the same without the itinerary. The lower category staterooms are only about 200 sq. ft. -- smaller than on Regent's other ships. But the port-intensive nature of the itinerary makes this less relevant than it would be on other itineraries. We have always liked the service better on the PG best among Regent's ships -- undoubtedly a function of its smaller size.

 

Only if you are desiring a formal experience such as SS offers will you be disappointed. Because the PG is 180 degrees away from that. Very casual, not not at all "bummy." But if you embark the PG with the correct expectations -- that you are starting the best tropical cruise in the world, period, you will return happy.