clasater

We were on the Bali-Tokyo segment and agree Brian was fantastic. Probably the best we've ever experienced at sea. He also made a tour every port.

We have stayed in 8005 on two occasions and were very happy with the choice.

North Atlantic crossing and Med cruises.

We have also used the Alma and it was very nice. Great location and large rooms.

Good one Bill !!

15 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

Sadly, Regent uses the same entertainers as Oceania but most passengers do not have high expectations of the entertainment on a luxury cruise line.  Some singers are better than others ..... it depends upon the cruise.  Alaska cruises are a bit different than other Regent cruises as they have more people new to Regent than other itineraries.  Good to hear that you are on a May sailing as the summer sailings are full of families and children (unusual for Regent).  We would not sail in June or July in Alaska - even if it were free.

 

Food is so subjective.  Most people love the options in CR (Compass Rose - the main dining room) where you can get lobster, filet mignon and other yummy items every day.  We have sailed on Oceania twice (Riviera) and loved Jacques, found the other specialty restaurants to be fine but would not want to step foot in the Terrace Cafe again.  While the food displayed looks great, the quality is simply not there.  We also do not care for the MDR although we would have breakfast or lunch there.  Some Oceania passengers feel that they have the best food at sea (based on advertisements).  To be fair, the Riviera's top suites are the better than Regent (we stayed in a Vista Suite and toured the Owner's Suite).

 

Hope that you will enjoy Regent.  No matter how many cruise lines we try, we always return to Regent.

I would think that most people WOULD expect very good entertainment on a luxury cruise.

Wendy,

We have sailed with Viking twice now in the same room 8005. One was a TA and the other the Med. The ships are really incredible, the food great, and the staff wonderful.

Now that is our take on things. It is a very different feel than Regent, but suited us just fine. There are not as many dining options, but we liked the World Cafe so much we ate there almost exclusively. Their are no walk in closets, but we found the ones adequate.

As you probably know the design of ship and all fittings are Scandinavian (sp), so not as warm a feel as Regent. The Explorers Lounge is two story and incredibly nice with a good bar area. The covered pool area is great. Can't believe that new builds by other lines are not doing this.

We are booked on the same world cruise as you, but would cruise Viking in a heartbeat !

If you have specific questions, just ask.

Charles

4 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

And could you give me more details?  What "beauty" did you see in Viking? We like Regent because it's a known quantity for us, great dining, excellent service, friendly and comfortable; but enjoy Mariner specifically because of the nice Coffee Connection, other pleasant public spaces, the layout of Compass Rose, etc

Very well stated Flossie !

We see beauty in Viking as well as Regent and have sailed them both more than once.

We have sailed in 8005 on two occasions. One TA and the other MED cruise.

Great location and very handy to get coffee for wife in morning in the Explorers Lounge.

Thank you for your reply. Sounds like we will be happy with our choice.

Thank you all for the replies. The aft suites were all booked so the forward was our only choice. I think we will enjoy the suite.

Has anyone stayed in 1001 on Mariner or any other forward suite.

Have it booked for WC and would love to have comments.

Have been in 8005 twice on the Sea and enjoyed it very much. Also next to almost never used door to the second level of the lounge. Most people don't even know the door exit.

Check out the Hotel Alma. Great location and incredibly friendly staff. Easy walking to many sites.

http://kehli.hu/?lang=en

The above link is for an incredible restaurant in Budapest. Really a local place that Hungarian businessman take clients. Have been there more than once and look forward to our next visit.

Gypsy music !!!

bbMom

Deck 8 is wonderful. Have been in 8005 before and have it booked again in the next week.

Perfectly quiet !

This song seems appropriate !

Agree wholeheartedly with LoonCall !

No different than American Airlines upping the number of miles for a reward ticket.

Things change !!!

Never heard a peep in 15 days on the Viking Sea. Very quiet we thought. Never heard anyone else complain.

Don't let it disturb you TC

Viking is not all inclusive in upper suites.

TC

You used the term "stepping down".

I can tell you that Viking Ocean is definitely not stepping down. It is a great product !

We love Regent, but Viking is incredible !

If you enjoy oysters, in the past Regent has offered a tour in PEI called "Malpeque Oyster Experience". It is fantastic ! Put on by a young oyster farmer and his wife. Shucks oysters until the last person says "calf rope".

Enjoy your cruise !

That's a great attitude Bill !

The same one we travel with !

We are booked on future cruises on both Regent and Viking. Regent Tokyo to Vancouver and Viking transatlantic Bergen to Montreal. We have sailed on both previously.

Call it luxury, semi luxury, quasi luxury, premium, whatever, Viking is offering an incredible product that we enjoy. I think we will miss the retractable roof over the pool area on the Tokyo to Vancouver ! We're looking forward to both cruises equally. Looking forward to seeing Mariner after refurb. Have sailed it before.

We found the food on Viking equal or better than Regent. I'm sure anyone with an open mind would enjoy either for a cruise.

I would also add that Viking has cruises fully booked in 2019. You cannot deny their recent success and I believe it correlates to the quality of the product.