Clutj

MAuibabes, would love a post of a photo of new Toscana menu if you get a chance

Thanks, Flatbush.  Any recollection of what dropped off?

How well does Regent handle the included Business Class air on international flights?  Am looking at both and appears that Silversea only includes Economy…

Does anyone have a copy/photo of the revised menu?  O website still has old one.

I posted a Regent vs Oceania thread on the other board and there was overwhelming opinion that Regent was both cheaper if you do the math correctly, and better in pretty much all ways.  You might take a look just to get the opposite view from what will no doubt be posted here!  There were a couple positive or “equally good” comments about O. 

In 2017, wine was 10-12 and the top Champagne was 16; beer was 6-8.  An important point is that the automatic 20% tip goes on top of each drink bought on board.  But O does not add a tip onto the cost of the basic or premium beverage package (many lines do), or the upgrade to premium if you use your O Life benefit to get the basic one.  Many people find the premium upgrade worth the cost because it adds mixed drinks to the beer & wine only basic package, and expands the timing from meals-only to any time. 
 

The wine selection is only okay.  I have seen better wines listed on Regent’s included package and on some other lines. 

Apologies, but I couldn’t find a prior thread on this and searching only turned up scattershot comparisons.  Reply if you want, please ignore if you are annoyed.

I am choosing between these two lines on a Northern Europe 10-11 day cruise.  Trying to get down to apples v apples on economics, Regent is maybe 25% more with a larger/nicer Penthouse than Oceania and Regent is using the brand new, attractive Splendor ship.  Argue my economics if you want, but it isn’t a deciding factor for me.

For those who’ve cruised both lines, what would you say puts Regent on top (or not) for you?

What I believe: 

The Regent included wines by the glass are significantly better than Oceania but not mind-blowing.
Regent entertainment is slightly better.

Questions:

Are there sample restaurant menus online anywhere?

Is there room service from specialty restaurants?

Thanks in advance!

26 minutes ago, PoolSlider said:

Do they have (real) champagne by the glass? Would it be a surcharge over the $12 limit or would you have to pay the entire drink price? 

A while back they had a Nicholas Feuillatte brut reserve for $13. Charles & Charles Rose sparkling for $8.  The terms say you are charged for the cost over $12… Dom Perignon was by bottle for $199.  I think package gets you 25% discount on bottles. 

I’ve not been on many cruises w O (yet) but 2 butlers told me the most demand was for Jacques, so puzzling to me that they’d delete that one.  As much as I have enjoyed Pinotlover’s posts over the years, seems wrong that the cost of J’s name would be the main issue, just name it Cafe Paris and keep the classic/semi-modern French cooking.  Also hard to believe the licensing deal with Jacques is that long-lived or in favor of Jacques vs $x Billion Company after this long.

Any guesses as to why culinary center has reduced capacity?  Never seemed crowded to me, not any more than any restaurant… 

2 hours ago, DENIE said:

 I think I heard that regardless of the product, many more people will write bad reviews whereas the people who were happy will not write a review.  

 

Absolutely!  

On the Oceania website, Marina is shown with a 2016 refurbishment date.  You’d think they would have updated that if it had been done this year or was in the shop now. 

42 minutes ago, PSahoy said:

I am on one for a 10/22 cruise. All cabin categories are waitlist. Does anyone know if/when it clears the fare is what was published when I was waitlisted or what it is at the time of clearance?

My TA puts me on the waitlist with a deposit and then gets a number as to where I am on the waitlist.  I assume you didn’t get a number?

Remember to factor into your premium drinks package calculation that the 18% tip is included in the package.

I sense a growing revolution against the Germain champagne!  Let’s follow our Regent brethren ... to the barricades!  (For what it’s worth, I did read some Regent posts objecting to that switch a couple years back, and I do recall seeing a post from a Regent person saying that they had heard the complaints and were replacing it with something better.  If Regent had already bought a bunch of the Germain, it probably then got dumped on the poorer little sister Oceania, and we will have to drink it until it’s gone...)

Jancruz, can you pass on that some/many of us think the new champagne by the glass is really poor?  We’d take one of the ones from the past, but this fairly unknown Germain something is just plain weak...

Sounds like you are already committed, but we would add that we found the La Reserve dinners to be truly excellent, and worth the extra fee, for each of the several cruises we have taken on Riviera.  We just got on that Nov 17 crossing, so maybe we will see you in La R.

We are considering this two week mid-November cruise Lisbon to Ft Lauderdale coming up in November.  Any tips from veterans?  How cold is it?  Outdoor dining possible?  What are Muse-level ship “enrichments” like?  Anything special for nine-straight sea days?  Many thanks. 

19 hours ago, SSCAF001 said:

I am French and I know perfectly what champagne is. And champagne is never listed in the wine section of a drink menu!

Welcome to an American cruise line.  We are a little more flexible and less literal in our communication, and that was what you experienced with your Oceania advisor.  You will see on the menu above that there are 5 categories of what we broadly call “wines” on the drink menu.  All 5 are included in the package.  You will note that no category is simply called “wine”.  But they all contain the word “wine”.  I hope that helps you. 

Don’t know about touring there (although the rec sounds solid), but I will second that Valle de Guadalupe wines are quite good, not known, and great values. 

Remains to be seen what any new rules are, but...

Wine bottle purchase gets 15% discount if you have either bev plan.

When doing math on bev plan, keep in mind that the 18% tip is included.

If you order doubles and then add a dessert wine/port you get to the daily value pretty easily.

Bev plan used to be better deal when O had pretty good champagne by glass, but it has gotten bad recently.  The latest one O took over all of Regent Seven Seas stock after their cruisers revolted and protested!  

Thanks ORV and pinotlover.  So I know I wasn’t crazy.  Seems like that discount on an occasional splurge bottle makes the package an even better “deal”.  Will see if it’s in the post-pandemic blue books. 

Sorry to bother people, but I can't find on Oceana's website the 15% discount for bottles of wine that is (or was) part of both the beverage plans...

Any pointers appreciated.  Or is it in the Blue Book?  Or just an unwritten policy?  You'd think they'd make it obvious in the online description of the plans, seems like a selling point to me...

Thanks.

About to enter the Panama Canal if anyone wants to watch on ship tracker...

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9187899

Regatta appears to be headed from Papeete to Hawaii now that passengers are off.