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What’s Included? Differences between Regent and Crystal...


snuggarelli
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For those of you who have done both cruise lines, I’d like your feedback. Regent and Crystal both claim to be all-inclusive. I haven’t cruised in many years. What doesn’t Regent include and what doesn’t Crystal include? Besides excursions and flights, does Crystal include everything Regent does?

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For those of you who have done both cruise lines, I’d like your feedback. Regent and Crystal both claim to be all-inclusive. I haven’t cruised in many years. What doesn’t Regent include and what doesn’t Crystal include? Besides excursions and flights, does Crystal include everything Regent does?

Excursions and flights are correct, although please bear in mind that if you want to book your own air or use miles, you can take a credit to reduce your cost of the Regent cruise. Also, on Regent, concierge level and above get a pre night hotel, and some of the cruises also include a 3 day pre or post cruise package.

The only other difference that comes to mind is that while both include unlimited internet, I believe that unless you are in concierge level or higher, or have gold status, on Regent you get one log in for one device at a time per suite, while on Crystal, you get 2 log ins, 2 devices per log in.

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I have read on these boards that you may have to pay if you wish to dine in a specialty restaurant more than once on Crystal. This is not always the case but so far no one has been able to explain why this is only a "sometimes" thing.

 

While you did not ask about suites, they are considerably smaller on Crystal.

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For those of you who have done both cruise lines, I’d like your feedback. Regent and Crystal both claim to be all-inclusive. I haven’t cruised in many years. What doesn’t Regent include and what doesn’t Crystal include? Besides excursions and flights, does Crystal include everything Regent does?

 

 

The reason Regent includes excursions and flights is that you are paying for them upfront. Please do not confuse the words "included" and "free."

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I have read on these boards that you may have to pay if you wish to dine in a specialty restaurant more than once on Crystal. This is not always the case but so far no one has been able to explain why this is only a "sometimes" thing.

 

The rationale is demand control. There had been many cases where some people made nothing but specialty dining arrangements for the whole cruise.

 

Now, evening dining on Crystal includes Waterside (aka MDR), Prego (Italian), Umi Uma (Japanese/Nobu), Silk (Asian) and Churascuria (Argentine-style meats). Waterside and Churascuria are first come, first served. Silk is by reservation but without being counted towards your "free quota". Prego and Umi Uma are by reservation and count towards your "quota".

 

Also, the quota is for two reservations on cruises of 14 days or less. Additional for longer voyages. And you can use them for one and one, or two in the same restaurant.

 

Seems to work well. It spreads the dining around and the extra charge for any overage on reservations is only $25 per person per meal. And yes, Prego and Umi Uma are both worth that charge.

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Also, the quota is for two reservations on cruises of 14 days or less. Additional for longer voyages. And you can use them for one and one, or two in the same restaurant.

 

 

 

Seems to work well. It spreads the dining around and the extra charge for any overage on reservations is only $25 per person per meal. And yes, Prego and Umi Uma are both worth that charge.

 

 

Just to clarify a couple of points - it’s actually $30 per additional visit - and that’s a bargain as I don’t know of any Nobu restaurant that you can enjoy an evenings dining for $30

 

I should add there is a Sushi Bar at Umi Uma that is first come first served (no reservations possible) and a visit to that also counts against the quota of specialty restaurant visits

 

The entitlement for 15 day or greater cruises is a total of 4 visits to the two specialty restaurants (guests choice as to which of the two they enjoy those 4 visits to) - subject to availability

 

Other notable exceptions are for full World Cruisers there are Unlimited specialty restaurant visits and for those guests who have sailed 50 or more cruises (technically 50+ cruise credits) there are also unlimited specialty restaurant visits

 

Then, as is almost always the case these days with rules, there are special cases where on cruises the rules are varied. For example we sailed a 24 night cruise earlier this year and were advised that we could visit specialty restaurants 8 times without the additional charge. We never came close to going 8 times as our group enjoyed ourselves so much in the Crystal Dining Room

 

Let’s face it for someone cruising Crystal a $30pp charge on rare occasions is not a show stopper and it would be unusual if those charges made a material impact to the overall cost of a luxury cruise on Crystal

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J

 

Let’s face it for someone cruising Crystal a $30pp charge on rare occasions is not a show stopper and it would be unusual if those charges made a material impact to the overall cost of a luxury cruise on Crystal

 

No - definitely not a show stopper but one more way that Regent is more inclusive than Crystal. Now, if Crystal's prices were lower than Regent's to make up for having to pay for air, excursions and even the $30/per person charge, it would be different but in order to find a suite equal in size to many Regent suites, you have to pay considerably more than on Regent and that is what we feel the big deal is.

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Now, if Crystal's prices were lower than Regent's to make up for having to pay for air, excursions and even the $30/per person charge, it would be different but in order to find a suite equal in size to many Regent suites, you have to pay considerably more than on Regent and that is what we feel the big deal is.

 

 

 

Like you say it’s the overall package that counts - so it’s really up to the individual to decide what suits them best

 

Personally I spend little time in a suite on Crystal because the public areas are so good and the social scene late into the night so active - now is that a good or bad thing? It depends on the individual

 

Do I need bundled commodity excursions when I prefer more personalised tours? - no correct answer - but there is a difference

 

Do I need bundled air if I have industry concessions that give me access to very low cost air? or perhaps I have millions of frequent flyer points I can redeem - what value are the Regent inclusions then?

 

I don’t believe you’ve actually cruised Crystal have you? - perhaps you who do give them a try - who knows you may actually enjoy it - and at the very least you would be better informed rather than relying on the opinions of others. Have you considered that?

 

I haven’t done a side by side details comparison on pricing but I doubt Crystal are much different and certainly not more expensive when all things are considered - and as I said earlier I really don’t that a couple of $30pp specialty restaurant fees are material in such a comparison

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I've done 18 Crystal cruises and I can tell you that many do not care for the changes with regards to the open seating that's been introduced. Lots of complaints about how close the tables are and there is very little privacy even if you have a table for two. As a solo cruiser on Crystal, I much preferred the traditional seating as opposed to open seating, but Crystal bowed to pressure from the likes of Regent, Seabourn and Silversea who have open seating.

 

The Churrascura restaurant is really very good, but the change in the buffet area has not been well received by many.

 

Cabins are very much smaller on Crystal, with the average size of their "regular" cabins being approx 250sq ft.

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Cabins are very much smaller on Crystal, with the average size of their "regular" cabins being approx 250sq ft.

 

 

Crystal Symphony:

Standard room - non verandah - 202 sq. ft.

Verandah Room - 246 sq. ft. (with verandah)

 

Crystal Serenity:

Standard room - non verandah - 226 sq. ft

Verandah Room - 269 sq. ft. (with verandah)

 

If you are interested in other categories they’re available at

 

Symphony - http://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/cruise-guidebook/our-ships/crystal-symphony/deck-plans/

 

Serenity - http://www.crystalcruises.com/cruises/cruise-guidebook/our-ships/crystal-serenity/deck-plans/

 

Whilst I haven’t done it there is in fact enough room to swing a cat

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Wow - the suites are much smaller than I remembered. We do understand that some people like to spend time in different areas of the ship. While we enjoy the ship, we really enjoy our time in our suite or on the balcony. I had not considered Crystal for many reasons. It took about 14 years for the some of the "reasons" to go away. Would consider Crystal IF it were a short itinerary and IF the price was less than Regent for a similar suite.

 

We are not fans of included excursions but do like the Regent Choice excursions that do have a cost. The amount charged for these excursions is generally less than on Silversea or even Oceania. Have not checked prices on Crystal.

 

As an aside, for many years we were told that we should not have an opinion of a cruise line that we have not sailed. So, we tried other cruise lines and always come back to Regent. There is a lot of factual information on luxury cruise line websites that give a pretty good idea whether we would enjoy the cruise line or not. Crystal (and Seabourn) just didn't make the cut for us (until recently when smoking on Seabourn and true open seating on Crystal was introduced). It is late in the game for us to make a change but are doing some short, fun west coast cruises on other cruise lines since Regent does not offer much.

 

I never say never and that holds true with Crystal as well as Seabourn.

 

kitty9 - we just experienced tables that were too close together on our quickie Celebrity cruise earlier this month. You pretty much have to talk to the people next to you which can be nice sometimes but does not allow for a romantic dinner for 2.

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As someone who has actually cruised on both: IMO Crystal's restaurant service is far better than on Regent. Most of Crystal staff stay with only one ship always. The Crystal staff is not rotated with other brand, like Regent does with Oceania.

 

 

 

Important to me; Crystal has a much, much broader and better range of entertainment. particularly regarding music. Crystal has way better-faster wi-fi, much better interactive TV and is way more tech savvy with many services accessible thru your personal table or phone . IMO the Atrium in the Serenity is far nicer than anything on Regent, including the Explorer. Crystal has better computer, larger room with several dedicated IT manager. They offer computer classes (iOS). There is a real movie theater. There is a large "bridge" room.

 

 

Regent's cabin are nicer. Regent shore excursions are broader in choice and better run. If you are doing a first time port intensive itinerary Regent is the product. Price wise, all thing considered Regent is less expensive.

 

 

 

But if you are doing a crossing or lots of sea days, Crystal is much better product. So much so that I am looking forward to my next years Trans-Pacific on the Serenity.

 

 

J

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As far as cost comparison is concerned, it is very difficult to do an accurate comparison, in order to do so, you would need to compare cruises in the same part of the world, at the same time of year of the same length with the same number of days in port, and then factor what is and is not included.

Several months ago, (clearly having way too much time on my hands), I actually did that, I located 2 Mediterranean cruises that met that criteria. I subtracted the air credit from the Regent fare and added $100 per person per day for excursions to the Crystal fare. I don't have access to the data right now as I am traveling, in fact, I am in Rome, boarding, by coincidence, the Crystal Serenity tomorrow. But this is what I remember :

 

For the least expensive room, comparing the lowest category of Veranda suite on Regent to the least expensive Veranda suite on Crystal, Crystal was quite a bit less expensive. But as has been pointed out, the room is much smaller. On the other hand, other than the Explorer, the larger room on Regent has less storage space than the smaller one on Crystal. (don't get me started on that! [emoji19])

On the higher end, comparing the largest suite on Crystal to a comparably sized one on Regent, Crystal was far higher in price.

In the middle, a penthouse (not n

penthouse suite) on Crystal compared to a Veranda suite on Regent, which is a similar size, the same deck, the costs were quite similar.

I will not get into the "which is better" discussion, clearly everyone will have their own opinion. To me, they are both great.

 

⁣​

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Learning a lot from this thread. The only suites we would consider on Crystal is PH and Crystal PH but the Crystal PH is overpriced in my opinion.

 

Not sure why it is a positive for crew members to stay with one ship. At one time we didn't like that the crew changed ships but now we appreciate it as we have not always stayed with one ship and it is nice to see crew members that we know on whatever Regent ship we happen to be sailing.

 

boblerm - thank you for the price comparison. Enjoy your Serenity cruise!

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On this lazy Sunday morning (still morning where I live), I was reading the Seabourn and Crystal boards - just to learn what is going on. I found an interesting tidbit about Crystal that could put some people off....... they do not do shared tables for singles (to be more specific, you cannot get a table for 6 in the hopes of 5 others joining you). This was quite surprising but is another difference between Regent and Crystal. There is a current thread going on regarding this issue.

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There are also 2 excellent live threads on Crystal at the moment.

Keith and his wife also Boblerm and his wife are onboard as from today on a back to back Mediterranean cruise.

They are both posting live and have incredible photographs too. That’s a good guide to see the onboard appearance and food choices. We have spoken to many frequent Regent cruisers who really enjoy Crystal. Jean.

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Snuggarelli,

You asked for feedback from those who have sailed both lines. We have sailed both lines and enjoy both. We concur with the previous posters who actually post from their own personal experiences.

Another interesting difference between Regent and Crystal can be seen on their respective cruise critic boards. On the Regent board you often hear from those who cannot resist telling others what suite they are in, how to dress, whether to tip, how often they dine with officers, their free cruises, etc. It is quite different on the Crystal board. In reality, onboard both cruise lines we have encountered extremely courteous passengers and superb service.

Please do not judge Regent or Crystal based upon opinions from experts who have never sailed with them. Some things just cannot be put into words. They have to be experienced.

Best of luck to you. You cannot go wrong with either one.

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On this lazy Sunday morning (still morning where I live), I was reading the Seabourn and Crystal boards - just to learn what is going on. I found an interesting tidbit about Crystal that could put some people off....... they do not do shared tables for singles (to be more specific, you cannot get a table for 6 in the hopes of 5 others joining you). This was quite surprising but is another difference between Regent and Crystal. There is a current thread going on regarding this issue.

 

 

 

Not true - what you say is not the case, let’s not go starting rumours now shall we

 

Some singles have very specific requirements eg speed of service that make building a table of say 6 from scratch and having everyone on the same course difficult if not impossible. Crystal continue to allow people to start tables in Waterside but they can’t dictate who else might elect to join those tables and when with open seating - I’m curious how does Regent achieve that feat if a single solo (or couple for that matter) decides to start a new table and then others don’t magically appear requesting to join a table? Does the maitre d go and forcibly recruit someone to join them to make up the numbers?

 

The option remains for anyone, including singles to register interest and wait at the entrance or in the Cove area for others to form a group - or the can decide to take a seat and wait at a table - but they are dependent on others deciding when to dine and wishing to join a shared table

 

Crystal also organise bookings for solos to visit specialty restaurants together forming tables of 8 on designated evenings - another opportunity to dine as a group

 

Many singles we know setup their dining arrangements with new found friends prior to dining so the situation doesn’t arise but for those who don’t there are options to accomodate them

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There are also 2 excellent live threads on Crystal at the moment.

Keith and his wife also Boblerm and his wife are onboard as from today on a back to back Mediterranean cruise.

They are both posting live and have incredible photographs too. That’s a good guide to see the onboard appearance and food choices. We have spoken to many frequent Regent cruisers who really enjoy Crystal. Jean.

Thank you so much for this tip. We are going to take a look. Photos can tell you a lot.

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Snuggarelli,

You asked for feedback from those who have sailed both lines. We have sailed both lines and enjoy both. We concur with the previous posters who actually post from their own personal experiences.

Another interesting difference between Regent and Crystal can be seen on their respective cruise critic boards. On the Regent board you often hear from those who cannot resist telling others what suite they are in, how to dress, whether to tip, how often they dine with officers, their free cruises, etc. It is quite different on the Crystal board. In reality, onboard both cruise lines we have encountered extremely courteous passengers and superb service.

Please do not judge Regent or Crystal based upon opinions from experts who have never sailed with them.

 

 

I’m not sure that’s entirely correct, I think you get those sort of posters on most boards. Those who want to share the minute details of their experience - some cannot resist “bragging” or as the modern term seems to be blogging. Of course it’s up to others whether they bother to read them

Edited by Stickman1990
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We have sailed both Crystal and Regent and have had wonderful experiences on each. What we loved about Crystal were the truly first rate enrichment lectures and well done shows, as well as the public spaces and the true wrap around promenade deck for walking. Yes, the rooms were smaller than we would have liked, but they were comfortable and well kept. We did find the price for the largest suite (Crystal Penthouse) to be prohibitively expensive. What we love about Regent are the larger and more luxurious cabins, the variety and quality of the dining venues, and the inclusive business class air which makes the entire travel experience seamless. Even though we don't always partake in the included excursions, we are happy that several are offered in each port. Finally, my husband loves the Culinary Arts classes. While we have encountered friendly passengers on both ships, I do have to say that the tenor of the Cruise Critic boards seems different to me, perhaps because Keith on the Crystal board is a wealth of information delivered in an always positive and non judgmental way. There seems to be much less "sniping" on the Crystal forum, which is a good thing.

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Not true - what you say is not the case, let’s not go starting rumours now shall we

 

Some singles have very specific requirements eg speed of service that make building a table of say 6 from scratch and having everyone on the same course difficult if not impossible. Crystal continue to allow people to start tables in Waterside but they can’t dictate who else might elect to join those tables and when with open seating - I’m curious how does Regent achieve that feat if a single solo (or couple for that matter) decides to start a new table and then others don’t magically appear requesting to join a table? Does the maitre d go and forcibly recruit someone to join them to make up the numbers?

 

The option remains for anyone, including singles to register interest and wait at the entrance or in the Cove area for others to form a group - or the can decide to take a seat and wait at a table - but they are dependent on others deciding when to dine and wishing to join a shared table

 

Crystal also organise bookings for solos to visit specialty restaurants together forming tables of 8 on designated evenings - another opportunity to dine as a group

 

Many singles we know setup their dining arrangements with new found friends prior to dining so the situation doesn’t arise but for those who don’t there are options to accomodate them

 

Suggest that you post this on the Crystal board where some people are upset by the "fact"(?) that you cannot share tables as you can with Regent. If this is not true, your comments could be helpful.

 

Snuggarelli, you are correct - there are posters on all boards that share information differently. And, there are posters on the Regent board that share a lot of information and do not get blasted for it while others (saying the exact same thing) do. Go figure! One thing is for sure is that there is always a poster that will make a point of being critical of other posters when the purpose of CC is to discuss opinions and cruises - not each other.

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As far as cost comparison is concerned, it is very difficult to do an accurate comparison, in order to do so, you would need to compare cruises in the same part of the world, at the same time of year of the same length with the same number of days in port, and then factor what is and is not included.

Several months ago, (clearly having way too much time on my hands), I actually did that, I located 2 Mediterranean cruises that met that criteria. I subtracted the air credit from the Regent fare and added $100 per person per day for excursions to the Crystal fare. I don't have access to the data right now as I am traveling, in fact, I am in Rome, boarding, by coincidence, the Crystal Serenity tomorrow. But this is what I remember :

 

For the least expensive room, comparing the lowest category of Veranda suite on Regent to the least expensive Veranda suite on Crystal, Crystal was quite a bit less expensive. But as has been pointed out, the room is much smaller. On the other hand, other than the Explorer, the larger room on Regent has less storage space than the smaller one on Crystal. (don't get me started on that! [emoji19])

On the higher end, comparing the largest suite on Crystal to a comparably sized one on Regent, Crystal was far higher in price.

In the middle, a penthouse (not n

penthouse suite) on Crystal compared to a Veranda suite on Regent, which is a similar size, the same deck, the costs were quite similar.

I will not get into the "which is better" discussion, clearly everyone will have their own opinion. To me, they are both great.

 

⁣​

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

 

 

Thank you! This is what I was thinking about doing too: doing a side-by-side comparison of similar itinerary/dates, suites, minus airfare (take the air credit), figure out how to minus our excursions, and whatever everyone here on the board said was included/not included.

 

I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences as well (such as the entertainment, the comfort of the suite, etc) because that is something that cannot be quantified in one’s analysis. Thank you everyone. :)

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