Oceania vs Regent

[spindrift]

We have considered Regent over and over again as we have a neighbor who sails them ALL of the time. She swears by Regent and says that she has heard that Oceania is fabulous as well, but she is sold on Regent.

We are sold on Oceania, and one of the reasons being the comfortable country club atmosphere we have experienced (only 9 on O until the Maiden which will be our 10th). A vacation for us now is getting away and not having to dress formally nor go to the dining room if we chose not to. Actually, our very favorite spot is "Tapas on the Terrace" in the evening. After a long day of excursions, ports, or whatever, it is lovely to have a cocktail and then head up for a relaxed dinner in Tapas with a great glass of wine. Other than Toscana and Polo, both of which we love, the rest of our meals are in Tapas.

We have cruised a ton and love formal--at times, but we have gotten to where we just need to get away and relax, and Oceania provides that wonderful scenario.

Does Regent have something similar to Tapas? We've been formal on Silver Seas and Crystal as well as other lines, but as I have said, I love the casual but elegant atmosphere of O.

I also find that Regent seems to have a better offer for flying, i.e., better business class rates, and we are at the age where we need to either quit the long trips or travel more comfortably. I had hoped that when Apollo owned both O & R, that the flying rates would come together.

Would love the comments from everyone on a "Tapas" arrangement and the "air" arrangements.

We are looking at itineraries for all of our trips next year and the following year (we are already booked through 6/2011), but I would like to know these few things.

Thanks.

[hondorner]

Regent ships have a similar buffet area called La Veranda, with both inside and al fresco dining like Oceania, but the evenings are a bit different. There are no Tapas on Regent, although there are similar tidbits as appetizers. La Veranda is also a bit more "dressed up" for dinner, like Tapas on the Terrace. There is a custom order pasta station, like the Terrace. The biggest difference, however, is that on Voyager and Mariner, it's possible to place an order for certain items to be cooked to order. that possibility doesn't exist on Navigator, however, because of a difference in the galley layouts (Navigator is quite a bit smaller than the others). So, La Veranda on Navigator is very much like Tapas on the Terrace.

However, we generally dine in the main dining room on either line's ships, as we enjoy the relaxed ambiance and outstanding service. We tend to rush through our meal more when we eat in the buffets, and generally only dine there when the weather is nice enough for an outdoor table. We even eat breakfast about 50% of the time in the main dining room, because we love the baby lamb chops, and we don't like to rush breakfast. When we have an early excursion, we often use room service. We most often eat lunch at Waves. We find that especially at breakfast, the buffet is crowded and it's often hard to get a table.

The outside dining area on any of the Oceania ships is nicer than the one on Navigator; we haven't seen Voyager or Mariner yet, but will be sailing on voyager in a few weeks.

[StanandJim]

[quote name='hondorner']Regent ships have a similar buffet area called La Veranda, with both inside and al fresco dining like Oceania, but the evenings are a bit different. There are no Tapas on Regent, although there are similar tidbits as appetizers. La Veranda is also a bit more "dressed up" for dinner, like Tapas on the Terrace. There is a custom order pasta station, like the Terrace. The biggest difference, however, is that on Voyager and Mariner, it's possible to place an order for certain items to be cooked to order. that possibility doesn't exist on Navigator, however, because of a difference in the galley layouts (Navigator is quite a bit smaller than the others). So, La Veranda on Navigator is very much like Tapas on the Terrace.

However, we generally dine in the main dining room on either line's ships, as we enjoy the relaxed ambiance and outstanding service. We tend to rush through our meal more when we eat in the buffets, and generally only dine there when the weather is nice enough for an outdoor table. We even eat breakfast about 50% of the time in the main dining room, because we love the baby lamb chops, and we don't like to rush breakfast. When we have an early excursion, we often use room service. We most often eat lunch at Waves. We find that especially at breakfast, the buffet is crowded and it's often hard to get a table.

The outside dining area on any of the Oceania ships is nicer than the one on Navigator; we haven't seen Voyager or Mariner yet, but will be sailing on voyager in a few weeks.[/quote]

[quote]
but will be sailing on voyager in a few weeks.
[/quote]

When I grow up, I want to be Hondorner! :D

[frqttrvlr09]

Regent also serves Swedish pancakes with lingonberry syrup for breakfast. They beat out the baby lamb chops for me, but then, I am part Swedish. And, with Regent, you can get them IN YOUR CABIN WITH ROOM SERVICE even if you are not in a suite/no concierge/butler.

The Seven Sea's Mariner's outdoor Terrace dining area is lovely.

[Hambagahle]

I have never cruised Oceania but looking at the photos of the new ship, Marina, and the itineraries I am tempted to try. I have to say I DO like all-inclusive, which is why, so far, we have stuck with Regent. However if another line happens to offer a good product I certainly want to consider it, and in this light would appreciate any information from people who have cruised Oceania!

1. Roughly how much does a bottle of wine cost at dinner?
2. And how much - again estimated - is wine by the glass? And a cocktail or champagne?
3. I was under the impression that tips were included on Oceania. Is this correct or not?
4. And finally, approximately what would one expect to pay for a half day (no meal) sightseeing tour???

I would be grateful if those who do cruise with Oceania would try to answer!!

And on the score of Regent being overcrowded, bad service/food or excursion I have to say that last April on a 10 day Mediterrean cruise on Mariner we were delighted with the food and service and with the few excursions (free) we took. Only twice in the past 7 years have we in fact been dissapointed in a Regent excursion, and I told the Destination Services people why. But those were not "free". And they agreed with me and provided a refund! I cannot complain about that.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

[quote name='spindrift'] A vacation for us now is getting away and not having to dress formally nor go to the dining room if we chose not to. Actually, our very favorite spot is "Tapas on the Terrace" in the evening.

Would love the comments from everyone on a "Tapas" arrangement and the "air" arrangements.
[/QUOTE]

Perhaps you know, but Regent is now completely Elegant Casual (with the odd optional formal night on longer cruises).

Tapas sounds great. The closest Regent has is La Veranda, which is a no-reservation, slightly more casual dinner spot (used for breakfast and lunch during the day.) The menu is a bit more relaxed, and appetizers are buffet-style. Good place to go if you just don't want all the hoopla of the main dining room. They don't serve outside.

Yes, one of the big draws with Regent is a very attractive Business Class air package. Economy air, as with O, is usually included. Business Air is often $999 pp each way (sometimes higher on Asian routes I think.) PH and above suites have Business air included.

[LHT28]

[quote name='Hambagahle']

1. Roughly how much does a bottle of wine cost at dinner? [B][COLOR=Red] Depends on the wine[/COLOR]
[/B] 2. And how much - again estimated - is wine by the glass? And a cocktail or champagne? [COLOR=Red][B]any where from $6 & up[/B]
[/COLOR] 3. I was under the impression that tips were included on Oceania. Is this correct or not? [B][COLOR=Red]Not included but if you find the right TA they could be[/COLOR][/B]
4. And finally, approximately what would one expect to pay for a half day (no meal) sightseeing tour??? [COLOR=Red][B]depends on the port the excursion etc... Many O cruisers DIY
[/B]
[/COLOR] I would be grateful if those who do cruise with Oceania would try to answer!!

[/quote]

someone posted the wine & bar menus in the Oceania forum before using the search feature (top right) they should not be too hard to find

[Hambagahle]

Thanks LHT28 - I reaslise that my questions were hard to answer specifically! I usually do many of the excursions myself - even when I could do them (now) for free with Regent. $6 for a glass of wine sounds like a lot to me, though. I live in Switzerland and we pay, for a reasonable quality wine, less than that per glass... I think I will "guestimate" costs higher when I work out an approximate budget for an Oceania cruise.

[spindrift]

Thanks Wendy the Wanderer. Tapas vs The Veranda sound very similar. When we have spent a day ashore and we are really tired, we enjoy the buffet at Tapas as they serve the same thing as in the Main Dining room, to some extent.

We dress at home and we dress on the ship for the appropriate functions, but some nights we truly enjoy a total relaxation and take advantage of Tapas.

We will have to give Regent a try soon, but we have 3 more O trips planned right now. The Maiden is our next, and we are so looking forward to that.:D

[LHT28]

[quote name='Hambagahle'] $6 for a glass of wine sounds like a lot to me, though. I live in Switzerland and we pay, for a reasonable quality wine, less than that per glass... .[/quote]
In Canada wine is about the same or more for a glass of wine in a restaurant so it is all subjective as to what you are use to.

[hondorner]

[quote name='Hambagahle']

1. Roughly how much does a bottle of wine cost at dinner?[COLOR=SeaGreen]Wines in the past have ranged from $26 per bottle (essentially for a house wine) and up. A [U]very[/U] rough rule of thumb is to begin with the price an a decent wine store in the USA, and add the $20 corkage fee. For example, a bottle of Louis Jadot Beaujilais Villages runs $34 on board; I can buy it in my supermarket for $12, and in a fine wine shop for $14 to $15. Adding the 18% gratuity brings it up to about $40.

[/COLOR] 2. And how much - again estimated - is wine by the glass? And a cocktail or champagne? [COLOR=SeaGreen]I never ordered a cocktail or champagne, so maybe someone else can help I do know that there is a "drink of the day" which I think is $4.95, and during Happy Hour (which I think it 5 PM to 6 PM, most drinks in certain bars are 2-for-1 (it's a true 2 drinks for 1 price, not watered down, and not a double). Like Lynn said, $5.95 and up, although I don't think it gets much more than $9.85 per glass. However, there is an 18% gratuity added to every bar drink, the the actual cost is about $7 to about $11.70, and applies to the cocktails and champagne, as well.
[/COLOR]
3. I was under the impression that tips were included on Oceania. Is this correct or not? [COLOR=SeaGreen]Lyn is correct -- they are not included, but many agents cover them as a perk, or offer enough on board credit to cover them. Gratuities are currently $12.50 per day per person, or $25 per day per couple. There is an additional automatic $4.00 per day, per person added if you are in a suite with a butler, making the total $33 per day for a couple.

[/COLOR] 4. And finally, approximately what would one expect to pay for a half day (no meal) sightseeing tour??? [COLOR=SeaGreen]Generally, 2 hour tours of a "city tour" nature start at $69. Perhaps the best way to check would be to go the the Oceania web site and look at the tours for a cruise within the next few months -- pick a destination, pick one of the cruises to that area, then click "excursions" in the menu bar above the itinerary. then, choose a port, click "GO", and choose from a list of the excursions for that port. I think in general you will find that the prices on Oceania are very close to the prices shown as retail on the Regent site.

[/COLOR] [/quote]

Hope this helps.

[brucecar]

This is such a helpful board .. Ive learned tons in just a few wks.

Planning 2012 Med 10-day on Oceania Riveria or Regent Voyager. Ive done all the math on comparable cruises w/ following assumptions (for me/spouse):

- PH Oceania is $13,798 (for 2) vs PH Regent at $21,598 (for 2)
- Add $1500 xtra for Oceania drinks, dining add-ons, gratuities
- Add $5000 xtra for Oceania flights after credit (1 FF tik, 1 Bus class tik)
- Add $1500 xtra for Oceania excursions

* Oceania total = $21,798 vs $21,598 for Regent
Yes I know I'll spend some xtra on Regent but I tried to net that out in the Oceania xtra $$. So roughly equal costs for each.

The big unknown and deciding factor might be ... how flexible is RSSC regarding their flight sched? We'd like to stop maybe in Paris, spend 3-4-5 days running around France, continue on to Venice or Athens. Will they (or really the TA) work to get the all-inclusive fares, but also allow us to fly out 1 wk early etc ?

[Mura]

I don't know enough to answer but in your place I would just take the air credit for NOT using their air, and book my own. Once you get that complicated, I have a feeling that a deviation won't work.

Just guessing!

[brucecar]

Thanks Mura ... Im thinking the say way ... but ultimately I'll have to throw the challenge to a good TA and see what they can do

[GrammieK]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]brucecar,[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0000ff][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0000ff]I think you may have overestimated the airfare ($5000 for 1 business class after O credit). Last summer I purchased business air for two (no ff flier miles involved) for $4200 (NYC - Copenhagen, London-NYC) with a $2000 (I think) credit from O for a $2200 cost to me. Of course, prices have gone up since last summer, but it still is a substantial amount. Good luck in whatever your decision, but you can't go wrong with O! [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[lyndenfa]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]We have a reservation for a 10 day Rome to Venice in 2012 on Riveria. My TA told me O charges $3799 for a business class upgrade. That is quite an addition to the cruise fare. I also read that some people purchase three coach seats for two people to have the additional room but not the expense. I really hesitated to make the reservation because the flight is physically and emotionally hard forboth of us. I may end up cancelling this trip because of the air. We use our credit card rewards miles for USA flights and don't have enough to purchase business or first class, so would pay out of pocket. The business class upgrade from Regent for the same itinerary is $1998 for this cruise. So that is another difference to consider. If Oceania would offer the business class upgrade for the same amount, I would be satisfied. At $1800 pp difference, we are thinking about Regent also.
Lynne[/COLOR]

[Mura]

The amount Oceania charges for business upgrades is really unconscionable. That's why when we fly business especially we book our own. It's always been a LOT less than what O charges.

That's one reason I said what I did above. I recall using O's air once upon a time (coach, not biz) that flew in and out of the beginning and ending ports a week in advance/later and then getting to/from the port city on our own. But we didn't try to book a flight to a different city ... if O will do that on a deviation, it must be for a higher amount than the standard deviation.

No?

[GrammieK]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]lyndenfa,[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0000ff]Check out the Splendors Down Under roll call (Regatta - 2/21/12). One of my fellow travelers on that cruise has used the 3 economy seats for 2 people plan and loved it. I do believe that I read somewhere that the 3rd seat may be discounted and I think it includes extra luggage. Try calling the ailines direct and asking. I understand how you feel about the flight to and from Europe. It can be grueling especially if you have a large or inconsiderate neighbor. Good luck. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Mura]

I asked about this option (3 seats for 2 people) recently -- the airline was Continental -- and the answer was that I'd have to do it by phone in two separate transactions, each of which would have the $25 charge to use a person to book the seats.

At the time it didn't seem worth it, although 3 coach seats + $50 must be a lot less than even one business seat! I also think this was for a domestic flight, not international.

[brucecar]

GrammieK I think (and hope) you're right ... but Im quite concerned about rising fuel prices. Also I incorrectly included some pre cruise travel which is the same on both cruise lines, so I will deduct that from my Excel spreadsheet... thanks !

[brucecar]

Does anyone have recent experience with the Oceania declined air credit for European cruises ? How much did they credit to decline the "free" airfare?

[Mura]

I think you're asking what the credit is if you decline the "free" airfare?

And the answer to your question (from my experience) is that it does depend on the itinerary. If you are flying from NY to Istanbul it would be one thing. If flying from L.A. to London, another. (Or maybe the same!)

I CAN say that the credits they give these days seem to be less than they gave in the past.

The easiest thing for YOU to do is ask your TA what the credit will before YOUR flight and calculate accordingly.

I would tell you specifically what my air credit is for NY to Barcelona in April 2012 except that I'm away from home and I don't have my invoice on my laptop.

Mura

[DaveFr]

[quote name='brucecar']Does anyone have recent experience with the Oceania declined air credit for European cruises ? How much did they credit to decline the "free" airfare?[/quote]
Go to the Oceania website and make two dummy bookings for the cruise you're interested in taking. The bookings should be identical except one will be with cruise air and the other will be without cruise air. The fare difference will be the air credit.

Dave

[hrprof]

We booked the Black Sea cruise for 2012 - air credit is $1150pp - total is $2300.

[Dreps]

We cruise Regent and have often considered Oceania, especially since the introduction of the Marina (and the upcoming Riviera). I have concluded that, in general, if one wants a PH cabin (which looks beautiful) on Oceania's new ship, the total cost will be more than a standard cabin on Regent. If you want a PH on Regent also, it becomes a more difficult comparison.

I realize that you have mentioned specific cruises with specific numbers. However, consider the fact that the standard cabin on the Voyager is only slightly smaller than the PH on the Voyager. Both cabins are smaller than the PHs on the new Oceania ships. (This is not the case on Regent's Mariner where the standard cabin is somewhat smaller than the Voyager standard cabin, but the Mariner's PH is much larger than the Voyager's PH and even larger than the Riviera's). What I'm getting at is whether the PH on the Voyager is really worth the extra cost to you? Or whether you should also consider a standard cabin?

We just returned from a 25-day cruise on the Voyager where we were offered a last-minute upgrade to a PH. We enjoyed the slightly larger, squarer configuration, but we would not have paid the full price for it. Also, it is more difficut to "divide" the PH cabin than the standard cabin if one of you wakes up early (or goes to bed later) because one likes to read or work on the computer.

To be fair, I should also mention that with regard to excursions, while most of Regent's are "free," and we only paid for one on our long Sydney-Beijing cruise, for our upcoming European cruise, we selected a number excursions for which we are paying a supplement. We're spending about $500 pp on these supplements, though onboard ship credits will offset some of these expenditures.

With regard to airfares, Regent is usually fairly generous with air credits and as others have mentioned, they usually offer reasonable business-class upgrades--lately $999 pp each way to Europe. (We used Regent's upgrades for our Sydney-Beijing cruise.) However, when we cruise in Europe, we always take the air credit and use FF miles. Even discounted business class tickets are often available if one books with enough advanced notice and remember the "true" cost of the ticket is the air credit plus the upgrade each way.

I hope this information helps. If you'd like any more specifics, feel free to drop me a line at [email]dreps@comcast.net[/email].