Regent vs Oceania

[shedridt]

We've sailed with O a couple of times & love everything about them -- BUT -- we recently rec'd a brochure from Regent with all-inclusive prices that even include some on-shore excursions & the total package is very very competitive with O.

 

Has anybody looked into this/crunched the numbers? Regent seems to offer just what we love in Oceania - port intensive cruises, great food, fine accommodations --- & with so many inclusions at such a tiny price differential....we're tempted to leap on over to Regent to give 'em a try.

 

Has anybody made the leap & what are your thoughts?

[hondorner]

We've sailed with O a couple of times & love everything about them -- BUT -- we recently rec'd a brochure from Regent with all-inclusive prices that even include some on-shore excursions & the total package is very very competitive with O.

 

Has anybody looked into this/crunched the numbers? Regent seems to offer just what we love in Oceania - port intensive cruises, great food, fine accommodations --- & with so many inclusions at such a tiny price differential....we're tempted to leap on over to Regent to give 'em a try.

 

Has anybody made the leap & what are your thoughts?

I have 91 nights on Oceania and 17 (so far) on Regent. The number crunching is very dependent on which itinerary you choose and what category staterooms you are choosing. If you are comparing Caribbean cruises, Regent does compare very favorably. If you are comparing European or Asian cruises, however, Regent can be as much as double the cost of Oceania, You'd have to take every excursion available and drink an awful lot to make up the difference.

 

Part of the reason lies with the typical Regent clientele. Many look down their noses at a Caribbean cruise (having been there and done that many times), yet the ships must be somewhere in the Winter, which pretty much equates the Caribbean or South America. So, in order to fill the ships, the prices for Caribbean cruises are considerably less than Summer cruises.

 

My two cruises on Regent were a 10 day Eastern Caribbean and a 7 day Western Caribbean. Both were priced at a comparable rate to an Oceania concierge cabin, yet Regent included the excursions and an open bar, and the smallest Regent stateroom is larger by far than a concierge on an Regatta class ship. Part of the lower rate is that we live in Florida, drive to the port and take the air and hotel credits.

 

I'll sail Regent again when the price meets those parameters. However, both cruise lines have the same upper management, staff rotates between the ships, service is very much equal, are nearly the same and food, in my opinion, is slightly better on Oceania, although Regent is catching up under the management of our "foodie" chairman. In other words, Oceania is as good as Regent, in my opinion, but is all-inclusive rather than ala carte.

[AWED23]

Very well thought out post Don....We are Gold on Regent and will be on the Mariner from Novwmber 10 to December 4 this Year and then on January 13 we board the Marina for 22 days of cruising in the Carribean....:D

[ebobh]

My views are similar to Don's, and he and I sail both lines. I find the cabins on Regent to be significantly better in general, mostly due to the size of the space. Marina's showers are also a minus in re the daily comforts.

 

Food is subjective; however, i would humbly state the man dinint room on Regent is consistently better. The informal dining on Oceania is consistently better. The specialty dining on Oceania is more diverse and very good, although the specialty restaurant on the SS Mariner is perhaps the best sea-bound eatery i have experienced.

 

Oceania, IMHO, is great for country club, english manor ambiance. Regent is more Phlip Starck modern on The Mariner (think sleeker in style). Oceania has rid itself of art auctions, while they still plague Regent. Both have great, port intensive itineraries and great staff attentiveness. Regent's excursion staff seems more organized and helpful.

 

The all-inclusive approach on Regent is relaxing in re not having to worry about added costs. It does, though, help to add pounds by indulging in the freebies (wine, drinks, etc.) i migh not purchase if extra (I know, i could always decline LOL). Re shore excursions, Regent's are included, which creates an intesting dynamic. Being cost conscious, at least a little, we tend to default to ship tours on Regent. On Oceania, we tend to do our own tours. In almost all instances, the private tour is smaller, less costly and more unique than a mass offeng can be. If you tend to use ship tours, Regent is a much better option. If, though, you love the planning and dreaming part of shorex, Oceania has ample options (and fellow passengers) to help. I have an upcoming cruise on the SS Navigator, and am on the roll call far less than with our recent cruise on the Marina since I am doing all ship tours.

 

In short, cost is a major factor, but not the most critical one. If it were, we'd sail one of those giant moving cities on other lines. Each of us dreams of the ideal vacation, and the decision about R or O should factor that in. If the cabin is important, sail with R. If specialty dining and casual dining is important, sail O. If you love beng on your own while on land, sail O. If you want everything done and paid for you, sail R. If you want great, Vegas entertainment, sail with another line...your fellow passengers on both will be refined, friendly and uoscale (but not stuffy).

 

R devotees, in part, are suspicious of the merger of the two lines into one management, and a rightfully proud of their choice to sail R. I have found O devotees more open to sailing with other lines and varyng their experinces. I am glsd O now offers free water and sof drinks (esp water for shorex) which seems a result of the merge. R folks are probably benefiting from better food management, too, although some might not see it IMHO.

 

You can't really go wrong with either one, so flip a coin and have a wonderful time.

 

Regards, Bob H

[ebobh]

After reviewing my post, I have decided to add a tag to my signature line to the effect of "keyboarded on an iPad, so when you see misspells, missing letters, typos and inscrutible semi-words, please understand i really do know how to spell, have a grasp of the English language, and am not intentionally irritating you..." hahahaha

 

Sorry, Bob H

[Mura]

The iPad is incredibly irritating with its idiosyncratic idea of spelling.

 

My email address is mkievman@ ... the iPad is convinced I mean Mike.

 

A friend on Opera-l has given up on La Scala appearing the way it should on his iPad ...

 

Mura

[JPR]

You can turn off the auto-spell feature on your iPad...

[ebobh]

Yes, I did that, and it seems to be a Hobson's choice. With spellcheck, the poor reader sees what the iPad thinks I meant, and without it they see which keys my stubby fingers missed. I think it is actually is punishing me for restricting its ability to mangle my words, but that is a just my suspicion of technology smarter than me...

 

Bob H

[Mura]

That's interesting, JPR ... my friend called Apple and was told there was nothing that could be done.

 

I admit, it didn't make much sense ...

[JimandStan]

That's interesting, JPR ... my friend called Apple and was told there was nothing that could be done.

 

I admit, it didn't make much sense ...

 

With the size and weight of laptops plummeting the way that they are, I wonder why anyone still bothers with those ridiculous ipads.

 

On the other hand, Apple has done a great job of convincing us of a wildly exaggerated need for connectivity.

 

Play with your smart phone if you need an internet fix between leaving your work computer and getting to your home computer. :rolleyes:

[Mura]

With the size and weight of laptops plummeting the way that they are, I wonder why anyone still bothers with those ridiculous ipads.

 

On the other hand, Apple has done a great job of convincing us of a wildly exaggerated need for connectivity.

 

Play with your smart phone if you need an internet fix between leaving your work computer and getting to your home computer. :rolleyes:

 

Too bad I don't have a smart phone, then ...

 

But while I acquired an iPad I rarely use it. I'll have my laptop with me on the trip.

[wripro]

Everytime I see a Regent vs Oceania thread (or any one cruise line vs another) I think one of those lines is suing the other.

[ebobh]

Wripro, i concur, I think...the R v O threads at times descend into very subjective perspectives, insinuations based on heresay rather than experience, journeys into minutia, and some unfortunate personal slights, etc., etc. I'm just happy both are there, that I am blessed enough to sail either one, and that both lines seem to be working to enhance their onboard experience. I also dont expect perfection, and get a thrill out of being at sea with a staff that is devoted to crearing a memorable experience, which perhaps is the key to remaining happy on vacation...

 

It would be great if the threads were named R and O instead...

 

Regards, Bob H

Manually spell-checked on my iPad...

[Paulchili]

I also dont expect perfection, and get a thrill out of being at sea with a staff that is devoted to crearing a memorable experience, which perhaps is the key to remaining happy on vacation...

 

Regards, Bob H

Manually spell-checked on my iPad...

 

Bob,

Maybe you should let the iPad do the spell-checking instead of doing it manually.

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself :D - I hope you take this in the fun spirit that it is meant. God knows I've made plenty of these :)

[ebobh]

I just consider them acceptable alternate spellings...with it on, it replaces correct, but arcane terms- with it off, the easy words get the misspell treatment. I find it more invigoratng to screw up the easy words; kind of adds a unique flavor to the missive...LOL (and, yes, i know that spellcheck is misspelled in the title)

 

Bob H

[findacruise]

We've sailed with O a couple of times & love everything about them -- BUT -- we recently rec'd a brochure from Regent with all-inclusive prices that even include some on-shore excursions & the total package is very very competitive with O.

 

Has anybody looked into this/crunched the numbers? Regent seems to offer just what we love in Oceania - port intensive cruises, great food, fine accommodations --- & with so many inclusions at such a tiny price differential....we're tempted to leap on over to Regent to give 'em a try.

 

Has anybody made the leap & what are your thoughts?

 

I did a lot of number crunching and we are doing the 11/28/11 21 day Voyager cruise. I compared a O cruise of 21 days w/very similar itinerary using a concierge level. On Regency we got all inclusive plus extra hotel night, all transfers, air and $350 SBC. We are paying extra for a couple of shore excursions and are not heavy drinkers. But even with what we have spent on previous O cruises for ship or private excursions, adult beverages etc. I think we may be paying less per diem on this Regent cruise and we get more space. I will be interested in dining options as we do love the many restaurants on the Marina. We are excited about this sailing. :)

[count florida]

We cruised on the Regatta from Miami up the Amazon to Manaus and return in a Penthouse this past spring. The suite was large enough (322 sq.ft.), but the bath had only a tub with shower. In similar sized standard Regent suites (D and lower) on Voyager or Navigator (350 sq.ft.), you would have the tub with a separate shower, and on the Mariner (301 sq.ft.), either a terrible French tub or a nice walk-in shower – your choice. (Note that on the Regent Navigator only, G and H suites do not have balconies and are only 301 sq.ft.) The layout of the Oceania penthouse was not to our liking either. It is a somewhat square, single space, vs. the rectangular divided space (sitting and sleeping) in standard Regent suites. My lovely lady tends to go to bed earlier while I stay up, check the e-mail and otherwise see what is going on in the world. She gets up earlier, has her coffee, and reads or watches the news. Opposites attract.

 

Oceania has a reputation for superior food and service, and for the most part we found the service fine but the food was, in our opinion, nothing special, in general not quite as good as Regent. Also, special orders are not accepted in the Oceania dining room; you can’t even get a shrimp cocktail or onion soup although both are always available from the better room service menu PH guests have access to via their butler. I've never had a problem getting a room service item served to me in the dining room before, even on Princess or Holland American. Strange policy!

 

For those traveling in PH suites, a word to the wise: Oceania has contracted out management of its computers and Internet access, and is providing laptop computers in PH staterooms. The charges (which start at $0.95 cents a minute) are atrocious, even when you buy one of the discounted packages. But wait, it gets worse! Any use of the so-called "free" computer requires you to “log in”, at which point the charging meter starts ticking. So you can’t read or draft e-mails off line, or play Solitaire, or make any use of the thing without paying through the nose. The real killer: I haven’t experienced such poor response since I was using a first generation PC-XT to access bulletin boards using a 1200 baud modem back in the mid-1980s. This is, of course, to Oceania’s (or their contractor’s) great advantage; THEY ARE CHARGING BY THE MINUTE, so the slower the response the longer it takes and more you are charged! A total rip-off and the raison d'être we will never again cruise with Oceania while this policy is in place. In this uber-connected era, a decent connection at reasonable cost is a minimum expectation of most travelers. Not so at Oceania. For me, it is a sine qua non! On land, we refuse to book any hotel which does not include complementary or reasonable priced Internet access or which charges a resort fee, unless it is the only place available, and even then we alter or cancel the trip if we can, rather than pay these fees. Enough is enough!

 

When you finish paying for all the extras (e.g., excursions, alcoholic drinks, phone service if you need it -I did- and the hugely expensive internet access) Regent is actually less costly, you get much more, and we find Regent significantly better, more pleasant. Of course, we’ve been sailing with RSSC (Radisson and Regent) for over 10 years, and although it’s changed not always for the better, particularly under Apollo/PCH, it remains our preferred cruise line. But we’ve also tried Cunard (both First and Grille classes), Silversea, Crystal, Holland American and Princess, and we cruised on one of the R-ships (Regatta, Nautica and the Azamara ships) when they were owned by Renaissance, so we do have a reasonably good frame of reference.

 

We’re not fans of Regent’s “all-inclusive” approach either. While we don’t want to be ‘nickeled and dimed’ for every little thing, we’d prefer to pay separately for excursions and wish Regent would go back to a “wine with dinner included” approach and charge for the rest. Normally we don’t drink all that much, and when Radisson was considering what to do about including drinks, lobbied them long and hard to charge a nominal price for the in-room set-ups for those that wanted them, substituting a cocktail hour before dinner for all guests in their place. Think about it, on a typical 7-10 day cruise there will be at least three and more likely four or five cocktail parties: sail-away, Captain’s Welcome, Seven Seas Society, American Express, Virtuoso, Crew Capers, Farewell, it goes on and on, and frankly, we both drink too much because (1) we don’t have to drive, and (2) it’s free! We also prefer to go on the dock, find a cab driver with whom we can communicate who suggests a nice-sounding tour, and go off by ourselves or better, with another couple or two. So we don't make out too well on these particular 'all-inclusive' items, but do pay for them, along with everyone else.

 

Having said all that, we found the wines offered on our recent Oceania cruise a bit overpriced when compared with similar ones in 1st class restaurants here in Florida or in New York where we often visit. Let’s all remember that alcoholic beverages at sea are tax-free; not so on land, so they should be a bargain on a cruise, and in fact they used to be very well-priced. Thirty years ago on the QE2 we drank Montrachet with almost every meal it was so reasonable; it’s always good! A related issue: The sommelier who frequently served us in the main dining room was poorly qualified (or trained?) and knew very little about wine, hardly more than how properly to open a bottle and to distinguish between red and white. The head sommelier was both knowledgeable and quite helpful however; we finally asked for her, and after that had few problems.

 

That's my opinion and I'm sticking with it. For the record, I did post an almost identical view here on the CC Regent board in a similarly named thread.

[pacheco18]

Count Florida -- Yours is one of the most insightful and fair comparisons I have read.

 

I have never crunched the numbers but I have considered Regent. I even booked and cancelled (which I never do) because the new Concierge Class program is a turn off. Another problem for me is the included excursions and alcohol -- we would not use either one and the cost is built in. Cabin size is not a big deal to me -- we sleep and change clothes there -- we prefer to be out and about and mix with fellow cruisers.

 

Given your post, I may give Regent a second thought. I've got this bucket list -- I will have to include Regent itineraries in the mix.

[Paulchili]

It only goes to show you - YMMV.

We took our one and only Regent cruise in Dec '10. Granted, it was a Caribbean cruise and I am told they are not typical; there were also staffing issues with a large number of new crew members.

The experience (other than the very nice cabin) was so poor (relatively speaking) in every other aspect (food, service, attitude) that I would never even consider another Regent cruise.

Even more so because we do not drink at all and prefer to do our own shorex.

Moral of the story - different stokes for different folks. One should always try for themselves and then decide for themselves - you may love what others do not and v,v.

For us, we love Oceania, but if I were to go to the luxury lines it would be Silversea (Seabourn is coming up)

[LHT28]

We have not done a Regent cruise but have considered it a few times

the cabin sizes are not an issue for us as we can do quite nicely in a C cabin on Oceania for extended periods of time

The CONS for us are the Included alcohol & shorex ...we are paying upfront for something we probably would not use & I have no problem signing my name for drink when we do get them

 

I have lurked on the Regent board for many years & feel we would not be a good fit with the other passengers

 

We like Oceania & it suits our style

Everyone has different needs & wants in a vacation

 

You need to find what works best for you & for your budget

 

JMO

Lyn

[findacruise]

Paul: You know how fond I am of "O" so we'll see how I feel after our upcoming Regent cruise. There are so many variables, as you said "different strokes" which is why there are so many cruise lines. We really like the itinerary and the timing and price were right. Figure the sea days give us a great chance to enjoy the amenities, and the larger cabin. But I think I can safely say I will miss the Red Ginger! We are back on the Marina in the Caribbean, where we really need no shore excursions, for B2B in February to escape our winter. Hope you and Marsha are both well and that our paths cross again some day. Safe journey.

[Paulchili]

Paul: You know how fond I am of "O" so we'll see how I feel after our upcoming Regent cruise. There are so many variables, as you said "different strokes" which is why there are so many cruise lines. We really like the itinerary and the timing and price were right. Figure the sea days give us a great chance to enjoy the amenities, and the larger cabin. But I think I can safely say I will miss the Red Ginger! We are back on the Marina in the Caribbean, where we really need no shore excursions, for B2B in February to escape our winter. Hope you and Marsha are both well and that our paths cross again some day. Safe journey.

 

I did not mean to imply that you will not enjoy it - thousands do. Maybe ours was an aberration; if we went back it would give us a better idea but I am just not tempted with their prices in general when Oceania is so great.

We'll be on the Marina again in Dec '12 from Chile to Tahiti - can't wait.

Smooth sailing to you both.

Paul

[findacruise]

I did not mean to imply that you will not enjoy it - thousands do. Maybe ours was an aberration; if we went back it would give us a better idea but I am just not tempted with their prices in general when Oceania is so great.

We'll be on the Marina again in Dec '12 from Chile to Tahiti - can't wait.

Smooth sailing to you both.

Paul

 

No implication taken - that's the problem w/the written word sometimes! I was really trying to agree. You have a great itinerary to Tahiti. We were tempted...Tahiti is on the bucket list. It seems that list just gets longer the more we do.

[RetiredFL]

We took our first Regent cruise last spring to Alaska (8 days) We have done 9 on Oceania and have more booked. We booked Regent as they were having a "fire sale" and the fares were much too low to pass up.

We were on Navigator and that may have colored our experience as it was not built as a cruise ship.

The cabins are the best we ever were in. Certainly much nicer than Oceania with a walk in closet and full bathroom. However we never used the bath tub and we found the shower a bit awkward as there was no space to put things. At least on Oceania you can put things on the sink counter and reach them.

It took a while for the room steward to figure out our timetable but the room was always well taken care of. Equal to Oceania.

We also found it odd that they had 2 channels of Fox "news" but no CNN. They did get the CBC.

We are one drink before dinner and perhaps a glass of wine with dinner so the free booze was of little value to us. We do not mind signing a slip on Oceania.

The "free" shore excursions were a bit of a disappointment. They were mostly entry level and in most ports we paid for a better excursion. A couple free ones were fine. We would not book again for the free excursions.

As to the ship, we found it somewhat cut up and felt more enclosed that the Oceania R ships. There were not the large windows and light colors that make Oceania feel more open. Again it was not built for cruising.There were also no forward facing public spaces which made Marco Polo lounge the only place to see the glaciers, etc. (Strange for a ship that sails up fjords, etc)

As to dining the food was on a par with Oceania with some items outstanding. I would give Oceania a slight edge over quality and presentation, a 10 over a 9.5.

We did have trouble with service and had to get the maitre d' a couple of times. (30 minutes without taking our order, wrong entrees.)

Our biggest surprise was Prime 7 which is just a curtained area of La Veranda and not a separate restaurant. We felt Polo wins big in this category, both in atmosphere and quality. I understand on the other ships it is a "real" restaurant and that may change our opinion.

We also did not enjoy the odor of smoke which we felt several times.

After saying all of that whoud we cruise Regent again. A resounding YES. It is our back up line for Oceania if the price is right.

Being on a ship beats being at home any day. Regent certainly delivers a quality product and it is a matter of choice and priorities. Perhaps our many cruises on the R ships also colors our opinion as when we get on an R ship ti is like being home. We do the Marina in October and we will see if being on a new ship also colors our experience on Oceania.

[JPR]

RetiredFL: Fyi, RSSC Voyager has the same size verandah suites (basic cabin) as Navigator but is far larger and better. Prime 7 in Voyger is a large separate dining room, for example.

Mariner's basic suites are not as large but that ship also is far superior to Navigator.