How Regent Compares with Oceania

[Travelcat2]

First a bit of background about us. Our perspectives are no doubt changed by our past experiences.

 

For posters who do not know......... we have sailed with Regent for 9 1/2 years and are Platinum Seven Seas Society members (with benefits that we have worked hard to earn over the years). The other luxury cruise line that we have sailed is Silversea - both sailings in the last three years. We will be sailing Silversea again in September in order to have the experience of crossing the Bering Sea. Due to our preference for Regent, we cancelled and rebooked this cruise twice. We have also sailed on Disney once - 20 years ago, have done a Nile river cruise and a very small ship cruise in Fiji.

 

Prior to sailing on Regent then Radisson) we travelled around the world on land adventures. At least 95% of this travel was done with frequent flyer miles -- almost always business or first class flights. These trips took place from around 1987 through 2002. We have stayed at hotels/resorts from Club Med (loved Club Med -- did it at least 10 times) to five star hotels (where, in the old days, in addition to "free" plane tickets, we received 50% off of our hotel stays). This part of our travel experience definitely shows when I post (or do not post) about cities/ports. There are several places that we spent time in during our land travels that do not interest us for cruise itineraries. A quick note about the "old" days..... in 1987 we went around the world (literally) on Quantas and TWA for 5 weeks in business class. Cost of the trip -- 125,000 miles for both of us.

 

Okay -- enough looking back. Let's look at Oceania! It took us a full week to understand how different this cruising experience was -- different ...... not better or worse than Regent. It was way too early to compare. As mentioned over and over, the Riviera is stunning -- easily the most beautiful ship at sea (in our opinion). From the outside it looks huge. The inside was easy to navigate due to the listings by the elevators -- on every deck. This information should be of interest to all Regent customers because the Regent Explorer will be at least this lovely (thankfully it will be smaller:-) BTW, the new Regent ship is a topic of conversation on Oceania -- it's great to hear how excited everyone is.

 

As also posted earlier on this thread, the configuration of our PH suite was not fully appreciated for the first few days. We almost always book this level on Regent so I am comparing apples to apples. The closet, while walk-in seems smaller than Regent. Again, simply a different configuration. It has a nice large safe inside. The bathroom has enclosed cabinets to store most things. Not having toothpaste, mouthwash, etc. exposed gives it a much neater look. The shower is somewhat small but the triangular configuration gives arm room. If the shower doesn't suit you, the one in the bathtub is available. The bath is easy to get into and out of.

 

The make-up area and the desk area (two separate areas) are a good size and, most importantly, if I am doing my make-up or am on the computer, my DH has plenty of space to walk behind me without either of us disturbing the other.

 

The lighting is excellent on the Riviera. I briefly posted about the reading lights by the bed and the small sofa. I also liked the fact that you can turn on bathroom lights from the inside of the bathroom. IMO, turning them on from the outside creates a disturbance to the person sleeping in a dark room.

 

The balcony is lovely -- easy to open and close the doors. There is another window - next to the sofa/love seat (note: the furniture in this area of the suite is smaller than normal -- obviously made to fit perfectly). The extra window is similar to that in the Mariner PH suites.

 

The table and chairs at the foot of the bed made no sense at first. It ends up that it is perfect to sit and share some drinks -- across from each other and also for breakfast (or any other meal) served in your suite.

 

The television is on the wall. This was good and bad. It was obviously easy to see....... but we could hear the television from the suite next to us.

 

The drapes that you think you can pull to separate the bedroom are only decorative. The only time I wanted to pull them was the last night when suitcases were open in one area and we wanted to enjoy our in-suite Indian meal without looking at them.

 

Obviously, Oceania wins the battle of the penthouses. Will do restaurant locations and layouts next (whenever I can't sleep:-).

[Travelcat2]

It will be much easier to contrast Regent and Oceania in terms of food and service.

 

Jacques and Signatures are both the French dining venues. Our experience with Signatures has been mixed. The first time we dined in Signatures (2006), it was perfection. From then until this year it was hit and miss -- mostly miss. When the contract with Le Cordon Bleu ended, Signatures seemed to go through an identity crisis. When we dined there in April (three times), the food was almost perfection! The one "miss" was the tasteless onion soup.

 

We were able to dine in Jacques three times as well (technically -- one time we were in La Privee where you can choose items from both Jacques and Toscana). I fell in love with their Lobster Thermidor. We also tried the scallops - cooked perfectly. A highlight was the delicious onion soup. The bread in Jacques was also tastier than in other Riviera dining venues.

 

Toscana is the Riviera's version of Regent's Sette Mari. Toscana was our least favorite restaurant. We were told that the chefs prefer risotto very al dente. That is fine except some of us do not prefer it quite that al dente! Their selection of olive oils and balsalmic vinegars is delightful but it is too overwhelming. I cannot imaging asking to taste all of them which is the only way I would know which I prefer.

 

To dine in Sette Mari, I need to have will power. There is way too much food if you eat their canapés, go through the antipasti buffet and choose a main course. We enjoy Sette Mari and feel that the pastas are cooked more to our taste.

 

Polo and Prime 7 are the most similar restaurants on both lines. We have had over and undercooked steaks in both places. We preferred the preparation of the Maine lobster in Polo. Steaks in both restaurants, when cooked properly, are excellent.

 

Red Ginger -- the restaurant that has been named one of the 10 best restaurants at sea. I can't argue with that. For those of you who remember Latitudes (was located where Prime 7 is on the Voyager and Mariner), it was also an Asian fusion restaurant. We loved Latitudes and still miss it. The mix of flavors was amazing.

 

Even on the Oceania board, there are mixed reviews of Red Ginger. One server on the Riviera talked about it as if it were a Thai restaurant. I was expecting exactly what we had -- Asian fusion - incredible tastes and choices. We tried their sushi - the best we have had at sea. They serve tea with the meal that is over the top (and I'm not a tea drinker). The pear/ginger (I may be wrong with the name) was so good and popular that they were out of it before the end of the cruise.

 

While not loving lobster Pad Thai, it was tasty. The most popular dish in Red Ginger is the Sea Bass. I have never tasted any fish that was better -- not anywhere. The fish melts in your mouth. Obviously there will be people who do not agree with me since food is so subjective. If there was space, I would have dined at Red Ginger every other night.

 

Le Reserve is the wine and food pairing restaurant. There are three menu's ranging in price from $99/person to $165/person (plus 18% tip). The food and wine were outstanding. We tried one item that I thought I would never put in my mouth but it was actually good. The closest Regent can come to Le Reserve is when they do the special wine pairing lunches. I cannot recall the price per person but believe it is around $165 per person (tip included). We would not hesitate to do either La Reserve on Oceania or the wine pairing lunch on Regent again.

 

As briefly mentioned above, La Privee uses menus from both Toscana and Polo. There was a special amuse-bouche and dessert that was wonderful. A maximum of 10 guests can dine in La Privee and there is a cost to use the space.

 

Regent's Pool Grill and Oceania's Wave's are both pool deck restaurants. Wave's is known for the steak and lobster sandwiches. Unfortunately we were not able to try this but it looked good. Both restaurants have burgers, fries, salads and I believe hot dogs. Waves has additional items -- a Reuben sandwich comes to mind. On sea days, Regent has fabulous barbeques, Mexican buffets, seafood buffets, etc. We did not have any sea days so I am not sure if this occurs on Oceania.

 

Terrace Café is by far the most difficult to review -- both for service and food. This compares to La Veranda for breakfast and lunch. I'll give it a try.

 

For breakfast and lunch, it was difficult to find the selection and quality of the food we are accustomed to in La Veranda. After a few days we learned that cereal and eggs were fine for breakfast with some orange juice. For lunch, we grew accustomed to the pasta station -- having pasta and tomato sauce. They have steak, chicken.... almost anything you can think of in Terrace Café but many times it was disappointing. Once per cruise they have fresh pasta and Bolognese sauce -- this was the highlight of our time in Terrace Café. The little chickens (not sure what they are called) that are sliced at the station were extremely tender and moist. The mashed potatoes were runny and tasteless. Once a few chopped canned(?) tomatoes were added to the mix. I love mashed potatoes and was unable to eat it.

 

In La Veranda, the choices are less for breakfast but seem to be a better quality. My DH loves his beans and cooked tomatoes for breakfast. He enjoys these items in La Veranda -- not on the Riviera. Lunch in La Veranda was the biggest difference. The carving station has some wonderful items throughout the cruise -- a whole turkey (vs. a small dried out turkey breast in Terrace Café), the amazing salmon encrusted with filo dough served with butter sauce (nothing like this in Terrace Café). The salad bar on Regent is wonderful (most of the time). There is a very small salad selection in Terrace Café.

 

Desserts in La Veranda far exceed the offerings in Terrace Café (jello, cookies and another item or two).

 

Terrace Café in the evening was much better than expected.... probably because they had sushi - a personal favorite. They also have lobster tails. I did not try the lobster tails as there seemed to be lobster in every dining venue on the Riviera (definitely not complaining). My DH enjoyed the lobster very much. This is a nice, casual place to have dinner after a long day in port.

 

Very little to say about the Grand Dining Room other than it is beautiful and I already said that. We went there for lunch -- had a Jacque Pepin salad -- did not care for it and never went back. For this reason I can not give any insight into this dining venue.

 

On Regent we truly enjoy Compass Rose and tend to choose it over the specialty restaurants most of the time.

 

Drinks, etc. to follow.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Travelcat2

[RachelG]

I am enjoying hearing your observations and comparisons, Jackie. Thank you.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Trivial question--did you notice if they served corned beef hash in any of the breakfast venues?

 

It's disappointing that you can only get dishes from Toscana and Polo in Privee--I thought it was from anywhere. Oh well, we've decided not to do Privee on our upcoming crossing, so doesn't matter. Looking forward to La Reserve.

[LHT28]

It's disappointing that you can only get dishes from Toscana and Polo in Privee--I thought it was from anywhere. .

 

Back in the early days of Marina they had a special menu for Privee

It was $1000 for the room with up to 10 guests

I guess for whatever reason it did not go as expected

They changed it to meals from Polo & Toscana as Privee is situated between the two restaurants

It probably would not work well bringing the courses from deck 5 to deck 14

 

Lyn

Edited June 9, 2013 by LHT28

[Linda VH]

Keep going TC - loving it!!! Agree with Aloha! If you're not interested DON'T READ IT!!!

[Sheltieluv]

Count me in as another who agrees with Aloha 1.

 

Responder, for some of us it is because we spend so much $ on our hard-earned cruises that the details become so important and relevant. I want to know as much as I can about a ship, its dining venues, suites, etc. before we decide on a particular cruise. The more knowledge I can gain prior, the better. I don't read someone's posts to agree or disagree with a particular person or his/her views, but to gain knowledge.

[zorro90068]

There is NO comparison between Regent and Oceania...why? Because Regent is a LUXURY Cruiseline and Oceania isn't.:p

[ChatKat in Ca.]

There is NO comparison between Regent and Oceania...why? Because Regent is a LUXURY Cruiseline and Oceania isn't.:p

 

Sorry, Zorro - I've done both and reviewed both and I haven't even sailed on Marina or Riviera yet.. They are quite close in features and amenities. One is all inclusive and one is not assuming you take a concierge level cabin or higher.

[zorro90068]

Sorry, Zorro - I've done both and reviewed both and I haven't even sailed on Marina or Riviera yet.. They are quite close in features and amenities. One is all inclusive and one is not assuming you take a concierge level cabin or higher.

 

Again I beg to differ, Oceania is not a 6 Star cruiseline nor rated that way by any trade agaency and/or consumer reports....until then they are what they are upscale Mass Market cruiseline and Regent is a Luxury cruiseline.

[newlondon]

TC, Interesting that we agree the game players at the Voyager coffee bar are a problem. We saw bridge games and several ladies Mah Jong games settle in for 3/4 hrs. Imo not right

[Travelcat2]

Wendy, I believe I did see corned beef hash -- not certain. That reminded me of the potato -- not hashed brown but a round potato "thing" that was actually tasty.

 

Privee also had its' own chef in the early days. The cost to dine in the venue is $250. It was nice to be in such a lovely room -- chatting with others in a quiet, beautiful setting.

 

We did not find Regent and Oceania to be that similar (nor do they want the to be). I suspect that the feeling on the other Oceania ships is also different than on the Riviera and Marina. The Culinary Center plays quite a large roll on the ship. Chef Kelly -- not sure of her exact title but she runs both of the Culinary Centers and has a lot of responsibility for what is served on the ship(s). This is definitely a ship for "foodies". We took an excursion that began in a restaurant in Rhodes where we all cooked, had lunch and returned to the Culinary Center on board and worked in there for an hour. There were similar excursions in most ports. The one area that I was told they would like to be identical on both lines is service (more on service in a bit).

 

Alcohol, signing or not signing for drinks..... life in the lounges...... this is an area that is quite different than Regent and is still not totally clear to me. Firstly, having purchased the alcohol package, we wanted to completely avoid "Happy Hour". During this time (5:00 - 6:00 p.m.), the lounges -- particularly Martinis became standing room only. Specific drinks each day were $5. Remember that they are carefully measured and may not taste the same as what you would get at your local cocktail lounge. The martinis are good but are quite small.

 

Not being crowd lovers, we waited until 6:00 p.m. to have our pre-dinner cocktail. We quickly learned that we could order anything from the menu (quite extensive) with the exception of one very expensive Cognac. Premium spirits were on the menu such as Grey Goose Vodka. There were some things not on the menu -- Guinness for instance. Items not on the menu can be ordered but you pay for them -- the same as if you did not have the package. Note: We did not pay for Guinness -- were never asked to sign -- not sure why. Were told that sometimes you are charged -- sometimes not. We generally ordered double drinks so that our card did not have to be swiped twice -- just a bit easier.

 

They served either peanuts and potato chips or a platter containing cheese (soaked in something), small olives, a dip (3 breadsticks on the side) and an item that I do not recall at the moment.

 

We drink wine mostly and the included wine list became old quickly. While there are quite a few wines on the list, if you prefer specific types of wine, the list gets smaller. There was one Merlot and one Cabernet that we drank (believe it or not, the Cabernet was Tyler Florence by Mondavi). For those not familiar with Tyler Florence, he is a television chef in the U.S. -- not particularly known for his love of wines but is quite handsome:-)

 

There were times that we felt that the sommelier wasn't pleased that we had "the package" as it has become known. Here is a wine list with lovely wines and we had to turn to the back page to find our choices (always the same). We may sound cheap, but, once you pay $110/day for "the package", paying extra for a bottle of wine was not something we wanted to do. Without the package we would have spent around $75 for a bottle of wine, $20-40 for a couple glasses of wine and a "double cosmo" (my DH's choice at lunch) and another $40 for a before dinner drink (a double drink each). We do not purchase wine on Regent either so I guess we are cheap:-)

 

When you order drinks in the Terrace Grill they also take your card for every drink. However, when you order wine in Toscana, Polo, Jacques or Red Ginger, they keep topping up your glass and your card is not requested until the end of the meal.

 

Looking at Regent's lounges for a minute..... of course it is easier to have all-inclusive -- even if you only have one drink and one glass of wine at dinner. The canapés are better and there is more of a variety on Regent. The lounges also become crowded -- usually when there is a sail away.

 

I should not have been concerned about buying drinks for other people on the Riviera..... everyone just gives their card or signs. I couldn't resist looking at the color of the other guests cards to see what level they were on (not generally that nosy ).

 

This brings me to the "Benefits" section. Call it what you want, different guests in different suite categories receive different benefits. This may or may not be an issue to some Regent customers. We enjoyed the use of the Executive Lounge -- a quiet place to sit and work on the computer, have a cup or coffee or read the paper. It was generally very quiet in there. I avoided it in the morning as my DH verified that guests are not only wearing bathrobes but a woman sat across from him and brushed her teeth. The Concierge Lounge is also nice.

 

On Regent, the Coffee Connection on the Mariner serves the same purpose. It does not on the Voyager as it is not large enough and gets very crowded with people playing games (that, IMO, should be played in the card room - allowing people who would like coffee and a snack a place to sit). It is interesting that the card room (lovely little space) was actually used for the purpose for which it was intended. We played some Scrabble up there and chatted with people playing cards. Perhaps this area is utilized because there is no Coffee Connection.

 

Not ready to tackle "service" yet as it another long section.

[juli2020]

Again I beg to differ, Oceania is not a 6 Star cruiseline nor rated that way by any trade agaency and/or consumer reports....until then they are what they are upscale Mass Market cruiseline and Regent is a Luxury cruiseline.

 

Have you cruised on the "O" ships on Oceania? After sailing on 27 cruises...I would not label Oceania a "mass market line" and I have been on all the luxe lines minus Crystal and SeaDream.

Berlitz is an excellent source when comparing cruise lines. This is the 28th year that Berlitz has published the guide - the “cruise industry bible” as it’s known by travel specialists.

 

Ward's ratings, compiled independently & unsubsidized by sponsorship, base its Berlitz stars on points for an unbiased appraisal of what's best & worst in the world of cruising.

The 2013 rankings:

Mid-size ships (751 to 1,750 passengers)

 

1. Crystal Serenity - 1,717 points

 

2. Oceania Riviera - 1,702 points

 

3. Crystal Symphony - 1,701 points

 

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships-2012

 

Top 3 Ships in each category – Points out of 2,000

 

Mid-Size Ships (600 – 1,600 passengers) 1 Crystal (Serenity) 1,717 points Tie (2) Crystal (Symphony) & Oceania (Marina)

1,701 points

[zorro90068]

Have you cruised on the "O" ships on Oceania? After sailing on 27 cruises...I would not label Oceania a "mass market line" and I have been on all the luxe lines minus Crystal and SeaDream.

Berlitz is an excellent source when comparing cruise lines. This is the 28th year that Berlitz has published the guide - the “cruise industry bible” as it’s known by travel specialists.

 

Ward's ratings, compiled independently & unsubsidized by sponsorship, base its Berlitz stars on points for an unbiased appraisal of what's best & worst in the world of cruising.

The 2013 rankings:

Mid-size ships (751 to 1,750 passengers)

 

1. Crystal Serenity - 1,717 points

 

2. Oceania Riviera - 1,702 points

 

3. Crystal Symphony - 1,701 points

 

The Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships-2012

 

Top 3 Ships in each category – Points out of 2,000

 

Mid-Size Ships (600 – 1,600 passengers) 1 Crystal (Serenity) 1,717 points Tie (2) Crystal (Symphony) & Oceania (Marina)

1,701 points

 

Show me where Berlitz or any other trade publication such as Travel & Leisure and/or Conde Nast Travel ever refer to Oceania as a "Luxury" and/or 6 Star Cruiseline?

[Travelcat2]

This subject deserves it's own thread:rolleyes: Here -- there is something for everyone -- skew it anyway you wish:

 

http://www.cntraveler.com/gold-list/2012/best-cruise-lines-gold-list-2012

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=5

http://www.hillmanwonders.com/luxury_cruise/best_5_luxury_cruise_lines.htm

http://cruise-international.com/top-10-luxury-cruises/

http://www.toptensthings.com/2012/02/top-ten-luxury-cruises-2012

[Host Dan]

Personally I would characterize O as the same as Azamara- "Luxury Light". (Thanks Col. Wes for the term)

 

Host Dan

[zorro90068]

Personally I would characterize O as the same as Azamara- "Luxury Light". (Thanks Col. Wes for the term)

 

Host Dan

 

I agree but very "luxury light" since you have to a la carte evrything in order to reach a luxury level, upgrade to Ph or higher Suites, drink cards/packages, etc. in order to emulate a true Luxury Line such as Seabourn or Crystal and Regent.

[LHT28]

I agree but very "luxury light" since you have to a la carte evrything in order to reach a luxury level, upgrade to Ph or higher Suites, drink cards/packages, etc. in order to emulate a true Luxury Line such as Seabourn or Crystal and Regent.

It is a personal choice

Some people do not drink or drink little, take private tours & are happy to be on the luxe lite ships of Oceania

Some people do not really care what colour their room key is

 

YMMV

Edited June 9, 2013 by LHT28

[Robroy]

Must echo the comments of other posters who are also thoroughly enjoying your detailed commentary on Oceania and Regent. We have been on Regent and Silversea and although we thoroughly enjoyed Regent, found the all-inclusive pricing for many tours we would never take didn't make sense. Oceania seems to be a logical line to consider - for us, Silversea food is a bit too much "haute cuisine" to suit us while a review of O's menus looks lovely.

I've always been impressed with your observations over the years on CC and look forward to more. They have provided excellent food for thought in helping us make cruise decisions - all a major part of the spirit of sharing opinions on CC IMHO!

 

Rob

[wripro]

Why would I gauge my reaction to a cruise line by what Conde Nast calls it? I either like something or I don't and six stars or ten stars won't make me like it any more.

[RachelG]

Zorro, we know you love seabourn, but it would never enter in my consideration of possible cruise choices due to its smoking policy, no matter how highly rated.

 

But I expect that you should be happy about our absence as I do drive a Lexus and wear ralph lauren, and my husband would probably appear in your presence wearing a cowboy hat since he wears one every day.

 

Now, Jackie, please continue your very informative report on Oceania riviera.

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you TC for your thoughts on the various aspects of Oceania covered so far. I find them very interesting, though I doubt that I will ever sail that line. I am too content with Regent.

[pacheco18]

Let TC finish.

 

Those who have no interest or are offended, can ignore the thread.

 

For those who keep equating all inclusive with luxury and lack of all inclusive as non luxury, I think that analysis is off the mark.

 

Think Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons -- it's all a la carte and it's all luxury.

 

Think Viking River Cruises -- it's all inclusive and nowhere near luxury.

 

Just because you are getting charged more for things you do not necessarily want does not convert a product into a luxury product.

[Cheekyrn1]

TC when you looked at the penthouse suite on Oceania was the bed truly a queen size only? On Oceania web page the cabin is described with a queen bed... We are considering an Oceania cruise but we are really not comfortable in a queen....while most people would consider that trivial it is important to us for then we do get a good night sleep...thanks

[Travelcat2]

At least this thread is funny:D For the record, all of my posts on this (and the last thread) are from memory. I do have a menu from La Reserve that I could refer to if necessary (haven't done so). My typing may not be up to speed but my memory is just fine.

 

wripro - you always make good points (which I agree with about 70% of the time:-)

 

In terms of someone from Seabourn interrupting this thread -- it isn't as bad as what some others have written. I just cannot imagine going onto Seabourn to promote Regent. It just makes no sense. Like many other Regent loyalists, we will not sail a ship that permits smoking in suites and/or balconies.

 

At this point, we will probably not try other luxury or ultra premium cruise lines. Posters keep thinking that I don't understand a particular cruise line or ship because I haven't been on them. Okay -- so I tried Silversea and now Oceania and there were no big surprises on either -- I like both and am still a Regent cheerleader (who enjoys sailing on other lines for their itinerary). I prefer Oceania to Silversea and some of the food on the Riviera to Regent. But, Silversea has some things that I prefer to either Oceania or Regent. I could go on and on but there really is no point.

 

Sorry but service will have to wait until tomorrow. Hopefully that will be my last topic. Had I not promised to post this comparison on the Regent board I would not be doing it. With all of the positive people reading this, my posts seem to also draw very negative and dark posts. No one should be subjected to reading those (IMHO).

 

I truly enjoy doing what I do on CC and will continue posting (too much for many people) but may not do a comparison thread again. I did Silversea two or three years ago and will be on board again in September. There have been concerning negative posts about Silversea and I thought that another review may be warranted. Now I'm not so sure.

 

If anyone is expecting a surprise ending to this, you will be disappointed. Regent appeals to some and not others. The same can be said for Oceania. I do see more mainstream cruisers moving up to Oceania rather than to Regent and this makes sense. The culture shock is much less moving upward - slowly.

 

Both cruise lines have excellent service but it is worth detailing differences. On that note, think my DH and I will go out for a beer on a very lovely Pacific Northwest afternoon:)

 

P.S. Yes - the beds are queen. We have them separated into twin beds which works better for us than a queen. The beds are extremely comfortable.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Travelcat2