Regency Cruise Line

[justloud]

Anyone remember Regency? We sailed them on our honeymoon in 1989 out of Tampa.

[rjscott]

Yes, we sailed the Regent Sea out of Montego Bay in the late 80's. We had booked a guaranteed cabin, which could have given us upper & lower berths but ended up with a very large outside cabin with a full bathtub instead of just a shower.

[matt082600]

Anyone remember Regency? We sailed them on our honeymoon in 1989 out of Tampa.

 

 

Yes I do. I went on my first cruise with Regency. I believe it was the Regent Sun, but I could be mistaken. What ever happened to that line?

[dougnewmanatsea]

What ever happened to that line?

Regency went bankrupt and ceased operations in 1995.

 

Their ships were arrested in various ports around the world. A few of them are still in service; others were broken up or sank.

 

I have just posted a full history of the Regency fleet here.

[toddtami]

Hey- our first cruise was the Regent Rainbow out of Tampa. Right before they bankrupted, too. We didn't know any better, and booked in late September. Hurricane season. We sailed through a tropical depression. We were sick as dogs. Never thought I would get on a ship again. The entire ship was sick. I knew that ship was old, but after I did some web researching, I found out she was built in the 50's. I kind of like those old ships that look more like yachts, than cities!!! Here's a website with great pictures:

www.simplonpc.co.uk

 

Tami

:cool:

[whogo]

Sailed a great itinerary to Ocho Rios, Costa Rica, The Panama Canal and Aruba. The Regent Star was a great old ship. We had an outside stateroom big enough to hold a crib for our three year old with plenty of floor space left over. The bathroom was huge with a tub. Ocean view was through round portholes with the big wing nut screw type fasteners and everything. Cool!

 

The old ship lulled us to sleep with its creaks and groans.

 

There was a lot of genuine wood in our cabin and throughout the ship, also plenty of exposed pipes and conduits. It looked like the 1950's ocean liner it had once been.

 

I saw other cabins that were tiny but with efficient use of space.

 

The Regent Star had a big dent on its bow. The line was a few months from bankruptcy. The CD announced that we would not enter the Panama Canal, and later rescinded that announcement. I think they may have had trouble paying the canal fees.

 

Regency had other unique itineraries. We were considering other Regency cruises when the bankruptcy was announced. Passengers were practically stranded at sea as I recall, and the crews were not getting paid. It was sure fun while it lasted.

[Druke I]

We sailed Regent Sun Los Angeles to Vancouver, with a stop in Ketchikan, back in 5-90.

 

I enjoyed the ship - my wife hated the purple bathroom fixtures, but otherwise enjoyed it.

 

The Captain, who looked like Marlon Brando in his prime, got very annoyed and really leaned on the ship's horn (whistle) in Ketchikan, when a seaplane taking off cut across our bow when leaving the harbor.

[Traveler012]

Had our first cruise on the Regent Sun in 1995. We had a great time, caught the cruise bug, been cruising ever since. Very sad recently to discover we are slowly losing our photos from the first cruise. (The days before we owned a digital camera and burn our pics to cd's). Have used my scanner to copy the old negatives but even those show signs of corruption. Oh well (sigh), we still have the great memories. We booked the silver route.

Still remember the Caribbean Night when they decorated with some kind of large banana leaves brought onboard from one of the Island's, saw a spider that night the size of a buick. Never knew where it crawled away, but spent the second half of the cruise trying to avoid it. Talk about thrills and chills. ;-)

[JimnKaren]

I sailed Regency to Alaska and had a great time. I suggested that my parents consider taking that same cruise. Boy, was I wrong on that one. Regency served a cuisine that was French inspired and my folks were not into the rich sauces that come with that. They hated the cruise simply because of the food. Nowadays, that type of cuisine just isn't to be found in the cruise lines that appeal to the masses.

 

Jim

[ScottsSweetie]

Our first cruise was on the Regent Rainbow in 1994. We went with another couple, had a great time, and have loved cruising ever since! The maitre'de was named Giseppe - whenever he would come over the loudspeaker at dinner time, he ended with "Have a very sunny day" in a VERY thick french accent. We still repeat this saying all these years later!

[cdman]

The first cruise I got my wife to go on was a Regency Cruise out of Tampa. We just went out in the gulf for a couple of days. It was wonderful. We had a guy who sat at our table who looked just like George Burns. Is The Regent Rainbow the only ship that Regency had in Tampa? As you can see we have been cruising as much as we can ever since.

 

 

Regent Rainbow???

1/13/1996 Carnival Celebration

1/11/1999 Carnival Tropicale

1/25/2003 Navigator Of The Seas

1/19/2004 Majesty Of The Seas

1/24/2004 Navigator Of The Seas

12/11/2004 Enchantment Of The Seas

1/7/2006 Legend Of The Seas

2/18/2007 Carnival Victory

2/25/2007 Freedom Of The Seas

[CGTNORMANDIE]

REGENCY CRUISES had a fascinating history. My understanding of REGENCY is as follows: REGENCY was originally formed by 2 gentlemen who had been associated with the ROYAL VIKING LINE. Their original idea was to take an older classic ship and run it like a first class ocean liner...very similar to CHANDRIS. Their first acquisition was the NAVARINO or ex GRIPSHOLM from the SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE. Unfortunately Antonios Lelakis was the owner who leased the ship to REGENCY CRUISES. REGENCY had a fantastic product...they based the REGENT SEA out of Montego Bay, Jamaica and offered 7 day cruises to the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean. The REGENT SEA was old but she was still gorgeous. The cabins were really nice...well laid out for longer voyages with lots of nice wood cabinets, racks and closets etc. The food was fantastic...French inspiration...catering by Apollo Caterers out of Miami. There were fresh flowers everywhere and the service was just wonderful. Evidently, when it looked like REGENCY CRUISES was going to be a successful venture, Mr. Lelakis was able to seize the company on a technical default. It was at this juncture that the problems began. Lelakis basically gutted the company and made all sorts of cuts that cheapened the product...until the bankrupty took place.

 

If you were one of the lucky ones to have sailed on the original REGENT SEA...you would know what I am talking about. It was a great cruise and a great product and it is sorely missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to have had the experience.

 

ROSS

[jak378]

REGENCY CRUISES had a fascinating history. My understanding of REGENCY is as follows: REGENCY was originally formed by 2 gentlemen who had been associated with the ROYAL VIKING LINE. Their original idea was to take an older classic ship and run it like a first class ocean liner...very similar to CHANDRIS. Their first acquisition was the NAVARINO or ex GRIPSHOLM from the SWEDISH AMERICAN LINE. Unfortunately Antonios Lelakis was the owner who leased the ship to REGENCY CRUISES. REGENCY had a fantastic product...they based the REGENT SEA out of Montego Bay, Jamaica and offered 7 day cruises to the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean. The REGENT SEA was old but she was still gorgeous. The cabins were really nice...well laid out for longer voyages with lots of nice wood cabinets, racks and closets etc. The food was fantastic...French inspiration...catering by Apollo Caterers out of Miami. There were fresh flowers everywhere and the service was just wonderful. Evidently, when it looked like REGENCY CRUISES was going to be a successful venture, Mr. Lelakis was able to seize the company on a technical default. It was at this juncture that the problems began. Lelakis basically gutted the company and made all sorts of cuts that cheapened the product...until the bankrupty took place.

 

If you were one of the lucky ones to have sailed on the original REGENT SEA...you would know what I am talking about. It was a great cruise and a great product and it is sorely missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to have had the experience.

 

ROSS

 

 

 

I read this and it prompted me to have my wife dig out the album from our first cruise on the Regent Sea in 1986, on of our very first cruises. It was from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios, Gatun Lake in the Panama Canal, Cartagena, and back to Montego Bay. Brochure price was about 1600 dollars per person for a category 4, outside cabin, with a double bed. I believe we actually paid about 60 percent of that. That fare though, included air from most major gateways in the midwest and east. The most expensive add on was 95 dollars from the West Coast. I don't remember paying more than 2 dollars for a drink on board. Everything else was included. It was a grand ship, with Greek officers and a European service staff. As stated the food had a French flair, and was terrific, and high calorie.

 

I thought that one of the principles in the endeavor was someone from the French Pacquet Line. They did then acquire the Regent Sun and Regent Star, and went bankrupt around 1995, rather abruptly as I recall. We have been on around 15 other cruises, and still think of the two that we took on the Regent Sea as among the best.

[chris sea]

Anyone remember Regency? We sailed them on our honeymoon in 1989 out of Tampa.

 

Sure do remember Regency:) We sailed the Regent Sun on July 7,1993.

 

It was a 7 day cruise from Montreal to New York City.We had a wonderful time.:D

[Laurin612]

My husband an I cruised on the Regent Sun in March, 1995. It was our second cruise and we have very fond memories of it. I don't remember the exact itinerary, but I know we stopped in St. Maarten and St. Lucia. Everything else is a blur! lol

[silvercruiser]

I sailed on the REGENT SEA for 49 days in late 1994, from Ft. Lauderdale back to Ft. Lauderdale and going all the way around South America. Still have many happy memories of that trip.

[terrascape]

Our first cruise was on the Regent Sea in 1987. It was a 7 day R/T out of Tampa to Cozumel, Montego Bay & Grand Cayman. That hooked us on crusing. We later did three cruises on the Regent Star from Montreal to NY in 1990, a coastal from San Diego to Ketchikan & Vancouver in 1991 & a one way from Whittier, AK to Vancouver in 1992. We had booked a trans canal on the soon to be Regent Isle from Acapulco to Jamaica I think in the late fall of 1994. Three days before final payment was due, I heard a rumor in the maritime commmunity of Seattle that the Fair Princess was in Victoria, & the scheduled charter to "some other cruise line" had just fallen through. Our travel agent had heard nothing & so through my connections I was able to get the whole scoop & immediately told the travel agent; did not make final payment & somehow I actually got the deposit back about a month later.

We enjoyed every cruise with Regency. The food was great and so was the service. The ships looked & felt like the cruise ships of olden days. They were great, and yes they are missed by our family.

[GottoCruise]

I sailed on the REGENT SEA for 49 days in late 1994, from Ft. Lauderdale back to Ft. Lauderdale and going all the way around South America. Still have many happy memories of that trip.

 

Pris - just accesssing your posts - Hey! - We were on that trip on the Regent Sea - wasn't that the one where they ran out of WATER?.........we were in a cabin with a bathtub - UGH! - the rusty water stains around the rim!.....we had some good tablemates and just laughed all the way - substituted STOLI for water -

It was so bad I remember we got a FREE CRUISE after I wrote a letter............and JUST managed to fit the free cruise in, in August before Recency went bankrupt......14 days on the Med. & Black Sea -in 2 separate cabins! - but that's another story......:)

 

Renee

[joilee329]

Hey.......I remember Regency Cruises....I worked for the cruise line for 5 years!! It was a shame that the company was run into the ground.....the ships were wonderful (even though they were older) and the itineraries were diverse. They had a great product........too bad greed got the best of them.

[sea-cruise]

I have two figurines of the Regency ships on ebay presently. The auctions end in two days. One is of the Regent Sea with twin stacks and the other is of the Regent Sun with the single stack. They are ceramic or porcelain.

We loved the Regency Line, and sailed 9 times aboard their ships, the Star, Sea, and Sun. The service and food were wonderful, and I loved the big deep bathtubs and twin portholes. :p

[westerly]

they had great itineries.had many good times on regency

[3poes]

Spent our 5th aniversary on the Regent Sea, 1994, still the best table service we have ever had. I still remember the names of our waiter, busman and mai tra d' (Adam, Boyan, and Renato). The old ship was truley classic. No plastic on her!!!:D

[CeleBrat]

I sailed on the Regent Star with my grandmother and mother, and we left from Jamaica. It was a really cool itinerary that included the Panama Canal. I remember the cabin was HUGE and the ship had lots of wood.

 

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the cruise that much. I was 20 (college) and was definitely the youngest person on the ship. I think my mom was the 2nd youngest....

 

Not a fun crowd on that cruise!

 

CeleBrat

[leanrunnerboy]

I had the great pleasure of working on the Regent Rainbow for nearly 10 months from July '94 to May '95 out of Tampa..as port lecturer & cruise staff.

At 6'7"..known to all as 'Too Tall' Tony. We did 5 day cruises to Cozumel & Key West & 2 day weekend cruises to 'nowhere'.. We were in Cozumel from 8am till 1:30am..which now is unheard of..always a night to party..!!

Great memories from that long gig..which included a 9 day nude cruise charter in Feb.'95..had a blast doing my port talk in front of 800 naked guests..! :D Worked with 2 excellent CDs..Dan Stapelton & Steve Lewis.

The brilliant Bob deVerde our resident comedian during much of that time.

Whilst in port, I would do long training runs along Bayshore Blvd..in preparation for a marathon I ran later in the summer in Canada which qualified me for the

100th Boston Marathon in April '96.

Still work on ships..on a fill-in basis as a port lecturer..

Hello to all my friends & guests from that period..!!

[joilee329]

Tony......

 

I worked in the New York offices of Regency from 1991 until the sad ending to that great cruise line. I did the 2 day cruises as frequently as possible (getting our free air & just paying port taxes) and also did the 5 day a few times. It was always a great weekend getaway! I remember meeting you once or twice......who could forget that name of "Too Tall Tony"! I also got to know Dan Stapleton......he was one of the best CD's.......a great guy. Do you know what he is up to now? I also remember Bob.....what a funny man! What cruise line/lines are you working for now? When Regency closed I moved on to Royal Olympic Cruises but unfortunately that suffered the same fate as Regency.....mostly in part to Sept. 11th.

Well it is good to hear from someone from the good old days and I hope life is treating you well. Take care & happy cruising :-)