Comparing Viking Ocean to Regent

[Travelcat2]

Some people that dine with crew members simply prefer their company. These men and women are away from their families for months at a time and many times have extremely interesting stories. We have been "friends" (more than acquaintances - less that close friends at home) for years. They are like an extended family. Not all cruise lines have crew members that are as open and friendly to passengers as they are on Regent.

 

Judging people based on who they want to have dinner with or hang out with is usually a poor judgement and does not mean anything. We all cruise for our own reasons which is great.

 

Some people are loyal to cruise lines because they choose to be and are not bored by the cruise line or the meals they are served - or even the entertainment. Using ourselves as an example, we sailed two other cruise lines this year and a couple others in the past. All it does is reinforce that Regent is the cruise line that we enjoy and should be sailing on. The benefits are great but most Regent cruisers can afford laundry, private transportation to and from the ship, etc. So, it is a choice for us and nothing else.

 

Viking Ocean sounds as if it may be an excellent cruise line and even a less cost alternative to Regent (assuming that they are less expensive than Regent). Oceania is also a good alternative.

 

Really enjoying reading information from those that have sailed on Viking Ocean. One cannot learn enough about the world of cruising:halo:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

 

Viking Ocean sounds as if it may be an excellent cruise line and even a less cost alternative to Regent (assuming that they are less expensive than Regent). Oceania is also a good alternative.

...

 

From what I'm seeing, TC, when you factor-in the inclusions/exclusions, and the cabin sizes, at least at the basic level, there's not much difference in pricing. Granted, I'm just looking at the WC right now.

[Travelcat2]

From what I'm seeing, TC, when you factor-in the inclusions/exclusions, and the cabin sizes, at least at the basic level, there's not much difference in pricing. Granted, I'm just looking at the WC right now.

 

Wow - that is a big undertaking! Hope that you find the cruise line that suits you. Aren't you going on Seabourn soon?

[RachelG]

I agree with Travelcat about dining with crew members. I don’t particularly seek that out, but we have cruise a lot on Regent and Silversea, and have become friends with certain members of the crew. A couple on Regent we have been friends with for over 10 years. We keep up with each other even when not cruising, so if we happen to be on the same cruise, we definitely will dine together at least once, not because they are crew members, but because we are friends and want to catch up.

[amusea]

I would like to specifically comment on the Viking Ocean food and furnishings. I have been on both lines as well as all other luxury and premium lines and will be on Viking Ocean again in October and Regent in December.

In my opinion Viking Ocean starts with very high quality food but it is prepared in a manner that is geared to people who are not seeking new taste adventures. Everything is good and tasty but there are not those extra haute cuisine offerings that you can find on Oceania or Regent. Since I am a foodie that is an important part of cruising for me.

 

Regarding the furnishings, I don't think that most people know that many of the chairs, tables, lamps, etc in the public rooms are copies of Scandinavian museum pieces. That is why there can be complaints about the comfort, especially of some of the low slung chairs and sofas. There is no area of the Viking ships that I would describe as lavish. However, they are extremely tasteful and have a unity of design.

 

Having said that, the lecturers on VO have been excellent and rival Cunard in that regard. And VO has lavished wonderful design on the bathrooms in all categories which have some of the most beautiful fixtures and have other goodies like heated floors. The spa area that is open to everyone is also magnificent.

 

When I began sailing on ships almost sixty years ago, most people relied on books for entertainment and the beauty and serenity of the sea for relaxation. The Grill Room on QE2 (which was the name of the small extra cost restaurant before the Queen's Grill was established) offered food that actually compared to high end land restaurants but it was quite small and was offered to just the passengers sailing in the most expensive suites. In fact the whole ship was based on a class system.

 

Viking Ocean has brought Scandinavian attitude and design in a unique way to the cruise market and caters to the senior population although no scooters are allowed. But for true luxury Regent is a line that I can come back to often. Viking Ocean will be more of a 'once in a while' experience.

 

Regarding the liquor policy on Viking Ocean, you are treated like an adult. You can bring on as much liquor or wine onboard as you choose. You can also leave a bottle at a bar and the bartender will mix drinks for you from your bottle without any extra fee. That is a refreshing policy.

[freddie]

Regarding certain posters who regularly point out that they prefer to socialize and/or dine with crew members who are "friends", rather than with other passengers, one must bear in mind that crew members are paid to be friendly to passengers, irrespective of their genuine preferences, whereas other passengers can determine on their own which people are worthy of their friendship.

 

That is not at all to suggest that some crew members have not established bonds with some passengers. However, if one is to be a realist, one must recognize that the crew members do not make their "friendships" with passengers as independently as those of us on the other side of the transaction are able to do.

 

It is instructive perhaps to look at the history of a particular passenger on another luxury line who "imposed" her friendship upon the crew (including calling the room stewards, her "little chickens"), when behind the scenes she was apparently held in high derision. We all would maybe do well to recognize that our relationship with the crew is not, unfortunately, one of social or work equality, despite our best efforts to pretend that the opposite is the case.

 

Aside from that, we are certainly looking with great interest in the Viking Ocean offerings, although the opinions of people whom we know and trust, such as Alainciao and his wife, are giving us some serious second thoughts about those offerings, compared to Regent and Seabourn.

Edited September 11, 2018 by freddie

[Travelcat2]

Regarding certain posters who regularly point out that they prefer to socialize and/or dine with crew members who are "friends", rather than with other passengers, one must bear in mind that crew members are paid to be friendly to passengers, irrespective of their genuine preferences, whereas other passengers can determine on their own which people are worthy of their friendship. That is not at all to suggest that many crew members have not established bonds with passengers. However, if one is to be a realist, one must recognize that the crew members do not make their "friendships" with passengers as freely as those of us on the other side of the transaction are able to do.

 

And just how would you know this? It is fine if you wish to dispute myself and Rachel but I really don't see the point. I learned a few years ago how phony some passengers can be and have not had that experience with crew members (when they are working or when they are at home). As I've said previously on several threads, casting aspersions and judgements says more about the person making those judgements and aspersions. And, what in the world does this have to do with Viking Ocean and Regent??:cool:

[freddie]

Ah, TC, you cannot not have the last word, as usual. I was merely commenting in response to several other posts on this thread, including yours. I was casting no aspersions whatever. One might modestly suggest that it is possible to disagree with other posters without "casting aspersions".

 

Of course, it is always interesting to read a comment suggesting that one prefers to deal with the crew rather than with other passengers because the latter are "phony". Maybe that "says more about the person making those judgements".

 

This has something to do with the main subject of this thread as it addresses matters of the relationship between passengers and crew on the two lines. That is certainly a legitimate subject of comment. Crew/passengers dynamics are an important aspect of any cruise and one which is a worthy area of discussion.

Edited September 11, 2018 by freddie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wow - that is a big undertaking! Hope that you find the cruise line that suits you. Aren't you going on Seabourn soon?

 

Yes, next week. No big travel for us, just a train to and from Montreal.

 

The WC we're looking at is two and a half years away. And yes, it is a big undertaking, but for some reason it seems very appealing.

 

And btw, after reading some of the horror shows described in the Viking WC thread, no way I would try them for such a long cruise.

Edited September 11, 2018 by Wendy The Wanderer

[DavidTheWonderer]

...

This has something to do with the main subject of this thread as it addresses matters of the relationship between passengers and crew on the two lines.

 

If one wants friendly and outgoing crew, in my experience Azamara wins that one hands down. Of course, the crew is super-friendly to all the passengers, not just a select few, so that might not be as good for some people.

[fizzy]

This "hanging out with" and "dining" with the crew subject comes up every so often and it is always fascinating. Crew members of any cruise line are under contract and are the front people of the company. Are they allowed to decline dinner invites from passengers? Are these social dinner meals on board or on shore? Are the hardworking people below deck who are away from their families also included in these friendly chats and mingling situations? Do they have to then worry about comment cards because they can never truly have some well deserved time off from paying passengers? We actually make it a point to try not to take up any extra time from crew members, other than brief pleasantries, who have a job to do and seem determined to do it very well. Are the ranked positions obligated to entertain/socialize with the customers?

[DavidTheWonderer]

... Are they allowed to decline dinner invites from passengers? ...

 

On a recent Mariner cruise, we ended up being fairly friendly with the pianist. We discussed having dinner one night in the main dining room. He said he would have to get approval from management. So he had a ready out if he didn't really want to hang with us: blame management. Approval did happen, and we had a lovely meal as we got to know each other better. But in general I agree that invites of crew can put them in an uncomfortable situation.

[Travelcat2]

Yes, next week. No big travel for us, just a train to and from Montreal.

 

The WC we're looking at is two and a half years away. And yes, it is a big undertaking, but for some reason it seems very appealing.

 

And btw, after reading some of the horror shows described in the Viking WC thread, no way I would try them for such a long cruise.

 

Hope that you post a comparison thread. Your input about Seabourn and Regent would be an interesting read.

[kjbacon]

I’m new to Regent but have enjoyed several cruises on Viking and one on Azamara. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Viking experiences! We love the ship itself and other strong points for us are the fabulous spa, spacious cabins, and the buffet (huge space and lots of variety). We loved our Azamara experience as well. The strong points for us were the crew, the food, the cocktail hour (live music in the lounge before dinner),and the smaller groups for shore excursions. Can’t wait to try Regent.

[Travelcat2]

On a recent Mariner cruise, we ended up being fairly friendly with the pianist. We discussed having dinner one night in the main dining room. He said he would have to get approval from management. So he had a ready out if he didn't really want to hang with us: blame management. Approval did happen, and we had a lovely meal as we got to know each other better. But in general I agree that invites of crew can put them in an uncomfortable situation.

 

You are correct. Even though we have not asked a crew member to dine with us on the ship, we have taken them to lunch if they were not working and didn't need to take a nap. That was so nice that you and Wendy were able to have dinner with the pianist.

 

Many passengers do not even think or know about what crew members or officers can or cannot do with passengers on a ship. We have invited officers to cocktail parties in our suite where they are other guests. They can show up - or not. We have also had officers stop by our suite to welcome us aboard - certainly not something that they have to do. We are on Facebook with some crew members and officers and they post photos of being off of the ship having meals with passengers all the time. I doubt if they are being coerced but rather are having a great time.

 

After all, crew members are human beings too and need to have a little down time. Hope that no one is going to judge them as well.

[SedonaJoel]

We've been on 7 Regent cruises, 28 Oceania cruises, 25 Renaissance cruises and 1 Viking cruise. We try to travel in the best accommodations (to us - on any cruise we take). Our selection of cruise lines is never about the difference in cost. As an indication of our likes we have 4 future Viking cruises booked (all in their explorer suites) and 3 Azamara cruises booked in Spa suites - all based on itinerary. We have no future Oceania cruises that we plan to take. We are bored with the itineraries Oceania offers. They offer the same trips each year to the same ports at the same general schedule - and Regent seems to duplicate Oceania's Itineraries and schedules. The only new Itinerary they've offered in the last few years was the circumnavigation of Australia which we did last year and it was great. If they add new, interesting voyages we'll return to Oceania.

 

Our upcoming three Viking cruises are Hong Kong to Tokyo to Vancouver (37 days in April 2019), followed by a cruise from Bergen through the Norwegian Fjords and then to four ports in Iceland debarking in Reykjavik. Our upcoming Azamara cruises are Buenos Aires to Antarctica to Buenos Aires in January, Singapore to Myanmar to Myanmar in October 2019 and Capetown to Dubai in Feb, 2020. Azamara has excellent excursions at reasonable prices and they post them for sale years in advance - you can book the 2020 excursions now.

 

Oceania's food was the best - but Viking is a close second. Viking does ot allow anyone under 18 on their ships, has no butlers, no casino and no waiting to dismember after tours for tender ports. They have no corkage fees for wines and much more to distinguish themselves.

 

 

It did a comparison chart between Oceania and Viking list about 40 differences and if you'd like a copy just send me an email.

 

joel dot gilgoff at gmail.com

[SedonaJoel]

Can someone comment on spa prices? I saw in the WC thread over on the Viking board that someone paid $28 for a haircut. I'm thinking that was for a man. But seems fairly reasonable compared to the usurious prices that I remember on Regent. I seem to remember several hundred dollars for a massage, but was wondering about women's hairstyling.

 

Oceania charges $33 (+18%) for a man's haircut - massage prices on Viking are similar to both Regent and Oceania (very over priced).

 

Joel

[SedonaJoel]

One more Azamara item. Azamara offers "More" packages which bundle excursion credit, WI-FI, laundry, beverage packages, etc. into a package (not based on length of trip) that offer discounts up to 50% or more on a long voyage. They operate 3 totally refurbished "R" ships.

 

 

Joel

[freddie]

"Viking does not allow anyone under 18 on their ships, has no butlers, no casino and no waiting to dismember after tours for tender ports."

 

Joel - Thanks for your useful comparison of the lines. However, please let us know whether Viking offers a separate tender queue that does not include dismemberment. Can one assume that such a harsh option is only for those who complain about the Viking included tours, no?? ;p That may be a bit more of ancient Viking behavior than most passengers would appreciate.

 

Amusea commented upon the great bathrooms on Viking. Does that indicate that Viking has corrected the early problems with the cracking/shattering curved shower doors?

 

The lack of any corkage fee is most attractive; and the ability of bar staff to serve passengers from their own liquor bottles is indeed quite a refreshing concept.

[SedonaJoel]

Sorry for the typo - it was supposed to say disembarkation but my spell checker "auto corrector" went out to lunch. We've only been in suites on Viking so I can't comment on the shower doors in the cabins. The suites that we were in had no shower doors. I'm sure that they had issues on maiden voyages - and despite what is said each ship has several new features and improvements.

[larry1365]

WesW asked ne tochime in on the comparison of Regent and Viking Ocean, since I have traveled onboth. We were on Voyager’s 2007 (111 day) and 2010 (118 day) World Cruises.This year we were on Viking Ocean’s inaugural WC. We were on the Sun for 120days in a Penthouse Veranda 1 cabin, on deck 6

.

The 338 sq ft cabin, including veranda, was very comfortableand about the size of ours on the Voyager No walk-in closet, but we had plentyof closet hanging space and had a couple drawers we never used. Obviously, Ihaven’t been on the Explorer, nor on the renovated Mariner and Voyager which itseems were made to look more like the Explorer. From the photos, they appear tome to be a bit over the top. But that is just personal appeal, just like food.

I believe the coordinated, clean Scandinavian design of the VOships (they are all basically alike) is beautiful. I particularly liked the personalnooks and crannies throughout the ship, the completely protected Deck 5 walkingand jogging track (out of the windy experience on Voyager), the beautifuloutdoor furniture on the forward sports Deck 9 behind glass wind screens, thetwo-deck observation lounge, one with an accessible area forward, and all typesof individual and small group entertainment throughout the ship. The ship hasmore floor to ceiling glass than any ship we’ve been on. The lectures andvaried evening entertainment were excellent.

 

 

Cons: the side pool deck loungers didn’t have enough cross-ventilation,even when the roof was open. The “included” excursion in each port were manytimes just panoramic city tours with a couple stops. However, being its inauguralWC, Viking included a very large sum of on-board credits to purchase optional toursand shipboard expenses.

Viking also included first/business class air fares, additionalluggage shipment to the embarkation port, laundry service, visa service,medical service, the premium beverage package, wi-fi and taxes & gratuities.Making it basically all inclusive like RSSC.

 

 

I’m not sure about the reference in this thread about thehorrors of the Viking Sun WC. We had a grand time. Is it different than the Regentexperience? Yes, but that’s not a criticism. Both lines were fun. But I believeRSSC has priced itself out of our league. Cost to does and value do matter tous And I understand Viking is not offering generous perks on subsequent worldcruises. Will we travel with Viking again? Certainly?

[aungrl]

No one has answered my question so I’ll ask differently. If we get back from excursion at 4 or 5 and go to lounge for a drink and to relax...is that included?

 

On Viking, the only included alcoholic beverages are beer and wine with lunch and dinner. So, to your specific question, that answer is “no”. Any alcoholic beverages consumed outside of the lunch/dinner hours and venues are NOT included. So pre-dinner drinks in one of the lounges would be at an additional cost. One important note: In all but the least expensive cabin on all Viking ships, you have an included mini-bar that contains airline-sized bottles of various hard liquors, a few snacks, and various varieties of soda and mixers. So it’s possible to have your own drink at any time during the day, if you mix it up in your room.

 

Viking’s policy is also really lenient on bringing your own alcohol on board for consumption in your room or at dinner. No corkage fee for opening a bottle of your own wine in the dining rooms or specialty restaurants.

 

All non-alcoholic beverages are included, all day, in any venue throughout the ship.

[RJ2002]

On Viking, the only included alcoholic beverages are beer and wine with lunch and dinner. So, to your specific question, that answer is “no”. Any alcoholic beverages consumed outside of the lunch/dinner hours and venues are NOT included. So pre-dinner drinks in one of the lounges would be at an additional cost. One important note: In all but the least expensive cabin on all Viking ships, you have an included mini-bar that contains airline-sized bottles of various hard liquors, a few snacks, and various varieties of soda and mixers. So it’s possible to have your own drink at any time during the day, if you mix it up in your room.

 

Viking’s policy is also really lenient on bringing your own alcohol on board for consumption in your room or at dinner. No corkage fee for opening a bottle of your own wine in the dining rooms or specialty restaurants.

 

All non-alcoholic beverages are included, all day, in any venue throughout the ship.

 

Good to point out the stocked mini-bar in many of the staterooms. The restocking of the mini-bar was a set daily exercise, and they were very dependable about replenishing our consumption.

 

BTW - I believe that soft drinks are only included at lunch and dinner. If one were to order a soft drink at the Viking Bar, for instance, I'm pretty sure there is a charge. Perhaps others can clarify. We've only been on one VO cruise.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm reviving this old thread from September.  We did book the Regent Mariner's WC in 2021.  But...

 

But..since then I've been having the devil of a time getting insurance. Don't bother recommending companies to us, we've tried them all.  Complicated by us being Canadian. Have been denied by several insurers outright.  We are currently 70 and 74, so something to consider before ever booking a long cruise.

 

At the moment, our only recourse may be accepting Regent Care, which would be at final payment, and not with pre-existing coverage.  That would apparently cost 20% of the cost of the cruise.   This is outrageous but may be our only choice if we don't want to self-insure this large amount of money (for us.)

 

I am re-looking at the Viking 2021 cruise.  It's a bit longer, the PV (Penthouse Veranda) cabin would be slightly larger than Mariner.  Of course most excursions aren't covered, but then we might like the flexibility of "rolling our own", or taking a cab, not sure how I feel about that. At our age we've slowed down, so it might suit.

 

The bottom line is that with Viking we can get reasonably-priced insurance, albeit paid up front, a reasonable-sized deposit, and pay ballpark the same for the cruise.  It may be our only option short of just cancelling the Regent cruise.

 

But I still worry about the intangibles.  Would we enjoy the ambience?  We actually like a more relaxed atmosphere, and an aesthetic that is simpler, with clean lines.  (Seabourn Quest fulfilled that.)  Would we like our fellow passengers?  Despite the relaxed atmosphere, would we feel pampered and comfortable?   Background: we did a TA a few years back on Riviera and did not feel comfortable on that ship, nor did we particularly bond with the passenger mix. The VO ships are 930 pax, smaller than O-class but larger than Mariner/Voyager.  

 

I'm scratching my head (again.)  Very disappointed by this insurance roadblock.  Sorry about this  Merry Christmas!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Interesting issue! I was just reviewing a policy for a trip this summer. After our recent bad experience, attempting to recover funds from Travelguard for my lost luggage, I have discovered that most of the policy is secondary to any other claims you may be able to make. 

So unless I made a claim with my Home owners policy, which would cover a part of it, and increase my rate, I could not receive any compensation from Travelguard. It’s the same for most of its coverage. Something to consider when spending a great deal of money for insurance. 

I will still need insurance because none of my health policies cover me abroad. 

Between a rock and a hard place. 

Sheila