Comparing Viking Ocean to Regent

[Missymssy]

Yes, can we please steer the topic of this thread back to it's intent?? I have only been on one cruise (Regent), and have an upcoming one in July, with Viking, so I eagerly read all the postings. Again with the luxury/premium class discussions....

[Travelcat2]

11 minutes ago, MalbecWine said:

Nobody can comment on a luxury line i.e. Crystal if you have not sailed on them and nobody should comment about Viking as well which seems to beat out all the categories.  They must be doing something right.

We have a 24 day cruise on the Explorer this year and I am biting my tongue and hoping for the best as our previous Regent cruises did not come close to our Crystal experiences.  The Explorer looks wonderful and glossy but that is not why we cruise.  Service, food, entertainment and crew should be the hallmarks of any luxury line.  We booked the MS on the Explorer which appears to be beautiful but in the end it’s the other services that matter.

 

Must disagree just a bit about your first sentence.  Agree that someone who has not sailed on a cruise line cannot speak to ambience, food or service.  However, there is a lot of factual information that is available that helps people decide if a cruise line may be for them.  I avoided Seabourn for years due to their smoking policy and Crystal because of set seating and small cabins -- obviously I knew the from the website.  Both cruise lines have changed these policies (except for small cabins on Crystal) - wish that they done so sooner.

 

In terms of Regent of old and Regent now, we feel that the heart of Regent remains the same.  They are who they are and do not try to be something they are not.  Quite a few crew members have been with Regent for close to 20 years.  So, has it changed?  In my opinion, the food is better and the service is as great as it has always been.  The ships are also refurbished more often.  Perhaps your view of cruising (your likes and dislikes) have changed more than Regent has.  Many Regent loyalists are happy wit how Regent was and is and have fought to keep it from changing too much.

 

PS - acknowledging that I posted that "many things have changed" on another thread.  I was not referring to the onboard experience but about their policies which have changed (and not necessarily for the better in some cases).  

Edited January 8, 2019 by Travelcat2

[MalbecWine]

The fact is the cruising industry is attracting younger and wealthier people way before we could afford luxury cruising probably including you and many others. Change will happen by way of demand even if you don’t like it and no one will be able to stop it.

 

The old guard of the luxury lines are sadly disappearing.  That being said, younger folks who have great jobs and can afford luxury lines will make a huge difference in luxury cruises and the money to these lines and what they want is all that matters.  You are not going to change it.

[clasater]

4 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

And could you give me more details?  What "beauty" did you see in Viking? We like Regent because it's a known quantity for us, great dining, excellent service, friendly and comfortable; but enjoy Mariner specifically because of the nice Coffee Connection, other pleasant public spaces, the layout of Compass Rose, etc

 

[clasater]

Wendy,

We have sailed with Viking twice now in the same room 8005. One was a TA and the other the Med. The ships are really incredible, the food great, and the staff wonderful.

Now that is our take on things. It is a very different feel than Regent, but suited us just fine. There are not as many dining options, but we liked the World Cafe so much we ate there almost exclusively. Their are no walk in closets, but we found the ones adequate.

As you probably know the design of ship and all fittings are Scandinavian (sp), so not as warm a feel as Regent. The Explorers Lounge is two story and incredibly nice with a good bar area. The covered pool area is great. Can't believe that new builds by other lines are not doing this.

We are booked on the same world cruise as you, but would cruise Viking in a heartbeat !

If you have specific questions, just ask.

Charles

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, MalbecWine said:

The fact is the cruising industry is attracting younger and wealthier people way before we could afford luxury cruising probably including you and many others. Change will happen by way of demand even if you don’t like it and no one will be able to stop it.

 

The old guard of the luxury lines are sadly disappearing.  That being said, younger folks who have great jobs and can afford luxury lines will make a huge difference in luxury cruises and the money to these lines and what they want is all that matters.  You are not going to change it.

 

We were not discussing attracting younger people - we were discussing change.  And, to paraphrase what the CEO of NCLH said about Regent ....... they are continuing to market to Baby Boomers (for many reasons that could be discussed on another thread).  

 

clasater -  really nice post regarding Viking.  It is likely that Viking Ocean is a lovely line but I have no doubt that we would return to Regent for the "warm" feeling, larger basic suites and more dining options.

[MalbecWine]

I think you are wrong about generations as we have seen younger and many generation X people who are successful cruising luxury lines.  We have met people who have high positions at Google and Apple who are enjoying luxury cruising.  We travel five months out of the year and you would be surprised at the age of these people who travel first class on Singapore and Emirates two of the best airlines.  Business class no way and use our miles.  BA no way...hate that airline as they cut their service in first and business.

 

Times are changing and us older peeps need to get to get used to it.  It’s no longer Downton Abbey on cruise ships

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, MalbecWine said:

I think you are wrong about generations as we have seen younger and many generation X people who are successful cruising luxury lines.  We have met people who have high positions at Google and Apple who are enjoying luxury cruising.  We travel five months out of the year and you would be surprised at the age of these people who travel first class on Singapore and Emirates two of the best airlines.  Business class no way and use our miles.  BA no way...hate that airline as they cut their service in first and business.

 

Times are changing and us older peeps need to get to get used to it.  It’s no longer Downton Abbey on cruise ships

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

2 hours ago, MalbecWine said:

Times are changing and us older peeps need to get to get used to it.  

 

Why??  With all due respect, we worked hard to get where we are and enjoy what we have today,  and we aren't ready to just roll over and "get used to it".

[MalbecWine]

Well you will need to get use to it as cruise lines need the money and are willing to change as demographics are including luxury lines.  It is the current way marketing is thinking.  Face it, the Gatsby day’s are over with.  I’m not that young but willing to roll with changes.  

[cruiseluv]

3 hours ago, MalbecWine said:

 

 

Times are changing and us older peeps need to get to get used to it.  It’s no longer Downton Abbey on cruise ships

Sorry, maybe I missed something but, what is that we "older peeps" need to get used to??

[Travelcat2]

49 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Why??  With all due respect, we worked hard to get where we are and enjoy what we have today,  and we aren't ready to just roll over and "get used to it".

 

Could not agree with you more.

 

MalbecWine - Have you fact checked" what you are saying?  Have you looked at how much money Regent made last year?  Have you tried to book a cruise 2 years out only to find that the suite that you want is already booked (or the cruise is sold out)?

 

While I am not advertising the luxury cruise line that we will sail later this year, they have already had two price decreases which is likely due to the fact that the ship is not filling up (this is not unusual for the cruise line).

 

Maria - Regent customers are suppose to believe that, according to one poster, "The old guard of the luxury lines are sadly disappearing.  That being said, younger folks who have great jobs and can afford luxury lines will make a huge difference in luxury cruises and the money to these lines and what they want is all that matters.  You are not going to change it."   

 

This statement totally ignores the statement made recently by the CEO of NCLH Frank Del Rio that Regent continues to successfully market to Baby Boomers.

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by Travelcat2

[MalbecWine]

Which line are you cruising?

[Travelcat2]

9 minutes ago, MalbecWine said:

Which line are you cruising?

 

Just as I did prior to sailing on NCL and Celebrity, I do not feel comfortable discussing what cruise line we will be taking.  However, I will be posting from the ship.  

[Silver Sweethearts]

2 hours ago, MalbecWine said:

Well you will need to get use to it as cruise lines need the money and are willing to change as demographics are including luxury lines.  It is the current way marketing is thinking.  Face it, the Gatsby day’s are over with.  I’m not that young but willing to roll with changes.  

 

Cruising for us is a nice to have and not a need to have.  We will simply stop cruising if "changes" we don't care for come about.

[DavidTheWonderer]

6 hours ago, cruiseluv said:

..the snobbery of some posters its hard to take...

Fortunately the typical passenger is not that way.  But these posters may well drive newcomers away.

 

The snobbery on the Seabourn board is even worse than Regent. Because of this I was sort of avoiding that line.  But some friends prevailed on us to join them on a Seabourn cruise, and the passengers were just as nice and interesting as Regent.

[flossie009]

On 1/7/2019 at 9:22 PM, Travelcat2 said:

 

This has been discussed on the General board as well as on another thread (Azamara).  In my opinion, we definitely need classifications.   

 

Not sure who said that there were subtle differences between luxury and premium-plus/luxury-lite cruise lines as I feel there are major differences.  What has been your experiences with Regent vs. other cruise lines?

 

In any case, I do not find any discussion on CC to be "pointless".  There are subjects that some people are interested in and not others but they are not pointless (at least not by my definition).  

 

 

We have always cruised with Regent since 2009, not other lines.

We like the Regent "package", their ships, officers & crew, the level of service, fellow guests and general ambience.  We have always found itineraries that interest us.

 

At present there is no reason for us to swap to another cruise line as we are more than happy with the value offered by Regent. Cruising with Regent, interspersed with land based vacations, suits our travel requirements very satisfactorily.

We have friends who take a different view and tend to move from cruise line to cruise line. That is their choice but is not for us.

 

However, in the future we might become bored with what Regent has to offer or they may let us down badly in some way (unlikely but always possible).

We are therefore always interested to read these comparison threads so that we have in our mind alternative cruise lines that might suit our requirements.

If we did look to change we would seek the advice of friends, read opinions and on-line reviews and check cruise line information carefully. We would not take much notice of arbitrary industry classifications or magazine polls.

 

If, and it is a big if, we ever 'jumped ship' from Regent we would likely try Crystal, Seabourn or Viking. We are therefore looking forward to the review/comparison from Crystal Symphony later this year.

 

 

At the moment I'm trying to figure out how two simple cruise line comparison threads (Regent/Viking & Regent/HAL) moved to discussions on cruise line classifications, dining with crew members, cabins v suites, cruiser demographics and South American wine ............ Just the nature of the beast, I guess 😉  

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by flossie009

[Wendy The Wanderer]

16 hours ago, MalbecWine said:

...

Times are changing and us older peeps need to get to get used to it.  It’s no longer Downton Abbey on cruise ships

 

Malbec, I think you're way off base.  I am a baby boomer. That can mean several distinct demographics, but many of us were into non-comformity, political protest and rock 'n roll back in the 60's and 70's, not dancing ballroom.  So I find your characterization way off reality.  Or maybe you just meant that we *watched* Downton Abbey, not that we try to live it, in which case, I apologize, but many other age groups watched that show.

 

18 hours ago, clasater said:

Wendy,

We have sailed with Viking twice now in the same room 8005. One was a TA and the other the Med. The ships are really incredible, the food great, and the staff wonderful.

Now that is our take on things. It is a very different feel than Regent, but suited us just fine. There are not as many dining options, but we liked the World Cafe so much we ate there almost exclusively. Their are no walk in closets, but we found the ones adequate.

As you probably know the design of ship and all fittings are Scandinavian (sp), so not as warm a feel as Regent. The Explorers Lounge is two story and incredibly nice with a good bar area. The covered pool area is great. Can't believe that new builds by other lines are not doing this.

We are booked on the same world cruise as you, but would cruise Viking in a heartbeat !

If you have specific questions, just ask.

Charles

 

Thank you Charles.  I think I could enjoy the Scandinavian aesthetic.  I'm mainly concerned about the service being nice, the food being of good quality, and most of all the passengers--are they interesting, intelligent, well-travelled, and generally pleasant to meet and be around. Love the idea of the covered pool.  I'm not one to lie out on deck, but I do love the pool and hot tub.  And the pool bar!  I'm sure your PS1 suite was lovely--we'd be doing at most a PV.

 

The only reason that we'd switch our WC to Viking, as you've probably figured out, is because of the insurance. Wish we could immediately try a cheap Caribbean trip on Viking, but they're all sold out this winter, at least in our cabin classes.

[Gilly]

Wendy, are you following the Viking WC blog?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

52 minutes ago, Gilly said:

Wendy, are you following the Viking WC blog?

 

Do you mean this:

 

http://www.vikingwc2019.com/

 

So far not much there yet unless I just don't understand  how to use Wordpress.

[travelwell]

I am interested in what Wendy is asking. I perhaps wrongly think of Viking RIVER Cruises as the ultimate “safe choice River cruise” that my coworkers are steered to when  seeing Europe for the first time. A good bit of handholding and a great experience.  Viking  has a great reputation and seems to have a solid product as shown by the popularity of the Viking OCEAN cruises. 

Viking  certainly appears to be a big jump from mainstream and the ship is obviously beautiful. But when comparing the culture of the ships how does it compare to Regent? My husband worked internationally and we are quite used to people of all cultures and love being surrounded by diverse people. We like ship excursions but think nothing of booking our own or exploring on our own. The Regent cruises we have been on have been full of interesting people of all backgrounds and many have spent time in a different countries. All this adds to a unique fabric of the cruise. For a short cruise diversity does not matter as much but for a long cruise a highlight for me is meeting different people of different backgrounds, sharing meals and time. 

I keep wondering who Viking is marketing to for their long cruises. Obviously no kids and is destination oriented. Educated and history minded as evidenced by their ads prior to PBS’s masterpiece Theaters Victoria. What are the people like on the cruise? Friendly, interactive, well traveled? Do you find people bonding. Do people meet in the lounges prior to dinner and strike up conversions and end up going to dinner together? I only know one person who went on Viking Ocean and said only okay experience but her weather was horrible and it was only one week. Both will certainly impact cruise.

[Gilly]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Do you mean this:

 

http://www.vikingwc2019.com/ 

 

So far not much there yet unless I just don't understand  how to use Wordpress.

 

No, this one  Passepartout    It has only just begun, but it might give you an idea of something with which to work on.  Thanks for sharing the other one - the "public" area has entries for each day so far I think?  (I agree, the opening page wasn't too promising, was it?)

Edited January 9, 2019 by Gilly

[Wendy The Wanderer]

19 hours ago, travelwell said:

I am interested in what Wendy is asking. I perhaps wrongly think of Viking RIVER Cruises as the ultimate “safe choice River cruise” that my coworkers are steered to when  seeing Europe for the first time. A good bit of handholding and a great experience.  Viking  has a great reputation and seems to have a solid product as shown by the popularity of the Viking OCEAN cruises. 

Viking  certainly appears to be a big jump from mainstream and the ship is obviously beautiful. But when comparing the culture of the ships how does it compare to Regent? My husband worked internationally and we are quite used to people of all cultures and love being surrounded by diverse people. We like ship excursions but think nothing of booking our own or exploring on our own. The Regent cruises we have been on have been full of interesting people of all backgrounds and many have spent time in a different countries. All this adds to a unique fabric of the cruise. For a short cruise diversity does not matter as much but for a long cruise a highlight for me is meeting different people of different backgrounds, sharing meals and time. 

I keep wondering who Viking is marketing to for their long cruises. Obviously no kids and is destination oriented. Educated and history minded as evidenced by their ads prior to PBS’s masterpiece Theaters Victoria. What are the people like on the cruise? Friendly, interactive, well traveled? Do you find people bonding. Do people meet in the lounges prior to dinner and strike up conversions and end up going to dinner together? I only know one person who went on Viking Ocean and said only okay experience but her weather was horrible and it was only one week. Both will certainly impact cruise.

 

All questions I'm asking myself too.  I haven't bought the Viking River koolaid; if I was going to do a river cruise, it would be one of the other lines (have only been on Uniworld ourselves), especially now that Viking's final payment policies have become strictly one year in advance (except for the WC or other epic voyages, apparently.) I agree with your assessment of Viking River--a very "safe" option for an American who's not traveled much before.

 

18 hours ago, Gilly said:

 

No, this one  Passepartout    It has only just begun, but it might give you an idea of something with which to work on.  Thanks for sharing the other one - the "public" area has entries for each day so far I think?  (I agree, the opening page wasn't too promising, was it?)

 

Yes, I'm supposed to be getting email when it gets updated, but I don't always.  Thanks for reminding me it's there, very hopeful about the writing style.

[1982CruzStart]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

All questions I'm asking myself too.  I haven't bought the Viking River koolaid; if I was going to do a river cruise, it would be one of the other lines (have only been on Uniworld ourselves), especially now that Viking's final payment policies have become strictly one year in advance (except for the WC or other epic voyages, apparently.) I agree with your assessment of Viking River--a very "safe" option for an American who's not traveled much before.

 

 

Yes, I'm supposed to be getting email when it gets updated, but I don't always.  Thanks for reminding me it's there, very hopeful about the writing style.

Our Viking River cruise was the worst vacation experience i have had in the past 15 years. The food was awful, the shore excursions with 50 people per bus were awful as well as other things.  The one positive is we did meet some intelligent, well traveled people.  I would never do another Viking River cruise even it was given to me free. Our experience has made me very hesitant to try Viking Ocean. Won't say never but highly unlikely. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Just an update that might be of interest to those on very long or expensive cruises.

 

We've managed to get coverage from two companies, one for C$30K each, and one for C$16K each.  Have purchased the first policy, since they will cover just our initial cancellation penalty, which is C$650 each.  So we now potentially have about two thirds of the cost of the cruise covered.

 

Interestingly, the agent told that these problems are simply because of the cost of the cruise, nothing to do with our age or health since they did not even share that information with the various carriers.  So this is an absolute upper bound of coverage we could get for *any* cruise, other than the cruise company coverage.  This may explain why we were denied coverage by the one U.S. carrier that was suggested by our TA.