Regent vs. HAL

[FeliciaLee]

We literally have nothing bad to say about either cruise line, so this won't be one of those flame inducing threads (I pray).

 

We have taken ten cruises with HAL, from six day variations up to a three week full transit Panama Canal. We have sailed from the lowest inside cabin up to the highest Neptune suite. There is something unbelievably wonderful about HAL and I can only describe it as the food and the service. Although on our first cruise, we were only in our early 30's and everyone thought we were crew (average age was 78), including the crew, which one time seated us in the employee side of the buffet, we kept going back because we love it so much.

 

Yes, I do think that HAL does some things under par, but for the vast majority of things considered, we are huge HAL fans.

 

Earlier this month we took our first Regent cruise. Yes, it was wonderful, too. All things considered, HAL wins out, but only because we are much more interested in the bigger cabins with the huge TV's, vast selection of programs and free dry cleaning than we are the free airfare, free tours, free liquor and free premium restaurants.

 

If anyone wants specifics on the comparisons between the two cruise lines, I will be happy to provide them.

 

Merry Christmas!

[mikenbob]

Thank you for your thoughts.  We happen to prefer Regent, but as my father used to say, "That is why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors."  Happy sailing!

[Cerinda]

We keep returning to HAL and Regent.  We started cruising Regent in our 30s, and most of the time Regent's small ships still win for us: fewer passengers, better food, smaller ports, a more intimate social environment.  But because we generally prefer two-week warm weather itineraries between November and March, HAL's Mexico itineraries (and easy west coast departures) often grab us.  When our children were young, we cruised HAL more because there was so much more for them to do.  Also, we have found the perks and service staying in a HAL Neptune suite ALMOST comparable to staying in Regent's most basic accommodation; often HAL costs us considerably more. YMMV

 

A few years ago, I took a Regent excursion from San Tomas de Castilla to Tikkal; the following year, repeated the excursion with HAL.  The HAL excursion offered mediocre food and a listless guide, but the chartered aircraft was visibly better maintained and I felt NO FEAR for my personal safety.  So I recognize that there are occasionally some economies of scale to think about.

 

 

[UUNetBill]

Well, we've sailed Regent on every cruise we've taken except for one on Cunard so I can't compare - I guess we were 39 and 47 when we took our first cruise and we haven't looked back.  I've looked at the upper suites on larger ships and although some of them look amazing I just have a hard time coming to grips with so many people on board.

 

I know the larger ships have more options for more people, and I'm sure we'd have a good time on one but with the limited vacation budget we have (both time and money) we like to stick with a known quantity.  Good on you for stepping out and trying another line!  We've looked at other lines and keep coming back to our comfort zone.

 

As Mikenbob said, 31 flavors.  I'm just glad we have the choices we have!!

[FeliciaLee]

Of course everything just got turned upside down by HAL's new "club orange" (basically the perks of a suite by purchase). So that probably will eliminate us from taking HAL again.

 

We just booked a Crystal cruise, so there is another to compare!

[FeliciaLee]

On 12/19/2018 at 12:07 PM, mikenbob said:

Thank you for your thoughts.  We happen to prefer Regent, but as my father used to say, "That is why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors."  Happy sailing!

If it weren't for the size of cabins and that huge TV with a thousand options, along with the good espresso machines in them, we'd probably go for Regent every time, too. 

 

One big disappointment, however, was the lack of enrichment. Wow, we were expecting lectures, classes, shows and basically got very little of that. It wasn't a huge deal for me but my husband was a bit let down.

[FeliciaLee]

On 12/19/2018 at 3:07 PM, Cerinda said:

We keep returning to HAL and Regent.  We started cruising Regent in our 30s, and most of the time Regent's small ships still win for us: fewer passengers, better food, smaller ports, a more intimate social environment.  But because we generally prefer two-week warm weather itineraries between November and March, HAL's Mexico itineraries (and easy west coast departures) often grab us.  When our children were young, we cruised HAL more because there was so much more for them to do.  Also, we have found the perks and service staying in a HAL Neptune suite ALMOST comparable to staying in Regent's most basic accommodation; often HAL costs us considerably more. YMMV

 

A few years ago, I took a Regent excursion from San Tomas de Castilla to Tikkal; the following year, repeated the excursion with HAL.  The HAL excursion offered mediocre food and a listless guide, but the chartered aircraft was visibly better maintained and I felt NO FEAR for my personal safety.  So I recognize that there are occasionally some economies of scale to think about.

That is how we started on HAL, too. We lived in Arizona for nine years and took many cruises from San Diego because it was so convenient.

 

Although my husband said he overall enjoyed Regent more, I asked him: "If you paid exactly the same, but on HAL we were in a Pinnacle or on Regent a regular suite (something that costs about 4k+ pp), which would you choose?" He said HAL every time. 

 

But once again, not due to anything lacking on Regent, but because of the size of the cabins and some other perks that Regent doesn't offer.

[UUNetBill]

4 minutes ago, FeliciaLee said:

One big disappointment, however, was the lack of enrichment. Wow, we were expecting lectures, classes, shows and basically got very little of that. It wasn't a huge deal for me but my husband was a bit let down.

If that's the case, he should like Crystal - I've heard that their enrichment programs are better than what Regent offers.  But in my experience, Regent has always been pretty good with the shows and performances, Explorer has excellent cooking classes, but I haven't seen a lot of really great lectures.  The ones I've attended are good, some were great, but there's a somewhat limited selection, I guess.  Sometimes I skip the lectures and just read up on our next port on my iPad...

[FeliciaLee]

5 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

Well, we've sailed Regent on every cruise we've taken except for one on Cunard so I can't compare - I guess we were 39 and 47 when we took our first cruise and we haven't looked back.  I've looked at the upper suites on larger ships and although some of them look amazing I just have a hard time coming to grips with so many people on board.

 

I know the larger ships have more options for more people, and I'm sure we'd have a good time on one but with the limited vacation budget we have (both time and money) we like to stick with a known quantity.  Good on you for stepping out and trying another line!  We've looked at other lines and keep coming back to our comfort zone.

 

As Mikenbob said, 31 flavors.  I'm just glad we have the choices we have!!

That is one thing we loved about Regent, typically no crowding. On some HAL ships there is zero, on others it's bad. Not bad like as in Carnival or Royal bad, but for a small ship, bad.

[mikenbob]

15 minutes ago, FeliciaLee said:

If it weren't for the size of cabins and that huge TV with a thousand options, along with the good espresso machines in them, we'd probably go for Regent every time, too. 

 

One big disappointment, however, was the lack of enrichment. Wow, we were expecting lectures, classes, shows and basically got very little of that. It wasn't a huge deal for me but my husband was a bit let down.

My point exactly about different strokes for different folks....we always stay in a Regent penthouse suite or larger, so no issues with the size of the cabin.  Other than checking out the daily menus and and perhaps one movie per cruise, we rarely turn on the television...so an even bigger television (I think the suites have 50" screens) is no big deal for us.  The Regent penthouse suites have Illy espresso machines in them, so no difference there.  Understand about the lectures.   We rarely attend them as they are generally boring and the shows can be hit or miss, but neither are deal breakers as we are perfectly happy listening to the piano player or combo in a lounge while sipping an adult beverage.  The winning advantage for us is itinerary, ship size/condition, and level of service. 

 

That said, we have friends that love Carnival, Disney, NCL, Royal Caribbean, HAL, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silver Seas, and Celebrity as much as we love Regent...and that's perfectly fine.

[FeliciaLee]

1 minute ago, mikenbob said:

My point exactly about different strokes for different folks....we always stay in a Regent penthouse suite or larger, so no issues with the size of the cabin.  Other than checking out the daily menus and and perhaps one movie per cruise, we rarely turn on the television...so an even bigger television (I think the suites have 50" screens) is no big deal for us.  The Regent penthouse suites have Illy espresso machines in them, so no difference there.  Understand about the lectures.   We rarely attend them as they are generally boring and the shows can be hit or miss, but neither are deal breakers as we are perfectly happy listening to the piano player or combo in a lounge while sipping an adult beverage.  The winning advantage for us is itinerary, ship size/condition, and level of service. 

 

That said, we have friends that love Carnival, Disney, NCL, Royal Caribbean, HAL, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silver Seas, and Celebrity as much as we love Regent...and that's perfectly fine.

St. Barts was a treasure! My husband immediately said that is the one and only port he wanted to get back to in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, not many cruise ships seem to go. Have you been?

[mikenbob]

14 minutes ago, FeliciaLee said:

St. Barts was a treasure! My husband immediately said that is the one and only port he wanted to get back to in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, not many cruise ships seem to go. Have you been?

We have not been to St. Barts, but have friends that go there every year (not on a cruise) and rave about it.  It is on our list...cruise or otherwise.

[UUNetBill]

28 minutes ago, FeliciaLee said:

St. Barts was a treasure! My husband immediately said that is the one and only port he wanted to get back to in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, not many cruise ships seem to go. Have you been?

 

13 minutes ago, mikenbob said:

We have not been to St. Barts, but have friends that go there every year (not on a cruise) and rave about it.  It is on our list...cruise or otherwise.

Well, THAT'S good to hear - we'll be there for the first time next month.  Now I have something new to look forward to!

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

If that's the case, he should like Crystal - I've heard that their enrichment programs are better than what Regent offers.  But in my experience, Regent has always been pretty good with the shows and performances, Explorer has excellent cooking classes, but I haven't seen a lot of really great lectures.  The ones I've attended are good, some were great, but there's a somewhat limited selection, I guess.  Sometimes I skip the lectures and just read up on our next port on my iPad...

 

If size is important (suite size that is), Crystal may not be the right cruise line as they have the smallest suites of all of the luxury cruise lines.  I've also heard that their enrichment programs and shows are excellent but that likely won't make up for suite size (and that seems to be one thing that is important to the TS).  

 

I almost agree about lecturers but on our last two cruises we have had the best lecturers that we've ever had on Regent (and neither one was about the ports that we were visiting).  Even though the lectures are shown on television, we made a point to attend each lecture.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Travelcat2

[Pinksunset]

My husband and I went on one Regent cruise this year, on the Mariner, and fell in love with Regent!   One important criteria for a suite, though, on any cruise line, would be the 1 1/2 bathrooms we enjoyed in the Mariner suite.  Does any other line offer comparable accommodations, or shall we just remain with what we are immensely pleased with!

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, Pinksunset said:

My husband and I went on one Regent cruise this year, on the Mariner, and fell in love with Regent!   One important criteria for a suite, though, on any cruise line, would be the 1 1/2 bathrooms we enjoyed in the Mariner suite.  Does any other line offer comparable accommodations, or shall we just remain with what we are immensely pleased with!

 

I could not agree more about the 1 1/2 bathrooms.  On Crystal, you need to pay considerably more than on Regent to get a suite with 1 1/2 bathrooms.  The same applies to Silversea. In my opinion, Regent is your best option (especially when you are pleased with it).

[Silver Sweethearts]

8 hours ago, FeliciaLee said:

St. Barts was a treasure! My husband immediately said that is the one and only port he wanted to get back to in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, not many cruise ships seem to go. Have you been?

 

Quite actually, 273 ships from 24 cruise lines visited St. Barts this year.  We were there on Silversea's Silver Spirit about two weeks ago and had been there a few years back with Seabourn, but it does not capture our interest.  What was the draw for you?

[FeliciaLee]

15 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

If size is important (suite size that is), Crystal may not be the right cruise line as they have the smallest suites of all of the luxury cruise lines.  I've also heard that their enrichment programs and shows are excellent but that likely won't make up for suite size (and that seems to be one thing that is important to the TS).  

 

I almost agree about lecturers but on our last two cruises we have had the best lecturers that we've ever had on Regent (and neither one was about the ports that we were visiting).  Even though the lectures are shown on television, we made a point to attend each lecture.

Yeah, we recognize that the cabin will be small and that I am taking a hit on this one while hubby is getting the better of it, but we have heard such great things about Crystal overall and were able to get a fabulous fare.

[FeliciaLee]

9 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

Quite actually, 273 ships from 24 cruise lines visited St. Barts this year.  We were there on Silversea's Silver Spirit about two weeks ago and had been there a few years back with Seabourn, but it does not capture our interest.  What was the draw for you?

Well, I should have been more clear. One of the issues we have is eating very early. Once or twice during a cruise eating later is okay, but some of the cruise lines we checked out that regularly go to St. Barts don't even start dinner until 7:30. Sorry about that.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

We cruised on HAL several times until about 8- 10 years ago. We were on a 25 day Transatlantic and had a Suite on a new ship, the Eurodam. We chose this cruise for its itinerary, which was wonderful. 

While dining in the Pinnacle, the chandelier fell from the ceiling onto the table. Fortunately no one was hurt. 

My DH complained every night that his food was not even warm. Everyone at our table had the same complaints. Every day brought a new issue. Cabinet doors were falling off and held together by cord in the main dining room. Many issues in our suite. The decor had a very cheap appearance. This ship certainly was not ready for “ prime time”. 

We did mostly private tours so I can’t discuss the quality of their expensive tours. Everything was a nickel and dime handout. 

We have been cruising on Regent for several years now. Everything is “included” so no handouts. We love our Suites on Regent and the very personal attention from the butler and staff onboard. 

I would think that Regent cost is similar to HAL, when everything is totaled up. 

Regent wins in every way, including its size and number of passengers.  Why change if it’s not broken?

Sheila

Edited December 21, 2018 by Bellaggio Cruisers

[Travelcat2]

Agree Sheila.  And, while we have not sailed on HAL, we have sailed on Celebrity (supposedly in the same "class" as HAL).  Larger ships do have larger "top" suites but you still have to put up with being on a larger ship with many more passengers than Regent.  We stayed in the second largest suite on Celebrity so we did have a butler.......... one that my DH never saw until he showed up the last night - presumably for a tip that he didn't receive.  

 

Agree that it is good that we have choices.  Our choices (in addition to Regent) is Silversea and Oceania.

 

 

[Hambagahle]

I find this discussion fascinating because we have two sets of friends who just took their first cruises on HAL and are already booked to cruise again with them.  SO - I (cruised only on Hurtigruten, Regent and Oceania with TAs on Union Castle line and Cunard in the distant past) started looking at the HAL site to see how things compared.  Their prices sounded very reasonable - and I was looking at ONLY their top suites in each case because we like suites with a separate bedroom and at the least 1 1/2 baths - until I started adding in the cost of drinks, special restaurants (can be $55+ per person more for a dinner) and tours.   Once all that was done I was far better off financially on Regent and the "top" suites often did not have a separate bedroom at all.

 

Plus the smallest of the HAL ships is far larger than anything Regent has.  And  I don't like large ships...And then HAL is owned by Carnival.  That put a stop to my comparisons!!

[BarbarianPaul]

We’ve sailed one cruise on Regent, but have done multiple cruises on HA...34 days to South America/Antarctica, 28 to Japan and China, and are booked for multiple upcoming adventures.

 

We love HA, and had a pleasant but not excellent cruise on Regent. Our concierge cabin on the Explorer (Haifa - Rome  in 2016 during its maiden season) was beautiful, and the food beyond delicious. Though I’ve read multiple times how friendly and attentive the crew is, we felt that pretty much all the amiability was reserved for returning passengers. The entertainment was small scale and below average. The included excursions were relatively weak, if not downright substandard. For us, the beauty of the ship just wasn’t enough for other shortcomings. 

 

We’ve had a much better time with HA. The food is delicious but it’s not as fancy and gourmet as Regent, but it’s still top notch. The cabins are typical of a cruise ship, smaller and more compact since we don’t book a suite, and for some that might be an unacceptable compromise. But with the new music venues and upgrades the HA ships are receiving, they’re larger, more fun and livelier. We’re not huge music people, but the dueling pianos bar is a blast. The spas are bigger and nicer, especially the private Hydropool and thermal suites. The entertainment and enrichment is better.

 

Also, the itineraries are more creative and adventurous, and a little bit longer. So in a comparison between the two lines, for us, HA wins out.

[BarbarianPaul]

10 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I find this discussion fascinating because we have two sets of friends who just took their first cruises on HAL and are already booked to cruise again with them.  SO - I (cruised only on Hurtigruten, Regent and Oceania with TAs on Union Castle line and Cunard in the distant past) started looking at the HAL site to see how things compared.  Their prices sounded very reasonable - and I was looking at ONLY their top suites in each case because we like suites with a separate bedroom and at the least 1 1/2 baths - until I started adding in the cost of drinks, special restaurants (can be $55+ per person more for a dinner) and tours.   Once all that was done I was far better off financially on Regent and the "top" suites often did not have a separate bedroom at all.

 

Plus the smallest of the HAL ships is far larger than anything Regent has.  And  I don't like large ships...And then HAL is owned by Carnival.  That put a stop to my comparisons!!

 

The fact that HAL is owned by Carnival is irrelevant. Regent is owned by Norwegian. They’re both mass market cruise lines that cater to an entirely different demographic.

[Hambagahle]

25 minutes ago, BarbarianPaul said:

 

The fact that HAL is owned by Carnival is irrelevant. Regent is owned by Norwegian. They’re both mass market cruise lines that cater to an entirely different demographic.

Probably true - yet I prefer to cruise on lines (Regent and Oceania in my case) where the CEO of the parent company is Frank del Rio.   I think he does things as they should be done and the fact that Regent management participate in these forums reflects that.  (FDR was well known to do this when he ran Oceania, way before the Regent acquisition and the subsequent sell to NCL...)