Oceania or Regent?

[Kingofcool1947]

 

Having sailed with Oceania, I’m interested in trying Regent.

What do you see as the difference between the two cruise lines?

Cuisine?

Staterooms?

Service?

Itinerary?   Ports of call.

Ship sponsored shore excursions?

Value?

Overall cruising experience?

Looking at booking a Med cruise and Caribbean cruise.

Thanks.

 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[pingpong1]

Kingofcool - Standby for a pretty animated discussion!  Regent is like "Oceania on Steroids".  There have been tons of conversation on this topic...on both the Oceania and the Regent boards.  I'm actually signed up for my first "O" cruise in 2020 - a Transatlantic.  Up until then, all my ocean cruising has been on Regent.  I've got (another) Regent cruise booked for this October.

 

My view, which will most probably will differ from those of others, is that it shouldn't be viewed as  either "one or the other".  They seem to both have their strengths, and very few "weaknesses".  I have to say, "seem", because I haven't been on "O" yet, but I'm more than willing to "give it a shot".  For my "O" cruise, I've booked a PH1, and I've purchased the Prestige Beverage Package.  I've also selected the 8 "free" excursions offered by "O Life" (4 excursions each for DW and myself).  I've taken "O's" air credit - just the same as I do when cruising on Regent.  I'll be on the "Riviera", which is about the same size as Regent's newest ship - "Explorer".

 

I'm fairly confident/hopeful, that in using my own air arrangements (FC and BC),  booking a PH, and  purchasing the beverage package, that I've brought my upcoming "O" cruise "pretty close" to my past Regent experience/s.  And my per day/per cost for the "O" cruise is moderately less expensive than the "equivalent" Regent itinerary would have been - perhaps for about 70% of the Regent cost.

 

In cruising, like everything else, things are not always "perfect".  Some people have had what they considered to be "lousy" Regent cruises, while others have had "superlative" "O" cruises - and vice versa.  Regards

[Hawaiidan]

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Having sailed with Oceania, I’m interested in trying Regent.

What do you see as the difference between the two cruise lines?

Cuisine?

Staterooms?

Service?

Itinerary?   Ports of call.

Ship sponsored shore excursions?

Value?

Overall cruising experience?

Looking at booking a Med cruise and Caribbean cruise.

Thanks.

 

well trooper... I have sailed some 10  cruises on 0 and 4 on Regent     There is a reason and it is based on what I will or want to utilize and what I don't

Regent evolved into a all inclusive product  everything included from booze to tips.   

It became a  sanctuary for people that wanted or needed their  hand held.   I did not  and I suspect  you do not  either.

Food/Cuisine:   O has a better variety and quality as Regent

 

Stateroom:   the PH on Regent and above is better  Balcony's the same except with a walk in closet std.

 

Service:  Equal from my experience .... but I am low maintenance 

 

Itinery ports:  Equal   no advantage either

 

Shore ex:   both are cattle calls.   you need to do your own plans Having  all inclusive shore ex as one of the cattle is not that enjoyable on either.    Included shore on Regent are the least interesting... you can buy up however for better but not great ones. $$$$

 

Ship choice:   O class is great Riviera the best raited as a Luxury class by CC. 

  ON REGENT  the small  " Navigator"  is  not worth squat...  as the BIG sister ships  Many of the  cheaper Regent cruises are on the  small  450Pax ship     Not like Marina  etc.     Look closely at the ship in Regent 

 

Overall Value:   Lots of things I just did not need or want on Regent but had to pay for.  O is the ala cart version of  Regent  ( both owned by the same parent company). 

 

With many port-port no sea days neither line is a value because you are not on the ship to take advantage of what you paid for. 

 

 Regent will set you back 700-900PP/pd   O will only charge  at worst $450pp s day      That leaves you with   $300 pp  perday to do your own things..  lets you choose  what and where and how... with a big margin !.

My opinion,  As I said in the beginning... I left Regent because of the changes in fellow passengers attracted to the all inclusive atmosphere.  It seemed to be attracting a demographic  of entitled and needy people   Demanding and wanting their hands held and there presence fawned over very  class conscious.     Thats my take.   

I found the passengers on O were a bit more feet on the ground  self confident people  who appreciated more than demanded.  Open and  low key.  

 

Comment  on the MED    select a  time  not during  holiday or summer unless you want hot, and crowed everything   Late Sept October..perfect   Get as many sea days to let you rest up between ports or it can whack you with overload.         The carribe... well all the islands are pretty much the same   There used to be a joke that there was only 1 island.  Ships left night  they changed the signs and the ships came back to the new name signs.

Pacific and south Pacific is where both lines shine    Try O from Rome to Miami hitting a lot of Med ports with good sea says  in October .  Thats my take....    see y'a at the rally point

Edited May 1, 2019 by Hawaiidan

[Cruseforme]

Having sailed on both Oceania and Regent, I have to partially agree with Dan above.    We sailed on the Mariner to Alaska 1.5 years ago (prior to refurb).  We found the ship to be fine actually, suites OK, but we are low Maintenance usually taking Veranda on Oceania, and Crystal.   Have done one Penthouse on Oceania as upgrade, but really Ok with regular.  We don’t drink, so that was lost on us on Regent.    My DH is disabled, so do private tours on both, again, Regent tours lost on us.   Found food to be about the same...the food on Regent was about the same quality however on our cruise it was served lukewarm, and had to talk to f&b head twice about that,  and if I am on a Luxury line, should not need to do that.   Fellow cruisers...well, about the same. We just fit better on Oceania.  You find snooty people all over.   Buck for buck, we are happy on Oceania, but again, we are low maintenance and definitely not as vocal as some on the Regent board about cheerleading on either.   I don’t believe that asking on the Oceania board is going to sway you, but I can guarantee that asking this question on the Regent board will give you more “encouragement” to try Regent,   Most Regent folks we talked to on our cruise put down Oceania.   Different lines, different wants and needs.   Definitely more of a pomp and circumstance line vs Oceania.  Worth it?  Only you can decide that.  

Edited May 1, 2019 by Cruseforme

[Classiccruiser777]

If your goal is “all inclusive” then Oceania is probably not a good fit.

 

For us, we hardly drink alcoholic beverages, rarely take ship shore excursions, and we have almost always received pre-paid gratuities. We have also achieved “silver” status so, assuming this benefit is maintained by Oceania, already have this included in our fare.

 

Regent doesn’t offer us the value that Oceania does.

[orchestrapal]

2 hours ago, Classiccruiser777 said:

If your goal is “all inclusive” then Oceania is probably not a good fit.

 

For us, we hardly drink alcoholic beverages, rarely take ship shore excursions, and we have almost always received pre-paid gratuities. We have also achieved “silver” status so, assuming this benefit is maintained by Oceania, already have this included in our fare.

 

Regent doesn’t offer us the value that Oceania does.

 

Well said and we agree.

We have no interest in guided bus tours nor do we drink more

than the wine which we are provided in Oceania’s suites.

We see nothing that would have us changing from O and our other current lines.

It all depends what you would make use of to see if  Regent would pay for you

[Paulchili]

Agree with all above.

Nothing wrong with Regent per se just not a good fit for us as we don't drink and often do our own excursions or a mix of ship & private. We get PPG with our status and OBC. With all this the overall value is much better on O for us.

Form our limited experience on Regent I would rate O's food slightly better, especially on O class ships with all those dining options.

Can't really go wrong with either - best to try for yourself and decide as what suits me may not suit you ☺️

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 5/1/2019 at 1:14 PM, Hawaiidan said:

It became a  sanctuary for people that wanted or needed their  hand held.   I did not  and I suspect  you do not  either.

 

As someone who has cruised mostly on Regent, I take exception to this somewhat perjorative comment.  Enough said.

 

On 5/1/2019 at 1:14 PM, Hawaiidan said:

Stateroom:   the PH on Regent and above is better  Balcony's the same except with a walk in closet std.

 

 

Not quite true.  A standard balcony cabin on Regent is, in general, much more spacious than one on O.  We had to get a PH on Riviera to get a suite in the same size range as a standard Voyager stateroom, for instance.  Regent Mariner has the smallest standard balcony cabins in the fleet--301 sqft; Voyager  standard balcony 356'; standard veranda on Riviera is 282'; Insignia balcony a paltry 216'.  Riviera PH is 420', , Insignia PH a mere 322';  . Now my preference would be a PH on Mariner at 449', but our budget precludes this, unfortunately.

 

For us it's mostly about ambience.  We tried O once, and went back to Regent, just a better passenger mix and feel, friendlier, a more relaxed vibe--nobody is trying to prove anything on Regent.  Although I hardly drink any more, I like hanging around in bars since it's a place to socialize and be entertained--the included alcohol on Regent makes that a much easier place to make friends.

 

The only thing I would change perhaps on Regent is the included shorex.  Sometimes I would rather do private, which really isn't an option.  But the included excursions are, in my experience, mostly very good, not cattle calls.  And they do come in handy in expensive ports like Alaska, or on extended cruises, like a world cruise, where planning all the private excursions and trying to organize sharing using the roll-call would give me one big headache.

 

We just like Regent better, plain and simple.  We have been on an R ship (Azamara), and I might be tempted to try one on O, but have no interest in the larger Marina or Riviera.

[Hawaiidan]

21 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

As someone who has cruised mostly on Regent, I take exception to this somewhat perjorative comment.  Enough said.

 

 

Not quite true.  A standard balcony cabin on Regent is, in general, much more spacious than one on O.  We had to get a PH on Riviera to get a suite in the same size range as a standard Voyager stateroom, for instance.  Regent Mariner has the smallest standard balcony cabins in the fleet--301 sqft; Voyager  standard balcony 356'; standard veranda on Riviera is 282'; Insignia balcony a paltry 216'.  Riviera PH is 420', , Insignia PH a mere 322';  . Now my preference would be a PH on Mariner at 449', but our budget precludes this, unfortunately.

 

For us it's mostly about ambience.  We tried O once, and went back to Regent, just a better passenger mix and feel, friendlier, a more relaxed vibe--nobody is trying to prove anything on Regent.  Although I hardly drink any more, I like hanging around in bars since it's a place to socialize and be entertained--the included alcohol on Regent makes that a much easier place to make friends.

 

The only thing I would change perhaps on Regent is the included shorex.  Sometimes I would rather do private, which really isn't an option.  But the included excursions are, in my experience, mostly very good, not cattle calls.  And they do come in handy in expensive ports like Alaska, or on extended cruises, like a world cruise, where planning all the private excursions and trying to organize sharing using the roll-call would give me one big headache.

 

We just like Regent better, plain and simple.  We have been on an R ship (Azamara), and I might be tempted to try one on O, but have no interest in the larger Marina or Riviera.

 

Not a problem ... you like what you like...  Thats all  that anyone can ask.    I have  just reported my experience after some 80 days on Regent...  What I saw and what  I experienced     Taste differs.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

13 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

 

Not a problem ... you like what you like...  Thats all  that anyone can ask.    I have  just reported my experience after some 80 days on Regent...  What I saw and what  I experienced     Taste differs.

 

Of course.  Mainly I was trying to correct your factual errors.

[Carol From California]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 9:13 AM, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Having sailed with Oceania, I’m interested in trying Regent.

What do you see as the difference between the two cruise lines?

Cuisine?

Staterooms?

Service?

Itinerary?   Ports of call.

Ship sponsored shore excursions?

Value?

Overall cruising experience?

Looking at booking a Med cruise and Caribbean cruise.

Thanks.

 

We have sailed on both Oceania and Regent. We started with Regent in 2009 and sailed on the Voyager and Mariner in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Then it started to become more "all-inclusive" with higher prices so we decided to give Oceania a try. We have been on four Oceania cruises, which were all on the Marina.

 

We actually like Oceania more because we liked the ship more. We tried a penthouse cabin and loved the size of the cabin. We liked the fact that it was more a-la-carte. We thought the food was better with the various restaurant options. We especially liked the fact that we could book private excursions with people we met on Cruise Critic's roll call rather than going on the Oceania excursions which in my opinion are overpriced and mainly all on buses. Going with a private guide and one or two other couples was much more enjoyable and cost much less.

 

We are not big drinkers. We do our own air whether it's on Regent or Oceania. So last December we decided to try Regent again and were on the Explorer. It was a fantastic cruise and we loved the newer ship. I especially liked the size of the ship.  We were in an F2 category and I loved it as much as the P3 we usually are in on Oceania. I loved the way the bed faced out. There was tremendous storage in the cabin and the bathroom was pretty nice with a tub and separate shower. The shower is larger than the Oceania Penthouse cabin shower.

 

To be perfectly honest we were a little disappointed with the food overall on the Regent cruise. We even spoke to someone onboard who was the ship food manager and told her this. She had worked on both lines and admitted to us that the Oceania food overall is better. The slogan for Oceania is "the finest cuisine at sea" and Regent does not have that slogan....wonder why?

 

We would cruise with both lines again, in fact we have one booked on Regent for 2021 and just booked an Oceania cruise for 2020. As for a cost comparison, we felt the Regent cruise in December which was a holiday cruise, Cape Town to Cape Town was a really great value when we factored in everything. The price compared easily to a similar itinerary on Oceania and the Explorer was a beautiful ship. It was especially nice to celebrate the holidays and the ship was so festive. We are very excited about trying the new ships Oceania is building. The first one will be out in 2022 from what I read.

 

[Hawaiidan]

21 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

 

Of course.  Mainly I was trying to correct your factual errors.

Thats Ok   I did not compare the R class   only the  large /like kind.     Too I realize that  both or our  experiences are  very subjective relative  to  us as individuals.    I found that all inclusive brings or attracts a very different person than a  you gott'a  do your own  stuff  independently 

[ak1004]

Just FYI - here are Berlitz ratings:

 

Riviera - 1599

Marina - 1594

Seven Seas Explorer - 1618

Seven Seas Voyager - 1570

Seven Seas Mariner - 1546

Seven Seas Navigator - 1394

 

Not sure Regent fans will agree with those ratings (especially for the Navigator), but the fact is that Berlitz rates the new Oceania ships in line if not higher than Regent.

 

[pingpong1]

AK - Very interesting numbers.  Thanks for sharing.  I'm a past "Regent Guy" (but by no means, a "cheerleader") who is now going to try Oceania, for the first time.  I'm not going in as a "test", or as a comparison, or with any pre-conceived notions.  I've also got more future Regent's booked, as well.  But from everything I've read on this board, it sounds like O is going to "suit/suite me" just fine and be a very good experience!  I look forward to any/all cruises that I'm still fortunate enough to be able to take.  Regards.

[Cruise Junky]

On ‎5‎/‎1‎/‎2019 at 10:14 AM, Hawaiidan said:

 

Ship choice:   O class is great Riviera the best raited as a Luxury class by CC. 

  ON REGENT  the small  " Navigator"  is  not worth squat...  as the BIG sister ships  Many of the  cheaper Regent cruises are on the  small  450Pax ship     Not like Marina  etc.     Look closely at the ship in Regent 

 

 

 

What is wrong with Navigator?  We just chose her over Oceania for the South Pacific where I think the fewer passengers is a big plus. My stateroom is twice the size of an OV on Regatta at the same price. I get shore excursions, which actually look good, all drinks, tips, etc.  Why should I  have gone with Oceania?

 

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Cruise Junky

[pingpong1]

42 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

 

What is wrong with Navigator?  We just chose her over Oceania for the South Pacific where I think the fewer passengers is a big plus. My stateroom is twice the size of an OV on Regatta at the same price. I get shore excursions, which actually look good, all drinks, tips, etc.  Why should I  have gone with Oceania?

 

 

Cruise Junky - There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Navigator, whatsoever.  For MANY of us who are regular Regent cruisers, the Navigator happens to be (one of) our favorite ships.  There is nothing to "not like" about a Regent Cruise - no matter which ship you're on.  Some of the offhand comments made on these boards (not just Oceania or Regent) by some posters, tend to be more reactionary than logical.  In a recent interview, Regent's CEO said that Navigator was Regent's most profitable ship.  It follows from that statement that a lot of people must really like and enjoy sailing on her!  I don't know why it is that some (rather opinionated) folks, who just happen to like Chevy's, feel they have to disparage Ford 's (along with Ford owners), in the process?  It's similar to hearing that other popular "first-world complaint" - "The champagne served with the Sunday brunch was not up to par"!

 

Don't for a moment question or second-guess your decision to book a Navigator Cruise.  You'll  have a great time, if you allow yourself to do so!  Many of us happen to love that "little ship", and keep returning to it, over and over again.  And we can love the Navigator without "criticizing" the Explorer, Voyager, Riviera, or Marina. The food, service, staff, and amenities are all wonderful.  Generally, I think that if there's people who don't happen to like a particular Oceania or Regent cruise/ship, than that issue is on "them", and not the particular ship.  Regards.

 

[janecambridge]

Comparing Navigator to both O ships.Navigator:We did not like the outside pool area.There was very little shade on sea days and insufficient amount of sun loungers and towels.Shade is important for my husband having had 2 malignant melanomas.We like to eat outside as often as possible in warm climates early morning and evening.Navigator only had a few tables and it was a scrum for breakfast and at 6.30pm.A lot  of smoke filtered around the pool and it seemed to be quite noisy.Pre board hotel was very poor.Day before disembarkation,flowers from our suite,nuts and Internet were removed..Poor afternoon tea.Generally understaffed.None of this with O ships,in fact there is a lot of shade.We did prefer on Regent,the free internet,very good gym,free launderette,included excursions, transfers,better steaks,better library.

overall we prefer slightly,Oceania so far but that doesn’t mean we will not do Regent again for the right price and itinerary.I guess it’s harder to compare if you have different grades of cabins,

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Navigator standard cabins are the best in the fleet, as far as I'm concerned (although I haven't been on Explorer.)  Better than a Riviera PH, as far as I'm concerned.  Navigator is a lovely intimate little ship, although some don't like the size.

[TrulyBlonde]

5 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Navigator standard cabins are the best in the fleet, as far as I'm concerned (although I haven't been on Explorer.)  Better than a Riviera PH, as far as I'm concerned.  Navigator is a lovely intimate little ship, although some don't like the size.

I had booked Navigator for an Alaska cruise. After reading about the "Brown Water" on CC (I still read that it is there), I cancelled and went with O for a lovely cruise. Brown water is not luxury to me.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

21 hours ago, TrulyBlonde said:

I had booked Navigator for an Alaska cruise. After reading about the "Brown Water" on CC (I still read that it is there), I cancelled and went with O for a lovely cruise. Brown water is not luxury to me.

 

I've heard about it but I've never experienced it.  Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[pingpong1]

On 5/9/2019 at 5:26 PM, TrulyBlonde said:

I had booked Navigator for an Alaska cruise. After reading about the "Brown Water" on CC (I still read that it is there), I cancelled and went with O for a lovely cruise. Brown water is not luxury to me.

Hi trulyBlonde - I'm not wishing my comments in any way to be interpreted as being "dismissive" of you or your preferences.  In fact a couple of years ago, I think I might have even remarked (on CC) about the 'brown water" (on Navigator) myself.  In my own cruising experience on Navigator, I think I saw it once, just like "Wendy" has, and I judged (again, just like Wendy) that it was "no big deal".  To me, the "positives" (like lovely bathrooms and huge standard cabins) of cruising on "little Navigator", far outweigh the negatives!  Hence, I would still recommend Navigator to my friends.  And I do readily admit that sailing on Regent is by no means, "cheap".  We each have to judge whether any of these cruises is "good value for the money", and whether they represent the desired "luxury experience" for the price.

 

I ran the water (on that one Navigator cruise) for a minute or two, and "the browness" disappeared.  And it happened on just that one cruise.  On other ships (both "O" and Regent) I've read reports of "cold soup",  "under cooked meat", "tough" lobster, and "slow table service".  Those things would actually annoy me far more (than intermittent brown water).  But different things disturb different people in different ways.  I've been told by one prolific R "cheerleader" that "no cruise is perfect".   So in that vain,  I still really like the Navigator, as so many others do - but certainly not to the exclusion of trying (and cruising on) different ships and lines. I just feel blessed that I can afford any of them!  Best Regards.

[Petoonya]

I've not cruised Regent so take my opinion as it is. But what turned me away from Regent are the excursions, especially in Tahiti where the particulars matter to me. I don't want to snorkel with a group of 24-32 people in water that is chest deep and the excursions are geared for those maybe not comfortable in deep water. I don't want to snorkel with any group larger than 8-12. It's the particulars on excursions that matter when I've choose an itinerary. The bottom line for me is not being locked in to "free" excursions when I really want to do my own thing. I'll pay for where I want and what I want to do.

 

And doesn't help that I love O.

[Cruise Junky]

12 hours ago, Petoonya said:

I've not cruised Regent so take my opinion as it is. But what turned me away from Regent are the excursions, especially in Tahiti where the particulars matter to me. I don't want to snorkel with a group of 24-32 people in water that is chest deep and the excursions are geared for those maybe not comfortable in deep water. I don't want to snorkel with any group larger than 8-12. It's the particulars on excursions that matter when I've choose an itinerary. The bottom line for me is not being locked in to "free" excursions when I really want to do my own thing. I'll pay for where I want and what I want to do.

 

And doesn't help that I love O.

 

My dilemma. As you know is either regatta or navigator, month apart in 2021. They are the same price for an OV and I get so much more on Regent than I do with O so if I want to splurge on personal shore excursions, I will. But 25 people on a snorkeling excursion wouldn’t bother me in the least. We did the GBR with at least 30 and it was fabulous. 

[Petoonya]

27 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

 

My dilemma. As you know is either regatta or navigator, month apart in 2021. They are the same price for an OV and I get so much more on Regent than I do with O so if I want to splurge on personal shore excursions, I will. But 25 people on a snorkeling excursion wouldn’t bother me in the least. We did the GBR with at least 30 and it was fabulous. 

 

You give all the reasons Navigator is perfect for you! It wouldn't work for me but we've been to Tahiti frequently enough that we're particular about what we like to do. The shore excursions in Tahiti are costly and choosing my own at each port wouldn't be cost efficient for me. If I felt like you do about a lot of people on shore excursions I'd be on Regent too. The guides that we plan to use know us and we can prearrange our day. Feel like you'll love Regent even though I've never been on it- besides it was a great deal you got!

[1985rz1]

On 5/1/2019 at 9:51 AM, pingpong1 said:

Kingofcool - Standby for a pretty animated discussion!  Regent is like "Oceania on Steroids".  There have been tons of conversation on this topic...on both the Oceania and the Regent boards.  I'm actually signed up for my first "O" cruise in 2020 - a Transatlantic.  Up until then, all my ocean cruising has been on Regent.  I've got (another) Regent cruise booked for this October.

 

My view, which will most probably will differ from those of others, is that it shouldn't be viewed as  either "one or the other".  They seem to both have their strengths, and very few "weaknesses".  I have to say, "seem", because I haven't been on "O" yet, but I'm more than willing to "give it a shot".  For my "O" cruise, I've booked a PH1, and I've purchased the Prestige Beverage Package.  I've also selected the 8 "free" excursions offered by "O Life" (4 excursions each for DW and myself).  I've taken "O's" air credit - just the same as I do when cruising on Regent.  I'll be on the "Riviera", which is about the same size as Regent's newest ship - "Explorer".

 

I'm fairly confident/hopeful, that in using my own air arrangements (FC and BC),  booking a PH, and  purchasing the beverage package, that I've brought my upcoming "O" cruise "pretty close" to my past Regent experience/s.  And my per day/per cost for the "O" cruise is moderately less expensive than the "equivalent" Regent itinerary would have been - perhaps for about 70% of the Regent cost.

 

In cruising, like everything else, things are not always "perfect".  Some people have had what they considered to be "lousy" Regent cruises, while others have had "superlative" "O" cruises - and vice versa.  Regards

Hi pongpong1...Just wanted a clarification on your comparison of ship sizes.  Are you referring to stateroom size, as the Riveria and Explorer staterooms look comparable, but the Riveria has 1250 pax, while the Explorer has 750 pax.  The small ships on Oceania have generally smaller cabins than Riveria or Marina for the same category, but hold 685 pax, closer to the Explorer.