What Regent cruisers may want to know about Crystal

[Travelcat2]

Trying to post where I am supposed to and hope that this different thread will be allowed.  There are things that some Regent cruisers are curious about and I am hoping that I can address those questions here.  

 

First, let's discuss the elephant in the room (or in this case, the ship).  Yes - entry level "staterooms" on Crystal's ocean going ships are tiny.  Many people do not care since they do not spend too much time in their stateroom.  The theater is also very small for a ship of this size but the good part is that they have two shows per evening (which is likely why dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. in most dining venues and I think it is 6:30 p.m. in one or two others.  

 

As mentioned, most PH suites (three or four levels of PH suites - one has a washer/dryer, one is the Crystal PH which is the top suite, and I forget the name of the other two categories.  The PH's with the washer and dryer are a deck below us (on deck 9) but the rest are on deck 10 - under the deck where the pool and dining venues are so it can be noisy.  Some people will likely not be bothered by this but it is worth mentioning.

 

The public areas are huge and well laid out.  However, the equivalent of La Veranda (Marketplace) gets just as packed before excursions (not included on Crystal) as it does on Regent.  However, there is inside seating adjacent to the restaurant where Regent's additional seating for La Veranda is outside.

 

I do want to make one strong comparison and that is about Umi Uma (by Nobu) - the Japanese restaurant  is amazing - just as the Jacques Pepin's French restaurant on Oceania is exceptional.  Regent does not have a "named" chef or restaurant so it really cannot compete with Umi Uma (however, I still love Pacific Rim).

 

Which cruise line is better is not, to me, what this is about.  Having now sailed on Crystal, Regent and Silversea (all great cruise lines), I can say that, while there are many similarities, there are also differences).  

 

Of course, Regent is more inclusive than Crystal which some people like and others do not.  Many people enjoy doing their own thing in port rather than taking "included excursions" but, OTOH, if you do want excursions on Crystal, they are expensive.  

 

There is no way that I can make comments about "regular" Crystal passengers as there are so few onboard.  The newbies that I've met are from Celebrity, Seabourn and even Cunard are delightful.  

 

Time for lunch...... to be continued!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TrulyBlonde]

17 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

Trying to post where I am supposed to and hope that this different thread will be allowed.  There are things that some Regent cruisers are curious about and I am hoping that I can address those questions here.  

 

First, let's discuss the elephant in the room (or in this case, the ship).  Yes - entry level "staterooms" on Crystal's ocean going ships are tiny.  Many people do not care since they do not spend too much time in their stateroom.  The theater is also very small for a ship of this size but the good part is that they have two shows per evening (which is likely why dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. in most dining venues and I think it is 6:30 p.m. in one or two others.  

 

As mentioned, most PH suites (three or four levels of PH suites - one has a washer/dryer, one is the Crystal PH which is the top suite, and I forget the name of the other two categories.  The PH's with the washer and dryer are a deck below us (on deck 9) but the rest are on deck 10 - under the deck where the pool and dining venues are so it can be noisy.  Some people will likely not be bothered by this but it is worth mentioning.

 

The public areas are huge and well laid out.  However, the equivalent of La Veranda (Marketplace) gets just as packed before excursions (not included on Crystal) as it does on Regent.  However, there is inside seating adjacent to the restaurant where Regent's additional seating for La Veranda is outside.

 

I do want to make one strong comparison and that is about Umi Uma (by Nobu) - the Japanese restaurant  is amazing - just as the Jacques Pepin's French restaurant on Oceania is exceptional.  Regent does not have a "named" chef or restaurant so it really cannot compete with Umi Uma (however, I still love Pacific Rim).

 

Which cruise line is better is not, to me, what this is about.  Having now sailed on Crystal, Regent and Silversea (all great cruise lines), I can say that, while there are many similarities, there are also differences).  

 

Of course, Regent is more inclusive than Crystal which some people like and others do not.  Many people enjoy doing their own thing in port rather than taking "included excursions" but, OTOH, if you do want excursions on Crystal, they are expensive.  

 

There is no way that I can make comments about "regular" Crystal passengers as there are so few onboard.  The newbies that I've met are from Celebrity, Seabourn and even Cunard are delightful.  

 

Time for lunch...... to be continued!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy that Lunch. This is what I have been waiting to hear about. You probably need that Tequila Butterfly thing you enjoy right about now. Your other thread has been hijacked 😉

[Travelcat2]

My turkey breast slices and Crystal Martini are delicious.  Trying not to overdo the food.  Tonight is Prego again and I’ll take photos this time.

 

Do you have any plans to cruise on Regent?  If you do, may I suggest (based on how beautiful Crystal ships are) that you try Explorer or Splendor (after it launches in February, 2020)?  

 

I forgot to post the link in my first post so I’m going to try to do it on this post.  Okay - copied it and now will try to paste..... (No clue why it posted twice - sorry)

 

 

 

Success!

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2019 by Travelcat2

[boblerm]

First of all, let me say that you are truly going above and beyond by posting here as well as on Crystal!  If you want to enjoy your cruise and wait until you get home for comparisons,  we Regent folks will be just fine.  But your comments are surely welcome here as well!

 

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

Yes - entry level "staterooms" on Crystal's ocean going ships are tiny.  Many people do not care since they do not spend too much time in their stateroom. 

It's true that Crystal's base level room is quite tiny by luxury standards.  But OTOH, it allows people to be able to partake in the luxury cruise experience at a price point well below that which Regent offers, so that is great.

 

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

There is no way that I can make comments about "regular" Crystal passengers as there are so few onboard. 

Based on my experience on both lines , I find that the regulars, with very few exceptions  to be well traveled, happy, friendly people.  I cannot find any difference between Regent and Crystal regulars.

 

So glad that you are enjoying your first Crystal experience!

 

Bob

[TrulyBlonde]

Actually, TC2 I was booked on Mariner in an SS for the Asia cruise last March. Due to timing, however, we decided to go to Antarctica instead. I talked my DH into it and knew I had better do it then before he changed his mind LOL!

 

If not in a large suite, not sure the size of the cabins on Crystal would work for us.  We prefer a bit more space and unless port intensive that is a big factor for us.

 

Also, we have Nobu here in Aspen so can eat there anytime. My DH does not eat sushi and due to many health warnings relating to sushi, I have not been a huge fan lately.

 

The enrichment on Crystal would be the draw and probably only on a TA. 

[Ceilknits]

We will begin our second cruise on the Explorer in just two weeks. We have sailed the Navigator and Mariner, but the Explorer is fabulous. We have also sailed Crystal many times, but have become Regent fans, mainly due to the cabin and bathroom size. Whereas we miss Nobu (we love sushi/sashimi), we are willing to "settle" for Pacific Rim!

Overall, we were more impressed with the dining selections and quality on Crystal, but we always find favorites on the Regent! 

 

[UUNetBill]

5 hours ago, boblerm said:

It's true that Crystal's base level room is quite tiny by luxury standards.  But OTOH, it allows people to be able to partake in the luxury cruise experience at a price point well below that which Regent offers, so that is great.

 

Bob

I’ve heard a lot of people say this but honestly, whenever I’ve priced out cruises on any of the ‘big-4’ luxury lines it always seems to come out about equal when you factor in airfare, tips, excursions, etc.  Some sailings may be a bit more or a bit less but overall I’ve never seen a big price difference.

 

As to the tiny cabins, though...I couldn’t deal with a tiny cabin, personally.  There’s a reason Rolls Royce doesn’t make sub-compacts...   🤪

[Caroldoll]

6 hours ago, TrulyBlonde said:

Enjoy that Lunch. This is what I have been waiting to hear about. You probably need that Tequila Butterfly thing you enjoy right about now. Your other thread has been hijacked 😉

LOL Truly Blonde!  I don't think that the posts will be truly unbiased.  Crystal is good as you know and so is Regent.  Different strokes for different folks, right!  LOL.  C

[Caroldoll]

21 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

I’ve heard a lot of people say this but honestly, whenever I’ve priced out cruises on any of the ‘big-4’ luxury lines it always seems to come out about equal when you factor in airfare, tips, excursions, etc.  Some sailings may be a bit more or a bit less but overall I’ve never seen a big price difference.

 

As to the tiny cabins, though...I couldn’t deal with a tiny cabin, personally.  There’s a reason Rolls Royce doesn’t make sub-compacts...   🤪

It is true that the standard cabin is very small.  The Penthouse suites without the washer and dryer are tolerable.  Make note that my DH is 6' 5".  We love the Crystal Penthouse, but it is over the top expensive.  The Nobu restaurant is unrivaled in our opinion.  Their MDR is quite good. 

 

That all being said, we love the space on Regent.  We also eat in the MDR on Regent and Crystal but never on the other cruise lines.

 

It is important to be objective, every cruise line has its good features and the not so good.  All of the luxury and Premium lines are good in our opinion.

[ronrick1943]

Washer and Dryer in a suite----may as well stay home.

[Travelcat2]

39 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Washer and Dryer in a suite----may as well stay home.

 

Your comment made me laugh.  We could have lived without included laundry for 7 nights but much prefer having it.  As you know, we took an upsell from a PH suite to the Crystal Penthouse and it was worth every penny!  

2 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

I’ve heard a lot of people say this but honestly, whenever I’ve priced out cruises on any of the ‘big-4’ luxury lines it always seems to come out about equal when you factor in airfare, tips, excursions, etc.  Some sailings may be a bit more or a bit less but overall I’ve never seen a big price difference.

 

As to the tiny cabins, though...I couldn’t deal with a tiny cabin, personally.  There’s a reason Rolls Royce doesn’t make sub-compacts...   🤪

 

You are right about comparisons.  In the case of the Crystal Penthouse suite (which is wonderful except for the squished balcony and noise from above), we could not justify paying what Crystal asks for that suite when we can have the huge Master Suite on Explorer for less money (and it includes air).

2 hours ago, Caroldoll said:

LOL Truly Blonde!  I don't think that the posts will be truly unbiased.  Crystal is good as you know and so is Regent.  Different strokes for different folks, right!  LOL.  C

 

My posts are 100% as unbiased  as they can possibly be from someone that has spent 450 nights on another cruise line - not sure why you would think that they are not.  Suggest that you read my posts before passing judgement.  The posters on the Crystal board have been most welcoming, kind and helpful which has been appreciated.

 

Okay - going back to the Crystal board.  The only negative on this cruise is trying to figure out where in the heck I am suppose to post!

 

[Hambagahle]

The size of the suites is a BIG issue for us.  We like a decent sized living room, separate bedroom and two bathrooms.   About the smallest suite I would consider at this point in my life is the Seven Seas Aft on the Mariner.  And that is not, IMO, ideal.   We loved the Vista Suite on Riviera - but would only book that on a port-intensive cruise because you cannot use the balcony on sea days.  Looking forward to the stern Grand Suite on Splendor!

Washer/dryer - all I can say is WHY?   I never do my own laundry on a cruise (gave that up years ago!) and am happy to either pay to have the ship do it OR to pay to have a suite with it included.  Whichever.  When I am on holiday I am on holiday!!!   As we say in French - "point final" or I suppose in American "period".

 

Love the photos and reports.  And am convinced I would love the Japanese restaurant on Crystal.  We love Red Ginger on Oceania (only eat appetisers there, but loads of them!) and I think Pacific Rim will be very similar.  Will have to eat there a lot!

[Keith1010]

I hope it is OK if I help with the suite terminology.

 

As Jackie mentioned there are the two largest suites.  On Serenity there are four of these.  They are on Deck 10 on Symphony (highest passenger deck with rooms) and deck 11 on Serenity (highest passenger deck with rooms) The acronym is CP and they are Crystal Penthouse with Verandah.  They are the largest on both Symphony and Serenity.  As to laundry they do include pressing, dry cleaning and laundry.  

 

Deck 10 also has two other types of suites on Symphony.  They are a PS which is the acronym for Penthouse Suite with Verandah and PH which is an acronym for Penthouse with Verandah.  On Serenity Deck 11 has PS and PH suites and PH suites on Deck 10.  PS are larger than PH.  PS has a curtain to  divide bedroom from living area.  PH would be equivalent in size to many of the standard rooms on Regenty and Silversea.  Yes, Crystal ships have smaller standard rooms as they devote considerable space to public areas for enrichment/entertainment.  PS and PH includes pressing which is one day turnaround.  You turn it in by 9:00 AM and it comes back the same day.

 

When Crystal implemented open dining on both ships since they were not designed for that in their most recent dry docks they reduced overall passenger capacity by covering selected standard rooms to what is now known as Seabreeze Suites.  On Symphony they created these suites on Deck 9 who now has a majority of suites on this deck.  They created Seabreeze Penthouse Suite whose acronym is SP and is close in size to the PS and they created Seabreeze Penthouse whose acronym is SH which is close in size to a PH.  The interiors are more contemporary looking similar to what you  might see in a more contemporary Ritz Carlton on  land.  The amenities are the same.  One major difference is where the PH and PS has a bath tub and a separate shower they eliminated the bath tub.  For those preferring a tub there are the PH and PS  suites and for those who don't care for a tub  the Seabreeze doesn't have them.  They both have  rain showers.

 

On Symphony they  put a washer/dryer  combo in the Seabreeze Penthouse  Suites (SP).  For those of you familiar with them as  we  have seen them in Europe and  Australia  the dryer takes a long time to dry clothes.  We stayed in one on Symphony and loved the feature as we didn't have to stay in the room while we did wash and it worked out nicely.

 

On Serenity they already had the PH suites on Deck 10 with some standard rooms.  They converted the majority of the Deck 10  standard rooms mainly to  Seabreeze SH which  as I mentioned are similar in size to the PH.  They did add a couple of the SP suites that are similar in size to the PS.  They decided not to put the washer/dryer in those.

 

In addition to laundry/pressing/dry cleaning each category of suite as you move up the ladder has a few additional perks.  For example the PS/SP suites  have some complimentary international calling while the CP has even more.  Most of this can be found in brochures  and the web site.

 

Anyway, I thought the acronyms might be helpful.

 

Jackie I echo Bob's comments.  I think it is  fabulous  all  of the posts you are doing while you both are on-board Symphony.

Continue to enjoy your time on Symphony.

 

Keith

[TrulyBlonde]

11 hours ago, Caroldoll said:

LOL Truly Blonde!  I don't think that the posts will be truly unbiased.  Crystal is good as you know and so is Regent.  Different strokes for different folks, right!  LOL.  C

Actually, TC2 has been quite fair with her comparisons so far. Each Board has their promoters and we all know who they are. I like to read between the lines to see what works for us and what won't work.

As you stated, not much wrong with most of the Premium and Luxury lines, just possibly a personal preference for  things that appeal to the buyer.

For us, timing and itinerary are the most important issue to consider while exploring the World.

 

Next trip to Newport to see my daughter, let's meet at Nobu in Newport. xo

[boblerm]

11 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

I’ve heard a lot of people say this but honestly, whenever I’ve priced out cruises on any of the ‘big-4’ luxury lines it always seems to come out about equal when you factor in airfare, tips, excursions, etc.  Some sailings may be a bit more or a bit less but overall I’ve never seen a big price difference.

Bill, it is extremely difficult to do apples to apples comparisons between cruise lines, especially Regent to other lines, since Regent includes business class air and excursions.  In addition to this, when doing a comparison, you also have to take into account region, time of year, length of cruise, and days in port, as all these impact on price.

 

I went through this exercise about a year ago comparing pricing on Crystal vs Regent, identifying several cruises that were similar in terms of itinerary and timing, (which was not as easy to find as you might think), using Regent's air credit and making a reasonable approximation for excursions.

 

What I found was that comparing Crystal's largest suite vs a comparable one on Regent, Crystal was considerably more expensive, as Jackie has pointed out.  To compare a "standard size" cabin on Regent to anything comparable on Crystal, you need to compare a Crystal PH to the highest level Deluxe Veranda on Navigator or Voyager, or a Superior Suite on Explorer.  (why do cruise lines have to have such confusing terminology??)  Anyway, in this category, the prices were quite similar between the 2 lines.  However, for the lowest price category rooms, Crystal was far less than anything on Regent.

 

I have sailed in the smaller cabins on Crystal in my younger days (meaning when I was a mere sexagenarian😉), and found it ok.  These days, if I am on Crystal it is PH for me, which I find very comfortable.  But for those for whom cabin size is not a big deal, and are not interested in paying for excursions that they do not want, Crystal will save them a lot of dough.

[travelwell]

I have been enjoying your posts very much. We sailed Crystal 6 years ago, my parents in a penthouse and we in a veranda room. Like you, we found food and meal service very good. My parents penthouse service perfection, our veranda poor at best and this not based on room size. Unfortunately our stay was impacted by a certain large college alumni group and we had a small not so good lecturer who unfortunately also was talking politics.

My only wish for you is to sail in a Crystal veranda room on a long cruise to see if our bad room experience was an exception. I would love to hear how the ship vibe is. In the mean time we continue to sail on Regent and Seabourn as we are too chicken to try Crystal again.

[ronrick1943]

Still looks like you're both having a good time and that is what's important.  No matter which line you enjoy more for what ever reason, that is your choice.  I've only cruised Crystal once, had a good time.  I did like some things better, other things less.  As you know I really liked Oceania for a lot of reasons, once I tried Regent and now have cruised them a few times it's my prefer line.  Will I cruise other lines, yes-but I'm comfortable with Regent as cruisers that cruise Crystal would be with Crystal.  Is one better than the other, maybe--but it's really what one prefers.  If it fits your budget with the amenities you want and the service you except--that will be the line you cruise with.  As you know we don't agree on everything, however I think the more I cruise with Regent the more I agree with you on few things.  Enjoying the read and the photos are good-makes it easier to image what it's like to be on Crystal now.

[TrulyBlonde]

38 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

Still looks like you're both having a good time and that is what's important.  No matter which line you enjoy more for what ever reason, that is your choice.  I've only cruised Crystal once, had a good time.  I did like some things better, other things less.  As you know I really liked Oceania for a lot of reasons, once I tried Regent and now have cruised them a few times it's my prefer line.  Will I cruise other lines, yes-but I'm comfortable with Regent as cruisers that cruise Crystal would be with Crystal.  Is one better than the other, maybe--but it's really what one prefers.  If it fits your budget with the amenities you want and the service you except--that will be the line you cruise with.  As you know we don't agree on everything, however I think the more I cruise with Regent the more I agree with you on few things.  Enjoying the read and the photos are good-makes it easier to image what it's like to be on Crystal now.

We love Oceania, as well. Based upon what I have been reading, I think Regent would suit us much better than Crystal. This thread has been informative for me. Of course, it is all personal preference.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Sometimes I think we need a separate thread or forum for those of us who are stuck with lowly standard verandah cabins instead of big suites.  We've been lucky enough to be in PH's a couple of times, but mainly we feel very lucky to be in a standard suite (although that has been muddied with Explorer I guess.)

 

So I'll not be considering Crystal.  Now Seabourn, wow, any time, lovely standard balcony suites!  Mariner I'll put up with, otherwise I couldn't do WC2021.

 

It is nice to have friends onboard in bigger suites; at least we get to visit once in a while!

[AtA]

13 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

I’ve heard a lot of people say this but honestly, whenever I’ve priced out cruises on any of the ‘big-4’ luxury lines it always seems to come out about equal when you factor in airfare, tips, excursions, etc.  Some sailings may be a bit more or a bit less but overall I’ve never seen a big price difference.

 

As to the tiny cabins, though...I couldn’t deal with a tiny cabin, personally.  There’s a reason Rolls Royce doesn’t make sub-compacts...   🤪

Which is why you shouldn't go in the "tiny" cabins. Priced out as close to apples to apples, a PH on Crystal is the same price as a regular cabin on Regent in a large majority of cases. That was one reason we switched from Regent. Especially since we didn't find the included tours on Regent to our liking and even when we priced out included air, it still became pretty much of a wash. 

 

Here's just one example. It's not a 100% matchup because of course ports are somewhat different.

On Crystal: Monte Carlo - Venice 7 nights May 3-10, 2020. The lowest cabin price is $3834 pp for a window cabin.

The penthouse with a butler is $5599 pp and is 412 square feet (includes the balcony) (And no, it doesn't include airfare or excursions)

 

On Regent: Rome - Barcelona 7 nights May 21, 2020. The lowest cabin price is $7699 pp and is 335 square feet (includes the balcony)

A Superior Suite prices out at $8599 pp and is 464 square feet.

 

Now of course I do realize different ports can be more or less expensive and I'm sure that figures into it, but what this shows is that if you pay for a standard cabin on Regent, then you most likely can afford to pay for a PH on Crystal.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by AtA

[vegasdriven]

Firstly, thank you Jackie for doing this in depth reporting of your lovely cruise😍 Being as we don't have a cruise planned till 2021 I kind of live for these reviews.

58 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Sometimes I think we need a separate thread or forum for those of us who are stuck with lowly standard verandah cabins instead of big suites.  We've been lucky enough to be in PH's a couple of times, but mainly we feel very lucky to be in a standard suite (although that has been muddied with Explorer I guess.)

 

So I'll not be considering Crystal.  Now Seabourn, wow, any time, lovely standard balcony suites!  Mariner I'll put up with, otherwise I couldn't do WC2021.

 

It is nice to have friends onboard in bigger suites; at least we get to visit once in a while!

As Wendy says, I also wish there was more reporting from the basic suites, it would be interesting to know how some people deal with the smallest of suites. For instance I would like a comparison between the two lowest categories on Explorer where you would have to decide between a walkin closet or a larger balcony.

 

1 hour ago, AtA said:

Which is why you shouldn't go in the "tiny" cabins. Priced out as close to apples to apples, a PH on Crystal is the same price as a regular cabin on Regent in a large majority of cases. That was one reason we switched from Regent. Especially since we didn't find the included tours on Regent to our liking and even when we priced out included air, it still became pretty much of a wash. 

 

Here's just one example. It's not a 100% matchup because of course ports are somewhat different.

On Crystal: Monte Carlo - Venice 7 nights May 3-10, 2020. The lowest cabin price is $3834 pp for a window cabin.

The penthouse with a butler is $5599 pp and is 412 square feet (includes the balcony) (And no, it doesn't include airfare or excursions)

 

On Regent: Rome - Barcelona 7 nights May 21, 2020. The lowest cabin price is $7699 pp and is 335 square feet (includes the balcony)

A Superior Suite prices out at $8599 pp and is 464 square feet.

 

Now of course I do realize different ports can be more or less expensive and I'm sure that figures into it, but what this shows is that if you pay for a standard cabin on Regent, then you most likely can afford to pay for a PH on Crystal.

 

 

For this example the Regent cruise would be the absolute winner, as if you added international business class flights to the Crystal cruise you would be paying far more than the Regent cruise, and that.is not considering the included excursions. I guess you might come close with the window suite on Crystal, but even for us that would not be a consideration, or a fair comparison unless you are looking at Navigator, and I am pretty sure the price for those window suites would be less than the price quoted for Regent.

[AtA]

7 minutes ago, vegasdriven said:

 

For this example the Regent cruise would be the absolute winner, as if you added international business class flights to the Crystal cruise you would be paying far more than the Regent cruise, and that.is not considering the included excursions. I guess you might come close with the window suite on Crystal, but even for us that would not be a consideration, or a fair comparison unless you are looking at Navigator, and I am pretty sure the price for those window suites would be less than the price quoted for Regent.

First I wasn't comparing the window suite to Regent. Only Crystal's PH (with butler) to Regent's lowest fare.  My point was the Crystal PH cabin with butler was still lower in price for the 7 day cruise than Regent's lowest fare for the same cruise. Yes the Regent cruise includes tours and biz air. 

 

However, I've found that for many of the overseas cruises that Crystal will have airfare that the TA can check on and in many cases it's comparable so that it's not more than Regent LOWEST priced cabin. Our business airfare through Crystal last year from Singapore to NY was absolutely many many thousands less than we could have gotten on our own and would have still kept it competitive with Regent's LOWEST priced cabin.

 

The only other difference is the included tours on Regent which I had found to be less than stellar when they started with them. We wound up either doing their tours that cost more or booking our own. Maybe they've improved since then?

[Travelcat2]

Good morning from Ketchikan (and it is not raining - it is in the 60's).  Since I let my iPad's battery run down, no photos this morning but will post some later (or from my other iPad if it is charged and the photos have copied themselves over to my other device).

 

Very interesting to read views from Crystal passengers as well as Regent and/or those that have sailed both lines.  Agree that it is not possible to do a 100% comparison between Regent and Crystal.  I was thinking about it and do not want to go through a laundry list of items - giving our opinion on each item.  There are things that we prefer on Regent and things that we prefer on Crystal (Mark Farris heading the list).  I've already mentioned that no one can compare a Nobu restaurant on Crystal against an Asian fusion restaurant on Regent. 

 

An interesting comparison is the Australian Wagu steak on Crystal with what is offered daily on Regent.  Regent has Filet Mignon and Lobster Tail available every night while Crystal does not but the Wagu steak is the best that we have had.  Again, it bothers me that all passengers do not have the opportunity to dine in Umi Uma one time - even on a seven night itinerary. 

 

Service is excellent but different on Crystal than it is on Regent.  All crew members are anxious to help and will happily find the answer to whatever questions that a passenger has.  One difference could be that there are more crew members on Crystal are from European and other countries.  For us, it does not matter where a crew member is from * but how the service and interaction with the passengers is.  We already have favorites on Crystal that greet us wherever we see them on the ship.  Is this because we are in the top suite?  Perhaps but they seem to be friendly with other guests as well.

 

My intention (besides for having fun) for taking this cruise was not to leave our Regent family but rather to add to our knowledge of other luxury cruise lines which will enable me to answer even more questions and give opinions on Cruise Critic.

 

Going to visit the Crystal board.  They have been a really nice and helpful group of CC members.

 

*Must say that I like when cruise lines hire crew from countries where the income from the cruise line will make a difference in their lives.  This obviously would be crew members from third world and other low income countries.

 

Edited September 8, 2019 by Travelcat2

[AtA]

"Again, it bothers me that all passengers do not have the opportunity to dine in Umi Uma one time - even on a seven night itinerary. "

 

As I mentioned on the other thread, they absolutely do and should. In fact they can go to the maitre'd  to find a time and a place to dine. It may or may not be their first choice for time. If they don't get satisfaction with the maitre'd, going down to the concierge will solve the problem. I know because on our last Alaskan cruise because of a mistake by our butler, we wound up without reservations in Prego. Once I went to the concierge, we had a reservation the following night.

Additionally, they can absolutely go sit any night there's room at the sushi bar in Umi Uma.

 

" We already have favorites on Crystal that greet us wherever we see them on the ship.  Is this because we are in the top suite?  Perhaps but they seem to be friendly with other guests as well."

 

Absolutely NOT! Every single passenger once out of the room is treated exactly the same. 

[Kwaj girl]

2 hours ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

Sometimes I think we need a separate thread or forum for those of us who are stuck with lowly standard verandah cabins instead of big suites.  We've been lucky enough to be in PH's a couple of times, but mainly we feel very lucky to be in a standard suite (although that has been muddied with Explorer I guess.)

 

So I'll not be considering Crystal.  Now Seabourn, wow, any time, lovely standard balcony suites!  Mariner I'll put up with, otherwise I couldn't do WC2021.

 

It is nice to have friends onboard in bigger suites; at least we get to visit once in a while!

WtW - we've booked a PH on the Mariner 2021 WC - you are welcome to visit for cocktails at any time! 

Sandy