Would you choose Oceania versus Regent?

[silversneakers]

Looking at both options but have truthfully never sailed on either line.  Which would you choose if cost was not the factor (not saying cost is not my factor)?

[jjeffjb]

We’ve sailed both, although mostly on Oceania. Lots to consider. I’d look at the staterooms on the ships you’re considering. Both lines have a wide variety of rooms. See what appeals to you. If you enjoy cocktails and wine, they’re included with Regent. If you’re not drinkers that may be a reason to lean towards O. Limited shore excursions are also included with Regent. But if you’re not a fan of bus tours they may not be appealing to you. I’d give Regent a slight edge on food. But food is very good on Oceania. There is a different vibe on board the 2 lines. Personally, we prefer Oceania but we had a wonderful Regent experience. 

[1985rz1]

23 minutes ago, silversneakers said:

Looking at both options but have truthfully never sailed on either line.  Which would you choose if cost was not the factor (not saying cost is not my factor)?

We've sailed both, although Regent was a long time ago.  Both are nice, but I prefer the flexibilty Oceania offers with it's non-inclusive pricing.  We don't drink enough booze to justify the all-inclusive Regent (or an Oceania drink package), and prefer to have our options open for excursions. Oceania's itineraries are typically longer and we prefer 14-21 day cruises.  We think the food is better on Oceania, but it's been a long time since we cruised Regent, so it's not a fair comparison  Our preference on Oceania are the larger Marina and Riveria because the excellent 4 specialty restaurants, but in the end it's the itinerary that seals the deal.

[zalusky]

How about itineraries as well.  O seems to have more unusual  itineraries.  For example O will circumnavigate Australia where say Regent and Seabourn will just do the usual Northern routes.

[1985rz1]

6 minutes ago, zalusky said:

How about itineraries as well.  O seems to have more unusual  itineraries.  For example O will circumnavigate Australia where say Regent and Seabourn will just do the usual Northern routes.

Yes, I agree.  O's itineraries are generally better, for our tastes, although we've found a few itineraries on Regent that O doesn't do.

[Carol From California]

We cruise on both. For us it's the ship, the itinerary, and comparing the costs. With Regent everything is included. With Oceania it's more a la carte. However, we don't take Regent's Air. We take the credit and book our own with miles. We also don't take the Oceania air. Gratuities are additional with Oceania. Excursions are included with Regent but they are mainly bus tours so I like being able to book private excursions with just a few people on Oceania. I think the food is actually better on Oceania. We just came back from a Regent cruise and we have 3 more cruises booked on Regent. We have 2 cruises booked on Oceania. We only like the Marina, Riviera, and new Vista on Oceania, and on Regent we only like the Explorer, Splendor, and new Grandeur....although we do have once cruise booked on the Voyager. I love the cabins and restaurant choices on those particular ships. Any more questions let me know. We also don't take the 1 night pre-cruise hotel with Regent. We take the credit for that too.

Edited October 30, 2022 by Carol From California

[PhD-iva]

On Wednesday I will embark on my first Regent cruise, Mariner cruising from Los Angeles to Lima Perú. It is the second cruise I have booked on Regent, the first cruise that I booked will sail in February 2024, from San Antonio Chile to BsAs, Argentina. Both Regent itineraries offered a very low single supplement, only 25%. Oceania’s single supplement seems to be around 50% more often. Since I prefer to fly business air, pricing on Regent has been competitive with Oceania.

In theory I prefer Oceania’s à la cart pricing. I booked multiple cruises back before cruising resumed so I got some really good prices. Going forward prices are looking more expensive. I’m not thinking that I will utilize the book onboard discounts on my Regent cruise, but I’m looking forward to booking on board the next time I cruise on Oceania, Aruba to Lisbon in March 2023.

On Oceania, I like having the option to organize private tours or join private tours others on the rollcall have organized. I like being able to bring wine on board Oceania and consuming in my cabin or paying a reasonable corkage fee if I would like to consume wine with a meal. I also take advantage of the two for one happy hour when the mood strikes me. So, I like to think I’ve “optimized” my drinking; generally consuming less than when I have an all-inclusive drinks package. I drink plenty as it is, I don’t need encouragement to drink more. 
I’ve been on 2 O cruises - loved them both and I have 3 more booked. All that to say that while I will probably prefer O, I think I’ll love them both!

[basenji56]

I know you said “if cost is not an issue” but cost is a big issue. Especially for people who don’t drink so don’t need to pay for the very expensive booze included. 

[tripperva]

I find it harder to get the upper categories on Regent. They sell out far in advance. We now book O more often.

[WNcruiser]

We took our first Regent cruise in April on Explorer and were blown away. We much prefer it to O. Its much more than "expensive booze" included on Regent. Unlimited shore excursions, and no not just bus tours. Unlimited valet laundry, a much more elegant upscale atmosphere and decor such as fresh flowers everywhere. The food was amazing, the best we have ever had on a cruise. Dover sole, filet and lobster tail on the "anytime menu".  Also all gratuities are included unlike O. 

 

Both lines offer excellent staff and country club casual dress which we love. We are looking at our first Silversea cruise next year but hate that they have formal nights still and also charge for specialty restaurants. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by WNcruiser

[PaulMCO]

I do know where this Regent does bus tours comes from because it does not.  Our upcoming Rome to Miami has many 8 hour tours and most include a full lunch.  The food is of a higher quality but not markedly so.  The included wine is better than O's drink packages which add $$$. 

 

The thing we like are the "large" ships like Explorer and Splendor have a lot fewer passengers than O's Marina class, yet have all of the specialties (steak, Italian, French and Asian fusion). 

 

But since we are itinerary driven we focus on the place and then the cruise line and pricing.

 

 

[edgee]

1 hour ago, WNcruiser said:

We took our first Regent cruise in April on Explorer and were blown away. We much prefer it to O. Its much more than "expensive booze" included on Regent. Unlimited shore excursions, and no not just bus tours. Unlimited valet laundry, a much more elegant upscale atmosphere and decor such as fresh flowers everywhere. The food was amazing, the best we have ever had on a cruise. Dover sole, filet and lobster tail on the "anytime menu".  Also all gratuities are included unlike O. 

 

Both lines offer excellent staff and country club casual dress which we love. We are looking at our first Silversea cruise next year but hate that they have formal nights still and also charge for specialty restaurants. 

We just disembarked our second Regent cruise, although our previous one was  6 years ago. We too were blown away with the level of service. However, we are itinerary driven and will also continue to cruise Oceania often. We do like the option on Oceania for more casual but still excellent evening dining in the Terrace buffet area with lobster and steak options as well as many other wonderfully prepared choices. IMHO Regent ‘s conversion of buffet area to Sette Mari is a missed opportunity for a diverse casual but high quality evening dining option.

[judi666]

While Regent was very nice, the general vibe was more reserved and less casual. The cabins were very nice. Service good. The food was not as good.  The low point were the included excursions, which were good to absolutely terrible.  This was 2019 pre Covid. They were sometimes outrageously misrepresented as to itinerary and activity level. 
Several of the tours marked as easy, required miles of walking, ( I wear a fitness tracker) very rough terrain and in one case getting into some giant all terrain vehicle ( called a jeep in the description) the first step being as high as my shoulder,  no step or help from the tour operators. After two or three very uncomfortable experiences, I started dreading what would be next and canceled several.  They were not all bad, but enough that were a long glorified bus ride or ridiculously catagorized as to physical ability. Another aspect of the included tours that I did not consider, was many sea days and loss of several ports due to various reasons. This significantly reduced the overall value.

If you are a drinker, you will not find yourself lacking.  One couldn’t sit down for 3 minutes without being offered or many times just handed a drink. After a day or two most servers knew I liked a glass of white wine and I was served one without asking in minutes.  
This was my only Regent experience and it was in their newest ship. 
I have done many more on Oceania and overall I prefer them, particularly the smaller R ships. 

[Harriet589]

We have sailed on both and it's a close call. They both offer a very special experience, however, our first choice is Oceania. My husband has celiac disease (an allergy to gluten) and Oceania is extremely accommodating with his dietary needs. 

We decided, at one point, to try Regent. It wasn't a good idea. It was as though no one on staff (including the chefs) had ever heard of a gluten-free diet. When you would ask if a particular dish might have gluten in it, they never--not once--could answer the question and often even seemed annoyed to be asked. He ended up eating a lot of steamed veggies and grilled meat.

 

To be fair, that was a few years ago and I would hope the situation is better nowadays but, even prior to that, Oceania was handling special diets seamlessly. 

 

Needless to say, we have stayed with Oceania ever since

[kjbacon]

Regent and Oceania are our two favorite lines and you cannot go wrong with either. Like a previous poster, we prefer the newer ships on each line. We have upcoming cruises booked on both. The buffet is fabulous on Oceania with the huge sanitary plus of the staff serving your plate at your request. We love having the flexible all inclusive shorex on Regent because nothing is better than being able to change your mind up till the last minute without a cancellation penalty.

[Mura]

My information is also several years old and so may not be at all pertinent, but I thought I would mention it anyway.

 

We were on a TA (Barcelona-Rio) on Oceania in 2015.  The two ships had identical itineraries with one exception.  We had a private tour booked  I forget where -- perhaps Cape Verde.  We gave a lift to a few people who were looking to get out of the port.  They commented on how the Oceania people seemed a lot livelier than the ones they saw on Regent.

 

I make no judgment myself since I'm pretty sure the age levels between the two lines weren't (and aren't) all that different.

 

Mura

 

[Ladys Mom]

As I have said in other posts, we have not been on Oceania for about five years.  We are booked on the December 2022 Marina Miami to Rio.  Since 2016 we have been on seven Regent cruises, and we have four more booked.  We are not heavy drinkers, but we like our wine and an occasional cocktail.  We like going on active shore excursions.  We do not like paying extra for business class air, gratuities, alcohol, laundry, and shore excursions.  We began cruising on Regent when my DH did an apples to apples comparison between the same cruise on Oceania and on Regent.  When everything was added together Regent came out the same, or maybe somewhat less.  We like Regent's affinity program much more than Oceania's.  I want credit for the number of nights I am on the ship, not just the number of cruises.  Why should I get one Oceania point for a 21 day cruise in Penthouse, when someone gets that same one point for a seven day cruise in an inside cabin.  Even though we have sailed on Oceania close to 40 nights, we are treated like "newbies".

We love the vibe on Regent.  We have made many friends who we continue to correspond with and cruise with.  Given that everyone is more or less treated the same, no matter what the level of suite, there is no hierarchy.  Everyone is friendly no matter what their economic level is.  Because of the small number of passengers on each ship, when we come on a Regent cruise the crew and the officers make us feel like we are home.  

 

[LHT28]

36 minutes ago, Ladys Mom said:

 Everyone is friendly no matter what their economic level is.  Because of the small number of passengers on each ship, when we come on a Regent cruise the crew and the officers make us feel like we are home.  

 

That is the way we felt on Oceania

Seeing crew members that remembered from  a cruise maybe 3-4 yrs  before

It is nice everyone can choose what line suits their needs & wants  best

JMO

[Sthrngary]

Your question was qualified by saying, "If price was not a consideration". That is a huge qualification.  I am 65 and since NCL purchased Regents and re-named it; I have always wanted to cruise on that line.  I love the notion of truly "All-Inclusive".  I am a researcher when purchasing luxury items which either cruise would be.

 

Airfare: I loved that Regent had Business Class Airfare however after further research and study, it may not meet everyone's needs.  If you are not in a major hub like New York, Atlanta, Chicago, ECT; there is an add on cost.  Also, just like with every cruise brand airfare, you have no control of the brand, number of connections and timing.  They also do provide coach for the connection to the hub that actually flies out of the US.  

Dining:  I tend to watch every single YouTube video on brands I am interested to cruise on.  I am a food and experience lover.  As an earlier reply said, the difference in dining seems to be similar on both brands.  With that said, dinning is personal and some folks love one brand over the other.  All my research shows that Oceania and Regent dining is better than most. 

Suite Size: You can get a much larger suite on Oceania with a larger veranda at a reasonable investment.  I know you said leave investment out of it.  If we all truly did that, I would charter a yacht. Allow me put my thoughts another way.  I have found that a GREAT BUTLER can really make a luxury cruise even better.  I am more likely to spring for a Suite on Oceania with a butler then Regent. 

Excursions:  Regent is all inclusive so the excursions are supposedly included in the fare. My research tells me this is mostly true however there are some special ones that have an extra cost and the ones they have are first come, first served. Lot's of walking and bus tours which are ok but I like to see things on my own.  So this option is nice but wasted on me. 

Drink Program:  Where it is true that Oceania does not include a drink program, they do offer a Wine/Bar drink program as one of the three perks we can decide on.  Regent includes their drinks and I would hope so at the investment they ask.  Now I want to share that the upgrade to the Oceania Premium Drink Program or purchasing the Premium Drink Program on it's own is far less expensive than if you were cruising on a Mainstream cruise brand like NCL. This is even getter when one person in your party drinks and the other does not.  

 

My conclusion is if money did not matter, sure I would do Regent Seven Seas Cruises.  Why not.  In my world, as hard as we worked to get to this time in our lives, the cost simply has to be a factor.  Oceania, for the type of cruising and itineraries they provide seem to give a nice middle ground in my opinion. 

 

I share my thought and when I take my first Oceania Cruise Next year, I will be very complete with my overview.  I again state my comments are based on research not experience.  Just food for thought.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

[ToxM]

We are doing  a RSSC cruise in January 24  - that used to seem like a long way away, but it’s creeping up slowly. Anyway, I have started to do a bit of a deeper dive into the CC Regent Forum to learn their secrets. Dress codes and buffets, supply problems and deep loyalty seem to be what they talk about - pretty much the same as we do here.

 

We are doing a Regent Cruise because one port is a bucket item for me (don’t care if we don’t make it to the port, just a cruise by would be sufficient for me). They are offering a free land tour before the cruise (something which O have started to do), which makes one of the cheapest Regent Cruises into a good bargain. Removing airfare which we always do as my derrière doesn’t agree with economy seats makes it a palatable proposition. 

 

We are in the lowest verandah grade on one of their smaller ships,  one favourable thing to mention is that they don’t seem to suffer from R class bathroom syndrome. Which is a good thing as I couldn’t afford to have a penthouse on a regent Ship - something I insist on on an R class O ship again due to derrière issues.

 

We aren’t huge drinkers, but I suppose there’s a novel;ty aspect to asking for it and getting it care free.

 

I am curious as to how it will be, and it will be good to be able to say I have done it, and maybe I will feel the same about both lines. Maybe I will be able to widen my choices when it comes to itinerary. I think that’s what it comes down to … itinerary.

[RetiredandTravel]

We have done two Regent cruises (one A+, one C-) and have Oceania on the radar for some cruises over the next 2 years.  One thing I would caution people new to Regent is that Concierge Suites & Silver level (20+ nights) get extra time to make excursions & specialty restaurant reservations.  So if you are new and not in a Concierge suite or higher it is possible (not highly likely but it happened twice to us on our first cruise) to get shut out of excursions and your specialty reservation, especially if the ship is full, will probably be off hours/days.  

 

The Oceania wines in the premium package seem as good as Regent "included" wines except the Champagne.  IMO there is a transparency issue with Regent "included" wines, it takes some digging to figure out the better ones.  For example if you order a Chardonnay they will  probably serve a Chilean one that costs ~$8 but they usually have a much nicer French White Burgundy (~$15) that they don't advertise but will give you if you ask.  Again, the regulars in the know have an advantage.  Regents connoisseur list is much more reasonable than Oceania usually just 1 1/2 - 2x wine stores. 

 

have fun.

 

Edited November 13, 2022 by RetiredandTravel

[ORV]

26 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

The Oceania wines in the premium package

Just for clarity, the wines in either package are exactly the same. They are by the glass. The differences in the packages is that the basic is only wine & beer and only available at mealtime. The premium package includes spirits and it's all available anytime a bar is open. I've also heard you can get it brought to your room, but I've never done this. 

[RetiredandTravel]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

Just for clarity, the wines in either package are exactly the same. They are by the glass. The differences in the packages is that the basic is only wine & beer and only available at mealtime. The premium package includes spirits and it's all available anytime a bar is open. I've also heard you can get it brought to your room, but I've never done this. 

 

 

Thanks for the correction.  I did know that but we have been looking at the premium package, doesn't really save money (breakeven?) just easier.   If we have a penthouse suite on Oceania and get dinner in the room I was wondering if they will give you a bottle of "package" wines.  

 

 

[ORV]

2 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Thanks for the correction.  I did know that but we have been looking at the premium package, doesn't really save money (breakeven?) just easier.   If we have a penthouse suite on Oceania and get dinner in the room I was wondering if they will give you a bottle of "package" wines.  

 

 

No bottles on the package. They do give a discount on bottles if you have a package.

 

If you get more than two doubles each day then you will save money with the package. Best way is to take the package as your Olife perk and then upgrade for $20 per person, per day. 

[RetiredandTravel]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

No bottles on the package. They do give a discount on bottles if you have a package.

 

If you get more than two doubles each day then you will save money with the package. Best way is to take the package as your Olife perk and then upgrade for $20 per person, per day. 

 

 

Great information thanks.  Is that the best use of the Olife, I've read different opinions.   The connoisseur list seems steep on Oceania.