Silversea versus Regent

[tulok]

I am not the best at searching on CC, but I am trying to decide between the two lines. We have been on Regent twice and loved it but Silversea has a price and itinerary we  like (Canada and New England). We don’t care about the dress code as we go with whatever is expected. Anything else I should be aware of with Silversea versus a Regent cruise or will it be about the same. As many suggest on CC, just trying to do my research before booking.

 

[mchell810]

A thread on this topic from a few months ago. 

 

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by mchell810

[tulok]

@mchell810 Thank you

[ronrick1943]

The best cruiseline is the one that works for you, not what someone else thinks is good.

[canderson]

1 hour ago, ronrick1943 said:

The best cruiseline is the one that works for you, not what someone else thinks is good.

Granted, that advice works after the fact, but until you've sailed a line, there's no other way to draw comparisons without seeing what people say about it.  Not long ago, we had the same questions (adding in Oceania) and for the same reason.  We had not sailed either SS or Oceania.

[ronrick1943]

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

Granted, that advice works after the fact, but until you've sailed a line, there's no other way to draw comparisons without seeing what people say about it.  Not long ago, we had the same questions (adding in Oceania) and for the same reason.  We had not sailed either SS or Oceania.

True, but I think you have to cruise a line and make your own decision to what you like.  I enjoy Silversea, but hate the included tours.  So I need to make that point or forget that in my decision.

[tulok]

2 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

The best cruiseline is the one that works for you, not what someone else thinks is good.

I agree but I am not so brand  loyal as to not think there are other great brands available. I did not except anyone to tell me which is better but if they had been on both lines what for someone to expect. The “Comparing…” tread was very informative. Isn’t that why everyone is on Cruise Critic, to get or give opinions and information? What the reader takes from that is up to them.

Edited November 5, 2023 by tulok
grammar

[ronrick1943]

5 minutes ago, tulok said:

I agree but I am not so brand  loyal as to not think there are other great brands available. I did not except anyone to tell me which is better but if they had been on both lines what for someone to expect. The “Comparing…” tread was very informative. Isn’t that why everyone is on Cruise Critic, to get or give opinions and information? What the reader takes from that is up to them.

Yes, but giving information (TO ME) is different than saying which line I like better.  i’m really not brand loyal either when it comes to cruising - after a while I get bored with a cruiseline.  I enjoy the moment.  I also believe it’s the crew—-if the line manages and the crew delivers on the promise, it’s going to be great.

[tulok]

@ronrick1943 I totally agree about the crew. One terrible experience can total change one’s feeling about a line.  My “versus” was not stated correctly. I thank all on Cruisecritic that reply. I am more of a reader than poster so I appreciate all that take the time to reply. We decided to try Silversea and I am sure it will be fantastic.  I was just talking to my travel agent that we started with Eastern Star Cruise Line in 87, interior cabin to the  dilemma of which luxury line we should choose. Crazy perspective.

[wristband]

I have been a Regent customer for many years. I do not plan to return to Regent - it lost this long time customer due to any number of problems experienced on the 2023 World Cruise on Mariner.

 

That said, much depends on the ship.  The two oldest ships, Mariner & Navigator, should be carefully considered before booking as updates & repairs are needed.  The newer ships are nicer

(Explorer & Voyager). The newest one, Grandeur, goes "live" this month and looks lovely.

 

Prevalent concerns for Regent: understaffing, inexperienced crew lacking sufficient training for a supposed 5 star line, long waits in dining venues, inconsistent service and meals, unresponsive onboard management. Some attribute this to "Covid."  Years later the pandemic can't be an excuse.

 

My friendly advice is to carefully examine the value proposition: the price for your sailing & cabin versus the quality you expect to receive.  There are Regent die-hards no matter what the shortfalls may be who enjoy the "included" features.  However, those "included" items are offered by other upscale lines such a Silversea and Seabourne.  Lots of options out there so caveat emptor.

 

I am sad to say, again my opinion, Regent has lost its way since it reopened and their new CEO Andrea appears lost at sea about the decline and chorus of customer complaints.

 

It boils down to your desired itinerary, budget and expectations.  As pointed out above, no need to be a one-cruise line- patron...lots of choices to evaluate and to make an informed decision about where you can best spend your money and your time.

 

Good luck! 

 

 

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, wristband said:

The newest one, Grandeur, goes "live" this month and looks lovely.

Taste varies.  Every time I see an ad featuring that ship, I think:  why are they running a black and white photo?  Then I realize it's decorated solely in shades of grey...

[tulok]

@wristbandI have only been on the Voyager (twice) and it was lovely. I hate to hear that about Regent but you aren’t the first one to convey all of their recent issues.

Regent was our first all-inclusive ocean line. We swore off ocean cruises when they became jungle gyms for kids. Our TA steered us to Regent Mediterranean. We enjoyed it and booked another cruise before we got off the ship. Because we want to be closer to home the Canada/New England itinerary ticked all the boxes. And SilverSea has good reviews. 

I have gained a lot of information about Silversea from the above mentioned topic post. I found Cruise critic and its posters to be a good source of help with the decision making. Thank you for taking time to post.

[bitob]

I enjoy both regent and silversea 

they are comparable

itinerary and sometimes the ship dictates my choice 

[Port Power]

On 11/8/2023 at 2:16 AM, wristband said:

I have been a Regent customer for many years. I do not plan to return to Regent - it lost this long time customer due to any number of problems experienced on the 2023 World Cruise on Mariner.

 

That said, much depends on the ship.  The two oldest ships, Mariner & Navigator, should be carefully considered before booking as updates & repairs are needed.  The newer ships are nicer

(Explorer & Voyager). The newest one, Grandeur, goes "live" this month and looks lovely.

 

Prevalent concerns for Regent: understaffing, inexperienced crew lacking sufficient training for a supposed 5 star line, long waits in dining venues, inconsistent service and meals, unresponsive onboard management. Some attribute this to "Covid."  Years later the pandemic can't be an excuse.

 

My friendly advice is to carefully examine the value proposition: the price for your sailing & cabin versus the quality you expect to receive.  There are Regent die-hards no matter what the shortfalls may be who enjoy the "included" features.  However, those "included" items are offered by other upscale lines such a Silversea and Seabourne.  Lots of options out there so caveat emptor.

 

I am sad to say, again my opinion, Regent has lost its way since it reopened and their new CEO Andrea appears lost at sea about the decline and chorus of customer complaints.

 

It boils down to your desired itinerary, budget and expectations.  As pointed out above, no need to be a one-cruise line- patron...lots of choices to evaluate and to make an informed decision about where you can best spend your money and your time.

 

Good luck! 

 

 

 

 

I am very sad and apprehensive to hear this.  I am booked on Regent Mariner for the 2025 World Cruise.  I was concerned about the age of the ship at the time, but was reassured by agents.  (Who, or course, are totally honest and independent!). Since booking that I have sailed several Silversea cruises and really like the brand.  I can only hope Regent improves over the next twelve months.

[wristband]

Opinions vary. I would like to think my thoughts mirror those of others I knew (but not all) on the 2023 WC on Mariner.  As they say, ideas are a dime a dozen!

 

May I suggest you read Mariner reviews posted on CC by passengers who cruised POST pandemic (since 2022).  That will offer you a richer sense of the ship and staff?  Obviously, CC's Regent board has posts from those loyal to the brand and those recently on Mariner but for a week or two.

 

A twelve day cruise on Mariner is a very different experience then spending 5 months on a tug boat.

 

Best wishes to you for 2025.  CEO Andrea told a "town meeting" on Mariner just days before the WC ended that the ship will not undergo an extensive overhaul prior to the 2025 WC.  She was asked this question repeatedly by passengers who were then booked on that cruise and were concerned.

[Pies4u]

We are “Gold” status with Regent - 6 cruises - with 2 more booked, and have just come back from 11 nights on Explorer. We did our first Silversea cruise in March on Dawn.

 

I’d concur with the view that Regent has lost its way somewhat. Inconsistent dining experiences with significant deterioration in range and presentation of food at breakfast & lunch plus too many inexperienced and unaware staff were our conclusions. Excursions are a chore, rarely, if ever, departing on time due, in part, to the clumsy way they are organised,

 

At the time, I thought Silversea was different but not quite as “good” overall - but, on reflection, I’d say that there is a far better choice of dining venues and, generally, better standard of presentation of dishes on Silversea. The fact that there are 8 restaurants, including the exquisite La Dame, novel Silver Note and the inventive Salt Kitchen elevate them way above Regent at the moment in the culinary stakes. They also scored highly in comparison in respect of the way they organise excursions, meeting shoreside with none of this going to the theatre and “exchanging 1 ticket for a bus ticket” nonsense. On balance, we are now slightly concerned that we have 2 cruises scheduled with Regent but at least 1 of them will be on the newer ship, Splendor, in a named suite. We are considering just dropping the 38 night Voyager cruise planned for 2026 but I guess there is time for Regent to show some serious improvements.

 

Unless Regent get their act together, I fear they will lose customers and not only to Silversea but also to Oceania, who we experienced last year.
 

Oceania actually offer great vfm and their cuisine is every bit on a par or better than Regent. Jacques and Toscana are amongst the best restaurants we’ve eaten in on any cruise line. The main dining room is far more efficient than Compass Rose on Explorer.  The issues of paying for drinks and larger ships with more guests are negatives but we were surprised how much we enjoyed the ship (Marina) and the quality of service, which was exemplary throughout tbh.

 

As others have stated, it becomes a matter of personal choice and taste but, despite the formality, Silversea appear offer the best value for us based upon cuisine, service, ambuence and organisation/administration. 

 

 

[wristband]

I totally agree with your assessment!  We have been on Oceania many times and concur Jacques and Toscana are some of the best restaurants we have ever experienced at sea with service & food & ambiance.

 

As I noted above, we do not plan booking again with Regent - after 15 years - due the problems you cited.  After the 2023 World Cruise, we will not spend money or time with Regent until they can show us the line has significantly improved.  We are not picky or demanding, we rarely if ever complain, happy to be left to ourselves.  But Mariner convinced us to leave Regent in the past.

 

Splendor is a nice ship -- we were on it summer 2022.  But (under) staffing and management problems persist, its a big black mark affecting many areas of the Regent onboard experience.

[Tudorcruisers]

If you don’t care about the dress code and it’s the itinerary you want then I would say go with Regent. I sailed with them once and didn’t enjoy it though that was due to the extremely casual dress code which after Silversea was a shock to the system.  Customer service wasn’t as good either though the food was ok.  
 

Silversea would be much superior in my view.

 

[Mahogany]

In any discussion comparing different cruise lines, the one commonality is staffing. In most cases, the criticism is: not enough trained crew. Many experienced staff members quit cruising as a profession during Covid. It could take years to bring staffing and professionalism up to pre-Covid standards. I think it is unrealistic to think that choosing a different line will provide you with superb service. The crew keep smiling, though, as we criticize them 😟

I have booked cruises this year with Seabourn Venture, Regent Splendor, and Silversea Dawn and Ray. Though I agree Jacques is an excellent restaurant, that's not enough to have me return to Oceania.

I recognize the drop in service over the years, and frankly, accept it for the most part. The alternative is, quit cruising (ah, no). For the poster on the World Cruise who said, "we rarely if ever complain", my advice would be: DO. If I were on that long and things weren't going well, I wouldn't hesitate to complain - often - and give management a chance to correct.

[wristband]

Mahogany: we did complain and did so repeatedly in a civil and adult manner.  Long, long waits at meals, persistent understaffing, poor state of our cabin etc. I believe this stemmed from management's apathetic and ineffective oversight.  We did write letters & register our specific concerns in person. No response, no change, no follow up.

 

The lack of a response was an answer itself.   

 

Our personalities and temperament are easy to please & happy to overlook shortcomings.  As long time cruisers, we appreciate all cruise lines face major challenges cruise - both then & now. 

 

Yogi Berra said if you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up someplace else.  Regent is in a place very different from their past.  Premium prices charged for a product they no longer choose to deliver is an odd strategy, one that did not encourage this repeat customer to return. 

 

We look forward to our upcoming SS cruise in January.

[snorkle lover]

I am finding this thread very informative. We have sailed on three Regent cruises ( both pre and post Covid) and have seen a decline in services. We are booked on two upcoming cruises on Regent but now interested in trying SS. What we have liked about Regent are the included business airfare, excursions, speciality restaurants and laundry. However, if service is lacking that is a big piece of the pie that is influencing us to look elsewhere . A question to SS cruises… Is there a fee for the specialty restaurants ( Silver Shadow)? 

[sea bright]

There is a fee for La Dame, 60 pp. No fee for LaTerraza or The Grill.

[Lonedaddy]

We did 3 regent ships so far splendor, explorer and voyager all in a PH and SS dawn all post covid.  We enjoyed the dawn very much, I would never go on voyager again in a PH.  Ships layout was nice but the room had aged, and the shower was awful...  The dawn had a small shower, but it was functional.  Regent EXP and SPL PH is in between the verandahs on SS and the silver suite which is a big jump in price and size. However the regent Air department and Customer service have a lot of problems and enough to have turned me off of them.  I have on more cruise planned on Regent Splendor (South Africa) which I will keep to use up my FCC's from the last voyager (Israel) cruise.   I had a good price and I like the pre and post land packages on Regent for that cruise, but unless they knock it out of the park (and I don't see that happening with thier current attitude) it will be my last Regent and I'll be switching to SS.  

[lincslady]

11 hours ago, sea bright said:

There is a fee for La Dame, 60 pp. No fee for LaTerraza or The Grill.

I think that should read 160 pp., recently changed and the subject of many complaints?

[gofish]

La Dame $60 pp 2 weeks ago on Muse.