Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 20 #1 Share Posted July 20 As a small introduction, We are Jim and Iain and booked our first RSS cruise last week after lurking here for the past couple of months. So much to learn and thanks for those who helped us understand some of the pre-booking questions e.g. Cancellation, Port to Port vs Home to Port. We had been a dedicated Celebrity cruiser for 27 years in upper suite and are double Zenith in their loyalty program I will not be flaming Celebrity, but acknowledge that after a long marriage our priorities and their changes are not is sync. Just like a failed marriage we had a fling with a Ponant cruise and made the decision that we needed to move on. This year we booked 2 SilverSea, 2 Cunard, 2 Oceania cruises and now 1 RSS. Getting back out there to dating (cruising) we will be taking Our first Oceania cruise in about 6 weeks. This week I booked a 2026 CapeTown to Miami via Lisbon and am beyond excited. We are late to booking (i guess) and could only confirm a D Category. While we are more comfortable with a Living Room separated by a Bedroom after experiencing Ponant, I'm sure we will love the RSS experience even if we can't clear a waitlist. For those that have traveled on both - Am I correct that a D Category would be similar to a Sky Suite without a butler? We really don't use a butler much even in upper suites on Celebrity ... They are nice but I much prefer to get my own coffee early in the morning while in Sleeps in. Any suggestions on things like at what points one can book excursions etc. We still have lots to learn and will be lurking around daily. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 20 Author #2 Share Posted July 20 Answered my own first question when I added my cruise to my newly created RSS Account - I stick them in my Calendar Reminder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covepointcruiser Posted July 20 #3 Share Posted July 20 We took a Regent Cruise this May. Penthouse is the room similar to Sky Suite. You have a butler, a shower, but no bathtub. The things that annoyed us about Regent were, no casual restaurant at night. Reservation were required in all but two restaurants and you are allowed only one per restaurant per voyage although you may be able to snag one once onboard. They offer free shore excursions, however by the time we were able to make reservations (determined by loyalty or suite class) all but the most pedestrian overviews were totally booked. If on the Grandeur or Splendor the Pacific Rim restaurant is great. Unlike Celebrity, once on board everyone is treated the same. The laundry service is wonderful and you can send laundry every day and it is returned neatly pressed or folded. There is no promenade, like the QM2, and the asking track is similar to Solstice class. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare asnaleah Posted July 21 #4 Share Posted July 21 Jim, we just returned from Splendor, round trip Reykjavik. We had a concierge D. I would agree with your assessment of sky suite minus a butler. If you got one with the larger balcony, you will have a full sized lounger, two chairs and a decent sized table. Compared to the Celebrity suite, it is smaller, but I like the bathroom so much better. Double sinks, separate shower, loads of storage. There is a lot of storage in the suite as well. Even with my massive overpacking, there were empty drawers. The food is delicious, even in the main dining room. I do agree, a casual restaurant would be nice but Sette Mari can be pretty relaxed. Additional seatings at the specialty restaurants are available, especially if you would share a table. Also, the specialty restaurants are open for lunch. A nice change from the (very good) buffet. The valet laundry is great! We booked another for January 2026. Pay attention to the excursion and dining reservation dates! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Oceania. We have two cruises with them in 2025. Erin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbandkb Posted July 21 #5 Share Posted July 21 We’ve sailed both lines and Regent is a significant step change from Celebrity in all regards. While food preferences are individual, the choice on Regent is immense, we always find something to our liking. Service is more proactive, intuitive and genuine. Space on the ship is plentiful. Lecturers are interesting and engaging. A most enjoyable relaxed sophisticated atmosphere. Like you and Iain, we are enjoying several other lines but we haven’t found anything we like better than Regent. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardowMD Posted July 21 #6 Share Posted July 21 Concierge suite includes an espresso machine…which is not quiet. There is a heavy drape that can be pulled between the bedroom area and lounge. Hope you score an upgrade! I am doing an RSSC in November on Navigator, which I have not been on since 2005! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaflamingo Posted July 21 #7 Share Posted July 21 Really depends on what ship you are on. Mariner has the smallest Cat. D suites so really like a large balcony. Navigator and Voyager are, IMHO, more like a Sky suite on Celebrity (if i remember the Sky Suite correctly). As for "casual dining" mentioned above. There is a dress code (it's in the FAQ section of the website) and it's actually pretty casual. No jeans, shorts, etc. after 6 pm. Other than that no "dressy" requirements. Formal Optional is only on cruise segments of 16 nights or longer and it is OPTIONAL. Compass Rose is the main dining room and the options are wonderful. You have a number of daily chefs specials but also an everyday option to put about anything you want together, from baked chicken to filet and lobster. People will refer to the "right side" or the "left side" of the menu, the right side being the daily chefs specials. Check out the sample menu on line. La Veranda is a buffet at breakfast and lunch and becomes Sette Mari Italian for dinners. Every ship has Prime 7. All but Navigator has Chartreuse French restaurant, and Explorer, Splendor, and Grandeur have Pacific Rim Asian fusion. These are reservation only (but you can always walk up and see if a table is available). I suggest you look at the sample menus on line. It's all good.😎 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Covepointcruiser Posted July 21 #8 Share Posted July 21 We found the service in Compass Rose to be extremely slow. Do not request a shared table as they will wait until the last seat is filled before you are served. We had a table of eight and after 20 minutes of waiting one couple gave up and went to their room for room service. You have a wide selection of proteins and can select different sauces. We had different waiters each meal so they never really knew your preferences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaflamingo Posted July 21 #9 Share Posted July 21 11 minutes ago, Covepointcruiser said: We found the service in Compass Rose to be extremely slow. Do not request a shared table as they will wait until the last seat is filled before you are served. We had a table of eight and after 20 minutes of waiting one couple gave up and went to their room for room service. You have a wide selection of proteins and can select different sauces. We had different waiters each meal so they never really knew your preferences. Just a quick comment... service sometimes is slow, but in general we haven't found that (over 120 nights on Regent since 2018). Seems to be slowest on the first night and when there is a sudden "rush" for seating. At least in our experience. But if you find a waiter you want, you can request to be put into his or her section and they'll accommodate. Many people do that and they get to know your preferences and your name very quickly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandJCruiser Posted July 21 #10 Share Posted July 21 As you are clearly shopping around, you might want to throw the new Crystal into the mix. Similar to Regent, but excursions not included. Excellent food and service. Definitely worth trying. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I5 O4 K5 Posted July 21 #11 Share Posted July 21 Regent Seven Seas is a cruise line where we are Celebrities. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcorgain Posted July 21 #12 Share Posted July 21 Greetings Jim and Iain, I am a Celebrity Suite convert and remember you from the Celebrity boards. I think you will find Regent a great step up in many regards. 1. As for suites and decor I think you will find that the new ships (Explorer, Splendor, Grandeur) are a significant step up in decor and stateroom sizes. Food and Service are comparable across all the ships we have sailed. A D on the new Ships is easily equivalent to a Celebrity Sky Suite with better storage, larger balcony, and a coffee maker. On the Voyager it will be similar to a Millennium class Sky Suite. One of the real differences is that almost every employee looks for ways to say "yes". And you can get any dish with 24 hours notice. We had the chefs put together an amazing Indian dinner on our last cruise, letting the chefs choose the dishes and telling them we liked its spicy. It was fantastic and they even printed a custom menu for us. Even in the good days Celebrity would never have done that! Greg 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystictraveler Posted July 21 #13 Share Posted July 21 @Jim_Iain, I have followed many of your blogs on Celebrity and have cruised on many Celebrity cruises myself. In the last two years, we have also cruise on the Explorer, Splendor and, most recently, the Navigator. I would agree with your assessment about the "D" suite compared to a Sky Suite, but IMHO the suites on the newer ships like the Splendor are "nicer" and have a better layout. The walk-in closet and the size of the bathroom stick out in my mind. I like the size of the Regent ships as well as the specialty restaurants (except Chartreuse) and I find the food better on Regent. The all-inclusive aspect of the cruise is a positive....especially the laundry service...which is great! I think Celebrity offers more varied entertainment especially the house bands playing in the atrium areas. We have completely divorced ourselves from Celebrity. In fact, we are doing a short cruise next month to Alaska. I look forward to your reviews as you try out the different cruise lines. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolebludger Posted July 22 #14 Share Posted July 22 Hi, Jim and Ian. You may remember me from the Celebrity forum suggesting Regent as a cost effective alternative to Celebrity Retreat. While RSSC does give a great cruise, I can’t comment on cost since it unbundled the air and land transfers for bookings after July 1, and since air fares have gone through the roof this summer. So I can’t necessarily stand be my earlier economic analysis. But I can say that RSSC is a classy, casual, uncrowded experience — more so than Celebrity Retreat. The included laundry is a great feature that allows travel to and from the port with carry on luggage. And on RSSC, room stewards have more duties and fewer rooms assigned, so butlers are really unnecessary. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineoclock Posted July 25 #15 Share Posted July 25 Hi what time if anyone can help what time is good to make speciality reservations for please? Thank you I also remember you from Celebrity boards, trying our first Regent cruise in October. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaflamingo Posted July 26 #16 Share Posted July 26 21 hours ago, wineoclock said: Hi what time if anyone can help what time is good to make speciality reservations for please? Thank you I also remember you from Celebrity boards, trying our first Regent cruise in October. The shows start at 9:30 so if you want to attend, plan accordingly. We usually reserve for 7:00 or so if available, gives us plenty of time for dinner and to get to the show. The distance from any restaurant to the theater is very short (small ships) and you can usually get seating even if you come in late. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineoclock Posted July 26 #17 Share Posted July 26 Thank you that’s helpful 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whinenowine Posted July 26 #18 Share Posted July 26 On 7/20/2024 at 6:01 PM, Jim_Iain said: This week I booked a 2026 CapeTown to Miami via Lisbon and am beyond excited. We are late to booking (i guess) and could only confirm a D Category. For those that have traveled on both - Am I correct that a D Category would be similar to a Sky Suite without a butler? We really don't use a butler much even in upper suites on Celebrity ... They are nice but I much prefer to get my own coffee early in the morning while in Sleeps in. Apologies, Jim--for some reason I had incorrectly assumed you had booked on one of the newer ships, but I'm guessing you're actually on the Mariner. In that case, I retract my prior comparison with a Celebrity CS....you're right that the SS comparison is indeed more accurate. I'm on the Grandeur later this year and those Cat D cabins are a third larger than those on the Mariner (with wider/deeper balconies 2.5x the size of a Cat D on Mariner). I'm very curious about your Oceania thoughts in the Fall, as I think that'll be a much more interesting comp to X. As usual I'll be cruising vicariously through you and Iain (and ever in awe of Iain's sartorial sense of shirts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 26 Author #19 Share Posted July 26 15 minutes ago, Whinenowine said: Apologies, Jim--for some reason I had incorrectly assumed you had booked on one of the newer ships, but I'm guessing you're actually on the Mariner. In that case, I retract my prior comparison with a Celebrity CS....you're right that the SS comparison is indeed more accurate. I'm on the Grandeur later this year and those Cat D cabins are a third larger than those on the Mariner (with wider/deeper balconies 2.5x the size of a Cat D on Mariner). I'm very curious about your Oceania thoughts in the Fall, as I think that'll be a much more interesting comp to X. As usual I'll be cruising vicariously through you and Iain (and ever in awe of Iain's sartorial sense of shirts). Thanks --- I think it may also not be a fare comparison as on our first Oceania cruise in September we are on Regatta which is one of their oldest and smallest ships. In the spring we will be on Vista their newer class so will be interesting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talljules1 Posted July 27 #20 Share Posted July 27 Hi Jim and Iain We've just done our first RSS cruise - Iceland and Greenland - on Splendor, and have booked another. Our cruise was in a Penthouse A - similar to a Royal Suite on Celebrity M and S class ships, but smaller than a Royal on the Infinity. And no bathtub. Suite is well appointed. Our next cruise will be in a Concierge D. Have looked around one, and its similar to a Sky Suite, but with a walk in wardrobe and with no butler. We've fallen somewhat out of love with Celebrity, and realised that with their rising standards and cut backs, we might be in the Regent price range, so worth giving them a try. Our cruise was by no means perfect, only partly due to issues outside RSS's control. Bad weather and lots of sea ice meant we missed most ports and couldn't see much due to fog and rain. RSS can't help that. The internet speed was atrocious - but we understand they will be activating their Starlink system soon. We had some of the very best and very worst food we've had at sea. When it's good, it is superb. Prime 7 and Pacific Rim were clear winners. The burgers at the pool grill were the best we've had at sea, and some of the best we've had anywhere. We had two poor meals at Compass Rose - food served cold when it should be hot, slow/inattentive service. We spoke to the maitre'D and it got a lot better. When it was working as it should it was comparable to Luminae (but with a much more extensive always available menu). The Splendor is absolutely beautiful. She's much smaller than the M-class ships on Celebrity, but that just meant it took no time at all to get from one part to another. It never felt crowded - quite the opposite. It often felt as though we had the ship to ourselves. (That can lead to a sense that there is no atmosphere.) Service at bars and pool deck was good. We're not into shows, so didn't go to any. The other activities seemed rather mediocre, but as we don't usually do those either, it didn't matter. I think the excursions are meant to be the main daytime activities. The ones we did were similar to the sort Celebrity offer, at the cheaper end of the spectrum. They were fine. The culinary arts kitchen classes (which are one of the few things that are for a fee) are good - we enjoyed the one we did, and have booked one on our next cruise too. If shopping on board is your thing - be prepared to be underwhelmed. Only two shops on board, not cheap, and relatively little on offer. (We spent no time shopping) Overall, we decided that our view of the cruise would have been much better if we'd made it into the original ports (itinerary was changed due to sea ice conditions that have affected a lot of cruises to Greenland this year). We met lots of lovely people. So we're trying them again at Xmas in a warm climate (Southern Africa). Hope that helps. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Jim_Iain Posted July 28 Author #21 Share Posted July 28 Look forward to hearing about your Africa adventure. I think we will enjoy RSS. Like you we almost never go to shows and don't participate in things like trivia etc. I know some love it and I would much prefer do my 10 mile walk a day. Wonder how challenging it will be on a smaller ship. It did look like they had nice deck and I don't mind walking hallways. After traveling for about 23 years in upper suites on Celebrity we really (I really loved) having two rooms due to someone I will not mention snoring. I found on Ponant I could survive using Bose Sleep Buds. I still have by buds but also have a set of their replacement Ozlo Buds. Bose discontinued the products and some employees brought a new product to market. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daetchief Posted July 28 #22 Share Posted July 28 On 7/21/2024 at 3:12 AM, Covepointcruiser said: We found the service in Compass Rose to be extremely slow. Do not request a shared table as they will wait until the last seat is filled before you are served. We had a table of eight and after 20 minutes of waiting one couple gave up and went to their room for room service. You have a wide selection of proteins and can select different sauces. We had different waiters each meal so they never really knew your preferences. Aloha, Another aspect to the “Slow Service” in Compass Rose can be categorized as “Unrushed Service”. Granted there are times where there is a swarm of people all wanting to be served at once, but we have found that if you have time constraints [like wanting to get to the show etc.] you should mention it to your server. If the meal IS the evening’s attraction, they won’t rush to get you on your way. And as stated already, if you get accustomed to the same seating section or groups of servers they will learn your preferences for timing. When we dined, often with friends, we ‘Just Hung Loose” and the staff gaged appropriately; or we mentioned our plans and the dinner was more prompt. Let the staff know - and the staff responds. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talljules1 Posted July 28 #23 Share Posted July 28 Whilst on Splendor to Greenland we came up with two fab amendments to the drinks you can order. Chocolate Nelson - order a Cafe Nelson at Coffee Connection but have them make it with hot chocolate instead of coffee. Awesome. Voyager 2 - order a Voyager cocktail, but have them serve it in a highball glass over ice, and top up (about 1") with ginger ale. That added fizz really elevates it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gilly Posted July 31 #24 Share Posted July 31 On 7/28/2024 at 2:35 AM, daetchief said: Let the staff know - and the staff responds. The answer to so many issues/questions/criticisms here, but it can never be said too many times! Bravo @daetchief !! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talljules1 Posted August 25 #25 Share Posted August 25 Well, we have now paid our final balance on our Africa adventure. Another thing to compare is price. We got just over £2K each FCC for our last cruise in compensation for all the missed ports - Regent gave this out (20% of the fare) as the cruise started to all the passengers. That, coupled with the discounts we got for booking a concierge suite (which reduced the cruise fare by >50%) and the extra £1400 or so we got of the price having transferred the booking to our TA, meant the final price, for this 15 night cruise over Christmas in a room equivalent to a Sky Suite was just over £8K for the two of us. That includes drinks (equivalent to a premium drinks package), WiFi, gratuities and shore excursions. (The business class flights are what make this trip costly - they cost almost twice what the cruise costs!) I think we managed to get an amazing deal, but (forgetting the flights) this next cruise will be cheaper (I think) than a cruise of a similar length in the retreat on Celebrity. The advice above of see it, say it, sorted is excellent - we should have spoken up sooner on our last cruise. We'll remember that next time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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