Loved Regent...can Oceania Compare?

[esther e]

If you scroll to top and look at person who started the no smoking thread - being so helpful as usual - consider the source - no latest updates from the source - wink wink

 

I guess I'm the one who started this and didn't mean to have it blow up like it did. I was just stating something and I'm sorry if it got out of hand.

Esther

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well I guess I will finally get my feet wet here, hope I don't step on any toes.

 

Marylizbeth, I understand your point of view, but banishing smokers from all ships is not the answer. It's also not very compassionate. My husband is a recovering nicotine addict, and loves it when there is no smoke around at all, but neither of us are fanatic about it, and in fact he is opposed to some of the draconian laws that exist here in Toronto.

 

 

I for one love a smoke-free environment. But a corner of a dining room or lounge isn't really going to hurt us much. I have never really been bothered by a smoker on a RSSC cruise, and would hate it if they banned smokers entirely. I agree they should enforce the rules about where and when smoking is allowed, period.

[joannapvb]

Esther: NO NO - I was referring to the comment about Regent banishing smoking not your post!! - I enjoy reading your comments, always - "someone" seemed to have heard a rumor - the smoking battle always creates strong opinions - I guess we have pretty much covered the topic by now

[mfitzbooks]

Dear Wendy

 

I am sorry that you thought my post not compassionate. On the contrary! My heart bleeds for smokers and I would do anything in my power to HELP them quit.

 

It is like telling the mother of a diabetic child that she is not compassionate because she does not give her child candy because the child is crying for it. Unfortunately the candy would kill her! It is the same with cigarettes.

 

If you want an education on this go the the HEAD AND NECK cancer boards on yahoo. There will will see the suffering that people go through because of smoking in earlier years. Or head over to the Head and Neck cancer center at Sloan Kettering of the University of PA. I have been there...believe me you won't smoke after seeing the suffering there.

 

And medical data has ESTABLISHED that smoking is hazardous to both the health of the smokers and those in the vicinity smokers. Second hand smoke is a proven killer as well.

 

This is why you will see cigarettes banned most every where one day soon.

 

It is not draconian law as you say. Should we allow heroin on board as well.

 

Please do not tell me I am not compassionate. My mom died in my arms and passed away from the effects of cigarette smoking. As I said earlier, my heart bleeds for smokers and their families.

 

I hope you can see that and hope that you and your loved ones never smoke again.

[lynn1003]

(I too had trouble logging on so finally resorted to re-registering though this is not my first posting)

 

I may be able to shed some light on the subject being discussed here. I have been on Regent ships 3 times as well as once on Oceania Insignia. I signed up for Oceania early when they were brand new when I received a mailer with a great itinerary at a good price. Unfortunately, this cruise turned out to be the longest week in our lives due to no fault of Oceania. It was my mistake because I did not realize the strict no smoking rules. I am a non-smoker but my DH smokes. Spending a week where he was treated like a leper was most uncomfortable for both of us. He would smoke in their small outdoor designated area obeying all rules yet still get "dagger in the eye" glares from passengers. It was a miserable vacation for us. Again, it was no fault of Oceania, they have their rules and I was naive not to research more before choosing this line.

I think a point well made is the fact that those who choose Oceania choose it for a reason, primarily to be in a smoke free environment yet still have good food, nice accommodations (albeit small), good service and good itineraries. It has never known any thing other than an anti-smoking line. It is certainly a cruise line I would recommend to non-smokers. Regent on the other hand fits our lifestyle perfectly. My DH can have his cigarette on the balcony with our morning coffee and smoking is limited to certain areas around the ship. To anyone who may consider Regent, do not believe the posters who make it sound as if this ship has smoking going on through out. I have never experienced this. In fact, most smokers I've encountered on cruise ships are very respectful and courteous, certainly so on our Regent cruises. A few exceptions make it bad for the others.

Oceania will appeal only to non-smokers. Regent will appeal to both smokers as well as non-smokers as long as the non-smokers are tolerant when smokers are smoking in the designated areas as set forth by Regent. These are rules for smokers, not simply guidelines. For those of you who posted on this thread complaining about smelling smoke when on their balcony or in a smoking section of a lounge, give me a break!!. I would highly recommend Oceania as a ship you'd enjoy and leave Regent to those of us who are more tolerant of other's rights as well as our own. Should smoking policies change on Regent? I certainly see no reason for any change. I'm not intending this as a pro or anti smoking posting just a reality check that we all need to practice tolerance and courtesy towards others. After all, last I heard, cigarettes are not an illegal substance.

[cruiseluv]

I'm with you JoAnn. I think this thread has now degenareted into a "preachy" thread about the evils of smoking and targeting people that smoke. Maybe this is being done with good intentions , but I don't think this is the forum for it.

 

BTW, neither my husband or I smoke. We have been on 3 Regent cruises ( and many in other cruise lines that also allowe smoking) and have never been bothered by it.

[marylizbeth]

I do apologize for the diatribe. I guess someone hit a nerve here.

 

And I do agree that on my Regent Cruise I was pleasantly surprised that the smokers were all very polite and it really didn't seem to be a problem.

 

I still contend that it is an issue that should be openly discussed on the boards since it is something that affects one's life while on the cruise ship.

 

I did get a bit heavy handed....but this is a volatile issue for a reason (no pun intended).

 

Soon we can hope for smoke free cruise lines and a smoke free world. Just think how much longer people will live! We will see a lot more 90 year olds on the ships! Healthy 90 year olds.

 

What can be wrong with that?

 

 

Let's all enjoy ourselves and cherish the fact that we are able to do such a marvelous thing as cruise the world!!!

 

Here's to everyone's health.

 

By the way....I originally started this post asking about the diff between Oceania and Regent. Believe it or not I have chosen Regent for my second cruise. But please....don't tell the smokers !!! :o

 

And, I do love the smokers. I just don't love that they smoke.

[ridolphi]

Well I don't think there will ever be a world without smokers. Just as there will never be a world without drinkers:D that would be us, or a world without people who love to eat:D that would be us again, as opposed to those who just eat to live, or a world without children, although there are those who choose not to have them, or a world without pets, although there are those who choose not to have them, etc, etc, etc. Point is different strokes for different folks and we all have to live together in this world in the end. Different everything, religion, jobs, ways of life in general, vegetarians or not, the list goes on and on and on! Tolerance and respect for others is the way we should all live our lives.

 

Again, this is an issue that is never going to be solved here on this or any other board, so aren't we beating a dead horse to death!!!

 

As I recall, smoking or non smoking wasn't even the issue to begin with.

 

Now, having been on both RSSC several times, and Oceania once, we love them both and would go back on any of them any time, given right price, right itinerary and just generally right situation.

 

OK - getting off my soapbox!! Have said enough.

 

JoAnn

[esther e]

Even if the price wasn't "right," we're going on 2 Regent cruises--one in Nov and one in March.:D

[ridolphi]

Well Esther - I know you will enjoy them!! Have a great time!!

[esther e]

We've been on every Regent ship except Song of Flower. We started cruising on the inagural Navigator and have been going ever since. We haven't been on the Voyager, and are very much looking forward to it. :)

Esther

[mrlevin]

Peggy,

 

Sad to say, but cutting in line or complaining never killed anyone that I know of, but as the packages in Europe say on the cigarette packages, Cigarettes kill. Many smokers are very kind and courteous. JHP for one. But, there were people oblivious to the rules who light up when non smokers are present in places that they shouldn't be smoking according to the rules - like hallways, La Verandah, etc. Those who want to enjoy their cigarettes are welcome to do so where it's appropriate if they are considerate. It's the actions of a few who cause a few non smokers to become fanatical about it - and who will ruin it for those who are kind and courteous.

 

I found this interesting news report:

 

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence man shot after cutting in line - (Boston.com) Police said that Jacob Delgado was shot apparently during an argument after he tried to jump ahead of after-hours clubgoers at a sandwich cart on Broad Street early Saturday morning.

 

And here is another one:

 

BAY MINETTE, Ala. Amid the rising floodwaters and winds, Hurricane Dennis appears to have boosted some tempers as well.

 

A Florida woman is accused of ramming her motor home into a woman who confronted her about cutting in line at a gas station during the storm evacuation. Bonnie Sue Ford was charged with reckless endangerment. She allegedly tried to cut in front of about 60 other vehicles.

 

Motorists were in line to get gas in advance of Dennis's landfall.

 

A sheriff's spokesman says Ford hit the woman in the back and pushed her "to the point where her feet were actually sliding on the ground."

 

An officer heard the victim scream, then arrested Ford.

 

The victim wasn't seriously injured.

[joannapvb]

Esther: Hope to crusie with you sometime in the future - we love Regent too

[esther e]

Joanna, I would like that very much. Do you know we live just about an hour south of you?:) How about joining us in March on the Mariner to the Caribbean?

Esther

[ClaudiaF]

The original post before all the "flames" ( a smoke pun ;-)

was how would the ships compare.

A few people who never took an Oceania cruise have posted what was wrong with Oceania..how in the world does one make that comparison?

In all the years I have been here at CC it never ceases to amaze me the way some folks can answer questions of others and have absolutely no clue.

This thread has gone off in such a strange direction..time to get back to what was asked and stop bashing each other esp. "you " , and you know who you are,that have a sick fun at lashing out at people like Chatkat who voice a concern that some may find important in making their cruise ship choices.

If you have nothing nice to say.. please don't post it. You are only making yourself look foolish ..

;)

The ships of Oceania are not Non smoking ships..perhaps the people who cruise them are just a bit more considerate of their fellow pax ..and

the owners have rules and they abide by them.

The ships in my opinion are the most beautiful ships at sea and many of you who know me,that is alot of you, by the way... know I have said this for way over 10 years since the ships were part of Renaissance, which we cruised on as much as many of you cruise Regent. The ships now as part of Oceania are even more beautiful then in their R en days. Exquisite comes to mind. I think Mariner is an old boring dark ship.

Will be taking Navigator in december, but as much as I love Regent, the ships do not compare..sorry..I see blood pressure rising.

I do like the gratuities inc. in Regent..but hey on my next 2 upcoming cruises with O they are also included.

Frankly, the cabin category below PH on O is smaller than the "standard" not sure what you call them on Regent ( think 7th floor cabin Mariner for example) compared to O..they are very close in size, except Regents has a bit larger bathroom and a walk in closet. Big deal. Oh ya fridge.:eek:

The food on Regent can be good or bad and same on O.but I happen to think that O is better.

The tours on O are overpriced..well, the tour department is not owned by the ship..and even private tours ( which I only take) prices have gone over the moon ..but I will continue to take them as long as I cruise.

That is not something that you can blame the ship for.

Anyways, babbling here..best thing to do is try it, I am sure you'll like it..and to Chatkat..tell me when you plan to go on O..I'll book too:D

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hey Claudia, you always make O sounds wonderful! And I'm sure it is. But just wanted to point out that if suite-size is important, then you have to go for a Penthouse Suite on O to match a lowly standard stateroom on Voyager, Navigator or Mariner, which all hover around the 300 square feet mark, not including the balcony.

 

I'm looking forward to trying O sometime in the future, with the right itinerary and if I can get my head around the nickel and diming. And looking forward to meeting you on the Navigator in December. Any friend of Kathy's is a friend of mine.

 

P.S. I am speaking as one who will never find herself in the Owner's Suite or anything close to it.

[Pam]

The ships in my opinion are the most beautiful ships at sea and many of you who know me,that is alot of you, by the way... know I have said this for way over 10 years since the ships were part of Renaissance, which we cruised on as much as many of you cruise Regent. The ships now as part of Oceania are even more beautiful then in their R en days. Exquisite comes to mind. I think Mariner is an old boring dark ship.

 

Isn't Mariner actually newer than the O ships?

 

I'll freely admit that I've never been on an Oceania ship, and probably won't because *gasp* cruising isn't our #1 priority in travel. But I do like Regent well enough to protest when somebody's description of the ships makes me think of Dennis Hopper in the infamous movie "Water World" (which I insist on renaming "Greige World". They don't reek of smoke in every public place, and I was on one recently enough to proclaim that. And that was the impression being given.

 

I quit smoking four years ago. On my last Voyager cruise (got off Sept 6), I could walk down the hall and identify which suites had smokers in them; that amazed me, because I'd never had that kind of sense of smell. However, I never smelled it in the lounges, or in Compass Rose, or in La Verandah. Nor on my balcony.

[ClaudiaF]

Hi Pam,

Mariner is 3 years newer than say Regatta.:rolleyes:

I was never bothered by the smoke on Mariner ..just think the thread went off in a weird direction and I think it is not nice for some to constantly bash people for posting what they find wrong on their cruise as happened to our friend Chatkat.

[KatWag]

DH and I have sailed twice on Regent. I don't remember smelling much smoke, to be honest. And I have to admit that as a former smoker, I'm usually pretty sensitive to it. We had to avoid the lounges, of course, but that's pretty much a given on any ship if you are a non-smoker. It's pretty tough to keep the smoke in the smoking section. Remember the old days of transatlantic air travel where smoking was one side of the plane and non-smoking was the other? :)

 

I understand the balcony issue. That's a tough one to solve. When I smoked, I always thought that by being outside I could keep from bothering people. It wasn't until I stopped that I realized how easily you could still smell it. Years later a doctor told me it was because my sense of smell was impaired while I was a smoker. I didn't notice it because I couldn't smell it.

 

Personally I like the idea of a policy which tries to meet the needs of both smokers and non-smokers. I always figure that when I solve my own addiction (to junk food and sweets) and start maintaining my weight at a size 4-6 instead of a size 12, I'll start expecting the smokers to break theirs. ;)

 

Happy travels to all

[Iamboatman]

I think I may have started a firestorm (pun intended) with the smoking comment.

 

I have made further inquiry to Regent to find a real answer; knowing what I was previously advised. I haven't found anyone to say "absolutely the smoking policy will not change" but plenty to say "I haven't heard anything to that effect."

 

I also feel the issue of smoking (and I am a non-smoker - save a very occassional cigar) is less related to smoking, but more related to the smoker. Just as there is nothing wrong with a cell phone or a good belly laugh, there are places where it is just inappropriate.

 

Personally, I would rather sit on my balcony and deal with the smoke than a loud neighboring couple one in the cabin and one on the balcony shouting back and forth to each other...with the TV on. (OK, now raise your cursor if that has happened to you. Mine is raised.:eek: )

[fizzy]

We have sailed several times on RSSC/ Regent and we also enjoy smoking now and then. We certainly obey all the rules for resticted areas but our balcony is not one of them. Strictly tonguein cheek, I could be very concerned for everyone's health who is a drinker. We drink no alcohol whatsoever and of course I have noticed over the years on this board the constant discussion about the ammount of "included" booze one can hope to take advantage of and how to get the most possible on each cruise. We have sat in public places enjoying coffee or a soda where perfectly happy cruisers were having a good time and the drinks were flowing and the noise level was getting louder and louder and if it became too much--- we moved. It would not occur to us that there be an area partitioned off for the heavy drinkers , who are certainly damaging their health, so that the noise did not agitate me and cause my blood pressure to rise(unhealthy to me). This type of discussion could go on and on. Perfume bothers someone's allergies, fat people take up more room...blah blah blah. So far, we have found no cruise line more wonderful and elegant than Regent and we hope that the powers that be leave things just the way they are.

[curiouscruiser]

Nicely said, fizzy.