Why are prices so high ?

[james j feller]

Why are the prices on RSSC so high?

 

You can cruise for less on CRYSTAL or SILVERSEAS.

 

JIM

[dougburns]

Not true! You have to compare apples to apples. To get comparable digs on either Crystal or Silversea you will pay much more than rssc after all is said and done. Remember, on Voyager the smallest stateroom is 356 sq ft and all staterooms have a balcony. Similar, but a bit smaller on Mariner(301 sq ft). On Navigator most are balcony and also 356. The few window staterooms are 301. All three lines are comparably priced after all is said and done. They're all great lines; just depends on your taste.

[cwc]

Oh, start 2007, RSSC is all-inclusive on drinks. On Crystal, you will need to pay for tips and alcoholic drinks.

 

Maybe you can tell us what itinerary on the three cruiseline you trying to compare with?:)

[Jim B]

My friends ask the same question all the time.

As Doug said. "apples to apples" you find out how reasonable RSSC is.

Sometimes you have to look at the fine print to understand.

 

As stated the cabins are much bigger on RSSC. Normally one would have to do serious upgrading to get close to what the least expensive cabin is on RSSC.

Beginning with 2007 sailings there is no charge for beer, wine, and cocktails

aboard RSSC. Now if you want something really special they might have a small fee, but for normal drinks no charge.

No charge for water and sodas. Have all you want when ever you want.

In fact. On RSSC they have bottles of water on tables for you to take on your excursions.

NO TIPPING. And that is what it means. RSSC really does not want you to tip.

Some people feel guilty but you have already paid it up front.

RSSC has specialty restaurants but there is no extra cover charge to go to them. You do need to make reservations because of size limits.

On some of RSSC cruises they may have one or two excursions that are included in the price.

And then there is the size ratio of the ships to passengers.

Example: We did a NCL cruise that was awful 1,880 people on a 50,000 ton ship. The Seven Seas Mariner is 700 people and 50,000 ton ship.

Trust me! That in it's self is worth paying a little more for a cruise.

Yes the on board entertainment is a little weaker, but still good.

Miss half of the shows anyway because we are so tired that we turn in earlier than we ever would at home.

A wonderful cruise line. Give them a try. You will not be sorry.

[james j feller]

That sounds good, i didn't know that RSSC was all inclusive.

 

I want to go to GREECE next year 2007, do you know if they have any good deals and what ship would be the best for my first cruise.

 

Thank you,

 

JIM

[Charsie]

I just got off the Navigator. The prices are not too high.

 

Charlene

 

P.S. Jim - the entertainment has improved, really fabulous 4 piece orchestra entertaining throughout, various guests with vast amounts of talent...you'll be pleasantly surprised by ALL the changes Regent has made. There's nothing negative to say about anything.

[Jim B]

So glad you had a positive experience on Regent.

While on our cruise we are going to take a serious

look at the Nagivator's schedule. It is the only one we have not been on.

So many of it's cruises we have done, (on another ship), but really want to sail on her. Want to get the "on board discount" if possible.

[Charsie]

Book the Navigator, you won't be let down. But then again, what Regent ship could possibly let you down?? It's a fantastic cruise line. The crew on the Navigator are amazing, from the top on down; warm, friendly, helpful, engaging. And from what I understand, that's pretty well across the board with all Regent ships! Therefore, I highly recommend you take the plunge and book the Navigator while on the Voyager! Lucky you! Lucky me!! What a great life!!

 

Charlene

[BILLP1]

If you have to ask,,,,

 

Just an old saying....

[cwc]

Dear james j feller,

 

RSSC is running a free economic air or 1000$ off cruise fare special on some of the greek cruise next year... I used Regent's free air before and I found them quite good (not like what I heard about Oceania free air messes). If you are from the west coast, the free air deal will be great, but for the east coaster, I would take the 1000$ off and find your own air.

 

Give Regent a try. You won't be disappointed.

 

Cindy:D

[Wendy The Wanderer]

James, I agree with the other posters--you can find deals if you poke around. You should also find yourself a good TA, although I can't mention any names here, but find one that specializes in the luxury cruise lines.

 

You would not be disappointed in either Voyager or Navigator, I'm sure (I'll be on Navigator for the first time in less than 3 weeks, but I have heard good things about it.) Look for discounts, free air, sometimes 2-for-1s. And be content that you can book the smallest stateroom and have plenty of room, and be treated wonderfully well. I was told by my TA not to book an "H" stateroom on Voyager, but to go up to a "G", and to get one mid-ship, that's the only proviso I know about. But any good TA who specializes in Regent should be able to tell you any cabins to avoid.

 

I believe the Greek Islands tend to be destinations that are discounted less than others, but I could be wrong. We saved money last summer by doing a "repo" cruise, from Monte Carlo to London, going around France/Spain/Portugal/England. Voyager at least transits between the Med and the Baltic twice in the season, once in the early summer, once in the fall.

 

Regent handles air very well, and I always like having the security of buying their air, in case of problems. As for pricing, it depends where you're coming from, and how close to a hub you are. If you have a hop or two to get to a hub, you will win, I'm betting. I live in a major hub for Europe, and priced out flights last summer, and still went with Regent, since they priced about the same. I also went with Regent's special deal in business class air, and it was worth every penny.

[Dolebludger]

I'd like to point out that we are repeat RSSC cruisers, but last cruised on Silverseas. We did so because it was on special and was at a lower price than comparable RSSC cruises. And yes, we are comparing apples to apples, as we got the balcony suite that is a near copy of the Mariner. Silverseas is a cruise product that is very much up to RSSC standards, and perhaps then some. Silverseas is also all inclusive.

 

We have never cruised Crystal, so no comment on it.

 

But I can comment that RSSC and Silversea offer very much the same cruise experience. I'd advise comparing prices between these two lines, making sure suites are comparable, and book the one that is the "best deal."

 

Thanks,

Richard

[dougburns]

Also remember that rssc rewards early bookings, as opposed to the mass market lines that put staterooms on a fire sale at the last minute. Example in point: We booked our upcoming first leg of the World Cruise aboard Voyager on 9/24/05 when it first opened for booking. By so doing we saved $21,395 off the published cruise fare. Relative to the above comments, I'd recommend that you try Voyager first if you're going to go with rssc. We've cruised all of the rssc ships multiple times and I'd strongly recommend Voyager for first timers.

[med4bike]

We have been cruising on both Crystal and Regent many times. We love both lines very much.

 

However, we agree with James Feller that Regant prices have gone up considerably. Therefore, our last 3 cruises have been on Crystal where we feel we have received more "bang for the buck".

 

OK there is an "apples to apples" argument concerning the balcony suites on the Mariner and Voyager. However, we now have no preference for a balcony (up to our last Crystal cruise, we have always had a balcony) and do not like the Navigator (a converted Russian trawler) Yes, the cabin suites on all of the Regent ships are far more roomy than any of those on Crystal.

 

It just seems that since Regent has gone all-inclusive, the fares have risen considerably.

 

To us intinerary and time of year are most important, next comes price and other amenities. However, it seems that both cruise lines have similar itins at the same time of year ( ie, Alaska in summer, Caribbean in winter and Europe in the spring and summer)

 

We also agree with JimB's analysis. However, we do not drink much so free booze is a non issue. Both Crystal and Regent provide soft drinks, juices etc. all over the ship w/o charge. We enjoy fixed seating, rather than open seating, in that we like the same table with the same wait staff, therefore this is a non issue with us. No Tipping is a plus for Regent however, most Crystal travel agents can obtain "pre-paid" (free) gratuities included on many Crystal sailings.

 

The food is very close but I would give a small nod to Crystal. We have the same head waiter who is always preparing "special dishes" for us on Crystal (yes, he is expecting and does receive a nice gratuity). The entertainment is superior on Crystal but is getting much better on Regent.

 

Service was a big negative on our last two Regent cruises. Granted, this was about a year and a half ago, but the "new" help which Regent employed was not top notch. In fact, on the last leg of the world cruise we had new personnel who hardly understood English. However, I am sure that these problems have been corrected now. I give the service nod to Crystal.

 

One last caveat, I would choose any Regent cruise that Jamie was the Cruise Director (of course assisted by his lovely wife Dana). Their presence on the Mariner or Voyager would shift the balance to them even if we have to pay a premium. They can certainly make a cruise (especially one with many sea days) a pure joy and an unforgetable experience.

 

Therefore, choosing Regent or Crystal, for us, is a personal matter. To those who must have a balcony, free booze, etc. Regent is the winner. Where those items are not necessary, Regent's prices have risen much higher than Crystal's for the same cruising experience.

 

We are leaving on a Caribbean cruise next week on Crystal for 10 days. We had a $500 pp Regent credit to use or lose by December, 2006. We tried to select a Regent cruise (not on the Navigator, thank you) but every similar Regent cruise we selected was far more expensive than Crystal's pricing (non balcony) We chose to forego the Regent credit. As a sidenote, we were only able to obtain a "guarantee" booking with Crystal since all of the non-balcony suites on the Symphony were taken when we booked. Last week our TA called to tell us that we, at last, obtained our cabin number and it turned out to be a balcony suite. (I guess that's how this "guarantee" thing works, we never did this before) So all of you will not call us "hypocrites", we make a pledge right now not to set foot on our balcony. Ha Ha!

 

All the jazz aside, both cruise lines are wonderful and we have had great cruising experience on both.

[gdlamberth]

A point to clarify (Please note I don't disagree with any of the analysis above): the Navigator is not a converted anything. The Navigator's hull (and hull only) was laid down as a Soviet Artic "Research" ship. This resulted in a thicker and more rigid hull design associated with ships required to operate in moderate ice conditions. This hull configuration also results in internal propulsion plant vice "pods." The heavier hull and internal propulsion has (IMHO) contributed significantly to the Navigator "vibration problem." The other contributor relates to the Navigator having some "high speed" legs in it's itinereries. Because of the internal propulsion configuration, any cavitaion that occurs is readily transferred directly to the rigid hull.

 

All that said there are a lot of reasons to either prefer or not prefer the Navigator. I would recommend a forward suite for anyone sailing on her. As an aside regarding the open seating -vs- assigned getting the same waitstaff and such. I have met folks on Regent who always ask to be seated in a particular waiter or captain's area. So if that's a major concern for anyone I think Regent can accommadate.

 

Greg

[JanMD]

We are going on the Navigator in the Med next summer and we are getting a 2-1 offer at the bottom line, and when we work it out vs Princess they are the same amount. And we don't have to stand in the long lines to get on and off the ship- etc.

Jan

[linda_22003]

You're absolutely right. We took RSSC to the Baltics last summer, and quickly realized how much other lines nickel-and-dime you. I compared it to our experience buying French doors for our house: Andersen seemed a lot cheaper than Pella.

 

However, Andersen made you pay separately for glass dividers, hardware, installation, etc. Pella was one price for everything. There was very little difference when all was said and done, and I prefer not to worry about tipping, bar tabs, and that sort of thing

[Iamboatman]

There have been a number of threads on the increased prices on RSSC (or, to be fair to those who do not think so, whether the prices have increased). I believe there are some deals out there, but the prices have risen considerably. That is not to say there isn't value in the increased price, cruise dependent.

 

I would say of my various RSSC cruises the Navigator was the least positive. It is no secret (the staff and crew readily and publicly concur) that the layout is curious - with odd shaped rooms, the vibration renders certain public spaces virtually useless or of limited utility, and the dining room has a strange mix of tables - which can cause problems when attempting to obtain a table later in a seating. It, obviously, is my least favorite ship. HOWEVER, it does have some very good itineraries, the cabins/suites are also very good, and some of the best RSSC values are on this ship.

 

I would also note that repeat passengers get some benefits which can make a notable dent in your overall cruise costs such as free internet, satellite telephone calls, etc.

 

Personally, I would not put the overall experience on the same level as, say, Seabourn, but that is not a criticism. It is just an observation.