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Misunderstood: What I Discovered Regent Seven Seas Get Proper (And Unsuitable)

I used to be having a good time on my latest Regent Seven Seas cruise earlier than I began chatting with fellow company. Some first-timers in addition to long-time regulars raised points which made me surprise if I used to be being too forgiving. In any case, the journey had price me some huge cash and it’s value being choosy!

So, after digesting all of it and taking up board their ideas, right here’s what I imagine the road does effectively, in another way, and what doesn’t work for everybody – and why.

Who Are Regent Seven Seas?

A fast recap of what Regent is. It’s a part of the Norwegian Cruise Group, calling itself essentially the most luxurious journey at sea. It competes with ultra-luxury strains like Seabourn, Silversea, and now Explora Journey’s and the revamped Crystal.

They are saying of their promoting they’ve essentially the most fare inclusions of all of the ultra-luxury strains. I’ll maintain coming again to this, because it’s each a plus and a destructive.

What Does Regent Seven Seas Do Effectively?

Everybody I spoke to agreed with me that they’ve lovely ships. They’ve six ships. Three are the identical design, Explorer (that I used to be on), Splendor, and Grandeur, every carrying 746 passengers. The Mariner and Voyager are one other design carrying 698, and the Navigator I’ve been on taking 496.

The Ships

The ships really feel spacious for comparatively small ships. They by no means appear crowded. Inside, I believe it seems to be fashionable, refined, and the furnishings is all very plush. All of it is and appears costly, together with the art work which incorporates works by well-known artists like Picasso.

It’s in all probability not as up to date décor because the newer Seabourn and Silversea ships. However I just like the model.

I additionally just like the vary of venues and services on these comparatively small ships. On Deck 12, there’s a sports activities deck, with loopy golf, paddle court docket, deck video games, and strolling and working monitor.

On Deck 11, there’s a pool deck, large Statement Lounge, Library, Connoisseur Membership Cigar lounge, Card Room, and Culinary Arts Cooking Centre.

Deck 5 provides a spa with an enormous health centre, above it on Deck 6, an infinity pool, Espresso Connection open a lot of the day with snacks, Meridian Lounge, which is a bar at night time and serves afternoon tea within the afternoon, which is completely top-of-the-line at sea. Visitor and Vacation spot Companies, Future Cruise Gross sales, Web Café, and Eating Reservations are right here too.

On Deck 4, there’s a surprisingly massive on line casino, and a swanky bar with dance flooring, and retailers.

There are 15 grades of suites, that are a great dimension for a small ship. For instance, I used to be in an F2 Superior Suite (803) which is within the decrease third of the grades. It was cozy, spacious, had an ideal lavatory, and good-sized balcony.

I believe the ships are nice. However you’ve observed, I’m certain, I didn’t point out eating venues and eating. And that’s the second factor I believe they do effectively. Although, I don’t assume they beat the competitors and do have some points.

Eating

There are seven eating choices on all however Navigator.

Compass Rose is the primary eating room, open for breakfast and dinner. It’s received an enormous menu, with requirements, and day by day rotating objects. I noticed firsthand, via eating with a few of my YouTube channel members, they cater for vegetarian and vegan passengers effectively by working with company on the menus every day.

Dinner received busy at peak time and repair could possibly be a bit bit sluggish. The great factor is its open seat eating, and I might get no matter desk configuration I wished, be it eating alone or with different company I met.

There are three speciality eating places included within the fare. However I needed to make bookings for these, and that was solely doable as soon as on board annoyingly. I might eat in every solely as soon as and examine in through the cruise if house to go once more. Excessive grade suite company might go as typically as they need.

Right here’s what I believed was good and fewer good about them.

Good And Unhealthy

Prime 7 is the steakhouse. It is a lovely venue however just about each line at sea has one, and I believe it’s laborious to face out. I discovered it completely okay. Others I spoke to have been much less enthusiastic concerning the steak high quality, and regulars felt the menu in right here (and different eating places) has not developed for ages, together with the tasty smoky tomato soup amuse bouche that has been round eternally it appears.

Pacific Rim was my favorite speciality venue. Superb vary of Asian meals, and wow-factor trying venue. I had good service as I dined early. Though once more, others say that they had a sluggish expertise at peak occasions.

Chartreuse serves trendy French delicacies. Once more, one other placing venue, and whilst a not massive fan of French meals, I loved this lots.

They’ve one other night restaurant, which is known as Sette Mari at La Veranda.

La Veranda is the nice buffet restaurant at breakfast and lunch, and at night time it turns into a waiter-served Italian. It’s received nice meals.

But it surely will get loopy busy and is difficult to get into as there aren’t any reservations. Like on my final cruise, folks lined up for the 6:30pm opening to get a desk. So it form of takes the sting off the posh, as a result of it’s a little bit of a bun combat to get in it.

There’s the Pool Grill with a wholesome breakfast possibility and through lunch, serves pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. They weren’t open for dinner.

Nothing Informal

And that is one among my misses. There is no such thing as a informal eating possibility within the night, as the one different choice to having a sit down served meal was in-suite eating.

I’d love the choice of simply having one thing informal some nights. Significantly, on this 11-night cruise, I didn’t need massive drawn-out meals daily.

So, they do meals effectively, and is on par no less than with the ultra-luxury competitors at. Meals was although higher than on say “premium” strains like Holland America, Princess, and Celeb. Although their sister like Oceania, additionally owned by Norwegian, in all probability offers them a run for his or her cash too!

Service

I believe the opposite factor that they do effectively is service. After all, all luxurious strains, have nice service.

I have to think about that some crew recognise, or know me, from my YouTube channel, however everybody I spoke to agreed that crew are very pleasant and take time to talk and get to know you. The strategy is environment friendly however lighthearted, and private.

I gained’t spend extra speaking about this as I believe good service is a given at this degree of cruising. So, let me shift now onto what I believe they do that’s distinctive and totally different.

What Does Regent Seven Seas Do In a different way?

Once I have a look at their brochures and web site, they speak lots about Regent Seven Seas having essentially the most inclusions throughout the fare. Though true versus different luxurious strains, Silversea is shifting nearer to them.

Nonetheless, I additionally assume they’re doubtlessly making a rod for their very own again as you’ll hear.

Fare Inclusions

What’s included in a Regent Seven Seas fare? Financial system Flights and transfers, though Penthouse and above get enterprise class flights. Concierge and better grades, get a pre-cruise resort keep.

Everybody will get Limitless shore excursions, drinks, Gratuities, speciality eating places, laundry, and limitless Wi-Fi.

However, in a few of these inclusions, I discovered points.

First on the subject of the included switch and motels stays. Each earlier than my Caribbean and Japan cruises, neither felt that luxurious, with a disconnect between the luxuriousness of the ship and the land expertise.

It was the standard search for the cruise line signal, wait and get on a bus to the resort, and the motels have been normal chain convention and package deal vacation kind. In Japan it was Hilton Tokyo, in a regular room.

When it comes to the Limitless Shore Excursions, some had points right here.

Limitless Shore Excursions

They’re launched a couple of 12 months earlier than the cruise at a sure time of day, and other people swoop in and choose all one of the best ones.

For instance, for my Tokyo journey, they have been launched UK time after midnight. So, I logged in at 6am after I woke as much as discover some included exclusions that I actually wished to do have been already wait-listed.

Silversea give entry to included excursions while you e-book a cruise, so reward early bookers extra.

A number of the higher and extra attention-grabbing excursions with extra expensive parts have expenses. So, for the Tokyo journey, I paid a complete of $400 for excursions in three of the ports like a go to to a mountain prime shrine that required a cable automobile journey, a go to to some Caves in Kochi, and a extra in-depth tour of Kyoto.

Extra Panoramic – Much less Immersive

The included excursions, though there’s a respectable variety of selections per port, appear to be extra strolling and panoramic excursions with some however not all entry charges coated. For instance, entry was coated into the Kyoto Nijo Palace grounds however to not tour the precise palace.

I noticed loads of no-shows after a protracted day like after Kyoto or folks within the morning handing again tickets.  However by then Regent have dedicated to the guides, busses and so on., so all this type of price is already included. So there seems to be loads of wastage, which I ponder if impacts what they’ll supply.

The tour course of might in all probability be made a bit extra luxurious feeling. We needed to meet within the theatre to get a tour bus quantity like on resort and premium strains. Some luxurious strains like Silversea allocate your tour as you allow the ship which feels classier, I believe. Possibly I’m over pondering that, however small issues which are much less like massive ship strains I believe might add.

Total, I hope I don’t wish to seem too destructive as I did benefit from the included excursions and quantity of alternative. However some points.

Included Drinks & Wi-Fi

As I don’t drink alcohol, I requested folks on board concerning the included wine, drinks, and cocktail lists, and it appears total settlement it’s a protracted, good and beneficiant one.

What I liked, which does present luxurious, is that it did have all of the quirky drinks. Like caffeine-free weight loss plan Coke and Caffeine-free common Coke, No Sugar Ginger Ale, and others I usually can not get on different strains.

I needed to pay to improve to streaming Wi-Fi as solely primary was included. Even that was so-so, however as Starlink rolls throughout the fleet everybody will get quick Wi-Fi included.

I might get as a lot laundry finished as I wished, and it could come again the identical day. Beloved this. There have been additionally very busy visitor laundry rooms on all decks, as apparently folks didn’t belief sending fancy or delicate garments to the laundry!

Distinction To Different Extremely-Luxurious Traces

I’m typically requested how Regent differs from the opposite ultra-luxury strains. There’s a lot that’s related as I’ve talked about. However some headline variations are as follows.

In contrast to Seabourn and Silversea they don’t do expedition cruising.

Seabourn has extra superstar partnerships. They’ve or have had on board superstar partnerships with Thomas Keller in eating, Sir Tim Rice for Leisure, Dr. Andrew Weil in Wellness, Molton Brown in toiletries and Helly Hansen for expedition clothes. And so they have a extra centered enrichment program, with their Conversations sequence.

Silversea has a extra European really feel and strategy, and butlers for all suites. They concentrate on their S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Style) gourmand progam which influences the menus, onboard occasions, and excursions. And they’re very vacation spot immersion centered, and from what I’ve seen primarily based on my upcoming South Africa journey appear to have fewer choices, however extra premium excursions included throughout the fare.

The day by day packages throughout all are related with the standard trivia, deck video games and themed tune and dance exhibits. I do assume lack of area historical past and cultural enrichment talks and no port talks was a miss on each my cruises.

Price The Value?

Regent prices lower than I believe many respect, although after all it’s manner out of most individuals’s price range. I need on this cruise a number of weeks after my Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas the place I had booked a set on there to check that out.

The price per day, as soon as I added in all of the add-ons like Wi-Fi, speciality eating, excursions, drinks, gratuities and transfers it price me the identical as my Regent journey.

However after all, it was a really totally different expertise. There I used to be paying for large excessive scale theatre and water exhibits and big selection of services with the suite areas method to escape the crowds and noise. On Regent it was for a smaller, refined, extra reserved, and personalised service and high quality of meals. They do this effectively.

So, when folks ask me if I believe it’s definitely worth the cash, I say it’s all about what’s necessary to them. For me, I’d a lot slightly pay that for this expertise, however I met folks on the journey who missed the large exhibits, bustle, and selection of massive resort ships.

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