Want Experienced and Objective Information? Rely on Goldring Travel; Not Cruise Critic

I figured enough was enough.  Just let it die.  That was until I made the “mistake” of looking at some of the posts on CruiseCritic.com when some of my readers suggested I do so.

And when I looked I found that – believe it or not – (and I believe it) my observations about the poor standards on Regent Seven Seas Cruises over the past years not only were observed by others, but that the chief critic of me has now literally admitted what I said was correct…just after attacking me.

But to me the most interesting aspect of that was the cheerleader now admits she was biased. I do not point this out to denigrate an individual, but to point out that objectivity is difficult in an emotional world…and I guess the phrase, “You can’t kick my dog! Only I can kick my dog!!” comes to mind.

Each poster on Cruise Critic, who generally take one or two cruises a year, usually loyal to a specific cruise line or two, has a limited view of the cruising world and, of course, wants to believe they made the right and best choice. (You bought a Lexus? You should have bought in Infiniti!)  So when asked they are pretty much going to be looking for the good in their experiences because emotionally that is what people do…with no ill intent.

Now to the specifics – noting the writer attacked me for being biased.

In the thread Have Things Improved, TravelCat2 states, in relevant part:

When Regent was first purchased by Apollo (PCH – Prestige Cruise Holdings), it was a disaster. I hadn’t realized what bad shape that Regent was in (threadbare towels, sheets, etc.) because the ships were sailing half full which we loved and it made the service seem better. The Navigator was listing in the water, losing power and was a mess… 

While PCH…was refurbishing the ships regularly (which had not been done in the past ……. the carpeting on the ships looked stained (from 2006 when we first cruised with them until maybe 4 years ago). When NCLH purchased Regent, big money went into the ships (especially the Navigator). Although some customers perceived cut-backs, one has to realize that Regent customers have perceived nonexistent cutbacks as long as we have been cruising with them… 

For us, the biggest thing to get over was the amazing service that Regent had when the ships were not sailing full. Even though Regent has done what they can to add crew cabins to the ships and even use passenger cabins for officers and some lecturers and entertainers, I do understand the perception of the service being a bit slower. The number of crew members needed in CR, for instance, was determined under the first owner. Since the ships were rarely full, there were more than enough crew members to serve diners. Customers got used to that. Then, when the ships started running at capacity, it’d seemed that there were not enough servers, etc, in CR…

IMO, the Owners Suite on the [Oceania] Riviera, for instance, is nicer than the Master Suite on Explorer (also feel that the Vista Suite on [Oceania] Riviera is miles above any Grand Suite on Regent.) Food is subjective – many Oceania passengers feel that the food is better on Oceania while “some” Regent passengers feel that it is not. 

Definitely agree about [expensive] prices but when you look at competing luxury lines (Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea), their fares have increased as well. There are ways to make Regent more affordable……. take a cruise with Seven Seas Society benefits, book onboard, take the hotel credit and book your own hotel and – if you don’t mind flying coach, take the international air credit. These items add up to thousands of dollars in savings. 

Another poster wrote:

I had a penthouse suite on both cruises. I found the penthouse much nicer on Oceania Riviera which included two sinks in the bathroom as well as a jetted tub. Voyager had a smaller shower which was a hand held mounted, whereas Oceania is a full shower head and much roomier. I even liked the toiletries better on Oceania. 

Food is not that subjective. It is just far better on Oceania, which I don’t understand since the same company owns both. Why pay the premium for Regent? I just don’t get it… 

The tours was truly overwhelming on this Barcelona to Lisbon cruise. There was no way to prebook a seat near the front of the bus. You had to take your chance and rush to get to the theater early to put in a request for one of the first row seats. On top of that, the tour guides sat in the right side first row which should be reserved for those with disabilities instead of the small seat on the level with the bus driver. Oceania does not do this! Also we were able to reserve our seats for every tour ahead of time and our names were on the seats when we boarded… 

The buses were poorly air conditioned! There were days the temp reached over or near 100 degrees and I don’t think the bus ever got below 85 either.  

If you were to read the foregoing you would have thought the CruiseCritic posters were actually on my cruise and were commenting about it.  Everything negatively noted:

• Pricing 
• Showerhead, 
• Bath Amenities, 
• Tours, 
• Slow Service, 
• Food Quality
• Quality of the Suites, etc. 

are all there…and if I hadn’t written my articles just days before, you would have been reading Cruise Critic and thinking all was wonderful and Regent Seven Seas Cruises and that it was such a great deal.

Trust me!  You really can.

Now if Regent Seven Seas Cruises addressed even the little things rather than hyping a new menu, I could recommend, and you could confidently book, some wonderful itineraries.  Until then:

Just sayin’