All About Cruises

Tag: Regent

  • What are the Best All-Inclusive Cruise Lines?

    What are the Best All-Inclusive Cruise Lines?

    All-inclusive cruise lines are the pinnacle of simple travel. But which cruise lines can be categorized as all-inclusive? Although the phrase is tossed around a lot, the definition isn’t quite clear. Does all-inclusive really include everything? What about flights? Does your booking also pay for your hotels? Do you get an unlimited amount of free food?

    These questions bring us to the main point you should understand about all-inclusive cruises: each brand uses a different meaning for the term. That means that you need to pay close attention to what is actually included with your initial booking price. If you’re not careful, you may find that you incur extra costs that you weren’t accounting for.

    With that said, though, there is one cruise line that strives to be as close to truly all-inclusive as possible: Regent. Your booking price will get you pretty much everything — even round-trip flights. Shore excursions, dining, and wi-fi are some of the major perks of choosing a Regent cruise. Of course, these included options are hand-in-hand with a premium price. Regent is a luxury line, but they are also more expensive than some of their other competitors because of their incredibly convenient cruise packages. The only parts of the cruise that aren’t included in the price are the spa, some drink choices, and the most high-end shore excursions.

    If you’re looking for a more adventurous all-inclusive cruise line, Scenic should be your first choice. Known for exciting expeditions to far-flung locations, Scenic offers a huge list of amenities with the initial cost of booking. You’ll get wi-fi, flights within your country, excursions, and even a butler service in your cabin. The cruise line also has many ways for you to interact with the locations you’re visiting, with Zodiaks, kayaks, and e-bikes all being included in the price.

    Silversea, one of the finest luxury cruise lines, is another good option for those looking for an all-inclusive cruise. They have two different packages that allow you to choose how much you want included in your price. For those that prefer a lower initial price, the Port-to-Port package is perfect. It includes meals, wi-fi, and one shore excursion per port. The Door-to-Door package gives you all of that along with flights and travel to and from airports. It is certainly more expensive, but it’s really worth it if you want everything handled for you.

    Many other luxury cruise lines offer some kind of all-inclusive package. But these three cruise lines are among the best. If you want everything taken care of for you, booking with any of them will be a great choice!

  • The New Regent World Cruise for 2024

    The New Regent World Cruise for 2024

    If you’ve been waiting for a sign to drop everything and go on a cruise around the world, here it is. Regent has just announced its 2024 world cruise, and it is definitely one that is hard to pass up. We’ve always been excited by world cruises, and this is one that really stands out. It hits four continents and 31 countries over the course of more than 100 nights. Unlike other similar cruises that try to pack in as many ports as possible into their itineraries, this one allows you to fully immerse yourself in every location.

    The stats

    As with any world cruise, the stats on Regent’s 2024 “Moments in Time” itinerary are quite impressive. It lasts for 132 nights (that’s more than four months, by the way). There are a total of 66 ports that are visited as well as 61 UNESCO World Heritage sites. The ship will travel 34,500 nautical miles in total, and guests will be able to choose between 442 free (yes, free) shore excursions throughout the course of the trip. It will all take place on the Seven Seas Mariner, a Regent ship with a 700-guest capacity. Seven Seas Mariner is right in the middle of Regent’s fleet in terms of size, meaning guests on this cruise will have enough space to be comfortable without feeling like the ship is too crowded.

    The highlights

    The sheer number of different locations that are visited on this cruise means that every traveler is going to have their own highlight. That’s the point of a world cruise! With that said, we can still describe some of the coolest ports that are included in the itinerary. The cruise departs from Miami, Florida on January 6th, 2024 and quickly heads south. One of the first ports is Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala where travelers will be able to see both volcanoes and ancient ruins. By the end of the month, the ship will head over to Hawaii for a four-day stay that is all about relaxation. The highlights just keep coming after that: Yangon in Myanmar, Dubai in the UAE, Rome in Italy, Barcelona in Spain. The full action-packed itinerary is here.

    The price

    This is a world cruise, and that means that the price is naturally going to be quite steep. According to Regent, fares start at $73,499. One thing that should be noticed about the price, though, is that many things come free with this cruise. In addition to the aforementioned shore excursions, guests will also be treated to complimentary air fare, valet laundry, hotel stays, and more. So, yes, it’s expensive, but you certainly get what you pay for.

    Reservations for this cruise open up on July 14th, 2021, and we expect the spots to sell out fast. You can request pricing over here.

  • Major Cancellations Make a Return to Cruising in the U.S. Unlikely in 2020

    Major Cancellations Make a Return to Cruising in the U.S. Unlikely in 2020

    Recent cancellations from some of the biggest cruise lines in America seem to imply that cruising will not return to the country in 2020. With a few European countries now allowing cruising, U.S. citizens were hoping that their nation would follow suit. Things were starting to seem hopeful, but a number of December cancellations spell trouble.

    Carnival Cruises

    As one of the most popular cruise lines in the United States, Carnival was really hoping that they wouldn’t need to wait until 2021 to get back into business. But it seems that that is what is happening. They were eyeing December as the month that they would be able to phase back into sailing, but their December itineraries have now been removed from their website. They have yet to announce if these itineraries will be moved into 2021 or if they will be replaced later on.

    Regent, Oceania, and Norwegian

    Regent, Oceania, and Norwegian have also cancelled all of their December itineraries. We include these three under an umbrella because they are all owned by Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. This corporation broke the news on November 2nd that their three cruise lines would not be sailing in December. 2021 it is, then.

    Royal Caribbean

    As the largest cruise line in the world, it’s safe to say that many other companies look towards Royal Caribbean to set standards in the industry. And that is partially why it is alarming that they too have cancelled all of their December sailings. We view this as the final nail in the coffin for 2020 U.S. sailings. In a statement, Royal said, “We plan to utilize this time to thoroughly train our staff and crew on our new health and safety protocols, while also conducting a number of trial sailings to stress-test these measures in real-world conditions.”

    The future for U.S. cruises

    With all of these cruise lines cancelling their remaining 2020 itineraries, it seems certain that we will be waiting until 2021 to sail again. These cancellations come at the same time that the CDC has shifted away from their No Sail Order in favor of a Conditional Sailing Order. Perhaps the cancellations are a sign of companies restructuring their plans for the near future to focus on the simulated voyages that they have to do for the CDC. Once these are out of the way, we might see plenty of 2021 itineraries popping up.

    If you were affected by any of these cancellations, let your travel agent know or contact your cruise line directly for a refund. 2020 may be a bust for cruising, but 2021 still could be great.

  • Cruise News – October 2020

    Cruise News – October 2020

    As October draws to a close and November rears its head, the future of the cruise industry still seems as uncertain as ever. There were indications that normalcy might be reached in this winter season, but that is now seeming less and less likely. While some cruise lines have been able to resume operations, others have been forced to cancel more itineraries. The winter is predicted to be a dark time for coronavirus across the globe, so we wouldn’t expect things to jump back to how they were pre-pandemic just yet. Regardless, the cruise industry marches on. Plenty happened in October, so here are a few stories that you may have missed.

    CDC advises travelers to not travel

    We have been waiting for the CDC to make their final decision on whether cruising from the United States will be allowed in November. The current No Sail Order is set to expire in November, so all eyes are on their potential announcement. While they haven’t said anything yet, they have issued an interesting new piece of advice to travelers. In a statement, they said that “the U.S. government is advising U.S. travelers to defer all cruise travel.” They didn’t offer any details about whether this will be followed up with an extension to their No Sail Order. Stay tuned for that.

    Regent reaches new booking records

    Here’s a news story you probably didn’t expect to hear about right now. On October 21st, Regent reportedly had its most successful day of bookings… ever. Not just for 2020, but for the entire time Regent has been active. (That’s 28 years, by the way.) This came after their 2022-2023 Voyage Collection opened up for bookings. This might just be indicating that travelers feel far more confident about cruising in 2022 and 2023 rather than 2021. We’ll be curious to see if this trend is true for other cruise lines as well.

    Swan Hellenic appoints new Vice President of Hotel Operations

    Swan Hellenic, a cruise line that is currently being brought back into operations after a long pause, has announced that they have chosen Hans Heger as their Vice President of Hotel Operations. Hans has worked in the past with companies like Silversea, Scenic, and various others. He also has past experience working with Swan Hellenic, so the company is confident that he will serve them well.

    AIDA switches up plans for AIDAblu

    AIDA was recently able to start cruise operations again with their ship AIDAblu. Despite a relatively successful first few voyages, the company is shifting some of its plans for AIDAblu. Due to German travel warnings, the ship will start visiting Syracuse and Messina instead of Naples and La Spezia.

    American Cruise Lines announces 2021 season

    American Cruise Lines (yes, that’s one cruise line) is one of the premier river cruise lines in the United States right now. They have drummed up a lot of excitement with their announcement of their 2021 Mississippi season. A lot of new programs and shore excursions will take place in the new year, and they will also be unveiling two new ships. There are many itineraries to take a look at, so head over to their website to see all the details.

    Plenty happened in the cruise industry in October, and we expect that November will be filled with more stories. Keep your eyes peeled!

  • Cruise Line Profiles: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

    Cruise Line Profiles: Regent Seven Seas Cruises

    Regent, formerly known by the vegetable-invoking name Radisson, has been a leading luxury cruise line since being founded in the year 1990. In 2014, the company was purchased by Norwegian’s parent company for about $3 billion, begging the question: what separates Regent from its competitors? Well, hey, we’re here for a reason. Let’s jump into it!

    Fleet

    Regent currently has four ships in its possession. Their oldest ship is the Seven Seas Navigator, which fits 490 passengers and 340 crew across 8 passenger decks. Fun fact: it’s the boat from the movie “After the Sunset”! The Seven Seas Voyager accommodates 706 passengers and 447 crew across 12 decks. Another fun fact: Forbes listed the Voyager’s world cruise Asia leg as the most expensive Asian cruise in 2006! There’s also the Seven Seas Mariner, which is slightly larger than the Voyager in terms of tonnage, yet only holds 700 passengers and 445 crew with 8 decks. The newest ship, the Seven Seas Explorer, fits 750 passengers, 552 crew and has 13 decks. Fun fact here: the ship features large amounts of marble, glass and gold!

    Price

    Just in case that last fun fact didn’t clue you in, these are expensive, prestigious ships. While there are some itineraries that are in the four digit range, a lot of them are somewhere in the $10,000 to $25,000 range. Like all cruise lines, prices scale alongside trip lengths, with a lot of the sub $10,000 itineraries lasting fewer than 10 days. The more expensive trips get pretty long: think multiple weeks. There are quite a few deal options on their websites search function, so that could help out, but it definitely won’t make any of these trips cheap, per se.

    Activities/dining

    You shouldn’t expect waterslides and volleyball aboard a ship like the Explorer, which is thought of as one of the most luxurious ships, well, ever. You can expect trivia, bocce ball, afternoon tea and “expert lecturers,” however. This is refined fun, folks! In terms of food, each ship has a variety of dining options, though one constant across the fleet is the Compass Rose. The fare there is decidedly fancy, with meals like beet carpaccio and veal medallions. You also have the option to design your own entree from a wide variety of options. Additionally, ships have other restaurants, including reservation only spots, that feature different types of cuisines ranging from French dining to steakhouse favorites.

    Reputation

    User reviews are mostly glowing for Regent, though there are some criticisms. Some love the opulence but think the shore excursions leave something to be desired, while other passengers praise the food while saying the Voyager is a bit outdated. U.S. News Travel, in their cruise line rankings, gave Regent a nod as fourth best luxury cruise line.

    From all of this, it seems that Regent is for a specific type of person. The luxury offered is certainly remarkable, but the price points go with it. Additionally, it seems that there are certain aspects of their ships that don’t gel with all travelers, so do some research on all four before making a decision. Finally, while the dining seems mostly loved, some have criticized a select few restaurants. If you’re wanting to take a cruise with Regent, make sure the other luxury lines don’t seem like a better fit. But hey, at the end of the day, most passengers seemed more than pleased with their trips, and you could be too!

  • Regent Seven Seas – Cruising The Way It Was Meant To Be Done

    Regent Seven Seas – Cruising The Way It Was Meant To Be Done

    Consumers have a lot of choices when it comes to selecting a cruise line, but there is one option that deserves some special consideration. The Regent Seven Seas cruise line offers guests the luxury of a fine hotel, the amenities of a world-class resort and staff who make you feel as if you are right at home. The benefits included on these cruises far exceed the standard fare on most cruise lines and are included in the cost of your ticket rather than being offered only at an additional cost.
    While traveling on these luxurious ships, you have the potential to enjoy some of the over 450 amazing destinations that Regent Seven Seas visits. Their ships sail to the Mediterranean, Africa, Northern Europe, Alaska, Asia, South America, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The world truly is your oyster when you are making your home away from home on one of the Regent Seven Seas ships.

    Added features on these immaculate vessels include free unlimited WiFi, free unlimited shore excursions, free unlimited beverages including alcohol, free airport transfers, a free in-suite minibar, and no gratuities as they are included in the cost of your ticket. In addition, passengers will receive free business class airfare on international flights and free round trip airfare on domestic flights. Guests on some cruises and in some upgraded suites will also enjoy free 2-or-3 night pre-cruise or post-cruise land excursion programs or a one-night pre-cruise hotel package.

    Clearly, the $125 million that the Regent Seven Seas cruise line invested in the refurbishment of the entire fleet sets these ships apart from all of your other choices. Features such as the onboard spas, beauty salons, fitness centers and wellness facilities managed by the legendary Canyon Ranch spa are a step above what most cruise lines are offering. And the world-renowned chefs turn every meal into another five-star dining experience. Then after a long day of fun and excitement, every passenger retires to his or her newly appointed suite for a peaceful and restful night’s sleep.

    If you are looking for a cruise experience on a ship that sets the bar for luxury cruising, fine dining, and the most immersive shore excursions, the Regent Seven Seas is what you have been searching for. And possibly the best part is that you will pay for your ticket and then have full access to every adventure, meal, and event that is offered throughout your cruise.

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