Ultra-Premium Cruise Vs. Mainstream Cruise

[Dave]

You might think that a cruise on Regent Seven Seas will cost you a lot more than a comparable cruise on a mainstream line. You might be wrong.

Yesterday I received a brochure from Regent and here is what it offered: 2 for 1 cruise fares. Free air. Free unlimited shore excursions. All-inclusive cruise with complimentary beverages, cabin bar set-up refilled daily, and the lowest grade cabin is a a deluxe suite comparable in size to a junior suite on Royal Caribbean.

I decided to do a rough comparison for a 7-night Mediterranean cruise. I got the itineraries as close as I could but not exact. Frankly the Regent has a better one.

Granted this is not a cheap cruise in either case, but in the end, the ultra-premium cruise only cost around $700 more. $12,376 for Regent versus $11,678 for Royal Caribbean.

[billybuzzy]

Dave- Great cost comparison- a true attaboy for you!! Something that is becoming increasingly apparent to veteran cruisers is that additional costs which are being imposed by the mainstream cruiselines are not happening to the same extent on the more upscale cruiselines! The biggest difference being that the upscale cruiser is paying more "up front"! Whereas the mainstream cruiser will pay it out over the duration of the cruise (and perhaps several different credit cards)!!

This trend bears some further study as recent mainstream fees and charges begin to weigh in!!

BillyBuzzy

Then too - It may very well mean that RCCL is evolving to a higher level! A trend that began, I noted, in December 2000!

[Dave]

The bottom lines really are getting more and more blurred. I should mention the prices I posted are for three people, so I'd have to pay around $1200 for our son's cruise and his air ($399 add-on for the cruise and $800 for his air).

The "free" tours and air are a huge factor, especially for Europe. And then there is having to buy virtually nothing on board except for maybe a logo ball cap or two.

[penny3333]

Seaborn has been sending me some great rates, too. It sounds like so much more, but when you add in air, bar, and excursions, it really isn't.