Remember the old Radisson?

Six Ships, Seven Continents, Infinite Possibilities

Alas, that is now Silversea's advertising slogan; but it used to be true for Radisson (they used to charter first Hanseatic and then Explorer for Antarctica).. Song of Flower, Radisson Diamond, Paul Gauguin, Seven Seas Navigator, Seven Seas Mariner, and Seven Seas Voyager all sailed for Radisson in 2003. There were a myriad of itineraries including wonderful trans-atlantic and trans-pacific cruises. Sure, it wasn't all inclusive but it was a wonderful experience.

Does anyone else miss the old Radisson?

I surely Do Marc.......

We began cruising on the old Radisson back in 2003.

And I agree even though it was NOT AI it was a great experience..

FV

Yes, Marc, we do. Especially, the old prices.

we loved 2003 Diamond - knew nothing else - it was great

I certainly miss the Song and she was all-inclusive even after joining up with Radisson. She may have been one their best kept secrets.

We got to tour the diamond in France, but never sailed her, wish we did.. Old prices were great!!! I appreciated paying $4.75 for a Rum and coke back then..

When is the new ship set to happen?

Yes, we miss Radisson - when I mentioned the line I almost always said it was a "class act" - which was appropriate!

That comment seems to have fallen from my vocabulary in recent years for some reason.

We sailed the inaugural Mariner season in 2001 to Alaska; Our fare for 11 days was $2100 and we got $1000 shipboard credit for Alaska. The service was beyond anything I have had before or after that cruise.

Thanks for the reminder

Our very first cruise on Radisson was on the Voyager- Singapore to Dubai on March 10,2006.It was a segment of the World Cruise and we were delighted to discover that the liquer and wines were included for everyone!

Captain Dag was our captain and they had Cooking classes on that cruise......those were the days when it really was a 6 star ship.

Anyway...when we boarded in Singapore it was the Radisson Seven Seas.....when we got off 16 days later it was the Regent Seven Seas....only a name change at that time.

God, has it ever changed now!

Our first cruise with Radisson was on the Song of Flower -- we had a fabulous time on what Ngaire likes to call the "cruise from H---". So we've been sailing with Radisson and now Regent ever since. We've sailed on all the ships over the years and now it's time for some good itineraries and a new ship!!

Funny we paid for our drinks on Diamond 9/03 (but bar was empty vs bars on later trips once it became inclusive) and Diamond had that little closet!!! - we did B2B and thought we had died and gone to heaven - used R air and arrived 3 hrs before ship departed - ignorance is bliss - never do that today!!!

Your so right Joanna..

Oh Well, Good thing we have other options..

FV

And I will always be appreciative you bought me Sambuca in the "old" days XXOO

Joanna:

That was so MUCH fun....

Our first 3 cruises with the line were when they were still Radisson (on the Navigator - Alaska, Panama Canal and Paul Gauguin) . The service was STELLAR - I still remember our waiter's name (Mihandra, from Mauritius - he would bring me caviar every night at no charge).

Yes, it was a pain to have to sign for the drinks back then; but, although I still love Regent and think the staff are absolutely outstanding, I also feel like the line as a whole has gone downhill. Very disappointed, as we have always considered ourselves loyal Regent fans, but it seems Regent doesn't feel the same way about us! We are not giving up on them yet, but they need to come up with some new itineraries and listen to and appreciate some of us old timers.

We have been lucky enough to have cruised all Radisson/Regent ships including "Song" to Alaska in 1992 (I think that was the year it was acquired by Radisson) and Explorer to the Antarctic in 1997 (that might have been A&K). Took our family (group of 10) on a Med trip on the Diamond (that was a very unconventional ship). A negative memory of our only cruise on Voyager (Baltic) - we were in room 700 - way forward - our butler complained every time he came to the room because of the long walk! Mariner and PG have been our favorites. Have recently switched to Oceania - more imaginative itineraries and greater value in our opinion.

Regent is doing Very Very Well, with there All Inclusive Business model and ONLY three ships, no wonder they are sailing Full a lot of the time.. Three ships are easier to manage than six or so, and they are getting there prices so good for them.. In my opinion there prices have gotten too high to justify, unless there is that very special cruise that we would want to go on.. I miss the old Radisson too, but again the great thing about our wonderful B&K is we have a plethora of options to choose from.. I would gladly give up my Regent perks for better pricing and better ports, in a heart beat.. I recently tried Silversea and loved it, I think this winter I might give Seabourn a try and see how that goes, the pricing and deals make it very attractive..

We started with the Diamond on a crossing from Rome to San Juan via Funchal in 2000, then the Mariner during her first year from Alaska to Vancouver in 2001. Then we lucked out and got in on the offer for the end of the Navigator's World Cruise (we took it from Rio to Ft. Lauderdale) which qualified us for an invite to the Voyager's shakedown and christening, plus we took her maiden cruise. Since then we done about twenty more, from as little as 7 days to as many as 43 (back-to-back-to-back) totaling 307 nights and counting at this point, with one cruise (Monaco to Rio on the Mariner) left to go this year, and three more in 2013 – 55 nights booked in total, every one with on-board credit too. One regret. . .we never sailed in the Song of Flower.

The saddest part is the recent announcement that Mark Conroy is stepping down as President of Regent. IMHO, he has been the one constant that has kept things going well, I guess for the entire twenty year history of the lines, but am very sure that’s been so for the last twelve. He’s built a loyal, dedicated customer base that nearly fanatical about (now) Regent. I hope the folks at PCH and Apollo know and recognize all he has done, because a big part of the reason the ships sell out is that trusty following he built over all those years. I worry many things we all love about RSSC are going to change for the worse or just disappear. I hope not, because I don’t want to switch lines (we’ve tried most of the competitors but keep coming back to Regent) or find another way to travel at this late date.

Ahh, yes. First did the Paul Gauguin in 2000, then again in 2003. Then Diamond in 2004. Nothing will beat the first cruise, but all were class acts, and have been all the way up to this year, even after the change in ownership. But prices are crazy now, out of our reach.

I remember it well......Radisson Voyager during it's inaugural season in 2003...The Baltic.....category D price including single supplement $4,291!!!! At the time the single supplement was $1250 for ANY category!!!! For reasons too long to go into, I was upgraded to a Penthouse Suite!!! It was a dream cruise. Followed by the Mariner to Panama Canal, and finally Navigator back to the Baltics , as well as another Voyager cruise before Regent came into the picture....
I don't drink, so all inclusive really was no advantage to me....Now, for the real clincher!!! Thanks to Susan W. at B & K I found out that Regent was having certain cruises with NO single supplement, so in August 2009, back on the Voyager to the Baltic, category C cabin 877 for a cost of $4410! But it wasn't the same as Radisson..... Now pricing for a single is impossible to justify, so I have missed the old company......but have many good memories....

Loved Regent Circa 2003! Went on the Paul Gauguin in March 2003 $5000 for 2 including air! Then Valparaiso to Ushuaia on the Mariner 6 nights $1893 no single supplement and I was on deck 9! Those were the days. Now you can go on Silversea and Seabourn for Smoking HOT Deals!!!!