Having done 20+ cruises before, this was a first time trying a luxury level of cruise, at a huge premium. We were expecting to be pampered and have staff attending to our needs at all times ... boy, did they fall down on the job. We did a Celebrity Constellation cruise right after the Regent cruise (back-to-back); both were 12 nights and both in the same part of the world. We did not take Regent's air nor hotel night before the cruise, so the price paid for cruise only can be compared, both with verandas (Concierge Class in Celebrity).Regent cost almost exactly 3x the price. For that, we got a much bigger (and nicer) suite, open bar for standard drinks and shore excursions. What we didn't get was quality or even adequate service, consistent quality food, good wines (only border line acceptable or worse), quality bar drinks (bad mixology), good espresso drinks, good entertainment or a holiday experience. For about $600 on Celebrity, you get a standard drinks package which provides BETTER wines, better mixology and way better espresso drinks. Heck, our all-inclusive Celebrity Xpedition cruise last year in the Galapagos was way more fantastic for service, attention to the guests and even just the fun factor on a very non-luxury cruise ship.

Bottom line, we did not get anywhere close to the value we expected paying 3x the price over Celebrity as a baseline comparison. The crew were terrible (worse than any others we've experienced) in understanding English properly/adequately, or even just performing to provide coffee, deliver a menu, pour water, what have you. They all seem to be very busy like bees buzzing but not really serving the customers ... never mind about the wrong orders, or slow orders and missed stuff. After 2 1/2 days, we totally gave up on the main dining room because of poor service and mediocre food and stuck with the 3 specialty restaurants (if we could get a reservation, but at least 1 did not require reservations, Sette Mare, so that was always an option). The senior management tried hard to make up for the poor service and various problems, but they could only do so much. The steakhouse Prime 7 was the best place to eat, with Sette Mare 2nd best.

It really bothered me that a wine list could not be had in order to choose some wine, except for the pay premium wines (no problem there to get a wine list). They always pushed the featured wines of the day (1 red and 1 wine). I only drink red wine, and the red was always sub par/border line drinkable. To get anything else, they had to leave the restaurant to get it and of course I had to dream up what else I might want to drink, such as a Malbec, or a Cabernet from such and such a place (maybe), a Pinot Noire perhaps from somewhere else ... but I had to make the suggestions. Their sommeliers are a joke as they are only trained on the wines carried on board, they are not properly trained/experienced sommeliers. This was truly frustrating and upsetting how this worked on a "luxury" cruise ship. Their mixed drinks were also terrible, i.e. poor mixology even for a rum punch or other basic drinks ... especially their mojitos which I tried several times. (When I switched to Celebrity cruise after Regent, it was a relief to get proper mixed drinks and decent wines without paying a premium.) Read more