New Regent 3 Day Sale

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

http://www.rssc.com/media/hostedfiles/PDF/3daysale.pdf

[cruiseluv]

I did some basic arithmetic on some of the cruises offered on this so called "Sale" and find it lacking.

[xplrcrzn]

Why are they having this sale? I thought Regent was always sailing at capacity, fully booked, more popular than ever, etc.

[poss]

Good of you to post, Wes. Wish we could some day take advantage of one of those.

[DaveFr]

Thanks for posting, Wes.

Cruiseluv, I checked the sale fares against the current fares and I don't understand why you find the sale fares "lacking." Since the sale fares don't include the hotel package, I added $300 to each sale fare to get an apple to apple comparison. After adjustment, the sale fares were lower by amounts from $400 to $2100. Most of the sale fares were $1200 lower than current fares and were a substantial reduction from current fares.

I suppose one could argue that the sale fares are still too high. Was that why you found them lacking?

Dave

[cruiseluv]

Thanks for posting, Wes.

Cruiseluv, I checked the sale fares against the current fares and I don't understand why you find the sale fares "lacking." Since the sale fares don't include the hotel package, I added $300 to each sale fare to get an apple to apple comparison. After adjustment, the sale fares were lower by amounts from $400 to $2100. Most of the sale fares were $1200 lower than current fares and were a substantial reduction from current fares.

I suppose one could argue that the sale fares are still too high. Was that why you found them lacking?

Dave

Dave, you have to also take into account the air, this offer is cruise-only. Plus , some of the shipboard credits are the same , and in some cases lower, than shipboard credits already offered by my TA. I didn't look at all the cruises in the offer, so maybe I missed some good deals.

[francie2]

Yes, the sale fare is without airfare and without the overnight in hotel which is a $300 value. as I see it, this sale is virtually the same as the rates offered up in September except that you have the option to book your own air.

[DaveFr]

Dave, you have to also take into account the air, this offer is cruise-only. Plus , some of the shipboard credits are the same , and in some cases lower, than shipboard credits already offered by my TA. I didn't look at all the cruises in the offer, so maybe I missed some good deals.
cruiseluv,

Oops, I missed the cruise only limitation. :o I haven't recalculated but it appears that most of the "savings" are simply the amount of the air credit for not having included air. Sorry, I usually read more carefully. :o

Dave

[mariners]

I just checked a few of the itineraries and the lower categories are waitlisted. I wonder if the prices listed are for the lowest categories available. If that's the case, they could be a good deal. If not, the advertising should be amended; how can you advertise something for sale that is not available for purchase before the sale even begins?

[TedC]

Throw out a low-ball price to lure in the suckers, err customers, but not include air, hotel, "taxes and fees" up to $17 a day pp. The stated price was for lowest suites but they are no longer available.


It works for the auto dealers!

[Responder]

Interestingly, even Cruise Critic just sent out an email with the full advertisement.

Is nothing sacred? ;)

[wripro]

Further proof that the hotels and airfare were never "free" as Regent claimed.

[cruiseluv]

Potential customers would need to be very gullible to fall for this so called "sale".

[JAYinNC]

I, like others, went in and compared "current" rates and the "3-day sale" rates. Since we are already booked on one of these, I wanted to see if I could do better. The above posters are correct: it does not allow for air or the pre-cruise hotel. When all is said and done, it "could" be a savings of $100-$150 per person for the lowest category, plus the OBC. Someone else was also correct: categories H-G-F-E on my cruise are either "wait listed" or "unavailable"...and only 39 of the cabins remain vacant.

[alexandra cruiser]

I just checked a few of the itineraries and the lower categories are waitlisted. I wonder if the prices listed are for the lowest categories available. If that's the case, they could be a good deal. If not, the advertising should be amended; how can you advertise something for sale that is not available for purchase before the sale even begins?

so they quoted higher category,,,double checked if I was missing something with my TA,,and she assured me my price{booked 6 mos ago}was still lower than "sale".

Was upset that I booked so early and paid top price,,until I doublechecked myself and now feel better...but thanks for head up..always good to check before final payment...:confused:

[Travelcat2]

We are booked on two of the "sale" itineraries and learned from our TA that there is no savings based upon the price we paid (with air -- without hotel). While Regent has run fairly full ships in the past, it has been obvious that they have some itineraries that are not doing well. They do have a new ad agency. . . . perhaps they suggested redesigning the "package" and coming out with the same bottom line?

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Mariners/Ted C/Cruisluv--Maria..you're precisely on point. On receipt of this email, called Regent to book at the $4099 price that baited me. All lower category suites not available, but for $4899 I could book an F for this ten day voyage--no thanks. Imagine, that few if any lower category cabins at the sale price listed were available (anyone able to book a H cabin at the sale price?)....think this sale is an effort (throwing in SBC sweetener) by Regent to gain more D, E, F bookings.

[neviboy]

Our Dec.4th. cruise on Mariner is not listed, but the Dec.16th. is.

[Donaldm]

On our cruise (Voyager, Nov 28, 2011, Barcelona to Dubai) the category H cruise only "sale" fare is the normal inclusive fare less air ($1,000) and hotel ($300). So there is no savings on the fare. What seems to be added is the new $350 cabin credit. I think Wes is 100% correct.

[cruiseej]

Our Dec.4th. cruise on Mariner is not listed, but the Dec.16th. is.

As I recall, the Dec. 4 cruise was much more steeply discounted a few months back than the Dec. 16, which led to the Dec. 4 filling up faster. Our Dec. 16 cruise is still showing availability in a number of categories.

I am wondering whether this 3-day sale is actually Regent testing whether to drop the included air and hotel in order to sell at lower rates in the future.

-- Eric

[Travelcat2]

Potential customers would need to be very gullible to fall for this so called "sale".

I wouldn't call potential customers gullible if they find this sale of of interest. Some Regent regulars on this thread believed it. IMO, Regent worded it in a way that could easily be misinterpreted. It is so convincing that our TA felt it necessary to send emails to their clients that are booked on the "sale" cruises.

[cruiseluv]

I wouldn't call potential customers gullible if they find this sale of of interest. Some Regent regulars on this thread believed it. IMO, Regent worded it in a way that could easily be misinterpreted. It is so convincing that our TA felt it necessary to send emails to their clients that are booked on the "sale" cruises.

I thought their letter was very clear. More than once they said "Cruise-only". I fault them when they use misnomers like "Free Air", when as we know you can get a credit if you don't use their air (although they don't publicize this). However, I don't know how it can be misinterpreted when they spell out its "Cruise Only". Now, I did think it was disingenuous to say "never before seen fares".

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Well gee, why not do some testing by actually offering some substantially lowered fares?

Of course, this way they don't have to lower fares for those already booked. I just wonder if and when they will actually start discounting.

[rallydave]

I am wondering whether this 3-day sale is actually Regent testing whether to drop the included air and hotel in order to sell at lower rates in the future.

-- Eric

If it is testing, it is a very STUPID time to test!! So close to the cruises that FF seats are more than likely unavailable and descent air fares are already gone.

IMO, any "testing" of dripping the included air should be done when cruises are first available and, with the exact same fares (less OBC) available both before and after the "3 day sale", not much of a test!

[wripro]

Only people who truly believe they are getting 241 fares as most cruise lines advertise will think they are getting a deal with this sale.

[Lovesatq]

Another cost that would not be included in this so-called sale is transfer cost. Depending how far the port is from hotel location i.e. Rome, sale price could end up more expensive.

[bsrkent]

Mariners/Ted C/Cruisluv--Maria..you're precisely on point. On receipt of this email, called Regent to book at the $4099 price that baited me. All lower category suites not available, but for $4899 I could book an F for this ten day voyage--no thanks. Imagine, that few if any lower category cabins at the sale price listed were available (anyone able to book a H cabin at the sale price?)....think this sale is an effort (throwing in SBC sweetener) by Regent to gain more D, E, F bookings.

Wes,
I can see them trolling for the unsuspecting with the bait and switch without air etc. etc., but why run it on Cruise Critic, home of the most savvy customers around. I was actually a little offended, my intelligence was insulted at least.
Looking forward to 'buying you a drink' on the Spirit transatlantic... won't be long now!
/Steve

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Steve, agree the 3day sale was not well thought out.

Also, look forward to sharing/drinking that drink with you on the Spirit crossing next month. I'll buy the next round :)

[poss]

Reading through this posting again reminds me of how much I value the Regent board-- both for people promptly posting details they think might be of value to others and for the fact that so many folks here are knowledgeable and caring enough to respond with further clarification.
Thanks to all the usual and regulars-- you've been a big help to me in lots of ways.

[zelker]

We are seriously considering sailing on RSSC for the first time next year :). Have been watching a cruise-only fare for a particular cruise for about a month now and checked it again this morning during the 3-day "sale". Only difference is the $200 OBC. Two questions: can this particular OBC be combined with a $200 Regent Ambassador referral OBC I hope to get from one of you "regulars"? And can any OBC my TA may give us be combined with either or both of these other OBCs?

Thanks!

Barb

[rallydave]

We are seriously considering sailing on RSSC for the first time next year :). Have been watching a cruise-only fare for a particular cruise for about a month now and checked it again this morning during the 3-day "sale". Only difference is the $200 OBC. Two questions: can this particular OBC be combined with a $200 Regent Ambassador referral OBC I hope to get from one of you "regulars"? And can any OBC my TA may give us be combined with either or both of these other OBCs?

Thanks!

Barb

Hi Barb,

See no reason why you wouldn't get all of the OBC's for the cruise. No rule I know of saying you can't add up OBC's And, if you are planning on cruising by March 18 I would be glad to refer you. Our next cruise in Mar. 18 and would use the credit there. You can contact me at rallydave at pobox dot com.

Hope you book and have a great cruise.

[zelker]

Hi Barb,

See no reason why you wouldn't get all of the OBC's for the cruise. No rule I know of saying you can't add up OBC's And, if you are planning on cruising by March 18 I would be glad to refer you. Our next cruise in Mar. 18 and would use the credit there. You can contact me at rallydave at pobox dot com.

Hope you book and have a great cruise.

Hi, rallydave. Thanks for the quick reply ... and the referral offer. Unfortunately we're looking to sail in late April (Barcelona-Istanbul on Mariner). But that brings up a good question about the referral. When you (a past RSSC passenger) refer someone, does your own OBC have a "use by" date?

As for my TA, I just checked and apparently they will give us their "big box store ;) cash card" vs OBC.

[rallydave]

Hi, rallydave. Thanks for the quick reply ... and the referral offer. Unfortunately we're looking to sail in late April (Barcelona-Istanbul on Mariner). But that brings up a good question about the referral. When you (a past RSSC passenger) refer someone, does your own OBC have a "use by" date?

As for my TA, I just checked and apparently they will give us their "big box store ;) cash card" vs OBC.

We don't get OBC for referring, we get a cash discount on our cruise fare and they won't pay it until the referred person cruises so that they don't give us the discount if you cancel. Our credit lasts for a year so why don't I refer you and most probably we'll be cruising again by early 2013.

You are better off with a cash card than OBC as it is difficult to spend all that money and you sometimes find that you bought something you don't need. bought a shirt with extra money 2 cruises ago and see it still has it's tags on it.

By the way, while we can't provide you their names on CC, there are TA's who provide a cash discount that you don't have to use in the big box store.

Send me your e-mail for the Ambassador and we can talk further.

Thanks,

Dave

[cruiseluv]

Hi, rallydave. Thanks for the quick reply ... and the referral offer. Unfortunately we're looking to sail in late April (Barcelona-Istanbul on Mariner). But that brings up a good question about the referral. When you (a past RSSC passenger) refer someone, does your own OBC have a "use by" date?

As for my TA, I just checked and apparently they will give us their "big box store ;) cash card" vs OBC.

I think there is a lot of confusion out there about what kind of credit the past passenger doing the referral gets. I thought it was an OBC for a future cruise. More rerecently I read that it would be a Future cruise credit , so it would need to be in place before final payment for a cruise. If somebody has a recent experience I would really appreciate hearing about it. I just referred somebody and got back a confirmation from Regent that says the Ambassador form had been submitted, but it says nothing about what I get and when.

Editing to add that Dave's post above answered my question. Thanks Dave!

[rallydave]

I think there is a lot of confusion out there about what kind of credit the past passenger doing the referral gets. I thought it was an OBC for a future cruise. More rerecently I read that it would be a Future cruise credit , so it would need to be in place before final payment for a cruise. If somebody has a recent experience I would really appreciate hearing about it. I just referred somebody and got back a confirmation from Regent that says the Ambassador form had been submitted, but it says nothing about what I get and when.

Editing to add that Dave's post above answered my question. Thanks Dave!

To further clarify, last year I referred someone who embarked on their cruise one week before we embarked and Regent credited our credit card just before we left home for our crusie so the referrel doesn't need to be before final payment, just before or equal to embarkation as you can refer someone on your cruise and get the credit.

[cruiseluv]

Thank you Rallydave, that's good to know.

[chicagogal]

As I recall, the Dec. 4 cruise was much more steeply discounted a few months back than the Dec. 16, which led to the Dec. 4 filling up faster. Our Dec. 16 cruise is still showing availability in a number of categories.

I am wondering whether this 3-day sale is actually Regent testing whether to drop the included air and hotel in order to sell at lower rates in the future.

-- Eric

We are booked on the Dec 27th Mariner with the "free" air and hotel all inclusive "deal". We wanted an upscale cruise that left AFTER Christmas so we could spend the holiday with my 95 year old mother-in-law. This fit the bill. I don't believe in Santa Claus so went into it with eyes wide open price-wise.

What I DIDN'T KNOW and just found out is that our "free luxury hotel package" is at the Ft Lauderdale Embassy Suites - not exactly "luxury" in my opinion. I expected an upscale hotel. (Is this what others have experienced or are they usually nicer hotels? We've stayed at that Embassy Suites and it is old and not that nice.) The "free" price IS luxury, though, since we are getting $600 back for the two of us to drop it, which we will. (if we want the Embassy Suites I can book it on line for BOTH of us at $229 right now. Transfers would be about $50 (maximum) extra from airport to hotel and hotel to cruise port) I do think they should drop all this all inclusive pricing nonsense or this will most likely be our first and last cruise on Regent. Silversea and Crystal are both less expensive.

[Travelcat2]

Generally you can book the pre-cruise hotel for less than $600/couple -- including transfers to the port. This is especially true in Ft. Lauderdale where the port is so close to town (you can get a taxi from Embassy Suites to the port for under $25). Regent currently uses the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 for passengers booked in Penthouse suites and above. While not a top of the line luxury hotel, Regent does put their passengers in premium rooms that include a full breakfast.

In terms of all-inclusivity, there are many customers (especially new ones) that love the fact that Regent has gone super all-inclusive. There are also many customers who do not love it so much. I appreciate having the ability of opting out of air (which we rarely do because of their low-cost Business Class) and hotels. If we could also opt out of excursions, I'd be very happy.

I do feel that the Regent experience (once you are on board) is wonderful -- which is why we repeatedly cruise Regent. They appear to be fumbling around with their policies lately -- not sure why. The subject of this thread is a perfect example. . . . . Regent went completely all-inclusive only a couple of years ago. Now they put out a special 3-day sale that is "cruise only". Hopefully things will settle down in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy your cruise -- it should be wonderful to be on a cruise for New Year's:-)

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

fyi, for those of you on the Barcelona to Dubai Voyage and other 3Day sail cruisers, pls note the CC post below from early this morning. Also, I know one of the Barca-Dubai sailors we have been in touch with the past few months also got the new $350SBC offered in the 3day sale. Therfore, if u would like another SBC suggest your contact your TA..my bet is Regent (via your TA or if u booked directly) will offer it to you.

ps..tho we almost booked a 3 day sale but did not--the sale caused us to look at other 2012 itineraries closely...we ended up booking the very last Voyager cruise
not under the Concierge program (Dubai-Athens) in March/April 2012 (was just luck as we did not know this when we booked)

Today, 12:19 AM
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crazydukefan crazydukefan is offline
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Apparently Regent announced a very quick promo (for 3 days). I don't have the details, but just that they were trying to get more bookings over 3 days this week. Hopefully everyone has a deal with their TA for price/promo guarantees, meaning if Regent announces lower prices / promotions, you will receive those deals with an existing booking. Anyway, with this new promo we received an additional $500 shipboard credit (per cabin). My TA told me about it on Wednesday (announcement) and then this morning told me that we qualified and what we will receive.

Thanks,
Teri

[Travelcat2]

Our TA contacted us prior to the beginning of the 3-day sale advising that the OBC we were already receiving on the Barcelona/Dubai sailing would not be increased by the "sale".

By all means, check with your TA. It is possible that your OBC would be different if you booked the cruise a year ago. We booked ours in early May.

[Colonel(Ret.)Wes]

Heard back from the President of Regent (Mark Conroy) on primary purpose of the 3day sale:

"The three day sail was really set up to test selling using a cruise only model, most guests reacted just like you." (ie...we booked another Regent cruise not offered on the sale list)

[Travelcat2]

Heard back from the President of Regent (Mark Conroy) on primary purpose of the 3day sale:

"The three day sail was really set up to test selling using a cruise only model, most guests reacted just like you." (ie...we booked another Regent cruise not offered on the sale list)

Most people did not fall for the "3 Day Sale". I am still more than surprised that Regent would take the time and spend the money to promote a sale that isn't one, How would a company go about testing guest reaction to booking a cruise without air or hotel that is the same price as with air and hotel?

As with his response to another poster 5 or 6 months ago, Mark Conroy really cannot divulge any information that has not been formally announced. With all due respect to Mr. Conroy (and I have a lot of respect for him), his response was a bit difficult to swallow. Perhaps he needs a scriptwriter to assist him with the endless emails he must have been receiving over the past several months.

[cruiseluv]

Most people did not fall for the "3 Day Sale".


You can say "most people" in CC but I fail to see how you can reach any broader conclusion.

[bsrkent]

Heard back from the President of Regent (Mark Conroy) on primary purpose of the 3day sale:

"The three day sail was really set up to test selling using a cruise only model, most guests reacted just like you." (ie...we booked another Regent cruise not offered on the sale list)
Wes,
Here is the real question!
Was this promotion a 'sale' or just a restatement of existing pricing with the air and precruise hotel credits applied, as I believe it was. So, at what time does the word 'sale' become a false statement.
Perhaps we can resolve this weighty question over cocktails outside the O lounge in a about a month.

[Travelcat2]

bsrkent: You obviously understand my point. If you take the pre-"sale" price of any of those cruises and take the airfare credit (differs by port) and the hotel credit ($600), you end up with a fare less than the "sale"

Cruiseluv: Not exactly sure what point you are making. I was trying to be politically correct (aka polite). There were some people on this thread that fell for the "sale", called their TA and tried to book. People that were paying close attention immediately recognized that there was not a sale at all -- simply a repackaging of the cruise at higher rates. My opinion was based on reading this thread.

[cruiseluv]

Cruiseluv: Not exactly sure what point you are making. I was trying to be politically correct (aka polite). There were some people on this thread that fell for the "sale", called their TA and tried to book. People that were paying close attention immediately recognized that there was not a sale at all -- simply a repackaging of the cruise at higher rates. My opinion was based on reading this thread.

You said :" Most people did not fall for the "3 Day Sale". "

My point was there is no way you are privy to what "most people" did or didn't "fall for", other than those that commented on CC (or other public boards). Now you're saying there were some people that "fell for the sale". My head is spinning!

[DaveFr]

bsrkent: You obviously understand my point. If you take the pre-"sale" price of any of those cruises and take the airfare credit (differs by port) and the hotel credit ($600), you end up with a fare less than the "sale"

Cruiseluv: Not exactly sure what point you are making. I was trying to be politically correct (aka polite). There were some people on this thread that fell for the "sale", called their TA and tried to book. People that were paying close attention immediately recognized that there was not a sale at all -- simply a repackaging of the cruise at higher rates. My opinion was based on reading this thread.
TC,

How did you arrive at the conclusion that the sale fares were higher than the pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits? My calculations showed that the sale fares were the same or less (Singapore to Sydney) than the pre-sale cruise only fares. Please explain.

Dave

[Travelcat2]

TC,

How did you arrive at the conclusion that the sale fares were higher than the pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits? My calculations showed that the sale fares were the same or less (Singapore to Sydney) than the pre-sale cruise only fares. Please explain.

Dave

I tried to bring up my "saved" Regent emails just now, but, they no longer show the sale fares (was checking our two upcoming cruises). Today it occurred to me that when I made the comparison I wasn't considering the deduction for hotel and air. I recall that the prices (not taking OBCs into consideration as they differ for various reasons) were exactly the same as prior to the sale (confirmed by my TA). I certainly cannot say with certainty without seeing the prices that the sale fares were higher than pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits. My earlier post is based on what I remember. If you have the "3 day sale" fares for Regent's 11/28/2011 and/or 04/23/2012 sailing, kindly post them.

Thanks.

[cruiseej]

Most people did not fall for the "3 Day Sale".

There's a large world of cruisers and potential cruisers out there beyond the small number who obsess over Regent detail on this board. And unless you have access to Regent's booking numbers, you're expressing an opinion or a wish, but you can't know whether that statement is true or not.

I am still more than surprised that Regent would take the time and spend the money to promote a sale that isn't one, How would a company go about testing guest reaction to booking a cruise without air or hotel that is the same price as with air and hotel?

Not everyone looking into a luxury cruise knows at first glance when comparing cruise fares that you can easily subtract Regent's included airfare and/or pre-cruise hotel. It makes sense to me that Regent might want to test a lower base fare versus some of their competitors's advertised fares to see if it would attract more business.

With all due respect to Mr. Conroy (and I have a lot of respect for him), his response was a bit difficult to swallow.

I don't understand why. It seems a pretty straightforward answer. You may not believe Regent would attract more business by a non-sale sale, but I don't see why we should doubt his word that this is what they were trying to test. Marketing often calls for testing different pricing strategies and different ways of promoting the same product; what's so hard to swallow about Regent doing that here?

Why do so many products sell for $5.99 instead of $6.00, or in luxury cruise terms, for $5,599 instead of $5,600? Because marketing tests of pricing show that people perceive a difference even when there really isn't one.

-- Eric

[Travelcat2]

There's a large world of cruisers and potential cruisers out there beyond the small number who obsess over Regent detail on this board. And unless you have access to Regent's booking numbers, you're expressing an opinion or a wish, but you can't know whether that statement is true or not.



Not everyone looking into a luxury cruise knows at first glance when comparing cruise fares that you can easily subtract Regent's included airfare and/or pre-cruise hotel. It makes sense to me that Regent might want to test a lower base fare versus some of their competitors's advertised fares to see if it would attract more business.



I don't understand why. It seems a pretty straightforward answer. You may not believe Regent would attract more business by a non-sale sale, but I don't see why we should doubt his word that this is what they were trying to test. Marketing often calls for testing different pricing strategies and different ways of promoting the same product; what's so hard to swallow about Regent doing that here?

Why do so many products sell for $5.99 instead of $6.00, or in luxury cruise terms, for $5,599 instead of $5,600? Because marketing tests of pricing show that people perceive a difference even when there really isn't one.

-- Eric

My, my, where do I start? This is called CruiseCritic. No one posting on this board works for Regent. Everything we say is based upon our own opinion and the opinion of other posters on this board. We can doubt Mark Conroy's word, Frank Del Rio's word or the word of anyone else (within the guidelines of CruiseCritic).

Mr. Conroy made a statement in an email 6 months ago (can be verified) saying (paraphrased) that Gold and above would be exempt from the concierge program. This has not happened.

A poster that is well respected stated over a month ago that an announcement would be forthcoming shortly. Hopefully no one is holding their breath.

I say that that most people would not fall for the "3 day sale". You say differently. You have the right to say that but do not necessarily have the right to state that I am incorrect unless you have proof. If you do, we all welcome the opportunity to read it.

You certainly have the right to think that people do not obsess over the cost of Regent fares. I believe that people do obsess with details when spending over $20K+ on a cruise. The discussion at hand is not about pennies.

A note to the posters on the last page: Unfortunately, my prediction that the fun was over has come true;)

[DaveFr]

I tried to bring up my "saved" Regent emails just now, but, they no longer show the sale fares (was checking our two upcoming cruises). Today it occurred to me that when I made the comparison I wasn't considering the deduction for hotel and air. I recall that the prices (not taking OBCs into consideration as they differ for various reasons) were exactly the same as prior to the sale (confirmed by my TA). I certainly cannot say with certainty without seeing the prices that the sale fares were higher than pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits. My earlier post is based on what I remember. If you have the "3 day sale" fares for Regent's 11/28/2011 and/or 04/23/2012 sailing, kindly post them.

Thanks.
The sale fares were $7299 for 11/28/2011 and $4099 for 4/23/2012. They are exactly the same as the pre-sale cruise only fares.

I'm puzzled. If you "cannot say with certainty without seeing the prices that the sale fares were higher than the pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits," why did you do so? You made a serious accusation against Mark Conroy and I think you owe him and Regent an apology. If everyone checked their facts and read what they had written before clicking on the Submit Reply button, there would be fewer flame wars on this board.

Dave

[Travelcat2]

The sale fares were $7299 for 11/28/2011 and $4099 for 4/23/2012. They are exactly the same as the pre-sale cruise only fares.

I'm puzzled. If you "cannot say with certainty without seeing the prices that the sale fares were higher than the pre-sale fares after deducting the air and hotel credits," why did you do so? You made a serious accusation against Mark Conroy and I think you owe him and Regent an apology. If everyone checked their facts and read what they had written before clicking on the Submit Reply button, there would be fewer flame wars on this board.

Dave

At the very least, Regent advertised a SALE that was not. A serious accusation? Nope -- don't think so. Can Regent determine whether Regent passengers would accept a sale without airfare or hotel at the same price as with airfare hotel? Definitely not.

I cannot prove my position as I do not have my details. Should I apologize? Nope! Either I read it incorrectly or plugged in numbers (like unknown airfare that, to my knowledge, remains unknown) that were over-estimated. Should Mark Conroy make an apology for stating in writing (6 months ago) that Gold and above would be exempt? No. . . . he believed what he was saying . . . . . just as I did. Should the poster who posted that an announcement would be made in a few days apologize to everyone? Absolutely not. She had information that led her to her post.

BTW, do you have proof of what the airfare credit would have been on any of the "sale" cruises? Don't worry . . . . I'm not challenging you.

Last, and I'm truly done with this part of this thread, the sale was higher than our November 28, 2011 cruise fare due to the OBC we will be receiving. Sorry -- cannot prove that either.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

My 7th grade geometry teacher, Mr. Gurgel, told us the term "Sale" was a misnomer for things being sold at a reduced price. Everything that people buy is for sale and on sale. This applies to Regent Cruises. The idea of marketing is to repackage things so there is urgency to buy. This is what they attempted to do. Whether or not you bite their bullet. Many people have not heard or sailed Regent. The promotion would very possibly work for them or for those who just don't sit there tearing apart every little thing they put out there.

[cruiseej]

Travelcat, believe me, I'm not looking to knock heads with you about this. I think the problem that rather frequently comes up in this forum is that you write your thoughts or concerns as facts, or perhaps don't remember exactly what you've written, and then get annoyed at the posts responding to what you've written.

My, my, where do I start? This is called CruiseCritic. No one posting on this board works for Regent. Everything we say is based upon our own opinion and the opinion of other posters on this board.

Opinion's fine, and most definitely you are entitled to yours. But I was questioning that you wrote, "Most people did not fall for the '3 Day Sale' ". That's not offering an opinion, that's stating a fact.

I say that that most people would not fall for the "3 day sale". You say differently. You have the right to say that but do not necessarily have the right to state that I am incorrect unless you have proof.

No, I really didn't. I didn't claim in any way that the sale was a success, that people "fell for it" or anything of the like. Just re-read my post. I merely suggested reasons why Regent might offer such pricing, why they might think it could attract or interest some potential customers, and why some potential customers could react positively to seeing the "sale" prices. As you say, none of us here on the forum work for Regent, so we simply don't know whether they got more bookings or inquiries due to the promotion or not. The only place I said I thought you were incorrect was stating as a fact that the people did not "fall" for the sale.


We can doubt Mark Conroy's word.

You're right. And in my post, I asked why you doubted his explanation (in a Col. Wes post) that the "The three day sail was really set up to test selling using a cruise only model." To me, that seemed like a pretty logical and innocuous explanation of what we all just observed last week. You said "his response was a bit difficult to swallow."

If I understand your response to my question, you're doubting his explanation for the sale promotion because "Mr. Conroy made a statement in an email 6 months ago (can be verified) saying (paraphrased) that Gold and above would be exempt from the concierge program. This has not happened." So if I'm understanding your reasoning, because he said that change would happen at some point in the future and it hasn't yet happened, anything he says now is hard to believe?

And yet we've seen posted on this forum that Regent did announce at a conference of hundreds of travel agents just this past week that the change he said in that email that Regent would make actually is coming next month. You replied, "Hopefully no one is holding their breath."

You're certainly entitled to maintain an opinion that the promised change is a lie, or that the change won't be announced next month if that's the way you feel. In my opinion, it's more likely that what Conroy said would happen in the spring is indeed going to roll out shortly, and that my travel agent's posting of an unequivocal statement that the change was announced to TAs last week and will be made next month is honest and true.

You certainly have the right to think that people do not obsess over the cost of Regent fares. I believe that people do obsess with details when spending over $20K+ on a cruise. The discussion at hand is not about pennies.

I do believe many people obsess over the costs of their cruise. What I said was that I felt many people who book Regent do not obsess over every detail of Regent policies, replies to one person's email inquiry, rumors, and suppositions. There's nothing wrong that many of us in this forum do exactly that. I simply said that many people who book Regent do not. Many do not read CC; many read it occasionally rather than reading and posting every day. Not everyone knows at a glance when looking a cruise fares for Regent versus Seabourn versus Silversea versus ... how many dollars to deduct for which services in order to get a fair apples-to-apples comparison.

Let me try an analogy to see if I can make my point more clearly -- and if not, I'll just let it go after this. Let's say you're ready to shop for a new car. If you look in the newspaper at prices, or go to the companies' web sites, you might see Brand A has a price of $30,000 while Brand B is priced at $23,000. You might feel $30,000 is higher than you want to spend, and focus your attention on investigating Brand B. But what you might not know is that Brand A has everything -- moon roof, heated seats, deluxe wheels, onboard navigation system, etc. -- in the base price, while Brand B's car includes few of those features in the base price. If you pursue Brand B, you might find that you could add a number of those desirable features, and end up buying a car close to $30,000 in total cost. Now, Brand A's management says, "Let's try stripping out some of the luxury features from our high-priced base model, and then we can advertise the base price of our car closer to the price of Brand B. Would that get any more people in our showroom?"

That, to me, is what the Regent "sale" was about. In the end, Regent may conclude: (a) yes, we got more interest and bookings from the lower base price, so we should strip away the included air and hotel, or (b) no, we didn't increase sales, and we're better off positioning ourselves as the all-inclusive leader as we have done over the past two years.

I hope that helps clarify and closes some of the communications gaps.

-- Eric

[DaveFr]

At the very least, Regent advertised a SALE that was not. A serious accusation? Nope -- don't think so. Can Regent determine whether Regent passengers would accept a sale without airfare or hotel at the same price as with airfare hotel? Definitely not.

I cannot prove my position as I do not have my details. Should I apologize? Nope! Either I read it incorrectly or plugged in numbers (like unknown airfare that, to my knowledge, remains unknown) that were over-estimated. Should Mark Conroy make an apology for stating in writing (6 months ago) that Gold and above would be exempt? No. . . . he believed what he was saying . . . . . just as I did. Should the poster who posted that an announcement would be made in a few days apologize to everyone? Absolutely not. She had information that led her to her post.

BTW, do you have proof of what the airfare credit would have been on any of the "sale" cruises? Don't worry . . . . I'm not challenging you.

Last, and I'm truly done with this part of this thread, the sale was higher than our November 28, 2011 cruise fare due to the OBC we will be receiving. Sorry -- cannot prove that either.
Eric' excellent reply mentions many of the things I was going to write in reply to your post. I won't waste space by repeating them.

Certainly I have proof about the amount of the airfare credits on the sale cruises. As you could have done, I looked at the chart of airfare credits on our TA's website. For example, on your 11/28/2011 cruise, the airfare credit is $1,000 for categories D - H and $2500 for categories MS - C. To check the accuracy of the chart, I made dummy reservations on the Regent website with and without cruise air. The credit shown in the chart for your cruise was correct.

Throwing an additional variable (our TA's OBC on your cruise) to justify your incorrect assertion of higher fares on the sale wasn't fair. Everyone who booked that cruise prior to the sale did not get the same OBC because not every TA offers the same or any OBC. Anyone who booked directly with Regent prior to the sale did not get an OBC either.

Dave

[azgkrudi]

Oh my goodness, my head is spinning!!!!!

[fizzy]

I saw mention of pier66 being used for pre cruise luxury hotel. A couple of years ago we were put in Embassy Suites pre-cruise and it was horrible. I believe our shipboard cabin was called a Mariner suite......Horizon suites were in between/aft. I would have rather stayed at the airport overnight. It was a giant cinderblock building doing nothing more than housing people from every cruiseline in one big hub. It was a loud madhouse and the free breakfast was a crummy buffet with screaming kids in PJs, sloppy, pushing and shoving and no clean place to sit anyway. At checkout time the insanity really ramped up. We finally found the R rep at a card table set-up, trying to coral the Mariner passengers and obviously get the group together and give info for wait times for transport to the ship. Keep in mind that people from every other megaship were doing the same thing. We finally dragged our bags down the street and hailed a cab just to get out of there. Had it been our first RSSC cruise we would have wondered what we has gotten ourselves into. We noticed that it was a long time before the people with the "free transfers" ever got to the ship. I was furious at the whole thing and should have pursued it but of course, the ship was wonderful and we calmed down. I wonder what $ value is given for free transfers?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I wonder what $ value is given for free transfers?

I agree. With the possible exception of ports that are distant from airports, I'd rather do my own transfers. Since I almost always deviate, that's what I've ended up doing, with good results, even London/Dover, Nice/Monte Carlo, Athens.

The only bus transfers that I can remember with Regent have been fraught--the logistics of busloads of people. Every time I've done this I've vowed not to do it again.

[cruiseluv]

Fizzy,

You make an excellent argument for not doing the "Free" hotel and transfers. At $600 per couple, there are very few places where this would be cost effective (not even factoring in the aggravation you describe). And for sure, Fort Lauderdale is not one of those places.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

I have given my bags to the bellman and checked in for the transfer...and taken a cab. Luggage appears and you don't feel like you are part of a cattle drive. I tell the people at check in that I am doing that. Works perfectly. Other times I just go on my own to the ship with luggage. To me to wait hours for a bus is counter productive to a relaxing vacation.

[Travelcat2]

On the other hand, there are times when it is advantageous to use Regent's hotel and transfer, you can make the decision to have your luggage go to the ship from from the hotel while you enjoy the city. You can then take a taxi to the ship when you are ready (and hopefully avoid the busloads of passengers using the transfers).

[chicagogal]

Thanks to all of you who circled back to my earlier post about the hotel and $600 credit issue. We have cancelled that and booked our own FLL hotel for less than half the price (also including breakfast but not transfers) I have no idea why I ever booked this to begin with, other than I was thrown off by the whole "luxury pre cruise hotel package" wording and thought it was going to be something really nice and worth $600. Maybe there is a little "stretch" in their advertising? I won't make that mistake again.

Like others have posted, we typically do our own air and transfers anyway, even from London to Dover or Southhampton, etc

We are still looking forward to trying Regent to compare to Silversea, Crystal etc.
Patty

[TheSeaAroundUs]

Maybe there is a little "stretch" in their advertising? I won't make that mistake again.

Yep, maybe so.

In fact, often advertising seems to be composed of nothing *but* "stretch"...:)

[cruiseluv]

Maybe there is a little "stretch" in their advertising?

Patty

Oh, yes!! I specially love their "Free Air" claim...