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eroller

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About Me

  • Location
    Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
  • Interests
    Ships, ocean liners, aviation
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Cunard, Celebrity, Disney, Royal Caribbean
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Australia and Greece
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    http://www.flickr.com/photos/27450992@N06/sets/

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  1. Just back a few days ago from a 10-day sailing of SEVEN SEAS GRANDEUR. This cruise was round trip Miami to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Harvest Caye Belize, Santo Tomas De Castilla Guatamala, Roatan, and Key West. We enjoyed fantastic weather pretty much the entire cruise. This was my second time on GRANDEUR and I felt she is as good as ever. I really love this ship, the crew, staff ... pretty much everything. She is an all-time favorite ship which is saying a lot as this was around cruise 144 for me. Regent just got it right on so many levels with this ship and the entire experience. Everything was awesome with just a couple exceptions. Our cabin was 718, a Concierge level forward on the port side. We were just at the beginning of the bump-out and I loved having an angled balcony. It seemed larger even though I know it was a little smaller. Absolutely no noise from anywhere around us. The cabin was super quiet. Alyssa was an amazing cabin attendant and all our special requests were ready and waiting as we entered the cabin. My only complaint would be the temperature in the shower would vary on its own from chilly to boiling hot. You had to be very careful with the temperature setting. This was not an issue my last time on GRANDEUR (cabin 856) so I'm assuming it's more a problem in the forward section of the ship. Our friends in cabin 706 had the same issue. Food, entertainment, service all exceptional. The entire crew really went out of their way and everyone was so friendly and accommodating ... with one small exception. The Pool Grill fell short to the rest of the amazing dining experiences on GRANDEUR. Not so much the food and selection but the service. It was the only time the entire 10-day cruise we received indifferent service. The bar service was great, the food service not so much. After waiting about 15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge us, I got up to seek out someone. I found a head waiter and let him know. He brushed me off but sent a waiter over to our table. The waiter seemed very put out. Honestly this was the only negative experience the entire 10 days so really no big deal. It's just that all the other experiences were so elevated that the Pool Grill wasn't up to the standard. We dined there a few times and the other experiences were better but not great. I think it's just understaffed to be honest. Also some ceiling fans would be welcome as it gets pretty hot and steamy in there even with the windows open. I felt bad for the wait sfaff as there was little air flow. My only other area of opportunity is the end of cruise survey. This had to be completed prior to the end of the cruise and using the ship's WIFI network. Who wants to worry about a survey while enjoying your cruise? Not me. This should be emailed and completed at home within 1-2 weeks of sailing like almost every other cruise line does. Also the survey link was so glitchy and kept crashing. It took me about 5 times to complete the survey and get it submitted successfully. I'm sure many others gave up and it's a disservice to Regent not getting the feedback (good and constructive) needed to perfect the product moving forward. And yes I did put this in the survey! LOL Attached are some pictures from the cruise. I hope you enjoy and Bon Voyage to all with future sailings on SEVEN SEAS GRANDEUR. You're in for a treat.
  2. Glad to hear everything is good so far. No doubt someone tried flushing something they shouldn’t down the toilet. So frustrating. Even with the signs at every toilet and warning notices in Passages.
  3. I don’t think anyone ever said you can’t tip extra if you want. That is on you. But the gratuities are included in the cruise fare and there is no expectation to tip extra. So yes, tips are absolutely included in the cruise fare.
  4. According to Regent’s own advertising, gratuities are already included in your cruise fare. Nothing else is expected. Yes if you feel compelled to tip extra that is on you. No one will stop you. But entirely unnecessary.
  5. Pretty much every cruise line is hiring. If crew can make more on other lines no one is stopping them. Bottom line Regent promotes that gratuities are already covered in the cruise fare. It’s not my place to know what the crew gets paid or feel guilted into to paying an additional gratuity. That is their relationship between them and their employer. They sign an employment contract knowing full well that Regent is a non-tipping line. I assume that they are compensated to offset the gratuities that are paid out on other lines where tips are basically mandatory. If not there would be no retention at Regent and crew would simply avoid them like the plague. Too many other lines they can work for.
  6. And honestly I think this is the risk when people tip on a non-tipping line. It then becomes expected and people feel obligated. It’s a slippery slope. There are other ways to show appreciation. As mentioned earlier, for something extraordinary I can understand. For just doing your job and even doing it well, the tips are covered. As an American where we tip for everything, it’s refreshing not to have to worry about it on a Regent cruise.
  7. I wish you luck and hope everything is perfect for your cruise. ICON was a prototype design just like SUN PRINCESS, and its introduction was flawless. Royal built in tons of buffer time which Princess should have done.
  8. The thread topic is “tipping”. Move on if you’re not interested.
  9. I’m in 100% agreement! I’ll also add I’ve sailed on quite a few inaugural sailings on various cruise lines. Yes things are generally not perfect and that can be part of the excitement, but none have been the debacle of SUN PRINCESS. Even with a few extra weeks to prepare they can’t get it together. Also not fair to those onboard now who are the guinea pigs not receiving a whole product but paying full price. They never anticipated being the first.
  10. What’s done is done now. I just feel it could have all been avoided per my previous post. Really poor planning on the part of Princess and a big fail. They really miscalculated the readiness of this ship, even with their own employees at the shipyard for the entire build.
  11. I’m just really disappointed with Princess. They majorly screwed up the most anticipated new build they have introduced in years. I feel most of it could have been prevented with better coordination with the shipyard, better advanced planning (knowing this is a prototype ship), and better communication with their customers. Complete fail.
  12. Even if you have regular contact with a crew/staff member, no tip is required or expected on Regent. That includes butlers. Its all been covered, and as you mention Regent is much more expensive than your average cruise line, and in part because gratuities are included. As others have mentioned, a heart felt "thank you", acknowledgement on the surveys, or thank you card goes a long way. Americans feel this compulsion to tip even when it's absolutely not required. Don't feel remotely pressured to fall into this trap. Enjoy the no-tipping culture on Regent ... it's one thing that sets them apart from the rest.
  13. I’m just amazed that even with two cruises canceled (last minute) that so much is incomplete on SUN PRINCESS. It’s obvious this ship was nowhere near ready from a passenger service standpoint, let alone technically. Meanwhile ICON was 99% complete and ready to go with all entertainment when the first pax stepped onboard. The next ship is even going to be delivered early. Clearly some differences in the way these two lines handle new builds.
  14. Carnival wasn’t so “family friendly” back then, yet I don’t recall the bad behavior, fights, etc that you see on Carnival today, nor the need for a large security force. Different times.
  15. Zero need to tip. One of the reasons for sailing an all-inclusive line like Regent is not having to worry about tipping. It’s all taken care of so no need to give it a second thought. Do keep in mind that it’s a different ball-game once you step off the ship, and also if you buy a spa service onboard a tip will be expected there. The Spa is a concession and not run by Regent itself.
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