Regent policy change

I just read online that Regent has changed the free pre-criuse hotel; it will no longer be offered on cabins below concierge level. This will be phased in on the entire fleet over this Summer. This is not reflected on the Regent web site. Can anyone confirm refute this?

Posters discussed this (extensively) in mid February.

No one has reported information contrary to your belief.

As per the RSSC website - it is "buried" in the terms and conditions:

Beginning with the following voyages the FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package is only available for Concierge Suites and Higher: Seven Seas Mariner® April 7, 2014, Seven Seas Navigator® May 21, 2014 and Seven Seas Voyager® June 2, 2014.

Oh forgot the pleasantries...

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the Regent board!

Not sure if the exact levels of suite it affects but I can confirm that it is true. Just looked on the Regent website and see what may be an omission.

" FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package*, " Note the asterisk at the end of the sentence. I could not find the reference on the page. Wish the Regent computer guy would come online -- this could be confusing.

Not sure if the exact levels of suite it affects but I can confirm that it is true. Just looked on the Regent website and see what may be an omission.

 

" FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package*, " Note the asterisk at the end of the sentence. I could not find the reference on the page. Wish the Regent computer guy would come online -- this could be confusing.

Please see my post (#2) in this thread.

The asterisk refers to the Terms & Conditions at the bottom of the same page you are reading. If you click on this link it takes you to the actual Terms & Conditions from which I excerpted the relevant information in my post.

Even in your post, when you cut and pasted, it kept the hyperlink "live" for you to click and find the information. It is in the top paragraph, second asterisked section.

We have been in one Regent cruise and have another scheduled this Fall (concierge level) but find the web sight very confusing. Really enjoyed the cruise in the Fall, and look forward to many more.

We have been in one Regent cruise and have another scheduled this Fall (concierge level) but find the web sight very confusing. Really enjoyed the cruise in the Fall, and look forward to many more.

Here's hoping you have a grand time!

Here is the relevant information from the Regent website:

*Beginning with the following voyages the FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package is only available for Concierge Suites and Higher: Seven Seas Mariner® April 7, 2014, Seven Seas Navigator® May 21, 2014 and Seven Seas Voyager® June 2, 2014. FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Luxury Hotel Package is not combinable with FREE Pre-Cruise Land Program or $499 Pre-Cruise Land Program. A supplement of $350 per person applies for 3 or more guests.

Reference to Regent Page: http://www.rssc.com/legal/terms-conditions/

Aloha from Hanalei,

Mark

It wasn't free to begin with. You got a credit back if you didn't take it. You paid for it. It's just another way to raise prices.

It wasn't free to begin with. You got a credit back if you didn't take it. You paid for it. It's just another way to raise prices.

but it was always nice to subtract the "freebies" from total.As we never used the hotel(drive from Orlando to Miami,etc) and get own air anyway.Good to point out this fact,easy to overlook.;)

It wasn't free to begin with. You got a credit back if you didn't take it. You paid for it. It's just another way to raise prices.

Totally agree.

but it was always nice to subtract the "freebies" from total.

Also totally agree!

This is not making any sense to me. The difference in cruise fares for a 10 day voyage between the lowest concierge level cabins and one level below that is typically $300-400. For the voyages after the new policy takes place, it is still $300-400. Snce you get about that much in credit if you forego the pre cruise hotel, that means that the price for concierge and one level below concierge is the same. Am I missing something?

Ooops! More class distinction on Regent which was not supposed to have any!Sorry TC2, guess this is not going to help in my quest to get more agreement!

Ooops! More class distinction on Regent which was not supposed to have any!Sorry TC2, guess this is not going to help in my quest to get more agreement!

Not necessarily! Regent has difficulty selling some levels of suites because they are all the same size. I believe that incentives to book upper suites is a good thing. For instance, penthouse and above suites get butlers. My point has been that once you walk out of your suite, everyone is treated the same.

You can see this on all of the luxury lines. If you met me on Regent in the lounge, you would have no clue what category of suite we were in. The crew on Regent also sees us all the same. You would also not know (or care) if I flew Regent air and used the Regent hotel or not. Perhaps you could call it the "TC2" definition of equality and you certainly can disagree. This is the same on Regent, Seabourn and Silversea (probably Crystal as well).

Now that I have sailed on Oceania, I can make a comparison of Regent and a cruise line with different level of benefits. When I present my "card" for wine at a lounge on Oceania, they immediately would know that we are in a penthouse suite. On Regent, they do not see my card (if they did, they would only learn that we are platinum).

This may sound convoluted -- I just appreciate that passengers on luxury lines do not feel more or less privileged that anyone else.

Isn't the ideal cruise line one where every passenger IS TREATED THE SAME? Aren't we trying to get away from the "TITANIC" image, of steerage and first class snobbery? Or maybe making ships like airlines - where there are TWO classes of cabins, first class and economy. Then there would be a significant difference in size, amenities, location. Myself, I would prefer the former, where every cabin is the same size, maybe charge a bit more for midships, higher deck location, etc.

Isn't the ideal cruise line one where every passenger IS TREATED THE SAME? Aren't we trying to get away from the "TITANIC" image, of steerage and first class snobbery? Or maybe making ships like airlines - where there are TWO classes of cabins, first class and economy. Then there would be a significant difference in size, amenities, location. Myself, I would prefer the former, where every cabin is the same size, maybe charge a bit more for midships, higher deck location, etc.

I hate the idea of the "TITANIC" image but understand that some passengers want larger suites and that is how Regent ships are built. Once a passenger steps foot outside of their suite, everyone is treated the same. The key here is that everyone is treated the same on the ship. If Regent needs to give incentives to book certain suites by changing their hotel or air policy, these are things run by contractors and no one on the ship has a clue how you arrived at the ship or whether Regent paid for the hotel (and it doesn't really matter).

Not sure how clear I was on that:confused:

TC2,

Regent makes a big deal about "Relax, it's all included." They market the complete experience which is why they include shore excursions, flights, hotel. etc. Now only those who book certain categories get it all. What will you say if next shore excursions will be included only for those in concierge or above? I'm not saying they're not entitled to do this just as they provide butlers for certain categories, It's their business to provide whatever they want. But let's not pretend that everyone is treated the same way.

TC2,

 

Regent makes a big deal about "Relax, it's all included." They market the complete experience which is why they include shore excursions, flights, hotel. etc. Now only those who book certain categories get it all. What will you say if next shore excursions will be included only for those in concierge or above? I'm not saying they're not entitled to do this just as they provide butlers for certain categories, It's their business to provide whatever they want. But let's not pretend that everyone is treated the same way.

Closer and closer every day to the same experience on Oceania and Regent. Just one is ala carte and one is all included. Now with less included. Pretty soon all you will need to differentiate between the lines will be a paint can with the ship's name on the hull

TC2,

 

Regent makes a big deal about "Relax, it's all included." They market the complete experience which is why they include shore excursions, flights, hotel. etc. Now only those who book certain categories get it all. What will you say if next shore excursions will be included only for those in concierge or above? I'm not saying they're not entitled to do this just as they provide butlers for certain categories, It's their business to provide whatever they want. But let's not pretend that everyone is treated the same way.

I agree (are we keeping score?). I liked when the slogan was something about the "Regent Experience". I still use that term and it fits well when I talk about the differences between Regent and Oceania.

If shore excursions were next I would applaud:D It doesn't seem likely since the included excursions seem to be a big draw to Regent's target audience.

TC2,

 

Regent makes a big deal about "Relax, it's all included." They market the complete experience which is why they include shore excursions, flights, hotel. etc. Now only those who book certain categories get it all. What will you say if next shore excursions will be included only for those in concierge or above? I'm not saying they're not entitled to do this just as they provide butlers for certain categories, It's their business to provide whatever they want. But let's not pretend that everyone is treated the same way.

Well, I've never stepped on a Regent ship and felt like there was any class distinction or people being treated differently based on their cabin category or number of times they've cruised with the line. However, I definitely felt that on my Crystal cruise last month. Little things like pre-ordering certain sodas and being told we'd have them, and then finding out that only penthouse passengers were "allowed" to have them, frequent cruisers being obviously given priority seating at the restaurants, etc. I'd have to say, based on my experiences on both lines, that Regent treats its customers much more equally than Crystal does, regardless of included shore excursions or anything else.

However, I definitely felt that on my Crystal cruise last month. Little things like pre-ordering certain sodas and being told we'd have them, and then finding out that only penthouse passengers were "allowed" to have them,

Hi Tami...again, wanted to clarify that there was never a guarantee that I would get the soda that my travel agent requested in writing (Crystal has a specific form that my TA filled out). The soda in question is not a soda that is stocked on the ship. The fact that I stayed in a penthouse on the cruise we were both on was not the reason I received the special requested diet ginger ale. I have had my travel agent make special requests in writing for non-stocked soda in the past and I was staying in the least expensive cabin on the Symphony. I'm sorry your request wasn't honored. In addition my TA stressed in the special request that the cruise was a "special" cruise for us and hoped that the request would be honored.

Nancy

Nancy, it honestly doesn't matter if the sodas were guaranteed or not; our perception was that there was a different treatment of guests based on their cabin category or status with Crystal. It didn't help in the way we were treated by the reception personnel when we asked for the soda (something I did not mention in any of my reviews, because I hoped it was just an isolated incident). The bottom line is that if we as passengers felt that "class distinction" was there (and Mike, who is the easiest going guy I have ever met...he'd have to be to be married to me!!...was frustrated by it as well), that is all that counts. Real or perceived, for us it existed, and definitely affected our opinion of Crystal.

Nancy, it honestly doesn't matter if the sodas were guaranteed or not; our perception was that there was a different treatment of guests based on their cabin category or status with Crystal. It didn't help in the way we were treated by the reception personnel when we asked for the soda (something I did not mention in any of my reviews, because I hoped it was just an isolated incident). The bottom line is that if we as passengers felt that "class distinction" was there (and Mike, who is the easiest going guy I have ever met...he'd have to be to be married to me!!...was frustrated by it as well), that is all that counts. Real or perceived, for us it existed, and definitely affected our opinion of Crystal.

Tami, your own opinion is what matters most...I was not trying to argue with you. Glad that you were able to sail Crystal and realize that Regent fits you much better.

Nancy

Am I mistaken and not wanting to add fuel to a Regent fire, but in the included shore excursions are now not some of the "fancy" ones (read extra cost) only available to conc. level and higher. Not that I care on the next 2 Regent cruises we have booked, the tours I want are all the "regular" ones anyways..Again..I was booking things fast for the October one when our window opened so i might be in error..

And a comment about sodas and not specifically stating the policy clearly. On HAL they have a 50.00 soda card you can get for 25.00. Seems like a decent deal, if you preorder this card. This time and knowing HAL I read the fine print carefully. When I got on board and ordered a soda , expecting a can, I got a glass with 4 to 5 oz of soda and the rest filled with crappy ice...Complaining to the restaurant manager got no where and he just stated over and over again that is policy so I challenged him to show me...well, he could not ..so after a long match of well you fill in the verb, I finally got a refund and purchased the "correct" card for 50.00 costing 50.00..My point is times are a changing folks

As stockholders demand bigger profits and things just plain cost more this move does not surprise me. All cruise lines are beginning to nickel and dime you to death. Regent compared to the others we cruise is still a better deal, IMHO..

And personally I prefer Regent to "take care of me" from the minute I step onto the plane until I get home...I lead a stressful enough life and having to choose hotels planes, devaition etc etc, is just one thing I don't need. Perhaps when I retire, then okay I can fiddle with things. If that means I have to pay a bit more for conc. level, well as much as my pocketbook will hate it , so be it.

Really interesting information about Crystal and HAL. Must strongly agree that being taken care from the moment you walk on board the ship is the best, most relaxing experience I can have (even if I'm paying for excursions I don't use). This does not negate our wonderful Oceania experience -- it is just a different way to cruise and works for people who prefer not to feel like they are paying for things they do not utilize.