What's so great about Regent Seven Seas?

[editor@cruisecritic]

We're traveling, beginning next week, on Regent Seven Seas Voyager, and are happy to answer any questions we can about the quality of the product, its shore excursions, etc.

We're also posting about our itinerary -- from Istanbul to Jordan via Cairo -- over on a thread on the forums' Middle East Africa so please feel free to jump in there with questions or comments about the destinations. That link is: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1726339.

This is my first trip on Regent in 9 years so it's been awhile. I've since spent a good deal of time on other lines, such as Seabourn, Crystal, Hapag-Lloyd's Europa, Silversea, Windstar, Paul Gauguin, and luxury lite lines Azamara and Oceania, among others, so I sure am curious about whether how it stacks up against the rest.

So please, ask away, and weigh in as well with your own insights. We board next Wednesday so will answer questions Internet permitting! (And will follow up once home with any other answers I couldn't get to).

Thanks.

Carolyn

Carolyn Spencer Brown
Editor in Chief
Cruise Critic

[wripro]

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Have a great cruise.

[supersecdd]

Regent Seven Seas is just perfect! We went from Venice to Athens with them and I'm still thinking about it. Out of 10 points, the cruise line got a 20. I didn't want to leave the ship. Have a wonderful time.

[Keith1010]

Carolyn, have a great cruise and I look forward to hearing all about it.

Keith

[Wish I Could]

Hi, Carolyn,
I trust you and your cruisemates are having a fabulous time on this voyage. I met you some years ago on that ill-fated Sapphire Princess voyage to Asia -the one where the passengers staged a mutiny in the atrium! That was certainly a memorable trip!
You ask "What's so great about Regent Seven Seas," and I'm trying to figure that out myself.
My husband and I were eagerly anticipating our first "Regent experience" on the Nov. 14th Safaga to Mumbai sailing of the Voyager. Then Hurricane Sandy struck our region (yours, too, I imagine) and, like so many others, we experienced significant losses. Thankfully, we survived and, while our home and property were damaged, we have been able to deal with those losses and the rebuilding. On the other hand, our son and his family were devastated by the storm, and it will be months before their home will be liveable again. They have needed us not only for support in these difficult times but also to care for our granddaughters, ages 2 and 5. We could not abandon them, and we were unable to arrange for other, suitable support and so we had no choice but to cancel this trip.
Our travel insurance does not cover a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Sandy. (Lesson learned: buy insurance that allows cancellation for any reason.) I asked our travel agent about transferring this booking to Regent's April sailing of this itinerary and was advised that it is not possible, that we will have to forfeit our entire payment and begin a new booking. I made the same request to Mark Conroy, RSSC's CEO, stressing that we were not requesting a refund. Last evening I received a denial from Joe Pila, the Guest Relations Administrator who hoped I would understand about rules and guidelines and standardized policy and fairness to all and travel insurance, although he added that insurance does not cover all situations.
We had made our own air, hotel and transfer arrangements. United Airlines and Hilton Hotels were most accommodating in waiving any penalties for our late cancellation. It was extremely disappointing that Regent refused to extend any kind of compassionate consideration, given these catastrophic circumstances.
There must be other cruisers whose plans were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy and I wonder how their situations were handled. I'd love to hear your comments and those of others similarly impacted. As for your question, right now I'm not at all impressed with Regent.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Wish I Could. How can I forget the Sapphire Princess "mutiny" cruise!

This is disturbing...any update since you first posted this? I've been remiss about checking back in. Let me know, will you? Thanks.

Carolyn

Originally Posted by Wish I Could

Hi, Carolyn,
I trust you and your cruisemates are having a fabulous time on this voyage. I met you some years ago on that ill-fated Sapphire Princess voyage to Asia -the one where the passengers staged a mutiny in the atrium! That was certainly a memorable trip!
You ask "What's so great about Regent Seven Seas," and I'm trying to figure that out myself.
My husband and I were eagerly anticipating our first "Regent experience" on the Nov. 14th Safaga to Mumbai sailing of the Voyager. Then Hurricane Sandy struck our region (yours, too, I imagine) and, like so many others, we experienced significant losses. Thankfully, we survived and, while our home and property were damaged, we have been able to deal with those losses and the rebuilding. On the other hand, our son and his family were devastated by the storm, and it will be months before their home will be liveable again. They have needed us not only for support in these difficult times but also to care for our granddaughters, ages 2 and 5. We could not abandon them, and we were unable to arrange for other, suitable support and so we had no choice but to cancel this trip.
Our travel insurance does not cover a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Sandy. (Lesson learned: buy insurance that allows cancellation for any reason.) I asked our travel agent about transferring this booking to Regent's April sailing of this itinerary and was advised that it is not possible, that we will have to forfeit our entire payment and begin a new booking. I made the same request to Mark Conroy, RSSC's CEO, stressing that we were not requesting a refund. Last evening I received a denial from Joe Pila, the Guest Relations Administrator who hoped I would understand about rules and guidelines and standardized policy and fairness to all and travel insurance, although he added that insurance does not cover all situations.
We had made our own air, hotel and transfer arrangements. United Airlines and Hilton Hotels were most accommodating in waiving any penalties for our late cancellation. It was extremely disappointing that Regent refused to extend any kind of compassionate consideration, given these catastrophic circumstances.
There must be other cruisers whose plans were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy and I wonder how their situations were handled. I'd love to hear your comments and those of others similarly impacted. As for your question, right now I'm not at all impressed with Regent.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Oops. Duplicate post!

[Wish I Could]

This is disturbing...any update since you first posted this? I've been remiss about checking back in. Let me know, will you? Thanks.

Hi, Carolyn
Don't know what made me check back on this tonight but it was nice to find your post. Thanks for following up.
I heard nothing further from Regent. We applied to our travel insurance company for reimbursement since, during the whole storm catastrophe, my 93-year old mother-in-law fell and sustained a head injury. Because we needed to care for her after hospitalization, her illness was a covered benefit. We learned just Friday that the claim was approved. Thank heaven for not-so-small favors! (And by the way, kids are back in their house which has been largely restored by now, and mother-in-law is doing remarkably well.)
We've booked another cruise, this one on Azamara next November. Perhaps my hopes/expectations for Regent were unrealistic; nevertheless, I could not bring myself to book again with them.
I trust you fared well during the storm and that all is well in your life. It's great to follow your adventures via Cruise Critic.
If you like, you can email me at msebolskyatgmaildotcom.
Best,
Maxine

[LindaM]

It's not just Regent. EVERY cruiseline would have handled this the same way. We get "cancel for any reason" insurance, even though we pay through the nose for it. And, I believe it covers nothing if you have to cancel 48 hours prior. It would be too difficult for cruiselines to play judge and jury for which case should be given special consideration. I know it's painful and I hope I never have to cancel 48 hours prior!

[supersecdd]

Originally Posted by LindaM

It's not just Regent. EVERY cruiseline would have handled this the same way. We get "cancel for any reason" insurance, even though we pay through the nose for it. And, I believe it covers nothing if you have to cancel 48 hours prior. It would be too difficult for cruiselines to play judge and jury for which case should be given special consideration. I know it's painful and I hope I never have to cancel 48 hours prior!

May I ask the name of the insurance co you use and their web address?

[LindaM]

Originally Posted by supersecdd

May I ask the name of the insurance co you use and their web address?

TripInsuranceStore.Com

Try to talk to the owner. He is more up to date on the policy differences than what is on the website. He steered us in a better direction the second time than what I would have done myself.