Regal BVE for 2016

Does anyone know of a schedule for BVE for 2016? I just got off the phone with Princess to request 2 BVE for our Jan 10 cruise out of FLL. We are looking to thank our friends (who've never cruised) by showing them the brightest and newest ship in the fleet. We're hoping to show them that cruising is not what they fear it is!

Anyway, they just told me that there are NO BVE's scheduled for the Regal in January! Huh?

Really? Their newest ship? In one of their busiest ports? In January?

No BVE???

I'm just wondering if the schedule for 2016 hasn't been set yet. I know we're within the 120 days - so that wasn't it.

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this for me! I'm really dissapointed if there isn't a BVE for that sailing. We've been playing the ship and Princess up to our friends for months now!!

I called Princess about a month ago asking the same question for our January 17 cruise (week after yours) on the Regal. I was asked to call back in October to check on the BVE for early 2016. We have two friends living in the Miami area who have never cruised before who are very interested in joining us for the BVE before we set sail for the cruise.

Assuming they have the BVEs for our cruises, looks like they'll have to off the ship by about 2:30 PM. We were hoping to board around 10:30 to 11 AM to have them experience as much as possible that day.

Hopefully, more to come early next month!

I did the BVE on the Regal, for the first sailing out of Ft Lauderdale last year, the sailing the day after the festivities.

I have made a review of it. Ft Lauderdale seems to be the worst place to have a BVE. I believe there are other threads as well. It seems that Princess has a great product, but has no idea how to implement it. Good luck on your BVE.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2124863

Yes. I read your review soon after we booked our cruise thinking we might have people join us for the BVE on our cruise.

Truly a totally unacceptable BVE! A complete 360 from the BVE we did with guests on the Caribbean Princess out of NYC a little over 10 years ago.

I'm going to give Princess and the Regal the excuse that it was very new to the Regal out of Ft Lauderdale, and they've improved the BVE on that ship out of at port over the last 10 months.

Let's hope they offer it in January so we can experience their greatly improved product!

Alaska Golden - THANK YOU! I was hoping that the agent I spoke with didn't have ALL the facts. I will keep trying.

Myfuzzy - Thank you for the link to your review of the BVE last year. It definitely helps in being aware of what we should be on the lookout for on what we are able to do. We have the BVE scheduled next month on the Regal out of NYC to take our son and his family on board with us, so it will be interesting to see how it's handled in Brooklyn. Our booking number is linked with their BVE reservations, so with Platinum priority boarding passes, I hope which line to get in won't be an issue.

I'll report back our experience there.

Thanks again!

Alaska Golden - THANK YOU! I was hoping that the agent I spoke with didn't have ALL the facts. I will keep trying.

 

Myfuzzy - Thank you for the link to your review of the BVE last year. It definitely helps in being aware of what we should be on the lookout for on what we are able to do. We have the BVE scheduled next month on the Regal out of NYC to take our son and his family on board with us, so it will be interesting to see how it's handled in Brooklyn. Our booking number is linked with their BVE reservations, so with Platinum priority boarding passes, I hope which line to get in won't be an issue.

I'll report back our experience there.

Thanks again!

The last two times we have checked in for Princess cruises (Houston and Fort Lauderdale) there were signs pointing the way for BVE checkin.

Alaska Golden - THANK YOU! I was hoping that the agent I spoke with didn't have ALL the facts. I will keep trying.

 

Myfuzzy - Thank you for the link to your review of the BVE last year. It definitely helps in being aware of what we should be on the lookout for on what we are able to do. We have the BVE scheduled next month on the Regal out of NYC to take our son and his family on board with us, so it will be interesting to see how it's handled in Brooklyn. Our booking number is linked with their BVE reservations, so with Platinum priority boarding passes, I hope which line to get in won't be an issue.

I'll report back our experience there.

Thanks again!

We did this last year in Brooklyn. BVE people, along with anyone sailing that they are with, are seated in their own waiting area, and board right after any wedding parties. Painless. :)

Assuming they have the BVEs for our cruises, looks like they'll have to off the ship by about 2:30 PM. We were hoping to board around 10:30 to 11 AM to have them experience as much as possible that day.

 

Hopefully, more to come early next month!

Your guests don't have to leave until about 30 minutes before the boarding is stopped. Usually around 4?

When you board (if it is done properly), there is a special seating area for the BVE. Your guests and you (they qualify for earlier boarding than you do;)) will be boarded before anyone else except for wedding parties.

Make sure you get a sticker for your shirt. We have done BVEs twice. The first one no one knew what they were doing. We had to request our stickers. The second one was flawless.

Read the BVE threads here and know what to expect...then if you are not getting it...PUSH.:D

Does anyone know of a schedule for BVE for 2016?

Sometimes the agents at Princess won't know what you are talking about even after the schedule is published.:(

Someone on CC posted the whole 2015 schedule earlier this year. Very helpful. (I suspect he/she is a travel agent)

You may get a more informed answer from a TA that specializes in cruises.

I am glad my review and posts helped! Just follow what is said here on CC, and if anything is missed or unacceptable, make sure you let someone know! Call Princess! Ask for the BVE department. Tell them you want to talk to someone NOW, don't take no for an answer.

It seems that Brooklyn has the BVE down. I have not heard of any negative comments from there. Only Ft Lauderdale, which has more Princess ships departing than NY.

Whomever has a future BVE, enjoy....have a great time.

Oh yeah, we had to be off the ship by 2:30

We did this last year in Brooklyn. BVE people, along with anyone sailing that they are with, are seated in their own waiting area, and board right after any wedding parties. Painless. :)

I am glad my review and posts helped! Just follow what is said here on CC, and if anything is missed or unacceptable, make sure you let someone know! Call Princess! Ask for the BVE department. Tell them you want to talk to someone NOW, don't take no for an answer.

 

It seems that Brooklyn has the BVE down. I have not heard of any negative comments from there. Only Ft Lauderdale, which has more Princess ships departing than NY.

 

Whomever has a future BVE, enjoy....have a great time.

 

Oh yeah, we had to be off the ship by 2:30

So glad to hear that the BVE in Brooklyn has worked well. We're going on the BVE on Regal on October 17 and can't wait!

Yes, glad to hear that Brooklyn seems to have the BVE program organized. And Thank You for the suggestion about making sure we get a sticker!

I didn't have a clue that they did that!

I just think it's odd that the BVE boarding passes wouldn't be a "Priority" pass! With the 'blue' top, it would be easy to be sent to the wrong line if one didn't know better.

I wish Princess would put this process online. If you can reserve a cruise on line with virtually the same required information, I don't understand why someone couldn't reserve the BVE on line as well. I'm sure they could set it up to show no availability once the max # of requests have been reserved and paid for.

Oh well, maybe they're working on it! Seems their Personalizer has slowly been 'tweaked' to begin to allow pre-cruise purchases.

The number one change Princess should correct with the BVE is change the heading at the top of the page.....Make it priority boarding and say Bon Voyage Experience and make sure there is a seating area for everyone and take a head count to make sure everyone is accounted for.

And, I wonder who was giving out those stickers.........

Sometimes in a weak moment.....I still wonder where the other 48 BVE'ers were....hmmmm

Yes. I read your review soon after we booked our cruise thinking we might have people join us for the BVE on our cruise.

 

Truly a totally unacceptable BVE! A complete 360 from the BVE we did with guests on the Caribbean Princess out of NYC a little over 10 years ago.

 

I'm going to give Princess and the Regal the excuse that it was very new to the Regal out of Ft Lauderdale, and they've improved the BVE on that ship out of at port over the last 10 months.

 

Let's hope they offer it in January so we can experience their greatly improved product!

With Ft Lauderdale being the largest turn around port, I don't feel because the Regal was "new" to the port is an excuse. The BVE should be offered on (all) or most ships sailing out of Ft Lauderdale, with this being said, ALL shore workers should be aware of this program, no matter what ship is boarding.

The BVE on the repo Royal last year, my daughter and her boyfriend were never given a sticker to wear. We happened to notice them on people at lunch.

Go figure.

The Regal is new to the port? Not.

Regal began 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruises out of Ft Lauderdale in November 2014 -- one week before the BVE review I was referring to. So, yes Regal WAS new to Ft Lauderdale at the time. Now, it IS not so new to Ft Lauderdale.

I give up, what is a BVE?

BVE - Bon Voyage Experience. Princess's announcement:

http://www.princess.com/news/press_releases/2010/02/Princess-Revives-Nostalgic-Cruising-Tradition-with-New-Bon-Voyage-Experience.html

Thanks for posting your review. I did a BVE on Royal when it was fairly new to Fort Lauderdale and my experience was similar to what you had on the Regal. Not stellar. I am doing a BVE on Regal in a few weeks, so hope with a years more time they have figured this out.

I did a BVE on Caribbean Princess and that went smoothly.

Also, did anyone ever get the 2016 schedule? I have family going on Regal early that year and will probably drop them off.

edit: I see I commented last year on your thread. Again, if not for CC I'd have been left hanging. Here is hoping this year goes better, and 2016...if they post a schedule.

I did the BVE on the Regal, for the first sailing out of Ft Lauderdale last year, the sailing the day after the festivities.

 

I have made a review of it. Ft Lauderdale seems to be the worst place to have a BVE. I believe there are other threads as well. It seems that Princess has a great product, but has no idea how to implement it. Good luck on your BVE.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2124863

The last two times we have checked in for Princess cruises (Houston and Fort Lauderdale) there were signs pointing the way for BVE checkin.

In Ft. Lauderdale, at berth 2, there is an overhead sign

that says (among other things) BVE Guests, at the priority door.

We did the BVE on Regal in Brooklyn today. Check-in was not well organized [not a single sign for BVE, and most of the staff directing people didn't seem to know much about it] -- ultimately we were directed to the VIP check-in line and then to some seats right at the corridor to the ship where a very perky [somebody should tell her about decaf :)] Future Cruise Consultant explained the process and gave us the option to take a guided tour with her or just wander on our own.

Lunch in Concerto dining room was terrific! There were only a few regular passengers along with the BVE folks -- apparently it is still a secret that you don't have to go to the buffet. There was a choice of two appetizers [smoked salmon or fettuccine alfredo in a parmesan basket]; two entrées [trout almandine or chateaubriand]; and one dessert [chocolate souffle]. We also got one glass of wine each [nobody else wanted theirs, but I'm always happy to help out :D] and unlimited coffee/tea. The bread/butter was also very good [i guess this was the promised fourth course] One of the better meals I have had on any ship -- and this in the MDR for lunch. I was very impressed.

The BVE package includes a free picture -- we were two couples, so they took two shots of the four of us and gave each couple both pictures [a nice touch] It also allows you to use the $39 fee on a future cruise -- not sure how this works yet but hope to apply it to our Canada cruise next fall. Even if we don't get that, where else can you get a gourmet lunch with wine and tip for $39 in NYC???

I was also very impressed with the ship. The interior decoration and finishes are wonderful -- very classy, very luxe. The ship was empty for most of our time so it's hard to judge how crowded it will feel under sail [especially on a cold, windy day like today] but it seemed very spacious. We have shied away from ships as large as this, but today's 'taste' has put Princess' Royal class on our radar -- so the BVE was very good marketing on their part!

We did the BVE on Regal in Brooklyn today. Check-in was not well organized [not a single sign for BVE, and most of the staff directing people didn't seem to know much about it] -- ultimately we were directed to the VIP check-in line and then to some seats right at the corridor to the ship where a very perky [somebody should tell her about decaf :)] Future Cruise Consultant explained the process and gave us the option to take a guided tour with her or just wander on our own.

 

Lunch in Concerto dining room was terrific! There were only a few regular passengers along with the BVE folks -- apparently it is still a secret that you don't have to go to the buffet. There was a choice of two appetizers [smoked salmon or fettuccine alfredo in a parmesan basket]; two entrées [trout almandine or chateaubriand]; and one dessert [chocolate souffle]. We also got one glass of wine each [nobody else wanted theirs, but I'm always happy to help out :D] and unlimited coffee/tea. The bread/butter was also very good [i guess this was the promised fourth course] One of the better meals I have had on any ship -- and this in the MDR for lunch. I was very impressed.

 

The BVE package includes a free picture -- we were two couples, so they took two shots of the four of us and gave each couple both pictures [a nice touch] It also allows you to use the $39 fee on a future cruise -- not sure how this works yet but hope to apply it to our Canada cruise next fall. Even if we don't get that, where else can you get a gourmet lunch with wine and tip for $39 in NYC???

 

I was also very impressed with the ship. The interior decoration and finishes are wonderful -- very classy, very luxe. The ship was empty for most of our time so it's hard to judge how crowded it will feel under sail [especially on a cold, windy day like today] but it seemed very spacious. We have shied away from ships as large as this, but today's 'taste' has put Princess' Royal class on our radar -- so the BVE was very good marketing on their part!

So happy you had as good an experience as I had last week. We had fantastic weather last week sorry today was pretty yucky. I totally agree the the Future Cruise gal was very happy :) and the port people never seem to know what to do about BVE. We choose to go to the Horizon Court since we have been on the Regal before and knew the layout. We had a spectacular view of the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan. BVE is a great deal for $39 and a really nice way to spend an afternoon.