bitob

One sea day usually is not enough guess time will tell

I have never been on a cruise where there was acbl bridge with only 1 sea day maybe crystal will change that

As I posted in response to the FAQ thread, I would be shocked if there is bridge on cruises without sea days. I play bridge on every ship. No cruise line has ACBL sanctioned bridge on port days when cruisers are off the ship exploring the ports.

I play bridge on every line. I would be shocked if there is a bridge instructor on cruises without sea days. No cruise line does that.

You are clearly the reigning expert on this!!

Terry -- how do they ensure that applicants did not put in claims for credit card reimbursements received or insurance claims reimbursed. I know most of us are honest but i live in the real world. This seems to be a thorny problem.

Just an fyi -- Starlink is being rolled out on all the Silversea ships. I cannot imagine that every other luxury line will not follow. For many, especially folks who still work, connectivity is as important as food.

Agree. It would only be double dipping if nc did not deduct what you receive in the bankruptcy from their offer. I wonder how they plan on verifying whether the numbers reported to Moecker by oc cruisers reflected credit card refunds or insurance received. Unfortunately there will be some who try to double dip. Call me cynical but ….

I don’t think he said anything that isn’t true

For some it isn't impossible. A lot depends on how much advance planning you have done, We take very long cruises (5 or 6 a year) and are booked through 2025 I don't think we could squeeze in 5 cruises that appealed to us in addition.

I don't think discounting fares is a good idea. The fares are the fares Those who want to pay those fares will do so. Discounting screams desperation and is NEVER a good idea for a luxury product. I truly believe their biggest problem is the huge number of people who got burned and were not planning to book Crystal. They have lost a huge part of Crystal's loyal following which they might have been counting on -- thus the incentive. Whether the incentive will bring back a significant chunk of that group is an open question. They want us on 5 cruises in 3 years!!! One way to fill the ships.

I doubt the offer will improve. They would have to be awfully desperate to do anything more. Maybe if the ships are sailing half full???

Should they? Of course. But I am a realist. Not gonna happen. We do not depend on anyone else to address our needs. Last year we took a river cruise run by a good friend. River cruises are notoriously bad for those with mobility issues. He promised me that special arrangements would be made to accommodate my husband's needs. Did not happen. Was totally unsatisfactory. We know our needs and how to address them. I will never rely on anyone else to make travel arrangements of any kind for us. In July we spent 2 weeks in Provence -- all private guides and planned by a luxury travel planner who knew all about my husband's needs. Personal service. At the second hotel (a Relais and Chateux) our gorgeous room was one flight up -- no elevator. Again --I will never rely on anyone else to make travel arrangements of any kind for us.

I don't agree. We are in control of our own destiny. If you think any cruise line is going to give you a great excursion experience if you are mobility impaired, you are sadly mistaken. They do not care. We care about our travel experience and we want to make it great despite the mobility issue. Regent is not going to change the way it handles excursions, I refuse to be at their mercy. Plus -- being mobility impaired can mean a lot of different things. One size does not fit all. NO way they could design an excursion that would suit everyone with a mobility issue.

The best way for mobility challenged folks (like my husband) to have a great tour is to book privately. Every tour I book I carefully tell the guide what my husband can and cannot do and everything is tailored to his limitations - itineraries are adjusted. We are never disappointed. It takes some work but I think it's worth it. I would NEVER expect any cruise line to tailor anything to his needs. His mobility issue arose in 2015 -- we have never stopped traveling -- we just don't do the hard stuff anymore.

Yes. I gave the included excursions a try. Not for us. Now I have no expectation that the included tours will suit us. Not complaining. Just decided to do only private tours. I love everything else about Regent.

Anything on a bus with more than 6 people is awful for us. We are private tour people. We like to go where we want when we want and control how long we stay anywhere. We also like to have a close interaction with our guide. No regent tour can give you that

My husband has mobility issues. Apart from the fact the the included excursions are awful, the excursions staff has no idea about the level of difficulty. There were 2 excursions I took on our first regent cruise that I was told he would not be able to do. Wrong! we no longer do the included excursions. We have always taken private tours and that’s what we did on our second regent cruise and will do on all future cruises. Even if you are fit, the tours are awful

The incentive is from a new company and it would be considered a "gift" -- not a payback of any debt. I cannot see how taking advantage of the incentive denies you a recovery in the bankruptcy. However, I do understand why NC wants to reduce the "gift" by any recovery in the bankruptcy. They want to make you whole -- not have you make a profit.

Apples and oranges imo

I am hearing the same. There are only 3 buckets of potential customers imo. I don’t think regulars on the other luxury lines will book a totally unknown product. Again the ships are old. I realize that many of you love them but many cruisers prefer newer ships crystal regulars who want to book nc and didn’t lose money. No issue there. However as we can see from these boards many are taking a wait and see attitude. They want to know more about the new product. crystal regulars who want to book nc and lost money. No brainer. Great deal for them crystal regulars who lost money and were not planning to book. Imo this is a significant number. Many have tried other lines in the interim. Some are just angry. Others might be on the fence. This is the group nc wants to capture with the incentive and it is very telling that they waited to announce it after they saw the number of initial bookings.

agree As I posted many times, they could get the info if they wanted to. Suddenly attracting those who lost money is important to them. Now it matters it’s a complicated path to reimbursement but it is a path.

The more I think about it I’m not sure this deal is entirely altruistic. Your point about them not doing it in the beginning is telling. Perhaps they didn’t think they would need to? Is this a reaction to less than expected bookings? The bucket of former crystal customers who got burned is quite large. I would guess that many have gone elsewhere to cruise. The 5 cruises requirement also makes me suspect they have fewer bookings than anticipated my plans are made. My bags are backed. This “incentive” isn’t for me but I am happy for those for whom it works

Anything for travel agents? They lost huge amounts

Apparently only losses that could be claimed in the bankruptcy