pappy1022

Cross your fingers and light a candle, whatever suits your fancy. 😀

I guess not

Hmmmm, do tell Regent as what really happened.

That wasn’t Regent’s explanation for why they changed the itinerary.

I will be going on my first Paul Gauguin cruise and I need some help with shore excursions. My stops are in Fakarava, Rangiroa, Huahine, Bora Bora, Raiatea. Taha’a (Motu Mahana) and Moorea. I normally book my own shore excursions but I am open to the ship’s excursions if people highly recommend them. I am not interested in diving, helicopter or zip line activities. I am very interested in snorkeling but we are both amateurs and need to take that into consideration. So, please advise us as to the can’t miss excursions and which one’s that the cruise ship provides good value and a great experience. As far as the ship kayaks, etc. how does that process work? Do you need to make reservations and if so, how and when do you do that? Thank you in advance for your recommendations.

And yes, do book as early as possible because I did the first day that reservations were available and I had to settle for not ideal times. Ours was a port intensive cruise with only 1 sea day so my options were limited and that may have been a reason for the lack of available times.

I was just acknowledging the possibility that Regent knew about this situation ahead of time and failed to tell their customers. That would put a different light on the circumstances and what the response should be. You don’t know the facts either and we will probably never know. I am sorry if I ruffled the feathers of the cheerleaders and the “Regent can’t possibly be to blame for anything” people. Having a Pollyanna approach is living in a fairy tale and that’s not the real world.

And you should have high expectations for a cruise line that touts itself as “the world’s most luxurious fleet, unrivaled experiences, top notch experiences since 1992”, etc. Hey, I enjoy cruising with Regent and for the most part they do a good job. But sometimes they just screw up and this cruise feels like one of those times.

Wow.

Good for you. Since you love sea days it doesn’t mess up your cruise, For others, the destiny is an important part of the journey. I happen to be one of those people.

And they do change. I got a price list 30 days before our cruise and when I was onboard most of the prices went up. In addition, there will be a 20% surcharge on your bill as a tip. Non negotiable. It’s automatic. I felt the massage I had was just OK. My wife enjoyed her massage and facial very much. Be prepared for a product sell as part of your time. I quickly cut the sales pitch off but telling the person I was not interested in any products. But it still was a good way to spend OBC’s since most everything is included on Regent. There is not an online reservation system for SPA services.

Fair point. I was responding to the posting that talked about this regulation. Since it is not in effect yet, it should have had no bearing on any port stop in California or otherwise. And in fact, Regent did stop in California so it is a moot point for now. I agree that something is fishy but I bet we will never know the entire story.

Well, I am not a lawyer but I did stay in a holiday Inn once. (Hopefully you’ve seen the Holiday Inn commercials, if not, skip this sentence) Seriously, I have been involved with hundreds of contracts and even litigation on some of those contracts. I admittedly don’t know all the facts in this case and none of us will probably get the real answer from Regent. I am happy for those who feel that Regent gave fair compensation but for many more on this board they were not provided with the product that they purchased and in some cases the FCC’s have no value since this was a once in a lifetime cruise for them. Yes, Regent has the legalize to support their case that they have the right to change itineraries at any time. However, if they knew in advance that they would not be able to provide the services and itinerary that they marketed and sold then there could be a case for fraudulent representation and/or the lack of notification that the product was being altered. It all depends on when they knew and who knew it. I am not suggesting that litigation is a wise path to go on, nor I am saying there is a legitimate case. For bitob, he is rightfully happy with the deal because as he says, he loves sea days and it didn’t bother him that the ports weren’t going to be visited. But for others, it is a big deal and they may or may not be able to use the 20% on a future cruise nor use the OBC. The point is that every situation is different and while one may look at this as fair compensation, another person may not, so please don’t pass judgement on either perspective.

But the new rules are not yet in effect

Woe, 1 person is happy on this cruise.

They come up with enough categories to give everyone a participation trophy so the cruise lines can all boast “we are the best” in their advertising.

I understand the legal implications of a contract and I also understand that sometimes things happen that force a cruise to deviate from its intended itinerary. In this case, something is very suspicious and I feel that Regent’s explanation is very vague and an attempt to CYA. If it is something they were supposed to have in place prior to this cruise then it’s on them and they should heavily compensate the people on this cruise. It reminds of the Regent cruise that couldn’t visit New Zealand because Regent didn’t properly clean their hull. I think a person paying for a product of any kind should have reasonable expectations that the supplier, in this case Regent, will have the necessary capabilities to provide such a service. If Regent wasn’t ready and knew going in that this could/would be an issue that could alter the expected itinerary then I think they should give a full refund for a fraudulent act. Having said that, we don’t know exactly what happened but again the explanation left me with a simple reaction, Huh? I think Regent owes their customers a better explanation and more details on how and why this cruise got changed so dramatically.

I agree but I doubt if we will ever know the truth.

I do accept that different people have different experiences as I’ve had other great experiences where others have not for the same thing. It boils down to consistency, which I believe Regent is experiencing challenges for whatever reasons.

The difference was more about the preparation than the meat/seafood quality. Both times in Prime 7 the lobster was rubbery both visits and the steaks were not prepared as ordered. My wife ordered medium and it came out rare. Yes, we did send it back but when you are dining with 6 people it takes away from the enjoyment of dining together when everyone has their food except 1 person.

Sounds like this has nothing to do with security concerns or medical concerns but an issue about electric power? What? Was this a recent revelation for Regent? What a kick in the gut for those passengers who booked an entirely different cruise than what they are getting. Full refund Regent!!

And I found the steaks and lobsters in CR to be superior to Prime 7. That wasn’t my expectation but it was true multiple visits to each.

I can’t comment on the Explorer ship but I recently got back to cruising and I was on Splendor in September 2023. You can read my very detailed reports in previous postings if you desire to do so. I have been one of those people who is not afraid to criticize Regent if they don’t meet expectations. Expectations are a personal thing and everyone is different and as GOARMY said, each ship and each cruise is different. For example, the friends we were with had the full big bus experience with included transfers to and from the ship, the hotel and the airport. It was a bit chaotic and not a great experience. We, on the other hand, somehow lucked out and got a private transfer to and from the airport and hotels. I guess we were lucky (twice) but for us it was a great experience. My overall impression of Regent is that it is an excellent product but with room for improvement. Our ship was beautiful and the accommodations were excellent. Here’s where expectations come in, but I felt the dining venue service and/or food was inconsistent, ranging from great to just OK, but mostly very good. I’m sure that people get tired of hearing me complain about Destination Services but they are the Achilles heel for Regent but some people had a great experience with them. Go figure. Different expectations and different experiences. It’s just the life of cruising. Having said all that, I still had a wonderful cruise and I will sail with Regent again if their itinerary is appealing to me but I’m not married to any one cruise line. For example, my next cruise is to the French Polynesia and I considered Regent but decided on Paul Gauguin because I liked their itinerary better and they sail in the month that I wanted to cruise. Go have fun, be flexible and don’t let the little stuff become the big stuff.

My other question may have been lost in the bigger question but what can you use shipboard credits for on a PG cruise? I have read mixed messages as to whether shipboard credits can be used for ship port excursions. That is what I usually spend my credits on (and the SPA) when traveling with other cruise lines. Can they be used for the laundry package and shore excursions? Those are the 2 things I am most interested in. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Yes I do know that Regent and other mid sized ships and larger ships visit FP. I considered Regent but after doing my due diligence, I felt like Paul Gauguin would provide a better overall experience. Regent only offers a couple of cruises per year in FP and it’s at the peak of the rainy season. Although I have loved my Regent cruises, my priority is the destination. I cruise to see things and experience things. I think PG will provide a better cultural and immersive experience than Regent. I even queried the Regent chat board to compare Regent to PG, and many of the Regent long timers said PG was the better choice for the FP area. The biggest expressed concern about PG was the change of ownership. I also wanted to travel in May or June so that eliminated many of the “part time” FP cruise lines. Anyway, I made the decision, and once I make a decision, I never look back. I just look forward to the next journey.