Portolan

On Grandeur in September 2024 for which we just booked excursions, many had starting times like 9:33 AM or 10:37.  Clearly, I think, typos since never has excursion timing been that precise.  We assume/hope that the times are "rounding error" and not some total mess up which will invalidate some of our choices due to conflicts at a later date.

50 minutes ago, Oh2Bcruisin said:

We’re on as well. Doubt it’s norovirus, captain said respiratory. With the whole crew wearing masks RSV, Flu, or Covid are the more likely suspects since they are transmitted in the air. 

On our cruise, it was specifically cited as GI-related, so Norovirus.

2 hours ago, Pcardad said:

Shhh....they are not allowed to discuss Covid on board.  😉

Almost certainly not COVID from some subtle info we received.  Just back to the good old days of Norovirus.

Just wash and sanitize your damn hands!  (We've been on a number of cruises where Norovirus arose over the last couple of decades.  Never caught it, but then we were using hand sanitizer and due caution long before the pandemic.)

2 hours ago, lonestartor said:

Is a CD available for purchase of any of the shows on a particular voyage on Regent?  I do know that some other cruise lines make available a CD of certain artists performing on a ship.  Any help would be appreciated.

On occasion, the visiting artists will have CDs available after their show (possibly autographed).  Never for the Regent cast shows. 

44 minutes ago, pappy1022 said:

I will send a detailed review of my time on Splendor as soon as I get home next week from our British Isle cruise. Overall the trip has been very good. The captain just informed us of several people having respiratory illness on board. We all know what that is. 

Same thing a few weeks ago on Splendor (Reykjavik to Copenhagen).  Ratcheted up to no self-serving, library closed, etc.  I'm afraid that after COVID practices have wound down, people have forgotten the routine of hand-washing and sanitizing to prevent these outbreaks.

I hope for your cruise enjoyment that people pay attention to the announcements and the curtailments are limited. 

I think it is possible that Regent still has to pay many of the fees associated with a missed port.  On a recent Regent Splendor cruise, we missed a port because the wind prevented docking or tendering.  I wouldn't be surprised if the port basically said that it wasn't their problem and the fees were still due.

Just speculation on my part.

BTW, the only time I can recall getting compensation for a missed port was many years ago when we were on a repositioning cruise taking Mariner from California to Vancouver and then Alaska for the start of the summer season.  Very rough weather up the west coast delayed us to the point that Victoria was skipped to keep the rest of the itinerary on schedule.  We received about $300/pp as I recall.

Bill, et al,

We had an interesting suite (#1000) on Splendor as an upgrade.  It's the forwardmost suite on deck 10 and directly behind some senior crew suites then the bridge wing so you can see activity on the port side of the bridge since the suite has a flared balcony which sticks out farther than the crew suites ahead of it.

CC Rating Template - Splendor.xls

Just lost the port call at Jude com due to high winds and rough seas.  We got the word last night that we'd be docking rather than anchoring so that would have been an improvement, but the captain felt that he'd tugboat assistance (or backup) and none were available in Husavik.

We've been to Iceland several times so our (now cancelled) excursion was more of a revisit rather than new experience, but we feel sorry for those on the ship who are new to Iceland for the missed opportunity.

Otherwise, everything about the ship, service and crew has been fine...to including winning the first trivia contest yesterday with a newly met teammate couple.  Just need a medical doctor to round out the team since we have Americans, Brits, engineers/scientists, geographers and English lit experise.

While we (as Platinum) no longer pay a deviation fee, we always let our (great) TA earn her commission and handle all the interaction with Regent regarding flights.  I provide her with our preferences and she'll either get back with those flights booked or with information about the upcharge to get what we want.  The only time I call Regent directly is to change shore excursions since the current system won't let you cancel and excursion if you want to replace it...though that feature is supposed to be coming to the web site.

Just one of the myriad reasons we use a TA.

2 hours ago, pingpong1 said:

Portolan - You brought back many good memories (during my working years) of flying many Business Class trips in the upper deck of a United 747 between Chicago and Seoul.

They are nearly gone.  No US carriers still fly them.  Here at Dulles, the only ones still flying are the Lufthansa 747-800's which is what we'll be on.  I won't know when it'll be the last time, so take the opportunity when it presents itself.

39 minutes ago, lprp said:

The orange parka would make it so much easier to recognise you😜

Hope your flights work out and you board In Reykjavik 

Only wear the parka in the Antarctic and Arctic!

lprp: perhaps we'll see you on-board.  Maybe at the sail-away where we usually hang around near the Pool Bar.  I'll be the tall guy with a camera slung around my neck (like my picture to the left, but not wearing the bright orange parka).

We are flying a dog-leg (Dulles-Frankfurt-Reykjavik) in order to have a much better business class experience (upper deck 747!) than with Icelandair.  So, with an early afternoon arrival in Reykjavik, we'll likely board around 3 PM.  We'd normally fly a day ahead, but in this case, the Iceland ports are ones we've visited so in a worst-case scenario of arriving late, we'll join the next day in Isafjordur.

42 minutes ago, Jchisley said:

Do they have caffeine free Pepsi on board .. I don’t do very well with caffeine 😊

I think only Coke products which may (or may not) include caffeine-free Coke/Diet Coke

1 hour ago, lesliew said:

Thank you Portolon

Yes, we leave on the 31st out of Reykjavik.   Excited for our first Regent Experience.

We're not too concerned about what is there for set up, and I know we can discuss with our steward, it was more just curiosity.

I won't mention the Guinness 'situation' to my husband, as he is a 'lover' of such!  (LOL but easily adaptable)

Curious if they might have Strongbow Cider onboard?  (my favourite)

Don't remember if it was StrongBow, but they do have (or have had) British cider.

2 hours ago, lesliew said:

We are going on our first Regent Cruise.

Can anyone tell me what are the basic/first day items which would typically be in the Mini Bar?

We have not made any requests so just wondering if there is a 'starter' set up?

(I understand we can make requests once aboard)

We are in a Deluxe Veranda (G1).

Thank you in advance.

From another thread, I think we'll be sailing together next week on Splendor.  If that's the case, then it's too late for special requests through Regent HQ.  Not long ago they said that 90 days was the limit for US departures and 180 days for overseas departures.

However, while we make special requests, we aren't concerned that they be in the suite when we board (they are about 50% of the time).  When you have your face-to-face meeting with your suite steward (usually within an hour or two of boarding), just show them what from the standard set-up that another poster described you don't want and what you'd like instead.  It'll either show up later that day or early the next.  Obviously limited to what they have provisioned onboard.

I am on a never-ending quest to convince Regent and the Beverage Manager that the "Special Export" version of Guiness they normally stock (higher alcohol content and bitter rather than smooth) is not something a Guiness lover can tolerate.  Only the "draft" in the gas-filled cans approximates true draft Guiness.  (Also about a 50% success rate with this).

1 hour ago, Tomotter said:

I live in Switzerland and can only confirm what Techno123 said: Zurich is in fact a brilliant airport.

With a whiskey bar if you have access to the Swiss Airlines Lounge (which you should have if flying into Zurich on Swiss or Star Alliance in business class.

4 hours ago, seasickphil said:

In the UK we can get travel insurance that covers you for missed ports of call.

Interesting.  How do they value a missed port?  Do they refund the cost per day of the cruise for that day?  Or just some fixed amount per missed day?

It's worth repeating in this thread that if you choose room service (as we likely would), the Compass Rose menu is available through room service during the regular hours in CR.  So, not limited to the quite extensive room service menu if you get your order in before CR closes (typically at 9:30 PM).

While it's possible that one of the restaurants will stay open later if there are late arriving excursions (we've seen this happen), it won't be the Pool Grill as they no longer serve dinner there and it would take more effort to create a one-night dinner option there than extend hours in a venue already offering dinner (probably CR).

On 7/31/2023 at 11:18 AM, RELS said:

It depends entirely on the port. On some Caribbean islands (such as Dominica) there are few buses. Most tours get a passenger van without aisles. Good thing, too, because the roads are so steep and windy that buses of any size would be impossible.

 

Regent contracts with shore-side companies for excursions, and has very little control over the vehicles used. What's available in one port might not be available in another.

 

 

Been to Dominica twice in the last two years.  No vans (and by vans I mean those "15 pax" vans with multiple rows to the rear of a sliding side door).  Maybe you've seen otherwise, but it has never happened to us in visits to nearly every port in the Caribbean.  YMMV.

Our experience with the small group tours has been that either regular buses or smaller buses have been used.  All with central aisles.  Never a van and having to crawl in past seats in the front rows.  

Regent has actually gotten very good at making this fair and clear.  Besides telling you the amount that is non-refundable, those credits are always applied first.  For example, if you signed up for any of the excursions that have a surcharge and, as required, paid for them at the time of booking and then subsequently get non-refundable OBC, they will be retroactively applied to the excursion and some or all of the new money you applied when the excursion was booked will become refundable.  You can cash out any of the refundable credit at any time during the cruise or it will automatically be credited to the card you registered for your on-board account.

9 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 I get the OBC from AMEX and use AMEX travel I'm guessing you can't get that back in cash.  

I'd expect that the OBC from AMEX would be refundable.  Basically, if the money doesn't come from Regent by one route or another, you should be able to get it back.  Ask AMEX.

It also depends on the source of the OBC.  If Regent, then it is use or lose with the options described.  If, on the other hand, it was from your TA, it may be refundable in cash.  Your TA will know for sure.  Besides the Regent provided OBCs, some promotions through TAs are non-refundable, but others (like if your TA is applying a Virtuoso credit, they can be cashed out.  Regent has made this much easier to understand as your on-board account as viewed through your suite's TV will clearly articulate how much of any unused OBC is non-refundable.

Also, as a slight contradiction to RetiredandTravel, on the hundreds of Regent excursions we've been on, they've never used buses larger than the standard (~50) and never last seat full.  Usually about 80-90% full at the max, frequently less.  That said, small groups are best if, for instance, on walking tours versus scenic tours since there is more space in the great outdoors.  Finally, and a long-standing personal gripe, Regent should use the VOX/Whisperer devices that many travel companies use which allows you to hear the guides without crowding in or in quiet areas like churches.

We always book F2 suites since we think they are the "suite" spot on Explorer & Splendor.  Enjoy!