kirtihk

37 minutes ago, BaltiGator said:

Completely agree with you, but why not take it a step further? Why can't Regent offer both options, so that for any given cruise you could choose either day-before or same-day flight arrival? No hotel included if you choose day-before (unless, as pointed out by others, you're at the Concierge level). And you can change your mind later via the same deviation process with the same fees. For that matter, why not offer 2 days before and 3 days before options as well? Someone from Regent has to book the flights no matter which option you choose, so no additional work for them. Am I missing something? Why is the policy so restrictive?

Yes.  However, with your idea a cruiser would have to call no matter what to select an itinerary initially what they want versus of how currently Regent just selects an itinerary on their own (saving time and resources of contacting).  I think the reason why Regent had the current policy is to collect the deviation fee for any change (and the majority of those who use Regent air program will deviate to avoid the obvious reason to potentially miss their cruise).  So, the only a good user’s point of a deviating for a day earlier with a fee is they can select at the same time a preferred itinerary (versus a blind one selected by Regent and revealed at the very short time prior to the cruise like in this thread’s unfortunate and unpleasant so to speak example).

3 hours ago, Golfess said:

I don't understand "booking by default a day prior to embarkation".  Regent booked air the day of embarkation and we were told we had no option to change or deviate or get a credit in order to fly the day prior.  

 

That’s exactly my point! - What I wrote was Regent needs to change their air program to buy air ticket so a person will arrive a day earlier of the embarkation date.  I understand your unfortunate situation, and that’s why I wrote my statement. I really do not comprehend why they do not do that. If the implement such a policy, your situation would never occur.

4 hours ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

Concierge suites do arrive a day in advance as they have an 'included' 1-night pre-cruise hotel.  I suppose if Regent changed to booking EVERYONE to arrive a day in advance -they'd have to include that same pre-cruise hotel or you can be sure people would complain.  And then to 'include' that hotel Regent would have to increase the per-person package cost.  And people will complain....

They do not have to include the hotel for everyone? What to complain about. I understand complaining if something is removed for the same price being paid, but not adding something for the same price shall not produce complaining - it’s not logical.  From the other hand, for last 4-6 years it amazes me how there is so much not logical concept what people express these days around the globe (it’s out of “control”).

24 minutes ago, Golfess said:

Just catching up on some of these informative posts.  And, yes, I understand that a refund from insurance provides more flexibility.  But, given that we had no option to deviate (cruise booked late) and were stuck with a bad Regent itinerary, I think it is wrong that insurance had to pay up instead of Regent.  

Regent doesn’t have to pay; as I previously wrote, they need by default to book air to arrive a day prior to embarkation (money-wise, there is no difference for them versus booking to arrive on the embarkation date).  Then the majority would be mad at them if missing the cruise, because it really would be out of Regent control.

On 10/18/2023 at 7:43 AM, papaflamingo said:

The Travel Insurance will always kick in first.  Since they were fully compensated, why would Regent ALSO compensate them?  You don't get paid twice.  And any money's, be it refund or FCC, would be deducted from the Travel Insurance.    

Really?  When one makes an insurance claim, they request to submit a document from provider (a cruise- or air-line or a hotel) stated an amount (if any) that was compensated and pay the difference between the claim amount and the amount having been compensated by the provider.

13 minutes ago, tubeamps said:

Where did you get that idea?

From few calls to Regent couple years ago regarding this topic (prior to my first booking with them to familiarize myself with their air program in details) and post # 69.

On 10/12/2023 at 8:21 PM, papaflamingo said:

 You can deviate at 210 days before departure of your cruise. The cost is $175 per person deviation fee (non refundable) and then any up charged depending on the flights you select. 

I thought that Regent doesn't charge for a fare difference between an advertised air fare and deviated air.  I thought they charge the $175 deviation fee ONLY.

10 minutes ago, Gray Lady said:

As I’ve stated before, as have others, we had no issues whatsoever with booking flights through Regent Air. Our flight times may change, but that will not be Regent’s fault. Right now, the cost of the air is just $2000 less than our base cruise price! We couldn’t afford that if we took the air credit. We don’t have points or frequent flier miles, so using Regent Air is a no brainer. 

It doesn't make sense to me. If, say air is $7,000, and you take it as a credit, how cannot you afford it to buy on your own, if it's the same amount whether you buy it on your own or as a part (which you apparently could afford, since, as you stated, you are happy with it) of your total cruise fare? 

On 10/12/2023 at 12:13 PM, pingpong1 said:

Hi Marc - I guess people are (sometimes mistakenly) expecting the highest level of luxury from "End-to-End" (which also encompasses the flights on both ends and any "included" hotel stay experience).  Those initial expectations are "set" by Regent's advertising literature and not by the customers themselves.  You and I are both long-time Regent cruisers so we know that those initial advertising expectations are probably unreasonable and not reality-based in a lot of circumstances.

 

But for the new cruiser who is just beginning with Regent...they look through the "glitzy" cruise brochures, watch the short videos, and absorb the lovely glossy pictures and descriptions on each page.  They focus on all the superlative adjectives used in the product descriptions...and they swallow it all "hook, line, and sinker".  Regent wouldn't be advertising themselves this way if it didn't work.  It certainly caught our attention when I first "discovered" Regent back in 2011!

 

For some, if their first or second (Regent) experience doesn't (fully or approximately) measure up to their own initial expectations (which were initially set in place by Regent's own advertising)...they then have two options.  They either reset those initial expectations (now based on some of their own actual experience with Regent), or they "leave" Regent completely...having felt completely "snookered" and cheated... and take with them a lot of disappointment and animosity.

 

Like you and many other, we have never used Regent air, and have only a couple of times used Regent's "included" pre-cruise hotel (which, all in all, haven't been too bad for just the one night), if it came with suite level we had booked.

 

We still cruise exclusively with Regent...but our own "expectation yardstick" has become more accurately reset over the years through actual experience.  Best Regards.

Beginners would expect a proper service for anything being advertised from any company.  Otherwise, there is no reason to deal with a company (who don't provide such a service) at all.

PS. If it's up to me (as a cruise line providing air), I would book tickets to arrive a day prior to the embarkation date and charge a deviation fee for those who "desperately" want to arrive on the embarkation day.

1 minute ago, kirtihk said:

If no one use Regent air (because it's presumably horrible), I think Regent would drop it a long time ago as their feature.

It appears you are a very virtuous agent.

On 10/12/2023 at 11:45 AM, mrlevin said:

32 Regent cruises and we have never used Regent air; just took the credit.  We have used included hotel only once; last year at the Plaza before Grand Voyage.  Regent is a damn good cruise line; why would anyone expect they are great at hotels or air just because they are great at cruising?

 

Marc

If no one use Regent air (because it's presumably horrible), I think Regent would drop it a long time ago as their advertisement feature.

4 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Yep - that's what I call a standard land package. They are perfectly fine (I love them personally) but most of my clients customize their vacations to the point that the Regent cruise is just a small part of their trip.

You wrote "both very expensive"; so, I thought you meant a standard package to buy.

5 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

One time per person per booking. I ALWAYS deviate at max time window (currently 210 days). I research flight option beforetime taking into account what airline the client wants miles on/prefers and what can be done with as few stops possible. There is nothing worse than arriving in your departure city tired and jet-lagged. I submit up to 3 different flight options that I want to know availability and pricing on. Also, you can fly up to 30 days before and 30 days after your cruise so very often a client will roll in an extended vacation with land packages on each end. Regent offers standard land packages as well as special concierge packages (both very expensive and difficult to plan). We often will book these outside of Regent.

A lot of times Regent has one of 3-night standard land packages included in booking ("free" so to speak) either pre- or post-cruise.

40 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

The fee is not per call - it is a one-time fee and if you deviate, only $100 is charge to match the original total of $175. It is still the best $175 you can possibly spend on your vacation. I deviate ALL my clients - it isn't optional - even if I have to pay for it.

Thank you, good to know.  I didn't experience it yet, because our first Regent cruise we booked air on our own, and our next Regent cruise is more than 11 months away, so we cannot look at air yet.  My impression of what I wrote was based on a. the original email from Regent regarding new air department call fee (it didn't specify at all what you wrote), and b. I called the Regent reservation department and asked some questions regarding new air rules, and again, the person just told me about $75 fee, but didn't say it's only 1 time.  So, is it 1 time per a booking (so the air department keeps a record of calls for each booking)?  Also, in your opinion, is it better to book on your own or deviate and wait until the itinerary is released (ticketed)?  The Regent told me that there is a small time-frame window between a ticketed air and deadline air penalty meaning that the air is ticked around 4 months prior to a departure date, and at that point it might be too late to book on your own a good itinerary (price- and/or route-wise).

On 10/12/2023 at 11:31 AM, Golfess said:

Further, we will not book any line that includes airfares with itineraries the day-or-embarkation as the only option.

When air is included, it's unknown until air is ticketed by a cruise line whether it's on a day of embarkation or not (most likely, the former unless the arrival air itinerary is not available on the day of embarkation a few hours prior to the embarkation).  The guaranteed ways to fly a day before (or earlier) are either booking on your own (a cruise line will provide a listed cruise fare credit in the amount of air fare) or requesting air deviation (with paying a fee and in case of, for example, Silversea, a difference in price between of advertised (booked) air fare and a deviated air fare; Regent will also charge $75 fee just for a fact of calling their air department - they added this fee a few months ago for any call to that department regardless of whether you request a deviation or just ask them any air related question).

On 10/15/2023 at 11:25 AM, colesc15 said:

Looks like what some thought might happen is going to happen, at least for 5-8 daily. Found that on another group. No more diamonds in the lounge from 5-8. Maybe specific to whatever this sailing is, but wouldn't surprise me to go forward. Glad I don't care and never go to the lounge. 

Go at 4:30 pm

33 minutes ago, zitsky said:

If you folks want to pay a lot of money for a window that the captain can lock then more power to you.  As they say, there’s a sucker born every minute.

The captain can lock the entire ship in case one doesn’t realize - it’s thousands of suckers (AKA cruise lovers) locked together without windows (inside cabins),  with windows, and… with scam windows…

3 minutes ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

"Infinite verandas are the biggest scam I mean greatest marketing coup in cruising history."

 

The poster who made this statement, does he/she realize how true it is? I, for one, was swindled out of my cruisiing dollars. As a result, I became part of the very successful movement toward the Infinite Veranda culture. That's right, Celebrity told me everything there was to tell, laid it all there for me to see and still took my money. Now, I am trapped, forced to make IV decisions based on truth, justice and the American way. Celebrity has scammed their way through three Edge Class ships with a fourth due to begin sailing soon. Shameful.

 

One can certainly remain vehemently against IV cabins since their inception years ago. With support from fellow caustics, we innocents were warned of Celebrity's malevolent intent, a portend of things to come. Obviously, Celebrity is not listening. Obviously, neither are we. Looks like I, for one, shall continue to fall shamelessly into the Infinite abyss of 'T,' 'J', and the 'A' way.   

This is a very interesting and novel way of presenting a point of view!

On 10/14/2023 at 11:09 AM, zitsky said:

Is Laura herself working on a ship?

 

I am trying to remain caustically optimistic.

 

Infinite verandas are the biggest scam I mean greatest marketing coup in cruising history.

What does the company gain from it if it is actually not good at all?  I don't think they get extra money just for that item alone, and if they do, that means there are enough cruisers who like it, because, obviously, the Edge operates for 5 years by now, and a lot of people who book the Infinite veranda are repeat customers, and we are amongst of them.

On 10/6/2023 at 7:06 AM, hcat said:

we will be in BLU next but could manage those menus with some creative ordering..

 

Presentation of  the food itself is no longer appetizing, but  of course it's the taste that counts. 

 

No idea where X sources its food but where we are in NY and Fl...quality of meat is down..prices are up. Only get top quality at upscale restaurants at premium cost!

Who else might imagine this in March 2020 except me (I predicted all this mess during our Shmandemic March 8-24, 2020 cruise on Ponant Le Soleal)?  And it is not any business' fault.  One may not blame any entity for survival not caused by that entity's own foolishness or self-infliction.

On 10/4/2023 at 8:07 PM, tnm6217 said:

I check all of my cruise fares daily. Yesterday, my 5 night cruise on Summit in January 2024 in a Sky Suite was $4,411 (NRD, including military discount, I forgot to look at the OBC).

Today, I priced it with gratuities included and it is $4,596 - no OBC.

I paid $4,406 at the end of June and got $600 in OBC from Celebrity.

That' a commitment!

Voyage, Voyage! 

On 10/4/2023 at 3:04 PM, verizon said:

This is what we called inflation.

With this pace, 10 years from now the rice per night per person for citated cabin type would be around $3,000 ($60,000 for 2 for 10-day cruise).  A nice so to speak "inflation" it is!

I compared today after adding separate tips (as an option as of today) and yesterday prices for 12-night Asian ocean-view cruise on March 3, 2025 for 2 people, and today's total with tax is almost $1,000 less.  However, it's possible Celebrity reduced price today for that particular itinerary as a promotion, and if it's true, it's impossible to see whether tips are extra versus yesterday's price, or price was reduced just for tips.  An extra tip today is shown as $432 for 2 for that particular cruise (which is $18 per person per night for ocean-view category).

On 10/4/2023 at 8:24 AM, QuestionEverything said:

The downgrading is happening on all cruise lines, resorts etc, everywhere - and we All know why.

 

All know why, but not all admit it stating that downgrading is due to greed, inflation, or whatever else.

Voyage, Voyage!

58 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

My issue is that the level of service isn't there.  We pay a premium to be in suites and enjoy the suite perks- I like assistance when necessary- IMO adds to making a more stress free vacation.  We definately enjoy private and quiet time- but never have we felt intruded upon.  Perhaps by passengers, but not by staff.

I agree with your statement, too.  Average, as I post on many occasions, my vacation mantra is on the cruise every minute counts!  Therefore, I refuse to waste it on the rubbish non-sense.