Jump to content

ChucktownSteve

Members
  • Posts

    6,372
  • Joined

Everything posted by ChucktownSteve

  1. It was my experience on Regent ships that they don't understand the difference between no sugar and no sugar added. There are naturally high glucose foods that their "no sugar added" statements don't take into account. Perhaps also making a list of foods he can have would work better helping them understand what to prepare.
  2. Yeah but I would have booked that veranda anyway. Same ones I usually book on AZ. So the rebates are just icing on my cake which I can eat it too.
  3. I do also from two TA's I'm using. One gave me $1,200 rebate and $800 Refundable OBC for a cruise next year.
  4. I had a correspondence with my TA yesterday about his OBC not showing. He said they only make the OBC deposit shortly before the sailing because if I cancel, they will not get the OBC refunded. Host Jazzbeau is correct about refundable vs. non refundable. If you don't use the non refundable, you lose it. They debit spending from the non refundable first. If the TA did a cross promotion with the cruise line, then it's non refundable. If not a promo OBC, then it's refundable. There could be a combination of both from the TA. To find out, ask your agent if it's all refundable or not. I never allow my refundable OBC to go back to my credit card. Since my card pays me 3% for travel expenditures, going back to the card would cause them to claw back the rebate amount on the refunded amount. Therefore, I go to guest relations to get my refundable in cash so I keep the cash rebate. That is if my DW doesn't spend it in the gift shop first. 😁
  5. I thought I may have done it pre cruise however if not I ordered two and added the third once I saw my cabin steward which was no problem the first day. It may also depend upon who you have as a steward or butler. Some may appear more accommodating than perhaps others. My sailing would not have been adversely affect had they said no. I could always get the other by the glass at any lounge I visited.
  6. I've had Grey Goose, JW Black and Seagram's VO stocked at the beginning of our Splendor cruise in a Concierge (pre ordered) a little over a year ago.
  7. Perhaps you should consider applying for a HELOC to afford those prices? 😁
  8. We have three AZ cruises on the books. All three are on Onward. I'm not concerned at this point. The only way to determine for yourself is to try it. Just because we read negative reviews, that doesn't mean we would feel the same about the identical incident as the poster. So I would like to suggest you go with an open mind. Hopefully you'll enjoy your sailing.
  9. In May of 2022 we did an overnight in Hamilton and the third day in St. George on Navigator. I realize there is a very large contingent of pax who love Navigator. I don't consider myself in that group. The cruise sailed Miami to Montreal. Not only did we have the reported vibrations, however through the St. Lawrence we had a 30 second motor noise then 90 seconds of silence and repeat for hours on end. They tried to tell me it was the fog horn. But it sounded both with and between blasts so it wasn't that. I liked the Mariner and really liked the Splendor. Looking forward to our Grandeur sailing. So to Vistaman, I suggest you try it to see how you personally feel about the ship, however don't expect everything that you've enjoyed on the Splendor or Grandeur. A suggestion as others have pointed out, unless you like a lot of vibration, stay away from the stern.
  10. You forgot Bacardi Rum. 🙄 Yeah I was never impressed with the quality of the spirits. I carried the bottles home and gave them to people who didn't know Stoli was a "cheaper" brand. lol I had the Ultimate package so I would have to visit a bar to get what I wanted to drink. On Regent, they gave us liters in the suite of Grey Goose, JW Black and my wife's VO without batting an eye. Those aren't even top shelf.
  11. I hope you like lots of Mary Francis bags. roflmao 😁 My DW gets many on each cruise.
  12. I understand about the beef although I haven't had a bad filet cooked to temperature. But I'm a heavy seafood aficionado..
  13. A perfunctory look at Crystal didn't appeal to attract me. I tend to like longer cruises if I'm traveling somewhere distant. It appeared many if not most of theirs are shorter than 14 days. I looked at the restaurant listings. What I observed on one itinerary I might be interested in, that there are two specialty restaurants which are included. However if you desire a second reservation, there's an additional $50 pp charge. Really? We were never charged for additional specialty reservations on Regent regardless of the number of times we could obtain a reservation. Perhaps my thoughts are misdirected on Crystal and Silversea. Can someone show me where they outshine Regent for value and quality? I admit I haven't sailed the other two. However my exposure on Regent's cuisine is the best I've experienced in all my cruising. I've enjoyed the variety, quality and even the special requests. An example was on a Mariner. They had apple pie one evening. One of our table mates mentioned they like peach pie. So I asked our server if by any chance they had peach. He went to the kitchen, came back a few minutes late and apologized they hadn't. But he said come back tomorrow and we will. Sure enough the four of us showed up in the MDR the next evening and we were served the BEST peach pie I've ever eaten. Freshly made with no filler. Later in the cruise we were surprised by another peach pie unrequested. That impressed me.
  14. When we sailed Regent, to obtain additional specialty reservations above the pre-sailing ones,we could ask for a sharing table once onboard. That enabled them to accommodate more people and make it easier to obtain additional reservations.
  15. "In 1934 the joke was used in the W. C. Fields film titled “It’s a Gift”. Fields portrayed a character named Harold Bissonette, and the scene with the quip occurred near the end of the film when a hostile character challenges Fields: “You’re drunk.” “Yeah, and you’re crazy, n’ I’ll be sober tomorrow n’ you’ll be crazy for the rest of your life.”"
  16. My comment was based on the narrative not the picture.
  17. As you're walking by next time, why not move their "reserved" items to loungers in the sun? Then continue on. You can't be accused of stealing anything. 😁
  18. Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed reading about your journey on the Grandeur. We'll be taking a Southern Caribbean Grandeur cruise in Feb '26. Your pictures and narration really made me look forward to this sailing. Thank you. Hope you totally recover soon.
  19. I thought the MD on Quest is Discoveries while Compass Rose is the Regent MD.
  20. I wasn't. It was a generalized statement but if the shoe fits.... 😁 I've also encountered some of that type of person on Azamara, Oceania and in Celebrity's Retreat. I don't stereotype all their passengers by the actions of a few. Everyone has their own perspective of the boxes they want ticked and the reasons they prefer different cruise lines. To me, it's about the sailing enjoyment as my preferred vacation.
  21. Aft view is my first go to cabin/suite if available. RE: Regent I must have been on the three wrong ships. I didn't meet any entitled, stuffy passengers and my service was efficient and personable. Even from the Compass Rose hostess on the first sailing who I ran into on our third one after she was promoted because she was so good at service. Sometimes people put out vibes that cause staff to be impersonal as if that's what is expected of them.
  22. TY so much for the input. I spent 35 years in Charleston, my DW 40 years before we moved to central FL in 2018. We were married on a friend's piazza overlooking Charleston Harbor 34 years ago. I just never changed the handle.Quite perceptive of you.
  23. Thankx for that. I don't book inside, bottom suites or cabins either. I was just doing an entry level price comparison to show Silversea is more than Azamara but that the included items make it that way because of Luxury vs. Premium. Your situation is more a true comparison. After sailing in some suites, my question is how much cabin/suite size is enough? I like larger accommodations but at some point, we don't need more. We are trying the AZ CWOS this December to see how it compares to Regent's Concierge and Penthouse suites. We were able to book it for $645 pp/pn which I felt was a real value considering I love the aft views. The other two bookings are an aft P1 for the same reason.I'm just glad other people aren't gobbling them up which is why we book when the itineraries are first released. I'm hoping AZ's service level has maintained. The onboard experience is what I felt always made it a cut above for a Premium level.
  24. It did then, it doesn't now if you were late to the (White Night) party as outlined above. Try using your Captain's Club number for the Azamara Circle number.
  25. This thread has certainly proven Newton's laws of motion to me. For every reaction, there is an opposite and equal reaction. 😁


Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.
By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.

×
×
  • Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.