pingpong1

Hi ,Cruiseluv. I certainly agree with you with respect to "not paying" Regent (or even Carnival) prices for that kind of cruise experience. I just don't have to get on a cruise ship that badly. But we can also be certain that some would, no matter how negatively downgraded the experience was. And I guess those few would comprise the clientele that Regent (and other brands) would be heavily relying upon to "save the industry" until a reliable, proven, and available vaccine was available. Regards.

Orvil/Susie - I'm actually a pretty honest guy. I never "fudge" on my taxes (I actually probably pay more than I have to) and I pay all of my debts/bills promptly. But...I don't see this as a "debt" until someone in authority (Regent or your CC) actually tells you "it's a debt" that you'll need to return. And when/if that time comes, then return the extra payment promptly. Up until that time (if in fact the time ever comes), I would let the extra refund sit in your savings account and draw a few "dimes worth" of interest. Regards

👍 Well Said, Susie!

Hello everyone. We had booked a Transatlantic crossing on Riviera from Oct 28, 2020 to Nov 13, 2020. Rome to Miami. We paid a $1,500 deposit plus $224 for dinner (for 2) in La Reserve. We cancelled our booking on April 10, before incurring any admin fees or penalties. We received the total refund last night ($1,724) back to our payment credit card. So it took (only) 49 days from time of cancellation to receipt of refund. Regards.

Dole - I heartily agree that "we" (those of us who chat on this board but are not "in" the cruise industry) have no accurate way of measuring future demand. But I would assume that industry executives (like Del Rio) certainly have (and pay for) access to very accurate marketing and customer preference data, along with surveys (on disposable income) of their target customer base. They will not set fares that are "higher" than what the traffic "will bear". And if certain cruises don't seem to be selling well, they will add some of the little temporary "sweeteners" that others have mentioned ($1,000 OBC's, 50% reduced booking fees, etc. - neither of which have large negative impacts on their revenues) to drive the needed passenger loads back up to achieve acceptable profit levels. Pappy - I certainly agree with you. I (personally) am not willing to pay "any price" to go on a future Regent cruise, either. I've never had 3-4 cruises booked at any one time (unlike some posters on the Regent/Oceania boards). And my Regent cruising history (so far - over 9 years) has only averaged about one cruise every 2 years. I don't believe Regent will set (increase) their fares to a point that crosses or breaks an "unacceptable threshold" that most of their loyal/frequent customer base would be unwilling to pay in the future. At least they apparently haven't done so yet, over the past 10 years of steady increases. Most of us on this board still seem to be "fine" with booking and sailing on future (Regent) cruises. Regards.

Many of us saw this quote from Mr. Del Rio in a interview he gave on May 7, 2020 - “I don’t believe for a minute that the mature audience is not going to cruise anymore. These are the most loyal customers. They’ve got the time to cruise. They’ve got the money to cruise and, quite frankly, they’re pissed off that they can’t cruise right now. They’ve got a bucket list. They’ve got a short time left on this planet, and they want to make the most of it.” If the CEO of NCLH himself, holds this view as to the sentiment and pent up "demand" (for cruising) from his most loyal customer base (regarding their eagerness to get back on Regent ships), why then would he feel any"need" whatsoever, to reduce fares at all, upon resumption of cruise operations? I'm sure that there are many of us on this board (and remember, we represent just a small percentage of Regent's total customer base) who simply "can't wait" for Regent cruises to start operating again - at whatever fare price/s Mr/s Montague and Del Rio feel are "appropriate". Regards.

Fizzy - A very interesting thought! I don't know whether small or moderate changes in passenger behavior (more onboard eating/drinking rather than going ashore) would result in a significant difference (increase) in Regent operating costs (the difference might be in "the weeds), but with more people choosing to just stay onboard in many ports, it may have somewhat of an impact (either "good" or "bad") on the "onboard experience", from what we've had in the past. We're booked on an 18-day Mariner Dec 18, 2021 Miami to San Francisco itinerary. I know already that I'll be staying onboard during some/most of the 9 port visits we'll have on that itinerary. And the itinerary already has a substantial number of "sea days", which I'm really looking forward to! For me, this will just be a (hopefully enjoyable) "sit by the pool/lounge/balcony/dining room/Constellation Theater cruise! Best Regards.

Mura - What a good read! Thanks for sharing. We now live about 4 hours drive south of the Grand Canyon. We love living in the American west after having spent a lot of our life on the east coast. Best Regards.

And "Ya'll" can keep your Salad Cream - Personally, I prefer Mayonnaise, myself! 😜

If only the gentlemen had been airlifted to Eastport, Maine...the discussion could still be (tenuously) "on topic". 😉

FF - Completely agree! In considering all of this, I would certainly be in "no rush" to board the 1st "resumed cruise", and neither the 2nd, or even the 3rd one! I would leave that experience to other "brave and hearty souls". Perhaps after things get going again (and most importantly, "in a completely successful and stress-free manner"), for about 6-8 months, and once protocols and daily operations stabilize, I might consider cruising again. But just as I would not ever consider going on a "maiden voyage" - these first few cruises after resumption - will also seem like "maiden voyages", and maybe not even as enjoyable! I think eventually/finally having a proven vaccine available to the masses is really going to be necessary in order to bring "normalcy" and a feeling of "safety" back to the whole cruising experience. Before then, it will all seem like an "experiment in caution" and I'll prefer to leave that to others. Our next (currently booked) cruise will be in December 2021. Best Regards.

If/while cruise lines consider mask-wearing as "necessary", then I will consider cruising (under those conditions) as "unnecessary". 😉 And for me, that also applies to flying. For us, flying and cruising are not "necessary life activities". I suspect many others also feel the same way.

Hi Lyn - You are completely correct. In addition, I have read the T&C's from start to finish and I see no stated time limit under which Oceania "stipulates or encumbers itself", for the return of deposits or other refunds that it might owe back to customers. Perhaps it is in some other controlling document, depending upon the country. But as others have said on these boards, Oceania has stated that refunds can be expected up to 90 days after cancellation. Has that "90 day window" yet been reached or exceeded for anyone awaiting a refund from their actual cancellation date yet? And no, I'm not a TA either. Just a "dumb old retired guy living the good life" in Arizona.

Hi Roger - In the scenario you raise, it all depends upon the dealer's legal "Terms & Conditions" that were actually in place and in effect (and which you presumably agreed to) at the time you handed over your deposit to him (the car dealership). Presumably, when you gave him your deposit (and he "accepted" it) you also signed a legal "vehicle order and sale contract", which would have laid out the "conditions" that were in affect at the time of your purchase, along with any/all legal obligations that the dealership had towards you. In another thread, I just quoted word for word (I lifted them directly from Oceania's online T&C's), two pertinent paragraphs, which seem to "cover them" for all the things ("circumstances beyond the control of Oceania Cruises"), that are happening right now. Someone who wishes to mount a legal challenge to what is happening right now, better have many, many thousands of dollars/pounds to pay their own legal expenses, along with many years of their life left to wait for a final outcome. Best Regards

From Oceania's Terms & Conditions (T&C) Acts of Nature, Strike, or Other Conditions Beyond ControlOceania Cruises shall not be liable for delay or inability to perform caused by or arising out of strikes, lockout or labor difficulties or shortages, whether or not Oceania Cruises is a party thereto, or any other acts of nature, force majeure or other circumstances beyond the control of Oceania Cruises. ItineraryAll itineraries, including points of embarkation and debarkation, are at the discretion of Oceania Cruises and may be modified up to and during the voyage. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to amend, cancel or make substitutions for any travel component without prior notice to the guest, including hotels, ports of call or other modes of transportation if, in its opinion, the situation requires a change or cancellation of arrangements. Oceania Cruises does not assume responsibility or liability for any loss, inconvenience, or expense incurred by guests as a result of any changes or cancellations as detailed in the Guest Ticket/Contract. When practicable, Oceania Cruises will promptly notify guests or their Travel Agent of a cruise itinerary change.