toolworker

4 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Really, how often in your cruising life will you ever need to use that number and I would think if you had to use it the last thing on your mind would be who’s paying for the call.

I would think that if a cruise line's passenger needed to use that number, the last thing on the cruise line's mind would be making them haul out their credit card and read in the number so the cruise line didn't have to pay for the call.

Some companies put themselves in the customers' shoes. Some don't.

(Regent doesn't. See the list in my original post.)

 

12 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

I see not much response so I’ll share what I know.

1.  The excursion desk has set hours, not 24/7 for sure and I don’t know why that would even be necessary.  I will say that if you don’t want to go on a tour it’s a simple matter of turning in your tickets.  We’ve never been charged for cancelling any last minute included tours.
2.  The App and the Interactive TV seemed flukey on my last cruise so didn’t use them much.

3.  Yes, unfortunately the tour groups are so large that the Quiet Vox system is necessary.

4.  Yes to Starlink but you’ll still want to purchase the upgraded plan.

5.  Don’t know how interactive those recordings are.  They aren’t very long anyway.

6.  You’re given a number to call for each port in the event you have a problem.  That’s all I know about that because luckily I’ve never had to call!

Thanks, @Gourmet Gal!

1. On Regent, it's not so much cancelling - people just don't show up for free tours, which is most of them. But since they're free, people are also prone to change plans - and that can be inconvenient. Destination Services has limited hours outside of which nothing can be done. During scheduled morning hours, they're usually dispatching tours so not at the counter. When they are open, there can be a wait.

3. I love Quietvox. I can be 100' away taking photos and not miss a word, and I don't care how large the group is.

5. Enrichment lectures are generally 45 or 50 minutes. If they just loop on TV, as on Regent, you always come in somewhere in the middle.

6. Sounds like you're talking about the port agent's phone number, which would probably be just as good in an emergency. I think most cruise lines, or at least high end lines, have a number (and email address) direct to the ship, but some lines have a surcharge for the phone call.

1 minute ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

The ship’s phone number and email address is listed in your final documents email. It’s a U.S. based phone number (not toll free).

Thanks. One of the cruise lines has it on the back of our cruise card, but I don't remember which one.

We have T-Mobile, so international use is free or negligible.

8 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Not sure what you’re asking here. But when in any given port ashore, you can call the ship with the phone # printed in the Daily. We only had to do it once when trying to find the ship coming back from HCMC around midnight. The ship address in the Daily was woefully inadequate & our taxi driver didn’t speak English. But Reception is available 24/7 on Viking so someone will always pick up. 🙂

Thanks, Linda. And if I recall correctly, it was just a regular Miami phone number and a standard international call. Regent has a number that connects to a service that charges $7.95 a minute.

1 hour ago, markandjie said:

6. You can do it but it's a pain. Don't recall the cost the time we did it. Had to input a CC I believe.

One of the lines we were on in the past two years had a number on the back of our cruise cards. Now that I recall, it was a Miami number and rang right through to Reception.

With Regent, IIRC there's an 800 number to call and it asks for a credit card for $7.95 a minute.

Do Silversea ships have these features?

1. 1. Booking and changing tours at reception 24/7

2. Booking and changing things on the app - tours, dining reservations, ... ?

3. Quietvox or equivalent for tours (phone app doesn't count)

4. Starlink internet

5. Play enrichment talks on TV with pause, resume, save your place.

6. 800 number to call Reception from shore for international phone charges only.

I'm asking because we've been cruising Regent lately, and it doesn't have any of them (except phasing in Starlink).  I've seen these on other lines but can't remember which lines have which ones.

Do Viking Ocean ships have these features?

1. 1. Booking and changing tours at reception 24/7

2. Booking and changing things on the app - tours, dining reservations, ... ?

3. Quietvox or equivalent for tours (phone app doesn't count)

4. Starlink internet

5. Play enrichment talks on TV with pause, resume, save your place.

6. 800 number to call Reception from shore for international phone charges only.

I'm asking because we've been cruising Regent lately, and it doesn't have any of them (except phasing in Starlink).  I've seen these on other lines but can't remember which lines have which ones.

Do Seabourn ships have these features?

1. 1. Booking and changing tours at reception 24/7

2. Booking and changing things on the app - tours, dining reservations, ... ?

3. Quietvox or equivalent for tours (phone app doesn't count)

4. Starlink internet

5. Play enrichment talks on TV with pause, resume, save your place.

6. 800 number to call Reception from shore for international phone charges only.

I'm asking because we've been cruising Regent lately, and it doesn't have any of them (except phasing in Starlink).  I've seen these on other lines but can't remember which lines have which ones.

7 hours ago, GMIAC said:

At this time, App functionality isn’t very robust. You cannot access the App unless connected to the ship’s WiFi. You can, however, download Passages and save it to your device for viewing at any time. 

Well, that's a start. But it ought to download the day's Passages (and menus) automatically, without the pax having to do anything, and keep them until at least midnight. Otherwise it just replaces having to remember to photograph Passages with having to remember to do the download.

The Google Play store allows leaving a review, but doesn't display them. So I guess it's finished enough to show that Regent has an app like all the other cruise lines, but not enough for user comments.

Have I missed something? There's an app up now on Google Play. It loads, but says it requires ship wifi. I wonder if it's functional - there was one up last year that wasn't. Anyone tried it onboard?

The home screen says "Once on board, use this app to explore daily Passages, dining menus and more." The screen shots show Passages and booked excursions.

I hope that content stays viewable once disconnected from wifi. It'd save us the trouble of taking photos of Passages before leaving the ship.

What'd really be useful would be the ability to book and change excursions with an app. That'd liberate us from the limited hours at the Destination Services counter

On 9/5/2023 at 6:41 AM, pappy1022 said:

It sure would enhance the shore excursions if you could listen to the guide via your mobile phone and ear buds. I think they tried that and for some reason pulled the plug on it.

They had that on Scenic river cruises a few years back. It was more of a distraction than a help. Wifi range was too limited and it kept disconnecting. Then it took a long time fiddling with it to reconnect. Viking uses Quietvoxes - easy to use, longer range and reliable. On our last Regent cruise, one of the guides brought his own Quietvoxes!

5 hours ago, jclinard said:

How long did it take for them to pay your claim?

I didn't cancel, so didn't file a CFAR claim.

My other Travelguard claims were paid promptly, except for a Trip Interruption claim for which they needed documentation from the cruise line. They paid the cruise fare for the five days I was quarantined for Covid, as well as the medical bill.

Insurers vary. I have had excellent experience with TravelGuard. Their definition of a pre-existing condition is:

"Pre-Existing Medical Condition means an Injury, Sickness or other condition of the Insured, Traveling Companion, Family Member, Host at Destination, Business Partner, Pet or Service Animal for which care, testing or treatment was given or recommended by a Physician, within the 180 day period immediately preceding
and including the purchase date of this plan."

Nothing about stable - the word doesn't appear in their policy. This exclusion is waived if the policy is purchased within 14 days of first deposit or payment and if all trip costs are covered.

You have to pay extra to include problems with your pet as a covered reason.

I've had excellent experience with TravelGuard, and the increased premium for CFAR is not overwhelming IIRC.

Two comments in addition to the 14 - 21 day window for purchasing: CFAR expires two days before departure, so if something comes up in the last couple of days it won't apply. And you'd have to cancel the entire trip - all arrangements. We were on a cruise out of New York, and I inquired about canceling the cruise and just going to New York to visit family. CFAR wouldn't pay off unless we canceled everything including the flights.

(This is for TravelGuard - other companies may have similar restrictions.)

We handled the problem, which was jury duty - a covered reason under both Trip Cancellation and Trip Delay.

But there's a big Catch 22. If there's a covered reason that you expect is going to go away in a few days - like jury duty, or getting Covid a few days before leaving - you can cancel under Trip Cancellation. But if you want to catch up to the cruise once able (and the cruise line allows it), that would have to be under Trip Delay. And the effective date of that benefit in this policy is the date of departure. So it's a covered reason but not Unforseen, because it happened before the effective date of the benefit.

So bottom line - if you are sick or for some other covered reason can't leave on your trip, you've got two choices: Cancel the entire trip and get a refund, or change the departure date on your policy, and eat the cost of the lost vacation days and changing the travel arrangements.

I thought I understood all the ways something could fall through a loophole, but this one had me gobsmacked - and TravelGuard is a good company too.

A TravelGuard agent confirmed this, but I'm not sure she understood the question - and they don't always give the right answer, or the same answer. But this is how I read the policy.

1 hour ago, hernandk said:

Thank you "toollworker".and "Smbruner"!  I can relax now.   I got the evisa for Vietnam online.(I wish Regent had told me the same, ugh!  🙄)

Yeah. Regent just sent detailed instructions for Indonesia and Australia, for at least the second time, for the previous leg. Dunno why they aren't doing that for this leg, or why @Smbruner got a notice and I didn't.

BTW on a recent Silversea cruise, Silversea just got Vietnam visas for everyone and charged us the same $25 as the government. Maybe Regent will do that too when they become a luxury cruise line - although to match Silversea they'd also have to cut prices by about 30%. But I digress.

This was posted in the Roll Call for Regent Explorer sailing from Singapore on Feb. 7. I'm on the same sailing, but didn't get this. But a phone agent told me we could get the Vietnam and Singapore visas on board, or pre-order them.

On 1/8/2024 at 2:18 PM, Smbruner said:

I just heard back from my TA who said this about our Cambodia visas - no mention yet of the cost but at least this resolves having to obtain visas at the Sihanoukville port.

 

Regent is aware of the circumstances around Cambodian eVisas not working for Cruise Itineraries and that there is currently a shortage of physical Visa Stickers worldwide for Embassies and Third-Party Services such as Gen Visa or Visa Central. Because of this Regent is arranging to have a representative on board and available during your Cruise that is dedicated to helping guests secure a Tourist Visa Upon Arrival.

 

Once you complete your embarkation, Regent asks that you check in at the Guest Relations desk, where they will have you fill out your appropriate paperwork and payment information so that they can procure a Tourist Visa on your behalf.

 

Regent does ask, just for ease and convenience, that all passports be valid for up to 6 months after the end of your cruise and that two passport-style photos per guest be available to avoid a potential additional fee with the Cambodian Issuing authority. Once processed, you will receive your visa and be free to explore Cambodia. Please let us know if you have any questions or need further assistance with this itinerary.

We have a TravelGuard Preferred policy (California) covering a cruise trip. Suppose one of us gets sick a few days before leaving, and our physician advises us not to travel. If we wait until they're able to travel, and then fly out to join the cruise ship, will TravelGuard cover (1) the increased cost of that flight, and (2) the cost of the missed cruise days?

5 hours ago, yamanid said:

 

When we visited Sihanoukville Princess took care of the Visas foe us both times.  Which cruise line are you sailing with? 

How much did Princess charge for the visa? 

On 12/1/2023 at 12:17 PM, davela2 said:

We just got off NCL.  The ship took care of the Cambodian Visa for $30 pp

Lucky you. Regent wants $99.

On 10/22/2023 at 8:52 AM, Aulanis said:

iVisa.com  have this on their website
Cambodia Transit Visa (D): In 2023, the Royal Government of Cambodia announced

the short-term transit visa (D category) to tourists visiting the country on a cruise ship.

It allows you to stay in the country for up to 96 hours.

You can apply for this visa through a consulate or authorized travel agencies.

Has anyone found any place to apply for a D visa? The U.S. Cambodian Embassy website lists several visa types but not D. I see nothing on the web.

iVisa also says you can apply for a visa on arrival, but getting on a line for visas while trying to make a ship's tour doesn't sound appealing. I may be stuck with Regent's $99.

Maybe gullible isn't the right word, but if I booked another Viking cruise today I would feel they were taking unreasonable advantage. It wouldn't have bothered me a couple of years ago, but with current interest rates it amounts to a substantial price increase. And it seems a bit smarmy of them to bury that effective increase in the prepayment date instead of just upping the price and having shorter final payment dates like other lines.

But as @mariners indicates, you've got to evaluate the whole package and decide if it's worth it, including the bad taste that some of the terms leave in your mouth. Even with the stealth price increase from prepayment, Viking is a pretty good value.

Looking at the Viking travel plan, their vouchers are non-refundable and non-transferrable, and must be used within 12 months. That said, if the alternative is to get nothing, they're better than that. But another alternative is to buy a better policy from another insurer, with cash CFAR.

A Travel Guard agent told us that they would reimburse a voucher in cash (if otherwise covered) as long as we had originally paid cash that got turned into the voucher.

Agents don't always give the correct answer. FWIW I heard this from several TG agents.

Travel Guard IMO is one of the best insurers. I've had several claims and never had a problem. Compare the details of their policy - we get the Preferred - with other insurers'.

So if we cancel the cruise, but keep and use our own arranged air from home to the debark port, CFAR will not pay, correct?

On 7/16/2023 at 2:31 PM, FetaCheese said:

Agree, on V you'll find many refugees from the cruise lines mentioned.  In my opinion, V provides a fine total experience, so much different than the others.

 

Happy we tried it.  Booked on 3rd later this year.

 

Perhaps you can be placed on a wait list for your preferred cat.  Cabins do open up, so worth a call to V, or a quick email to Tellus.

Agents will say they put you on a waitlist for a cabin class change. Don't hold your breath.

I've had success with several cruise lines by keeping an eye on the Suites listing on the web page. If your class suddenly becomes available, call quick. Many lines clear waitlists manually, even the waiters for bookings. On one cruise, all of a sudden a bunch of sold out classes became available. Maybe a block reservation cancelled or expired.

We care about cabin location, not just class. If we're in a bad location, every so often I go through the online booking process to cabin selection, and sometimes get lucky. Calling an agent might be just as fast.

And re total experiences - not naming lines, but one we sail on waitlists for shore excursions and almost always adds enough capacity to accommodate everyone. But it costs more than Viking. Everyone's got to find their balance of experience and value.

22 hours ago, Lexus550 said:

We have always been able to make our final payment 6 months out whether we have another cruise booked or not.  If it was further out than that, I doubt we'd book.  With their current promotion of $25 down (although in some cases the penalty is $100 for cancellation) and with payment 6 months out, we think it's a good deal.

Exactly what is the current policy? This blog post, dated April 6, 2022, says in part:

• Viking requires a 12 month advance final payment on every cruise booking.
• If a person is a past guest and has a sailing scheduled already within one year, and makes a request for payment delay, they can have a 6 month advance final payment.

It also says deposit time may be longer on some special cruises, and shorter if a guest has a promo code. And Viking can change the policy at any time.

Holding the booking for $25 or $100 may work if you don't need insurance or are willing to take Viking's. We're older, and always buy a superior TravelGuard policy with included pre-existing condition coverage and reasonably priced CFAR (cancel for any reason). To get either of these, the amount paid needs to be insured within 15 days of initial payment. So we pay about $1000, nonrefundable, to hold a booking.

On 6/21/2023 at 6:45 PM, FlyerTalker said:

Hope you get the Hello Kitty aircraft.

On 6/21/2023 at 6:48 PM, QueSeraSera said:

 

Wow - awesome! Unfortunately, those planes currently fly from Taipei only to Bali, Sapporo and Chicago. But I'll watch their Hello Kitty routes page in case that changes.

BTW if you're interested in EVA Air - which is Star Alliance and rated 5* by Skytrax - booking online is easy, but to cancel or change call their Taipei Hotline during office hours Taipei time. They have excellent agents fluent in English. Don't bother with any U.S. numbers.