Time for a change?

Given the proposed change of name,and future enhancements,why is there no mention of the one enhancement that can be implemented quickly?

Namely,an "all inclusive" drinks policy.

It does seem illogical that you can enter the evening dining room and drink to closing time, whatever that is, without attracting any charges but if you wish for a glass of wine with lunch you have to pay. Perhaps they will address this for 2006.

And I found out during my recent cruise this summer that their prices are now outrageous! $7 for a glass of house wine!

Perhaps 'Regent" could test the waters by changing to

a 'liquor included' policy from 5pm or at least one hour pre dinner

through either dinner or midnight. This would allow them to

evaluate the economic impact to themselves without having

gone totally inclusive [sticky if they have to withdraw this

policy]. I suspect that the changed policy would result in less

-annoyed pax who participate more in lounge life, dancing, etc.

This is long overdue. Let's hope they see the light. Having been presented the actual costs/figures (in prior threads) regarding this option, I just can't see why any corporation would continue to hold out on offering this to their "luxury cruise line" passengers. It would be the final touch. Very few of us would hesitate to relenquish our "in suite bar set-up", we'd much rather have that cocktail with our fellow travellers in a lounge. We'll keep our fingers crossed that Radisson (Regent) steps up that notch.

Charlene

Hear hear! (And, "wow, $7 for a glass of wine!!) It certainly is time for a change, before we go off and start changing without them. Are you listening, Regent??? :rolleyes:

I don't understand why the powers to be ignore the feedback of so many of their customers. I'd gladly buy my bottle of Absolute if I didn't have to worry about signing chits. I wonder if they've ever tried to estimate how many bottles of liquor are actually taken home at the end of the cruise. I can't drink one bottle of liquor on a one-week cruise, let alone four! Hubby wasn't really happy to have to stand in line at 7 am to get permission from customs to take the extras off the ship! He said most of the people in line were there for the same reason.

However, I have to say that on the Voyager crossing I saw a number of little changes that pointed to cost cutting...from the limited selection of tea bags (YUK) at tea...really missed the properly brewed Russian Caravan, to a scarcity of those wonderful chocolate truffles, to no cruise consultant. And of course there are the cutbacks in past passenger discounts. For a line that wants to become more luxury oriented, this is a step in the wrong direction.

Not dissing the cruise line. It was just my impression. I'm looking forward to trying the Navigator in 06, so I want the fine service to continue!

The cost of all inclusive isn't the cost of the booze,it's the loss of the markup. That seven dollar glass of wine probably cost 50 cents to pour. But,I would not be surprised to see it happen. I've been following three or four threads on two different groups,and there seems to be a feeling that more competative deals at Seabourne will put pressure on RSSC (we'll assume what the "R" means). I would think dry docking the three ships for upgrades to be more in line with a Regent rather than Radisson experience would tend to reverse some of the slippage in what has been happening on the line. Also,we took beer from our suite to the lunch cookout. Nobody said anything and I don't think they would,even if it had been beer we brought on ourselves. Maybe even a glass or bottle of wine would fly.

Yes, you are right...it is a profit center. Every free drink actually costs them $7 in income (or whatever the price of the drink) if it replaces a purchased drink. However, on my last three cruises I've had a bar bill of zero. On the Diamond they served glasses of wine or champagne with our afternoon nibbles (which were much nicer than the ones on the Voyager, by the way). That, with the various cocktail parties, didn't leave much incentive for before dinner drinks. On the Voyager crossing beer or wine was served for some of the lunches as well. But it was just as easy to pop open a bottle and sit on the balcony. During the shows there is no pressure to buy drinks. I really like that! On other lines I've found myself ordering a drink I didn't really want. Now, I feel comfortable with club soda or nothing at all.

I'll be on three RSSC cruises for 2006, but 2007 is up for grabs. I'm thinking of trying Sea Dream, or even Silver Seas if they have the right itinerary.

Another factor may be that management is concerned about losing passengers who don't like "subsidizing" other passengers' bar tabs. That point has been made often on other boards when the topic of switching to "all-inclusive" has come up. Both Seabourn and Silversea have slight reputations among some cruisers as social drinker's ships and Radisson/Regent may want to avoid that. Whatever, I think something more than costs/finances are part of management's refusal to "go all the way."

management is concerned about losing passengers who don't like "subsidizing" other passengers' bar tabs.

I've often heard this as well. I still contend that things should be available to all passengers. My husband and I rarely order desserts, so are we subsidizing passengers that order one (or two) each night? I think that is a ludicrous analogy.

All liquor was included on our World Cruise and I saw for myself how much the "all inclusiveness" added to the entire socialization onboard. It does make a big difference! I also don't think the marjority of passengers drank any more just because it was included. I for one would gladly forgo the in-suite bar set up (or bring my own onboard) if liquor in the lounges was included in the fare.

For those who may feel that they are subsidizing other passengers' bar tabs, there are lots of other cruise lines for them to choose from!

Bring on the All Inclusive!

A few years ago I was on the Diamond. At that time, for a limited number of cruises, it was all-inclusive. It worked very well, (although the staff had a bit of a learning curve, wanting to present chits etc) and I was amazed that Radisson didn't decide to go "all the way" at that time! It is SO nice not to have to sign for every little thing. It really adds to the ambiance. You are made to feel like more of a guest than a paying passenger.

Host Dan

As a non-drinker and a person with a finite travel budget I'm among those who doesn't care to be "subsidizing" an all-inclusive alcohol policy that I can't take advantage of. But I see the value of the ambiance/environment created where one never has to sign for anything.

It's too bad there's no intermediate ground - some sort of system that would enable those wishing all inclusive alcohol to pay one price and us non-drinkers to pay a different price. But I'll be darned if I can think of a mechanism for controlling it (short of a touchpad at every table and bar that does a fingerprint scan to match a passenger to their alcohol or lack-of-it program and yes... fingerprint scanners are invasive and the last thing I want to encounter on a cruise).

As a very light drinker I think it would be better to go all-inclusive. I will be trying Silverseas in March and will check out the making of drinks. :D One problem I had on the Mariner is I always have a Pina Colada by the pool, but every time I saw the pool bar they were not making "fancy drinks" for other guests so I did not order one. While on the Mariner outside of wine at dinner, I did not have any other drinks and my bottle was left in the suite with only one drink out of it. But going all-inclusive just feels better to me.

Now a poster on SS forum says the pool bar on the Whisper makes a GREAT Bloody Mary, and I will have to try that :D

As for non-drinkers play for drinkers.. all have have to say is DOWN WITH FISH EGGS and SNAILS..... :D

Blackbird,

They also make a great BBC at the pool bar on the Whisper, great for a warm day.

I love the idea of all inclusive, both for convenience sake and to

know your total pkg costs upfront. [Tips & liquor can really add

up......as on Crystal]. I would gladly forego the included in room liquor,

purchasing a bottle if we really wanted it.

If they [rssc] are avoiding doing the open bar because of 'subsidizing

drinking of some pax concerns', then we should sign chits for caviar, rack

of lamb, lobster,etc....any upscale items, any special orders! Of course,

this would make for the most miserable cruising imaginable...just trying

to make a point.

We've only done one SS cruise......we saw an active pre dinner

bar/social scene but only a few stool sitters [always the same 6]

late into the evening. I didn't feel that the open policy infuenced

our habits.and didn't see people staggering down corridors.

edited to wrap text

Amen to going All Inclusive! This is a suggestion that we've put on each and every RSSC comment card we've completed, seems to be falling on deaf ears. I agree that for the non-drinkers who would feel that they are subsidizing those that do indulge (even light drinkers like ourselves) there are other cruise line choices. I've heard good things about Oceania so that could be an option for those who are looking for a NON ALL INCLUSIVE luxury line.

The "all inclusive/open bar" war was fought out on this board way back in the spring and fall of '03 --- and I was one of those leading the charge for this change. I had several communications with Mark Conroy about it, and learned that a change to all inclusive-open bar would cost RSSC about $10 per day pp. The result of all this appears to have been that segments of the World Cruise have become open bar, but no other RSSC cruises. Net fares (which include the current shortage of discounted cruises) have gone up far more than $10 per day pp.

My reason for wanting this change was not to get more booze, but to get flexibility in drinking times. Maybe I don't want to drink at dinner. Maybe I want a beer in the afternoon. Sure, I can go into a bar and buy one without breaking the bank, but I'll be alone there!

All I can say about the argument of "non-drinkers subsidizing drinkers" is that I don't eat lobster or caviar --- so I guess I subsidize those who do. I don't go to evening entertainment much, so I guess I subsidize those who do. On a TRUE lux cruise, there is something included for almost everyone, and things tend to offset. There are some cruisers out there who want just the "bare bones" cruise included in the fare, and want to pick and chose (and pay for) anything else they want. For these I recommend NCL, as that is this line's marketing strategy.

I will not start up my old arguement for open bar again here --- I don't want to be a "broken record." But there is a solution. RSSC's net fares (considering discounts) have risen to a point equal to (and sometimes exceeding) those charged by Silversea (which IS open bar/all inclusive). Usually, dollars make a much stronger statement than anything I could compose. Our next booked cruise is on Silversea. So, perhaps, it really is TIME FOR A CHANGE!

Thanks,

Richard

Richard, I couldn't agree with you more. We are booked on two Radisson cruises in 2006. But we are seriously considering a switch to Silversea in 2007. Silversea's all inclusive policy at a price that is reasonably comparative to Radisson is a real draw. We also perceive Silversea to offer a better range of itineraries.

Patrick

I could be wrong but a small problem for Radisson could be the new owners of the PG. As I remember once they brought the PG, they dropped the wine with lunch option. And now all ship AS I UNDERSTAND have dropped it.

So Richard, your solution is to switch cruise lines, right? I agree that voting with our feet might work in the long run, but it sure would be nice if rssc noticed we were going to do that and did something sooner.

I agree! And it's not just the open bar issue now. Price has become a factor (whereas Radisson alwys USED to have the best deals), along with the lingering, unanswered questions about past guest benefits.

Thanks,

Richard

When we booked our PG 5/21/05 B2B cruise, wine was included with lunch. By the time we boarded the PG, Radisson had dropped that benefit. That wasn't a deal breaker for us, but it was a disappointment. We were also highly disappointed to discover that Radisson had also, apparently, cut the food budget significantly. To us, the quality of the food service on the PG was below "luxury" standards. We were traveling with lots of repeat PG passengers. ALL we talked to agreed that the quality of the food was well below that of the PG's glory days.

We've been following the message boards carefully. It appears to us that the food service problem is unique to the PG. Haven't read complaints about the other Radisson ships. We have heard from reliable sources that when Grand Circle Tours purchased the ship they started pitching for a decrease in the per passenger food budget from $30/day to $10/day. Don't know how this got sorted out. But we hope and trust the problem is limited to the PG.

Patrick

Well, we were on the PG in Sept. '05, and had cruised on her in earlier years. We pesonally did not notice a decline in food quality, but we are not very expert in this area. Some of our fellow guests did notice a decline. And the wine and drinks with lunch (or lack thereof) was not a problem for us, as we don't generally drink with lunch.

The issue with me is, would I pay MORE for a Radisson cruise of N. Europe in the future, when Silversea offers a better itinerary PLUS open bar? The answer is heck no! If Radisson wants to offer less content than Silversea, they must consistently offer lower rares , as they did in past years. Now, RSSC seems to be pricing itself right up there with Silversea (or above), so what is a consumer to do?

Thanks,

Richard

I read this post with interest. I’ll through my two cents in because I find this an interesting topic not because I have any knowledge of RSSC. My DW and I usually travel with Sea Dream. That line is truly all inclusive, with the exception of the spa and the shore excursions.

As I look at prices I do not see that those prices are any more than RSSC. We are looking at trying some other line to try some different itineraries, but the idea of having to leave tips or sign for drinks keeps forcing me back toward Sea Dream. (we won’t even go into the issue of formal nights).

It seems that the luxury lines could easily build the minimal costs of the open bar into their prices, if in no other way than by removing the bar setup in the cabins.