Does Regent Really Care?

[fla742]

The following is the text of a letter that my husband sent to Kumal KamlaniI, President of Regent Seven Seas and Oceana cruise lines, on December 27, 2013. I have redacted his name and our contact information. To date, we have not had any response. Is this any way to run a cruise line?

 

December 27, 2013

 

Mr. Kunal S. Kamlani

President

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

8300 NW 33rd Street

Suite 100

Miami, FL 33122

 

Dear Mr. Kamlani:

 

It has been said that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Unfortunately, our first impression(s) of Regent were quite negative, so it is unlikely that we will again sail with Regent. We our experienced cruisers, having taken over 30 cruises with various lines. We have been upgrading the level of the cruise lines we use and expected a first-class experience on our first Regent cruise. We did not get that. To be perfectly frank, our Regent experience was inferior to our last Azamara cruise.

 

We were on the December 8 cruise of the Mariner from Rio to Buenos Aires with a post-cruise trip to Iguazu Falls. Our plane was late in getting to Rio. We were met at a crowded airport by Regent representatives who gave conflicting instructions on what to do with our luggage. Passengers were arriving on a number of flights at roughly the same time. Apparently, some genius had decided to organize the buses by flight number even though all the passengers were going to the same Sheraton Hotel (more about that later). As a result passengers from three or four flights were left milling in the same congested area of the Rio airport for over one hour. It would have been far better to load thirty passengers per bus and get them out of the airport.

 

We finally boarded a bus for the trip to the Sheraton which is in Leblon and almost an hour from downtown Rio. When we arrived at the hotel there was a hospitality room for us. We were given forms to fill out for our rooms and advised that rooms would be ready at 3 p.m. We had difficulty getting lunch at the hotel since its main restaurant is closed and they were not prepared for the crowd. When we returned to the hospitality room at 3 there was utter chaos. Some rooms were ready but most were not. Keys were distributed as rooms became available but this was not handled in an organized way. Several Regent or hotel reps called out names in random order in a room with at least 200 people milling around and nowhere near that number of seats.

 

We finally got a room at around 4:30 but other passengers waited until after 5. Our room was in dire need of maintenance. The carpeting was covered with old deep stains and the walls badly needed to be repainted or repapered. To be perfectly frank, the Rio Sheraton is an inconveniently located dump that I would not normally patronize. It does not compare to the Buenos Aires Sheraton that we stayed in at the end of our trip.

 

In conversation with other passengers who had sailed on Regent previously, we were assured that things would get better once we got on- board ship. Unfortunately our initial ship-board experiences were also unsatisfactory. Our suite and attendant were fine. However, when we went to sign up for internet service, we were advised that our reservation did not show that we had unlimited internet that was supposed to be part of our package. My wife went to the Reception desk and the woman she spoke with (who will remain nameless) made copies of the offer my wife had accepted, showing that we were entitled to free internet and a $300 cabin credit. The woman had no interest in getting the names and contact numbers of people at Regent my wife had spoken with. The woman said she would check on this with headquarters and get back to us. The following day she left a message saying that our request was denied, and implied that my wife had made up the Regent forms showing the offer.

 

We planned on doing sightseeing in Rio on Sunday after we boarded but were advised that there was a mandatory drill at 5 p.m. which effectively eliminated our ability to do anything on shore on Sunday afternoon. Had we been advised of the drill in advance we might have been able to do some sightseeing prior to boarding. While I appreciate the importance of such drills, it could have been done on Monday since we were remaining at the dock in Rio until Monday evening. Since Saturday was lost for sightseeing due to the problems at the airport and the Sheraton, our three days of sightseeing were reduced to Monday.

 

We had two tours booked for Monday and had the first one been on time we would have made the second one with ease. Unfortunately, we did not get on the tram to Cocovado until 11:20 and did not return to the ship until 1:30 which was after our second tour had left. The staff responsible for organizing tours might want to have passengers taking two tours be scheduled for the earliest possible first tour.

 

Our guide on the first tour told us he had called ahead to let Regent know that he had many passengers taking second tours. He told us that the second tour would be held for us. However, when we got back to the ship no one from Regent was there to tell us about arrangements for a second tour. After much complaining from me and many other passengers another bus came to take us on the second tour but at that point many of the passengers were tired, thirsty and hungry and simply gave up. We took the second tour but our guide insisted that we spend two hours on the top of Sugar Loaf. There was practically a revolt and she finally relented so we got back to the ship by 4:30.

 

At that point I went down to Reception and spoke with Odul Uzonali, Executive Concierge, who resolved our internet and credit issues, which should not have been issues in the first place. I told her that the only satisfactory experience we had had from Saturday through Monday evening was dinner on Sunday night, and that I would be just as happy to disembark and go home. Odul did follow up with the excursion desk and someone got back to me the following day. The bottom line is that our three days in Rio were effectively reduced to one, which was totally inadequate.

 

The remainder of our trip was quite good. The fact that we could not go to Buzios due to weather is not Regent’s fault and the staff did an excellent job of switching from a port day to a sea day. I would have preferred an overnight in Montevideo to the series of minor Brazilian beach ports we visited, but that is a matter of taste. Food, accommodations, entertainment and service were at the level that we expected. We enjoyed the variety of restaurants and found the ship-board staff to be excellent and accommodating. The post-cruise trip to Iguazu was excellent, with good guides and a very interesting hotel. The falls almost made up for the initial problems.

 

 

The bottom line is that we do not cruise to be aggravated and the first three days were almost all aggravation. I have no idea who selects the hotels and local agents, but the facilities and staff in Rio were not worthy of Regent. The ship-board experience and staff were fine but the administrative side was not. I would have to rate our overall Regent experience far below our prior Azamara experience, so it is unlikely that we will sail with Regent again.

 

 

Very truly yours,

[TedC]

Thank you for sharing the letter for us - we want to know the good, the bad and the ugly.

 

Rio is a great city but the Sheraton has been a SORE SPOT!

 

 

Please take a few minutes to read the Fodors review down from your post to get another look at Regent.

[Travelcat2]

Very interesting letter and I am also glad that you shared your experiences with us. As mentioned by our last poster, the Sheraton in Rio seems to have challenges with large groups.

 

In hindsight, had you booked with an experienced TA, the problems with the internet and on board credit would probably not have been an issue. Our experience has been that communication between headquarters and the crew on the ship is weak at best. As you have probably learned by now, you do not have to go anywhere to sign up for internet. You simply follow the instructions displayed next to the computers in the computer room. Things I am mentioning in this paragraph are more for people reading this thread who have not sailed Regent yet. There are always lessons to be learned from negative experiences (both for Regent and future passengers).

 

I have to say that we found transportation in general a nightmare in Rio (getting to the airport from Rio was one of the worst experiences we have had in all of our years of traveling - no one's fault -- only traffic in Rio). I cannot imagine how Rio will handle the Olympics with the traffic problems they have unless they build bridges over existing roads and waterways.

 

It seems like we are hearing (and I have seen) too many "revolts" on Regent excursions. Hopefully this information is being heard by headquarters and changes will be made.

 

It sounds like Azamara is a better choice for you. However, you should consider Oceania's Riviera or Marina - both beautiful ships and thankfully excursions are not included.

 

Does Regent care? Yes - I think they do but, IMO, trying to include everything is placing a heavy burden on them.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Travelcat2

[LindaM]

We have not used Regent's hotels, but have booked our own. We have used other cruiseline's hotels. As critical and fussy as I can be, I never thought to criticize the cruiseline for choosing a hotel we had issues with, and believe me, there have been issues! We have also had reps meeting us at the airport who didn't have a clue, from other cruiselines.

 

They hire people to do the meeting and transfers in other cities. They don't have that much control, as you may think. I would guess once Regent's contract is up in Rio, they will find a better hotel, hopefully. Again, since it is supposedly being refurbished, maybe not!

 

Like others said, if you don't choose your own hotel, you can't really hold Regent THAT accountable. They do the best they can. I am sorry the place was so awful---live and learn.

 

When you travel to third world countries, you are taking your chances. Don't kid yourself that you are dealing with what we consider normal!

[Eager2Travel]

Sorry. The message was a mistake.

Edited February 3, 2014 by Eager2Travel

[mrlevin]

The Sheraton at Rio is a disaster; unfortunately, so was your husband's letter. In the second sentence, you say you will never travel with Regent again; why should anyone keep reading? If you want to have a business respond to your needs; make it worthwhile for them.

 

Marc

Edited February 4, 2014 by Marq

[Snackdaddy]

Greetings,

 

We were on the Dec 8, 2013 sailing the Mariner as well. We experienced the Sheraton problems and Regent made up for it as soon as we stepped on board. Jamie Logan, CD, went out of his way to make sure we were OK. We also wrote to President Kamlani on the day we missed Buzios and received a response from his office within two hours with their apologies for the Sheraton fiasco. A few hours later we received a bottle of champagne with a lovely card from the President recognizing our 31st wedding anniversary.

 

We too have taken over 30 cruises and know that nothing is perfect and "stuff" happens in life and on vacation. I guess the lens of my reality is much different the OP. I have come to believe that the lenses through which we view the world impacts the tone of our writing and how we deal with the smaller problems in life. Life is what you make it. I will get off my soapbox now.

 

BTW, we will try Regent again in a heart beat.

[Travelcat2]

Greetings,

 

We were on the Dec 8, 2013 sailing the Mariner as well. We experienced the Sheraton problems and Regent made up for it as soon as we stepped on board. Jamie Logan, CD, went out of his way to make sure we were OK. We also wrote to President Kamlani on the day we missed Buzios and received a response from his office within two hours with their apologies for the Sheraton fiasco. A few hours later we received a bottle of champagne with a lovely card from the President recognizing our 31st wedding anniversary.

 

We too have taken over 30 cruises and know that nothing is perfect and "stuff" happens in life and on vacation. I guess the lens of my reality is much different the OP. I have come to believe that the lenses through which we view the world impacts the tone of our writing and how we deal with the smaller problems in life. Life is what you make it. I will get off my soapbox now.

 

BTW, we will try Regent again in a heart beat.

 

Such a lovely post. Hope you celebrate your 50th on Regent:)

[mushroom]

I'll not go into details - but from our personal experience, Regent DOES care. We experienced great disappointment with pre and post-cruise arrangements on our trip out of New York and ending in Montreal. We realized that these arrangements - although paid for through Regent - were actually handled by local tour operators. Once we returned home, we wrote a critique to our travel agent. She forwarded our concerns to Regent and received an immediate reply along with a generous offer of onboard credit for our next cruise which had already been booked. It was our suggestion to RSSC that they take a greater ownership of the pre and post cruise packages. It if unfortunate that the lowest-paid employee (limo driver, hotel clerk, hospitality desk personnel) can color the entire "lasting impression" for the cruiser.

[Baggywrinkle99]

It's a fundamental mistake to assume that the first class experience Regent provides on board can be replicated in third world hotels ashore.

[Travelcat2]

It's a fundamental mistake to assume that the first class experience Regent provides on board can be replicated in third world hotels ashore.

 

Agree 100%

[Emperor Norton]

It's a fundamental mistake to assume that the first class experience Regent provides on board can be replicated in third world hotels ashore.

 

A first class company wouldn't put you in a third world hotel.

[fla742]

January 30,2014

 

XXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your letter addressed to our President, Kunal S. Kamlani, regarding your above referenced booking with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. After reviewing your correspondence in detail, Mr. Kamlani has asked

that Guest Relations respond on his behalf.

 

While we were delighted you had a positive and memorable cruise vacation overall, we were equally dismayed to learn of your disappointment with several aspects of your cruise. We are sorry if you were not the recipients of the high level of service our guests have come to expect and rightfully deserve, and wish to assure you that your observations have been shared with the appropriate heads of departments for their review, future planning, and any necessary corrective action.

 

Although we strive to provide each of our guests with a relaxing and enjoyable cruise holiday, sometimes expectations may not be fully met. Based on your feedback, please accept our apologies that we did not do as good a job in meeting your expectations as we should have. As a gesture of goodwill, we are pleased to extend to you Cruise Credits #XXXXXX and #XXXXXX, totaling $600.00 ($300.00 per person) that may be applied toward the cruise fare on any future Regent sailing/itinerary, in any category of accommodation, subject to availability. Your Cruise Credits have been recorded in our Reservations system, and at the time of booking, the Reservations Agent should be advised that credits have been reserved for you under your names. Please note that your reservation must be booked within one (1) year of, and sailing must commence no later than two (2) years from, the date of this letter. Cruise Credits do not include airfare, have no cash value and are not transferable.

 

The cruise market is very competitive and we understand the only way we will earn the business of cruisers like you is by consistently delivering excellent service and value. We are constantly learning from our passengers

how we can improve our product and each cruise is evaluated and the areas of concern are addressed with the goal of creating a better cruise experience. Our guests' comments play a key role in this process.

 

XXXXXX ,thank you once again for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We would delight in the opportunity to serve you and XXXXXX again and sincerely hope that your travel plans will include Regent Seven Seas Cruises in the very near future.

 

Sincerely,

Guest Relations Administrator

8300 NW 33RD STREET, SUITE 100 I MIAMI, FLORIDA 33122 I 800.285.1835

WWWRSSC.COM

[Travelcat2]

Did this response change your mind about Regent in any way? Just curious.

[8dimsum]

OP: You had 3 days of aggravation before boarding and at what ??cost to you-- Your letter to the company had good details. Would $600 cover it?

 

The Guest Relations response letter seemed to be a perfunctory form letter, and the $300/person "remedy" towards a future booking, an underwhelming way to get you to book another Regent cruise.

 

The posts have us thinking harder about why should we consider Regent. All Inclusive does not mean a luxury experience... nor does electing to use the cruise line's air/hotel schedule. -- We look forward to having a relaxing vacation that takes us outside of our home routine and cares. And , yes, a great Travel Agent is invaluable, and ours is worth her weight in gold/platinum...!

Edited February 11, 2014 by 8dimsum

[Sunprince]

January 30,2014

 

XXXXXXXXX

Thank you for your letter addressed to our President, Kunal S. Kamlani, regarding your above referenced booking with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. After reviewing your correspondence in detail, Mr. Kamlani has asked

that Guest Relations respond on his behalf.

 

While we were delighted you had a positive and memorable cruise vacation overall, we were equally dismayed to learn of your disappointment with several aspects of your cruise. We are sorry if you were not the recipients of the high level of service our guests have come to expect and rightfully deserve, and wish to assure you that your observations have been shared with the appropriate heads of departments for their review, future planning, and any necessary corrective action.

 

Although we strive to provide each of our guests with a relaxing and enjoyable cruise holiday, sometimes expectations may not be fully met. Based on your feedback, please accept our apologies that we did not do as good a job in meeting your expectations as we should have. As a gesture of goodwill, we are pleased to extend to you Cruise Credits #XXXXXX and #XXXXXX, totaling $600.00 ($300.00 per person) that may be applied toward the cruise fare on any future Regent sailing/itinerary, in any category of accommodation, subject to availability. Your Cruise Credits have been recorded in our Reservations system, and at the time of booking, the Reservations Agent should be advised that credits have been reserved for you under your names. Please note that your reservation must be booked within one (1) year of, and sailing must commence no later than two (2) years from, the date of this letter. Cruise Credits do not include airfare, have no cash value and are not transferable.

 

The cruise market is very competitive and we understand the only way we will earn the business of cruisers like you is by consistently delivering excellent service and value. We are constantly learning from our passengers

how we can improve our product and each cruise is evaluated and the areas of concern are addressed with the goal of creating a better cruise experience. Our guests' comments play a key role in this process.

 

XXXXXX ,thank you once again for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We would delight in the opportunity to serve you and XXXXXX again and sincerely hope that your travel plans will include Regent Seven Seas Cruises in the very near future.

 

Sincerely,

Guest Relations Administrator

8300 NW 33RD STREET, SUITE 100 I MIAMI, FLORIDA 33122 I 800.285.1835

WWWRSSC.COM

 

 

My thoughts are this:

 

- if I wrote a letter to the president of a company, I would expect a response from the presidents office (maybe not the president personally) but certainly not the "guest relations administrator". I particularly react negatively ( as a customer) to any response I receive from an "administrator" which IMO is a sign a company is not truly customer focused.

- it is nice regent offered a nominal goodwill gesture. I would like to hear back from the OP whether the offer was satisfactory given their issues with the cruise.

- I did not like the paragraph stating that "the cruise market is very competitive...." Yes it is and we all know that, a more personal response that actually acknowledged their issues would have been more appropriate and valued as a customer vs a standard canned response

Edited February 12, 2014 by Sunprince

[Travelcat2]

Have to agree to Marq. Indicating that you will probably not sail Regent again is not a good start. Why should Mr. Kamlani bother if your mind is made up?

 

Secondly, and I feel quite strongly about this...... some things in life should be kept private and this is one of them. IMO, nothing good comes out of posting a letter to the President of Regent or Regent's response on a public board. When this type of thing is made public, it is a no win situation for Regent.

 

If Regent decided to give them a $5,000 future cruise credit (for instance), everyone else that had a problem onboard would expect the same thing. In this case, people think that Regent's response was not adequate and they are receiving some negative comments. Again, this was a lose-lose situation for Regent.

 

I believe in honesty in terms of posting the positives and negatives that were experienced on a cruise. Regent and other posters need to hear everyone's experiences and perspectives. Even saying that you are writing to Mr. Kamlani is fine. But, posting your letter and their response is where I draw the line. Posting that you were or were not satisfied with the outcome is sufficient.

 

While some people may disagree, I think this is another case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

Secondly, and I feel quite strongly about this...... some things in life should be kept private and this is one of them. IMO, nothing good comes out of posting a letter to the President of Regent or Regent's response on a public board. When this type of thing is made public, it is a no win situation for Regent.

 

If Regent decided to give them a $5,000 future cruise credit (for instance), everyone else that had a problem onboard would expect the same thing. ...

 

I agree with you Jackie. We have kept credits like this private in the past.

[jhp]

I have to agree with Jackie and Wendy above. There's a way to complain, and a way not to complain. I feel it is always better to keep these things private, and have always done so myself as well. To post on a public board seems more like a head on head confrontation. That is not always the best way to get what you want, being so confrontational.

 

I've had very few instances where things have gone wrong over my many cruises, but even less where I felt the need to reach to the top for my remedy, as it always came in due course. When I did, stated quite clearly what I thought would be fair, with the facts in hand. In this case, it was just put out there in public, a challenge to whomever responds.

 

The most I have ever said is that in the end, I felt I was "made whole", because I was. However, I have been a very long time cruiser on this line. This was the OP's first experience with RSSC, and felt this was the right way to go. But not with the Regent/Radisson that I know.

Edited February 12, 2014 by jhp

[8dimsum]

Whoa! Why would Regent consider $5000 compensation for the OP's aggravation?

 

The posting of the letters is straightforward. The wording sheds light on how we think about the issues. The OP felt strongly enough to write to the President of the company with their concerns. The company's response seemed to be perfunctory -- a form letter that could be sent out to any type of complaint/concern. The OP did not ask for compensation nor expressed a hope for a return cruise with Regent. Regent is the one who is hoping for a repeat customer.

[8dimsum]

Short story: A few years ago, I wrote a letter of complaint to the President of Delta. (Richard Anderson). I got back a form letter from their public relations department. So, I sent a second letter ... with the same result. The third time, I sent a letter and invited Richard Anderson to Easter brunch. A few days later, I got a phone call from his secretary - and I swear she asked me if I knew Dick - and after sorting out her initial confusion, we came to a satisfactory resolution.

 

Nice story.

[oregon50]

Posting a letter on a public forum written by you......fine.

Posting a letter written to you by someone else.......creepy.

Especially with dollar compensation included.

[Emperor Norton]

I don't think Regent cares. They just sent upcoming cruises to their Titanium members. The first booking date is Feb 19 (that's a few days down the road from this post). However some of those cruises are already GTY only for certain classes. If thats how you treat your most loyal customers I have a Gordon Ramsay quote (that for obvious reasons I can't post here).

[Travelcat2]

I don't think Regent cares. They just sent upcoming cruises to their Titanium members. The first booking date is Feb 19 (that's a few days down the road from this post). However some of those cruises are already GTY only for certain classes. If thats how you treat your most loyal customers I have a Gordon Ramsay quote (that for obvious reasons I can't post here).

 

Would love to have read the Gordon Ramsay quote :D I didn't realize that only Titanium members received the email (maybe I should have read it instead of deleted it -- already have a booking going in on the 19th).

 

Someone asked my TA about it and they feel that Regent retains "H" suites for people doing back to back cruises. I have no idea if this is true and it does sound strange but I do not have any other explanation.

[Emperor Norton]

Would love to have read the Gordon Ramsay quote :D I didn't realize that only Titanium members received the email (maybe I should have read it instead of deleted it -- already have a booking going in on the 19th).

 

Someone asked my TA about it and they feel that Regent retains "H" suites for people doing back to back cruises. I have no idea if this is true and it does sound strange but I do not have any other explanation.

 

I'll just say that a whole lot of what Regent does now is strange and I miss Radisson:cool: