Ebola Threat

[Travelcat2]

I, for one, have no idea what the "issue" is that you feel you are debating with Responder. You keep bringing up the WHO position (I posted their latest statement yesterday) but for what purpose? Everyone on the board is surely aware of it and I don't see anyone disagreeing with it. But it doesn't say that people should go to Senegal for a vacation if they don't want to deal with the uncertainty of where ebola is going to spread in the next few weeks.

 

Then up comes a host of extraneous things such as a headline from a newspaper, a focus on air travel, etc., etc. The thrusts here and there remind me of a bowl of jello. But the diversions sure do appear to try to take the focus off Regent's failure to communicate with passengers.

 

Not sure why you are focusing on Regent because I'm not. I again need to state that if I did not trust Regent to do what is required, I would not be sailing on their ships. That is my position and I do not deviate from it.

 

The other issues stem from posts, articles, etc. Perhaps you are looking for something deeper in my posts when I feel they are quite simple. Either Ebola is or isn't in Senegal. Either there is a real threat - or not (which brings airlines, cargo ships, etc. into play)" And, IMO, Regent will respond when the powers that be in the cruise industry decide whether to drop Dakar as a port.

 

This is my view. Is there an real risk in Dakar? Will Regent dock there despite the fact that this would prevent them visiting Cape Verde? These questions are why I read this thread.

 

I understand that you are concerned. That is your view. If there is a fact that you can present that might change my mind, I would like to read it and consider it. By the same token, perhaps you might decide to be open to facts presented that may not agree with your current feelings.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Travelcat2

[HanaleiSailor]

Thanks to those who have posted about their efforts to make direct contact with Regent concerning your itinerary. I think these posts concerning direct experience are both the most interesting and helpful to others. There was a great recommendation here to contact an onboard lecturer and to have the lecturer to try to get some information out of Regent corporate. I hope that you will post a follow up to let us know what the lecturer discovers.

 

Has anyone who is currently on this itinerary asked Regent to allow you to change itineraries with no penalty? I am just curious about this and I'm also curious to hear Regent's response.

 

I had a small issue that needed to be resolved with Regent last year, and it was finally resolved in a manner which I thought was fair. However the lesson I learned is that one needs to be very, very persistent when dealing with Regent office personnel. I made four or five calls personally, documented the result of each call, my TA made four or five calls and documented the result of each call, and we finally put this information into an email to a corporate officer. After these approximately 10 calls and having documented them, the corporate officer resolved my problem within one day of receiving my email.

 

For those of you still trying to get information out of Regent, my message to you is to simply be persistent. I was very frustrated and it took a great deal of my time, but someone did eventually answer my queries.

 

Perhaps someone should call and write and simply ask Regent to inform them of the process that will be used in order to review the port call in Senegal. Document the answers you receive and keep moving up the corporate organizational chart until someone eventually gives you an answer.

 

Good luck to all and I certainly hope that this is resolved in everyone's best interest. For those of you who are really worried about the ship calling at port in Senegal, I understand how this worry could spoil a really nice, quite expensive, vacation.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

[Travelcat2]

Thanks to those who have posted about their efforts to make direct contact with Regent concerning your itinerary. I think these posts concerning direct experience are both the most interesting and helpful to others. There was a great recommendation here to contact an onboard lecturer and to have the lecturer to try to get some information out of Regent corporate. I hope that you will post a follow up to let us know what the lecturer discovers.

 

Has anyone who is currently on this itinerary asked Regent to allow you to change itineraries with no penalty? I am just curious about this and I'm also curious to hear Regent's response.

 

I had a small issue that needed to be resolved with Regent last year, and it was finally resolved in a manner which I thought was fair. However the lesson I learned is that one needs to be very, very persistent when dealing with Regent office personnel. I made four or five calls personally, documented the result of each call, my TA made four or five calls and documented the result of each call, and we finally put this information into an email to a corporate officer. After these approximately 10 calls and having documented them, the corporate officer resolved my problem within one day of receiving my email.

 

For those of you still trying to get information out of Regent, my message to you is to simply be persistent. I was very frustrated and it took a great deal of my time, but someone did eventually answer my queries.

 

Perhaps someone should call and write and simply ask Regent to inform them of the process that will be used in order to review the port call in Senegal. Document the answers you receive and keep moving up the corporate organizational chart until someone eventually gives you an answer.

 

Good luck to all and I certainly hope that this is resolved in everyone's best interest. For those of you who are really worried about the ship calling at port in Senegal, I understand how this worry could spoil a really nice, quite expensive, vacation.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

 

On what basis would Regent allow a passenger to change their itinerary without penalty? I would agree with you 100% if the U.S. government had travel warnings out for Senegal but they don't. Would this not set a precedence?

[fizzy]

Given the constant reminders that Regent religiously reads the CC boards, would it not make sense to at least acknowledge the a group of people getting ready to sail on their line are experiencing some discomfort at the lack of information swirling around on this very long thread about a very serious subject? Considering the lack of response when trying to get answers by phone or e-mail, I'm surprised they haven't jumped in to say SOMETHING! This does not inspire much confidence does it? Say something about this specific cruise. Don't babble on about airports around the world, smiling faces and container ships from here and there. As this disease appears to be expanding to who knows where, is there a plan B that is being considered and when will the folks who are involved with THIS cruise be given some up to date info? We are not on this cruise but the corporate handling of the customers questions and concerns are pathetic. I can understand why the folks feel so anxious. Do you have a plan B Mr. Responder?

[HanaleiSailor]

On what basis would Regent allow a passenger to change their itinerary without penalty? I would agree with you 100% if the U.S. government had travel warnings out for Senegal but they don't. Would this not set a precedence?

 

Hi TC,

 

There are obviously some passengers (perhaps only a few, perhaps many, we don't know) sailing this itinerary who are very concerned about their personal safety. I am just interested if anyone has asked to be accommodated by Regent on a personal level rather than simple institutional questions about this sailing.

 

If I truly believed that it were unsafe for my wife and I to take any Regent cruise because of a decision made by Regent, I would do everything in my power to change itineraries or to do whatever I thought necessary to keep us safe. I asked this question partly to remind us all that these are real people here with real concerns, and we are not simply debating the news.

 

Regent has a great responsibility for the safety of its passengers, but ultimately, for each individual passenger, the decision on whether or not to sail, comes down to the individual. I just wondered if anyone had already decided that they were unwilling to take this cruise if it is to stop in Senegal, and if so, had they asked Regent if there were any chance to be accommodated?

 

Of course this is contrary to policy, but it is a somewhat unique situation, which may call for some unprecedented decisions by both individuals and the company.

 

Just imagine if there are only a fairly small number of couples who truly do not want to sail this itinerary if the Senegal port call is made, then perhaps it would be better for all involved if Regent were to simply allow them to change their booking. A very small group of incredibly unhappy, frightened passengers would have a miserable cruise themselves and could make those around them unhappy as well. I don't say any of this to judge any passenger; it is just in my nature to look for solutions rather than to continue to rant and argue the same points over and over about any situation.

 

Again personally, with the information available today, I would probably go on this cruise. But that does not mean that others don't feel very differently. There is risk of Ebola in Africa and there has been a case in Senegal. For some this risk may seem so great that they feel unable to go on this cruise, and I understand their perspective.

 

I remember riding between an Iraqi and Iranian on a minibus through the desert in Oman/ UAE on the eve of the first Gulf War (literally the day before the US ground troops marched toward Baghdad). At the time I didn't think much of it, but now, either because I know something of the result of that decade-long war in the middle east, or perhaps because I'm a bit older, that ride through the desert probably wasn't the smartest thing I ever undertook. People with different experiences, at different ages, have different perspectives, and in discussions like the one we are having about the Ebola situation, no one will know who is right or wrong until after the fact. Thus, if someone absolutely needs to err on the side of caution, we should allow them to do so.

[Responder]

Thanks to those who have posted about their efforts to make direct contact with Regent concerning your itinerary. I think these posts concerning direct experience are both the most interesting and helpful to others. There was a great recommendation here to contact an onboard lecturer and to have the lecturer to try to get some information out of Regent corporate. I hope that you will post a follow up to let us know what the lecturer discovers.

 

Has anyone who is currently on this itinerary asked Regent to allow you to change itineraries with no penalty? I am just curious about this and I'm also curious to hear Regent's response.

 

I had a small issue that needed to be resolved with Regent last year, and it was finally resolved in a manner which I thought was fair. However the lesson I learned is that one needs to be very, very persistent when dealing with Regent office personnel. I made four or five calls personally, documented the result of each call, my TA made four or five calls and documented the result of each call, and we finally put this information into an email to a corporate officer. After these approximately 10 calls and having documented them, the corporate officer resolved my problem within one day of receiving my email.

 

For those of you still trying to get information out of Regent, my message to you is to simply be persistent. I was very frustrated and it took a great deal of my time, but someone did eventually answer my queries.

 

Perhaps someone should call and write and simply ask Regent to inform them of the process that will be used in order to review the port call in Senegal. Document the answers you receive and keep moving up the corporate organizational chart until someone eventually gives you an answer.

 

Good luck to all and I certainly hope that this is resolved in everyone's best interest. For those of you who are really worried about the ship calling at port in Senegal, I understand how this worry could spoil a really nice, quite expensive, vacation.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

 

Hi, Mark...

 

Good questions....

 

I have called a number of times. My TA has gotten involved as they have an entire group on this sailing as well. I wrote to a Ms Hammes...and wrote a few times to Mr Kamlani, whose response came from the director of reservations? I don't understand it either.

 

Even though I have a good TA, I like to make calls myself...first to be sure the right question is asked and then because if I can ask the question, I can usually get the answer I am looking for. No luck thus far with Regent.

[Jerry1934]

I just got notice from UPS that the Regent documents will be delivered tomorrow. Maybe there will be news. I'll let you know.

Jerry

[diebroke]

Mark from Hanalei,

 

Thank you for your calm, reasoned & logical suggestions as well as your willingness to understand perspectives that may be different than your own. We can all learn from your example. Perhaps you have a gift or perhaps it is just the aloha spirit at work. I know I feel calmer when I am in Hawaii except when I am driving on the H-1 in Oahu. Perhaps we could all benefit from living in Hawaii, but if we did, the aloha spirit would likely go elsewhere.

 

We have also witnessed another poster who is using the repetition is the mother of all learning approach to this dialog. Rather than producing understanding & insight, it seems to be producing significant resentment.

 

It kind of reminds me of the angry parent who believes her/his child is being unfairly criticized. Reason and logic as well as a willingness to see the other person’s perspective go out the window & emotion takes over. That is never a good negotiating or debating strategy. I have suffered from that malady myself in the pursuit of the belief that I can criticize my child, but you better not.

[Travelcat2]

I will make this post simple:

 

1. When I misspeak I apologize.

 

2. If the actions (or lack thereof) of the U.S. Department of State, the World Health Organization, the airlines, and ships is not enough to support my position, I must question whose minds are open?

 

Must admit that this is not much of a debate as there is little to no evidence supporting views other than mine. Criticizing me is not debating. How about some facts (or even some reasonably strong evidence) that supports the position that there is a reason for Regent not to dock in Senegal (other than the Cape Verde issue).

Edited September 15, 2014 by Travelcat2

[alainciao]

This is interesting. I searched to see what other lines might be doing about Senegal and found the Sojourn Nov 19, Barcelona to Cape Town. On their roll call a poster on August 22nd posted receiving a new itinerary with Dakar and Gambia cancelled . Two Spanish ports were added. Seabourn cited they made these changes to "enhance our customer's experience". You will be surprised at the tenor of that thread compared to ours.

[Jerry1934]

[So,

We have received our new itinerary this afternoon for The Fred Olsen Canary Islands, Africa, Cape Verde Islands cruise on the 2nd December.

We are (thankfully) not going to The Gambia, senegal and Dakar, but we are spending an extra day at Cape Verde (Porto Novo) and then on the way back (14th December) we are calling at Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, returning to Santa Cruz De Tenerife late on the 15th December.

It would now seem that we are to spend 4 days at sea, intead of the original 3. As it is my first cruise, I don't know whether this is good or bad, but my friend says she loves the sea days, as they are much more relaxing.

We shall wait and see, but personally, anything is better than contacting EBola

/QUOTE]

 

I just received this from another Message Board for a Fred Olsen cruise out of the UK.

Jerry

[gnomie1]

Hi TC,

 

There are obviously some passengers (perhaps only a few, perhaps many, we don't know) sailing this itinerary who are very concerned about their personal safety. I am just interested if anyone has asked to be accommodated by Regent on a personal level rather than simple institutional questions about this sailing.

 

If I truly believed that it were unsafe for my wife and I to take any Regent cruise because of a decision made by Regent, I would do everything in my power to change itineraries or to do whatever I thought necessary to keep us safe. I asked this question partly to remind us all that these are real people here with real concerns, and we are not simply debating the news.

 

Regent has a great responsibility for the safety of its passengers, but ultimately, for each individual passenger, the decision on whether or not to sail, comes down to the individual. I just wondered if anyone had already decided that they were unwilling to take this cruise if it is to stop in Senegal, and if so, had they asked Regent if there were any chance to be accommodated?

 

Of course this is contrary to policy, but it is a somewhat unique situation, which may call for some unprecedented decisions by both individuals and the company.

 

Just imagine if there are only a fairly small number of couples who truly do not want to sail this itinerary if the Senegal port call is made, then perhaps it would be better for all involved if Regent were to simply allow them to change their booking. A very small group of incredibly unhappy, frightened passengers would have a miserable cruise themselves and could make those around them unhappy as well. I don't say any of this to judge any passenger; it is just in my nature to look for solutions rather than to continue to rant and argue the same points over and over about any situation.

 

Again personally, with the information available today, I would probably go on this cruise. But that does not mean that others don't feel very differently. There is risk of Ebola in Africa and there has been a case in Senegal. For some this risk may seem so great that they feel unable to go on this cruise, and I understand their perspective.

 

I remember riding between an Iraqi and Iranian on a minibus through the desert in Oman/ UAE on the eve of the first Gulf War (literally the day before the US ground troops marched toward Baghdad). At the time I didn't think much of it, but now, either because I know something of the result of that decade-long war in the middle east, or perhaps because I'm a bit older, that ride through the desert probably wasn't the smartest thing I ever undertook. People with different experiences, at different ages, have different perspectives, and in discussions like the one we are having about the Ebola situation, no one will know who is right or wrong until after the fact. Thus, if someone absolutely needs to err on the side of caution, we should allow them to do so.

 

FINALLY - a voice of reason - thank you so very much!!

 

gnomie :)

[diebroke]

I think it is best to think of these forums as a place for dialog, not debate. Debates are contests between people with winners & losers decided at the end. While this discussion certainly had a loser, I think the purpose should be to express viewpoints, not try to show the other person is right or wrong or force them to agree with your view.

[gnomie1]

Stonewalling might be the right answer for Regent in the short term but I think it is a bad policy for them in the long run.

 

Unfortunately, I believe this is normal business practices for Regent. We were on a cruise last December/January - when we got on the ship we could immediately tell that there was some type of URI going on because a large number of staff were coughing. Then came the GI upset which they claimed was caused by some passengers eating off the ship in Bali and continued to ignore it, although it was quite obvious that it was spreading throughout the ship. People who did go to the doctor were complaining of the excessive fees. In order to try and make more people see the doctor, they did remove all the medications from the boutique, including all cold, cough, GI medicines. Finally, almost three weeks into this, one afternoon there was a captain's announcement that all passengers who were ill could be seen by the doctor at no fee and the They put little bottles of hand sanitizer in our room to be carried on your person and encouraged to use often. The atmosphere on the ship changed DRAMATICALLY. All the holiday decorations were immediately removed, people could be seen constantly cleaning all surfaces, and all food was served, there was no self service for anything. I use to work in Public Health and I was dismayed at how long it took management to react and in my opinion they waited much too long.

 

gnomie :)

[HanaleiSailor]

Thanks for posters taking the time to post about the Fred Olson and Seabourn cruises which have cancelled their port calls in Senegal. This is new information which is, I'm sure, of interest to those on the Regent itinerary.

 

 

TC writes: If HanaleiSailor is reading, I'm still wondering what basis passengers would have to go to Regent and ask to change to another cruise.

 

There are a number of reasons a passenger might have for asking Regent to allow them to change itineraries. First, simply the fact that a passenger strongly believes that a port call in Senegal would put their life at too great a risk should be sufficient. Again, there are obviously some passengers (perhaps only a few, perhaps many, we don't know) sailing this itinerary who are very concerned about their personal safety.

 

I can imagine perhaps a couple, one of whom with mobility issues, who might be seriously concerned to sail an itinerary going to an at-risk area. They might worry horribly about something happening which would necessitate an evacuation; this would be very difficult for someone with mobility issues. Remember, it is the unknown, which causes stress and worry, as much as the numbers reported in the news at play here. Why allow someone in this position to be completely stressed out when they could simply be moved to another itinerary?

 

Also, with Regent's demographic, there are certainly people who sail with various medical conditions or recovering from various medical procedures. Perhaps the stress involved for a few of these passengers would make the cruise miserable and unhealthy for them.

 

Again, as above, if there are only a fairly small number of couples who truly do not want to sail this itinerary if the Senegal port call is made, then perhaps it would be better for all involved if Regent were to simply allow them to change their booking. A very small group of incredibly unhappy, frightened passengers would have a miserable cruise themselves and could make those around them unhappy as well. I don't say any of this to judge any passenger; it is just in my nature to look for solutions rather than to continue to rant and argue the same points over and over about any situation.

 

Remember, I like Regent, and I am boarding Voyager in about five weeks. However, for me, personally, reading about passengers trying unsuccessfully to communicate with Regent's ground operations has taken a bit of the shine off of the brand.

 

I have experienced frustrations with communicating with Regent in the past, and I wrote it off as one poor experience, but this situation seems pretty bad to me. Just look at this thread; there are a number of passengers here who are quite upset. One poster claims to have cancelled a forthcoming Regent cruise due to what he sees as very poor corporate communication with Regent customers.

 

A great company would get ahead of this situation and either communicate clearly and directly with all passengers booked on this cruise, or they would make a clear public announcement telling passengers the following: whether or not the Senegal port call is currently still planned to occur, the sources of information they are monitoring in order to make a decision as new information becomes available, and contingency plans that are in effect in case the port call needs to be cancelled. This should not be too difficult to do, and it would put an end to all of the endless speculation and worry.

 

Finally, corporate land-based response is important. I followed the Silverseas situation with their failed health inspection and the very dangerous practices which occurred on one of their ships. SS may have straightened out the mess, but the response from management was so poor, in my view, that it did not indicate SS taking the situation seriously, and for that reason, I would not personally sail SS. I am sure others felt the same. I just hope that Regent does not put themselves in the same situation here by not clearly communicating with passengers.

Edited September 15, 2014 by HanaleiSailor

[crusin7]

i am sailing on this cruise with my husband and sister. The three of us are hoping we do not stop in Senegal. I have contacted the cruise line as has my sister. We got the standard " looking into it" reply. I asked my TA to call today to see if she gets a different response. I agree that Regent has been very slow to react. If I hear anything I will post.

[Jerry1934]

Thanks TC2 for confirming my point. As you add new criteria the numbers change. For example each of the 54 viewers really for the most part are 2 people traveling together so that would change the results to 108 viewers. Each time you get more data the results change and if you are in control then you can select which data to use depending how you want to influence the outcome. That's what Lobbyist do. I'm going on this cruise no matter where it goes, and I intend to have a GREAT time. See you all on-board.

Jerry

[Travelcat2]

Thanks TC2 for confirming my point. As you add new criteria the numbers change. For example each of the 54 viewers really for the most part are 2 people traveling together so that would change the results to 108 viewers. Each time you get more data the results change and if you are in control then you can select which data to use depending how you want to influence the outcome. That's what Lobbyist do. I'm going on this cruise no matter where it goes, and I intend to have a GREAT time. See you all on-board.

Jerry

 

You have a great attitude. Do hope you have a wonderful cruise. I plan on reporting a little from the Mariner on the cruise before yours. This is a celebration cruise (anniversary and some other stuff) so my attention will be less focused on Cruise Critic (which should be a relief for some) :)

[TedC]

I'm not on that cruise but I'd wait and see and trust Regent makes the correct decision. PROBABLY not to stop in Senegal if there is any risk for pax and crew. They could sub it for another port. I'd be happy if they visit one of Atlantic islands that are not often on itineraries!

 

I love new places. St. Helena is a neat island, been there, but there other possibilities for those on this cruise.

Edited September 15, 2014 by TedC

[journeyfan]

While I have not counted the number of people active on this thread that are on the cruise, it does not seem like many. So, IMO, this thread would not have much of an impact on Regent.

 

I think you have often quoted that only 5% of Regent's clientele ever look at Cruise Critic. If that is true, there may be a significant number of people booked on this cruise who don't want to stop in Senegal and they may have contacted Regent about it.

[Eager2Travel]

It would be interesting to know if Regent kept track of the number of concerned passengers they have on the cruise. They could have started a list of names so that duplicate calls by the same passenger wouldn't be counted twice.

 

Now, if I was running a cruise line that is what I would do.😀. While it might not influence my decision it might improve my communication efforts. Of course that would require some customer service output.

[Responder]

It would be interesting to know if Regent kept track of the number of concerned passengers they have on the cruise. They could have started a list of names so that duplicate calls by the same passenger wouldn't be counted twice.

 

Now, if I was running a cruise line that is what I would do.😀. While it might not influence my decision it might improve my communication efforts. Of course that would require some customer service output.

 

Wonderful...

 

I just called Regent again-spoke to a nice agent. I asked him for an update..said he knows nothing but if I hold, he will contact a supervisor....hold-hold-hold-hold...

 

Came back and said he knows no more than before....he said that to be honest, the agents don't hear anything before the customers do.

 

Really sad, isnt it?

[worldtraveler7878]

Does anyone know if Purell or some other commercial antibacterial kills the Ebola virus? What about rubbing achohol? Anything else??? If no one can answer this, does anyone know where the answer can be obtained? I seriously think the answer is beyond my local pharmacist. I cannot believe I am thinking about this... the 21 day cruise was supposed to be a laid back, care free vacation and since Regent, so far, has not made any statement, I think the trip has lost much of it's sparkle. If we dock, will the crew be allowed off the ship? What if the answer is yes and two or three days after we depart Dakar, they announce that there were X number of cases there that had previously not been known or announced? We are not thrilled to be worried about that. Taking a yellow fever shot which may not be necessary (if we don't dock in Dakar) also doesn't thrill us. Most of our experience at sea has been with Seabourn...we were recommended to Regent and this is our first cruise with them. This lack of communication on their part has damaged their reputation as far as we are concerned. Thinking about a box of those gloves they wear behind the deli counter.... this is crazy!

[Responder]

Does anyone know if Purell or some other commercial antibacterial kills the Ebola virus? What about rubbing achohol? Anything else??? If no one can answer this, does anyone know where the answer can be obtained? I seriously think the answer is beyond my local pharmacist. I cannot believe I am thinking about this... the 21 day cruise was supposed to be a laid back, care free vacation and since Regent, so far, has not made any statement, I think the trip has lost much of it's sparkle. If we dock, will the crew be allowed off the ship? What if the answer is yes and two or three days after we depart Dakar, they announce that there were X number of cases there that had previously not been known or announced? We are not thrilled to be worried about that. Taking a yellow fever shot which may not be necessary (if we don't dock in Dakar) also doesn't thrill us. Most of our experience at sea has been with Seabourn...we were recommended to Regent and this is our first cruise with them. This lack of communication on their part has damaged their reputation as far as we are concerned. Thinking about a box of those gloves they wear behind the deli counter.... this is crazy!

 

I'm not sure anything you mentioned will help..

 

In addition to any crew menbers going ashore and returning to prepare and serve food and interact with passengers, the scary thought of having anyone become sick enough while we're there, to have to obtain treatment in Dakar or be transported from Dakar to wherever, is quite a scary thought.

 

At this juncture, if Regent is not concerned about us, maybe they should be concerned about their crew, or maybe business101 transcends all.

[worldtraveler7878]

If a crew member or passenger becomes infected it will not become apparent in Dakar... it will incubate and will become apparent days after we leave Dakar.. perhaps while transiting the Atlantic. What then? I understand business 101, having run my own company for over 50 years. Some things are good for the short term but disasterous in the long term. Not canceling Dakar, in the short run probably makes a lot of sense profit wise but if something goes wrong...WOW! I'm not an attorney but I know the "deep pockets" rule and Regent is looking for trouble... Actually, that's not my problem... my problem is the agita that this is causing and the potential medical downside and the precautions I will be forced to take. What a pain!