PG Has Fallen Apart

[Cruising Librarian]

Yes, Laksman. We mentioned that we had seen him recently to a couple of the old timers and they all seem to think he would be happiest back on the PG, where the crew is like family:)

[Emdee]

We are also Gold but honestly I cannot find a cruise itinerary that I want to do that is worthy of the high prices. Free internet is not a perk when the bandwidth cannot accomodate everyone. My issue is largely that I have done most their itineraries. We are getting quite Crystallized now! They have also further relaxed their dress code as well.

 

Laks is a sommelier though so earns more than what he would earn on the PG.

[Espi]

Regent was the former owner or operator of the PG. We cruised the PG many times between 2002 and around 2006 under Regent (known as Radisson in those days). And we were on the "repeaters' cruise of Sept. 10 this year. As I said above, we found the PG pretty much the same as it ever was (with the welcome addition of open bar, established by Regent and continued by the current owners). The PG had been one of Regent's older ships (launched in 1996), and therefore the staterooms are just a little small by current standards. Ships sailing under the Regent banner have significantly larger suites, and are all-inclusive to the point of including shore excursions and air from selected cities. IMHO, Regent is an excellent choice. Before booking Windstar, however, I would recommend checking on room size and what is and is not included. I checked on them some time ago, and seem to recall that the rooms were rather small, and the policy was far from all-inclusive. Things change, so check it out.

 

Thank you Dolebludger. I know opinions are running the gamut here. I do appreciate your suggestions and even though I feel a little jealous, I'm genuinely glad that you've liked the PG. I know there are several on this board who speak from experience and have invested a lot more time and money aboard the PG. So you guys even moreso deserve a superb experience in my mind.

[Espi]

Dolebludger, the one thing to remember about Regent is that though they are techinically all inclusive including excursions only the very cheap excursions are included. I sailed on them last year and found that my excursion bill was substantial ( in the thousands) in spite of having included excursions. I do love their basic cabins though and the 'true' Regent staff. Dont care for the Oceania implants.

 

I had looked at taking the Regent cruise to FP in December in addition to our repeaters but once we decided to go to the far east had to shelve that thought. Also feel there is nothing like the PG in FP!

 

 

Emdee,

 

We too would prefer the PG for Polynesia. She was built to cruise that area, with her shallow draft to clear the outer reef openings, and just seems to belong there. From what I hear from others too, Regent's "included shore excursion" program leaves something to be desired. I mentioned Regent as line worth checking out for itineraries not cruised by the PG (and/or where the shallow draft PG would be rather rough).

 

Concur about the state of the ship now vs. under Regent.

 

We sailed a 7, 10 and 14 day itineraries in 2006, 2007 and 2008 under Regent and just got off the repeaters cruise. The ship looks much better now than it did then. The stained carpets are gone, the furnishings have been updated and our cabin (316) was in great shape. And the service is just as friendly as I remember. There were a few lapses in the housekeeping department, that was a first.

 

In the last three years we have sailed all of Regent's ships once, totaling 45 days on board. We were very satisfied with 2 of those three cruises , but in our experience service on Regent is nowhere near as attentive as on the PG. One staff member has gone out of his way to make us feel welcome when we have seen him on the ships...we met him on the Paul Gauguin.

 

Also not a fan of the Regent excursions. I've had a few good ones, but for the most part they are bus tours and on the cruise I was unhappy with, they cancelled several without a logical explanation. And since they are "free" no recourse.

 

We're Gold on Regent and we're done with them, at least for now. Pricing out of sight, and we too don't like the included excursions, although we took advantage of them nicely in Alaska. If we did Alaska again, we might consider Regent again, but not likely anything else.

 

 

This is good to know. Wisdom from the vets. I will say that the excursions that we did with PG were pretty good (helicopter over Bora Bora; Moorea waverunner; Fiji Zipline, among others) and I was pleasantly surprised how reasonable it seemed. We didn't "owe" that much money at the end. Far less than I anticipated. I guess with PG you kind of pay for everything up front and then don't expect to pay that much afterwards. That is something I appreciated with PG.

Edited September 25, 2014 by Espi

[Dolebludger]

Yes, and I think all of us "vets" will agree that, while we like the PG, not every one does or will. And a truly horrible experience like bad AC on a tropical cruise can sour a cruiser on a ship or line forever (I know it would for me).

[azgkrudi]

We're Gold on Regent and we're done with them, at least for now. Pricing out of sight, and we too don't like the included excursions, although we took advantage of them nicely in Alaska. If we did Alaska again, we might consider Regent again, but not likely anything else.

 

Wendy, I agree wholeheartedly about Regent's pricing. It has become outrageous in the last 2-3 years. They continue to send us brochures, and while I used to look forward to perusing them and "shopping", now I just toss them without looking. It's pretty sad, because we're Gold members too, and pretty young (44) so we could have many more years of cruising with them. I also agree about the included excursions. We mainly like to do our own thing on shore - and it feels like we are subsidizing everyone else's "included" excursions.

 

It has been great to read about your Repeater's Cruise. We love the PG!!!

[azgkrudi]

Yes, Laksman. We mentioned that we had seen him recently to a couple of the old timers and they all seem to think he would be happiest back on the PG, where the crew is like family:)

 

Ahh, Laksman!!! He was definitely our favorite when we cruised the PG back in the day. I hope he is happy with Regent!

[Emdee]

Ahh, Laksman!!! He was definitely our favorite when we cruised the PG back in the day. I hope he is happy with Regent!

 

Did you not refer to him as sexy Lakshy or something like that? I remember taking him a message from you.

 

Pity you couldn't come on our repeaters. Maybe 2017?

[ducklite]

Regent was the former owner or operator of the PG. We cruised the PG many times between 2002 and around 2006 under Regent (known as Radisson in those days). And we were on the "repeaters' cruise of Sept. 10 this year. As I said above, we found the PG pretty much the same as it ever was (with the welcome addition of open bar, established by Regent and continued by the current owners). The PG had been one of Regent's older ships (launched in 1996), and therefore the staterooms are just a little small by current standards. Ships sailing under the Regent banner have significantly larger suites, and are all-inclusive to the point of including shore excursions and air from selected cities. IMHO, Regent is an excellent choice. Before booking Windstar, however, I would recommend checking on room size and what is and is not included. I checked on them some time ago, and seem to recall that the rooms were rather small, and the policy was far from all-inclusive. Things change, so check it out.

 

The cabins on Windstar are slightly smaller (12-14 square feet) than the PG, but they feel the same in size. I prefer the slightly different layout on the Windstar ships, if for no reason better access to the closest.

 

The only thing not included on Windstar that is included on tha PG is alcohol, the cruise price reflects that and for most people, it would be a wash. For some it would be a win.

[twin123185]

Does Windstar include gratuities and air?

 

 

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Edited September 26, 2014 by twin123185

[Emdee]

Does Windstar include gratuities and air?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

And balconies? Had a peek at the ship last week and couldn't see one.

We also know no gauguinnes

A bad motu ( this from a local)

And most of all they don't speak French in FRENCH Polynesia. What a major faux pas!

Edited September 26, 2014 by Emdee

[Dolebludger]

I agree! These days, about all the cruise info you need is available online at the cruise line's site.(except that some mass market lines have very limited info, but Windstar is not one of these). The main appeal of Windstar from I can determine is that it can (when possible) cruise under sail power alone. This should be very popular with a "steampunk" fan like me, but does not override the benefits of alternatives.

[twin123185]

Last I will mention Windstar. I have friends who love them. Windstar has reached out to the PG to RENT Motu Mahana!!! They were told no...

 

 

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[Espi]

In my opinion a company website is subjective, at best. A business is going to spend a lot of time and money designing its website and telling its telemarketers and travel agents that their product is the best thing since sliced bread.

 

I personally think that a website's simple aim is to take money out of your pocket and put it into theirs. I have no problem with doing this, as long as I feel like the money that I give them is in exchange for a product or a service that is "as advertised."

 

Some of the purest and best "real world" info I got about cruises, in my opinion, has been gleaned through forums and threads like this one. And I'll admit that after paying thousands of dollars for the PG, I ignored the "negative" reviews on this site that kept popping up every so often. I didn't listen to my gut. I won't ever repeat that mistake. I've personally learned after my sub-par experience on the PG that EVERYBODY's opinion counts. I want to read everybody's thoughts, and in my mind, the people who have "sour grapes" toward PG are just as valuable to me and deserve a voice, just as much as the people who are loyal to PG. This is nothing personal toward those who have boarded the PG several times and have spent many dollars. I want to read all perspectives.

 

Anyone can simply ignore or "opt out" from the thread if they don't want to respond or even read ALL opinions. That's the blessing of the Internet. Whether I like it or not, everybody gets a voice, even though it doesn't always jibe or agree with mine. People have opinions--good, bad, and ugly. But nobody's forcing people to read this thread or agree or disagree.

 

So I'd personally appreciate continue reading more opinions from those who sailed both, about Regent versus PG.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Espi

[ducklite]

Does Windstar include gratuities and air?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Sorry forgot gratuities--again this is reflected both in terms of fare and service. I don't include air as not everyone gets it on the PG (we didn't have it included but could buy it from them at additional cost.)

[ducklite]

And balconies? Had a peek at the ship last week and couldn't see one.

We also know no gauguinnes

A bad motu ( this from a local)

And most of all they don't speak French in FRENCH Polynesia. What a major faux pas!

 

Do all PG rooms have balconies? NO. In fact you yourself among others have said to not bother and save the money. So which is it Emdee?

 

They have locals who come on board. They just don't give them a fancy name.

 

The motu I can't comment on as I haven't been there, but then again neither have you.

 

Frankly the lack of French wouldn't bother me. The only times I heard if on the PG was when they were making shipboard announcements, which were also made in English.

[Dolebludger]

Wnndstar is definitely a different sort of cruise experience, and nobody is to be criticized for liking it (I may even take it some day).

 

However a better place to discuss Windstar would be on that line's sub-forum right here on CC. Many of us here on the PG sub forum have never cruised Windstar, and so we can't give you reliable answers about it.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Dolebludger

[Emdee]

Do all PG rooms have balconies? NO. In fact you yourself among others have said to not bother and save the money. So which is it Emdee?

 

They have locals who come on board. They just don't give them a fancy name.

 

The motu I can't comment on as I haven't been there, but then again neither have you.

 

Frankly the lack of French wouldn't bother me. The only times I heard if on the PG was when they were making shipboard announcements, which were also made in English.

 

I dont like the Balconies but I do like the suites - last 2 PG cruises I have been on the 8 deck in a suite! My opinion is that the balconies are not worth the extra cost to me as there is no change in square footage. However, the extra space and the proximity to the poll deck makes 8th deck my deck of choice. I do still like the 4th deck, though!

About the Motu like I said a local person told me the one they had was bad.

[ducklite]

I dont like the Balconies but I do like the suites - last 2 PG cruises I have been on the 8 deck in a suite! My opinion is that the balconies are not worth the extra cost to me as there is no change in square footage. However, the extra space and the proximity to the poll deck makes 8th deck my deck of choice. I do still like the 4th deck, though!

About the Motu like I said a local person told me the one they had was bad.

 

Windstar also has suites which are also on very convenient decks.