Sept 22 London to Barcelona Splendor Itinerary changed

[wcsdkqh]

Just received this from Regent....

Not sure what happens to the London to London cruise on 9/11

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR UPCOMING CRUISE DATE OF ISSUANCE: JULY 26, 2021       Dear Valued Guest and Travel Advisor*,   We would like to inform you of a change to your 14-night cruise, Autumnal Glories, scheduled to depart from Southampton on September 22, 2021 aboard Seven Seas Splendor®.   Due to current travel restrictions, we have made the difficult decision to modify the existing itinerary.   Revised Itinerary   The revised voyage will embark on September 22, 2021, in Bilbao, Spain, and the updated itinerary is below†.   Date Day Port Arrival Departure 22-Sep-2021 Wed Bilbao, Spain EMBARK 07:00PM 23-Sep-2021 Thu Nantes (Montoir-de-Bretagne), France 09:00AM 06:00PM 24-Sep-2021 Fri Lorient, France 08:00AM 06:00PM 25-Sep-2021 Sat Bordeaux, France 11:15AM 11:59PM 26-Sep-2021 Sun Bordeaux, France 12:00AM 10:00PM 27-Sep-2021 Mon Biarritz (Saint-Jean-de-Luz), France 12:00PM 09:00PM 28-Sep-2021 Tue Gijon, Spain 09:00AM 07:00PM 29-Sep-2021 Wed La Coruña, Spain 08:00AM 06:00PM 30-Sep-2021 Thu Oporto, Portugal 08:00AM 05:00PM 1-Oct-2021 Fri Lisbon, Portugal 07:00AM 03:00PM 2-Oct-2021 Sat Tangier, Morocco 10:00AM 07:00PM 3-Oct-2021 Sun Almeria, Spain 09:00AM 04:00PM 4-Oct-2021 Mon Valencia, Spain 10:00AM 08:00PM 5-Oct-2021 Tue Barcelona, Spain 08:00AM 11:59PM 6-Oct-2021 Wed Barcelona, Spain 12:00AM DEBARK       Air Travel, Hotels, Shore Excursions & Land Programs   Guests who reserved air through Regent will have their air itineraries updated accordingly to arrive in Bilbao. Guests who reserved air independently are kindly advised to modify their reservation to coincide with the new embarkation city.   Due to limited group hotel availability in Bilbao, in lieu of our FREE 1-Night Pre-Cruise Hotel Package, all guests in Concierge Suites and above will receive a total refund** of $500 USD per suite.  For those guests that already had the hotel credit applied they will receive a refund of $150 per suite.   While many airlines and hotels are currently waiving cancellation penalties, should you incur any, Regent will cover the cost of any reasonable change fees if guests send the proper documentation to Regent Guest Relations at guestrelations@rssc.com.   Pre-reserved Shore Excursions and Land Programs will be canceled for the modified ports, and refunds will be issued within 60 days for any paid Land Programs or Regent Choice Shore Excursions.   On August 2, 2021, shore excursions for the revised itinerary will be available to book by visiting My Account or by calling Regent.   Cancellation Policy   If you do not wish to remain on the revised voyage, you may change the sailing date or cancel your booking for a full refund in the amounts** paid as of July 26, 2021. Please contact your Travel Advisor or our Reservations team at the phone numbers below by August 4, 2021 if you would prefer to change or cancel your booking. Refund requests will be processed within 60 days of receipt.   Health & Safety Protocols, Testing, Face Coverings & Entry Requirements   To protect our guests, crew and the communities we visit, we have developed a robust and comprehensive health and safety strategy with new and enhanced protocols to create multiple layers of protection against COVID-19. Protocols include all guests and crew being fully vaccinated at least 2 weeks prior to embarkation. All guests will be administered a COVID-19 test in Bilbao prior to embarkation.   Further details on Regent’s SailSAFE Health & Safety Program can be found at www.RSSC.com/HealthSafetyProtocols.   In addition, following the current EU Healthy Gateways guidelines, face coverings will be required on board in all indoor public areas unless actively eating or drinking.   Regent strongly encourages all guests to take a COVID-19 PCR test at home, 3 to 4 days prior to traveling to the ship, as an added precaution. If a PCR test is not readily available, then we encourage guests to at a minimum take a COVID-19 Antigen test at home, prior to travel. Further, as the entry requirements by country are evolving, we also strongly recommend that all guests consult with local government websites to determine any additional requirements, including additional pre-cruise testing that may be required to travel. The link below contains useful information for Spain.   Travel Safe Spain: https://travelsafe.spain.info/en/latest-news/   If you have questions regarding your modified cruise, please contact us using the phone numbers below.   We look forward to welcoming you aboard Seven Seas Splendor.   Best wishes, Regent Seven Seas Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Reservations Phone Numbers: • United States / Canada: 1.844.4REGENT (1.844.473.4368) or (954) 776-6123 • United Kingdom: 02380 682280 • Rest of Europe: +44 (2380) 682140 • Australia / New Zealand / Asia Pacific: 1.300.455.200 • Latin America / Brazil: 0800 400-3132 or +1 (954) 940-7486   *Travel Advisor: Kindly share this important information with your clients. ** If any portion of the booking has previously applied Future Cruise Credits, those Future Cruise Credits will be reinstated to the guest’s account and are non-refundable. †Itinerary subject to change based on port availability and local restrictions. Please note that this email address does not accept replies.   This email was sent by: Regent Seven Seas Cruises 7665 Corporate Center Drive ~ Miami, FL, 33126, USA

[Grandmaanne7]

So many things up in the air right now.  Makes me really glad we booked our air through Regent as our embarkation port (Miami) is not a certainty either.  I hope you get to enjoy your cruise no matter where it goes.

[wcsdkqh]

Yep, our air is also booked thru Regent, and glad of it.

[briar14]

September 11 changed to Lisbon-Bilbao.

[wcsdkqh]

This is the show stopper for me:

 

In addition, following the current EU Healthy Gateways guidelines, face coverings will be required on board in all indoor public areas unless actively eating or drinking.

[Pcardad]

Crew just found out today as well.....

[mrlevin]

UK would not allow a vaccination mandate.  

[flossie009]

12 minutes ago, mrlevin said:

UK would not allow a vaccination mandate.  

????
 

[mrlevin]

1 minute ago, flossie009 said:

????
 

I might have it backwards; maybe it is because Americans can't get an NHS Covid Pass?  Something is fishy here and caused the last minute change.

[wcsdkqh]

I'm more inclined to think it is the 10 day mandatory quarantine for persons entering the UK from an "Amber" country, which the US is.

[mrlevin]

3 minutes ago, wcsdkqh said:

I'm more inclined to think it is the 10 day mandatory quarantine for persons entering the UK from an "Amber" country, which the US is.

Thanks!  This makes sense.  I found this article that confused me even more:

 

https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/EXPLAINED-UK-s-new-rule-on-foreign-Covid-vaccination-and-quarantine

 

 

[flossie009]

As the U.K. Gov rules are today then anyone coming in from the U.S.A. who has not been vaccinated in the U.K. has to quarantine for up to 10 days.

Presumably Regent decided that they could not risk the possibility/probability that the rules would not be relaxed in the coming weeks.

 

The hope is that the U.S./U.K. Travel Task Force will find a way to open up travel & borders between our two countries, but like all committees they don’t seem to be progressing very fast  🙄

[mrlevin]

I cannot imagine many that had booked a British Isles cruise would now want a Lisbon to Bilbao cruise; especially if they aren't using Regent air.  I imaging this cruise will sail with 20-30% occupancy if that high.  If nothing else they will have to heavily discount and/or "give it away" to Iberians.  

Edited July 26, 2021 by mrlevin

[mrstanley]

We were booked on the September 11 cruise. Along with two other couples we decided to go even with the new itinerary.

We have already received our new flight schedule from Regent. Looking forward to having a great time!

[mrlevin]

3 minutes ago, mrstanley said:

We were booked on the September 11 cruise. Along with two other couples we decided to go even with the new itinerary.

We have already received our new flight schedule from Regent. Looking forward to having a great time!

Did they discount the fare?

[wcsdkqh]

The new itinerary, Balboa to Barcelona, didn't bother me as much as the required face masks in the indoor public areas (unless eating/drinking).  That my friends, is a bridge too far, given the price.

[Pudgesmom]

3 hours ago, mrlevin said:

I cannot imagine many that had booked a British Isles cruise would now want a Lisbon to Bilbao cruise; especially if they aren't using Regent air.  I imaging this cruise will sail with 20-30% occupancy if that high.  If nothing else they will have to heavily discount and/or "give it away" to Iberians.  

Interesting comment. How can you possibly know what people booking this cruise will want?

[flossie009]

A difficult conundrum for any Brits booked on the September 09 cruise.

Under U.K. Government rules/advice in force at the present time the following challenges arise:

• the cruise changes from a “domestic” cruise  to “international”. U.K. Foreign Office advice is still to avoid international cruising, which invalidates many travel insurance policies
• Since the cruise calls in to French ports, passengers would have to quarantine on returning to the U.K. 

 

 

It is very sad to see Regent’s re-launch plans being so disrupted.  

[Gilly]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

It is very sad to see Regent’s re-launch plans being so disrupted.  

 

I agree.  Flossie, were you booked on this cruise?  If so, are you going to go with the revised itinerary and put up with the quarantine?  We came so close to booking the Sept 9th departure, since we have friends who'd be on board and right now, didn't want all the parlarver of an international cruise.  Only when checking our diaries did we realise we couldn't make it...perhaps it was just as well.

 

Oh dear.  Just when we thought we could see the light at the end of the tunnel 😥

[charltonkerry]

15 minutes ago, Gilly said:

 

I agree.  Flossie, were you booked on this cruise?  If so, are you going to go with the revised itinerary and put up with the quarantine?  We came so close to booking the Sept 9th departure, since we have friends who'd be on board and right now, didn't want all the parlarver of an international cruise.  Only when checking our diaries did we realise we couldn't make it...perhaps it was just as well.

 

Oh dear.  Just when we thought we could see the light at the end of the tunnel 😥

Do you know what flight Regent are offering from the UK to BIlbao? I thought only Ryan air flew directly out there, without the need for a long stop over somewhere. We are on this cruise but now seriously considering cancelling mainly because of our perceived flight problem. 

[flossie009]

39 minutes ago, Gilly said:

Flossie, were you booked on this cruise? 

No, our first cruise is scheduled for early December.

Splendor from Miami .................. so still a few hurdles to overcome ................ but a few months for things to develop; hopefully for the better 🤞 

[Gilly]

1 hour ago, charltonkerry said:

Do you know what flight Regent are offering from the UK to BIlbao?

 

The last time we flew to Bilbao, four or five years ago, we flew BA from Heathrow @charltonkerry  (As we're not on this cruise, I should add that really,  I have no idea!)

 

Fingers crossed that by December, things will be a little more settled, @flossie009

 

Coincidentally, in todays Times newspaper, there's a report about allowing fully vaccinated US citizens into the Uk without quarantine.  No quarantine for Americans who enter the UK with a vaccine card | News | The Times    - sorry, there's a paywall to access the full article.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Gilly

[flossie009]

5 hours ago, Gilly said:

Coincidentally, in todays Times newspaper, there's a report about allowing fully vaccinated US citizens into the UK without quarantine. 

Similar article in the FT:

https://www.ft.com/content/8f7b59c7-89b5-4ca5-a0a4-7f1355fab3e0

.............. although the reported lack of reciprocity might hinder the speed of the decision.

 

However, has Regent jumped the gun in deciding to relocate the first Splendor cruise from the UK to the continent?

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by flossie009

[wcsdkqh]

 

"However, has Regent jumped the gun in deciding to relocate the first Splendor cruise from the UK to the continent? "

 

Definitely not considering the logistics of travel for 700 people.

[Pcardad]

Look at this garbage from the CDC, issued yesterday, the same day that Regent moved the new ports to Portugal and Spain...

 

https://news.yahoo.com/u-cdc-raises-concern-israel-181606940.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall