Israel Next week Voyager

[PaulaJK]

Rc/kc

We were on Regent with Voyaget’s fish net issues and anoypther time, when the priates were actice and we had safety drills…..all okay. War seems very different to me. Rockets are still

soaring and the situation is very fluid. I am glad that we do not to make any choices here.

[cwn]

4 minutes ago, rcandkc said:

We have been on plenty of cruises with changed itineraries and missed ports.  We do always take insurance.  
I personally think this situation is pretty scary.  Not sure why me saying that is a problem. 

I didn’t mean that what you said was a problem and this is scary time over there.

We stopped taking insurance about 15 years ago except medjet or the like. Just too many seeming outs for refusing to pay. That works for us and the savings now pay for any money lost

[rcandkc]

Just now, cwn said:

I didn’t mean that what you said was a problem and this is scary time over there.

We stopped taking insurance about 15 years ago except medjet or the like. Just too many seeming outs for refusing to pay. That works for us and the savings now pay for any money lost

Ok. Understand. We also have Medjet. 

[asnaleah]

According to affected passenger posts, Celebrity is offering FCC at anywhere from 85% to 100%.

Edited October 10, 2023 by asnaleah
To include source

[Golf Mad Girl]

15 hours ago, Pupi17 said:

The alternative Regent has given us does not consider the risk a stop in Egypt represents for American citizens at this moment. Their business-based decision has not considered another last minute change in scheduling, an emergency situation once Voyager arrives in Egypt and the many dissatisfied customers who will not travel again with them! Hopefully this situation will get to be covered by the press!!!

 

It was always going to Egypt.  We are hoping they do more in Egypt as it has some great things to explore. We are NOT Americans so the world is not a great threat to us (although it probably isnt as bad as you think)

[Golf Mad Girl]

5 hours ago, rcandkc said:

But if you take more than 1 cruise a year, in your 70’s, preexisting condition coverage is very pricey.  We just won’t go to certain parts of the world where we worry about war. 

Why do you go on any cruise if you are so worried about what could happen...Australia is pretty safe come and do a cruise around the country..(watch out for crocs and sharks though)

[roninman]

10 hours ago, cwn said:

It is nothing new for cruise lines to not give future credit or otherwise give refunds when something happens to change the cruise itineraries be it weather or political unrest/war. As long as the cruse sails the line leaves it up to the passenger to make the cruise or not. Passenger choice.

 
This is a risk that has always been born by the passenger. If you can’t insure for the risk and are not willing to self insure or go where the cruse takes you, that cruise is not for you.  

 

Exactly!  The business risk of not fulfilling what was promised has always been passed to the paying customer, rather than being absorbed by the business, to the point where customers now assume that this is some reasonable law of nature.

 

And the customer assumes it is up to them to insure against that risk, rather than the business.  So for a $23,000 cruise the customers pay $5000 for cancel-anytime insurance that covers 75%, and if invoking the cancellation the customer is now still out $11,000 (cost of the insurance plus the 25% deductible)... so about half the cruise fare in exchange for nothing.   

 

How much nicer if the cruise lines were more generous in sharing the risk, or the customer more discerning in the future about whether a cruise even makes any sense.  Given the goofiness of the last few years, it's a wonder people even bother with the potential overhead and asymmetrical risk involved in cruising!

 

[zak477]

We have taken many cruises over the years and always had Allianz travel insurance. Never needed to request a claim till this past April. Cruised with Regent Miami to Barcelona, then spent 4 days overland to Southampton to sail Cunard home to NYC. On the morning of the QM2 cruise, Cunard stated "mechanical issues" and cancelled the cruise. Wow! So I used points to get a flight home but had to stay another night in Southampton as all flights were gone. If I used cash, the cost for business class was $4800 each. Allianz does not reimburse for using points. But thankfully I used points as they would not pay for the flight either, if I had used cash.

My final check from them was only for the hotel stay in Southampton. No trip cancellation and not trip interruption applied. Nothing else.

They have a clause that states "mechanical issues" are not covered. Cunard and Ins. work together. 

I learned a lot from this experience and looked extra close at all the companies but they are all pretty much the same. 

We are on the Navigator for their November 10th sailing to this region. I hope they at least reimburse us for the overland Israel trip we have already paid for. Sadly, no way will consider that experience.

[jjs217]

9 hours ago, Golf Mad Girl said:

It was always going to Egypt.  We are hoping they do more in Egypt as it has some great things to explore. We are NOT Americans so the world is not a great threat to us (although it probably isnt as bad as you think)

When they were killing and kidnapping, they were not asking what country they were from.  Just because you are Australian does not mean you are safe.

[Pcardad]

Almost 100 people die every day in the USA due to being shot or being hit by a drunk driver. If you want assurances of safety you can always stay home on the couch. I know with 100% certainty that I am going to die, I would prefer to die doing something I enjoy rather than turning into a vegetable watching Netflix. Just my opinion...I get that people are scared and they have the right to be.

[GMIAC]

3 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

...turning into a vegetable watching Netflix. 

I feel attacked.  😜

[cruiseluv]

4 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Almost 100 people die every day in the USA due to being shot or being hit by a drunk driver. If you want assurances of safety you can always stay home on the couch. I know with 100% certainty that I am going to die, I would prefer to die doing something I enjoy rather than turning into a vegetable watching Netflix. Just my opinion...I get that people are scared and they have the right to be.

The difference might be that in our daily lives we’re not paying about a $1,000 per day for the privilege of going into into a war zone

[Pcardad]

7 minutes ago, cruiseluv said:

The difference might be that in our daily lives we’re not paying about a $1,000 per day for the privilege of going into into a war zone

But you are not going into a war zone...

[BabyBrutus]

We are currently booked on the Regent Holy Land tour originally set to depart from Haifa on Oct. 15th.  Since the conflict broke out, we have received precisely two emails from Regent.  The first was a generalized email which essentially provided no information and advised us to be patient.   The second email, sent this past Sunday, stated the cruise was now departing from Istanbul and we had to take whatever flight they booked us on to get there.  They provided no dates or other information.  They did not even confirm that the flight would be business class or that there would be less than 3 stops.  The cruise leaves this Sunday at 7:00 pm and we have no idea when we will be arriving in Istanbul.  Lastly, in a rude way, they stated in that email  we would have no input in our air reservations, and that there would be no future credits or refunds.

 

What leaves the worst taste in my mouth is the way Regent has treated us.  Other than the 2 emails, they have provided virtually zero information and made no attempts whatsoever to reach out.  Any attempts to contact Regent have been fruitless.  When we tried to call, after long wait times, we were directed to a representative who had been instructed not to provide any information.  You cannot even email Regent for more information.  

 

According to the internet, other cruises such as Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have already  cancelled their tours stopping in Israel and offered their passengers a refund or a credit.  Why can't Regent respond the way the other cruise lines have?

 

Regent is supposed is supposed to be a luxury cruise line.  We have taken Regent cruises before and enjoyed them. This time, however, they have left us in limbo without any options.  Regent should have been more prepared for this type of event and been able to respond quicker.  For Regent to suggest that we need to be patient at this point, is non-responsive drivel.  Rather than responding to our requests for more information, they have deliberately cut off all channels of communication, making it impossible to reach them. Try calling or emailing Regent for updates -- as of now, you will get nowhere and this is not an accident. r 

 

Suffice it to say, we are very disappointed with the unprofessional way Regent has handled this entire situation.  Regent should have been better prepared for this and needs to be more responsive to their guests.

 

 

 

 

 

[Pcardad]

3 minutes ago, BabyBrutus said:

We are currently booked on the Regent Holy Land tour originally set to depart from Haifa on Oct. 15th.  Since the conflict broke out, we have received precisely two emails from Regent.  The first was a generalized email which essentially provided no information and advised us to be patient.   The second email, sent this past Sunday, stated the cruise was now departing from Istanbul and we had to take whatever flight they booked us on to get there.  They provided no dates or other information.  They did not even confirm that the flight would be business class or that there would be less than 3 stops.  The cruise leaves this Sunday at 7:00 pm and we have no idea when we will be arriving in Istanbul.  Lastly, in a rude way, they stated in that email  we would have no input in our air reservations, and that there would be no future credits or refunds.

 

What leaves the worst taste in my mouth is the way Regent has treated us.  Other than the 2 emails, they have provided virtually zero information and made no attempts whatsoever to reach out.  Any attempts to contact Regent have been fruitless.  When we tried to call, after long wait times, we were directed to a representative who had been instructed not to provide any information.  You cannot even email Regent for more information.  

 

According to the internet, other cruises such as Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have already  cancelled their tours stopping in Israel and offered their passengers a refund or a credit.  Why can't Regent respond the way the other cruise lines have?

 

Regent is supposed is supposed to be a luxury cruise line.  We have taken Regent cruises before and enjoyed them. This time, however, they have left us in limbo without any options.  Regent should have been more prepared for this type of event and been able to respond quicker.  For Regent to suggest that we need to be patient at this point, is non-responsive drivel.  Rather than responding to our requests for more information, they have deliberately cut off all channels of communication, making it impossible to reach them. Try calling or emailing Regent for updates -- as of now, you will get nowhere and this is not an accident. r 

 

Suffice it to say, we are very disappointed with the unprofessional way Regent has handled this entire situation.  Regent should have been better prepared for this and needs to be more responsive to their guests.

 

 

 

 

 

You will get more info later today or tomorrow - the entire Air Department has been working on this, and only this, since Sunday. Have a little patience...this is a massive job. I've booked millions of dollars with Regent and they always do the right thing in the end....although it is not always fast enough to satisfy every client. 

[melbox4]

4 minutes ago, cruiseluv said:

The difference might be that in our daily lives we’re not paying about a $1,000 per day for the privilege of going into into a war zone

 

8 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

But you are not going into a war zone...

Excellent point CruiseLuv! The terrorist attacks in Israel is breathtaking. This is a much different situation than past skirmishes of this 'Iffy" area. It could spread to close by Egypt. The tragedy which has occurred makes it hard to enjoy our vacation with Egypt so close. 

[BabyBrutus]

26 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

You will get more info later today or tomorrow - the entire Air Department has been working on this, and only this, since Sunday. Have a little patience...this is a massive job. I've booked millions of dollars with Regent and they always do the right thing in the end....although it is not always fast enough to satisfy every client. 

 

Pcardad:

 

Thanks for the response.  If I may ask, what is your relationship with  Regent? 

 

My concern is not just with Regent's slow response, but they are trying to force us into a last minute flight from the U.S. to Istanbul without any idea of what this will be.  The "right thing," regardless of how you interpret the cruise contract, would have been to be more flexible with their guests and allow them to reschedule with a future cruise credit.

 

[Pcardad]

21 minutes ago, BabyBrutus said:

 

Pcardad:

 

Thanks for the response.  If I may ask, what is your relationship with  Regent? 

 

My concern is not just with Regent's slow response, but they are trying to force us into a last minute flight from the U.S. to Istanbul without any idea of what this will be.  The "right thing," regardless of how you interpret the cruise contract, would have been to be more flexible with their guests and allow them to reschedule with a future cruise credit.

 

I provide specialty services to a very small group of people. A small part of this is booking some of them on Regent. I am also a Titanium client. I am not an employee nor do I speak for them in any capacity.

I would guess their first priority is getting everyone to Istanbul. If there is time and capacity, they might then address specific needs. Just a guess!

Edited October 10, 2023 by Pcardad

[RJ2002]

28 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I would guess their first priority is getting everyone to Istanbul. 

 

And getting the disembarking passengers from Istanbul.  

 

Thank you for your posts on this discussion. 

[lux4me]

My parents were sailing with another couple.  They cancelled 

Edited October 10, 2023 by lux4me

[roninman]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

You will get more info later today or tomorrow - the entire Air Department has been working on this, and only this, since Sunday. Have a little patience...this is a massive job. I've booked millions of dollars with Regent and they always do the right thing in the end....although it is not always fast enough to satisfy every client. 

 

It may well be true that RSS may eventually do the right thing in the end- we all hope for that.  But their challenge is that competitive "non-luxury" lines, have apparently already proactively stepped up to show flexibility to their own similarly concerned customers, as far as refunds or future credits.

 

And given that people have already reported here that RSS had told them they will NOT receive refund or future credit, how long should customers wait for an unlikely change of heart... which puts the customer in the difficult position of possibly voluntarily cancelling now, whereas if they had just waited awhile possibly RSS might have relented and offered refund/credit.  

 

Would not want to be on that cruise with a lot of people unhappy with what they perceived as uncertainty, lack of communication, fear, and disappointment.  Not a great way to start a cruise.  I feel bad for those cruisers, and not so bad for the company, which at least at this point still will receive full fare.

 

 

 

 

[dabear]

25 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

This just happened, less than a week out for Regent to figure out how to route hundreds of passengers in and out of a new port, Istanbul.  So I don't get your comment "they are trying to force us into a last minute flight from the U.S. to Istanbul."  Of course it's "last minute."  Have you looked at flights lately?  The airlines are booked up for weeks to months.  Suddenly hundreds need to get to Istanbul on the same day less than a week away, and you're surprised that it' s taking them some time? 

Totally agree. First this horrific event just happened a few days ago. Everyone is scrambling to make last minute changes as best they can for safety sake. All experienced cruisers know that all cruise lines have the right to make changes, including last minute ones, to an itinerary. Let's recognize the situation & have patience and a little sympathy for what's happening in Israel.

[GMIAC]

5 minutes ago, roninman said:

 

It may well be true that RSS may eventually do the right thing in the end- we all hope for that.  But their challenge is that competitive "non-luxury" lines, have apparently already proactively stepped up to show flexibility to their own similarly concerned customers, as far as refunds or future credits.

 

Larger lines likely have enormous customer service departments, and cancellations probably don't affect them as acutely as smaller lines, much like a small restaurant is more affected by a cancellation than a large one. Whenever I book with small inns and accommodations, their cancellation policies are always more stringent than large hotel chains'. I gather the same is the same with Regent versus huge lines with a large fleet of 5,000-passenger ships. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by GMIAC

[melbox4]

My TA called RSSC on Sunday and their agent had no idea there had been a major terror attack 36 hours earlier.

It was unsettling to hear that RSSC had not informed their agents of the attack. IMO...they had 36 hours to prepare their agents for the calls that would follow and they dropped the ball. 

RSSC should be open to hearing all of our concerns, criticisms, and praises. It would benefit the company as well their customers to learn from mistakes made. 

I am sure that everyone posting here has great sorrow and empathy for was has occurred in Israel. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by melbox4

[Sweetpea711423]

3 hours ago, zak477 said:

We have taken many cruises over the years and always had Allianz travel insurance. Never needed to request a claim till this past April. Cruised with Regent Miami to Barcelona, then spent 4 days overland to Southampton to sail Cunard home to NYC. On the morning of the QM2 cruise, Cunard stated "mechanical issues" and cancelled the cruise. Wow! So I used points to get a flight home but had to stay another night in Southampton as all flights were gone. If I used cash, the cost for business class was $4800 each. Allianz does not reimburse for using points. But thankfully I used points as they would not pay for the flight either, if I had used cash.

My final check from them was only for the hotel stay in Southampton. No trip cancellation and not trip interruption applied. Nothing else.

They have a clause that states "mechanical issues" are not covered. Cunard and Ins. work together. 

I learned a lot from this experience and looked extra close at all the companies but they are all pretty much the same. 

We are on the Navigator for their November 10th sailing to this region. I hope they at least reimburse us for the overland Israel trip we have already paid for. Sadly, no way will consider that experience.

I share your skepticism about insurance companies.  I believe they are in the business of accepting premiums and not paying claims.  That being said, I'm unclear what you were out monetarily when your QM2 crossing was cancelled.  I assume you were reimbursed by Cunard for the cancelled crossing.  You were reimbursed by the insurance company for the night at the hotel.  You were not out-of-pocket for your plane travel (either new or cancelled).  So I'm not clear what else the insurance company was supposed to reimburse.  With regard to the points you "lost" for your cancelled flight home (which I agree is really annoying), perhaps you should contact the airline directly and see if, under the circumstances, they would be willing to reinstate them.  It's possible.....