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Questions on Explorer- booking related


furs840
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Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking into booking a cruise on the Explorer in October of 2017. I am wondering if it is smart to go through a travel agent. Some seem to imply that they can add value by offering a lower price, I'm not concerned about losing small perks like $300 in shipboard credit, but if a travel agent can cut say 10% off the total cost I would be interested in employing one.

 

Also looking at the concierge level suites. Is there any reason to get a D suite over the E suite? Finally what rooms within the cabin (or what portion of the ship) do people suggest as the best place to be?

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Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking into booking a cruise on the Explorer in October of 2017. I am wondering if it is smart to go through a travel agent. Some seem to imply that they can add value by offering a lower price, I'm not concerned about losing small perks like $300 in shipboard credit, but if a travel agent can cut say 10% off the total cost I would be interested in employing one.

 

Also looking at the concierge level suites. Is there any reason to get a D suite over the E suite? Finally what rooms within the cabin (or what portion of the ship) do people suggest as the best place to be?

 

There TA's who provide a minimum 10% off the commissionable fares. Not the total fare but, can be really close depending the what the air and taxes are as those are not commissionable. Unfortunately we cannot name TA's on the board. And, no matter the rebate, using a TA is really a no brainer as most will provide perks and/or money that the cruise line person cannot do. Would you rather deal directly with an employee of the cruise line who is beholden to their employer or deal with a TA who has YOUR best interests at heart?? Commisions are large, up to 18% so why not share that with an excellent TA rather than adding to the bottom line of the cruise line.

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Pick a TA that works with Regent.

Preferably one that does a lot of business with Regent.

It will defiantly be worth while to you.

 

This is what I was thinking. Any way for me to skip the hassle of dealing with a TA when I find the website and available information pretty much self explanatory, but still get the preferred pricing?

 

When I was younger my parents had their own travel agency just for personal travels and paid for a CLIA number each year for reduced rates. Is this method still possible?

 

Does anyone have a good travel agent that books with regent a lot? I'm located in the Northeasten US.

 

Thanks

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Sorr furrs 840 but, you are not correctly understanding how this works. This is NOT preferred pricing. The cruiseline does not allow discounting and you will pay the full price at final payment. How this works is in the form of a rebate of a portion of the TA's commission. Different TA's do this differently but, ours sends a check about 2 weeks before we depart for the predetermined rebate amound. As far as recommending a TA, against CC rules and any posts recommending or asking for a recommendation are normally deleted quite quickly. Sorry but, rules are rules. You have to find these TA's on your own by searching, asking on board your cruise, etc. You cannot do what you proposed.

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Got it, I understand you position and the rules better now.

 

I guess I should redirect my questions concerning regent to the following:

 

1) what is the primary language spoken aboard vessels?

2) Is there any real difference between concierge D and E, or is it just location?

3) Why are the reviews so bad for Regent on Yelp (I know people who review tend to have polarizing experiences, but it's a bit concerning).

 

Reviews on Yelp here:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/regent-seven-seas-cruises-fort-lauderdale

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1. English

 

2. No, just location

 

3. Don't know. I have never seen this site before but I don't recognise most of the negative comments. All I would say is that most sailings have on board a large percentage of repeat customers so this must say something. I would advise reading the Regent cruise critic posts as far back as you care to get a better perspective remembering that Regent would not be the choice of anyone expecting a party cruise. Each to their own and It is important to research any cruise line to ensure it satisfies your own tastes and expectations.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

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This is what I was thinking. Any way for me to skip the hassle of dealing with a TA when I find the website and available information pretty much self explanatory, but still get the preferred pricing?

 

When I was younger my parents had their own travel agency just for personal travels and paid for a CLIA number each year for reduced rates. Is this method still possible?

 

Does anyone have a good travel agent that books with regent a lot? I'm located in the Northeasten US.

 

Thanks

 

Whoa! Get a TA that knows Regent. I absolutely love the on-board Regent experience but I abhor their Website. The site is glitzy but full of hype, misinformation, and links that don't work. Regent seems to spend their advertising capital on hard copy which is frequent but often very useful.

I can't overstate the value of a knowledgeable TA.

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Agree with all above. Get a good TA who is very knowledgeable with Regent, it is well to your advantage. They can advise about location, air, help you pick good flights, compare differences in categories, etc, and as said most will offer some kind of rebate, may have shipboard credits, or group perks available. Also can help you with insurance questions and such.

 

As to negative comments on Yelp, have never seen those, as I don't usually use Yelp, if I use anything its Trip Advisor, but agree again, read the reviews here on CC.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

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Sorr furrs 840 but, you are not correctly understanding how this works. This is NOT preferred pricing. The cruiseline does not allow discounting and you will pay the full price at final payment. How this works is in the form of a rebate of a portion of the TA's commission. Different TA's do this differently but, ours sends a check about 2 weeks before we depart for the predetermined rebate amound. As far as recommending a TA, against CC rules and any posts recommending or asking for a recommendation are normally deleted quite quickly. Sorry but, rules are rules. You have to find these TA's on your own by searching, asking on board your cruise, etc. You cannot do what you proposed.

 

Dave, you are correct. TA's work differently on rebates ours sends us a check after we complete the cruise and it can be 8%-10%. High producers with luxury lines and strong TA's come with many other perks as well. We love the agency we deal with.

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This is what I was thinking. Any way for me to skip the hassle of dealing with a TA when I find the website and available information pretty much self explanatory, but still get the preferred pricing?

 

When I was younger my parents had their own travel agency just for personal travels and paid for a CLIA number each year for reduced rates. Is this method still possible?

 

Does anyone have a good travel agent that books with regent a lot? I'm located in the Northeasten US.

 

Thanks

 

It doesn't really matter where in the U.S. you are located. Working with your TA via internet works just fine. It has been my experience that the TA's that give the highest % of rebate do not give the most personalized service. While this may not matter to some people, it means a lot to us. They keep track of price increases/decreases on a daily basis and insure that you get the best "deal" possible. They also work with us and Regent to insure we get the flights that we want.

 

Our TA gives between 5 and 7 1/2% of the cruise fare (before the cruise) but also offers on board credits on many cruises. IMO, you should not discount OBC's. Regent requires you to book excursions in advance. "Regent Choice Excursions" have a cost (and are much better than "included excursions" for the most part). As an example of how to use your OBC's, you could book an excursion that costs $300 for both of you. Once onboard you can cancel and rebook the excursion using on board credits and you will receive a refund of your $300 in cash.

 

Hope that this information helps!

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Working with a good TA that wants the business and works with Regent is the way to go. Not all TA's that sell Regent (alot) don't always give back to you. I had that problem with on TA that sold a lot of cruise's on another line---I found out the hard way. Get yourself a good TA and ask up front what they can do for you. And get it in writing-that way no miss understanding.

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It doesn't really matter where in the U.S. you are located. Working with your TA via internet works just fine. It has been my experience that the TA's that give the highest % of rebate do not give the most personalized service. While this may not matter to some people, it means a lot to us. They keep track of price increases/decreases on a daily basis and insure that you get the best "deal" possible. They also work with us and Regent to insure we get the flights that we want.

 

Our TA gives between 5 and 7 1/2% of the cruise fare (before the cruise) but also offers on board credits on many cruises. IMO, you should not discount OBC's. Regent requires you to book excursions in advance. "Regent Choice Excursions" have a cost (and are much better than "included excursions" for the most part). As an example of how to use your OBC's, you could book an excursion that costs $300 for both of you. Once onboard you can cancel and rebook the excursion using on board credits and you will receive a refund of your $300 in cash.

 

Hope that this information helps!

 

Travelcat2 - Unfortunately I use a TA who does rebate a good percentage of the cruise but whose personal service is lacking. I have a few questions that I hope you will take the time to address. We are booked on Explorer next August from Iceland to Denmark in an F-1 suite. We are considering going early to see some of the area around Reykjavik. How much is the deviation fee? Will we receive credit for the pre night hotel if we don't use it? Will Regent still do the transfer from our hotel to the ship? Can we book our flights now or do we have to wait til Regent assigns flights and then try to change them at that late date. I know this is a lot of questions but know that you are very knowledgable about the process. Thanks ...

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I'm all setup with a TA at this point, now the question really becomes which cabin. Concierge D or E. The appear to be the same size on the deck plans, so is the only difference really location? I assume that excursion booking is the same timeline (days in advance before booking) for both D & E cabins- can anyone confirm that?

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Travelcat2 - Unfortunately I use a TA who does rebate a good percentage of the cruise but whose personal service is lacking. I have a few questions that I hope you will take the time to address. We are booked on Explorer next August from Iceland to Denmark in an F-1 suite. We are considering going early to see some of the area around Reykjavik. How much is the deviation fee? Will we receive credit for the pre night hotel if we don't use it? Will Regent still do the transfer from our hotel to the ship? Can we book our flights now or do we have to wait til Regent assigns flights and then try to change them at that late date. I know this is a lot of questions but know that you are very knowledgable about the process. Thanks ...

 

I'll try to answer your questions. The deviation fee is necessary to do what you wish to do. The deviation fee is $175/person. In addition to being able to arrive in Iceland early, you will be able to pick the flights that you want on flights to Iceland and well as going home from Denmark. If your TA is not willing to work with you regarding flights, you can call Regent Air.

 

Since you are in an F1 suite, you are not entitled to one night at a Regent hotel. So, you will have to arrange transportation to the ship on your own. You should receive transportation from the ship to the airport in Denmark since you are booking air with Regent.

 

Hope this makes sense. if you have other questions please post (please be a bit patient with my responses as we are currently on the Explorer and I'm often away for most of the day.

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