papaflamingo

Actually yes... if you book the Regent Suite you get free Dry Cleaning. Now, the Regent Suite averages over $10,000 per day for two...so......😱. But heck..."free dry cleaning." 😜

Like others, I have no actual experience with this type of problem, but you don't need a visa if you're from the U.S. and have a passport to disembark a cruise in Canada. I seriously doubt that anyone will say anything, especially since he's driven into Canada recently. Since he has made the decision to take the cruise regardless, I'd simply make sure he "flies under the radar" and doesn't bring it up unless specifically questioned by someone in authority and simply not worry about it. I bet it all goes smoothly and you have a great cruise.

Just a couple of comments about booking specialty restaurants (you don't book Compass Rose or Sette Mari, they are walk up only)... if you can't get the desired nights in Prime 7, Chartreuse, or Pacific Rim, then try with "share a table" when you book. You'll end up sitting with another couple, but that can often lead to meeting new friends. AND don't hesitate to walk up to one of the specialty restaurants on Boarding Day. Our last 2 cruises, Grandeur in Jan. and Explorer in Feb., the Compass Rose Maitre d' told us we could get into Pacific Rim immediately as opposed to a small wait for Compass Rose....we "beat feet" to Pacific Rim both times!!! People tend to eat in Compass Rose on Boarding day. AND TRY THE TEMPURA LOBSTER! As for "normal dining," both Compass Rose and Sette Mari will ask if you want to share a table or not when you approach. We do both. Sometimes we just want a quiet dinner together, other times we want to meet new people. It's really a great system to simply walk up whenever you're ready to go to dinner as opposed to "scheduled" eating times like the larger cruise lines. And you'll rarely, if ever, have much of a wait.

I suspect it would be a difficult thing to do as Sette Mari uses the kitchen and it would require a number of additional crew members to both cook as well as serve. I think that's the real reason they did away with the Pool Grill being open for dinner. Not enough use to justify the crew necessary.

My experience with deviation is that if my requested flight is not available for contract rates (no up charge) then I can ask if they can give me an idea of what I can book for no up charge. I did exactly this for my last cruise when I wanted to get the non-stop from Tokyo to Atlanta. It had a $1000 per person up charge. My "free" alternative would have been Japan Airlines in business class from Tokyo to Boston then JetBlue in coach from Boston to Atlanta. I decided to pay the up charge and was very glad I did. I DID check pricing on Delta via my employee discount, and even with the up charge it was STILL over $1000 pp cheaper through Regent. So... you just need to evaluate the options and decide if any up charge is worth it to you or not. As to what flights they'll assign at the 60-75 day mark (I think that's when flights come out, but not sure), I'm not sure if they will tell you. But if it's available at 120 days it'll likely be a good indicator of what to expect, like my Tokyo-Atlanta routing.

Well, in all honesty, MY experience could have been the "one-off" regarding the ability to change the flight.

I suspect you are right. The helipad is likely really a "hoist" area. Not really sure of the stressing, etc. As I said, I wasn't a "fling wing" pilot, they tend to talk funny over the radio. And we all know that "sounding cool" over the radio is a major "goal" of every pilot. 😜 Besides, the airlines preferred fixed wing time over helo time. 😎

I have found it very easy to work with Regent, but more importantly, cheaper flights, with the exception of our next cruise where I found tickets at almost 1/2 the Regent Air Credit. Also I always get my own air domestic. I am retired Delta and get at least a 25% discount on any Delta flight, so it's comparatively cheap for me to do domestic first class, but can't usually come close to Regent's cost for Business Class, the exception is our next cruise, and only because Delta has just started service to Papeete.

I have only used Regent to fly Business Class. I am a retired Delta pilot so I get at least a 25% employee discount on any flight. I have found that when I consider Regent's domestic air credit, plus the $175 deviation fee (I always travel in at least a day before the cruise), plus cost of domestic luggage (my wife always takes 2 suitcases) it isn't much more, with my discount, to purchase first class. So can't comment on upgrades. However I have deviated on both Delta and United (my last flight was on both, UAL or Hong Kong and Delta home from Tokyo). The minute you book with Regent via deviation, you can put the reservation number in and make seat selections, meal selections (when available), change seats as often as you want, etc. You can't change the flight as Regent doesn't pay for it until 60 days out. However, as I found out for our UAL flight in Feb., after Regent pays for the flight you can do whatever you want (at least with UAL). Do to UAL schedule changes our connection time in SFO got way too short for comfort, so I called UAL (can't do it on line) and was able to change to a flight a day earlier that got us to SFO for a 13 hours sit and still got us to Hong Kong on the same day all for no charge. Prior to that I had to work any changes through Regent. Not sure if the same would have happened on Delta, but see no reason why not. Once the flight is paid for then it seems it's treated the same whether Regent paid for it or not. You are restricted by the fare of course, so if you want to change it, you would have that to deal with. Also, after I made the change, it appeared on our final paperwork as the actual flights I was taking so Regent was aware of the change even though I didn't actually tell them. So it was still considered "booked by Regent."

The Coast Guard... in Hawaii...flies the HH-65 Dolphin which is not a particularly large aircraft and is used aboard CG Cutters. So the helipad on Edge would easily be able to accommodate it. I spent 20 years as a CG pilot (12 active, 8 reserve) and even though I didn't fly helicopters (flew fixed wing), I have never known of a rescue where they'd stay "light on the skids." Too hazardous. If the helicopter can't land it'll hoist. A lot can go wrong landing on any ship, and staying "light on the skids" would, I suspect, put the helicopter in more of a threat of a dynamic roll over if the wheel (they don't have skids) caught as the ship pitched or rolled.

The bow of a cruise ship is the only place free of obstructions with enough space for a helicopter to land. Any rails or flag staffs are removed or lowered on hinges to the deck so for the helicopter to land.

But in reality if you deviate you basically have control over your flights, at least with Delta and United.

I am a retired Coast Guard pilot. Looking at Edge, the helipad on the bow is very small and would make a Coast Guard Helicopter landing unlikely. Additionally the closest Coast Guard Airstation (unless something has changed) is on Oahu, so it would be a pretty long flight for a Coast Guard helicopter to fly to the Kona area. In any event, hoisting is not always the first option, it's really the last option. If you look at Edge, there are a lot of structure issues that would make a hoist complicated. So if a helicopter evacuation isn't 100% medically required they won't do it.

You can deviate NO MORE than 210 days prior to the cruise. So you can call them today and deviate if you want. Before you do so, research your flights and decide what you want. Find as many options as possible and decide if it's worth any up charge. Also if you fly in early via deviation you lose Regent transportation from the airport. If you aren't in a Concierge or higher suite, Regent will fly you in to arrive the day of the cruise. That is WAY to close for my comfort so I always deviate to go a few days early and enjoy the departure city. And Rome is a city you can spend weeks in without seeing everything! When you call, you'll be charged a single $75. That will be included in one of the $175 per person deviation fees if you accept deviation. So you only pay a total of $175 pp to deviate (plus any up charge if required). When you talk to the agent, be prepared to present your requested flights and see if they can do it. It helps to have as many possibilities as you can. Regent has contract rates on most airlines, but not all flights. And non-stops are getting harder to find for contract rates (no up charge) due to airline pricing. Look for flights that have 2 business class fares shown, i.e. on refundable and a lower one non-refundable. It's more likely that they'll have contract rates on those. Also you can kind of get a feel by pricing and see which flights are cheapest. If the flight you want isn't available for contract rates, they may offer it at an up charge. You need to decide if it's worth it or look for another option. Also, if you have a domestic leg, they will be able to tell you if that leg is in first class or not. Only Intercontinental flights are business class, but if an airlines tickets it straight through, it'll include first class domestic. AND if a U.S carrier, you can have the agent select your seats if you find a flight you want. BUT you still have to agree via an email they'll send out within 48 hours to secure the deviation. So be sure your TA knows as the email will likely be sent to them. One more thing to consider. If you use a foreign carrier and connect in Europe, the second flight will likely be in a single class airplane with the middle seats blocked out. That's their version of "first class" or "business class" when intra-Europe. Also if ever connecting in Asia be sure the second leg includes first or business. I looked at a flight via Delta to Hong Kong connecting in Inchon, but the 4 hour leg from Inchon to Hong Kong would have been in coach! So I always do my best to try and connect at a U.S. hub rather than a foreign hub.

Even booking 210 days out, the flights aren't paid for until 60 days out. But the reservations (at least on U.S. airlines) is fully accessible on the airline's website. You can change seats, etc. What you can't do is make changes via the airlines as to flights. THAT needs to be done by Regent, at least on United (I assume Delta and American too). I know this because we flew from Atlanta to Hong Kong on United in Feb. I deviated 210 days out and got the flight of my choice with a 4 hour sit in SFO then on to Hong Kong. About 3 weeks later I got an email from United that the 4 hour sit in SFO became a 1:40 sit. Too close for me, so I called United. They said since the ticket wasn't paid for I'd have to go through Regent. Long story short, Regent I wanted a 13 hour layover (my only option), but Regent couldn't book it due to the long layover. But they told me the day the ticket would be paid for, 60 days out. So the day after that date I called United and was able to switch the flight to a long layover with no problem and no charge. One advantage of the flight not being paid for until 60 days out, you can cancel your flight via Regent with no penalty until 60 days out.