papaflamingo

I believe we are on the same cruise, Grandeur sailing Jan.8, 2024? I assume you have downloaded the excursions and are able to see them? When you go online, at 8 pm on Jan. and select your account, the cruise should come up. On the right is a list of what dates each thing needs to be selected or completed. The prompt "Select Shore Excursions" will turn blue when you can access them to select. Also if you click on "manage this booking," it'll take you to a page where you can "customize" shore excursions. That will also become active at 8 pm EST. Then you simply select each port and select the excursions you want. Once in you cart you need to save them. It will show a checkout prompt. When you do this your excursions will be saved and any extra cost will need to be paid for. Even though most are included, it will still show some kind of "pay" prompt. Don't worry, the cost will show zero if you didn't select any upcharged excursions. But to save your selections you must do the full checkout. Once done, excursions can only be changed via a phone call. You can't change them on line.

Seems since a 50% refund and 50% FCC is being offered, passengers AREN'T "sharing" the expense. Likely you are correct, but we don't really know, do we? Princess and Viking also got caught by this. I read an article that this has only happened 6% of the time since around 2014 or so. That means that cruise ships have successfully sailed Australia and New Zealand 94% of the time. How do you "prepare" for an event that has only a 6% chance of happening? Lots of speculation here and on other sites. Before we nail Regent management to the cross, maybe we should wait until the real details are issued. Bet this doesn't happen again.

We did 40 nights on her from May 28-July 7 and loved her. Yes, she's small and doesn't have all the specialty restaurants, but I found the food good to excellent. The ship vibrates in the aft portion so may want to take that into account in cabin selection. Chair Hogs weren't an issue, but then again, we were in the North Atlantic and it was pretty much too cold for pool use. I thought the Coffee Connection, small as it was, was fine. I never had trouble finding a seat, but that could be more a function of when I went down there. It also doubles as a bar at night. Has a piano so can get crowded before dinner. We had a lot of weather days and I never felt the ship was too crowded. People seemed to spread out a lot throughout the ship. I think the ship is in fine condition. Obviously not "new and shiny" like Splendor. She's in a class of her own. But we found the crew to be exceptional in all respects and really enjoyed her. We are booked again in March and really looking forward to it. It seems one either a loves or hates of Navigator. We loved it.

Honestly, a lot of it is what you're used to. If you have sailed frequently on Seabourn or Silversea then that's what you'd likely prefer. For us, we did over 35 cruises on a variety of cruise lines. We started on Royal Caribbean and that set the bar for us (we also tried HAL, NCL, and Carnival). As we aged and started looking for more quiet, luxury cruises we switched to Celebrity. We found Regent as a recommendation from our TA. We booked (on a leap of faith) 44 nights in 2018 from Honolulu to Sydney on Mariner. This was my retirement gift to myself. After booking, I decided to look at options. Royal Caribbean and HAL offered a somewhat similar itinerary if we were willing to switch ships, etc. Comparing the cost with an equal (or so) cabin and I discovered that, after paying gratuities, alcohol, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, etc. I found that the cost was very close to Regent and we'd still have Business Air to factor in. So off we went. Fell in love with the ship, the crew, and the experience. I prefer less formal so that helps too when compared to other luxury lines. But if we had started on one of the other luxury lines, I'm sure we would have loved them too. So now it's long cruises on Regent that we like. Small ship, great crew, wonderful food, included drinks, included excursions, and more casual.

We were on Navigator in June-July and had dinner with the F & B manager. Yes, they are having supply issues like everyone else. As to "optimizing cash flow," sure, it's the nature of business. But I would seriously doubt they'd purposefully skimp on something as cheap as Diet Coke. As to price increases,.... Regent increases prices every year. As long as the ships book, and Regent tends to book exceptionally well, they'll continue to raise prices. Also their costs have gone up considerably. Crew is. harder to come by, food and alcohol costs have gone up, fuel has had major price increases, shore excursions have likely gone up and a number have not come back after the Covid shutdown, etc. So plan for more increases.

I agree, downloading each port is arduous on a long cruise, but I actually find it most beneficial. I download each port and attach a number (generally the date we're there) so they're in order as to each cruise stop date, and place them in a file on my desktop. I "airdrop" them to my wife and she has them on her computer too. Then we go through each port individually and prioritize our tour desires. No need to print anything. For me it's a lot easier to go port to port on individual pdf's than to have to scroll on one long one. Just personal technique.

It's generally best to go to the source for accurate info rather than news services alone. The speed restriction has been in effect for years for vessels over 65 feet, so no real changes to the cruise lines. The purpose is to expand the restrictions to 35-65 foot vessels and to do some expansion of the zones. But it's not like the entire east coast is going to be shut down. Here's a link to NOAA's program and proposed changes: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-vessel-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales#seasonal-management-areas---northeast

No problem. 😎

YES! Since at least 9/11 the ports have a very high level of security. So parking at the port would have a high level of security too.

We did 44 nights on Mariner in 2018 and 40 nights on Navigator this past summer. As mentioned the "left side" of the menu has a significant selection of items. You can mix and match as you please and create your own meal. On the "right side" of the menu is the chef's daily selections. There is some repeat, but not much. This last cruise I found a bit more repeat but I think that had a lot to do with supply chain issues. But honestly in 44 and 40 nights I never felt bored with the menu and only repeated dishes I particularly enjoyed. The variety is excellent. You won't be disappointed. The specialty restaurant menus do not change. But pretty good variety there too.

Agree. We loved Pool Grill after a long shore excursion. But keep in mind, you can always use Room Service for dinner if you don't want to dress.

We flew Delta Business Class in July from Heathrow so we used the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class check in and lounge. Yes, it's fairly easy to find, up an escalator. But be forewarned, Heathrow was very busy and we had a bit of a line. Not more than 20-30 minutes, and way shorter than any other line, but factor that into your arrival. The Upper Class lounge was fairly crowded but we did find seats. Anyway, here's a very good review of the Virgin 787-9 Upper Class and it shows both the entrance to the Upper Class security check in and a view of the lounge.

I NEVER once suggested that damage was intentional. What an absurd allegation. Damage does happen, but it would be very hard to prove intention. And to accuse someone of criminal conduct with nothing more than "gee I didn't tip so they purposely damaged my luggage" is pretty arrogant. But if you're worried about it I suggest you hand carry all your luggage yourself. For me, I want porters so I don;'t have to hand carry mine. I'm on vacation and don't want to have to work any harder than I need to.

I was referring specifically to our last Regent cruise. The tip seemed totally unexpected and she seemed genuinely embarrassed to take it but was extremely grateful. Can't speak to your experiences, only my own.

Yes, most cruise traffic in Miami IS on Sat. and Sun. The porters agree to work on weekends because it's. profitable. It's profitable and worth their time so they "signed up" to work weekends. It's profitable and worth their time because of tips. Take away the tips and you'll see fewer and fewer porters giving up their weekends. I have been to ports where there is only a couple of porters. It results in a long wait to get luggage both collected for boarding or assistance for going home. And since this was a discussion begun early, why do you think my response isn't pertinent? I didn't start it, I simply comment on a number of comments.

Here's what I do and why. I always tip the porters. I tip them very well (about $5 per bag). I do that because I want my bag taken care of, they are working on a weekend (generally), it's a job I don't want to do, and in the grand scheme of things (cruise cost), it's a drop in the bucket. It also keeps them coming in on Sat. or Sun. I've been on a cruise with no porters. Not fun to have to find and "lug" your luggage by yourself with no help. I say tip them and keep them working. As to ships crew, NO tip is expected. We tipped our cabin steward on the last cruise for all she did for us. She balked at taking it, and seemed genuinely surprised. We insisted as it was a 40 night cruise and she took VERY GOOD care of us. So.. tip as you want. The tips are included so keep that in mind. And don't worry at all what others do, just do as you wish. The crew does not expect extra tip money. So no need to worry about it.

Book a suite. Then you get Concierge privileges. Honestly, I'm Diamond + also and hate this is happening, but I have also sailed in suites. There were so many D+ and Pinnacles in the clubs that there was no room for suite passengers who paid big bucks to sail. I think Pinnacle should be banned also. Use a space for a D+ and Pinnacle lounge instead. That way the passengers that pay for suite amenities can actually use them. I also won't let this chase me away. The amenities on the other major cruise lines still aren't as good, even if you make upper tier.

Good to hear their phone lines are again open. We will book in Jan. for out Oct. cruise and I want to be able to do it myself rather than using my TA.

Just to add. If you deviate (best option in my opinion) you are charged $175pp non-refundable, but if Regent has a way to book you on your requested routing they will. If they have contract rates (unlikely London to Austin), then it'll be no other charges except the $175 pp. If they don't have contract rates they possibly can still offer you the non-stop but at an uncharge. Only you can know how much extra you're willing to pay to avoid a gateway city. The good news is you don't have to accept their routing. You can continue to try other options or go with their normal assignment. The $175pp isn't charged until you accept the flights. And you won't have to drive to Dallas. They'll put you on a flight from Austin, it likely will go through Dallas, and you will likely be in coach on that leg. You only get Business Class from a gateway (or at least that's my understanding).

Yeah... I've only done deviations with Regent so we book 270 days out using the deviation opportunity. But my understanding is air assignments should be sent about 75 days out, which you are clearly within. Keep after them until you get an answer.

Like most others, I am also disappointed to hear the Pool Grill won't be open for dinner. BUT, we were on Navigator for 40 nights from Montreal to Southampton this past June/July. It was quite cold most days so hardly anyone (if anyone at all) ate dinner at the Pool Grill. We also loved the ability to come off an excursion and not get changed for dinner. But in all honesty, it was a massive waste of food. When we did Polynesia in 2018 it was a different story. Maybe Regent will consider a cruise by cruise option. We will be on Navigator in March in the Caribbean. We would likely eat up there a few times since the weather will be warm an we have some late arriving excursions. But, considering cost of food and supply chain issues, it's an easy move to make to help alleviate some of the issues. As to crowded dining venues, we never found this to be a problem (except Sette Mari at opening times) even though no one was eating at the Pool Grill. So not likely much of a "crowded restaurant" issue.

When does your cruise depart?

It's always about the money. But Royal Caribbean tells you a suggested tip, they publish in general how it's broken down, and clearly state the amount is within industry standards. So how do you conclude it's a "secret arbitrary system?" As for me, here's how I answer the questions: 1. Q.How much do crew make? A. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS 2. Q. How do they break up tips? A. SEE ANSWER FOR QUESTION 1. 3. Q. How much extra do you tip? A. SEE ANSWER FOR QUESTION 1 ALL OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT CREW PAY, ETC.... SEE ANSWER FOR QUESTION 1. You have ONE responsibility on a cruise.... that is to have a good cruise. So mind your business and HAVE A GOOD CRUISE!

No it doesn't. We've been mostly cruising on a line that includes all gratuities. The service is EXCEPTIONAL! The crew will literally "fall all over themselves" trying to please you. If you go to a bar and ask for a particular alcohol and it's unavailable, there's a VERY good chance that after the next port stop your desired alcohol will be there. If you want an Indian meal, you tell the Maitre 'd and within 48 hours you will have a complete Indian dinner just for you and your tablemates. They place a bottle of your desired liquor in your cabin. If the bottle nears empty a new bottle will be placed. Oh yeah...EVERY crew member greets you with a smile. No extra gratuities are expected and many do not pay any. But clearly there's something about the cruise line that keeps top employees in all categories. Likely a guaranteed salary that is industry competitive or leading.

If you check Amazon (or other sites) you can buy plastic luggage tag holders that fit specific cruise line tags. We use the one's for Royal Caribbean. They are a different size than the Regent tag, but the tag still fits easily. These tags attach with metal ring and work very well. Well worth a very minimal investment. We use them for both boarding and debarking.