mikenbob

A quick search of the Regent board will show hundreds (if not thousands) of comments regarding tipping (true confession, some from me). So far, after all the comments has various comments have not resolved the issue to everyone’s liking. Seems like it boils down to a personal decision. It is not against Regent policy for any of the staff members to accept a gratuity and they are certainly do not require (or suggest) that guests participate in anything beyond the fare. Some like to tip, some hate it. Some Americans tip, some don’t. Some people from other parts of the world tip, some don’t. Simple as that. If you are satisfied with this post, feel free to send a gratuity to my Venmo account! 🙂

It has been our experience that waitlists generally clear. My guess is that folks who book on board for a smaller deposit, go ahead and reserve a spot. When it comes time to make payments, they frequently drop.

The arrival an departure times are generally quite accurate as those times are scheduled with the ports. However, just because the ship has arrived at a specific time does not mean that you are allowed to immediately depart. They must complete some docking tasks and may have to clear customs before you may depart the ship. Others may have a different point of view, but I would plan at least an hour to be able to walk off the ship with your own luggage.

Just completed our air deviation for flights to London…on Delta. Our TA said the cost issue is with most airlines. Many of the carriers reduced capacity during the COVID years and have been slow to add back all of the scheduled flights. Add that to a much higher demand for international travel and it all boils down to a supply vs. demand issue. The amount of credit offered for flights from ATL to LHR are about half of the fares being charged, so not much incentive to book outside of the Regent air deviation system. We chose an $800 per person deviation for non-stop round trip flights on Delta (it would have been $900 per person on British Airways) and that was a bargain compared to booking directly with the Regent credit. In fairness to Regent, it looks like someone incorrectly forecasted future airline rates when the pricing for was set a year or so ago.

Yes, you actually have to connect the Regent network first and then connect to your VPN unless you are using cellular data in port.

We had a couple of overnights on a Regent cruise in Japan a few years ago and they are great! One of the evening shore excursions was a Geisha dinner that was very special. Also a chance to see the cities at night. Jealous!

We love the block parties. Great way to meet new folks.

When we have booked the Master Suite with another couple, the additional passengers rate was the same as the least expensive cabin on the ship. We simply divided the total by four and the fair was more manageable.

In other news, the sun set today and is expected to rise within the next 12 hours.

Perhaps a new thread on whether we should tip for good internet speeds?! 😂 Happy sailing, y'all!

3 hours ago, snorkle lover said:

Mikenbob,

Wow, so you decided to cancel your Splendor trip in September?

We canceled prior to final payment because we didn’t want to be

on the first ship going. Looking forward to 2022 with two

booked cruises on the Splendor. 

No, a typo. We are still planning to sail September 22, 2021.

6 hours ago, mikenbob said:

Splendor September 22 (London to Barcelona). Basically the same itinerary as a previously cancelled 2021 cruise. Cannot wait to sail!

Oops, meant to say same itinerary as 2020 trip. 

Splendor September 22 (London to Barcelona). Basically the same itinerary as a previously cancelled 2021 cruise. Cannot wait to sail!

Why are folks so fixated on how Frank Del Rio is paid anyway? He is the senior executive of a major cruise line and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors decides what they think his service is worth to the corporation. If you are a shareholder, vote accordingly. If you are a passenger, his compensation is somewhat irrelevant to your cruise experience.

We are on (or hope to be on) the September 22 sailing. It is a little unnerving based on the UK regulations at the moment (we plan to spend about a week there prior to embarking), but will closely watch the situation regarding allowing fully-vaccinated people from North America to enter the country without quarantining. Regent has always met or exceeded our expectations and we feel that they will  continue to do so (perhaps even more so given the situation) when cruising resumes. Will there be some modifications or slight bumps in the road? Likely, but we will adjust accordingly…been there, done that, did not buy the t-shirt! A lovely glass of champagne can cure so many woes!

Just a thought...given that the CDC probably does not monitor the Cruise Critic boards, perhaps letting your elected officials know how the current rules are impacting your life, pointing out the rules differences between methods of transportation, and the negative impact on jobs and communities would help move the ball down the field. A quick telephone call or email to your representatives in the House and Senate are more powerful than you may realize. To find your Senator's contact information, simply go to http://senate.gov and for House member's information, go to http://house.gov. 

Wow...tough crowd. One would expect that their kindness will be rewarded in the form of goodwill among the people who depend on these ports for living, the same as nearly all acts of corporate  philanthropy. NCL is setting a fine example. Cheers to them!

Fabulous news! Looking forwarding to sailing on Splendor on September 22!

Definitely any of the cruises on Paul Gauguin when it was managed by Radisson/Regent. That said, we have never been on a bad cruise!

A press release celebrating their accomplishments toward the goals of equality, diversity and equity does not mean that it is the only thing that the corporation is focused on, just that they recognize its importance. Bravo to NCL for these accomplishments.

For goodness sake, why is this still a topic? If you are against additional gratuities, do not give them. If you wish to contribute to the Crew Fund (a lovely idea), please do. If a staff member had gone above and beyond to the point that you wish to express your gratitude with a gratuity of some sort, by all means do so. As has been expressed, admittedly ad nauseam, we frequently give cash or gifts to those who have been so wonderful with their time and service while also giving generously to the Crew Fund. This is never done for any sort of notoriety, but it is our money and we are entitled to give it away as we wish. Enough of the “do not tip” preaching. All that said, discretion is probably best. #endofrant

This is simply a matter of the willingness (or lack thereof) to pay for the infrastructure. Delta Airlines (among others) is in the beta phase of offering free internet access on all of their flights to all passengers regardless of class of travel.  Their planes carry a passenger count in many cases similar to a Regent ship. These planes fly all around the globe at speeds fair greater than a cruise ship. Their connectivity relies on satellites. The difference is that the airlines have realized that connectivity is important to world travelers and are investing accordingly. While I appreciate the concept of “disconnecting” while on vacation, this is less of a reality for many of passengers (including us).  FYI, we have traveled on Paul Gauguin many times and have always negotiated free internet as connectivity was a mandatory for a variety of reasons. This problem is 100% solvable by Regent, period. They have made a financial decision that it is simply not worth the investment at this time. My suspicion is that once they realize that they are losing passengers to their competitors, they will find the funds. We continue to travel on Regent because we adore the line. That said, the poor internet situation is giving us reason to consider other options.

I have shared this before, but thought it may be helpful to repost. We love miso glazed fish and make it fairly often at home. It is very easy to make.  While Regent typically uses sea bass, this works with any white, flaky fish...cod, grouper, mahi mahi, etc.  This recipe is for four people, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mirin (sweetened rice wine)

1/4 cup sake

3 tablespoons of white miso paste (if you cannot find locally, it is available on Amazon...Hirari Miso organic white miso is considered the best)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons dark toasted seasame oil

4 fish filets

1. Combine the mirin and sake is a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil 20 seconds, turn heat to low and stir in sugar and miso paste.  Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed and sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add sesame oil.  All to cool.

2. Pat the fish dry and brush/rub both sides of the filets with the marinade.  Place the filets in a baking dish with the marinade and turn over a few times.  Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours (can be marinated overnight for deeper flavor).

3. Preheat the broiler (or grill).  Line a sheet pan with foil and oil it.  Tap the filet to remove excess marinade.  Place the fish skin side up (if the filet has skin) on the baking sheet or skin side down if grilling.

4. Broil or grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until the surface browns.  If the fish filet is especially thick, turn off the broiler, move the fish to a lower rack, and allow it to finish cooking until the fish is opaque and flaky.

Enjoy!

Replacing Canyon Ranch is fantastic news. Let’s hope that the new offering will be more about providing wonderful spa treatments and a whole lot less about high pressure up-selling of services and products.

That is the easiest way. They are quick and professional.