flossie009

It was so good to see you on board. Yes we liked their performance; on a very rocky stage that night. We saw them again last night when they showcased some of the Beatles later work. Very good. We also enjoyed the Production Cast’s first show this cruise a couple of nights ago; a talented group with some good voices. Certainly a good cruise thus far.

Informally arranged through the CC roll call. Someone suggested a time & venue ………… and a number of us met up over a drink before dinner.

Stavangar Our excursion today was a boat trip into Lysefjord. Once our guide had found the boat (🙄), it was a very enjoyable & picturesque trip. We were fortified with a stop for coffee & waffles on the way back ………. but we still had room for a delicious lunch in La Veranda on our return 😋

Kristiansand A war relic The old town David went to visit a preserved artillery piece from the era of the German occupation of Norway during WW2 Said to be the second largest canon in the world it was capable of firing an 800kg shell over 50 km. Although there were many test firings it was never used in combat. Krupp engineering (a bit bigger than our coffee maker!)

Some photos from the first days of the cruise: Gothenburgh In the morning we took an interesting tour to Tjoloholm Manor, about an hour from the City. Record breaking rainfall in the preceding days meant that the driver had to take some detours to avoid the flooded main route. Avery good guide showed us around this interesting 1904 country mansion. In the afternoon we found that the Volvo Museum was only a short walk from the ship, so we went to have a look round ……….. and were glad we did …….. you can see our ship through the window

We are sailing from Copenhagen to Amsterdam on this lovely little ship. We were up early on Tuesday for our 07:15 BA flight from London Heathrow to Copenhagen. A short and smooth flight but it was touch & go landing due to the very high winds; fortunately we touched down successfully on the second attempt 😱 Many officers & crew who we have not met before, but they are all friendly and efficient as usual on Regent. A good turn out for the CC meet up in the Navigator Lounge on the first evening; it was nice to be able to put some faces & names to those who have been posting on the roll-call. Hopefully some will contribute to this intermittent blog. Weather has been changeable thus far; yesterday in Kristiansand was the best - sunny & warm 😎

We just joined Navigator in Copenhagen and I Kadek was lead sommelier in Compass Rose last night.

@cruiseej, During your cruise speak to Destinations and/or the Exec Concierge on board to explain your plans. They can then confirm arrangements with their agent in Reykjavik to ensure no issues with your hotel check-in and airport transfer,

........ and post-cruise packages. Regent will transport you to the airport even if you booked your own flight.

We have always booked our cruises through leading UK Travel Agents specialising in cruise travel and invariably have received a discount on the cruise line advertised prices. The amount of the discount depends on the cruise line and how generous they are with the TA commission The TA that we have used for the past few years has given us excellent service (even through the very difficult times of the pandemic) and offers significant discounts. I understood that price fixing is illegal in the UK. Any company involved should be reported to the CMA UK CMA advice UK CMA blog IMO it is always worth ringing around a few TAs to see what discount, or other perks, they might be able to offer for the cruise in which you are interested. Some TAs have special deals on specific cruises from certain cruise lines. Obviously carry out due diligence on the reputation of the TA you are considering before proceeding (e.g. ABTA & ATOL registration; Trustpilot & other reviews; TA's Ts&Cs) The CC Article on UK Travel Agents is a useful start but still do your own careful checks on exactly what the TA is offering.

I do hope you get your refund (plus suitable compensation) soon. I don't know whether your booking was sold to you by your TA as a "Package" (i.e. including flights or other elements). If so then it may be worth reminding them that legally they are obliged to refund you within 14 days of the cancellation and that your refund should have been provided by them irrespective of whether they had received funds from Explora. (see Guidance from UK CMA) As your TA is a major UK travel company they can withstand a delay in receiving funds from Explora much easier than you can.

@Critically Cruising, What you describe regarding rebates is I understand a normal arrangement for cruises booked in North America. However, in the U.K. TAs usually offer their discounts up front so the customer receives the full benefit at final payment stage, some months before the cruise. Maybe I should have said ……. it sounds like an odd arrangement for a U.K. travel agent to offer .

We have enjoyed a few Holiday cruises on Regent ships. Below is a link to our live blog from last Christmas / New Year:

Are you saying that your TA discounted the cruise fare but has told you that you cannot have that discount until after the cruise? If so it sounds like a very odd arrangement 🤔

Explora, and their owner MSC, are both registered with ABTA and ATOL (as are most cruise companies); so no less protection if the credit card payment is processed by the cruise line rather than a third party If your TA took your credit card payment and has not yet provided you with the refund that is overdue, I am not sure why you are reluctant to raise a credit card chargeback or section 75 claim. How & when your TA recovers the money from Explora is not your problem.

Not all U.K. TAs operate in that way. With ours, although we ring our TA to process payments, the credit card entry is shown as direct to the cruise line. This makes it simpler & quicker when refunds are due (evidenced during the pandemic) In the case of a dispute it can be difficult to make a successful credit card claim if payment was made via a third party. Hope you get your refund soon and that you are successful in claiming any extra expenses you incurred as a result of the late cancellation. Have you contacted the cruise line direct, with a formal complaint & claim, rather than just through your TA? I am somewhat confused as to why anyone needed your bank details if your payment was made by credit card? Hope that your experience doesn’t indicate evidence of “style over substance” with Explora.

Just make your specific requirements clear to Regent well in advance of the cruise.

There is no need to wait until after your first reservation. In our experience the Dining Reservations staff sometimes like to ensure that all guests have at least one reservation before opening up for further bookings; especially on shorter cruises. We have often managed to secure an additional reservation for the first night on board, especially as we are always willing to share a table. Flexibility is the key to securing additional reservations - day, time & size of table. As @cwn says it is easier on longer cruises.

You are in the Regent Suite ............... you can request anything 😉 Have a fabulous voyage 😎

Sounds like you already have the visa situation sorted. We did the "Visa on Arrival" which was reasonably quick & straightforward (Regent did not pay for the required visa) The other thing you have to do is an electronic customs declaration, which you can do just before travelling or on arrival - see tip #3 on this website: https://www.baliholidaysecrets.com/arriving-bali-airport/

For those of us in the UK the new layout of pricing is much clearer. The previous "up to" credit for flights could be misleading on some cruises as Regent pricing in the UK only includes Business class flights on PH & above and only on cruises that begin and/or end in Europe. The new layout of pricing allows us to see clearly the credit available for each suite grade. Thanks @Mike Moore 🙂

In February, Regent gave us a very good price on Business Class flights to Bali (long layover in Doha, but no hardship). We love flying with Qatar. BA no longer fly their non-stop Heathrow to Bangkok and I think with Qatar you would be changing planes in Doha, but haven’t checked. For our return from Tokyo we booked our own flight with Avios on BA; direct non-stop Tokyo to Heathrow. Flight was good but it was BA’s old seating configuration rather than the new Club Suites. Best would be to contact Regent to see what options they can offer you for the outward and return flights.

Not sure what the problem is. I have just looked up a cruise and there is a clear explanatory note in the Ts&Cs at the bottom of the page explaining the difference between the two pricing columns: "Advertised fare includes air-related government taxes, surcharges and fees. Standard and Featured Offer Fares include flights, hotel and transfers, where applicable. Standard Cruise Fares and Featured Offer Cruise Fares include applicable credits for guests arranging their own pre- and post-cruise flights, hotels and transfers" Presumably most customers would simply ask Regent or their TA for clarification if they had any confusion over what the pricing included or excluded. ............. but I am sure @Mike Moore will take on board any constructive comments as to how to make the Regent website as clear as possible without a plethora of footnotes, additions & subtractions.

What is the basis for your reasoning?

I assume that Regent booking conditions in Belgium are similar to those in the UK. It is unlikely that you will be able to make seat reservations until the flights have been ticketed, which will be after you have made your final cruise payment to Regent. Your TA should be able to confirm this with Regent. Regent should supply you with a flight locator which you can then use to reserve your seats on the airline's website. Note that some airlines do make a charge for advance seat reservations. For the long flight to Rio you could ask your TA to obtain a price for Business Class from Regent; their pricing is often very reasonable. Which airline are Regent proposing for your flight?