flossie009

They do

That is the amount Regent provides as a credit if the guest opts not to take the Regent included offering. In this case Regent has decided to withdraw part of the package offered. A very different scenario. As I understand the situation, Regent has neither offered to refund the cost of a hotel & transfers nor have they offered any compensation for the inconvenience. They have simply offered a “gesture of goodwill”. I am still of the opinion that affected guests should present Regent with receipts for their costs for reimbursement; treating Regent’s “gesture of goodwill” as going some way towards the time, trouble, inconvenience & stress of organising something that Regent was clearly contracted to provide. Just my opinion, of course.

Our cruise started with an overnight in Laem Chabang, before heading off to Ko Samui tonight. We opted to stay on board today. Plenty of sun loungers available but some still couldn’t resist staking claim to ‘their’ territory before heading out on tour 🤨 Very warm & humid again today so might be time to head indoors for a drink before lunch 🙂 Life is good 😎

We had a very comfortable vehicle & excellent driver for the 2 hour journey from Bangkok to Laem Chabang port yesterday. Boarding started at 11:30, with check-in being administered by Navigator staff. eVisa for India and ETA for Sri Lanka were checked & Passports retained. We took lunch in La Veranda, as it was very hot & humid outside. An excellent, delicious buffet. Then off to our suite to unpack. Before dinner there was a show by local Thai dancers. Very colourful but unfortunately we could not understand the narrator’s description of the various dances (I got the feeling that she didn’t understand her English script either !!) ………….. audience participation was encouraged Dinner in Compass Rose, sharing with an “interesting” couple. Highlight of the meal was the Black Mussels 😋

Anything in particular you would like to see ? I will try to remember to include a sea-day & a port-day copy of Passages later during the cruise.

The markets in Bangkok sell everything ………. and still at a good price if you enjoy bargaining with the stallholders …………… but how many elephants do we really need ?.

I suppose we can’t have a CC blog without some food photos. Thailand has offerings to suit all tastes Not sure that we will see any deep fried scorpions or cicadas during our Regent cruise 😧

At the floating market we boarded a long-tail boat for a look around the market and then along the river Some parts of the market were very congested with tourist boats, making it difficult for the vendors to negotiate Once out into the river it was a much calmer atmosphere Some nice riverfront properties Mango trees with the fruits covered for protection from birds & insects At one location we were given some fish food to throw in the water “for luck” . We couldn’t believe how many Tilapia surfaced to enjoy the feast !

On previous visits to Bangkok we have visited many of the usual tourist spots in the city, so we decided to book a private tour to two more distant attractions: The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market and the Maeklong Railway Market. At Maeklong the market stalls encroach over the railway track; the stallholders withdrawing each time a train passes through. The 3 to 4 trains each day attract many tourists who come, like us, to witness the bizarre spectacle Some stallholders obviously find it more lucrative to sell space rather than goods Eventually the train slowly passes; the passengers can go on their way; the tourists disperse; and the market resumes its trade IMG_7734.MOV

Tomorrow we will join Navigator in Laem Chabang for a 20 night cruise ending in Abu Dhabi. We were originally booked through to Athens but tragic events caused the second half of our planned itinerary to be abandoned. Prior to the cruise we have spent a few days in the friendly, vibrant city of Bangkok and so we will use the next few posts to catch up on our vacation thus far. Our journey started last Sunday with a couple of firsts. First time we have used the local firm Butler’s for our transfer to Heathrow. Excellent service and the driver was definitely not like the character ‘Butler’ from ‘On the Buses’ Next first was flying with EVA Air. This Taiwanese airline is only one of two flying direct non-stop from LHR to Bangkok. The flight was late leaving Terminal 2, but once settled on board we were presented with a chocolate, a glass of bubbly & a poem A good start. Next came a very quirky safety video Despite much turbulence during the flight we made up time and arrived slightly earlier than scheduled in Bangkok. A limo from our hotel met us and took us through the notoriously bad Bangkok traffic to our hotel, where we have enjoyed the rest of this week. Our first full day, Tuesday, was mainly spent shopping. During the day at the enormous MBK complex and then in the evening it was off by tuk-tuk to Patpong night market (smaller than we remember it from pre-pandemic times) Wednesday was sightseeing (see subsequent post) Today was by the pool, a massage and a final fitting for tailored ladies trousers, made to measure by a shop in the hotel - perfect for one or two evenings on the cruise. Tomorrow our transfer is arranged for the long journey to Laem Chabang port. Navigator was due to dock in the heart of Bangkok, but a late change moved embarkation to Laem Chabang, which was disappointing.

No one said that on the relevant thread (link below). In fact no one was cheerleading or defending Regent in any way over this particular issue. For U.K. guests the notification was given prior to final payment date (90 days prior to embarkation) ………………. but for those in the U.K. guest cancellation at any time leads to loss of deposit 🙁

Our Travel Insurance provides monetary compensation for missed ports and we have never had any issues obtaining reasons in writing from the Regent Exec Concierge on board (A letter from the cruise line is required for our claims)

The SGArrival Card is submitted on-line. It can only be applied for within 3 days before arrival in Singapore.

………. and as long as you don’t have aquaphobia or koinophobia 🤣

Certainly not new on Regent & very good fun 😀 These pictures are from a Country Fair on Explorer in 2018:

The following thread also contains various observations & pictures from the 2019 two-day overland to Luxor, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Hope things settle down by the time of your cruise.

Disappointing that @Jennefer Teegen hasn't stepped in to provide a Regent response to this issue.

Suggest you email your Regent office Just curious as to why you expected a survey to be sent to you after the cruise 🤔

Hi Bill, In December 2015 we enjoyed a fabulous pre-cruise safari at the Pumba Game Reserve. This was an included Regent pre-cruise and the arrangements were excellent. The Game Lodge and the animals seen on the daily Jeep Safaris were experiences we will never forget.

We like all the ships in the Regent fleet (yet to try Grandeur). Each ship has its plus points and minuses. Every cruise is slightly different and, as well as the ship, we find our experience to be more influenced by the Regent team, entertainers, fellow guests and weather - none of which can be predicted with certainty in advance. We tend to choose our cruises based on itinerary and our judgement of value for money; booking and going on all our vacations with a positive attitude. Maybe this thread should have been titled “What are Mariner’s good & bad points?” rather than “Just how bad is the Mariner?” 🤔

With the dictionary definition of "guarantee", Regent's own definition in their FAQs, past history and UK consumer laws I would not be concerned about being bumped from a Regent cruise. However, anything is possible so if you are worried then don't book a GTY

On Regent or another cruise line? Guarantee bookings are covered in the FAQs/Pricing on the Regent website. We have booked GTY suites in the past and have been pleased with the suites allocated. We would be wary of booking a GTY on Mariner or Navigator as on those ships there are certain types & position of suites that we would not want.

Sofitel Heathrow (covered walkway from Terminal 5) National Express coaches run from Heathrow Central Bus Station (accessed from T5 by a very short free journey on Heathrow Express) or from Terminal 5 bus stops - depending on destination and time

We were on board over Christmas & New Year

Sette Mari is never our first choice of dining venue on any of the Regent ships. However we do prefer the layout of the restaurant on Navigator compared to the other ships. I am not sure that a reservation system for Sette Mari would help and would probably result in less covers being available each evening.