trvlrs

On 2/14/2019 at 6:09 PM, crickette said:

I have access to a site that tracks price changes.  I don't see a 30% price drop,  It started Aug 2017 at 11.5 (cat H) and is now 11.9.  Is there any chance that your "new" fare does not include air?  Air saving is 2700.

Would you be able to share the site where you track price changes? Thank you...

Very interesting thread!! Can I ask how you monitor price drop on a particular cruise? We always pay premium while cruisers we meet on board have paid a lot less. Is there a particular website we can use for price drop? Thank you all

It is full!! I didn’t ask them to remove the items but I don’t see why they wouldn’t accommodate you. I asked them to remove the keyboard which takes up space in the drawer and the extra orange pillows. The room and space isn’t large enough to accommodate all their extras, they removed everything no questions asked. Have a good trip!

22 minutes ago, chamima said:

 

 

Is the Blu Maitre D' Ben?

If so, yes, that's why the service is impeccable and smooth.

Please tell him Allan and Karen say hello and we're still sad he won't be on the Silhouette! (He'll know)

No, the maitre D is Alex....impeccable!! Too bad I can’t say the same about everything else

We are on the eclipse at the moment and it’s been very quiet above us, no complaints on this front. Service and amenities have deteriorated. Towels are not plush. Some are ok but others literally have holes in them and are thin as a paper. I could post a photo if anyone interested. I complained twice and housekeeping said they will make sure it doesn’t happen again but it continues. There is no one in charge of Aqua class and no one knows where to direct a general complaint. Very disappointed this time around with Aqua. Blu service is still impeccable!! No complaints there and I think it is because the manager is very visible!!

I asked around and got a very positive reply about Tienda Leon. They said it is super safe and they are very friendly.

Thank you very much. Much appreciate all your research and help. I will contact Tienda Leon. Thank you

No we haven't used them. This is their Facebook Page with reviews. https://www.facebook.com/luggagestorageba/

 

We left suitcases at the storage in the Buquebus terminal. It is about 10 minutes from the cruise terminal. It is for the ferries to Uruguay and you go outside into the back parking lot and down an elevator and they have storage there. It is not open 24 hours so you need to check the times.

 

Another company that again I have not used but have seen some positive comments is Tienda León http://www.tiendaleon.com/resultados/busqueda/bus/

They apparently will store your luggage if you use their service but I am not sure of what they would offer exactly. They do shuttles between airports so might work if you go from AEP to EZE as well as a remis service ( a private hire car ) so could take you where ever you wanted plus hopefully store your luggage. Their contact info is at the bottom of their page.

Thank you for all the info....especially about the Buquebus info. I was looking for feedback of a service someone has used. That is very helpful. Thank you

If you want to spend at least $60 US, there is a company that would pick your luggage up at the cruise port and store it for you and then drop it off at your hotel if I understand correctly that you plan to stay one night in BA.

http://www.storageba.com/

Yes, I was asking if anyone had used the services of that company. They've been in business a while but I don't see any reviews. Have you used them? Thanks

we are ending a cruise in BA and flying to Iguazu Falls the same day from the domestic airport (AEP). We fly back the very next day because of strict time pressure. Our flight back to the states the following day is out of EZE airport. We are trying to figure out if it makes sense to drop our bigger suitcase at a hotel in BA on the way to the AEP airport since we won't need much for the very short visit. Are there any nice hotels in a convenient location for this little plan? Or should we just lug the bags along?

Can you tell me what you ended up doing with your suitcases? We'll be having the same issue, this coming January. Would love to know where to drop our suitcases. Do hotel keep your bags overnight even if you weren't a guest? Thanks again

A very easy 15 minute drive. I had reserved a rental car with Budget - about 6 blocks from the port. There are a few rental places which are a bit closer, but Budget had better rates when I was shopping.

 

Yes, the post office is in the park. It's just a good distance from where most of the trails are. We parked and walked several trails, then drove across the park to the P.O.

Yes I noticed, in my search, Budget is almost half the price. Well worth the 6 blocks walk. Thank you so much for the detailed information. Sounds like renting a car is the way to go. Thanks again much appreciate your answer.

They give you a map of the park when you enter which shows the various trails and parking areas. We ended up parking at the last area on the map and walking several trails from there. Many trails split off from each other, so you could structure your walk for how ever long you wanted. I think we did about 7 miles before getting back in the car and driving to the Post Office at the end of the world.

Hello - Just came across your post. We will be in Ushuaia for a day on a cruise January 2019 and we were thinking about renting a car. It seems that's what you did. Was it an easy drive? how long was it? did you rent a car ahead of time? you also mentioned driving to the post office? is the post office not in the park? Sorry for all the questions but your help would be much appreciated. Any info or advice would be helpful. Can't find too much information about doing that stop on our own. Thanks again....Cherine

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post (see #1). I appreciate all the informative feedback I've received.

 

We are considering Regent for several reasons. We have cruised on large ships for several years. We enjoyed all of them primarily for the good service and the itineraries.

 

Now we are talking about a small ship experience. From what I have gathered from visiting this board, I think Regent may be what we are looking for.

 

The itinerary we are considering for next year (post #1) looks fantastic. I welcome comments, suggestions, or tips from seasoned Regent travelers regarding shore excursions.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6cogi1HmFJk

Thanks!

Looking at your signature, it is your first Mediterranean cruise so no matter what tour you take you probably would enjoy. In general, the tours are anywhere from 20 to 30 guests. There are half day tours and all day tours. It depends what you are interested in.

On our last cruise, few days ago, we took the "biking around Lucca" ( Tuscany). Enjoyed it!! There were 19 of us. We also joined the Trogir/split tour in Croatia (about 20 of us). We stayed with the tour through Trogir and ditch them in Split. I don't want to sound jaded but I get tired of looking at churches and castles. We rather roam around on our own.

There is something for everyone but like the others said, do not base your decision to sail with Regent on the tours. We've taken a total of 3 tours. The two above and the ballet in st Petersburg.

We sail with Regent mainly for their suites and the size of the ship. We like the intimate atmosphere. By the third day, you get to know most of the guests. One big happy family. Good luck with your decision....

I agree with you, having to wait for two tardy passengers would be terribly irritating.

 

Hate to hear about this misfortune with Regent during disembarkation. Up to now I have always said Regent is a breath of fresh air when it comes to disembarkations. Obviously, the different and unanticipated port assignment threw everything off kilter, but the management team should have been proactive..[/Quote

 

True, things can happen which are out of Regent control, computer breakdown, port assignment.... bur the way it was handled was the sad part.

Sorry, this brought back bad memories of your princess disembarkation

Easy to solve, get a taxi.

Unfortunately not an option!! We were in an industrial port with no access to public or private transport. The only way out was via Regent shuttle

I agree...I rarely complain about the small things and try to make the best of things when something goes wrong. However, your experience in Venice and the terrible disembarkation process was unacceptable. Not knowing where your luggage was and being denied disembarkation in combination with the absece of the ship's officers is (I want to say negligent but will likely get in trouble for that) so I will just say it is grossly inadequate of the usual Regent experience!

I'll keep you posted if I ever hear from Regent....

FDR is Frank Del Rio, CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings which is the parent company of Regent and Oceania. Kunal Kamlani is President of Regent and Oceania (just added that in case you wanted to write to him).

Thank you Travelcat2 :)

So sorry to hear about your terrible experience on the Mariner. I am considering a Mariner sailing for next summer but if this is any indication of the experience, then I will be heading over to Silversea. Anyway...perhaps you should write a formal letter/complaint to executive management at Regent (and copy FDR) and explain all the things that did not meet expectations. I would think a goodwill gesture is appropriate in your situation. Shame about the officers behavior on the ship..these are the people that you need to count on when things go wrong and I think Regent executive management needs to hear this feedback directly from you.

 

ps, in your letter, include the part of the staff reusing towels at the pool! If a poor guest expereince doesn't get their attention then a health/sanitation issue normally does!

Sunprince, I might follow your advice and I better do it soon before I calm down. Pardon my ignorance, what does FDR stand for?

Our cruise wasn't terrible. We had a great time!! We usually don't like to complain. We take things with a grain of salt and as part of the travel adventure.

We had a series of unfortunate events and the last one tipped the scale:

- Very long check in lines

- We thought the ship was refurbished and the suites weren't (small disappointment)

- All elevators not working for a few hours (felt sorry for the elderly around dinner time)

- Espresso machine out of order in the pool area

- Used pool towels refolded (I know a few guests complained. Heard a few around the pool and someone said they brought it up to the GM attention)

- the final straw was the way the checkout of our group color was handled

I doubt and I sure hope it is not the norm but as I said I needed to vent....

This cruise was world apart from the impeccable voyage we had on Voyager.

I am not familiar with this CD. She was not the same as we had last month on Mariner, and I have not heard this name before so she is either totally new or brought over from Oceania. That is probably part of the problem.

She was quite young, barely 30 years of age or younger. We did not see her during disembarkation and as I said earlier only on TV, the constellation theatre at the end of the show and during trivia. I don't think she interacted much with guests but I could be wrong. We didn't see much of her....

I remember quite well the CD we had on Voyager, a very interesting man. Who can forget his signature sentence over the loud speaker every morning: "It's a Gloorious day!!" ? I remember him interacting with guests. In the morning, he was always around the coffee connection and La Veranda talking to guests. In the evening, we saw him quite often in the observation lounge and then in the horizon lounge. He seemed to be everywhere....

I am curious as to who the GM was on your cruise? We were on the Mariner last summer and our problem was that management, both the GM and the CD were incompetent and had a great deal of trouble telling the truth. The previous winter we had been on a wonderful cruise and the difference in management was quite obvious - when things go well, it is wonderful. When they don't (and lately is seems like there are a great too many times when it doesn't), one wonders why they spent so much money for a "Luxury" vacation when it reality it was far from it.

 

gnomie :)

I really don't know the name of the GM but the CD was a young woman by the name of Therese Blackett (not sure if I misspelled her last name). Didn't see much of her except on TV, in the constellation theatre and once in the Horizon lounge during trivia.

The management team makes a great difference...

While I sympathize with Regent IF their docking plans were unilaterally changed at the last minute, nonetheless, you were on an itinerary that included the opportunity for 2 days in Venice. The GM needed to be on top of this w, the company and transportation/shuttles should have been provided.

The walking,etc involved in getting into Venice center was arduous.As many others, we would have been extremely unhappy about this.

 

I gather from the posts that Regent had stationed a staff member at the gangplank and that one was not permitted to disembark the ship until their color was called. We have experienced this with Regent. At one unfortunate disembarkation from Regent we ended running through the airport while our names were being called at the aircraft door [announcing that they were closing it]. It is not a happy happening.

 

It sounds as though Regent really failed to deliver in these circumstances.

Indeed, Mariner GM was not on top of things in this particular situation.

I am sorry you once experienced a similar situation at disembarkation. The feeling you get in your stomach at the thought of missing your flight is horrible. Glad it ended well....

I think this was a "perfect storm" situation. Even at the best of times, Venice is a challenging port. And, Regent cannot get all the shuttle buses that they need without advanced notice. Regent employees on board should have at least tried to get information for all of you. In terms of "Regent Representatives" outside of the ship - they "work" for Regent one minute and another cruise line the next. Unfortunately, Regent cannot do anything about these "representatives" or the lack of shuttles.

 

We would have been extremely upset under these conditions but probably would have telephoned a taxi cab company so we could extricate ourselves from the madness.

 

Sorry that your experience was so poor. It is almost guaranteed that this situation would not repeat itself.

Totally agree with you. It was an unfortunate situation which was mishandled and probably would not happen again. I do not blame Regent but rather the officers in charge of the ship. They were too arrogant to offer an explanation or an apology. I am still in disbelief.....

Calling a cab would have been a good idea but we had no idea where we were nor did anyone give us this information. We were told, we were 30 minutes by car from Venice in an industrial port with no passenger services. So, I doubt a cab would have been allowed in there.

I needed to vent and I did. So thank you all for listening....

Wow, my husband would have been having a fit, and I would have been talking to someone in charge. That is just not an appropriate way to treat paying customers.

My point exactly!!! And we can't really blame the poor souls trying to do their job. This was definitely a management problem. I am angry at the officers of this ship.

Problems or errors do occur in every company but it is the way they are handled which defines how good they are

We now also carry our own luggage off so we don't have to have it out the night before. I can understand some people are physically unable to manage that, but even so, all the luggage is out there. You just have to find yours.

The luggage were at a different port which was 30 minute away. I think the problem stemmed from not having enough shuttles to handle everyone. I could be wrong.

I am really confused as to why you couldn't just get off the ship whenever you wanted if you did your own transfer arrangements. My husband and I always do our own transfers, and we just leave when we are ready. No reason to wait for a color group. Have never done that after our first cruise when I realized there was no need to wait.

We now also carry our own luggage off so we don't have to have it out the night before. I can understand some people are physically unable to manage that, but even so, all the luggage is out there. You just have to find yours.

You are right RachelG but because they had to move the ship out to a shipyard not for passengers, they operated limited shuttles and no one was allowed to leave the ship unless their color and group was called (we couldn't go anywhere even if we tried. We were in the middle of nowhere). They had three groups with pink colors, group 1, 2 and 3 (All the independent travelers). We had number 3. Someone in our group was getting very nervous. They had a 9:15am prepaid taxi waiting at the port which was a 30 minute ride away and an 11:30am flight. They attempted to leave on a different shuttle but were denied and told they needed to wait. What was so terrible about boarding on a bus with group 1 or 2?

My issue is the way it was handled. You were treated like kids NOT paying guests and not once a person in charge came in to say, we are really sorry for the inconvenience, please bare with us.

At check in the same thing happen. Imagine standing 3 to 4 hours in a line that was snaking in the heat of Rome in July with not one Regent representative around. They never apologized or mentioned it. I thought it was normal procedure and thought we were lucky on our last voyage not to encounter a check in line. Turns out it is not the norm. Would it have been so terrible for the captain to apologize or the cruise director or anyone else over the loud speaker once everyone was on board?

We are sailing in September embarking in Venice. Never been there before so I didn't know about the different port areas. Will have to look into that.

 

I would have been upset about the Venice port/overnight issue. Maybe it was out of their control, but RSSC could have arranged a shuttle to town.

They have the stazione maritimi where most major cruises dock and we were scheduled to dock at San Basilio. As I said, it was beyond their control and totally understandable but they should have at least offered a shuttle service.

The ship docked near us, I forget now but I believe It was Royal Carribean, had a shuttle service.

September is a great month to visit Venice, you'll enjoy it!!