Mystictraveler

Here is another trick. If you have an android device that creates a hotspot, you can log into other nearby devices simultaneously using the hotspot.

What Regent is doing, or should I say not doing, is absolutely appalling. They could easily provide bus transportation for those affected directly at minimal cost, especially compared to what some of the posters are paying. Do they not understand the concept of Goodwill? Or do they selectively enforce the contracts as some have suggested? And for all the Regent defenders, what would you say if Regent changed the embarkation port from Seward to Juneau or Skagway or Vancouver?

Do you happen to recall the name of the hotel? We have a late flight next year from BA and need to make independent arrangements.

@Jim_Iain, I have followed many of your blogs on Celebrity and have cruised on many Celebrity cruises myself. In the last two years, we have also cruise on the Explorer, Splendor and, most recently, the Navigator. I would agree with your assessment about the "D" suite compared to a Sky Suite, but IMHO the suites on the newer ships like the Splendor are "nicer" and have a better layout. The walk-in closet and the size of the bathroom stick out in my mind. I like the size of the Regent ships as well as the specialty restaurants (except Chartreuse) and I find the food better on Regent. The all-inclusive aspect of the cruise is a positive....especially the laundry service...which is great! I think Celebrity offers more varied entertainment especially the house bands playing in the atrium areas. We have completely divorced ourselves from Celebrity. In fact, we are doing a short cruise next month to Alaska. I look forward to your reviews as you try out the different cruise lines.

@Pcardad since you are more plugged in to some of the nuances of Regent, can you help me understand the following scenario which I posted about above. The outbound is Houston - Santiago and the return is Buenos Aires - Houston. The included BC airfare says it is from JFK and the cost is $5740. That is also the cost if I select Dallas as the departure city. However, when I select Houston, the cost jumps to over $8200.

I understand their position and it was becoming more and more evident that folks were having difficulty getting the flights they wanted without an upcharge. However, I do think they should have been more transparent about what was behind the changes and what customers should expect going forward. As I noted a few posts previously, a flight to South America from Houston was about $2,500 more expensive than a flight from Dallas. I still don't understand that one. The way they rolled out the changes makes the phrase "putting lipstick on a pig" come to mind. Loyal customers should be treated with more respect.

As we all know, one of the advantages of using Regent Air is you didn't pay for your air until you paid for your cruise which helped with "risk management". I actually booked a refundable business class ticket recently for a trip next February for a difference of about 7%, which I decided was worth it.

Here are differences I see of a February 2025 South American cruise we have booked. The included pre or post cruise land package has disappeared. The business class air is now $5,740, BUT from JFK, whereas before it was $5,450. If I check the price from Houston, the price jumps up to $8,210. But from Dallas, the price is $5,740. Go figure.

Thanks for your review. I would just like to add further to your comments about breakfast. In a word, I find it "boring". The thin slices of ham they serve look they were sliced from a can of Hormel and the hash browns must come from the McDonald's vendor. The pancakes were anything but "light and fluffy". We did a TA on the Splendor in 2023 and I decided it was much better to eat a light (and sometimes unhealthy) breakfast in order to enjoy lunch where there was always a variety.

We were on the cruise previous to yours (Bali to Bangkok). We had no deck BBQ or a Country Fair. Disappointing.

At the risk of being redundant, this latest example of reducing the value of the Celebrity product serves to reconfirm our position to not have any future cruises booked with Celebrity. In fact, I don't even check out their "deals" any more. It is really shocking to me that management apparently has the attitude that they don't really care if they drive away their loyal customers. They won't get us back. In fact, we have recently taken two cruises on RSSC and have three more booked with them.

Just sailed on the Splendor in cabin 660. It was a great location on the back third of the ship. We had a very smooth ride even on the windy days. It was convenient to the rear stairs which afforded quick access to Coffee Connection and everything else on deck 5. I would not hesitate to stay there again.

On a recent Celebrity cruise, I used the hotspot on my android phone to log into another device simultaneously.

@Mike Moore, perhaps this has been answered elsewhere, but why is it taking so long to roll Starlink out to the entire fleet? Given all the known issues with the existing wifi, and given Regent touts itself as a premium cruise line, it would seem this could get done very quickly. Afterall, ships get built in only two years!

I have followed this thread with interest. While I am not on this cruise, I am on another Regent cruise which leaves in one month. Those that point out that the cruise contract allows Regent to change ports of call, as they are doing, without offering refunds or FCC seems to be factually accurate. But, IMHO, they need to look beyond their contractual obligations and do the right thing by offering some sort of options for those passengers who do not want to travel on the revised itinerary. We did the Israel pre-cruise land package with Regent in June 2022 and then embarked on the Explorer in Haifa. It was a bucket list trip and the only reason we booked the cruise was a chance to visit Israel. And I see this Voyager trip also included Egypt (now cancelled) which is also a bucket list item for many. When covid first started, we were booked on a Bali to Hong Kong cruise. Regent did the right thing and offered us 100% FCC (which we used for our Israel trip) and they covered the non-refundable portion of a airline costs. They did the right thing in that unusual situation. They should do the right thing in this unusual sitation.

Thanks for the tip. I have never had a need to speak to this nice person. Where might I seek them out?

As I had similar questions as you, I called Regent this afternoon. The gentleman looked around for a bit and then provided the following information. An additional log-in is $24.99/day (without streaming bandwidth) or $34.99/per day (with streaming). The cost to upgrade only to streaming is $9.99/day. I was told a few months ago the cost was $29.99 for an additional log-in so take this information for what it's worth. He thought, but wasn't entirely sure, that if you already had the log-ins you needed, such as with a concierge cabin, the $9.99 upgrade would cover all the log-ins.

So disappointed (NOT) to see they have removed biscuits and gravy from the breakfast menu. I tried them on the Apex in July and they were the absolute worst rendition I have ever experienced. The "biscuits" were much closer in size and texture to the sweet English version of a biscuit and the gravy, for some unexplainable reason, was full of onions. It was one bite and back to the sweet roll.

Another option is Uber. We recently used it from the airport to Amsterdam and then from Amsterdam to Rotterdam (via a pre-booking). Worked great.

Very interesting discussion. We are Elite Plus on Celebrity and usually try to book a celebrity or a sky suite. While we love The Retreat lounge and the service of the multiple concierges on the edge class ships, we don't care for Luminae. It is just too big and impersonal compared to the older ships. The prices are ever increasing and they have cut back a lot of cruises from 14 to 12 days. So, last year we booked a 14 day cruise on Regent with a pre-cruise land package and quite enjoyed it. And we have two more Regent cruises booked in the next few months but have not booked anything else on Celebrity. We are very selective on the Regent cruises as they can be very pricey so we do the math and look for ones with the day rates which fit our budget. Plus, some have included land packages which adds to the value. We will probably cruise Celebrity again in the future, but they are no longer our only option and they once were.

If you have time, can you please provide some insight into the entertainment on board please?

This thread prompted me to review transfers from the airport to the hotel where a pre-cruise land package is involved. In my case, I am arriving in Bali on a flight I arranged personally. According to the itinerary, since I am arriving on the prescribed "Day 1" of the land package, Regent will arrange the transfer to the hotel as long as I give them my arrival details by the presctibed deadline.

I will be arriving in Singapore from the U.S. at 8 a.m. I know many hotels have a standard check-in time of 3 p.m. but I would like to have a room confirmed for early check-in when we arrive from the airport. I realize I have the option of booking the hotel for arrival the day before, but does anyone know of a 4 or 5 star hotel where I can get an early check-in on my arrival day for a fee?

@Jim B I couldn't agree with you more. Spent 14 days on the Explorer a year ago and I saw something they called a cinnamon roll exactly once. And while I'm at it, how about a decent slice of ham in the morning. You know, the kind sliced off next to a bone while you watch vs. the stuff cut out of a can the night before. But, somehow, I managed to survive.

I thought the question about tethering was interesting so I was following this thread to see if anyone replied. I just disconnected my cell phone from the cellular service (i.e. only connected to home WiFi) and I was able to tether my laptop to my phone. So, at least in my case, tethering works when only connected to WiFi.