Playtennis

We are booking our first cruise on Regent; a trip from Rome to Miami.  We plan on spending two weeks or so in northern Italy before the cruise.  How long before the cruise can you use a deviation?

Thank you.

Actually, this change - when it happens - will be the second one.  We originally booked for 2019, then this year and soon now 2022. (Continued sigh......).  We've also had VRBO reservations in Paris (overlooking the Seine & a view of Notre Dame) and a booking in Sarlat-La-Canéda in 2019.  Both of those were transferred to 2021 and will need to be moved up another year.  All of our reservations for tours and for seats at Roland Garros had to be reimbursed.  (I feel like I should be wearing a green visor and cinched up sleeves like old-time CPAs did!)

One of the challenge for rescheduling the cruise is loss of money.  If one cancels and reschedules before Avalon does, one loses the "peace of Mind" bonus credit of $200 pp and pays 2022 prices which are increased.  If you wait for Avalon to cancel and rebook in 2022 you do get the bonus BUT you still lose money.  In fact, Avalon is not really doing us a big favor by giving us $400 ($200pp).  Here's why: Let's say your cruise costs $15,000 and you've already paid that for the current cruise which, of course, is left in Avalons pocket.  That means you don't have that $15,000 to invest.  If the investment returns 5% for the year that means you lose another $750.  Quite a change. I would estimate that the poor schmo (moi) is actually losing about $1,400.

All that said, I sigh, take a deep breath and say, "I look forward to taking the cruise in 2022!

k

notamermaid,

Good luck with Saga.  We all would like to see the cruises start up with some continuity.

With all of the current circumstances, I don't see a heavy plunge in restrictions between now and May.  We planned our trip/cruise (1 week in Paris & 1 in Dordogne River Valley then cruise) to visit lots of sites with a BIG priority of attending the French Open.  If the tournament is rescheduled or has a limited audience and there are a number of sites which have restrictions then it would diminish the worth.  Add to that the potential of having a cruise which REQUIRES, off-ship excursions be only when you are with a ship's tour, limiting your time ashore, that would affect a decision greatly.

We too will be making a final decision by the end of February to postpone until 2022.

k

On January 18 Avalon posted a "travel Update.  They have "...suspended operations through March 31 for guests from the United States."

The way that the virus (make that plural!) is spreading and France has a very tight entrance restriction it certainly looks as more cruises in France will be "suspended".  

We are booked on a cruise June 8 and feel that there's a high percentage of chance that it too will be cancelled.

Opinions and information anyone??

Keith

The cruise we'd like to take in November 2021 travels through the Caribbean and spends 6 days on the Amazon River area of Brazil.

Currently Brazil has the second highest number of deaths attributed to Covid19 (You know which country is #1 ?!!😪).  If the vaccine isn't widely available by late 2021 what is your opinion of the possibility that O would reroute the cruise?  (Quite frankly this may be a moot question as we probably will cancel the cruise)

Thanks to both Fran and Daisi.

This is why CC is always a 'must use' - great info from experienced river-cruisers!

One of the challenges that I have with guided tours with a bunch of people is hearing.  I'm hoping that the tours use audio transmitters with ear pieces for the gang. Otherwise I have to try and be as close as possible to the guide.

Daisi,

Thanks for your suggestions on river cruising 'does & don'ts'. Assuming that the cruise will have the same tours available as this year's we will probably repeat our bundle again.  Out of 12 of the days that one can do tours we will use included tours on 6 days, 3 days we will do optional tours and 3 days will mostly likely be DIY.  The one tour that is included has been on my bucket list for years - Normandy Beaches.

Shipboard entertainment is not a significant draw for us.  Both of us are early risers and typically in bed by 9:30.  Since, as you've said, dinner ends about 9 we will most likely be strolling the main deck as you do and heading down to our  suite.

As far as the "Before & After" we have never used the cruise lines offerings.  They do put you in very nice places but at an exorbitant cost.  This trip we are staying in an apartment looking over the Seine & Notre Dame Cathedral.  At the end of a long vacation we are both ready to go home.

Diane & I are very anxious to enjoy a river cruise and we hope that we can keep away from comparing apples to oranges (river vs ocean cruises)

k

Hi Daisi,

This is our first river cruise and we look forward to seeing how it fits with our likes & dislikes. Diane & I do like ocean cruises but don't consider ourselves rabid fans of just that type of travel to foreign places.

For most vacations we are DIYers tending to go on private tours and wander the streets amongst the locals.  That said, I eat up the wonderful blogs that are on CC and have gleaned much information that have made our trips much more interesting.  I have been tracking Fuelscience's blog...thanks

Keith

Well, with the lack of entries here (last one November 2019) it's apparent that river cruising t'ain't happening' right now...or the near future.

We've gone through the process of cancelling the May 2020 Grand France Cruise and used the money (and FCC) to book the same cruise next May.  As most cruisers, the entire process was a nail biter but got completed in about 4 months.

Our sailing next year is from June 8th to the 22nd and we are just as excited about this one as the 'erased' one from this year.  Prefacing the cruise is a week in Paris (get to spend a a day at Roland Garros - a bucket list' item!!), and a week in the Dordogne River Valley.  

The cruise is selling out and now has only 8 rooms (suites) left!  Diane and I look forward to meeting our fellow travelers.

We are fortunate that one of the guys I play tennis with is a retired HS French teacher who loves to vacation in France (No wonder! He can speak and understand the language!!)  In addition to the info that he has given us about Paris et al, he recommended that we read Peter Mayle's books about France.  Those books are wonderfully written and not only informative but entertaining.  If you are inclined, start with his first book, A Year in Provence.  You'll be hooked!  

Keith

We lagged 1 day later in refund than Belfastman - 90 days.  Just received 

Confirmed by Oceania - the dining pref of Late seating is strictly for the specialty resautants and doesn't indicate when you need to dine.

ToxM

It was from our TA. I will advise her to mark ours "Open Seating"

Thanks all!

26 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

Agree. Maybe this is for the future trying to have fewer diners at a time in the MDR?

I thought it was strange too especially since I hadn't seen anything suggesting that from O

Here's what I got:

Since is was the last P-3 suite on the Riviera available we booked it.  It stated on the invoice that the view was "Partially obstructed" (something to that effect).  If it is a significant blockage we'd switch to a P-2 or P-1.  Does anyone have experience with suite 10002 (port side forward just next to the Vista suite)?

Thanks!

Keith

Just having booked a cruise in December I noticed on our invoice that there is a "Dining Pref".  We are arbitrarily listed as "Late seating"...which we do not want!  Can anyone clarify just what this means?  Are we going to have assigned seating and time of dining?  I'm assuming that applies to the Grand Dining Room and only for dinner.

Keith

If you have the prestige beverage package it seems to be limited to the listed wines-by-the-glass.  If you see a wine that you would like to order but it is only by-the-bottle, is there a discount for that bottle?

49 minutes ago, Barbrox said:

Haven't heard from Avalon yet.Our cruise booked for late May. We booked directly through them. Went to the my Avalon page. Nothing mentioned there. Guess we just have to wait it out.

Good luck and be safe everyone. 

The June cancellation was also posted on their website yesterday.:

avalonwaterways.com.  Click on "Travel update and Policy" just below the header.

Keith

18 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi, good morning....so you want every detail planned ahead of time?.....your choice of course but I would say

relax a bit.  River cruising is so much different than ocean cruising...….let some of it come your way

Sometimes things can be more fun when  they are spontaneous....(just my opinion).

Lois R,

Thank you for your thoughts.  We have "planned" our trip to have plenty of time off for spontaneity. However, there ARE things which must be planed ahead.  For example: as soon as they come available, we will book tickets for the French Open (tennis), book tickets for the day & time to visit the Eiffel Tower,  a Palais Garnier tour must be reserved in advance, day and time to go to the Lascaux caves must be booked as early as possible as the spots go quickly.  That said, we do have 3 out of the six days in Paris unplanned (we have places that we will probably visit then but it's all open with lots of sipping wine & people watching) and 3 out of 6 days in the Dordogne River Valley unstructured so that we can soak up the local atmosphere.  Finally, for the cruise which starts 15 days after the start of our vacation, there are 6 stops that we have no exact plans and expect to DIY.  However, that's not to say that we won't research the town/area and direct ourselves in that way.

I read on one of the blogs here in CC about a couple whose ship stopped in Paris and, according to them, they raced off the ship and visited so many places in one day that I doubt very seriously that they did more than, "Look! Over there!  That's the Tour Eiffel!   What's next?!"  That's not for us.  We'd rather see one thing and be absorbed in it.  That reminds me.  When ever we go to a foreign country I like to learn a few words/phrases in the language before we go.  It has been so much more interesting to be able to ask for directions or say hello or excuse myself for NOT being able to speak the language well. That too takes planning.

Hopefully à bientôt!

Thanks to all for their replies, I appreciate them all.  Unfortunately if I waited until I got onboard before signing up I'd be a quivering blob of jello. (BTW - can a booked excursion be cancelled? Would optional excursion costs be reimbursed?)

After reading the great thoughts, I certainly won't be paranoid about missing a day or two (OMG - I JUST BLASPHEMED!).  One of the big reasons to book early is that we research each of the places we dock and see if there is anything local going on: a play, bazaar, show, etc; we'd like to know the start time and the duration of the excursion so that we might be able to do both.

We too are soon able to sign up for our excursions. Since this is our first leap from ocean to river cruising we are accustomed to getting on the list the second they are available. This has meant doing bookings at 3AM (egad!).  What time on the opening day does Avalon start the booking?  I believe they're home office is in Colorado.

34 minutes ago, JVilleGal said:

Good idea, a pair clean blue jeans,  a pair of khakis and Pair of nice shorts and that’s all my hubby took. But he is a chronic under packer! 🙂

Add to the cruise a week in Paris (we MUST see the French Open!) and a week in the Dordogne River Valley area means that we'll need a few more things.  

4 minutes ago, JVilleGal said:

For ladies slacks and a pretty top. Not fancy though we had a lady or two who got a bit carried away. Tell the boss I wore “J Jill, Chico’s & Talbots” nice play clothes. Did not wear 3/4 of what I brought and laundry service was lovely.

 

JvilleGal,

Wow! You must have been hovering on the site!! Thanks.

As for me I'm probably not going to take my painting clothes with me 😏

Just to make sure (so I don't get into trouble with you-know-who) what is the typical dress on board for dinner?

I'm assuming that other meals are very casual.

Thanks!

Keith

Kenster,

Thank you for your sage advice.  In fact, it has been confirmed by British Air.

I just got off the phone with them to find that there are two reasons why the 90 minutes between flights is NOT (and it was emphasized) a problem.  First is that we land and take off in the same terminal (3).  Second - and the vision of this one had me in stitches - there are 100 people on our flight from Marseilles getting on the same flight to Miami!  I can just envision 100 people marching in military like columns and whistling the "Colonel Bogey March" (from the Bridge Over the River Kwai) through the terminal!!

They ain't gonna let 100 people miss a flight!  Probably a lot of them from our cruise!