Priority Boarding for Upper Suites, Poll and Discussion

Let's face it. ALL Regent guests are elitist by some definitions. All have chosen to pay $thousands more to cruise and avoid all the indignities involved with mass market and budget cruises (and premium cruises to an extent). Regent guests are all seeking luxury accommodations, food, and other services without being "nickeled and dimed" for everything onboard, and are willing to pay for such an environment. How many $thousands more we are willing to pay depends on our priorities in light of what luxury goods and services we want when we are NOT on a cruise. I suspect few Regent guests have the resources to acquire everything they want. If the did, they'd take their own yacht instead of Regent! But some Regent regulars allocate their resources so that they stay in "ordinary" suites so they can acquire and do other things. And others prioritize their cruise accommodations higher and get one of the top suites. For instance, we prefer suites of about 300 square feet interior space. We find anything more is not needed or used, and anything less is cramped And anything larger would involve an expense that could interfere with our other priorities (which aren't cheap either).

I will say again that Regent's embarkation has been swift, uncrowded, and convenient without priority boarding on those cruises where we might have qualified due to a good upgrade deal (back when there was such a thing). Compared to most other lines, it feels like ALL guests get priority boarding on Regent. So I see no problem here. But if guests who have booked "super expensive" suites feel that they should have priority boarding (and disembarkation as well) I don't disagree. They have paid MUCH, and there would be so few of them at a given time that it would not inconvenience us to any perceptible degree.

Gosh folks, has anyone ever really waited more than 20 minutes to board a Regent ship once embarkation was available? I admit that I was surprised to see the different queue(with the whatever coloured carpet) for upper level suites when we embarked in Montreal in October. Reality is that our only ‘non upper suite’ delay with boarding, perhaps 5 minutes, was because we had a ‘newbie’ doing our check in.

I agree with the posters that say that as long as we can embark and enjoy a glass of wine or two with lunch while waiting for our suite to be available, we are perfectly delighted.

I don’t like the class thing at all, but it does not discourage me from sailing on Regent.

I could start a bit of a protest and say, why aren’t Penthouse Suites given the same treatment, but that would be silly.

At the end of the day, a swift, efficient embarkation for all works for all IMHO.

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You go, golfgirls! Our last Regent cruise was last March out of Miami. I did not notice any "upper suite" boarding line. Maybe there was one and maybe not -- I don't recall. What I do recall was that boarding for us non upper suite guests was quick and painless! Where priority boarding (and disembarkation) is of real value is when one is booked on a "suite and inclusive" separate part of a mega ship, where "the others" are herded like cattle" at boarding (and in fact for the rest of the cruise). We have only been on those types of ships for music cruises, and have always booked the highest level suites. If we couldn't get one of them, we didn't go. They do have priority boarding and exit. There, it is a necessity for us. But on Regent, entry and exit has always been nice and easy for those of us who only book a suite of 300 square feet of interior space + balcony. We don't care if the upper level suites are cleaned and ready for occupancy first. We do care that our boarding stays as it has been. That's all.

You certainly may, we’re all friends here.

 

 

UUNetBill,

 

Look at your poll, 62% YES and 38% NO

 

Are you reading the same skewed poll that I am reading???????? Stating that you don't mind pre-boarding if it wasn't as in your face as it is does not mean a "YES" vote. Plus, based on posters on this thread, there are quite a few people voting that have either never sailed Regent or have not sailed them for a long time (sorry but I do notice these things). We have no idea where the votes came from.

 

golfgirls - you may not have embarked when a busload or two of passengers from the hotel arrive at the port. You can definitely not board in 20 minutes.

 

As stated previously, whether this continues or not does not affect us at all - I simply want equality for all Regent First Class guests (meaning all of them) and not showing preferential treatment simply because one books an upper suite. Almost half of our cruises have been in upper suites and we still do not feel "entitled". However, if some passengers need to feel that they are better than others, so be it!

 

Dolebludger - this policy likely wasn't in effect when you last sailed as it is very new. The time when you really notice the policy is when you (and 100 other people) are in the terminal waiting to embark at noon. That is when the special line is set up. I have no idea how long it took for the 95 other people to boad the Mariner.

So, I'm confused. Looking at your "Live from" it appears that you did use the priority boarding line. If it was so offensive to you, why would you do that? I have no problem with you taking advantage of it, I'm just confused about why you would be up in arms about it after the fact.

(BTW we have sailed on Regent, albeit several years ago. We enjoyed it -especially meeting Wes & Ida, but have found another "luxury " line that suited us more.)

My wife and I took a two week Med cruise on the Explorer last November, in one of the “Concierge” cabins. Though I’m loathe to quote actual prices, the cost was about triple what we would have paid on a “premium plus” line. I don’t care what the larger suites cost. For the amount of money we paid, if we had witnessed any kind of priority boarding it would have been monumentally annoying, and I would have probably found it somewhat insulting. And rolling out some kind of fancy red carpet sounds a little tacky to me.

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Bill, I thank you for starting this thread it has been very interesting. As I thought about it this morning I started to laugh. What a privileged bunch we are. We are worried about early boarding, how do we use our butler, what type of coffee maker is in our cabin and whether one can get a decent G&T. Should we have high expectations from Regent based on what we are paying? Of course we should. Should we continue these types of threads, yes, they are interesting and fun. However, considering all of the strife,troubles, and suffering in today's world, and considering the season, I am very thankful for all the blessings that I have been provided and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and most importantly the best of health for the New Year!!!

Bill, I thank you for starting this thread it has been very interesting. As I thought about it this morning I started to laugh. What a privileged bunch we are. We are worried about early boarding, how do we use our butler, what type of coffee maker is in our cabin and whether one can get a decent G&T. Should we have high expectations from Regent based on what we are paying? Of course we should. Should we continue these types of threads, yes, they are interesting and fun. However, considering all of the strife,troubles, and suffering in today's world, and considering the season, I am very thankful for all the blessings that I have been provided and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and most importantly the best of health for the New Year!!!

Looking for the "like" button here. Yes, we are VERY blessed.

Bill, I thank you for starting this thread it has been very interesting. As I thought about it this morning I started to laugh. What a privileged bunch we are. We are worried about early boarding, how do we use our butler, what type of coffee maker is in our cabin and whether one can get a decent G&T. Should we have high expectations from Regent based on what we are paying? Of course we should. Should we continue these types of threads, yes, they are interesting and fun. However, considering all of the strife,troubles, and suffering in today's world, and considering the season, I am very thankful for all the blessings that I have been provided and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and most importantly the best of health for the New Year!!!

Thank you for reminding us of our blessings!

Bill, I thank you for starting this thread it has been very interesting. As I thought about it this morning I started to laugh. What a privileged bunch we are. We are worried about early boarding, how do we use our butler, what type of coffee maker is in our cabin and whether one can get a decent G&T. Should we have high expectations from Regent based on what we are paying? Of course we should. Should we continue these types of threads, yes, they are interesting and fun. However, considering all of the strife,troubles, and suffering in today's world, and considering the season, I am very thankful for all the blessings that I have been provided and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and most importantly the best of health for the New Year!!!

Very well put! thank you.

Since I have learned that Regent now has a priority line, I have a question. How many suites on say, the Mariner, Voyager, and explorer are eligible for the priority line? My concern is that non-priority guests not be delayed to any measurable degree by a priority line. If the new system does not delay them, I can see no problem. In fact, if the priority line does not subtract personnel and facilities from the non-priority line, I can see that it might even speed up the priority line, which would be a good thing for us non-priority guests. But I don't know because I've never experienced Regent boarding when a priority like is present. That's why I ask this question,

Since I have learned that Regent now has a priority line, I have a question. How many suites on say, the Mariner, Voyager, and explorer are eligible for the priority line? My concern is that non-priority guests not be delayed to any measurable degree by a priority line. If the new system does not delay them, I can see no problem. In fact, if the priority line does not subtract personnel and facilities from the non-priority line, I can see that it might even speed up the priority line, which would be a good thing for us non-priority guests. But I don't know because I've never experienced Regent boarding when a priority like is present. That's why I ask this question,

The priority line neither helps nor hurts the non-priority boarding as there are only about 40 passengers that qualify to board early (out of 700 on the Mariner where we are currently). IMO, there are a few issues:

1. The priority line is "in your face" -- people that have been waiting to board for an hour have to watch the people in the priority line board (generally not more than 5 or 6 people at a time but no one else is able to board).

2. Seven Seas Society members (aka long term Regent customers) are not recognized in this program.

3. The slippery slope into a "class system". First was the Concierge Suites and anyone booking a suite below that no longer received the included hotel night. Along with that came priority dining and excursion reservations.

Then came the policy (fairly new) whereby the very top suites (except on Explorer I believe these are passengers only in Master and Grand Suites) can dine in a specialty restaurant every night if they wish - thus taking spots away from the rest of the passengers.

Now there is a small percentage of passengers that can board before the others. So, IMO, the issue isn't simply the boarding process but .......what is next?

I'm relatively new to cruising in general, and I'm booked on my first Regent cruise next year (28-days, "Serene Sunsets," Vancouver --> Alaska --> California --> Panama Canal --> Miami in September-October). I took my first ever cruise 3 months ago: Holland America 14-days R/Trip Seattle --> Alaska. I admit my experience is minimal and I probably have no basis to comment, but here I go anyway ... ;)

A couple of thoughts:

1. Holland America already has in place priority boarding for its Neptune and Pinnacle Suite passengers and the 4- and 5-star Mariner loyalty passengers. The "priority" check-in line is clearly marked with a sign. No red carpet, no fanfare -- just a sign like you see at the airport for 1st Class passengers. I was on the Amsterdam -- 1306 passengers on that sailing -- and I didn't see any issues with having the two lines - one priority, the other not. They both operated at the same time, so as people finished checking in, they moved to the gangway regardless of which line they used. It wasn't a matter that everyone else had to wait until all "upper division" passengers were onboard -- just they used a different check-in line simultaneously. And yes, the "upper division" line was shorter, as it often is at the airport. I don't know if this is how Regent is doing it, but it didn't seem to cause any problems for anyone. (They also had a separate line for passengers needing a little help to board -- those with mobility issues/etc.)

2. Without going into too many details, I also have a 28-day cruise booked with Holland America for early 2019. The cost is almost identical to what I paid for the 28-day Regent cruise for next fall. The difference? I'm in a Neptune Suite on HAL's Eurodam: ~570 sq feet; and I'm in a Concierge Suite on the Mariner: 301 sq feet. I honestly don't care if there are separate lines for boarding based on cabin category -- as long as I get on the ship in time to relax and settle in a bit before I have to go to muster.

Seriously, it's at most an hour or two out of the first day of a cruise vacation. It's not the end of the world if I have to wait in line to check in. Once I'm on the ship, the vacation begins.

(and I have to say that I really appreciate that for the most part, this discussion has remained civil. One of the reasons I decided to look at Regent was due to the hostility, snark, and general nastiness on one of the other forums for another "luxury" line -- I'd booked an 18-day SF --> Panama --> Miami cruise and after observing the behavior on that board for a couple of months, I decided I might want to check out some other possibilities ... So thank you for that!) :)

Lana in Bellingham, WA

TC2,

I agree, the trend bothers me more that the singular "priority boarding" issue. Forty guests get to use priority boarding on the Mariner, right? Do you know what suite class that applies to?

TC2,

 

I agree, the trend bothers me more that the singular "priority boarding" issue. Forty guests get to use priority boarding on the Mariner, right? Do you know what suite class that applies to?

Hello, I had posted this a long time ago #32 :D

Navigator, Voyager, Mariner-Master, Grand Suites

Explorer-Regent, Master, Grand, Explorer

TC2,

 

I agree, the trend bothers me more that the singular "priority boarding" issue. Forty guests get to use priority boarding on the Mariner, right? Do you know what suite class that applies to?

Seven Seas Suite, Mariner Suite, Grand Suite, Master Suite (on Mariner). The sign clearly states which suite categories are permitted to board first.

ArtsyCraftsy - the class system is normal/typical on mainstream (Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean), on premium cruise such such as HAL and Princess and premium plus/luxury light such as Regent's sister cruise line Oceania. "Obvious" distinctions between classes did not exist on Regent until now. Most benefits afforded upper suite passengers were pretty much invisible (until now).

Boarding on Regent does not take that long - that is not the point for me - it is the slow descent into a system whereby the upper class (or in this case the upper suites), get treated differently than the rest of the ship. Keep in mind that once you walk outside of your suite, no one knows or cares which suite you are in ......... that is how it has been for the almost 14 years that we have sailed Regent. Since Regent is all-inclusive, no one has to show their key card except to get onto or off of the ship (except for the Boutique, Spa or if want to purchase ultra premium alcohol*) so there is really no way way of determining what suite category you are in.

taxare, we posted at the same time. The level on all the ships goes down to the Seven Seas Suites.

For us, everyone being equal has been a big selling point for Regent. So, again, this isn't just a board issue, it is about the direction Regent is going.

P.S. Since you are new to Regent, I should state that premium alcohol is included (brands such as Patron tequila, Grey Goose vodka, etc.) but there are some very high end alcohols that do have a cost. In our 400 nights on Regent, we have not needed or wanted to purchase ultra premium alcohol.

Thanks for an entertaining thread!

Now my thoughts:

1. TC, great job on the Amazon cruise thread that begat this one.

2. UUnetBill, thanks for starting this one, which has brought out a lot of good comments.

3. I have no problem with Regent awarding perks by Loyalty or for Money, which in my opinion do not have to be equal. Rewarding long-time customers is great, but why limit the ability of a customer to buy into a perk if they can afford it.

4. As described, I think the carpet thing is more silly than "in your face". It is Marketing and historically Regent's Marketing has irritated many on these boards, thank God they have a great product.

5. We all have an opinion as to what would break the barrier of classes of service on Regent. Giving extra perks to high end suites does not trip the wire for me. On my second Navigator cruise in 2007, the couple in one of the Master Suites ate in Prime 7 every night, expect the one night in CR when he ate with Captain McNeill. Most people only got one night there as the first version of P7 on the Navigator was very small. But that guy paid a lot of money for a New Years Cruise in that suite, so I did not begrudge him. Also, he missed a lot of good meals in CR. I did not see that as a class issue, rather as a high value customer issue. So 10 years ago, there was priority and hidden perks and I bet in 10 years there still will be. To me that is not class separation, it is Marketing.

6. In the end this is a first world issue. I understand it is emotional to some, but to most it is unnoticed and to me .... I am just blessed to be traveling on cruises where this is an issue at all.

Again, thanks for the entertainment, and have a great holiday season.

FWIW, although I posted on this thread, I didn't vote. It's been over 10 years since I sailed on Regent, so I didn't feel like I was up to date enough to vote.

...

 

ArtsyCraftsy - the class system is normal/typical on mainstream (Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean), on premium cruise such such as HAL and Princess and premium plus/luxury light such as Regent's sister cruise line Oceania. "Obvious" distinctions between classes did not exist on Regent until now. Most benefits afforded upper suite passengers were pretty much invisible (until now).

...

For us, everyone being equal has been a big selling point for Regent. So, again, this isn't just a board issue, it is about the direction Regent is going.

 

P.S. Since you are new to Regent, I should state that premium alcohol is included (brands such as Patron tequila, Grey Goose vodka, etc.) but there are some very high end alcohols that do have a cost. In our 400 nights on Regent, we have not needed or wanted to purchase ultra premium alcohol.

Ah, OK -- I think I see. It's not so much this one particular change toward visible "class" distinctions; it's more a matter of "what else is coming? where is this going to lead?" While I didn't notice any specific service level "class" distinctions on HAL in the dining room and bars/etc., there are some hard-to-ignore visible "markers." For example, the key cards of upper-tier suite passengers are marked with a gold stripe. And as someone else alluded to earlier, most of the upper-tier suites are located on specific decks (on the Amsterdam, they're all on Deck 7), so if someone punched 7 in the elevator, you could make a decent assumption that they're staying in a Neptune or Pinnacle.

I like the Regent approach a lot. I doubt I'll ever book anything larger than a Penthouse -- and I wouldn't know what to do with a butler anyway, never having had one before. ;)

Thanks for the info on the included liquor brands. Very helpful. I'm not much of a "spirits person" -- definitely a "wine person," although I do enjoy the occasional screwdriver or bloody mary. The extras on my HAL trip (things that are included in Regent) amounted to just over 13% of the fare -- gratuities, a wine package, excursions, wi-fi, specialty dining surcharges, etc. Taking that into account, Regent might actually end up cheaper than HAL or nearly the same cost (I travel solo, so ...). And I definitely like the idea of the smaller ship size.

It's still 9 months until my first Regent cruise, so I have plenty of time to learn as much as I can. Thanks again ...

Lana in Bellingham, WA

After spending almost a month on the Mariner, I've had time to reflect on this issue. I've spent years on Cruise Critic attempting to keep equality in the minds of Regent executives and have been criticized by the very passengers I thought I was trying to help. Also, equality is a differentiator between luxury cruising and premium or mainstream cruising. What is ironic is that a lot of our time on Regent has been in suites that qualify for pre-boarding. Perhaps I am tired of banging my head against a wall and also am seeing things a bit differently.

Although I cannot vote again, add one vote to the group that thinks that it is okay that people that pay more deserve this benefit and deduct a vote from the category that we are all VIP's.

This is the end of the issue for me.

I've spent years on Cruise Critic attempting to keep equality in the minds of Regent executives and have been criticized by the very passengers I thought I was trying to help.

God bless you for all you have done! It has been appreciated not only by me but a select few of others.

OgTc. I hope you're not in the red-carpet is ok category. But, heck, I can sure see your wanting it to be "end of the isse." Nuf's nuf.

I finally am getting caught up and had a chance to read this thread. This certainly is an issue that has many strong opinions and so the poll was a good idea. What needs to be kept in mind as the results are reviewed is that the response scale is biased in favour of priority boarding since there are two options in favor and only one against. Unless there is an equal number of positive and negative options combining them goes against good pollling practices.

bill, i thank you for starting this thread it has been very interesting. As i thought about it this morning i started to laugh. What a privileged bunch we are. We are worried about early boarding, how do we use our butler, what type of coffee maker is in our cabin and whether one can get a decent g&t. Should we have high expectations from regent based on what we are paying? Of course we should. Should we continue these types of threads, yes, they are interesting and fun. However, considering all of the strife,troubles, and suffering in today's world, and considering the season, i am very thankful for all the blessings that i have been provided and wish all of you the happiest of holidays and most importantly the best of health for the new year!!!

amen!!!

It is really a shame. I've seen a person get on a bus for an excursion with a walker -- get the front seat on the bus -- leave the walker on the bus and walk out on their excursion. Of course, this happens all the time on airlines. Perhaps people should have a card indicating that they have mobility issues. We should't need something like that but people seem to want to get away with things nowadays.

Amen, Amen.