Premium excursion question

I am in process of booking some excursions for our Sept 2018 cruise. 1 of them is a "Premium" excursion. When booking online it's forcing me to put in a CC, even though we'll have a pretty significant cabin credit which I would rather it go through. Does it get charged right away or is it something that won't get charged until the cruise itself? Or am I doing something wrong in the booking process?

Unfortunately you have to pay up front with a credit card.

When you board go to Destinations and have them refund your previous payment (which will be credited to your on-board account) and rebook using your OBC.

Unfortunately you have to pay up front with a credit card.

 

When you board go to Destinations and have them refund your previous payment (which will be credited to your on-board account) and rebook using your OBC.

Maybe I'm being a bit dense here - but if it is credited to your on-board account and then you pay for it from your on-board account isn't that a bit pointless? If they credited your credit card I could understand the point of doing this.:confused:

Maybe I'm being a bit dense here - but if it is credited to your on-board account and then you pay for it from your on-board account isn't that a bit pointless? If they credited your credit card I could understand the point of doing this.:confused:

Okay - this is how it works. You pay for your Regent Choice excursion with your credit (and In my opinion it is completely worth it). Then, when you get onboard, if there is still availability on your excursion*, you can get a refund of what you pad by credit card in cash (they will not put it back on your credit card) and you can use your on board credits.

*I quoted you Regent's unwritten rule. Most times when you ask to cash out and use OBC's onboard, they do it - even if the excursion is full.

Maybe I'm being a bit dense here - but if it is credited to your on-board account and then you pay for it from your on-board account isn't that a bit pointless? If they credited your credit card I could understand the point of doing this.:confused:

The OBC on your account is usually “non-refundable”.

The refund on your original excursion payment that is now credited to your account is “refundable” and therefore may be drawn in cash.

Maybe I'm being a bit dense here - but if it is credited to your on-board account and then you pay for it from your on-board account isn't that a bit pointless? If they credited your credit card I could understand the point of doing this.:confused:

Yes it's completely pointless but it's just the way they do it. Maybe they want people to commit emotionally to the premium excursions so they can know they have sufficient people. With the free ones people sometimes book on spec and then cancel later. You can cancel the premium ones too I believe, within time limits of course, but once you've paid your money, you probably are fairly committed to that excursion.

The nice thing is that you can get the credit from your onboard account in cash, which can be quite handy at times.

OK - that makes more sense. Thanks everybody.

Yes it's completely pointless but it's just the way they do it. Maybe they want people to commit emotionally to the premium excursions so they can know they have sufficient people. With the free ones people sometimes book on spec and then cancel later. You can cancel the premium ones too I believe, within time limits of course, but once you've paid your money, you probably are fairly committed to that excursion.

 

The nice thing is that you can get the credit from your onboard account in cash, which can be quite handy at times.

Curious as to why you think that it is pointless? While I agree that Regent likely wants to know if they have sufficient people, they can still cancel while onboard (for most but not all Regent Choice excursions). I guess I don't see the committed emotionally part of the equation. We book what we book after researching the excursions 240 days in advance of the cruise. By the time we are on the ship, we end up cancelling at least 50% of our excursions and it doesn't matter if they are include or if we have paid for it.

Yes it's completely pointless but it's just the way they do it. Maybe they want people to commit emotionally to the premium excursions so they can know they have sufficient people. With the free ones people sometimes book on spec and then cancel later. You can cancel the premium ones too I believe, within time limits of course, but once you've paid your money, you probably are fairly committed to that excursion.

 

The nice thing is that you can get the credit from your onboard account in cash, which can be quite handy at times.

The way I read it (though have not yet been on my cruise) is that it also helps you spend your OBC which you may or may not use. A case of use it or lose it.

Not to mention that they have the time value of that money in the meantime.

Now here's an obscure question in case someone here has experienced this. Five days into my next cruise, I will move from gold to platinum. Presumably, they will accord the platinum status upon embarkation, but even if they don't, it's a multi-segment cruise, so it will kick in at the next segment.

In any event, here's the question: I was gold when I booked my excursions, and so paid full price for the premium excursions. Platinums get a 10% discount. I fully intend to do the cancel-and-rebook routine to get them charged to my OBCs. Am I correct that I will also get the 10% discount at that point? So far, none of my pre-booked premium excursions look to be full, but that could change.

Not to mention that they have the time value of that money in the meantime.

 

In any event, here's the question: I was gold when I booked my excursions, and so paid full price for the premium excursions. Platinums get a 10% discount. I fully intend to do the cancel-and-rebook routine to get them charged to my OBCs. Am I correct that I will also get the 10% discount at that point? So far, none of my pre-booked premium excursions look to be full, but that could change.

Yes, from day one. Same for me as I make titanium next trip my 10% discount will get changed to a 25% discount so I overpay now and get money back onboard.

Marc

All this brought to you by the "it's all included" line.

Thanks, Marc.

The way I read it (though have not yet been on my cruise) is that it also helps you spend your OBC which you may or may not use. A case of use it or lose it.

Yes, absolutely. But if they just didn't charge you in advance in the first place, it would have the same effect (which is the pointless part.)

As for Wripro, I don't mind paying a little extra for an excursion with fewer people and some special events included.

Yes, absolutely. But if they just didn't charge you in advance in the first place, it would have the same effect (which is the pointless part.)

 

As for Wripro, I don't mind paying a little extra for an excursion with fewer people and some special events included.

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

Which was your last Regent cruise and did you ever do a “choice” excursion on Regent? Just curious.

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

We're actually looking at doing this for Rome just so we can get something a little more customizable for our group of 4. One of the premium Regent offerings looks really, really, good but there are a couple of things we're looking to tweak and I think it's the only real way to pull it off.

We're actually looking at doing this for Rome just so we can get something a little more customizable for our group of 4. One of the premium Regent offerings looks really, really, good but there are a couple of things we're looking to tweak and I think it's the only real way to pull it off.

Not wanting to scare you, and I'm not certain of Regents procedures on this, but I have a friend on a cruise at the moment and their ship sailed 45 minutes late, leaving two passengers behind who had arranged their own tour to Rome and they were delayed on the journey back.

Please check with whoever you arrange your tour with that they have a procedure in place if this should happen.

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

Everyone is at liberty to make their own decisions..

Please feel free to share your own experiences of included excursions, paid excursions and private excursions taken during your Regent cruises.

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

Yes, well in those parts of the world where such things are cheap, we would certainly do private. Or if we're with another couple for instance. But many places it's too pricey to do completely private, at least for us. We paid something like $350 for extra-value, premium tours on our 18-day Mariner, Miami-Lima last year, and I would say we got good value out of those tours. No way I would have booked private in most of those ports, although we did two days of private tours in Lima after the cruise, and that was a wonderful bargain.

If I'm going to pay even more on top of the more I'm already paying for the included excursions you can bet your bottom dollar it would be for a private excursion with even fewer people than Regent's better excursions....namely just me!

I understand where you are coming from - we have had discussions in the past. However, most people like included excursions (don't get it but they do.) Agree that if we weren't paying for included excursions in the cruise fare that it would make more sense to do private or small group excursions. On Oceania we took one of the best excursions that we ever had. Six of us did an excursion in Tuscany (booked on our own) that cost about half of what a Regent Choice excursion costs. On the other hand, we have enjoyed some Regent Choice excursions (ones where the groups are under 20).

It should also be mentioned that Regent lost (and gained) a lot of customers when they went to included excursions. For better or worse "it ain't going anywhere" so we either live with it or leave Regent.

A bus is a bus is a bus. Forty people on that bus is the same whether it's Regent or another cruise line. And IT AIN'T luxury.

A bus is a bus is a bus. Forty people on that bus is the same whether it's Regent or another cruise line. And IT AIN'T luxury.

Again I ask, which was your last Regent cruise and how many included or paid excursions have you taken??

Again I ask, which was your last Regent cruise and how many included or paid excursions have you taken??

Sheila, wripro will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that he used to sail on Regent but left because of included excursions. He now sails on another luxury cruise line.

Sheila, wripro will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that he used to sail on Regent but left because of included excursions. He now sails on another luxury cruise line.

Jackie

Then I don’t know why he continues to write on the Regent postings. I, too, have sailed for 35 years on other cruise lines. When I change my preference to Regent several years ago, I no longer participated in the other discussions. Each of us have our personal opinions and the right to express them. He made his point, now he should get on with his life.

Sheila