Regent cabin availability and waitlist

[Gmeg]

In October 2010 when we booked for our Alaska cruise from SFO we were advised that there were no available cabins below category B apart from one cabin in category D and one in category C. The category D cabin was well aft only one cabin away from an F cabin while the category C cabin was forward (cabin 902) We chose the C cabin. Having regard to the cost saving we would have considered a cabin in F category if it had been available.

 

From October till about today the Regent web site has usually shown no availability other than waitlist apart from Category B or above. Today all categories are available.

 

Two questions - 1. Does Regent hold back releasing its lower category cabins to try to get bookings in higher categories first.

 

2. Is Cabin 902 Ok or should we try to change now that it seems there could be other cabins available? 902 is on the port side and the most forward of the C cabins?

[Travelcat2]

We are on the same cruise. This one usually sells out -- I'm wondering if they are having difficulty with their website (not unusual). Have your checked with your TA? They have the abilitity to check on what the real availability is.

 

My experience is that Regent does not hold back lower categories. Usually they are the first to book up. I believe that some TA's reserve a block of suites and may give them up at a certain point which would open up some suites. If you could get a lower category, I would go for it. The Navigator is the only Regent ship where the Penthouse suites are the identical size of the "D", "E" and "F" suites. The only difference in "C" is that you get a butler. The position is 902 is fine -- quite far forward, but, it should be fine. We are trying a very forward suite for the first time (601) and heard that it can be noisy when the ship docks in the morning. My favorite suite on the ship (if you don't count the Navigator suite) is a "D" suite on deck 8 -- midship.

 

The bottom line is that you should check with your TA. . . . or, if you booked directly with Regent, give them a call tomorrow.:)

[Gmeg]

Travel Cat Do you think it would be worthwhile to try for a starboard side instead of the side we are on which I think is the port side

[ChatKat in Ca.]

Starboard or Port make no difference for Alaska - I have done both.

 

Jackie - for Alaska - 601 won't be noisy - they don't tender and drop anchor. You will hear a little noise for about 5 minutes when they dock but the room is well worth it. We sailed in 603 on the NYC - Montreal Cruise a few years ago.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I thought that Regent did not designate blocks of rooms for particular agents?

 

I'm thinking that rooms opened up when final payment date passed by? Not too unusual, if that's the case.

 

I agree that the lower categories sell out first.

[OrpingtonT]

I thought that Regent did not designate blocks of rooms for particular agents?

 

 

They certainly do, in the UK anyway. I was told that a particular TA might have availabilty from their allocation when I was booking my next cruise. In the event, I was happy with what Regent offered me.

[Travelcat2]

Travel Cat Do you think it would be worthwhile to try for a starboard side instead of the side we are on which I think is the port side

 

As others have mentioned, there isn't much difference on either side in Alaska. However, when sailing from S.F. up the coast, the views are on the starboard side. Please let us know if you were able to change your suite. I'm finding the sudden availability of suites interesting. Wendy was correct that some people cancel before the final payment date. But, that date passed a while back.

 

Chatkat: Thanks for the info. on 601. We're just a bit leery of this suite. Don't know what we'll do if we get an offer for an upgrade (at a reasonable price). This is an local, inexpensive cruise for us. . . . . but, we always think about 1125:-)

[Gmeg]

Please let us know if you were able to change your suite. I'm finding the sudden availability of suites interesting. :-)

We had no problem in moving starboard midship.:)

[Travelcat2]

We had no problem in moving starboard midship.:)

 

Great! Thanks for letting us know.

[JoAnne B]

Travelcat

 

You will love 601. In spite of the brief morning grinding noise it will spoil you...especially the double balcony. I keep reading that the noise is from dropping anchor, but that isn't the case, so it is there whether you tender or dock. A retired naval officer explained it to me once, but my technical understanding was too limited to retain the information for very long. It only lasts for a couple of minutes and I quickly learned to sleep through it. If you are up preparing to go ashore or are an early riser for breakfast, it won't wake you anyway.

 

I would be more concerned about 902 on the Navigator as it does tend to get a lot of motion.

[Travelcat2]

Travelcat

 

You will love 601. In spite of the brief morning grinding noise it will spoil you...especially the double balcony. I keep reading that the noise is from dropping anchor, but that isn't the case, so it is there whether you tender or dock. A retired naval officer explained it to me once, but my technical understanding was too limited to retain the information for very long. It only lasts for a couple of minutes and I quickly learned to sleep through it. If you are up preparing to go ashore or are an early riser for breakfast, it won't wake you anyway.

 

I would be more concerned about 902 on the Navigator as it does tend to get a lot of motion.

 

Thanks JoAnne. We will resist the temptation to upgrade (in case an offer comes forth).

[Gmeg]

Travelcat

 

I would be more concerned about 902 on the Navigator as it does tend to get a lot of motion.

 

Thanks Joanne. We were able to move from 902 to midship starboard so this should be a lot better. Seems there are still about 25 suites unfilled on this cruise. As 902 was our only choice in October looks like there have been a large number of cancellations. Hopefully this has not had anything to do with the negative comments on this board. The comments are disproportionate to the almost zero negatives for Crystal and Seabourne so what is it? Is it Regent or do we just have a different set of people posting?