Voyager World Cruisers/Segments

[grapejuice]

Thanks to Jamie Logan/ Karen and Wayne / Jan and Fred/ Kevin and Susan.

Enjoying your entries and photos of your journey so far. I am green with envy. Keep up your wonderful postings.

Thank you so much for sharing with us. Please continue.

[txladycruiser]

Glad you are enjoying the blog. We are having a wonderful time! Looking forward to visiting Australia!

 

 

Karen & Wayne

[NCCruzQueen]

grapejuice,

 

Will you share the link to Kevin and Susan's blog? I have the others and am enjoying them, also.

[grapejuice]

NCCruzQueen,

Kevin and Susans blog (thats thanks to Col Wes)

 

http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Kevin-and-Susan/

[NCCruzQueen]

Thanks for the link, grapejuice. I actually had two friends email me the link after reading my request here. Also, thanks to my good buddy, Wes. He's always in the know! ;)

[grapejuice]

Your very welcome

[WesW]

blushing..thank you Beth and Grapejuice for you kind comments...Beth...correction please..not always in the know..just sometimes but with posters like Grapejuice and you, et.al..we help Regent CCr's be in the know.

[Grothj]

Thanks for the comments on our blog. I updated it a couple of days ago and will do so again tomorrow. We are in Hobart, Australia this morning. We came in last night instead of this morning as the Captain said we were making such good time that we wanted to dock over night and give us a smooth night's sleep.

 

Ja

[Grothj]

I've been remiss in getting my blog posted. Everytime I had time, the internet was slow.

 

We are in Sydney this afternoon and the internet is not too bad so I got it updated through Melbourne.

 

Beautiful blue skies this afternoon.

[WesW]

Hi Karen and Wayne / Jan and Fred/ Kevin and Susan; Ida and look forward to meeting you on 30 March when we board the Voyager in Hong kong.

[txladycruiser]

Hi Karen and Wayne / Jan and Fred/ Kevin and Susan; Ida and look forward to meeting you on 30 March when we board the Voyager in Hong kong.

 

 

Look forward to meeting you!

 

 

Karen

[txladycruiser]

BTW, we are in Suite 972.

 

 

Karen

[WesW]

Hi Karen, we are also on the ninth deck, near Wayne and you....we got a tremendous deal (military discount fare).

 

We just booked yesterday and have yet to book excursions...do you have any recommendations?

 

ps..the real tricker here (with 30+ days) until cruising was doing air (we use ff miles)...we're flying AA, Cathay Pacific inbound,

AA, Royal Jordanian, Cathay Pacific on return...we will remain overnight probably in Grand Hyatt Bangkok on the 9th before returning to Atlanta

beginning on the 10th.

[grapejuice]

Hey Karen/Wayne, Jan/Fred, Kev/Susan, Jamie/Dana,

How did you all enjoy Brissy! We were dining at a restaurant at Portside when you sailed away at 6 pm on the dot.

She looked magnificent. Loved hearing the ships horns on departure.

Thank you all for taking the time to share your adventures with us. Only wish I could have stowed away in one of the lifeboats when I had the chance.

Col Wes/Ida, TC/Dennis - how wonderful to be joining the Voyager in Asia! How long are you all on for? It should make for some interesting blogs, I can't wait.

I know everyone will be great mates by the end of the cruise.

Cheers

[OrpingtonT]

Hope all goes well, Wes & Ida ( and TC2 if you also make it). Would love to join you but a) we cannot get military discounts in the UK and b) we have booked a Seabourn cruise in April.

[RachelG]

Congrats on the cruise, Wes. Are military rates available on every cruise or just ones that aren't selling as well?

[WesW]

Hi Rachel..thanks...we're over the moon excited--just did P7 & Sig rsvns, as well as all excursions (got a break from Ida as she agree not to do 11 hr Hanoi shopping tour for the half day highlight tour). Rachel, having watched military discount offerings from Regent, Oceania, SeaDream and Silversea over the last two years...yes, it is the voyages that are not sailing full that offer these terrific values (great for our Retired/Disabled Veterans, Active Duty men and women)Plus, most of the voyages at military discount go out 30-90 days so u need to be flexible. Your son may find a voyage he likes.

[RachelG]

Thanks Wes, I will look into it.

[OrpingtonT]

When, sometime last year, I asked the staff in Regent UK about military discounts they said they would contact the USA office to find out. When a reply came, it was that they, Regent, do not offer discounts, but some Travel Agents do.

[LOGHL]

Hi Rachel..thanks...we're over the moon excited--just did P7 & Sig rsvns, as well as all excursions (got a break from Ida as she agree not to do 11 hr Hanoi shopping tour for the half day highlight tour). Rachel, having watched military discount offerings from Regent, Oceania, SeaDream and Silversea over the last two years...yes, it is the voyages that are not sailing full that offer these terrific values (great for our Retired/Disabled Veterans, Active Duty men and women)Plus, most of the voyages at military discount go out 30-90 days so u need to be flexible. Your son may find a voyage he likes.

 

 

col wes...how does one go about getting a discount?????????

husband a ww2 vet from Pearl Harbor dec 7th onward to 5 years total with an honorable discharge from the US navy

[WesW]

First, thank you to your husband for his heroic WW too honorable service...we do not have many Veterans left from this era. For example, my 98 yr old uncle just (Dec 2010 (54 years late) received the Bronze Star Medal from the Four Star Command here in Atlanta for WW II combat service in Pusan.

 

Below are Regent conditions for offering a military discount, CC rules prevent me from mentioning the source. LOGHL, there are other cruiselines that do offer a military discount for at least two years of honorable service. Celebrity, Carnival, Costa, Pulmantur, Princess and Winstar, e.g. In our case (my wife qualifies under A (a combat Vet) and I qualify for military discount under rules A and C below.

 

I have been in email contact with Mark Conroy (President of Regent) for five years, encouraging Regent to adopt a formal military discount. Our military men

and women who have fought and died for our country so we enjoy freedom (e.g., express our opinions here on CC), surely deserve a discount. In the spring of 2008, Mark wrote me that Regent was very close, just had to determine priciing--alas, the fishnet accident with the Voyager WC in April happened and this initiative fell by the wayside. I have recently written Frank Del Rio (FDR), CEO of Presitge Cruise Lines (supervises the runnning of both Oceania and Regent) and strongly encouraged PCH to offer our veterans a military discount. Even said due to the minor impact on the bottom line, PCH could reduce their program (like Paul Gauguin cruises) and just offer a military discount to serving Active Duty and Reserve Personnel. IMO, a formal military discount program offered by PCH would further help separate in a very good way, Regent and Oceania brands. I am waiting to hear back from FDR, CEO of PCH.

 

Regent offers military discounts on select sailings to active personnel currently serving in the Canadian Forces, United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, National Guard, Navy, Marines, or Reserves, as well as U.S. Armed Forces Personnel in the following branches; Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Security Agency (excluding Homeland Security), Secret Service, NASA Kennedy Space Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Retired personnel from any of these divisions are also eligible. "Retired" is defined as A) enlisted personnel or officers with a minimum of 20 years of service, B) medically retired, or C) 100% disabled. Veterans with an honorable discharge serving a minimum of 2 years, or who served in an active war zone, in any of the United States service divisions listed above are eligible, as are all Veterans Advantage members. Finally, spouses of actively deployed, or deceased military personnel, are eligible to book one stateroom as long as the eligible spouse is occupying the stateroom. Qualifying guests must present a photocopy of the proper military ID and a driver's license or passport at the time of booking.

[neviboy]

Would my service in the British army in WW2 count ? I'm only 84.

[WesW]

Neville, sincere thanks also for your WWII service. If you don't qualify for a military discount, I will be honored to personally give you a service award--I will buy a premium bottle of champagne/or buy your fav premium libation if we are ever on the same Regent, SS or SB cruise and Hannah, Ida (also combat vet) and I can toast (maybe a few) to your and our honorable military service. Btw, we spent time with Orpy and Barbara on the Voyager TA three months ago

 

ps..thanks Sheltieluv for your Veterans well wishes (pls send me an email at my yahoo email below)

pss...so we get back on topic....Neville, care to join us on this WC segment (HK to Bangkok)

[Sheltieluv]

Col. Wes, Thank you (and all other veterans) for your service.

 

My husband is a former US Marine who served in Vietnam, and I had my TA look into the military discount when I booked our upcoming April cruise. No discount was available, but I will keep trying for any and all future cruises.

 

Do you know if there is any way to check on which cruises DO offer the discount? I have to wonder just how many times during the year they actually do offer this perk?

 

Thank you for being such an active advocate!:)

[RachelG]

Thank you, Wes, for listing the requirements. Very good to see that my son will qualify due to being a combat vet even after he goes back to school. I can see some mother/son trips in the future.