Renaissance--Oceania--Regent connection?

[wapato2]

As a previous passenger of Renaissance and Oceania, is there any recognition of those companies by Regent?

 

 

Of interest? We were to fly BA to Dover (UK) to board a Renaissance (114 passengers!) on Sept 11, 2001. It was 10 days before we could get a flight to London--to discover that Renaissance had ceased operations---they ultimately filed for Bankruptcy. We had Travel Insurance, but it was deemed an Act of War, no coverage. We got nothing from Renaissance, it was good old Visa that amazingly refunded the cruise fare in full! American Business at its best!

[Travelcat2]

It is a good thing Visa was around to take care of things for you!

 

Regent and Oceania are owned by Prestige Cruise Holdings. Oceania did buy some of the old Renaissance ships. Even though Regent and Oceania are sister companies, there is no recognition of past cruises with either line. Regent is a luxury all-inclusive cruise line while Oceania is an ala carte premium cruise line. Since the costs and benefits of each line is so different, it is difficult to share loyalty programs.

 

Are you thinking of giving Regent a try?

[wapato2]

Yes, I am.

 

I am just surprised that there in no tie-in between the two co-owned. Seems short sighted.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Not sure what you're asking. What kind of "recognition" would you have wished of Renaissance? I agree that the loyalty programs between Regent and Oceania should have some kind of cross-over--I am a loyal Regent cruiser who would love an incentive to try Oceania.

[wapato2]

Wendy,

 

Renaissance is long dead. We were to be on one of their ships at Dover (UK), but on Sept 11 our BA flight to London was cancelled and we didn't leave for 10 days to then find that R had ceased operations. We never got a dime from them, nothing from Insurance, only good old Visa came through---American business at its best!

 

Most airline companies honor Frequent Flyer accounts when aquiring other airlines. I just feel my account at Oceania should earn some "interest" from Regent, but that's purely IMHO. I actually posed my question to see if such an "interest" might exist, after all many R assets were purchased by Oceania.

 

I'm just a bit surprised, there just seems to be several Marketing opportunities for Regent here but, such is life.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wendy,

 

Renaissance is long dead. [...]

 

Most airline companies honor Frequent Flyer accounts when aquiring other airlines. I just feel my account at Oceania should earn some "interest" from Regent, but that's purely IMHO. I actually posed my question to see if such an "interest" might exist, after all many R assets were purchased by Oceania.

 

I'm just a bit surprised, there just seems to be several Marketing opportunities for Regent here but, such is life.

 

I know Renaissance is long dead--long. What has that got to do with Oceania, other than that they bought three of their ships? They didn't buy the whole fleet. Azamara has a couple, as does Princess. And that has little to do with Regent.

[wapato2]

Oooops! I'm sorry, but I sense some irritation.

 

My Post was: "As a previous passenger of Renaissance and Oceania, is there any recognition of those companies by Regent?"

 

The answer appears to be NO, which surprised me as Regent-Oceania are sister companies and, from my Marketing experience, such a tie-in would normally offer many attractive opportunities/possibilities.

 

Peace

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Sorry, didn't mean to sound irritated. Just perplexed I guess. Regent was Radisson back then, and wasn't purchased by the Oceania parent for some time after that, considerably after the failure of Renaissance (obviously, since Oceania was formed using those ships.)

[hondorner]

Before there was Regent and Oceania as sister cruise lines, there was Regent as a stand-alone company and Oceania as a stand alone company. Each developed their own loyalty programs. Regent counts days, and Oceania counts cruises.

 

In 2007, Oceania was purchased by Apollo Management but left the Oceania management team intact. In fact, the original investors in Oceania retained 30%.

 

In 2008, Apollo Management purchased Regent. Apollo also owns a 50% stake in NCL, which is in an entirely different class as cruise lines go.

 

Apollo was so satisfied by the cruise line management of Oceania that they formed a new division, Prestige Cruise Holdings, and rolled Oceania and Regent into it -- and named much of Oceania's top management team to PCH.

 

PCH has spent the previous couple of years integrating the two cruise lines in many of the back-office functions and to some extent, to policies, such as rotation of officers. They have also implemented a certain amount of staff rotation, as each cruise line has their good points and it is to the benefit of both to increase exposure to one another. Some of the marketing techniques developed by Oceania founder Frank Del Rio, responsible for the remarkable growth and success of Oceania from 2002 to today, have been implemented in Regent, as well, and some techniques such as "free" hotels for one night prior to a cruise have been tried out with Regent and extended to Oceania when they worked.

 

I'm sure the common functions have not been fully implemented, but at this moment, there are no plans to join the loyalty programs in any way. To make them have anything in common would mean extending some of the generous Regent perks to Oceania, and lowering some of the other perks to Oceania level. I'm reasonably certain that loyal Regent guests would not be especially happy with the combined program.

 

I have 91 nights on Oceania. At Regent, with that kind of experience, I would be Gold and have the following perks:

 

• Everything from Bronze and Silver tiers PLUS the following items:
  
• Additional two hours of complimentary phone time per suite
  
• Choice of newspaper service from papers around the world
  
• Complimentary pressing of up to two additional items per 7-night cruise segment
  
• Exclusive Gold, Platinum and Titanium activity aboard or ashore on every sailing*
  
• Priority disembarkation at cruise completion in select ports
  

On Oceania, I am bronze, and my sole perks are a $200 credit towards a future cruise booked within a certain time limit, and $200 shipboard credit on my 5th through 9th cruises (I just completed my 5th).

 

I have 17 nights on Regent, and during my next cruise will will become silver and receive far more benefit from the loyalty program, considering that internet costs on Oceania are so high.

 

To extend the Regent loyalty awards to guests sailing for the first time on Oceania would not be fair to Oceania passengers. Perhaps it might be fair to count previous Regent cruises toward the Oceania awards...but only if I could count my Oceania nights towards Regent awards :rolleyes:.

 

Neither cruise line has any direct connection with Renaissance. The current CEO of Prestige Cruise Holdings was CEO of Renaissance for a period of time, but was not with them at the time of the bankruptcy and had nothing to do with it.