Recent Price Hike??

[Travelcat2]

We like to go on an extended cruise once a year that depends on the time of year and ports of call. For 2016 I have focused on the Seven Seas January 18, Singapore to Tokyo, for 49 nites. The cost now for the cheapest suite is $68,800. This works out to $1404 day for 2.

For comparison, I am also looking at Seabourn Singapore-Monte Carlo April 17, for 38 nights for $1600, an $842 for 2 in a suite The Oceania Nautica has a 55 night Beijing to Istanbul trip for $52,000, $945 day in a penthouse suite. And Holland American Volendam on Mar 1 is going from Singapore to Tokyo, 46 notes, for $15,000 at $644 day for two in a vista suite. One cruise travel site has 10%onboard credit(of total cruise cost) when you book a Holland America cruise.

Most readers on this thread can do the math that takes into account excursion, air travel, gratuity, drinks, internet, and other costs that differentiate the above cruise lines. Sorry for the brain damage, but the Regent daily rate costs do not offer value compared to other ship lines.

Regent ends up on the short end of the stick when I compare cruise costs and acknowledge that UK-Aussie cruisers get much better cruise pricing on than US cruisers.

 

Welcome to the Regent board. Very interesting cost comparison. Your comparison of Seabourn and Regent is particularly interesting since the other cruise lines are not considered "luxury" and are not all-inclusive which makes a comparison of the experience difficult to do. I also want to comment about a cruise travel site that has a "10% onboard credit". There are many luxury travel agents (possiblly non-luxury TA's as well) that give you a percentage back on your cruise. The standard is 5% but some apparently give up to 10% back. This is in cash - not onboard credit.

 

To help in your comparison, Oceania charges $60/day/person for their premium alcohol package and $27/day for internet (for one person). So, when looking at a 55 night cruise on Oceania, add $6,600 for two alcohol packages and $1,485 for internet (plus gratuities - unless you find a TA that includes gratuities -- many do).

 

In terms of excursion costs, they can be exorbitant - depending upon the ports you are visiting. This could add several hundred dollars for each day that you take a ship excursion. The prices on Oceania are so high that most passengers get small groups together and do private tours. I am not familiar with tour costs on Seabourn or HAL.

 

IMO, the cruise experience would be similar on Regent or Seabourn (note: Seabourn has smoking on balconies while Regent has strict smoking policies) but would be quite different on Oceania or Holland America. Oceania is very close to a luxury experience on their newer ships (Riviera or Marina). The Nautica is one of their older ships with much smaller suites and less dining options.

 

I think that a good TA would be very helpful - one that regularly books the cruise line that you are interested in (this may mean looking at a different TA for luxury cruising than for Holland America). Look at the shipboard experience, the cost of excursions, the alcohol package (not all are equal) and the size of the ships (for instance, Holland American Volendam is twice the size of Oceania's Nautica or Regent's Voyager and Seabourn is considerably smaller than Regent).

 

You are off to a good start. Let us know which cruise line you ultimately choose:)

Edited March 20, 2015 by Travelcat2

[kennicott]

IMO, the cruise experience would be similar on Regent or Seabourn (note: Seabourn has smoking on balconies while Regent has strict smoking policies) but would be quite different on Oceania or Holland America.

 

Even Seabourn tightening up their smoking policy. Looks like HAL is the only one of the mass market lines to still allow balcony smoking. I'm not all that familiar with Seabourn ships but when cruising on Regent we quite often share a pier directly adjacent to them. It looks to me like they don't have hardly any, what you would call balconies, just a little dinky platform directly outside of the stateroom.

 

 

"Seabourn Cruise Line

 

Where You Can Smoke: As of February 2, cigarette smoking is permitted on suite balconies only on Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest, and, depending on ship, on one side of Observation Bar/Lounge (except during coffee and tea service hours), one side of the Sky Bar (except during Sky Grill food service on Seabourn Pride, Spirit & Legend) and one side of Seabourn Square Terrace and Club Terrace. Electronic cigarettes may be used in all suites.

 

Where You Can't: As of the date above, smoking is prohibited in all passenger cabins on all ships, and on balconies in category B suites on Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend. All all ships, most public areas are smoke-free."

[liptastic]

Today I managed to access the US website and price the cruise we are booked for in June on Mariner.

I initially thought it was way over expensive compared to our price but then noticed it said 2 for 1 price. Like the UK business class flights are included for penthouse suites and above. We don't have 2 for 1 price here, so please correct me if I have misunderstood the pricing quote.

Jean.

[JVilleGal]

The 2 for 1 price quoted is actually the per person price. You don't get 2 people for that one price :)

[liptastic]

Thanks for clearing up my mix up. On the site I accessed today it does look as though it is 2 for 1 price, very misleading. Well our cruise in a penthouse suite is much less £ here than you are paying in $.

I feel that's so unfair you are paying more than we are in the UK. Regards, Jean.

[JVilleGal]

Thanks for clearing up my mix up. On the site I accessed today it does look as though it is 2 for 1 price, very misleading. Well our cruise in a penthouse suite is much less £ here than you are paying in $.

 

I feel that's so unfair you are paying more than we are in the UK. Regards, Jean.[/quote

 

 

Remember that your cruise starts in Europe, while US pricing reflects getting US passengers to Europe round trip which costs a lot more than flying you from the UK. The airfare maybe included in the price of the cruise but it is certainly no "Free".

Edited March 20, 2015 by JVilleGal

[kennicott]

Thanks for clearing up my mix up. On the site I accessed today it does look as though it is 2 for 1 price, very misleading. .

 

Yea, it is 2 for 1-----but the 2 for 1 is based upon the full price. The single person full price is usually listed next to the discounted per person price.

 

"2-for-1 All-Inclusive Fares and Early Booking Savings are based on published Full Brochure Fares; such fares may not have resulted in actual sales in all suite categories and do not include optional charges"

 

Is confusing indeed, at first, reminds me of the first time I saw a cruise brochure with prices. "Based upon double occupancy stateroom" Wow, I thought, pretty good deal. Oops--price times two for everything on a ship. Not like a hotel room charge. I wonder if a guest has ever paid the full brochure fare on Regent?

[OctoberKat]

Regent's pricing on their web site and in the brochures is unnecessarily confusing such that one is led to wonder just how deliberate is this pricing representation. Having worked (too) many years in corporate marketing departments, it's clear as day that the confusion is intentional and the notion of customer friendly or customer first holds no sway in this regard.

[Travelcat2]

Regent's pricing on their web site and in the brochures is unnecessarily confusing such that one is led to wonder just how deliberate is this pricing representation. Having worked (too) many years in corporate marketing departments, it's clear as day that the confusion is intentional and the notion of customer friendly or customer first holds no sway in this regard.

 

This is done by just about all cruise lines. While a bit confusing, it is what it is. This is one reason why it is so important to book through a travel agent that regularly books Regent cruises. They can explain everything you need to know about booking with Regent. Yes -- the confusion is intentional but is done by most major companies. Fortunately, unlike most marketing campaigns in the non-cruising world, one discussion with Regent or a TA is all it takes to understand what is going on.

 

Fortunately for Regent, this is not an issue in terms of them filling their ships. I feel sorry for other cruise lines (Silversea, for example that is currently sailing half full on their newest ship). Regent is doing something right....... we may not understand it but it works.

[OctoberKat]

Yes, of course it works for Regent, it's supposed to. I am familiar only with the pricing of Regent, Seabourn, Silversea and Oceania. None of the latter three are as squirmy as Regent. Yes, I know Oceania ostensibly is not inclusive (but sometimes is semi- so depending upon category booked, etc.).

 

Further, it is not clear that Regent is filling their cruises, certainly not the Baltic-centric ones. To the extent Regent cruises are well booked, likely a significant portion of those passengers derive from the non-U.S. Regions cited on this thread where cruises go for half-price or so in comparison with U.S. prices.

[msafiri]

“Working for Regent” is not a criteria I use to judge a cruise line unless I am an owner.

Working for the customer is all that matters to me if I am a potential customer.

If Regent is making money for their greedy owners with a strategy of confusing the customer, then they are not a cruise line I want to do business with.

Helping Regent’s stockholders get wealthier by confusing customers does not make my list of priorities.

In the end, this strategy will not serve them well. There is too much transparency & too many smart customers for them to get away with this long term.

I do not congratulate Regent for this slimy strategy.

[Travelcat2]

“Working for Regent” is not a criteria I use to judge a cruise line unless I am an owner.

Working for the customer is all that matters to me if I am a potential customer.

If Regent is making money for their greedy owners with a strategy of confusing the customer, then they are not a cruise line I want to do business with.

Helping Regent’s stockholders get wealthier by confusing customers does not make my list of priorities.

In the end, this strategy will not serve them well. There is too much transparency & too many smart customers for them to get away with this long term.

I do not congratulate Regent for this slimy strategy.

 

They have used the same advertising strategy for as long as I can remember. If I did not do business with companies that confuse customers by their advertising, I probably wouldn't do business with many companies. Not sure what you are referring to about "Working for Regent".

 

Have to wonder about "Regent's stockholders" - probably because I am only aware of NCL stockholders (of which I am not). IMO, those of us that continue sailing with Regent, despite their "slimy" strategies, do so because of the experience on the ships. We all have a choice -- some of us choose Regent and others do not. It is all good:)

[msafiri]

Works for Regent is a phrase you introduced.

Sorry it confused you.

[Travelcat2]

Works for Regent is a phrase you introduced.

Sorry it confused you.

 

Now double confused as "Working for Regent" was the first three words in post #61. Not a big deal!

Edited March 21, 2015 by Travelcat2

[OctoberKat]

Oops

Edited March 21, 2015 by OctoberKat

[OctoberKat]

 

Now double confused as "Working for Regent" was the first three words in post #61. Not a big deal!

 

No worries, msafiri, think of this as trial-by-stuttering-dribbling fire.

[Travelcat2]

No worries, msafiri, think of this as trial-by-stuttering-dribbling fire.

 

I apparently missed your "working for Regent" post. Yes, sometimes this board is "trial-by-stuttering-dribbling fire". At the end of the day, msafiri mistaking your post for mine is no big deal.

 

Regent's advertising has been discussed for years. There isn't much that can be said that hasn't be said before. It would be nice if it were straightforward but it isn't. It would be nice to change the word "free" to "included" on their website and literature. It would be nice to have one price for each category. It would definitely be nice if other countries were not getting better deals than those of us in the U.S. and Canada. However, as I said, we all have choices and spend our money with the cruise line we are most comfortable with. For us that is Regent.

[OctoberKat]

Giggle

[swabs]

I must say the Uk prices quoted (well at least to me) are simple and easy to understand.

The prices quoted by Regent are the prices you pay. The art is finding a Uk travel agent who will discount that price, throw in OBC and perks eg Uk airport hotel/ parking. Also in the UK once we have booked and paid a deposit we cannot cancel therefore must have full travel insurance in place when we make a booking ( should we fall ill etc and have to cancel the trip ).

Also what benefit is there to us of free business class flights (PH and above) when only flying to Europe?

I must say the US web sites I have looked at , converted $ to £ the prices look fairly similar.

 

 

 

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[81Zoomie]

We just received an email that said prices are going up on April 1 and "specials" were ending. Does this happen every year at this time?

[Travelcat2]

We just received an email that said prices are going up on April 1 and "specials" were ending. Does this happen every year at this time?

 

Itineraries that are selling well go up quarterly. "Specials" can appear and end anytime. It seems that when one special ends, another begins. At this point, unless I am just about to book a cruise, we don't pay attention to the quarterly adjustments.