Not Feeling Special

[dog1]

Sorry I had not checked the board in several days. I was asked what brand of whiskey was I requesting. I requested my favorite--Red Breast Irish Whiskey, 12 years old. Regent said it would be a 65 dollar charge. In most liquor stores it sells for 55 to 60 dollars, so their price isn't outrageous. What they typically carry onboard is Jameson's. It is good also, and costs 35 dollars or so a bottle at most liquor stores. The reason I am so fond of the Red Breast brand is that it reminds me of the many days I have spent playing beautiful golf courses in Ireland. Plus it is great whiskey. Very smooth.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I'm a little perplexed by all this. Why would they not charge for something like Hendrick's (or that special Irish whiskey), since they are really expensive compared to the standard (but very good) brands that they do dispense for free? Hendrick's is too rich for my blood, and I do like gin.

[luv2c00k]

...simple, a bunch of nice, pleasant, laid back folks, all having a very good time. :cool:

 

We sailed on the Navigator last month... it sparkled. Probably refurb will deal with mostly under the hood...and cosmetics. It should be fine once put back into commission.

 

Thanks again - we will continue with our decision. Am really looking forward to it. This board does make me laugh a lot. Sometimes the lady doth protest to much! Nice to find "real" people here.

[Travelcat2]

...simple, a bunch of nice, pleasant, laid back folks, all having a very good time. :cool:

 

 

 

.

 

Yep -- simply a bunch of "nice, pleasant, laid back folks, all having a good time" and trying to share the fact that Regent does make people feel special! In terms of the alcohol on board, if someone can find a luxury cruise line with a better selection of top shelf alcohol, please let us know (we'll jump ship and go there).

 

In all of our luxury cruising, we have yet to ask Regent (or Silversea) to stock something on the ship that they do not typically carry. We could live quite well on what they have. If Regent no longer provides special included alcohol by request, there is bound to be other selections that will meet or exceed expectations.

[cruiseluv]

And regarding the Navigator... gosh, its been so long I havent cruised on her, but its such a great little ship! We did a 14 days Northern Europe, Iceland to Copenhagen ( before that we did 11 days in Alaska), my favorite cruise ever!! So, luv2c00k, I would imagine that after the refurbishment it'll be greater that I remember it to be!!

[lincslady]

Could I revert to the original topic here? We are booked in for a Regent cruise fairly soon, and wonder how one can ask for special drinks etc. in the suite. Unlike Seabourn, it seems that one is provided with 'soft drinks and beer', none of which we drink apart from tonic with G and T. We only want the sort of thing bound to be included anyway.

 

There does not seem to be any facility to get in touch with them in advance, having filled in all the information about our trip online, to ask any questions.

 

Advice please? (We are in the UK)

[fizzy]

Could I revert to the original topic here? We are booked in for a Regent cruise fairly soon, and wonder how one can ask for special drinks etc. in the suite. Unlike Seabourn, it seems that one is provided with 'soft drinks and beer', none of which we drink apart from tonic with G and T. We only want the sort of thing bound to be included anyway.

 

There does not seem to be any facility to get in touch with them in advance, having filled in all the information about our trip online, to ask any questions.

 

Advice please? (We are in the UK)

 

We always find that within an hour or so at the latest, your butler or cabin steward will stop by for introduction and ask you exactly what you'd like to have on hand, any other requests. etc., and everything falls into place very quickly. I think it is actually easier than the electronic request protocol. I hope you are pleasantly surprised.

[lincslady]

Thanks, fizzy. We will not be having a butler, but presume we will be able to ask our cabin steward/stewardess.

[dhill]

:eek:$166 upcharge that's not right.They should pay you to take it,Or maybe they should just give anything and everything away for free.:eek:

[Zqueeze1]

Could I revert to the original topic here? We are booked in for a Regent cruise fairly soon, and wonder how one can ask for special drinks etc. in the suite. Unlike Seabourn, it seems that one is provided with 'soft drinks and beer', none of which we drink apart from tonic with G and T. We only want the sort of thing bound to be included anyway.

 

There does not seem to be any facility to get in touch with them in advance, having filled in all the information about our trip online, to ask any questions.

 

Advice please? (We are in the UK)

 

I think that your safest bet is to email Regent with your cruise info and your request stating any particular brand you have in mind. If it is something already carried by Regent, piece of cake. Even a simple coordination with your cabin steward should get you what you need.

 

Z and TB

[ridolphi]

I believe there is a form inside the leather folder in your cabin you can fill out for liquor requests. In our case, I just ask the Room steward the first day for a couple of bottles of white wine of choice and its usually there that evening or the next morning at latest, and when I need more I just ask. My husband sometimes asks for a bottle or Red wine, or sometimes he asks for Gin and it has never been an issue. He also will trade out the beer for a brand he likes, again never been an issue.

 

As to ordering prior to your cruise, our experience has been that is only available to suites with Butler's, then there is an online Butler for to fill out.

You can also bring whatever you want onboard with you.

 

But it really is not a problem once onboard. Enjoy your cruise.

[Zqueeze1]

1. Bickering. Why do we have to have internet lawyers pointing out each infraction and conducting a point/counterpoint analysis? Sometimes folks post some very vindictive comments that only serves to demean themselves and really makes me doubt as to why we are cruising Regent. Thankfully, you don't see this behavior when onboard. Sort of a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome.

2. Hendricks. Time to put this time bomb to rest since all this speculation does not trump going to the source for info. I emailed Regent yesterday regarding their policy for charging guests for liquor not offered by Regent and whether I would be charged for their generous offer to place some Hendricks in our suite. Although Regent did not address the question on policy, their response was, “I checked with my Operations department, and they have confirmed to me that your two Hendrick’s Gin bottles for your bar setup will have no additional cost.” Yehaah. Time to write Regent and put in your request.

Z and TB</SPAN>

[poss]

Just to report: We've never had a suite with a butler and have always ordered in advance. (To start with, a nice bottle of champagne.) Haven't sailed in past two years, so not sure if still the same, or how things might be different in UK. When I pay my deposit, I just ask the reservationist to please put in the request. Never a miss. And never any problem asking for additional bottle when on board; we prefer cocktails in our suite, so often do. Oh-- and remember: If you happen to forget to order something for your fridge and you'd like a cocktail or a bottle of wine or whatever, you can just call room service. They're usually pretty prompt.

 

lincslady: I hope you enjoy your Regent cruise as much as we always have. We've loved every single one of our cruises. (Only thing that really bothers us is the temperature in the restaurants -- way too frigid for us, especially on my husband's bald head.)

Edited June 25, 2015 by poss

[doug52]

1. Bickering. Why do we have to have internet lawyers pointing out each infraction and conducting a point/counterpoint analysis? Sometimes folks post some very vindictive comments that only serves to demean themselves and really makes me doubt as to why we are cruising Regent. Thankfully, you don't see this behavior when onboard. Sort of a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome.

 

Well, I could not agree more with Zqueeze1 on the point above. I recently put down a deposit for the first time on an upcoming Regent Explorer cruise due to the strong recommendations from two tennis buddies who regularly cruise on Regent. Neither follow CC, but we will be traveling with one couple on this cruise and I recommended to him to join the roll call and follow CC discussions.

 

 

I say all this because I regularly follow and contribute to the Princess threads (and we will be going on our fourth Princess cruise this September) and while there are disagreements I have never seen the amount of bickering and personal attacks as on the various Regent threads I have been following. If not for my friends, this disharmony would be a significant factor in deciding if the Regent atmosphere would detract from our experience.

 

I really appreciate Zqueeze's comments that this type of attitude does not translate to the ship experience. In fact, I am highly jealous of the TA cruise roll call he participates in, as ours is verrrry slow in comparison.

 

And finally, I also appreciate the enthusiasm and information I obtain from Travel Cat as she provides her insight from her personal experiences. Understanding that there are different opinions to various topics that is expected on this forum, what is not expected nor appreciated(by me) is the various personal blasts she(and others) takes without merit. One writer in particular is especially vicious to her comments.

 

Sorry that this post is a deviation from the OP's thread, but I couldn't resist adding my 2c to Zqueeze.

 

Doug

[swabs]

Could I revert to the original topic here? We are booked in for a Regent cruise fairly soon, and wonder how one can ask for special drinks etc. in the suite. Unlike Seabourn, it seems that one is provided with 'soft drinks and beer', none of which we drink apart from tonic with G and T. We only want the sort of thing bound to be included anyway.

 

There does not seem to be any facility to get in touch with them in advance, having filled in all the information about our trip online, to ask any questions.

 

Advice please? (We are in the UK)

 

Evening Lincslady, as has already been mentioned your room steward/ stewardess normally call in on your arrival to introduce themselves and check everything is OK for you. Its at this point we have placed our requests - usually a bottle of Gordons for me ( Not Hendricks...... too peppery)!! and a bottle of whiskey ( choice depends what mood my other half is in). And as previously mentioned this appears within the next couple of hours.

Re Champagne - we have always had a bottle on ice awaiting our arrival and I believe this is the norm.

Cheeky I know, but if we do not finish the spirits we have been known to decant them into empty plastic water bottles and bring them home!

I hate to think of them going to waste!!

[captbuzz]

Okay - I am now thoroughly confused and we do not receive brochures - only emails from Regent. Are you saying that the "explanation" of the "free" hotel is gone or the "free" hotel is no longer offered? I assume that the included hotel still exists for "concierge" suites and above since a hotel was listed for our November, 2016 Explorer cruise.

 

captbuzz: The major change to the Seven Seas Society benefits was made last year -- you now have to reach "Gold" status before you receive unlimited included internet. However, Regent runs quite a few specials that include some included internet and the upper suites also receive a limited amount of internet (only one person in a suite can use it at a time). I believe the change to the included hotels occurred in 2013. Rather than just cost cutting, much of what Regent has done is make the Category "E" and above suites more desirable by adding benefits. Since the "regular" suites are the same size on the Voyager and Navigator, there was no reason for a person to book an "E" category over a "D" category (except location).

 

Hope that you reconsider the Explorer -- it is expected to be a wonderful ship with many amenities, new restaurants, a Culinary Center, etc. We found the prices a bit too high for the first few sailings so we booked the transatlantic in November which has more "normal" pricing.

 

I am not sure when they changed their policy re the hotel night but it was after October of 2013 because we sailed with them then and got the room. We are considering the transatlantic as well but when I look at what they are asking for the pre-night room of $589 per guest which is almost 3 times the rate I could book it for on my own. It makes sense to upgrade to E for the differential and get the room included. It just seems annoying along with the change in policy re the internet for Silver sss members.

[Pamela1]

Could I revert to the original topic here? We are booked in for a Regent cruise fairly soon, and wonder how one can ask for special drinks etc. in the suite. Unlike Seabourn, it seems that one is provided with 'soft drinks and beer', none of which we drink apart from tonic with G and T. We only want the sort of thing bound to be included anyway.

 

There does not seem to be any facility to get in touch with them in advance, having filled in all the information about our trip online, to ask any questions.

 

Advice please? (We are in the UK)

 

 

Hi Lincslady,

 

We were on The Mariner in May. It was quite a last minute booking and we didn't have the option of pre ordering our drinks for the stateroom.

When we got to out room our lovely steward introduced himself and we then asked for our choices of alcohol which were there by the time we got back. We also asked for the contents of the mini bar to be changed to what we preferred including Sprite zero and a beer of my husbands choice which wasn't any problem at all.

We did have to ask for the soft drinks to be replenished after a few days but we asked our steward and they came fairly soon.

Hope you enjoy your cruise.

[Travelcat2]

I am not sure when they changed their policy re the hotel night but it was after October of 2013 because we sailed with them then and got the room. We are considering the transatlantic as well but when I look at what they are asking for the pre-night room of $589 per guest which is almost 3 times the rate I could book it for on my own. It makes sense to upgrade to E for the differential and get the room included. It just seems annoying along with the change in policy re the internet for Silver sss members.

 

Wouldn't it be less expensive to book your own hotel and do your own transfers.

[captbuzz]

It would but my whole point of cruising with Regent is to eliminate the amount of additional effort I have to put in to my vacations. What attracted me to them in the first place was the all inclusive aspect of their cruises.

[DaveFr]

It just seems annoying along with the change in policy re the internet for Silver sss members.

Were you Silver as of 9/30/2014? If you were, you will continue to receive the free unlimited internet benefit. (See: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=40204178&postcount=58.)

[Travelcat2]

I just went into our 2016 Explorer "Butler Request" menu and found some changes that relate to this subject. In the past, only a few alcohol options were listed (non-premium) and there was a space to type your premium selection. Tonight I noticed all of the regular and premium selections listed and a notice that there is a "Connoisseur Selection".

 

IN-SUITE BEVERAGE SELECTION

For your enjoyment, we invite you to choose up to two complimentary bottles from the premium selection. Guests in Master Suites, Grand Suites, Mariner, Navigator & Voyager Suites may choose up to four premium bottles with our compliments. All soft drinks will be replenished daily. Please note: Some Brands may not always be available.

 

Premium Brands

VODKA

Absolut

Absolut Citron

Belvedere

Chopin Gluten Free

Grey Goose

Ketel One

Smirnoff

Stolichnaya

Tito’’s Gluten Free

Voli

Van Gough Espresso

Van Gogh Chocolate

 

 

BOURBON

Jack Daniel’s

Jim Beam

Maker’s Mark

Old Grand-Dad

Wild Turkey

 

CANADIAN Whiskey

Canadian Club

Crown Royal

Seagram’s Seven

Seagram’s V.O.

 

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Ballentines

Chivas Regal

Cutty Sark

Dewar’s White Label

J&B Rare

Johnnie Walker Black

Johnnie Walker Red

 

Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Glenfiddich

Glenlivit

Glenmorangie

McCallan

 

Irish Whiskey

Bushyills

Jameson

 

Gin

Beefeater, London Dry

Bombay Sapphire

Gordon’d London Dry

Tanqueray, Special Dry

 

Tequila

Don Julio Anejo

Jose Cuervo Gold

Margaritaville Silver

Patron Reposado

 

RUM

Barcardi, Carta Blanca

Bicardi Limon

Captain Morgan Spiced

 

Couvoisier V.S.O.P.

Camus V.S.O.P.

Remy Martin V.S.O.P.

 

WINE

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Grigio

Cabernet Sauvignon

Shiraz

Merlot

Pinot Noir

Sparkling Wine

Champagne (included in your suite the day of embarkation)

 

I just went into our 2016 Explorer "Butler Request" menu and found some changes that relate to this subject. In the past, only a few alcohol options were listed (non-premium) and there was a space to type your premium selection. Tonight I noticed all of the regular and premium selections listed and a notice that there is a "Connoisseur Selection".

 

IN-SUITE BEVERAGE SELECTION

For your enjoyment, we invite you to choose up to two complimentary bottles from the premium selection. Guests in Master Suites, Grand Suites, Mariner, Navigator & Voyager Suites may choose up to four premium bottles with our compliments. All soft drinks will be replenished daily. Please note: Some Brands may not always be available.

 

Premium Brands

VODKA

Absolut

Absolut Citron

Belvedere

Chopin Gluten Free

Grey Goose

Ketel One

Smirnoff

Stolichnaya

Tito’’s Gluten Free

Voli

Van Gough Espresso

Van Gogh Chocolate

 

 

BOURBON

Jack Daniel’s

Jim Beam

Maker’s Mark

Old Grand-Dad

Wild Turkey

 

CANADIAN Whiskey

Canadian Club

Crown Royal

Seagram’s Seven

Seagram’s V.O.

 

BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Ballentines

Chivas Regal

Cutty Sark

Dewar’s White Label

J&B Rare

Johnnie Walker Black

Johnnie Walker Red

 

Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Glenfiddich

Glenlivit

Glenmorangie

McCallan

 

Irish Whiskey

Bushyills

Jameson

 

Gin

Beefeater, London Dry

Bombay Sapphire

Gordon’d London Dry

Tanqueray, Special Dry

 

Tequila

Don Julio Anejo

Jose Cuervo Gold

Margaritaville Silver

Patron Reposado

 

RUM

Barcardi, Carta Blanca

Bicardi Limon

Captain Morgan Spiced

 

Couvoisier V.S.O.P.

Camus V.S.O.P.

Remy Martin V.S.O.P.

 

WINE

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Grigio

Cabernet Sauvignon

Shiraz

Merlot

Pinot Noir

Sparkling Wine

Champagne (included in your suite the day of embarkation)

 

Connoisseur Selection

If your personal choice is not listed above or if you wish to upgrade to a Connoisseur brand, please contact special service. (Charges may Apply)

 

So, it appears that we can now get two bottles of "premium" alcohol (previously it was limited to one) but "Connoisseur" selections may have a cost.

 

Apologies if I misspelled anything -- I could not cut and paste from the website without it looking like "gobblygook" (my word).

 

While I am admittedly a Regent cheerleader, I take them to task often regarding their lack of communication. It seems that this is another case when their procedures have changed and even long time cruisers are not aware of it. So, it is possible/likely that there would be a charge for Hendricks. However, since it was offered to a poster, I still doubt if there will be a charge.

Edited June 26, 2015 by Travelcat2

[lincslady]

Many thanks, everyone - especially TC2 for the list of included drinks. It sounds as though if you are in a Butler suite you see this online before travelling, maybe.

 

In any case, we will ask on board for some gin and maybe cognac or a single malt - we do not drink much in the suite, as we enjoy being in lounges and having our drinks made, but occasionally it is pleasant just to sit perhaps on the veranda for a quiet snifter.

[Zqueeze1]

1. Bickering. Why do we have to have internet lawyers pointing out each infraction and conducting a point/counterpoint analysis? Sometimes folks post some very vindictive comments that only serves to demean themselves and really makes me doubt as to why we are cruising Regent. Thankfully, you don't see this behavior when onboard. Sort of a Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome.

 

Well, I could not agree more with Zqueeze1 on the point above. I recently put down a deposit for the first time on an upcoming Regent Explorer cruise due to the strong recommendations from two tennis buddies who regularly cruise on Regent. Neither follow CC, but we will be traveling with one couple on this cruise and I recommended to him to join the roll call and follow CC discussions.

 

 

I say all this because I regularly follow and contribute to the Princess threads (and we will be going on our fourth Princess cruise this September) and while there are disagreements I have never seen the amount of bickering and personal attacks as on the various Regent threads I have been following. If not for my friends, this disharmony would be a significant factor in deciding if the Regent atmosphere would detract from our experience.

 

I really appreciate Zqueeze's comments that this type of attitude does not translate to the ship experience. In fact, I am highly jealous of the TA cruise roll call he participates in, as ours is verrrry slow in comparison.

 

And finally, I also appreciate the enthusiasm and information I obtain from Travel Cat as she provides her insight from her personal experiences. Understanding that there are different opinions to various topics that is expected on this forum, what is not expected nor appreciated(by me) is the various personal blasts she(and others) takes without merit. One writer in particular is especially vicious to her comments.

 

Sorry that this post is a deviation from the OP's thread, but I couldn't resist adding my 2c to Zqueeze.

 

Doug

 

Thanks for the kind words. BTW, switch to the TA so you can be part of the dog and pony show!

 

TC2: After seeing the extensive drinks menu, please make sure our butler has plenty of ice and tell him I like my coffee dark with two sugars since I'm now bunking in with you guys. The Boss is OK with it. :D

 

Z and TB

Edited June 26, 2015 by Zqueeze1

[Suite Travels]

Jackie, just reading the adult beverage list made me drunk. Very extensive list and has a few of my favorites on it.

[JPR]

Those are all "Well" Bourbons, not Premium. No Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek, Blantons, or Bookers, or even Buffalo Trace or Bulleit!