Regent irritates loyal customers once more

[Pies4u]

That's just one more drawback to living in the internet age. Any vendor selling services now has almost instant access to inventory, related costs, projections, etc. - and the flip side is that most of this data is also available to the consumers.

 

Look at the prices of anything - airlines, new cars, fuel, hotels, or really any goods and services - twenty years ago, we would have called our TA, gotten a price quote, paid it, and sailed. Today, we constantly monitor any change in price, even a few hundred bucks on a multi-thousand dollar cruise - and if we're unhappy, we share our unhappiness with thousands of other people at the speed of light.

 

Let's try and keep this in perspective - Regent, and any other company, really - has to juggle changes in costs of fuel, food, lodging, transportation, booze, labor, port charges, maintenance, etc. all while being at the mercy of the weather, terrorism, volcanoes, diseases, and God knows what else.

 

I'm not preaching (too much). I've done the same thing. I had my TA contact RSSC when the Bus Class Air dropped from $1,299 pp to $499. Saved me $3,200 with one phone call, so of course I'm happy. Now they've dropped it to $199 pp. Even though RSSC says it's for new bookings only, my TA got it dropped again. And on top of that, the cruise fare has dropped, too. Would I have been aware of these changes without the internet? Probably not.

 

Fact is, pricing of a global commodity is a huge balancing act, and if I can take advantage of it, great. If not, well, I had already paid my money so obviously I felt it was worth the cost before. I'm not gonna let a few hundred in OBC, which is very tough for me to use anyhow, sour my vacation one iota.

 

But that's just me...

 

Absolutely, spot on. My sentiments entirely.

[liptastic]

That's just one more drawback to living in the internet age. Any vendor selling services now has almost instant access to inventory, related costs, projections, etc. - and the flip side is that most of this data is also available to the consumers.

 

Look at the prices of anything - airlines, new cars, fuel, hotels, or really any goods and services - twenty years ago, we would have called our TA, gotten a price quote, paid it, and sailed. Today, we constantly monitor any change in price, even a few hundred bucks on a multi-thousand dollar cruise - and if we're unhappy, we share our unhappiness with thousands of other people at the speed of light.

 

Let's try and keep this in perspective - Regent, and any other company, really - has to juggle changes in costs of fuel, food, lodging, transportation, booze, labor, port charges, maintenance, etc. all while being at the mercy of the weather, terrorism, volcanoes, diseases, and God knows what else.

 

I'm not preaching (too much). I've done the same thing. I had my TA contact RSSC when the Bus Class Air dropped from $1,299 pp to $499. Saved me $3,200 with one phone call, so of course I'm happy. Now they've dropped it to $199 pp. Even though RSSC says it's for new bookings only, my TA got it dropped again. And on top of that, the cruise fare has dropped, too. Would I have been aware of these changes without the internet? Probably not.

 

Fact is, pricing of a global commodity is a huge balancing act, and if I can take advantage of it, great. If not, well, I had already paid my money so obviously I felt it was worth the cost before. I'm not gonna let a few hundred in OBC, which is very tough for me to use anyhow, sour my vacation one iota.

 

But that's just me...

 

Bill your posts seem to be the voice of reason. Jean.

[Travelcat2]

UUNetBill : As usual, your post explained the situation very well. Thank you!

 

Gnomie - yes - this was discussed last year but this year, when I asked (on another thread) what was included, it was the exact same inclusions as we get in N. America. The only difference is the cost of airfare which is not 25% of the cruise cost.

 

Anyway, don't want to get back onto that subject. After checking my numbers, I'm happy that we booked the cruise earlier rather than later. Besides for paying less money, we were able to get the exact suite that we wanted.

[commodore2010]

Too this day, it still amazes me when someone compares a negative situation with another type of negative situation as if two wrongs make a right. Actually, there is a great deal of difference, starting with the amount of money being paid and the end product being a completely different situation.

 

 

gnomie :)

 

A closer comparison might be a resort stay. You are not going to get the credit or reduction on a promotion without asking. It would be nice, but its not the common practice of any cruisline or for that matter any company.

[mrstanley]

UUNetBill: most people are not checking the Regent website like you and I do. Like you I had to contact my TA. I got a big run around regarding the offering of FREE Business Class

being offered to all categories. This was offered AFTER final payment. I was really annoyed because we used Frequent Flyer miles for our tickets. I was given OBC but would

have liked to have not needed to use those miles up. Not happy with the way Regent handled this. Unfair. People who booked the Dubai to Barcelona cruise after the final payment date got a really good deal. The price drop on this cruise was huge. Look at

the fares when first offered! Do you think your TA really looks out for you? Thank goodness for the Internet! My best friend!

[JMARINER]

Too this day, it still amazes me when someone compares a negative situation with another type of negative situation as if two wrongs make a right. Actually, there is a great deal of difference, starting with the amount of money being paid and the end product being a completely different situation.

 

 

gnomie :)

 

A little chagrined at your answer:confused::confused:

 

Where did you get to the value judgement of my reply meaning "two wrongs making a right?" comparison?

 

And for what it is worth, I have paid air fares that were nearly as much, or more than cruise fares.

 

j

[mrstanley]

Hi forgap. We are on the Dubai to Barcelona cruise. Since you booked later than you usually do were you able to get good flights? We did our own air and will be flying from

Atlanta to Dubai.

[Travelcat2]

A little chagrined at your answer:confused::confused:

 

Where did you get to the value judgement of my reply meaning "two wrongs making a right?" comparison?

 

And for what it is worth, I have paid air fares that were nearly as much, or more than cruise fares.

 

j

 

Agree with you! Some business class airfares (and even business class upgrades on Regent) are the price of some luxury cruises. The likelihood of sitting next to a person on a plane that paid the same amount as you did is small since the prices change frequently (sometimes hourly:-). I don't see "two wrongs" anywhere - just companies doing their best to stay in business and to sell seats/cabins so that planes/cruise ships run as full as possible.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Travelcat2

[UUNetBill]

Sure, we could always book later and hope for price reductions. And then we may not get the itinerary we prefer, or the cabin/category we prefer, or the excursions we prefer. But we book in advance and get the extras we want. Do we pay more for that? Sometimes. Is it worth it to have that peace of mind? That's a personal opinion. But we all have that option.

 

As TC stated, no two people on any flight ever pay the same fare (well, rarely, you know what I'm trying to say). No two hotel guests pay the same rate. That's how a free market economy works. When the price offered equals what one is willing to pay, a sale is made. Different people buy at different price points. Don't see why cruise lines should be any different.

[rallydave]

Sure, we could always book later and hope for price reductions. And then we may not get the itinerary we prefer, or the cabin/category we prefer, or the excursions we prefer. But we book in advance and get the extras we want. Do we pay more for that? Sometimes. Is it worth it to have that peace of mind? That's a personal opinion. But we all have that option.

 

As TC stated, no two people on any flight ever pay the same fare (well, rarely, you know what I'm trying to say). No two hotel guests pay the same rate. That's how a free market economy works. When the price offered equals what one is willing to pay, a sale is made. Different people buy at different price points. Don't see why cruise lines should be any different.

 

A couple of reasons why Regent might be different than your examples.

 

Regent tells people in writing to book early to get the best rate and benefits while neither airlines or hotels do this.

 

Regent drops rates and increases perks as they get close to sailing when ships are not selling well while airlines and hotels generally increase rates as time goes on.

 

Regent pays relatively high commissions to TA's while airlines now pay nothing and hotels pay a smaller percentage.

 

Regent restricts the amount of perks that can be advertised (not what can actually be given without advertising) while airlines and hotels can provide discounts and perks as they see fit.

 

Regent restricts any discounting while airlines and hotels don't have any such restrictions.

 

Regent requires a relatively small deposit and full payment 4 to 6 months before sailing while airlines require full payment at booking and hotels only require any payment upon checkout.

 

Regent and airlines generally won't give money back if rates decrease while hotels will give you the lower rate.

 

Sure there are more differences. Not saying any one is better than the others simply saying bad comparison and doubt any travel entities can be compared to any other as they all have different policies and procedures.

[forgap]

Hi forgap. We are on the Dubai to Barcelona cruise. Since you booked later than you usually do were you able to get good flights? We did our own air and will be flying from

Atlanta to Dubai.

 

Not wonderful, but do-able. Not direct...Atl to Heathrow on BA, 12 hour wait, then to Dubai. All of these are overnight flights so we can sleep. Going home BCN to Paris, 1 hour or so to wait, then Paris to ATL. I like the idea of a brief walk about in London. (See new thread seeking advice).

 

See you on board!

[Sunprince]

It isn't any different!!!

 

What astounds me is the outrage over a few hundred dollars on board credit while very few passengers show the same emotion over U.K. residents paying 25% less than U.S. and Canadian residents. This is thousands - not hundreds of dollars:confused:

 

P.S. Not really upset about people in the smallest suites getting the OBC's. Regent is simply trying to sell what seems to be the unpopular cabins. It really isn't going to cost them much $$$ since these are likely in areas that people don't want to book.

 

Does this 25% UK discount include air? In my experience, when logging into the RSSC website outside of US/Can, all the prices exclude included air that is built into the US/Can website prices.

[Sunprince]

We made a spontaneous decision to book Dubai to Barcelona on May 2nd. This is the first time we have booked a cruise less than a year away. The perks even got our TA excited - business air, OBC, category upgrades, Internet (although we already get that perk!). I think all the Middle East trips are tanking this year but this seemed like a once in a a lifetime opportunity - Petra, Luxor, Suez transit, Jerusalem. 21 days in all with plenty of sea days to rest. The only down side is paying all at once. I could almost hear my credit card scream!

 

In the past I have watched for perks after we have booked and our TA has always gotten them for us. The only thing Regent balks at is giving the pre cruise hotel when they have a category promotion. No big deal.

 

Did you check comparable prices on Seabourn for a similar itinerary? I have noticed them to be considerably less expensive than Regent. It's hard to pass up included business class air which is a must, but I've found booking your own business class air can often been less expensive than taking Regents promo if you can find a good airfare by booking on your own.

[Travelcat2]

A couple of reasons why Regent might be different than your examples.

 

Regent tells people in writing to book early to get the best rate and benefits while neither airlines or hotels do this.

 

Regent drops rates and increases perks as they get close to sailing when ships are not selling well while airlines and hotels generally increase rates as time goes on.

 

Regent pays relatively high commissions to TA's while airlines now pay nothing and hotels pay a smaller percentage.

 

Regent restricts the amount of perks that can be advertised (not what can actually be given without advertising) while airlines and hotels can provide discounts and perks as they see fit.

 

Regent restricts any discounting while airlines and hotels don't have any such restrictions.

 

Regent requires a relatively small deposit and full payment 4 to 6 months before sailing while airlines require full payment at booking and hotels only require any payment upon checkout.

 

Regent and airlines generally won't give money back if rates decrease while hotels will give you the lower rate.

 

Sure there are more differences. Not saying any one is better than the others simply saying bad comparison and doubt any travel entities can be compared to any other as they all have different policies and procedures.

 

Wow - it sounds as if you are not a Regent fan!

 

I could dispute item by item but the subject of this thread is Regent giving extra benefits in order to sell cabins when the date of the cruise gets closer. It could also include airlines, car dealerships, grocery stores and more businesses than I can name that discount their products when it is not selling well (not saying that the Explorer is not selling well but it has some hard to sell suites).

 

IMO, deposits, commission, how a product is advertised, whether or not money is refunded or drops or increases in perks has nothing to do with running "sales" or last minute offers in order to fill seats/sell products that are not doing well, etc.

 

Sunprince: Yes - I've been told by people in the U.K. that air is included in the 25% off fares. The one place that does not include air is Australia (there are probably more places that I am not aware of). Since the "specials" are in effect now (at least I think they are), try logging into the U.K. website and checking. Maybe you'll let us know because I'm too lazy to do that:o

[Emperor Norton]

It's probably because your cruise originates in Rome. All cruise lines are offering incentives for anyone willing to book anything in the Med now.

 

Not all;)

 

On my Explorer cruise they were offering up incentives to switch over to the Voyager. But that could just be an inaugural thing.

[Pigin]

MY FIRST POST :eek:

 

As an avid watcher on this site I am eventually drawn to posting my two-penneth worth about this pricing issue.

 

I think most people can understand how the supply and demand theory of pricing works if they live in a consumer society. How companies or individuals go about the timing and regulation of their structures is within their own remit. They are business enterprises who need to make a profit in order that we can continue to enjoy what they are offering.

 

My irritation is caused by underhand advertising and the filtering that needs to be done in order to fully understand the often misleading headlines.

 

Currently on the RSSC UK website, the cruise that I booked at the beginning of the year is now advertised as:

"EARLY BOOKING SAVINGS UP TO £1,417 PER PERSON". This did not feature previously and the prices on the website have not changed since booking. Strange?

 

Well, I called RSSC to see where I stand on this and was told that the prices have always reflected this early bird saving. So one can presume that the prices are going to increase in the future. You will not be surprised to know there are no actual savings to be had at this point.

 

More dubious advertising whereby they tell prospective customers that they get up to 72 free shore excursions. How many people have ever been able to take 72 excursions on an 11 day cruise! More to the point there is only 63 free excursions listed and then there are 11 that are duplicated as we are at the same location for two calendar days so actually I make that 52 free excursions! But hey its all free and 52 is up to and does not exceed 72, but neither does 1.

 

What I see is not a luxury cruise line wanting to provide you with the best possible that the industry has to offer but a company that is happy to take as much of your money as possible without you resenting it too much. They do this because of my first point, supply and demand and to be frank because they can. How many repeat customers do six star cruise line have, answer plenty and if you are fed up with this one, go to another. Which may even have the same shareholders.

 

If anyone from RSSC with influence reads these comments please take note that your customers have genuine concerns and perhaps they won't be your customers or ambassadors for long.

 

"I'll get me coat" :rolleyes:

Edited March 23, 2016 by Pigin

[liptastic]

You have highlighted lots of points here, and it's a very well written post. Jean.:)

[UUNetBill]

I agree that the constant barrage of "Book now to save money" and "Prices go up on the first" (with a countdown clock, no less) do take away from the 'upscale feel' that Regent wants to sell.

 

But I also think that once on board, these feelings melt away with that first glass of champagne.

 

That said, I wouldn't mind at all if Regent's marketing department would revisit the concept of 'subtle elegance' and back off on the unending barrage of mailings...

 

Y'all reading this, Regent? :cool:

[solysol]

I agree with the post from pigin, we are due to pay our final payment and we know on the uk website it has gone down considerably, but our final payment has not been reduced so this may be our final cruise with regent.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[TWG_ag]

Just because Regent is a "6-Star" cruise line, does not mean they have "6-Star" marketing. What they do to sell cabins is no different than most other companies, not just cruise lines. Yield management drives a lot of marketing today as computers allow pricing to change at will. I work in the utility business and I can assure you that it won't be long before what you pay to use electricity in your home will be priced by the minute (not just the hour) of the day.

 

The reasons for booking early in my case is that I still work and have to plan my time off in advance. I know exactly when I can go and know the cabin I want. Booking early allows me first crack at excursions and other options. If I was flexible I might try the waiting game as well and in that venue you also can win or lose. My equalizer is a good and trusted TA who has my back. To the original theme of this thread, yesterday my TA got me (without me asking or knowing) a $300 OBC being offered on my upcoming September trip. Was it fair for Regent to offer that without calling me, sure. They are in the selling cabins business. None of this works without revenue, so they make hard calls everyday to fill beds. All the lines right now are dealing with the situation in Turkey and now Brussels, and that is being reflected in aggressive discounting. They do not do new promotions to "Irritate Loyal Customers", they do it to fill the ships. Full ships mean a profitable business (not an evil concept) that will continue to provide us with the experience we pay for.

[rallydave]

Don't forget the almost constant statements of "unlimited" free shore excursions. If they are "unlimited", why are some full with wait lists? Have yet to see an asterisk clarifying "unlimited".

 

Realize that in some ports it would be impossible to take book everyone on board but, why say unlimited if there certainly are limits and busses cannot always be acquired to take all those who want to attend a specific excursion??

[flossie009]

I agree with the post from pigin, we are due to pay our final payment and we know on the uk website it has gone down considerably, but our final payment has not been reduced so this may be our final cruise with regent.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

Make sure you complain firmly but politely to your TA and/or Regent. You may not get the price reduced but should get compensated with an upgrade, on-board credit, future cruise credit or a combination of these

 

Not sure why the price reduction should make you not want to cruise with Regent. You were obviously happy when you booked at that price

Edited March 23, 2016 by flossie009
More info added

[Cuizer2]

Regent is offering ship board credits from $300 to $600 for new bookings, but, completely ignoring those of us who booked earlier. We are booked on the Explorer from Rome to Miami next November. They are offering $300 credit for new bookings but ignoring those of us who booked as soon as Explorer schedule was announced. Seems to me that if an offering is made it should cover "all bookings". Many cruise lines do this and they do not generate ill will as Regent is doing by lowering upgrades to business class (or offering free), lowering rates, and offering enticements such as OBCs. We, the loyal passengers, are the ones who have taken Regent where it is and the ones who come back year after year. Keep your loyal passengers happy, Regent. If you're offering on board credits make sure we receive it too.

 

This is common with TV programing providers. If you are a new customer, you can get a special deal. If you are already a customer, no deal.

[Pigin]

Make sure you complain firmly but politely to your TA and/or Regent. You may not get the price reduced but should get compensated with an upgrade, on-board credit, future cruise credit or a combination of these

 

Really? This happens in the UK? Please tell me more.

 

Better take it easy now, this is my second post!:D

[flossie009]

Really? This happens in the UK? Please tell me more.

 

Better take it easy now, this is my second post!:D

 

Our TA has convinced Regent to "do the right thing" on two occasions in the past when prices had reduced.

 

One further tip for UK guests, if you find you like Regent book your next cruise while on-board. You will pay a much reduced deposit, have the opportunity to move that deposit to another cruise if you change your mind and you will get a 'price guarantee'