The Future of Luxury Cruising (from a Regent-lover's point of view)

[barko4441]

17 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

...and make sure to disclose if you own stock before posting.

And give details of your confession to Fr. Cooper in 5th grade

[Dolebludger]

If someone wishes to post on this board and has never cruised on Regent, that is a good thing unless they start saying negative things about food, service, and things we only know about because we’ve been there. As to stock ownership, I understand Picardad has 100 shares of stock in NCLH, Regent’s parent company. We have 100 shares or more in many companies, and I assure all that this level of ownership does not allow the owner  to influence corporate policy to any degree. Nor is it sufficient ownership to influence the stockholder’s opinions. 

 

 

[Silver Sweethearts]

11 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

We have 100 shares or more in many companies, and I assure all that this level of ownership does not allow the owner  to influence corporate policy to any degree. Nor is it sufficient ownership to influence the stockholder’s opinions. 

 

...but getting $100. OBC because of it is nice.

[Dolebludger]

Getting any OBC is nice! We don’t own any NCLH stock. In the past we have received OBC from AmEx Platinum. Don’t know if it will be true in the future. Hope it is.

[Travelcat2]

59 minutes ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

As experienced Regent cruisers, I love to answer questions and share our knowledge with new cruisers, offering factual information, and some opinions. 
My objection is to certain new posters, who have never been on a Regent ship, who continually express gloom and doom opinions regarding the ships and potential bankruptcy. And, they are not asking questions, rather offering their depressing opinions. 

Most of us who have sailed on Regent, are not stupid and understand the financial problems and safety changes that may be necessary in the future. 
But, we look on the bright side and would rather play games debating when the first scheduled sailing will occur.
When there is important information that is offered to us, we are appreciative that our fellow cruisers have posted it.  
So, all those of you who are new to Regent, keep the questions coming.

sheila

 

I appreciate and understand where you are coming from and am disappointed that anyone had to make unkind comments. 

 

In terms of gloom and doom, I find it disappointing that so many Regent cruisers feel the need to predict bankruptcy.  As Sheila said, we all know what the reality could be but do noy want to swim in a negativity pool. We are not ostrich’s  But are trying to stay in calm and be as positive as possible.  On the other hand, I love the light and playful comments and am enjoying guessing when the the first cruise will happen.  Even when a poster predicts a year in advance, it is still fun.  

 

Peace and stay well.

[Pcardad]

It's like The Price is Right...someone had to go long.

[Dolebludger]

As far as “gloom and doom” and recognizing the possibility of bankruptcy, I must plead guilty. But it is not what I want for Regent, of course. It is a risk I have to raise after being almost caught in the REN bankruptcy, and after some years practicing bankruptcy law. And it is not that Regent has done anything wrong — it hasn’t. But it has become the “child” of the Parent “NCL’. which has done much wrong according to the post on this thread about the WSJ  investigation into cruise lines. 

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

It's like The Price is Right...someone had to go long.

 

Aren't you too young to have seen the Price is Right?  Guessing that you are watching the new version (which I watch when getting my nails done).  

 

Dolebludger - hoping that you keep the bankruptcy thoughts on the other thread.  Please do not take offense - it is difficult to find threads where comments about NCLH, the WSJ investigation, etc. are not rampant.  Thankfully, this is one of them.  

[CruisetheCs]

I am having difficulty understanding the references in posts above that refer to other posters complaining about doom and gloom and bankruptcy on this thread.  The topic of the thread is the future of luxury cruising (from a Regent-lover's point of view).  Posters have discussed various alterations that they think could be necessary, such as crew quarters, social distancing, restaurant design, etc.  There were several posts about crew quarters.

 

I didn't even see a reference to bankruptcy on this thread until it is mentioned by Bellagio Cruisers in post #131 though maybe I missed something about it earlier.  Or maybe it is referring to posts somewhere else?

 

But also I don't understand what the label "gloom and doom" refers to on this thread.   Yes, on this thread there are questions and observations about what alterations will have to be made for ships to sail again--is that doom and gloom?   There is another thread on the CC Regent board about when posters think the first Regent cruise will happen.  Some guess it won’t be until 2021 or even 2022.  Is that doom and gloom?  Some CC users may see no good outcomes in the near future or even eventual bankruptcy. If those thoughts and ideas are "doom and gloom" are they supposed to be off limits on this thread or on CC? 

 

 

[Travelcat2]

I was responding to Sheila's thread.  I also responded to Dolebludger.  

 

When ships will resume is being covered by Mr. Levin's thread (in a good way) and the doom and gloom thread is being covered by this thread.  

 

 

 I feel that this thread is about what changes might occur going forward on Regent.  It has been pretty much on track.

 

While I do not need to be questioned or reminded about my posts, I will assume that your had a positive intention when you made your post.

 

Stay safe!

 

P.S.  You may not have noticed that there are also posts about stock.  While not negative, it is likely off topic.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2020 by Travelcat2

[Dolebludger]

If the CDC has any common sense, Regent ships and ships like them may be the only ones allowed to cruise before the introduction of a good vaccine. I think everybody knows that this virus spreads in crowded area. Regent and it’s direct competition has very few crowded areas onboard. And the few areas that can be crowded at times are capable of mitigation. How can crowded conditions be mitigated on a mega skip? I don’t know, and I don’t think anybody else does.

[Ladys Mom]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

If the CDC has any common sense, Regent ships and ships like them may be the only ones allowed to cruise before the introduction of a good vaccine. I think everybody knows that this virus spreads in crowded area. Regent and it’s direct competition has very few crowded areas onboard. And the few areas that can be crowded at times are capable of mitigation. How can crowded conditions be mitigated on a mega skip? I don’t know, and I don’t think anybody else does.

I agree that ship size is a factor in avoiding Covid, but also it is the quality of the cruise line and crew to make sure that everything is kept immaculately clean.  Regent and its luxury and luxury-lite competitors are known for keeping a very clean ship.  Having been on Azamara right after being on Regent I would say that the emphasis on sanitation on Azamara is at least as good as that on Regent.  They do everything within their power to avoid infection to the point where the Captain no longer shakes hands but does a hip bump or elbow bump instead.  This was six months before Covid reared its ugly head.  Virtually none of the aforementioned cruise lines were on the Cover-19 "list of shame" except in one or two cases where a passenger came onto the ship with the virus in the first place, and were rapidly disembarked from the ship.  Every time I hear the media or the government generalize the Covid problems to all cruise lines it really upsets me because so many of the good cruise lines are being punished for a few bad actors from one  (Carnival) cruise company.  This is just MHO.

[Dolebludger]

Yes, cleaning and disinfecting on board is very important, along with the size of the ship (smaller is usually much better). And another very important factor is having a high space/passenger ratio. This is a numerical rating of the amount of space available to passengers, divided by the number of passengers. I don't know the exact mechanics of the calculation, but a ratio of about 30 means a very crowded cruise. The higher the number, the better. And I think most Regent ships have a ratio of nearly 80. I'm sure Azamara has a high ratio, too. The relationship between size of the ship, space/passenger ratio, and cleaning regarding disease transmission can be explained as all factors are important. Think of a 14' long fishing boat. It's small, but now consider that it has 10 people on board, and thus is crowded. But a there are only 10 people involved, the chances are small that anybody onboard has the virus. But it would be safer still with only 2 people onboard. But it would not be very safe if it were filthy. So factors of small ship size, cleaning and disinfecting, and a high space/passenger ratio all interplay in creating a healthy onboard experience. Lines like Regent and Azamara are basically safe and healthy on all three counts. Crowded mega ships fail on all three factors. The CDC needs to learn that all cruise lines are NOT alike!

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

from CruisetheCs
didn't even see a reference to bankruptcy on this thread until it is mentioned by Bellagio Cruisers in post #131 though maybe I missed something about it earlier.  Or maybe it is referring to posts somewhere else?

But also I don't understand what the label "gloom and doom" refers to on this thread.  

 

To CruisetheCs... I suggest you go back several pages in the subject. 
To those who believe in “ the glass is half empty” theory......I am an optimist and believe “ the glass is half full” End of this discussion for me.

I look forward to fun postings, lots of good discussion and all pertinent information regarding future sailing. 
thank you 

Sheila

[Travelcat2]

While I would like to think that all luxury lines are spacious, this is not the case.  While we really enjoyed our Crystal cruise, most people that have sailed on them know how tight some (not all) of the spaces are.  The MDR is particularly cramped - tables would need to be removed in order to keep any type of distancing.  

 

I hate to mention Silversea because we have had great experiences on their ships.  However, one of their ships in particular has had ongoing problems with cleanliness and that same ship was stuck in South America with a couple of cases of the coronavirus onboard.  

 

Not sure if Navigator has enough space.  We have not sailed on her in a while but I have read that it remains so crowded in La Veranda at times that Prime 7 (adjoining LV) has to be open in order to have enough seating.

 

Ladys Mom mentioned premium plus cruise lines.  Having cruised on Oceania's Riviera (very similar to Oceania's Marina), it seems that they a lot of room while their smaller ships (we have only toured one of them but have not sailed on them) may have issues with space.  We have not sailed on Seabourn, Azamara or Viking Ocean so I cannot comment on those ships.

 

My point is that the luxury and luxury-lite cruise lines may need to evaluate their ships to see if they will work with distancing and all cruise lines need to reevaluate their sanitizing procedures (Regent's procedures might set a good example for other cruise lines).  

[Dolebludger]

Oh, yes, even Regent will probably have to modify some areas, under a reasonable CDC order allowing cruises to resume before a vaccine is ready. But (hopefully) these won’t include ripping out too many walls and elimination of many suites! Things like going to more tables for two in the Compass Rose could go a long way. All I’m saying is reasonably required modifications on Regent ships might well be possible. I don’t see how mega ships could be so modified. 

[Travelcat2]

Me again - I just read something on another luxury board about requiring passengers to get their annual flu shot going forward.  While this is not going to do anything for Covid-19, it could help people differentiate between the flu and coronavirus since they are predicted to be active at the same time.  While the flu shot is not 100% effective and people that are allergic to eggs cannot have them, it is likely good to have as many passengers as possible have the flu shot before boarding.

 

We also do not know as yet if the Covid-19 (when it becomes available) will be a live virus or not.  If it is live, many people (including myself) cannot have it.  Something else to think about.

 

Mark Conroy (former President of Regent and beloved by many) responded to an inquiry from a Silversea passenger regarding what procedures they are considering going forward.  One thing they are considering is sending an "instant" Covid-19 test to passengers with their final documents to test themselves before boarding the plane and testing again prior to boarding.  While I like the idea of sending a test with final documents, if they come in contact with someone infected on the airplane, they would be stranded someplace in the world.  OTOH, airlines are doing so much to keep their planes safe (testing passengers before flights may be a good idea).  

 

While I am generally not interested in what other luxury lines are doing, in this case, I feel that we need as much information as possible on how to keep passengers and crews safe.

[fizzy]

4 hours ago, CruisetheCs said:

I am having difficulty understanding the references in posts above that refer to other posters complaining about doom and gloom and bankruptcy on this thread.  The topic of the thread is the future of luxury cruising (from a Regent-lover's point of view).  Posters have discussed various alterations that they think could be necessary, such as crew quarters, social distancing, restaurant design, etc.  There were several posts about crew quarters.

 

I didn't even see a reference to bankruptcy on this thread until it is mentioned by Bellagio Cruisers in post #131 though maybe I missed something about it earlier.  Or maybe it is referring to posts somewhere else?

 

But also I don't understand what the label "gloom and doom" refers to on this thread.   Yes, on this thread there are questions and observations about what alterations will have to be made for ships to sail again--is that doom and gloom?   There is another thread on the CC Regent board about when posters think the first Regent cruise will happen.  Some guess it won’t be until 2021 or even 2022.  Is that doom and gloom?  Some CC users may see no good outcomes in the near future or even eventual bankruptcy. If those thoughts and ideas are "doom and gloom" are they supposed to be off limits on this thread or on CC? 

 

 

i think what happens is that some of the posts are so incredibly long...almost like dissertations and I often zone out rather than get stuck in the weeds. Things get pulled and we might not even know why because......

[Travelcat2]

Again, we cannot discuss this topic.  The post that we are referring to was not long - it was the content.

[JMARINER]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

One thing they are considering is sending an "instant" Covid-19 test to passengers with their final documents to test themselves before boarding the plane and testing again prior to boarding.  While I like the idea of sending a test with final documents, if they come in contact with someone infected on the airplane, they would be stranded someplace in the world.  OTOH, airlines are doing so much to keep their planes safe (testing passengers before flights may be a good idea). 

While Mr Conroy has a good suggestion, in reality, it falls short. 

 

Incubation period before the test will show positive is an average 5 days (range 2 to 14 days) after coming in contact with, or the secretions of, a person who has COVID-19. So a passenger could test negative, get on the ship and the virus become active and spreading. In about 50% (or more) cases the subject doesn't even present symptoms and is totally asymptomatic.

 

Other factors to consider: How would shore excursions work. Buses? Tenders?

 

How would social distancing work for the elevators?

 

One thing that might help is to do pre-booking antibody testing. That way those who had already had Covid19 could travel worry free.

 

J

[mrlevin]

6 minutes ago, JMARINER said:

One thing that might help is to do pre-booking antibody testing. That way those who had already had Covid19 could travel worry free.

 

J

 

In other words, you are going to penalize those of us that have taken care to not get the virus.

 

I think at a minimum casinos and spas will have to be closed until we get past this episode (i.e., vaccine).  In addition, the boutique should be closed except for necessary toiletries; i.e., no trying on of clothes or touching jewelry.  

 

Does that sound like a luxury cruise?

 

Marc

[Travelcat2]

4 minutes ago, JMARINER said:

While Mr Conroy has a good suggestion, in reality, it falls short. 

 

Incubation period before the test will show positive is an average 5 days (range 2 to 14 days) after coming in contact with, or the secretions of, a person who has COVID-19. So a passenger could test negative, get on the ship and the virus become active and spreading. In about 50% (or more) cases the subject doesn't even present symptoms and is totally asymptomatic.

 

Other factors to consider: How would shore excursions work. Buses? Tenders?

 

How would social distancing work for the elevators?

 

One thing that might help is to do pre-booking antibody testing. That way those who had already had Covid19 could travel worry free.

 

J

 

A lot of good points.  I was under the impression that while you did not have symptoms for several days, that the tests would pick it up sooner.

 

Distancing would definitely not work in elevators.  I wonder if passengers that can use the stairs would do so in order for those that cannot can use the stairs.  Speaking for myself (who has difficulty with stairs due to a replaced knee) would be willing to do stairs if people with walkers and wheelchairs could take the elevator.  Or, what if people using the elevators have to wear masks?  I am trying to think of ways for this to work.  

 

Has it been proven that if you have antibodies that you can no longer get the virus?  If so, for how long?  To be honest, although I receive the flu shot every year, I do not know how long the immunity lasts.  

 

There has to be a way -- no one has thought of it yet.......

[Dolebludger]

I have posted shorter posts on this board (but I don’t think on this thread) suggesting what I feel is a strong possibility of bankruptcy of NCLH if the cruise ban goes on too long. It was not aimed at Regent, but at NCL, which makes up the greatest part of NCLH. My reason was that I don’t know how crowded mega ships can achieve social distancing. And I still don’t. But, due to the predominate presence of NCL in NCLH (which owns Regent), I fear that Regent May “go down with the ship”. The purpose of my warning posts was to encourage people to “think” before taking a 125% credit instead of a 100% cash refund.  As I posted above, I hope that Regent will be allowed to cruise soon. It is clean, small shipped, and uncrowded. NCL is none of these things. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

I have posted shorter posts on this board (but I don’t think on this thread) suggesting what I feel is a strong possibility of bankruptcy of NCLH if the cruise ban goes on too long. It was not aimed at Regent, but at NCL, which makes up the greatest part of NCLH. My reason was that I don’t know how crowded mega ships can achieve social distancing. And I still don’t. But, due to the predominate presence of NCL in NCLH (which owns Regent), I fear that Regent May “go down with the ship”. The purpose of my warning posts was to encourage people to “think” before taking a 125% credit instead of a 100% cash refund.  As I posted above, I hope that Regent will be allowed to cruise soon. It is clean, small shipped, and uncrowded. NCL is none of these things. 

Oh please, can we keep the bankruptcy discussions out of this thread?

[SusieQft]

4 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

Mark Conroy (former President of Regent and beloved by many) responded to an inquiry from a Silversea passenger regarding what procedures they are considering going forward.  One thing they are considering is sending an "instant" Covid-19 test to passengers with their final documents to test themselves before boarding the plane and testing again prior to boarding.  While I like the idea of sending a test with final documents, if they come in contact with someone infected on the airplane, they would be stranded someplace in the world.  OTOH, airlines are doing so much to keep their planes safe (testing passengers before flights may be a good idea).  

IMO, if an uninfected person flies to the port city the day before embarkation and is infected with Covid-19 from someone at the airport or on the plane, it is very unlikely that they would test positive before boarding within 24 hours of exposure.  Even if an occasional such infected person is positive that fast, many would not be.  I doubt that anyone knows the answer for sure at this point, though.  But then again, we don't have DIY tests available yet that could be used in this way, either.  That would be a wonderful tool to have widely available.

 

Sorry, I posted this before I realized there was another page, and jmariner also covered this.  Also, I agree with mrlevin that testing for antibodies is punishing those who have been careful and succeeded in not getting infected.  And even though more have the antibodies than was first thought, it would not be enough to fill the ships.

Edited May 4, 2020 by SusieQft