Really starting to have my doubts

[cruiseluv]

Very good points Tom. I would add, if a passenger that has tried to reschedule but denied by Regent later gets sick onboard , I wonder how they would respond to that. I have no idea if the person would have a legal case against Regent, but certainly a moral one. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

A couple thoughts…

 

Predicting what Covid will do next is a lost cause. Nobody predicted this omicron surge a couple months ago. Even our cruise earlier this month was almost completely free of omicron worries; it was still Delta that concerned people. So, the news will be different even a week from now. 
 

So, with that in mind, as far as rescheduling goes—reschedule to when, exactly? And FCCs expire after some time period. And I certainly can’t say next January will be any better, nor can anyone. 
 

If you’re past the cancellation deadline can get mad, or you can get in a cruise. You probably booked this while the pandemic was already going on. If a judge asks you “what we’re thinking, booking a cruise in a fast-changing pandemic” what would your answer be? 

 

 

[darn88]

All great points, Tom.  I cannot believe that they are not considering allowing customers to reschedule cruises at this point in time.  

 

As a first time Regent cruiser....makes me wonder if I have made a bad choice somehow.  This is customer service 101 and as a luxury cruise line, you would ensure that they would be out in front of this.

 

Just puzzling to me....

[Huggsy]

1 hour ago, cruiseluv said:

I would like to understand why a select few are being covered by this Reassurance policy and others not. I’ll be calling my TA later today to find out if we can rebook or not. We’re on Splendor 2/17

I'll be doing the same - we're on that sailing too. 

[darn88]

6 minutes ago, darn88 said:

All great points, Tom.  I cannot believe that they are not considering allowing customers to reschedule cruises at this point in time.  

 

As a first time Regent cruiser....makes me wonder if I have made a bad choice somehow.  This is customer service 101 and as a luxury cruise line, you would ensure that they would be out in front of this.

 

Just puzzling to me....

Sorry....meant to say that you would think they would ensure that they are out in front of this.  This is not a good look for Regent.  Hopefully, someone from Regent is monitoring this board and is reading the comments. One can only hope....

 

Again Tom...your entry is spot on!

[Dolebludger]

According to CNN reports yesterday, there were 90 cruise ships with positive testing passengers onboard. Details of how many passengers and the seriousness of their conditions were not given.Also, the report stated that US airlines had been cancelling over 1000 flights per day since (and including) Christmas Eve. This means that, even though the cruise may or may not be what was expected, one might not even get to the cruise. Those with cruises in the near term would do well to check the travel insurance closely to ensure that it covers losses due to cancelled flights.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Dolebludger

[cwn]

9 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

According to CNN reports yesterday, there were 90 cruise ships with positive testing passengers onboard. Details of how many passengers and the seriousness of their conditions were not given.Also, the report stated that US airlines had been cancelling over 1000 flights per day since (and including) Christmas Eve. This means that, even though the cruise may or may not be what was expected, one might not even get to the cruise. Those with cruises in the near term would do well to check the travel insurance closely to ensure that it covers losses due to cancelled flights.

If you are concerned about money you put down for a cruise and most cruises booked for sailing from this point on were booked after Covid started, you should have bought cancel for any reason insurance. Otherwise you self insure and are at risk of lost money. Today it is fear of Covid but at anytime it can just as easily be sudden major illness or accident. It is a choice you made 6 months out when final payment was due, take the risk, insure the risk or cancel.

[ysolde]

We are still planning on going on our January 6 Regent cruise.  We are not as thrilled about it as we were even a week ago, but our plan is to go.  We are both fully vaxxed and boostered.  We have been all but hibernating this holiday season.  We will be having a PCR test on January 3.  We do have to fly down to Miami on January 5, so pretty much all bets are off at that point no matter how much we mask up.  We have travel insurance (honestly not sure what or how much that covers), and we are getting Med Jet to supplement, in case everything goes to Hades.  This is the best we can do.

[wristband]

I think it is fair and reasonable to give Regent an opportunity to respond with a revised policy.  These are fast changing circumstances.  We are booked and obviously concerned for our January departure.

 

All of us here are Regent fans.  Let's be hopeful an updated, flexible policy will soon be announced for upcoming cruises.  Especially with the news of companies are announcing changes today.

[UUNetBill]

Although I understand how we would like Regent to allow us to reschedule at a moment's notice, I also see that they need to do whatever they can to get paying passengers on board.  Almost two years with zero revenue has got to be crippling, who knows how long they can go without income?  If they were to accommodate everyone who wanted to cancel this cruise, they'd sail at what, 40-50% occupancy?  Less?  Who knows?  But financially I can see their point.

 

I know I started this 'gloom and doom' thread the other day, but by golly, I've put on my happy face and I'm gonna do whatever I can do to make this a great cruise.  Will it be the typical Regent experience?  Probably not - but what is these days?  Will it be better than sitting in my makeshift home office in front of a computer?  Hell yeah.  I'm sure that in time things will normalize even more, but I, for one, am sick and tired of living like a damn hermit - so I'm gonna smile big (not that anyone will know because of my mask) and fly down to Miami and get on that ship and do what I can to have a great week.

 

Bam.

[gcorgain]

I love your attitude Bill. I also get your point about NCL/Regent needing the revenue. On the other hand, as a first time Regent cruiser, it does sour my attitude a bit when Carnival and Royal Caribbean are both allowing changes with 48 hours notice. If they can do it, why is NCL the only group that won't?

 

Honestly as things stand today, I would likely still sail. But an ability to reschedule if things continue going south  would certainly make me feel better.

 

Greg

 

[cruiseluv]

Very commendable, positive attitude Bill, but unless Regent in the end offers at least some compensation for a subpar product, then it’s not fair to the customer that paid full freight. It can’t be a one way street

[vegasdriven]

Bill, so glad you started this discussion. Think I need it for my mental well being. Will be watching your cruise closely, and hoping you have a splendid time. With your attitude I am sure you will. 
We are booked on the Feb 3 cruise, and my is this getting complicated. Due to flying from BC Canada it will be a miracle if we make it. I am expecting flights to be a major pain, and hubby will be right there with them Lol He may even decide it’s not worth it and cancel the trip even if we lose our cruise fare. Ouch!

However whatever happens, I am not going to let it upset me. Life is just too short- as we’re all finding out. 

[Huggsy]

5 minutes ago, vegasdriven said:

Bill, so glad you started this discussion. Think I need it for my mental well being. Will be watching your cruise closely, and hoping you have a splendid time. With your attitude I am sure you will. 
We are booked on the Feb 3 cruise, and my is this getting complicated. Due to flying from BC Canada it will be a miracle if we make it. I am expecting flights to be a major pain, and hubby will be right there with them Lol He may even decide it’s not worth it and cancel the trip even if we lose our cruise fare. Ouch!

However whatever happens, I am not going to let it upset me. Life is just too short- as we’re all finding out. 

Welcome to my world!🙄

[ysolde]

My DH is a positive thinking kind of person.  He honestly believes everything will work out in the end -- and I have to say, after almost twenty years together, that he is right, in that things always do work out in the end.  He stays incredibly calm in the process (99% of the time).  I, OTOH, am not so sure.  Hence, the trip insurance and the Med Jet.  I tend to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

 

Listen, I am well aware that trying to figure out how best to navigate through changed circumstances on a high-end cruise in the middle of a pandemic is not exactly an earth-shattering problem. I am stressed, but I'll get over it.

[UUNetBill]

1 hour ago, gcorgain said:

I love your attitude Bill. I also get your point about NCL/Regent needing the revenue. On the other hand, as a first time Regent cruiser, it does sour my attitude a bit when Carnival and Royal Caribbean are both allowing changes with 48 hours notice. If they can do it, why is NCL the only group that won't?

 

Honestly as things stand today, I would likely still sail. But an ability to reschedule if things continue going south  would certainly make me feel better.

 

Greg

Greg, I think the biggest factor in a decision like that would have to be the revenue per customer for each line - Carnival and RCI have much higher passenger loads and a much lower revenue per passenger, so having a certain percentage of passengers bail at the last minute will have a smaller per-person effect on the revenue stream.

 

Of course that's all speculation on my part as I'm not in the industry so I could be completely off base, but I think it's a valid guess...

[UUNetBill]

1 hour ago, cruiseluv said:

Very commendable, positive attitude Bill, but unless Regent in the end offers at least some compensation for a subpar product, then it’s not fair to the customer that paid full freight. It can’t be a one way street

Within reason, I agree...but the other reviews I've read recently lead me to believe that 'subpar' is relative - my biggest potential complaint is the damn masks - I hate 'em - but if that's all I need to do to enjoy a week of being overfed, overindulged, and possibly a bit over-inebriated, well, so be it.

[boblerm]

4 hours ago, CruiserFromMaine said:

If a judge asks you “what we’re thinking, booking a cruise in a fast-changing pandemic” what would your answer be? 

 

I think that most people would answer that they just assumed that the pandemic would be over and all would be well by the time that their cruise departed. 

 

When my March 2020 cruise was cancelled, I recall saying to myself that surely, my June cruise would go.  When that cruise was cancelled, I was certain that at least my September cruise would be fine.  Then I thought that at least I would be able to sail on my May 2021 cruise.  Etc.

 

Now, many are quite understandingly regretting their upcoming cruises, and would love to be able to reschedule to later this year, or perhaps next year.  And perhaps all will be well by then and we will be able to cruise care free.  Then again, perhaps not.

[boblerm]

3 hours ago, ysolde said:

We have travel insurance (honestly not sure what or how much that covers), and we are getting Med Jet to supplement, in case everything goes to Hades.  

It's great to have MedJet, but please bear in mind that under this plan, you are only covered if your illness requires hospitalization.  If you simply test positive, with or without symptoms, but are not admitted to a hospital, you are not eligible for medical transport.

1 hour ago, ysolde said:

 I tend to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

+1 on that, have  a great cruise!

[boblerm]

2 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

I know I started this 'gloom and doom' thread the other day, but by golly, I've put on my happy face and I'm gonna do whatever I can do to make this a great cruise.  Will it be the typical Regent experience?  Probably not - but what is these days?  Will it be better than sitting in my makeshift home office in front of a computer?  Hell yeah.  I'm sure that in time things will normalize even more, but I, for one, am sick and tired of living like a damn hermit - so I'm gonna smile big (not that anyone will know because of my mask) and fly down to Miami and get on that ship and do what I can to have a great week.

I'm very glad to hear this, and FWIW, I think that this is the attitude that we all have to adopt if we wish to cruise within the foreseeable future.  

Bob

[briar14]

6 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Within reason, I agree...but the other reviews I've read recently lead me to believe that 'subpar' is relative - my biggest potential complaint is the damn masks - I hate 'em - but if that's all I need to do to enjoy a week of being overfed, overindulged, and possibly a bit over-inebriated, well, so be it.

Bill, fellow Greenvillian here. We are on the Mariner, now calling it the nonstop cruise. I think the primary reason for taking this cruise for many guests was the Panama Canal transit. It was excellent with good narration. Within the Covid parameters, games are played, Trivia teams are winning and losing, shows are produced, lots of lectures given, and good food and drink are being served. We had a wonderful wine pairing lunch today, just like we have experienced on other Regent cruises. The wonderful Regent crew is cheerful, providing good service, when I am sure they are concerned about the future. No, it is not the experience I anticipated, but we are having a good time, meeting lots of good people and . . . doing well at Trivia! Happy New Year and enjoy your cruise.

[Dolebludger]

Well, many people book cruises with few or no port visits (such as transatlantic cruises). We may take one when we are more assured that this mess is over. But as I understand it, if one books a cruise with a published itinerary that includes port stops, one pays port charges to the cruise line — included in the fare or by separate charge. If some or all of the ports are missed for any reason, the ship doesn’t pay these charges, and the passenger is entitled to a refund of the charges paid for the missed ports. I believe Federal Courts have so ruled. This does not apply when a similar port visit is made, and cruise line contracts with passengers allows substitution of similar ports for virtually any reason, without compensation to the passenger. But where a port is missed for any reason without similar substitution, the passenger is entitled to a refund of charges he/she paid for that port. Port charges are not that great when compared to the total cost of a cruise, but a guest on a Regent cruise is entitled to a refund for ports missed with no substitution. 
 

For example, it is my understanding that guests on recent sailings where no ports could be visited are untitled to refund of all port charges paid to the line. Another example comes from our Mariner cruise a few years back with a listed port call at Pitcairn Island that was to be tendered and was missed (no substitute) due to high seas. Regent people told me that this port had no port charges — thus no refund to me. My own check on this revealed that this is true. But on a cruise where a port charge was paid by a passenger for  missed ports (not substituted) the passenger is entitled to a refund.
 

 

[wcsdkqh]

Incorrect. Because port charges are not a separate line item for Regent, there is no requirement for them to be broken out and refunded. Cruise lines that itemize the port charges, Seabourn comes to mind, may well be required to refund such charges, but Regent most definitely is not.

[johng75370]

4 minutes ago, wcsdkqh said:

Cruise lines that itemize the port charges, Seabourn comes to mind, may well be required to refund such charges

My experience with both Crystal and Seabourn is they are quite prompt in refunding port charges for missed stops, posting it to your onboard account as “refundable credit”.  Seems like Regent should do similar, even if there is a technicality that doesn’t require them to do so.  

[DarthCruiser]

55 minutes ago, wcsdkqh said:

Incorrect. Because port charges are not a separate line item for Regent, there is no requirement for them to be broken out and refunded. Cruise lines that itemize the port charges, Seabourn comes to mind, may well be required to refund such charges, but Regent most definitely is not.

The taxes and fees are specifically enumerated on the travel agent invoice, but are not on the guest invoice.  That said, we've never had a refund for a missed port on Regent.