Regent Experiences Getting To and Leaving From the Cruise Ship

[pappy1022]

We have an “included” pre cruise and post cruise hotel package as part of selecting a concierge cabin and a Regent “special”. My questions are specific to all of the logistics related to getting us to and from the airport and to and from the ship. What are the expectations we should have as far as being picked up at the airport (Copenhagen) and taken to the hotel, and then taken the next day from the hotel to the ship? What is the process and what time expectations should we have for our wait time at the airport, checking in at the hotel, checking out of the hotel? We get to the airport around 3:30 PM. Ditto for the post cruise transportation and hotel check in and check out process. How much time does Regent get you to the airport for your return flight? I was considering private transportation post cruise to the airport. I guess the thrifty side of me says to use all the Regent services I paid for but I like getting to the airport very early before my flight home. 

[slidebite]

Concierge and above (as it sounds like you have) will literally do everything to get you to and from.

 

You will be met at the airport with a representative, likely by someone holding a Regent sign or a sign with your name. They will assist you from claiming your baggage to getting on the transfer bus and then to the hotel. They will tell you when and where to meet the next day (likely just the hotel lobby) after breakfast for transfer to the ship and take you there. It won't be super early as the ship needs to be readied from the previous guests/cruise. I don't recall the time exactly on my last cruise but I *think* it was late AM when we were picked up at the hotel.

 

They will schedule your departure/transfer from the ship in plenty of time to get to the airport. Don't worry about it.

 

If you really, really, REALLY want to get to the airport extra, extra early and are convinced you'll miss your flight, you might be able ask for an earlier disembark and transfer, but seriously don't worry about it. This isn't Regents first rodeo with transfers and as much as we all think we're special, at the end of the day we're not. It's simply getting you to an airport x-hours before your flight, it's not rocket science.

 

Don't sweat it. They literally do it hundreds, if not thousands of times a week and have for years. 🙂

 

E: On re-reading this I hope I don't sound condescending, I don't mean to. Just try and relax and rest assured they'll arrange all the transfers and get you to/from with time to spare.

Edited January 21, 2023 by slidebite

[slidebite]

Trying to be specific on disembarkation, I think you get a questionnaire the day before giving you the options of time for your transfer to the airport. Those who have sailed more recently than I can probably answer if it has changed at all.

[bitob]

FYI 

 

regent failed to pick me up from airport in

Cape Town 

 

I took a taxi

 

i emailed my ta who told me to email him the receipt for reimbursement. An apologetic regent had a substantial additional on board credit posted to my account instead 😀😀😀

 

[RELS]

1 hour ago, slidebite said:

Trying to be specific on disembarkation, I think you get a questionnaire the day before giving you the options of time for your transfer to the airport. Those who have sailed more recently than I can probably answer if it has changed at all.

 

This is still true (as of late Dec '22).  Since you've got a hotel post-cruise, you'll probably disembark later than those who are rushing to the airport, but will still likely get to your hotel way before check in.

 

Our experience with transport from the hotel is that it's very early. The one time we had an after-cruise hotel they picked us up in a private car, since it was just us, at about 4am. We had to wait at the airport for the airline desk to open (usually 2 hours before the flight). That was in 2015, so it might no longer be true.

 

In short, Regent will likely give you plenty of time at the airport.

 

[DeepFreeze63]

We did 6 Regent cruises in 2022 - all included Regent Air and several had pre- and -post packages that included hotel arrangements.

A Regent CONTRACTOR will be waiting outside baggage claim with a Regent sign or your name (the contractor's local phone number, in case of difficulties, will be on the pre-cruise paperwork sent to you by Regent). They will wait for you (we had a 2 hour wait for baggage in Amsterdam). If there are a lot of Regent passengers, they will put you on a bus to the hotel. If there is only several, they will probably put you on a van to the hotel. If it's just you, you'll probably be put in a car. In any event, they will handle luggage to and into the hotel.

There will be a "Regent" desk at the hotel with detailed up-to-date info about the pre-cruise and the transfer to the ship. With your late afternoon arrival, your hotel room will be ready. Your transfer to the ship will probably be at about noon and will probably be by bus(es) - and chaotic with lots of fellow passengers.

A few days before the end of the cruise, you will get a form in your cabin asking to confirm your post-cruise hotel and plane arrangements. The ship's Destinations staff will issue luggage bands and info on the disembarkation time and the transfer (probably by bus) to the Regent hotel, where there will be a regent contractor with details on the later transfer to the airport. You will be off the ship between 8 and 9 AM. The eventual transfer to the airport will be scheduled to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before your flight time.

I hope this helps.

Jim C.

 

[slidebite]

22 hours ago, bitob said:

FYI 

 

regent failed to pick me up from airport in

Cape Town 

 

I took a taxi

 

i emailed my ta who told me to email him the receipt for reimbursement. An apologetic regent had a substantial additional on board credit posted to my account instead 😀😀😀

 

Ugh. That is a city I'd rather not be left to fend for myself in. I hope they compensated you well!

[bitob]

3 hours ago, slidebite said:

Ugh. That is a city I'd rather not be left to fend for myself in. I hope they compensated you well!

Taking a taxi from airport is no big deal. We are independent travelers. First time ever with ship transfer. Several hundred obc. Nice

[makai 7]

If you are using Regent transfers, make sure you bring the document with the LOCAL emergency contact information.  No on was there to pick us up at Cape Town either, and when I called the number, there was someone there within about 10 minutes to get us to the car and to the hotel.

 

the local company in Cape Town (Akorn) was awful all the way around.  Disorganized, confused, late, chaotic, etc.  We complained to our TA and Regent, and never received an appropriate response other than a “we will tell head office “.  

[Sailor Sam 407]

If you use Regent Air, but ask for a deviation (arrive earlier and/or depart later), are you still entitled to the free Regent transfer? 

Thanks

[RELS]

6 minutes ago, Sailor Sam 407 said:

If you use Regent Air, but ask for a deviation (arrive earlier and/or depart later), are you still entitled to the free Regent transfer? 

Thanks

 

If you booked your hotel through Regent for the extra pre/post time (very expensive), yes.

 

If you are doing your own hotel, no. If you are doing something before the trip, you have to get yourself to the hotel from the airport, and later to the port from your hotel. If you are doing something after the trip and not using the Regent hotel, you have to get yourself to the hotel and later to the airport

[Sailor Sam 407]

Thanks for the clarification.

[mj_holiday]

We had a pre cruise trip and post cruise trip.  Some of the transfer service was very good, some not so good, but we got where we needed to go.

 

 

[daetchief]

I parrot all of the others who assure you that Regent [or their contractor] consistently go above and beyond - especially when you're out of sync with the major peak travel hours. [where yes, someone is there to coral the masses and place everyone on busses].

We arrived in Stockholm at 6:30 a.m. two days before our cruise, with a Regent arranged itinerary.  We were the only Regent guests on the flight.   TWO Regent Reps met us outside of customs, asked if they could take our luggage and carry-ons, lead us to a waiting car [Mercedes] and took us to our hotel.  At the hotel [at ~9:00 a.m.] all they did was smile, say Welcome to Stockholm - your room is ready.

After the cruise we stayed in London for a couple of nights.  On the morning of our departure [at~8:00] we were informed by the concierge  that our car had arrived to take us to Heathrow.  They let us off at the UC VA terminal and placed our luggage on the conveyor.    Your results could be similar...

[SWFLAOK]

On our Regent cruise last September, we had included a 3 night pre in London when we first booked the cruise long ago. We had a cancellation due to covid in 2020, and postponed again in 2021 when our final payment was due since it was likely we would be on the very first Splendor cruise post Covid, and didn't want to be.

Since our 3 night pre at IC wasn't part of the current 2022 itinerary there was no one obvious to meet us in Heathrow when we arrived only slightly late. After wandering around the area after customs, we found the Regent representatives standing in a small circle with their signs not displayed only to each other. They seemed to be having a great conversation. We did, however, interrupt them, and ask about our transportation to the IC. Only one of the group knew what we were talking about, since the others were only familiar with the big bus that went to a different hotel. Luckily, the one who knew where we were going found our shy taxi driver who was standing in a corner with a small sign with our name written in something that was quite illegible. He told us to follow him to his taxi, which we did, and never spoke to us again on the way to the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane. But it was a great hotel in very good location, despite being there between the Queen's wake nearby.

From our Regent experience,  if you take their flights, and stay in their hotels, you will most likely arrive at your hotel before your room is available. Only once,  at the Fairmont in Barcelona, were we offered a room upgrade that allowed us to check in early. Since the room was bigger, with a better view, we paid for the upgrade. Otherwise, we've always had to wait until the normal check-in time of 3 or 4, but they've kept our luggage stored until then.

[2SailingNomads]

If you take the Regent hotel - as part of the cruise fare, e.g. Penthouse - but not the air they do not arrange for transport from the airport to the hotel, is my understanding correct? 

[briar14]

9 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

If you take the Regent hotel - as part of the cruise fare, e.g. Penthouse - but not the air they do not arrange for transport from the airport to the hotel, is my understanding correct? 

For a Mariner cruise in late May, we are in a PH, arranged our own air, and Regent is handling the transfer from airport to hotel. Check with Regent or your TA.

[jeb_bud]

14 hours ago, 2SailingNomads said:

If you take the Regent hotel - as part of the cruise fare, e.g. Penthouse - but not the air they do not arrange for transport from the airport to the hotel, is my understanding correct? 

That was our experience. 

[2SailingNomads]

thx will look into it