Shore Excursions…so disappointed!

[mnocket]

19 hours ago, ILoveMyDogs said:

If I recall in a past post you mentioned you are on O2 via nasal cannula  .Could that have been the reason the sailboat captain refused to let you board ? 

Could have been, or it could have been that there were already some other passengers with disabilities onboard and the Captain limits the number to what his crew can assist in case of emergency, or it could have been something else entirely.  We don't know.

 

The fundamental problem is that the OP inquired, and relied upon, the opinion of someone (the Destination Services Manager) who did not have the final say as to whether or not she would be permitted to board the boat.  This decision rests solely with the Captain.  We have no idea what the Captain's reasoning was for denying boarding, but it's his boat, his responsibility and his decision to make - not Regent's.

 

Now if the OP was treated disrespectfully by Regent's staff - that's certainly unacceptable.  However, it seems to me that OP wants to hold Regent responsible for the Destination Services Manager offering a good faith opinion as to whether or not the excursion was appropriate for her, despite the fact that the Captain has the final say.  I wonder how the OP would have felt had the Destination Services Manager said "I cannot offer an opinion as to whether or not an excursion is appropriate for any particular guest as it is the tour company's ultimate decision to make".   That would be a truthful statement, but not a very helpful one. In such a situation I think people want to know what Destination Services "thinks" even though they aren't the ones who ultimately decide - and they may occasionally be wrong.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

7 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

"The tour is not available to wheelchair guests or to those with mobility concerns."  Pretty "cut and dry." 

Not seeing much room for interpretation. 

You were not there. When I met with the DM or on the dock. You have no information. Why did the DM give me the tickets? Why did the person collect my tickets from me?

 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

20 hours ago, ILoveMyDogs said:

If I recall in a past post you mentioned you are on O2 via nasal cannula  .Could that have been the reason the sailboat captain refused to let you board ? 

He never saw me…. I was near the dock and not in his sight. I have traveled all over the world these last 10 years with my O2 and cannula. Never been denied like this before. Not inEurope, not in Africa, not in South America, not in Asia.. ship and land tours. I know my limitations. Most times on a bus tour I do not get off the bus. On this sailing, we did two bus tours. I remained on the bus both times because I know my limitations with steps and distances. The third tour was this…

 

[bitob]

I am not unsympathetic -- as I said my husband has mobility issues and we travel despite the issues.  Not everything goes perfectly although I really try to avoid any surprises.

 

You cannot let the disappointment control you -- if you do, they win.  Things like this are bound to happen unfortunately.  Plan your next cruise and enjoy it.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

1 hour ago, bitob said:

I am not unsympathetic -- as I said my husband has mobility issues and we travel despite the issues.  Not everything goes perfectly although I really try to avoid any surprises.

 

You cannot let the disappointment control you -- if you do, they win.  Things like this are bound to happen unfortunately.  Plan your next cruise and enjoy it.

Thank you…that’s exactly what we are doing!

sheila

[papaflamingo]

16 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

You were not there. When I met with the DM or on the dock. You have no information. Why did the DM give me the tickets? Why did the person collect my tickets from me?

 

Please don't think I'm defending the treatment you were given.  I'm certainly not.  I can't answer why anyone did anything.  All I'm saying is that the tour clearly stated that it's not available to people with mobility issues.  That's all I can say.  I don't know if the DM was aware of your restrictions OR aware of the tour restrictions.  I certainly don't know why he or she gave you the tickets.  You'd have to ask the DM.

I understand your disappointment, but you do bear at least a small part of responsibility for booking a tour that clearly states isn't available to you.  I know that sounds like I'm "hard core," but I'm not.  And I'm not defending anyone's behavior.  But if they allowed you on board knowing full well it was against the stated rules and you fell and were seriously injured, they'd be facing a law suit that they could not win.  That's simply the facts of the matter.  That's why the disclaimers are posted. 

And I actually DO have information, I have the information posted in the disclaimer about the tour.  Like I said, I looked at the exact same tour for our upcoming cruise. My comment, that you responded to, was simply that it IS cut and dry in the description of the tour.  Nothing more or less. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by papaflamingo

[RetiredandTravel]

9 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

Thank you…that’s exactly what we are doing!

sheila

 

 

Away from this unfortunate event how was the rest of the cruise?  Food, wine, service etc.

 

Sheila,

 

We're considering a Navigator cruise.  You mentioned that you liked the Navigator but the bathrooms were dated in another post.   How seriously are they dated?  I guess they weren't redone in recent refurbishments.

 

thanks

[Kwaj girl]

22 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Away from this unfortunate event how was the rest of the cruise?  Food, wine, service etc.

 

Sheila,

 

We're considering a Navigator cruise.  You mentioned that you liked the Navigator but the bathrooms were dated in another post.   How seriously are they dated?  I guess they weren't redone in recent refurbishments.

 

thanks

 

"Dated?" As long as it's fresh, clean and functional does it matter if it's not a trendy  fashion statement?

[RetiredandTravel]

9 minutes ago, Kwaj girl said:

 

"Dated?" As long as it's fresh, clean and functional does it matter if it's not a trendy  fashion statement?

 

 

I'm asking Sheila to elaborate on one of her comments what we prefer in our bathrooms is really none of your business.

 

 

[Pcardad]

24 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

I'm asking Sheila to elaborate on one of her comments what we prefer in our bathrooms is really none of your business.

 

 

 

25 minutes ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

I'm asking Sheila to elaborate on one of her comments what we prefer in our bathrooms is really none of your business.

 

 

 

That's the kicker...once it is discussed here, it becomes all our business. The bathrooms are spotless but not as fancy or as new as on other ships. You might see evidence of caulking or repainting or even a chipped piece of tile/marble. I still prefer the Navigator over any other ship.....but the penthouses on Splendor are pretty cool.

[RetiredandTravel]

My apologies Kwaj Girl I probably overreacted.  I asked them to delete my post. 

 

I'm comparing the Navigator with Silversea.  Very similar itineraries, we prefer the Regent itinerary but SS is a brand new ship.  Price very close.  And yes we do prefer shinny modern bathrooms to older dated ones, if they are both clean that is.  

 

We haven't really sailed with Covid, then Covid restrictions but are planning a few trips now.

Edited March 29, 2023 by RetiredandTravel

[Kwaj girl]

@RetiredandTravel apology accepted. We can agree to disagree on what truly  matters to each of us with regard to our onboard experience.

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

2 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Away from this unfortunate event how was the rest of the cruise?  Food, wine, service etc.

 

Sheila,

 

We're considering a Navigator cruise.  You mentioned that you liked the Navigator but the bathrooms were dated in another post.   How seriously are they dated?  I guess they weren't redone in recent refurbishments.

 

thanks

What a tough discussion…

Well.. we sailed on Navigator in November. We love that ship. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of Explorer and Splendor. It doesn’t have Chartreuse and Pacific Rim. 
However, it does have an old world comfort. Suites are very comfortable. Bathroom is not as nice. But it certainly is clean. We think it has the best service staff. It never feels crowded. Food is always wonderful. You never get lost on Navigator. 
We book Navigator or any other Regent ship if the date and/or itinerary is right. 
sheila

[texasatty]

On 3/15/2023 at 7:47 PM, KenzSailing said:

 

Wow, that's some nice victim blaming right there.

I disagree. I’ve been on more than one Regent excursion where the itinerary changed mid-excursion because participants had failed to think objectively about their ability to participate. In some cases certain sites were cut out completely because the operator doubted the ability of several participants to negotiate the pathway, stairs, length of walk, etc.

 

If the Lord blesses me with a long life these limitations are coming for me as well. My intention is to properly evaluate my abilities when the time comes. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by texasatty
To elaborate

[Pcardad]

4 hours ago, texasatty said:

I disagree. I’ve been on more than one Regent excursion where the itinerary changed mid-excursion because participants had failed to think objectively about their ability to participate. In some cases certain sites were cut out completely because the operator doubted the ability of several participants to negotiate the pathway, stairs, length of walk, etc.

 

If the Lord blesses me with a long life these limitations are coming for me as well. My intention is to properly evaluate my abilities when the time comes. 

Evaluating your own abilities is only half of the equation. The other half is Regent providing an accurate description of the excursion....and their track record in this regard has not been as good as it could have been lately.

[papaflamingo]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:54 AM, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Away from this unfortunate event how was the rest of the cruise?  Food, wine, service etc.

 

Sheila,

 

We're considering a Navigator cruise.  You mentioned that you liked the Navigator but the bathrooms were dated in another post.   How seriously are they dated?  I guess they weren't redone in recent refurbishments.

 

thanks

We were on Navigator in June-July.  The bathroom is "dated" because it has a darker marble countertop that is older.  When they renovated they didn't replace the bathroom marble (no real need to).  Mariner bathrooms are the same.  Other than that it was fine.  Has a separate shower and tub.  Only a single sink.  If you go on Youtube you can find lots of videos that are "walkthroughs" of the suites (as well as the entire ship if you want) and get a very good idea of how she looks.  Here is just one.  The bathroom is as soon as he enters the cabin (about 18 seconds into the video). 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by papaflamingo

[nfcu]

I guess the bathrooms on Splendor are "dated" also because they have dark (black) marble sink countertops. 

[UUNetBill]

Well, I'd take 'dated' to be on Navigator right now (our next cruise is on Navigator but not until April of next year) - I think this'll be the longest we've gone without a Regent cruse since we started sailing with them.

 

But to get back on topic, Sheila, I'm sorry that happened to you.  Not sure where the blame lies, sounds like there's enough to go around - but regardless, it was substandard treatment and needs addressed.  I know Regent rank their excursions based on activity level but honestly, they're not always accurate.  But to take you ashore, deny you your excursion, and tender you back on board is, well, shitty.

 

I know that I get somewhat frustrated when people overstep their capabilities on excursions as it holds up the entire group.  But it doesn't seem like you're even close to being in that group, so why you were denied is a bit of a mystery.  I know our online condolences don't make up for being rejected like that, and I hope you get answers or at least acknowledgement from Regent.  I also hope you don't let that one experience sour you on a long relationship with Regent...

 

 

[mrstanley]

The bathrooms on the Voyager, Mariner and Navigator are outdated compared to the two newer ships.

The stall shower is very small and has one tiny dish to put soap or your shampoo.

They usually fall off! The lighting is awful.

The shower/tub combination on the Mariner is dangerous! 
 

The storage is adequate.

 

 

[cwn]

1 hour ago, mrstanley said:

The bathrooms on the Voyager, Mariner and Navigator are outdated compared to the two newer ships.

The stall shower is very small and has one tiny dish to put soap or your shampoo.

They usually fall off! The lighting is awful.

The shower/tub combination on the Mariner is dangerous! 
 

The storage is adequate.

 

 

Do not know about Voyager but the shower in the Navigator is glass enclosed corner style with a separate full tub . The bath has a single sink with long counter top. The room is good sized and very nice.

 

The Mariner has a wonderful large shower in the shower only baths as it fills the space where the tub shower combo was. The bath is nice sized and also has high end finishes of the period it was built. Nothing wrong or bad about that.

 

The Splendor has two sinks And looks more glitzy modern but all the Regent baths are nice and well equipped with the bells and whistles you expect in a luxury cruise ship.

 

Actually we really prefer the one sink as there is more flat counter surface that we seem to need. 

[PhD-iva]

On 3/15/2023 at 1:43 PM, pappy1022 said:

The rumblings about Regent excursions keeps getting louder and louder and I hope that Regent looks at this area and improves upon it. To place the entire blame on the tour providers is a cop out. Regent needs to take part of the blame and understand that for many of us, the destination is as important as any on ship service or accommodation. I for one won’t make Regent my top choice if I find that the excursions aren’t to my satisfaction. We are paying for this service although it is advertised as being “free”. Since we tend to travel with other couples, it is easy to justify private tours and be at a reasonable cost per tour per person. 

Consider sisterline Oceania. Also a v nice cruiseline although Regent Mariner was a better ship than my previously wonderful cruises on Marina, Riveria and Sirena. I love both Regent and Oceania although O is my favorite due to their unbundled, a la carte pricing model. You can choose to take their overpriced excursions, which may or may not be just fine. If you prefer to book your own excursions, you are not paying twice. Also, easy to bring your own alcohol on board for consumption in your stateroom or pay a $25 corkage fee to enjoy your wine at any restaurant.

Enjoy.

[pappy1022]

12 hours ago, PhD-iva said:

Consider sisterline Oceania. Also a v nice cruiseline although Regent Mariner was a better ship than my previously wonderful cruises on Marina, Riveria and Sirena. I love both Regent and Oceania although O is my favorite due to their unbundled, a la carte pricing model. You can choose to take their overpriced excursions, which may or may not be just fine. If you prefer to book your own excursions, you are not paying twice. Also, easy to bring your own alcohol on board for consumption in your stateroom or pay a $25 corkage fee to enjoy your wine at any restaurant.

Enjoy.

I have been on Oceania and enjoyed it very much. I will have to say that for me, Oceania is a step below Regent as far as the cabin and the food. I did consider them for my British Isle cruise but I liked Regent’s itinerary better and for me the destination is as important as the cruise ship. 

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

I have been on Oceania and enjoyed it very much. I will have to say that for me, Oceania is a step below Regent as far as the cabin and the food. I did consider them for my British Isle cruise but I liked Regent’s itinerary better and for me the destination is as important as the cruise ship. 

And they are far apart on pricing.

[pappy1022]

3 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

And they are far apart on pricing.

True on the surface but if you look at the cost associated with international business class air and some debatable values for included excursions, included hotels, etc., the difference starts to disappear, especially with the included business class air. I think that Regent realizes that airfare adds a lot to the cruisers’ cost, thus they are starting to provide more options for lesser airline seats. The question one has to ask is: do these included items provide value to the customer. That’s up to each individual to decide.

[Mr Luxury]

5 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

True on the surface but if you look at the cost associated with international business class air and some debatable values for included excursions, included hotels, etc., the difference starts to disappear, especially with the included business class air. I think that Regent realizes that airfare adds a lot to the cruisers’ cost, thus they are starting to provide more options for lesser airline seats. The question one has to ask is: do these included items provide value to the customer. That’s up to each individual to decide.

The tours are of no use to me as I don't want to go on a bus with thirty or forty others.

I like to choose my own first or business class flights so Regents air might not be for me.

Can I book Regent just cruise only?