Guaranteed suite

[Prolecata]

I saw a recent news item about people with a guaranteed suite were told a few days before sailing they are not able to board. They were told that guaranteed meant that at least that level of suite provided all suites were not sold. The cruise was sold out and they were bumped. So today I looked at a Regent Seven Seas cruise and the suite I wanted was 'guaranteed'. So I asked RSSC could I be bumped and they said it was 'unlikely'. So RSSC agree it is possible. Does anybody know if being bumped with a guaranteed suite is anything they have heard of or should I be worried about?

[Pcardad]

2 hours ago, Prolecata said:

I saw a recent news item about people with a guaranteed suite were told a few days before sailing they are not able to board. They were told that guaranteed meant that at least that level of suite provided all suites were not sold. The cruise was sold out and they were bumped. So today I looked at a Regent Seven Seas cruise and the suite I wanted was 'guaranteed'. So I asked RSSC could I be bumped and they said it was 'unlikely'. So RSSC agree it is possible. Does anybody know if being bumped with a guaranteed suite is anything they have heard of or should I be worried about?

I have never heard of a person being bumped in over 5000 nights booked....but that doesn't mean it isn't possible. Regent, like any cruise line, tries to book every cabin. If a particular cruise has a waitlist, they make offers to people who are booked to incentivize them to swap cruises...thus filling both the cruise in question and a future cruise for a slight hit to income. 

[flossie009]

2 hours ago, Prolecata said:

I saw a recent news item about people with a guaranteed suite were told a few days before sailing they are not able to board.

On Regent or another cruise line?

 

Guarantee bookings are covered in the FAQs/Pricing on the Regent website.

 

We have booked GTY suites in the past and have been pleased with the suites allocated. We would be wary of booking a GTY on Mariner or Navigator as on those ships there are certain types & position of suites that we would not want.

[Prolecata]

The story that lead me to ask RSSC was on these boards a couple of months ago. 
https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2976553-denied-boarding-at-port-with-pitiful-compensation/

RSSC told me it is unlikely. This means it is possible with RSSC.

[flossie009]

8 minutes ago, Prolecata said:

RSSC told me it is unlikely

With the dictionary definition of "guarantee", Regent's own definition in their FAQs, past history and UK consumer laws I would not be concerned about being bumped from a Regent cruise.

However, anything is possible so if you are worried then don't book a GTY

[Prolecata]

Thank you for the information. I will make the booking after these comments.

[Nachosdelux]

The denied boarding was on Royal Caribbean, not Regent.

[PacificView]

Pcardad's comment is spot on.  I will sail on Voyager in 26 days.   Last week I received an email with a 'completely voluntary opportunity' to select an alternate voyage that includes a suite upgrade plus a cash bonus.  Alternatively, I could cancel for a full refund.  The offer includes 3 alternate sailings from which to chose.  The offer emphasizes that this is "completely voluntary for a limited number of volunteers".  The same email came again today, so I take it they are still looking for people who are interested in switching.  None of the alternate sailings work for me, but it's a great example of what Pcardad described.

[Prolecata]

Pcardad said she has never heard of it but it is possible. Well we know with Royal Caribbean it has actually happened to 11 couples. RSSC have the same faq generally as RCI saying a guarantee is for at least the same level but silent on bumping. So bumping with GTY is possible and has happened but is rare.

[Pcardad]

1 hour ago, Prolecata said:

Pcardad said she has never heard of it but it is possible. Well we know with Royal Caribbean it has actually happened to 11 couples. RSSC have the same faq generally as RCI saying a guarantee is for at least the same level but silent on bumping. So bumping with GTY is possible and has happened but is rare.

I am a "he"...and do you KNOW of someone it has happened to?

[Prolecata]

I am sorry for saying she. My apologies.

I do not know anybody this has happened to, I only have read of the 11 couples it did happen to.

[DaveFr]

Probably more than 10 years ago I remember a guarantee passenger being Bumped from a Caribbean cruise. I don’t remember if it was a Regent or Oceania cruise. The bumped passenger posted about the incident on Cruise Critic. A couple of days later Frank Del Rio, who was the CEO of both lines at the time, posted that the passenger should not have been bumped and that it was a mistake. In addition to a full refund, the bumped passenger was given a free cruise.

 

As others have said, Regent will make offers to booked passengers to get them to move to another cruise so Regent does not have to bump any guarantee passengers. To give you an idea of the length Regent will go to to avoid bumping any passengers, here’s what we experienced in 2015. In September 2015, we were booked on Mariner in a category G or F suite for a 21 night cruise from San Francisco to New York. We had taken an air credit for the cruise. Regent offered to switch us to one of three cruises. We chose a 28 night cruise from Cape Town to Singapore on the Voyager. We were upgraded to a Penthouse B and given business class air from Los Angeles round-trip with no air deviation fee. Regent provided all visas at no cost (worth about $1000) and credited us with $1500 because we declined the included pre-cruise land program. Finally, Regent gave us a refund of around $3200 which might have included the $1500 credit. I don’t remember the exact figures but the new cruise ended up costing us less than our original Mariner cruise.
 

So the OP should feel highly confident that they will not be bumped from their cruise.

 

Dave

Edited March 21 by DaveFr

[Pcardad]

1 hour ago, Prolecata said:

I am sorry for saying she. My apologies.

I do not know anybody this has happened to, I only have read of the 11 couples it did happen to.

No worries - To the best of my knowledge, Regent has never bumped anyone since I cruised for the first time with Regent in late 2015.

Edited March 22 by Pcardad

[labonnevie]

If worriers can’t find anything to worry about, they worry about that. 

[GOARMY]

PacificView (and Pcardad):

 

While the following experience is somewhat dated by time--and of course not dispositive--it certainly remains in my memory.  

 

Voyager.  circa 2013-2014.  Extended cruise beginning at Sydney.  Booked this, as did my brother and his wife, and our mutual friends.  So, six of us.  

 

Beginning about 30 days prior to flying out of SEATAC and heading for Sydney, began getting notices from Regent as to spouse and self's willingness to forego our Suite; get full-refund; and receive an additional $5,000.00.   

 

Did not respond.  

 

Every three or four days thereafter, received up-offers.  Of course, we consulted with our TA.  The final one arrived about three days before we would be heading to the airport. The final cash incentive was $23,500.  

 

There was NEVER an explicit, or inferred, reference to us being subject to being "bumped-off".[metaphorically] that cruise. 

 

Naturally, we were tempted.  But, did not take that offer.  It was a wonderful, long cruise with the other four in our group. 

 

No-doubt, others took the offer. Or, if they did not--how Regent handled it. 

 

GOARMY!

 

.    

 

 

[Pcardad]

35 minutes ago, GOARMY said:

PacificView (and Pcardad):

 

While the following experience is somewhat dated by time--and of course not dispositive--it certainly remains in my memory.  

 

Voyager.  circa 2013-2014.  Extended cruise beginning at Sydney.  Booked this, as did my brother and his wife, and our mutual friends.  So, six of us.  

 

Beginning about 30 days prior to flying out of SEATAC and heading for Sydney, began getting notices from Regent as to spouse and self's willingness to forego our Suite; get full-refund; and receive an additional $5,000.00.   

 

Did not respond.  

 

Every three or four days thereafter, received up-offers.  Of course, we consulted with our TA.  The final one arrived about three days before we would be heading to the airport. The final cash incentive was $23,500.  

 

There was NEVER an explicit, or inferred, reference to us being subject to being "bumped-off".[metaphorically] that cruise. 

 

Naturally, we were tempted.  But, did not take that offer.  It was a wonderful, long cruise with the other four in our group. 

 

No-doubt, others took the offer. Or, if they did not--how Regent handled it. 

 

GOARMY!

 

.    

 

 

Yessir - this is standard when there is a waitlist on a cruise. Regent will make an offer to existing booked guests on a future cruise in order to pickup a new sale while retaining the current guest on the future cruise with slightly less profit. I've not seen an example as large as you mention and can only guess that there was an accommodation being made for a special group of guests. 

[alainciao]

We used to see these offers described by CC posters.  Have not seen many, if any, lately, i.e., post covid.  With the current cash issues for cruise lines AND the switch to public ownership since the examples given above, I wonder if the future of guarantees might be different.

[papaflamingo]

52 minutes ago, alainciao said:

We used to see these offers described by CC posters.  Have not seen many, if any, lately, i.e., post covid.  With the current cash issues for cruise lines AND the switch to public ownership since the examples given above, I wonder if the future of guarantees might be different.

We were booked on a 10 night Caribbean on Navigator in March 2023.  On Christmas 2022 we had a pipe freeze and do $58,000 damage to our house.  We were in the middle of the repairs in March, but since final payment was made before the pipe leak we decided we'd simply go on the cruise and "hope for the best" regarding the house.  Anyway, about 4 days before the cruise we received an offer to delay our cruise to Dec. 2023 and receive an upgrade to a Penthouse on Mariner (a HUGE upgrade from a Deluxe Verandah on Navigator), and a significant refund (about 20% of what we paid).  WE JUMPED ON IT!  We were able to be home for out house repairs, upgrade to a better ship and MUCH BETTER cabin, and get money back!!!  

So it's still happening.

[Bruce61]

1 hour ago, alainciao said:

We used to see these offers described by CC posters.  Have not seen many, if any, lately, i.e., post covid.  With the current cash issues for cruise lines AND the switch to public ownership since the examples given above, I wonder if the future of guarantees might be different.

 

Got an offer in September 2023 for Explorer Alaska cruise.  Postpone until May 2024 and receive a discount which was equivalent to about 50% of the total fare.  We were going with friends so did not take the offer but it was tempting, both for the discount and going at a time likely to have better weather.   That would usually tell me that they were very sold out, but then 5 days before sailing we were offered a fabulous deal to upgrade from Concierge Suite to Explorer Suite!  They apparently wanted to sell the cheaper cabins.  The cruise was sold out but did not feel crowded in any way other than an inability to get additional specialty restaurant seatings beyond the three we had reserved.

[rcandkc]

58 minutes ago, Bruce61 said:

 

Got an offer in September 2023 for Explorer Alaska cruise.  Postpone until May 2024 and receive a discount which was equivalent to about 50% of the total fare.  We were going with friends so did not take the offer but it was tempting, both for the discount and going at a time likely to have better weather.   That would usually tell me that they were very sold out, but then 5 days before sailing we were offered a fabulous deal to upgrade from Concierge Suite to Explorer Suite!  They apparently wanted to sell the cheaper cabins.  The cruise was sold out but did not feel crowded in any way other than an inability to get additional specialty restaurant seatings beyond the three we had reserved.

Did you take the Explorer Suite and how did you like it?

[ChatKat in Ca.]

13 hours ago, GOARMY said:

While the following experience is somewhat dated by time--and of course not dispositive--it certainly remains in my memory.  

 

Voyager.  circa 2013-2014.  Extended cruise beginning at Sydney.  Booked this, as did my brother and his wife, and our mutual friends.  So, six of us.  

 

Beginning about 30 days prior to flying out of SEATAC and heading for Sydney, began getting notices from Regent as to spouse and self's willingness to forego our Suite; get full-refund; and receive an additional $5,000.00.   

 

Did not respond.  

 

Every three or four days thereafter, received up-offers.  Of course, we consulted with our TA.  The final one arrived about three days before we would be heading to the airport. The final cash incentive was $23,500.  

 

We were "bumped" from a Sydney to Auckland cruise as described in the quote.  We got all our money back and a cruise credit of $10,000.  We figured we'd book the same cruise the next year but the fare more than doubled. Our original cruise was on the Navigator and the next year it was offered on the Voyager.  We took a nice "free" cruise in the Med and booked a Tauck Tour of Australia. 

[Vallesan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZcSszfgXow

 
This video by Gary Bembridge May just be of interest. He’s explaining some of the differences with cruising in 2024.

[Prolecata]

The YouTube video tells how bumping on GTY suites is more common now but mostly some time before and bumping at the port as happened to 11 couples is rare. So not really bumping just voluntary offloading. It says 2024 cruises are more booked up than previous years so more offers of alternate cruises and compensation to GTY’s.

[Bruce61]

4 hours ago, rcandkc said:

Did you take the Explorer Suite and how did you like it?

Yes we took it and it was fabulous.  Best part was the separate room with a door and extra half bath so I could get up early while the wife slept in.  

[Pcardad]

2 hours ago, Prolecata said:

The YouTube video tells how bumping on GTY suites is more common now but mostly some time before and bumping at the port as happened to 11 couples is rare. So not really bumping just voluntary offloading. It says 2024 cruises are more booked up than previous years so more offers of alternate cruises and compensation to GTY’s.

The 11 couples was not Regent.