Regent's "New" Fare Options are Much Ado About Nothing imho

[snorklelover]

I guess you really can't get a good idea of the cost of a cruise from the website if it will vary by where you live. I just don't get it!!

[rallydave]

18 minutes ago, snorklelover said:

I guess you really can't get a good idea of the cost of a cruise from the website if it will vary by where you live. I just don't get it!!

Guess regent decided charging the same amount for the air portion of the cruise costs them profits so now  going to air based on location. 
 

Who would have thought charging an average price for air wouldn’t have worked.   And this change proves air is not free and these facts will change regent advertising air is free. 

[ysolde]

36 minutes ago, snorklelover said:

I guess you really can't get a good idea of the cost of a cruise from the website if it will vary by where you live. I just don't get it!!

Try Viking.  Their website makes it easy and straightforward.  Pick your cruise and your cabin.  Then (if you are interested), add your airfare (economy, premium, or business class), based on where you are flying from.  They will tell you the total cost, with and without airfare.

[makai 7]

So I just priced my upcoming cruise under their new program.  With business class air ( as I booked) the price increased almost $6000 (more than a 50% increase) per person for the same cabin.  This is prior to any other discounts that I received from my TA.

Under their new pricing structure, if we book in the future, we will probably end up booking our own airfare.  Blacklane doesn’t operate where I live, so that feature is a total waste of money.

[CJANDH]

2 hours ago, ysolde said:

Try Viking.  Their website makes it easy and straightforward.  Pick your cruise and your cabin.  Then (if you are interested), add your airfare (economy, premium, or business class), based on where you are flying from.  They will tell you the total cost, with and without airfare.

That is exactly what the Regent site does now. But you have to go in and start the booking process and enter your departure airport to get a real price. The prices shown on the website are only good for New York departures. 

[ysolde]

6 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

That is exactly what the Regent site does now. But you have to go in and start the booking process and enter your departure airport to get a real price. The prices shown on the website are only good for New York departures. 

 

That's presumptuous of Regent.  What if you are pricing out and comparing different cruises?  Why would you start the booking process when all you are doing is gathering information?

[CJANDH]

36 minutes ago, ysolde said:

 

That's presumptuous of Regent.  What if you are pricing out and comparing different cruises?  Why would you start the booking process when all you are doing is gathering information?

I agree. However, it is not much different to other Cruise Lines. Most of them give you the cost of the cruise and you have to add air costs separately. It is just not as friendly as the old "Business Air included" pricing.

[rallydave]

Well guess the title of this thread Much ado about nothing has now been proven to be false. 
 

Much  ado about significantly higher prices would be more apropos. 

[Sunprince]

29 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Well guess the title of this thread Much ado about nothing has now been proven to be false. 
 

Much  ado about significantly higher prices would be more apropos. 

I was just thinking the exact same thought!  Where are all the posters on this thread who were adamant that prices would not increase? Would like to hear from them now….but they will probably just excuse it all away by saying:  “all cruise lines are increasing prices”; or maybe they will continue to blame the airlines for the new Regent pricing structure. 

[ysolde]

So many of the decisions Regent has been making of late make me wonder whether they are trying to attract a younger, less loyal clientele.  They seem to be positioning themselves to attract a 35-50 year old demographic, who prefer 7-10 day cruises.  With economy airfare optional. An upscale version of the Virgin Voyages crowd.  They must have concluded that the Boomers are aging and Gen X, well, everyone skips right over us, so I imagine they did, too.  🤣

Edited Monday at 10:20 PM by ysolde

[Dolebludger]

If there is a way to compare “cruise only” prices (no air, hotel, or transfers) before and after the change, it would show the price increase of Regent only. I haven’t done the math on this, but others have, and report it as substantial. And I suppose the inclusion of air, hotel, and transfers for concierge suites and above is history?

[DaveFr]

11 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

If there is a way to compare “cruise only” prices (no air, hotel, or transfers) before and after the change, it would show the price increase of Regent only. I haven’t done the math on this, but others have, and report it as substantial. And I suppose the inclusion of air, hotel, and transfers for concierge suites and above is history?

I compared a cruise I booked two weeks ago to the price if booked today. The fare for a cruise without air in an F1 suite increased by $2100 pp. The ultimate package still includes air, hotel and transfers for concierge suites and above. For suites below concierge, the ultimate package includes air and transfers.

 

Dave

[PaulMCO]

We booked our Barcelona to Capetown cruise just before the change.   Biz Air was $4200, now its $6200 pp

[ysolde]

1 hour ago, DaveFr said:

I compared a cruise I booked two weeks ago to the price if booked today. The fare for a cruise without air in an F1 suite increased by $2100 pp. The ultimate package still includes air, hotel and transfers for concierge suites and above. For suites below concierge, the ultimate package includes air and transfers.

 

Dave

That's an increase of $2,100 p/p flying in what class of travel?  Flying between which cities?

[fizzy]

2 hours ago, ysolde said:

So many of the decisions Regent has been making of late make me wonder whether they are trying to attract a younger, less loyal clientele.  They seem to be positioning themselves to attract a 35-50 year old demographic, who prefer 7-10 day cruises.  With economy airfare optional. An upscale version of the Virgin Voyages crowd.  They must have concluded that the Boomers are aging and Gen X, well, everyone skips right over us, so I imagine they did, too.  🤣

I think you hit the nail on the head.

[DaveFr]

19 minutes ago, ysolde said:

That's an increase of $2,100 p/p flying in what class of travel?  Flying between which cities?

As I mentioned in my post, the cruise I booked was without air. Out of curiosity, I calculated the fare with air. The cruise is a Transatlantic. The air is business class from Los Angeles to Rome and economy from Miami to Los Angeles. Two weeks ago, the total fare for two would have been $46,698. Today, the fare is $51,498. So, the fare difference is $4800 or $2400 per person.

 

Dave

[Dolebludger]

What I am curious about is the cost of “cruise only” on Regent comparison “before and after” the change by Regent. I am fully aware that the airlines, hotels, and ground transportation providers are ripping off the traveling public. So I’m only curious about whether Regent is joining them! 

[rallydave]

3 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

What I am curious about is the cost of “cruise only” on Regent comparison “before and after” the change by Regent. I am fully aware that the airlines, hotels, and ground transportation providers are ripping off the traveling public. So I’m only curious about whether Regent is joining them! 

I sincerely beg to differ with your dueling ripping off the public. Don’t believe you can identify any service other than airlines where the pricing is so reasonable compared to years ago!!!!!  And this with planes over $100,000 and much more plus fuel over 10X from years ago and don’t forget salaries much much higher. 

[Dolebludger]

Rallydave, I m principally talking about BC air fare being a rip-off. Now, domestic BC seating may take up as much room as 2X economy. So the price for it should be 2X that for economy — right? Well, it’s much higher. And maybe international BC lay down seats take up 2.5X room as economy. The same price relationship would apply. And fare is much higher than that. 
 

What I’m saying is I would like to see cruise only prices for a cruise booked before July 1, and the price for the same cruise booked only “cruise only” after July 1. Only that will tell me by how much Regent has raised it’s own prices.

[DaveFr]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

What I’m saying is I would like to see cruise only prices for a cruise booked before July 1, and the price for the same cruise booked only “cruise only” after July 1. Only that will tell me by how much Regent has raised it’s own prices.

Here’s an example: A couple of weeks ago, I booked a Rome to Miami cruise in an F1. The cruise takes place in October 2025. The original fare for two, without air, was $40,498. Today the fare is $44,698. So, an increase of $2100 per person.

 

Dave

[CardowMD]

I investigated some low single supplement cruises last night. Even on 25% increase cruise, rate at check out was still double the rate per person without the added services. Does anyone know how they are handling the single supplement? Is it based on a “fully loaded” all inclusion price, or cruise only price?

 

Like others, it’s nice to compare cruise only apples to apples. Then add in flights. As solo, it is usually less $ for me to book my own hotel & transfers.

[papaflamingo]

15 hours ago, rallydave said:

Well guess the title of this thread Much ado about nothing has now been proven to be false. 
 

Much  ado about significantly higher prices would be more apropos. 

Can't speak for all cruises, but we booked a cruise in March, Papeete to Auckland.  The air allowance in March was $9800 per person.  The cost of Business Class today is $10,100 per person, or $300 pp  more, AND it now includes $250 pp for Blacklane. So the cost of air really didn't go up at all. The CRUISE only cost...however.....😱 

[papaflamingo]

6 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

What I’m saying is I would like to see cruise only prices for a cruise booked before July 1, and the price for the same cruise booked only “cruise only” after July 1. Only that will tell me by how much Regent has raised it’s own prices

We booked a cruise in March that was $9199 per person no air.  Today it's $12,790 without air, so about a 39% increase in cruise cost.  For accuracy, the air portion for Business Class was $9800 in March and is now $10,100, so it  only went up $300, and now includes $250 for Blacklane.  

Edited yesterday at 11:56 AM by papaflamingo

[rallydave]

6 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Rallydave, I m principally talking about BC air fare being a rip-off. Now, domestic BC seating may take up as much room as 2X economy. So the price for it should be 2X that for economy — right? Well, it’s much higher. And maybe international BC lay down seats take up 2.5X room as economy. The same price relationship would apply. And fare is much higher than that. 
 

What I’m saying is I would like to see cruise only prices for a cruise booked before July 1, and the price for the same cruise booked only “cruise only” after July 1. Only that will tell me by how much Regent has raised it’s own prices.

Sorry Rich your space analysis is simply a small part of pricing and not the big elephant in the room supply and demand.  Oh and there is no domestic business class it is first class domestic and mostly business class internationally with a very few first class seats in very few airlines internationally. 
 

other costs are salaries benefits etc. people are willing to pay for business/first class so the prices reflect that demand. Space is a small part of the differences.  And don’t forget economy seats are cheap compared to inflation so comparing business to economy is not valid

 

as long as people pay the prices to fly business rip-off is a complete misnomer. 

[ysolde]

25 minutes ago, rallydave said:

Sorry Rich your space analysis is simply a small part of pricing and not the big elephant in the room supply and demand.  Oh and there is no domestic business class it is first class domestic and mostly business class internationally with a very few first class seats in very few airlines internationally. 
 

other costs are salaries benefits etc. people are willing to pay for business/first class so the prices reflect that demand. Space is a small part of the differences.  And don’t forget economy seats are cheap compared to inflation so comparing business to economy is not valid

 

as long as people pay the prices to fly business rip-off is a complete misnomer. 

Recently, I saw a review of Zipair's business class from the west coast to Japan.  There's an interesting concept.  For less than half the price of traditional business class, Zipair will provide you with a lie-flat seat to Japan.  And that's it.  No lounge.  No food (you can buy food on board).  But for many travelers, the savings may be worth it.  I wonder if we will start to see this low-cost business class model expand?  It is an interesting concept, especially for the self-funded business traveler.