"Luggage tags" and first impressions...

[kstrittm]

I'm a newbie to Regent; have cruised about 35 times but this will be my first with the line.  As you all know, we pay a significant premium for these trips.  I guess my expectations are a tad too high.  I waited anxiously to receive my luggage tags - had visions of something similar to Vikings faux leather version or even Oceania's plastic tags with the pretty pictures.  I mean, for what we paid, I figured it would be nice.  Right?  Wouldn't you think?

 

Well, they arrived in the mail today - exactly what you put on your suitcase at the airport except with sticky glue.  They weren't even filled in - left blank.  The only "customization" was the deck number of our cabin.

 

You know what they say about first impressions... wow.  That was a face slapper. Dear suite guest, You are important to us, and we appreciate your business.  We charge more than almost every other cruise line, but your trip will be luxurious and worth the splurge. As such, here is a piece of paper.  Fill it out and slap it on your bag.  See you soon.

 

Fingers crossed that things improve...

 

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, kstrittm said:

I waited anxiously to receive my luggage tags - had visions of something similar to Vikings faux leather version or even Oceania's plastic tags with the pretty pictures.  I mean, for what we paid, I figured it would be nice.  Right?  Wouldn't you think?

 

I am not sure what Silversea do but with Seabourn it is print them off at home. To me it is more about the onboard experience than what the luggage tags are like. I enjoy Seabourn and am looking forward to trying Regent as friend's I trust recommend them.

 

Admittedly I have never done Oceania or Viking but reading their boards they don't appeal and a fancy luggage tag won't change that.

 

 

[GOARMY]

kstrittm:

 

You have provided an impression--your first "take" for your upcoming Regent cruise. 

 

With respect--Please open up the aperture a bit. Yes, after 20+years with Raddison/Regent--collected the faux leather tags long-ago.

 

What a trifle! 

 

Current Tags meet a simple, intended purpose.  Correct Deck.  It takes about five minutes to fill in Name, Ship, Departure Date, and Suite Number particulars.  Hardly an onerous task.  

 

Please keep CCers updated as to your first impression(s) after actually boarding whatever Regent ship you will be boarding.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

[Bruce61]

I printed labels to affix to the tags instead of filling them in.  Easy!

[Hambagahle]

I take a lot of pleasure in filling in those sticky tags...it means my cruise is near... However - I don't put them on until we are checking out of our hotel to go to the ship.  I want my bags to find me!

  In the "olden" days we used to get the faux leather card holders for our suitcases too.  I have a lot (too many?) of those.  One I treasure most is the Splendor Inaugural Season one.  The Splendor never sailed but I still have the tag!

[papaflamingo]

11 hours ago, GOARMY said:

It takes about five minutes to fill in Name, Ship, Departure Date, and Suite Number particulars

Takes me way less time.... my wife does it because she says no one can read my writing.  There is always a "method to my madness."  You should see how I "do laundry!"   Train 'em early I say!🤣

[papaflamingo]

13 hours ago, kstrittm said:

You know what they say about first impressions... wow.  That was a face slapper

To be perfectly honest, if this was a "face slapper," you probably need to rein in your expectations some.  Most of us have found Regent is a wonderful experience, especially compared to other cruise lines.  But it isn't perfect.  

[kstrittm]

All, thanks for your responses.  You are correct - luggage tags are not a big deal at all.  I have no reason to believe that my vacation won’t be awesome; I know it will.  I wrote the post only to highlight that first-time cruisers are in a different category from repeat customers.  You already know what to expect. Everything is new to a first-timer.

 

I don’t know if Regent has people reviewing these boards.  My suggestion would be that they consider handling first time cruisers slightly different. They could create a modified package that would be a little more welcoming - different letter; FAQs; maybe even the fake leather tags.  It’s a great chance to establish loyalty right off the start.

 

This is my first “luxury” cruise - my previous experience is with Oceania, Princess, and HAL. I guess it just disappointed me a little.  I look forward to this first cruise with Regent.  I chose it for the itinerary, and I’m really excited about some of the ports.

[Scout16]

I believe that part of the problem with the discussion of luggage tags is that that there are two different things, the tags which you permanently attach to your luggage and the tags which are used to send your luggage to your room on the ship or to the proper place for disembarking.  Real luggage tags are now only sent to you after you have spent the required number of nights on the ship while the others are sent to you ahead of your cruise or with the disembarking instructions.  It would be nice if there was some way that they could send true luggage tags, not real leather, to first time passengers, but many of us now have a drawer full of the old plastic luggage tags which they used to send with every cruise. 

[papaflamingo]

12 hours ago, kstrittm said:

All, thanks for your responses.  You are correct - luggage tags are not a big deal at all.  I have no reason to believe that my vacation won’t be awesome; I know it will.  I wrote the post only to highlight that first-time cruisers are in a different category from repeat customers.  You already know what to expect. Everything is new to a first-timer.

 

I don’t know if Regent has people reviewing these boards.  My suggestion would be that they consider handling first time cruisers slightly different. They could create a modified package that would be a little more welcoming - different letter; FAQs; maybe even the fake leather tags.  It’s a great chance to establish loyalty right off the start.

 

This is my first “luxury” cruise - my previous experience is with Oceania, Princess, and HAL. I guess it just disappointed me a little.  I look forward to this first cruise with Regent.  I chose it for the itinerary, and I’m really excited about some of the ports.

To be perfectly honest, we were all "first time cruisers."  My first Regent cruise was in 2018. When I got my luggage tags I was "stoked!"  They were the same one's we get today, but I had previously sailed mostly on Royal Caribbean and we had a choice of printing our own tags or paying to have tags sent (of course we could always get them at the pier).  So when our Regent tags showed up my first impression was "wow...this is nice!"  

I guess it's all a matter of expectations.  I'm not convinced your expectations will be met, but I do hope you enjoy your cruise. 

Edited August 21 by papaflamingo

[makai 7]

I just received my "docs" today.  I've been on quite a few RSSC cruises over the years, and I was surprised at the minimal few sheets of paper that I received in the mail in a plain paper envelope.  I agree that I don't need any more fake leather luggage tags, or fake leather document holders, but it was part of the "class act" that made RSSC seem to be above the rest.

In the past they used to pre-print the luggage tags to be affixed prior to boarding, with your name, cabin number, etc.  It does truly seem like quite a cheapening down of the product.  I agree that the less junk I get in the mail, the less that I have to put directly into the circular file 😆  I have no problem filling out luggage tags myself.

 

More insulting is the directions to go to a link for your pre-cruise documents, and when I go to the link I get this: 

400 Bad Request  Your browser sent a request that this server could not understand.
Size of a request header field exceeds server limit.

 

I had already reset my expectations much lower for my upcoming cruise at the time of my booking, so that I won't be overly disappointed.  It's too bad that RSSC has to raise prices and lower the experience threshold.

[Pcardad]

As long as the on-board experience remains excellent, I am fine with them sending nothing pre-cruise. The only thing you need to board is your passport and a credit card. I respect other's right to their opinion, mine is not more important, but my expectations on my first cruise were different than they are now. I agree that something special on the very first cruise would be nice.

[papaflamingo]

5 hours ago, makai 7 said:

More insulting is the directions to go to a link for your pre-cruise documents, and when I go to the link I get this: 

400 Bad Request 

This sometimes happens to me with many websites.  Just try again or try a different browser. That usually works for me.

As for the cruise documents, all you need is your boarding pass and it can be dowloaded on your phone and you show that to board.  I actually much prefer that as I'd rather not print out a bunch of stuff to carry with me.  

Edited August 21 by papaflamingo

[labonnevie]

2 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

As for the cruise documents, all you need is your boarding pass and it can be dowloaded on your phone and you show that to board.  I actually much prefer that as I'd rather not print out a bunch of stuff to carry with me.  

Agree, kinda...

Had this happen: had QR code for airline boarding passes on phone. The reader accepted my wife's but not mine! Quarter mile walk each way to counter to get paper boarding pass which, of course, worked.

Technology is great. When it works.

[KenzSailing]

I dunno, I just have a different perspective.  I judge a cruise line based on the experience from the moment I step onboard to the moment I step off.  

[papaflamingo]

10 hours ago, labonnevie said:

Agree, kinda...

Had this happen: had QR code for airline boarding passes on phone. The reader accepted my wife's but not mine! Quarter mile walk each way to counter to get paper boarding pass which, of course, worked.

Technology is great. When it works.

True.  

[Whinenowine]

On 8/20/2024 at 7:46 AM, papaflamingo said:

Takes me way less time.... my wife does it because she says no one can read my writing.  There is always a "method to my madness."  You should see how I "do laundry!"   Train 'em early I say!🤣

Haha...I was FALSELY accused by my (then) fiancee for doing just that.  Took me 15 years to finally convince her that I actually did NOT intentionally buy the incorrect bread bowls for our dinner party.  In fact I hadn't even thought of doing that....until she accused me of it...what a great idea that was!  Hahahaha.

 

[papaflamingo]

15 hours ago, Whinenowine said:

Haha...I was FALSELY accused by my (then) fiancee for doing just that.  Took me 15 years to finally convince her that I actually did NOT intentionally buy the incorrect bread bowls for our dinner party.  In fact I hadn't even thought of doing that....until she accused me of it...what a great idea that was!  Hahahaha.

 

You have to set expectations immediately.  In my case I "strive for mediocrity and fail to achieve it."  😜

[CDMNCruiser]

On 8/21/2024 at 6:25 PM, labonnevie said:

Agree, kinda...

Had this happen: had QR code for airline boarding passes on phone. The reader accepted my wife's but not mine! Quarter mile walk each way to counter to get paper boarding pass which, of course, worked.

Technology is great. When it works.

This is why travel experts recommend you still get a paper boarding pass. We'll check in online at home and get the QR code, but then when check our bags we ask for paper boarding passes just in case.