Regent- Stranded! Last minute change 🙀

[forgap]

7 minutes ago, H2O Polo Willie said:

If we want to see Normandy we will now have to book another European trip and that was to be the highlight of this cruise!

Spending time in Normandy and Brittany on a land trip is the way to go!  We spent a week in Dinan at an AirBNB situated right on the ramparts.   We rented a car and did day trips to the D day beaches, Mont St. Michel, calvados tasting on the side of the road and in ancient distilleries.  Plus, eating wonderful food and drinking wonderful wine.  
 

it’s unfortunate that the plans you anticipated did not work out, but don’t let that stop you from taking a land trip.  I think that France is better on a land trip.  

[SellaVee]

The problem with Regent saying "take it up with your travel insurance" is that, at least for travellers from the UK, every time you make a claim, your premium goes up the following year.

[ysolde]

On 8/23/2024 at 3:04 PM, 1teach53 said:

I called…. One way car  Seward to Whittier $700.00 !🙀

Do you have travel insurance?  Is this covered by the terms of your travel insurance?  

[1teach53]

21 minutes ago, ysolde said:

Do you have travel insurance?  Is this covered by the terms of your travel insurance?  

Yes. Hope it’s covered, the only suggestion the 2 supervisors from R had to offer. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[ysolde]

23 minutes ago, ysolde said:

Do you have travel insurance?  Is this covered by the terms of your travel insurance?  

And I do understand that it stinks to have to go the travel insurance route when this is something Regent should be handling.  I am appalled at the way this is playing out.  But I think you should get to your cruise, get reimbursed by your travel insurance, and let your travel insurance duke it out with Regent.

[ysolde]

2 minutes ago, 1teach53 said:

Yes. Hope it’s covered, the only suggestion the 2 supervisors from R had to offer. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

As I said in my later post, I think it stinks, the way this situation is playing out, but I think it's better to get to your cruise, get reimbursed by your travel insurance, and let the insurance fight Regent.  They have infinite patience with Regent, and can go through the contract with a fine tooth comb, something you should not have to do.

Just now, ysolde said:

And I do understand that it stinks to have to go the travel insurance route when this is something Regent should be handling.  I am appalled at the way this is playing out.  But I think you should get to your cruise, get reimbursed by your travel insurance, and let your travel insurance duke it out with Regent.

 

[GOARMY]

Experienced the Reykjavik hotel mess earlier this year.  Saved all receipts for additional expenses which exceeded Regent's "credit". TA advised not wasting time further pursuing the matter. 

 

Regent's rationale in that situation, or, better put--lack of same--did not pass the "giggle test".  That's a response an Accountant provides when the client offers an explanation for claiming a tax deduction.  If the Accountant giggles--chances are that dog will NOT hunt with the IRS.  

 

To the present mess: Second forgap's Post #62 as to Jennefer Teegen being (potentially) a positive POC pursuing, or prodding, Management to employ common sense to bring about a positive resolution. 

 

Limit further damage, if nothing else. 

 

Jennefer was that advocate for us on a previous matter not as serious as this one, but still meaningful.

 

One additional suggestion:  That would be for TAs (plural) providing Regent with significant client traffic discuss this particular situation amongst themselves--then respond to Management.  TAs obviously have a stake in the outcome.  Clients' satisfaction is a key element in their portfolio. 

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

[majcigar]

Good Morning All,

I'm just reposting my note from yesterday (Note #41).for those of you who need some pricing information. As I said we are arriving in Seward on the 11th and were supposed to get on the SilverSeas Silver Muse on the 12th out of Seward. We have made reservations at the Westmark Anchorage that is .2 miles from the train station. The hotel cost about $181.00. Also, Regent WILL NOT allow their bus to drop you off downtown, therefore we have to take an Uber (about $30.00) from the airport to the hotel. Our cost for the Alaskan Railway is $200.00 per person in Gold Class. This can be reduced to about $100.00 per person if you ride in adventure class. The bus ride from Anchorage to Whittier is cramped and really not the way you want to start a cruise. We had no choice, but to pay Regent $139.00 for the bus back to Anchorage as the train does not leave until really late in the day! I'm not going to let this ruin my cruises, but I'm going to think very hard about taking Regent for my next cruising adventure! I did speak to the representative at Allianz Insurance and they said with this amount of time between notification they didn't feel this fell under their policy. I would have to file a claim for it to be run up the chain.

 

Previous Note:

 

Good Morning All,

My wife and I are caught up in this mess too. We were supposed to be getting off the Explorer in Seward and then we were staying overnight in Seward and picking up the SilverSeas Silver Muse the next day. 

Here is what we have to do now! Getting off in Whittier, booked the Regent Bus to Anchorage Airport @ $119.00 per person. Then we have to take an Uber to our new hotel in Anchorage. Hotel is a wash for pricing. Then we have to take the Alaskan Railway on the 12th to Seward for $200.00 per person. Total out of pocket is $638.00. Seems to me Regent could have waited till next years Alaska Cruises to make this change. They advertise themselves as the most exclusive cruise line. Well, for me this is definitely not a great start to my first Regent experience!!

 

[majcigar]

Another thought! I don't think I would want to be the Customer Service Representative on the Regent Explorer for the next few weeks!! 😂😂

[Dolebludger]

GOARMY, yours is a good suggestion. Have all the TAs who book cruises on Regent to band together and put some pressure on Regent. If I were a TA (I’m not) I would not book any client on Regent. Moreover, if I had clients who were booked prior to final payment, I’d contact them and tell them “run”! To do otherwise could result in a loss of MY clients. This situation is not a matter of changes or omissions for which Regent has protected itself in its T&Cs. This is a matter of Regent violating its own T&Cs. And Pcardad is right about this mess being a symptom of trouble in the entire travel industry — not confined to Regent. That’s why nobody is saying that they will leave Regent for another cruise line. 

Edited August 25 by Dolebludger

[SellaVee]

I would easily leave Regent for another cruise line, but I'll also do more land based holidays, which we take most years anyway, in addition to cruising.  We plan to island hop around Scotland in order to see Shetland, which we missed last month, and I’m considering Havila and Hurtigruten as an interesting way to visit Norway again.

[Mahogany]

4 hours ago, SellaVee said:

I wouldn't even consider allowing Regent to book my hotel and transfers after this year, so I’m guessing we won’t be cruising with them again.

 

Last year's cruise to Norway with Oceania had something that made me feel happy pretty much every day.  This years cruise with Regent, although it had many great features, had too many niggles, like being told we were losing 8 1/4 hours in port because of a minor problem with Splendor, then missing our entry to Honfleur because despite cutting short our time in Antwerp, we didn't get there on time.

If this is the Reykjavik-Southampton voyage you're referencing. the "minor problem" was strong seas that prevented our entering the Seine when the tides were correct (high?).

[H2O Polo Willie]

Mahogany -

Having sailed a dozen cruises give or take, what we encountered on that segment of the Reykjavik to Southampton were hardly "strong seas".  So, if that is how Regent is going to excuse being late that is as one of my kids would say, "weak sauce".  If Regent cannot handle the type of seas we encountered on that trip, they are in real trouble and you could hear that claim on any normal cruise.  I know "strong seas" having experienced 27 foot swells and 50 mph winds crossing the Drake Passage on the Oceania Marina, a ship a few tons smaller.  It was a bumpy ride but not really an issue.  I bet we did not even have 6 foot seas if that!

[SellaVee]

2 minutes ago, Mahogany said:

If this is the Reykjavik-Southampton voyage you're referencing. the "minor problem" was strong seas that prevented our entering the Seine when the tides were correct (high?).

No, I was referring to the letter we had dated 25th July (embarkation day) that said "We regret to inform you that Seven Seas Splendor is experiencing a minor technical issue therefore we have had to make the following modifications to the planned arrival and departure times during your sailing."  The letter then listed the 7 ports where our time ashore was to be curtailed.  This came to 8 1/4 hours, and was received well before two ports were cancelled and we had the problem in Honfleur.

 

I thought the captain announced that the strong seas and high winds held us up, so we didn't make it on time, but I may be mistaken.

[SellaVee]

7 minutes ago, H2O Polo Willie said:

Mahogany -

Having sailed a dozen cruises give or take, what we encountered on that segment of the Reykjavik to Southampton were hardly "strong seas".  So, if that is how Regent is going to excuse being late that is as one of my kids would say, "weak sauce".  If Regent cannot handle the type of seas we encountered on that trip, they are in real trouble and you could hear that claim on any normal cruise.  I know "strong seas" having experienced 27 foot swells and 50 mph winds crossing the Drake Passage on the Oceania Marina, a ship a few tons smaller.  It was a bumpy ride but not really an issue.  I bet we did not even have 6 foot seas if that!

My husband and I would agree with you on this.  We’ve crossed the Atlantic in December and had really bad weather, but we were on the QM2.  However we also had some heavy seas in the Baltic on Nautica, with sick bags everywhere, and holding onto rails as we moved about, and this cruise was nothing like that.  I think the problem lay with the ship, as admitted in the letter we had.
 

I was checking the wind speeds on the BBC weather website and although we woke up to glorious sunshine on the day we were due in Lerwick, the wind was going to be gusting at over 40 knots in the afternoon, so I wasn’t surprised by the captain's decision.  We didn’t have the same problem at Honfleur.  We used to sail our own boats and crew for friends, so we take an interest in wind.  I know, we should get out more!

[EagleRocker]

We are on the September 4 Vancouver to Seward oops now Whittier Explorer sailing. It was disconcerting to get a cold and perfunctory email 13 days before we sail advising of the disembarkation port change (no explanation given) and told that if we have our own post cruise transportation booked, we are on our own and will have to sort it out ourselves. I am pretty familiar with Alaska so was more annoyed/concerned about how to fix this than panicked, but I feel sorry for anyone for whom this is a first time Alaska trip. Sorting this out is not all that easy.

 

This is our first time on Regent after many happy times on Silversea, Seabourn, HAL, and Celebrity over the years. Perhaps we should have stuck with the lines we know. We will see how the cruise goes. Good luck to all trying to make new arrangements.

[CascadeLakeGirl]

4 minutes ago, EagleRocker said:

We are on the September 4 Vancouver to Seward oops now Whittier Explorer sailing. It was disconcerting to get a cold and perfunctory email 13 days before we sail advising of the disembarkation port change (no explanation given) and told that if we have our own post cruise transportation booked, we are on our own and will have to sort it out ourselves. I am pretty familiar with Alaska so was more annoyed/concerned about how to fix this than panicked, but I feel sorry for anyone for whom this is a first time Alaska trip. Sorting this out is not all that easy.

 

This is our first time on Regent after many happy times on Silversea, Seabourn, HAL, and Celebrity over the years. Perhaps we should have stuck with the lines we know. We will see how the cruise goes. Good luck to all trying to make new arrangements.

Same! Stunned was my feeling. See you 9/4!!

[ysolde]

We had considered an Alaska cruise as the next cruise we book with Regent, but finally settled on a Panama Canal cruise, which has us leaving out of LA (close to home) and arriving in Miami (an easy port).  So glad this was what we decided.  Both the Canal and Alaska cruises had been on our bucket list, but the Alaska cruise seemed more difficult to organize.  

 

When we started cruising with Regent it was all so stress-free.  It hardly seems that way anymore.

[GOARMY]

ysolde:  Reference your Last--

 

Might we be meeting you on January 7th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel; or next-day after boarding Grandeur?

 

GOARMY!

 

[ysolde]

4 minutes ago, GOARMY said:

ysolde:  Reference your Last--

 

Might we be meeting you on January 7th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel; or next-day after boarding Grandeur?

 

GOARMY!

 

Alas, we booked the Canal for 2027.  We are doing a Christmas cruise on Mariner in 2025/2026.

[1teach53]

23 hours ago, forgap said:

You might try contacting Jennifer Teegan at headquarters in Miami.  She has been very helpful when I have had issues in the past.  Here is her contact info:

 

Jennefer Teegen | Director of Guest Experience and Loyalty
P: +1 954.940.7217 | 😄 352.870.8279

 

jteegen@rssc.com| www.rssc.com

Regent Seven Seas Cruises

7300 Corporate Drive, Miami  FL 33126

 

On another note, my calls to Regent in Miami have been less than good.  Different agent…different answer in my experience.  

Thanks for this information! Just sent Ms Teegan an email. We shall see! 

[mariners]

1teach53, I hope that you receive a response and the response is positive.

 

I have just received an answer from a Canadian travel insurance broker and, from every company that they contacted, they were told that there is no travel insurance available in Canada that would cover expenses when a cruise line "chooses" to change a port of embarkation or disembarkation. 

 

Given this scenario, unless Regent steps up to the plate, we will not be having our multi-generational family cruise in 2026 on Regent (RSSC).  In 2026, it would be 20 years since we took our only four generation family cruise.  The great-grandparents have long passed on, but it was the trip of a lifetime for them and for all of us together.  RSSC lived up to, and exceeded, anything that we could have hoped for on the sailing. 

 

So, unless something changes with the current response from Regent, we will join those passengers who will embrace the memories from the past.  We are not prepared to pay Regent prices and then be expected to pay more on the whim of Regent.  (We are quite prepared to pay for ensuring that we have the best insurance coverage that we can get, missing ports because of circumstances outside the control of the cruise line ...) 

 

I am hopeful that Regent will make arrangements for transportation to and from Seward for all affected passengers.  It's only a couple of sailings that have passengers who will be affected in 2024.

[1teach53]

Well the very bad taste in our mouths regarding Regent has gotten somewhat better. We just received the following email. 
 

“I want to apologize as it relates to your experience with the call center regarding the Seward to Whittier change announced late last week. 

 

Regent will have two motorcoaches departing Seward at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., day of departure,  from the pier in Seward to transfer any guests who may be staying in Seward, as well as any guests who may not have read the Envogram communication and arrive in Seward.   

 

The transfer will be complimentary , please just let us know which time you would prefer.  You can just respond to this email vs calling and I will have you placed on the list.   

 

I do apologize as we did not properly communicate to our teams.”

[forgap]

Wow!  I guess someone is actually monitoring social media (as they should).  My father had a saying for this kind of business decision….. “Step over a dime to pick up a nickel”….something that seems cost effective is NOT in the long run!  

[1teach53]

2 minutes ago, forgap said:

Wow!  I guess someone is actually monitoring social media (as they should).  My father had a saying for this kind of business decision….. “Step over a dime to pick up a nickel”….something that seems cost effective is NOT in the long run!  

You are so right!!! 👍🏻💗