Regent Website

[tombo]

I suspect that I'll be heckled and reviled for this post, but here it is anyway.

 

I'm guessing that Regent's protracted revamping of its website and computer system is part of its business plan to eventually stop paying commissions to travel agents, much as the airlines did years ago. I think the website re-design is part of a plan to cut out the middleman and move to direct booking. As others have pointed out, an eleven-year-old could have fixed the customer-service site by now. The notion of granting a "hold" on big blocks of cabins to favored travel agents no longer works in favor of the cruise lines. I'm sure there will still be incentives to book group and bulk travel, but I think disintermediation is the word of the day.

[Host Dan]

I suspect that I'll be heckled and reviled for this post, but here it is anyway.

 

I'm guessing that Regent's protracted revamping of its website and computer system is part of its business plan to eventually stop paying commissions to travel agents, much as the airlines did years ago. I think the website re-design is part of a plan to cut out the middleman and move to direct booking. As others have pointed out, an eleven-year-old could have fixed the customer-service site by now. The notion of granting a "hold" on big blocks of cabins to favored travel agents no longer works in favor of the cruise lines. I'm sure there will still be incentives to book group and bulk travel, but I think disintermediation is the word of the day.

Remember the last cruise line that phased out the TA's? (Renaissance - R-ships) Look what happened to them! I don't think Regent would walk down that slippery slope.

 

Host Dan

[jhp]

I agree Dan, never going to happen after the Ren fiasco. Regent goes to a lot of trouble to foster good relations with their TA's who relieve them of a huge amount of work, done by professionals with an incentive to keep their clients satisfied.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wow, I also can't see how they could do that. For one thing, as far as I know, they don't hold blocks of cabins for TA's. They just have good relationships with at least some TA's. I would never book direct with Regent, unless I had no alternative.

[fPetrarca]

Offering direct booking doesn't necessarily mean the TAs will be replaced but only supplemented. The large lines (Celebrity, RCl, etc.) already have very useful and effective direct booking websites as does the smaller ship line, Azamara. With those lines, a direct booking on the website can be transferred before final payment to any TA for any additional benefits that TA may offer.

[Down Under]

They'd better not! I've got the BEST cruise travel agent!

[Pam]

I'm pretty sure the website revamping is a result of the line being sold to Apollo. Everybody is aware by now, that nothing websitish is ever accomplished when it should be.

[jhp]

fPetrarca, you can direct book with Regent now. It is not imperative to go through a TA. I am assuming most people do it in preference for both the service and the pricing that their individual TA's offer.

[Travelcat2]

fPetrarca, you can direct book with Regent now. It is not imperative to go through a TA. I am assuming most people do it in preference for both the service and the pricing that their individual TA's offer.

 

You are 100% correct!!!!!:D