nigelc

And when you do separate out the staff wages (as Cunard have done) AND fail to mention them anywhere in the booking process (as Cunard do) then is it any surprise when some customers decide they are unreasonable.

Sorry, but gratuities are not "staff wages". They may form part of the crews earnings but the cruise fare that we pay already incudes the cost of staff. While I am sure that we all recognise excellent service and reward it accordingly, threads like this tend to argue that we must pay our "auto gratuities" and then tip excellent service on top of that. Indeed, we then need to pay a further 15% service charge on top of all of that if we want a drink. While I agree that staff work hard, but so do I to earn all this money - and get no tips.

Like I said, large cruise companies are playing the tipping customs of one nation (USA) against most others. It is in their interest that USA passengers call those who are against auto tipping all kinds of names alluding to them being 'mean'; it works in their favour. Nobody likes to look mean so the majority will pay up even if they don't believe the system is right. This should not be a war of words between passengers, it should be a wake up call to encourage cruise companies to pay their staff a living wage

I am 100% with you - as I said before, tipping should be for excellent service and not paying staff wages.

It has already been said, the subject of gratuities always seems to highlight the difference in the culture of tipping between countries, especially between the USA and Europe. I am personally not against tipping but being British I do expect something for the extra cash that I am spending. But such "threads" as this, always seem to suggest that they are compulsory, with some even suggesting that if you can't afford the gratuities then you cant afford to take the cruise. Well I can afford the cruise (including the tips) but as I have already said, I do expect something for my money. If I book a 5 star cruise, then I expect the service to match - isn't that what I am paying for. If its better, then I am happy to tip. However, I just cant buy into this whole you must tip no matter what. If you think that this makes me a bad person, then well I must be a bad person. However, in reality, it is the cruise company's who are short changing their staff on their wages that are at fault. Pay them what the job is really worth and let tips be what they should be, recognition of excellent service - not payment for the norm.

I pay my Cunard fare for 5* service, I then pay an extra service charge for this service, I then on top of this pay an extra 15% service charge on my drinks, with some on CC saying I should further tip those who give good service - given this, how come I still have to get up off my sun bed and fetch a drink from the pool bar myself? (paying 15% for the pleasure of doing so). Is it not time to just include all this nonsense in the price?

Wonderful photo's - as you say, it feels like you could stop down onto the ship.

I am truly sincere in my wishes. I didn't enjoy it yet would not want to force my opinion onto others. You are not held at gunpoint to read this thread. Nobody is. It is my right as a consumer to raise any issues I might have with a service or product. My right as a consumer and as a guest on a public forum which encourages people to inform others about their experience with organisations which makes profit from our hard earned money.

You are right, no one is forced to read this and you have the right as a consumer to raise any issues that you found - and you have done that. As such, I am not sure what else you are looking for from this "thread"? Indeed, having read your posts carefully, it is unclear what you are looking for from a cruise line. I know a number of things that you don't like, but you tell us very little as to what you like or want. As such, even after all these posts, I doubt anyone could point you in the right direction as to what line to book.

But what I will take from this thread is the importance to do your research before booking to ensure it is the right fit for you. In this case, you appear to have taken a late booking without any real idea as to what the ethos/culture of the line is like. Unfortunately, this has put you out of step with what is offered by Cunard and to be honest what is wanted by the other passengers. Yes, drink prices are expensive, but there is so much information available on the internet that this should not really come as a shock. Indeed, you can view sample menus, watch video's of life on-board the ships and of course read reviews of previous guests. But you do need to be clear about what you want and what you don't because the lines can be very different - just because the price is right, doesn't mean you are going to enjoy it and I doubt that you will change what they offer.

While you say you do not wish to force your opinions on others, by the nature of your comments, and the style of writing that you use, you are of course doing just that. Rather than providing a balanced review, you do tend to concentrate on the negatives and put all the blame on Cunard. Clearly, you did not enjoy your Cunard experience, but as I have already said, isn't this simply a case of a customer booking the wrong cruise line? Without sounding harsh, it may be time to move on to the next adventure - after all, none of us are getting any younger.

Do you really talk to people about what class they are in? I personally just talk to people as who they are , not how much their cabin cost. As someone who has been in Princess and Queens , no , we don't have a pool and we do set foot on the lower decks for just about everything you do except the restaurants and occasional sunbathing on the grills area.

Totally support what you say, I have been on the QE in the Queens and on the QV (x2) and QM2 in a balcony cabin - met some great people, but never got into discussion about which cabin we/they were in, why would you? And in relation to Gill guests not setting foot on the lower decks, sorry but the OP is simply wrong. The vast majority of facilities are on the lower decks and used by all guests.

Hi,you cant be sure that the vast majority had a great time.A lot may have suffered in silence.Not everyone is as vocal as some on here,cheers,Brian.

And you cant be sure that they didn't have a fantastic time, with no one suffering in silence. However, what we do know, is that no one else has felt the need to take to Cruise Critic to complain and given the number on board this trip, we might expect a few. The point I was trying to make, is that this just appears to be a mismatch between the cruise line and the cruiser and their expectations. Is Cunard perfect, of course not. But as I said in a previous post, if Cunard was as bad as they are being painted in this thread, then no one would sail with them.

Great advice. I was fooled by their marketing and expected something completely different. I'm certainly not trying to put people off from sailing with Cunard. I'm merely giving an account of my experience on the QV and yes, I've added some humour to make it a bit more colourful. I'm new at cruising. This was only my second. The previous cruise was on Majestic Princess (aimed at the Asian market) which I now see is a bit of a flop. Nevertheless, the cruise on Majestic wasn't awful for me, even though they had plenty of faults. I 'enjoyed' the majority of the cruise. On QV I felt restricted and dictated to. There was nothing which was of interest to me and that was a problem. I became bored. I'm not interested in 6 star lines. I'm interested in feeling relaxed on holiday, whatever my surroundings are. Maybe cruising is not for me - I'll give it another couple of go's before making my final decision. It will certainly not be with Cunard.

I would agree 100% that cruising is not for everyone and that different lines suit different tastes. I think that doing a bit of research before booking is so important and can give you a good idea of what to expect and whether the line will suit you. I would also agree that marketing material creates it owns problems, often creating expectations that the cruise line can never live up to. However, sometimes people also create their own unrealistic expectations (not referring to anything in this thread). For example, I had a conversation with a lady who said that she would never sail with P & O again because her cabin did not have a balcony. I asked if she had booked a cabin with one and she said no, but they should have given her one. No matter how good the food, service, entertainment etc was, she was always going to rate P & O as poor.

Well all the best for future holidays, be they on land or the sea.

Sailed with Cunard four times, covering all three ships - including, one sailing in the Queens Grill. Given this, I am a little confused by a number of the comments being made. Indeed, there must be two Cunard lines because I do not recognise the one being pictured in this thread. While Cunard, like all the other cruise lines, are not perfect, I have found them to offer good value for money and in almost all cases offer excellent service. Yes, they do not offer the quality of service or food that such 6 star lines as Regent do, but that's reflected in the price of the cruise. And before you say well this is just the view of another die hard Cunard fan, over the past 5 years I have also sailed with Regent, Azamara, Holland America, P & O and MSC - I am happy to sail with any line if the price and itinerary is good.

So I would say to all those reading this thread who have not yet sailed with Cunard, do your research on what Cunard offers to see if it suits you, but do not be put off by those who seem to find fault with almost everything - remember, if it was that bad, no one would sail with them.

I'd guess everyone's carrying their complimentary Azamara canvas bag! I know I would, plus I always need my book, reading glasses, card key, sunglasses, etc.

Besides on one of these voyages the canvas bag would be large enough to lend a bit of intrigue when making new friends ;)

Yes, but there is only one "free bag" per room :eek:

No experience with the Malta offering, but the evening at Teatro Principal de Mahón (Menorca Opera House) in June was very boring and not worth the time waiting to get off/back on the ship or the walk to the venue. Those who stayed on the ship seemed to have a much better time than we did. I would definitely think twice before going on such a night again.

Having recently been on both lines, its would be Regent all the way for me. I had to buy the top drinks package to get anywhere near the offering on Regent and, of course, had to pay for visits to the two specialist restaurants and excursions - all included in the Regent fare. Having said that, I did enjoy the Azamara experience and the food in Prime C was outstanding and certainly equal to that on Regent. But it was the price that made me book, half that for Regent for a similar itinerary - but it was a late booking.

Let me briefly explain the logic since it was my post that you are referring to. When any company makes an exception to policy and that exception is told to 5% of their customers (who likely shares that information with others), it sets a precedent. It is likely that anyone in the U.K. that read this thread and was in the same situation as the TS, would contact Regent and bring up the fact that they did this for someone else and therefore it should be done for them. For the reason, Regent has good reason not to make the same exception in the future.

 

Again, Regent has contracted flights that they get at a discount. This allows them to offer it to their passengers without a charge. Should you request something outside of these flights, there will be a charge. Obviously flights with one stop are what is being offered on many routes by the airlines and are likely less money. We are talking about thousands of seats per year and Regent no doubt is good at bargaining with the airlines but the bottom line is that the airlines are in the drivers seat.

 

Since Regent is being raked over the coals, I would like to know which other luxury line includes air (Business or Coach) that provides non-stop flights to their international destinations.

I have been on numerous cruises with different lines over the past 30 years (some luxury, some not so) and this is the first time I have ever had this issue (even with the not so luxury ones). I have always been willing to travel to such main hubs as Heathrow and do not mind which airline I fly with - maybe I have just been lucky until now or maybe companies are changing their policy on the type of flights they are offering. However, as others have said, the thread only highlights what might be an issue for people using Regents included air - is it not better to beware of such issues or do we just pretend everything is wonderful?

In relation to making the outcome known to CC readers. I believe that it is in the interest of both Regent and CC readers to know the full story and the final outcome. Indeed, it is in Regents own interest for unsatisfied customer's to contact them to give them an opportunity to put things right and maybe change policy where necessary. Surely this is better than customers voting with their feet and not booking with them again.

nigelc, unfortunately, I do feel that you are putting people off of Regent. And, I seem to disagree with just about every point that you made (and you likely disagree with my points which is fine).

Due to the consumer laws that I do not understand in the U.K. many things are done differently. We do not lose our deposit. Rather, we pay $200/person to cancel (outside of the penalty phase) that is credited back to us when we book another cruise. Regent is not trying to hold anyone hostage but the laws in the U.K. may be doing so.

It is rare (if ever) that anyone accused Regent of nickel and diming their customers. It simply is not the case. However, if someone wants to pay extra money for special flights, better excursions, etc., it is up to them.

Perhaps some of the posters on this thread should contact Regent and have a discussion with a supervisor in the Air department and see what they have to say about the issue. The Regent Air department regularly exceeds our expectations. After all, they contract with some top of the line airlines such as Emirates, Cathay Pacific and others. They also contract with airlines that I do not care for (United, Delta, KLM, etc.) which is why we deviate. Other people are fine with the flights. After all, if they were sailing on another luxury cruise line, they would be paying thousands of dollars for their Business Class flight.

In any case, all of us have hopefully learned something from this thread - mainly that airlines/policies/attitudes/expectations differ in various parts of the world. There is no right and wrong in terms of our likes and dislikes. However, blaming everything on Regent is becoming a sad theme.

And I am sorry to say that those with a Regent can never do no wrong view is probably how we got here. Companies often push the limits until their customers pull them back. But I agree, we have all learned from this thread.

First, a warm welcome to the Regent board!

 

Apparently the people in the U.K. are looking at things differently than we are. They still have non-stop flights to most places. If I were to make a prediction, this will not be the case in the foreseeable future as the U.S. used to have many more non-stop flights. Actually, it may already be happening since some poster indicated that some non-stop flights are not available on flights within Europe. On the other hand, in order to get to the U.S. there are few places to stop so perhaps that is the reason. I do wonder if they have as many flights to the U.S. as we do to Europe?

 

I do feel that some posters are a bit overly critical of Regent and accuse every little thing as not being "luxury", however, everyone is entitled to their opinion (which is why my signature contains the words "tolerance and patience......".

 

While I am not upset that the TS had the fee waived, IMO, posting about it on a public board will likely cause expectations from other passengers that would like to do the same thing. As they say, "no good deed goes unpunished".

 

Anyway, hope to see you more on the Regent board. Your positivity is nice to see!

Sorry, but again I cannot agree with you. While you may feel that "some posters are a bit overly critical", some readers may feel that Regent can do no wrong in your eyes.

In relation to reporting that Regent waved the fee, I thought long and hard about whether to report it or not. However, on balance I felt that it was not only fair on Regent to show that they listened to my concerns, but also important that readers of this thread had the fully story. While I appreciate the waving of the fee, I do not think it is a good deed - more putting a wrong right.

First time poster - very excited to be going on my first ever luxury cruise soon - have only been on a handful of cruises to date and am super amped. Have been reading lots of the posts to get some tips and just continue to get me excited for the trip... and then I came upon this one and after reading it just have to say it makes me sad. #firstworldproblemsarereal

 

I felt compelled to respond because of the negativity and means of trying to sway people from using Regent around something which in the big scheme of things will likely represent about 2% of a total cruise experience - it is jarring. To see other posters being scared off by this as if it is some huge dastardly deal is disconcerting - as everyone has pointed out there are ways to get the flights you want with deviation so you aren't a hostage to situation and I'm pretty sure what Regent hangs their hat on on the actual cruise part of the trip - not the flights. Also if you don't like the flights being included you aren't forced to book Regent as your cruise line either. If you booked on an assumption you'd get what you want flight wise when it is clearly a deal breaker that isn't on Regent.

 

The fact you don't have control over the flights from the get go should be an indication if you want something specific you should take the steps (deviation) to get what you want even at a slight cost - the reason they have this is they know folks have very specific flight needs/wants and they are giving a means to accommodate it outside of what they have available to offer based on deals they have in place.

 

I just don't think it is fair to be bashing them and trying to scare people off when you haven't even been on the cruise yet because your upset about something you have the actual means to change if you like - and overall it is a pretty small gripe.

 

I'm one of the 95% and my return flight has a stop over and my group didn't even blink when we saw it! We are just ecstatic to be going on what will surely be an amazing trip and don't sweat the small stuff.

Not trying to scare people off - just presenting the facts. Indeed, if you read my first post I rate Regent very highly and completely enjoyed my last cruise with them. Indeed, I would not have booked another if I was not totally happy. However, as I keep saying, its all about choice. Some people may be happy (or have too, given where they are flying to/from) to sit in an airport for hours waiting for their second flight of the day. I am not, especially when there are plenty of seats available from Regents preferred airline partner. Indeed, I was not looking for a specific flight or Airline, just a flight that did not have me sitting in an airport for an extra 5hrs.

As I have said, I have just provided the facts as they have happened to me, both the good and the bad. I have not come on CC and left a post "slating" Regent and then disappeared - I have posted from the start to the end of the issue, including the fact that Regent have listened to my complaint and reacted in a positive way. I am sorry that it has made you "sad", but facts are facts and it has not made me very happy to spend so much time trying to fix the issue.

In relation to not being a "hostage" of Regents, well they were not offering to give me my deposit back. I booked Regent because of my past experience with them, together with what is stated and/or implied in their advertising. Indeed, they actively try to get you to book early, often well over a year in advance with no flight information available. Would I do it again, not a chance.

In relation to Regent just hanging its hat on the cruise part of the trip. As has already been stated, not in the UK when they sell a package holiday, which includes the flights. What I cannot understand is why so many people are happy to be "nickel and dimed" on their flights - while Regent say in their promotional material that they are "free", clearly we are paying for them in our fares. If enough people complain, I am sure this practice would stop.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your first trip with Regent - once you get on the ship, a world of luxury awaits.

What I was missing was how strongly people in the U.K. feel about non-stop flights. Apparently, at least in your case, it is more important than flying in flatbed seats or in the comfort that Business Class provides. Most (not all) of us in the U.S. and Canada feel differently - we want the comfort, food and service that is provided when flying Business Class. Having a stop (due to the airlines) has become normal. We hated it at first and complained but the airlines were not going to change so we accepted it. As I posted previously, we cannot even get a non-stop flight to places 1,200 miles from here.

 

As stated earlier, your definition of offering a "package" is not the same as mine. Regent is a cruise line that offers air and hotel. Some people take advantage of it and others do not.

 

In terms of the modest fee for deviated flights, IMO, it is not in Regent's best interest to raise their fares in order to accommodate some of their passengers that want non-stop flights. In the U.S. people either book their own flights using frequent flyer miles, use Regent air (and are generally happy with it) or pay the fee to deviate. This is not a big deal.

 

Yes - I am a regular Regent customer that has tried another luxury cruise line (3 times) and a premium plus cruise line (twice). IMO, what Regent offers is not available on other luxury cruise lines without paying more money (assuming again Business Class air). I do not always defend them as there are some aspects of Regent's policies that we do not care for (and have voiced my opinion about them on Cruise Critic more than once). In this case, I defend them 100%.

 

As you know, Regent is a U.S. based company with the majority of their passengers living in the U.S. and Canada (about 20% British residents sail Regent). People in the U.K. get more attention and benefits from Regent than people in other parts of the world excluding the U.S. (Australia, for example, does not include any air -- unless this has changed recently). Now I have learned that people in the U.K. have their fights at least reserved months before those of us in the U.S. People in the U.K. get better pricing on some itineraries than even we do. I'm not complaining about these issues - only bringing up the differences.

 

While we can express our dissatisfaction, Regent is going to do what makes financial sense. As has also been mentioned, Cruise Critic members represent about 5% of cruise line customers. So, in the case of the Voyager (one sailing), there are about 35 CC members. Of that number, approximately 20% (or 7 people) are from the U.K. We do not see/read the feedback that Regent receives from the other 95% of their customers. These numbers speaks volumes.

Sorry, but again I do not think you are understanding my point about choice. Regent are free to offer whatever price and services they wish - all I ask, is that they are open about what it includes so that I am free to chose whether or not I book with them. As I have already said, I knew that the price included "economy" air and that if I wished to upgrade it would be at a cost - a choice. What is not fair, is being put in a position that you have to pay more or lose your deposit for something that should be included - in this case, none-stop flights (especially, when they are being offered as standard to new customers and there are plenty of available seats). I, like you, do enjoy flat beds etc on planes and I am happy to pay for it. What I am not happy to pay for, is something that I feel should be included as standard.

While I agree that we only tend to hear from around 5% of cruise customers, and I am normally in the 95% who do not contribute to these type of "threads". It does make me wonder how many of the 95% vote with their feet and never sail with them again? Clearly, we don't know and cannot take their silence as being satisfied or unsatisfied customers. As you say, Regent will clearly do what makes financial sense to them. All I would say is, "nickel and diming" customers on their fights does not make sense to me. Surely the type of customer that can afford to sail with Regent is not going to be the type of person who is happy sitting around airports for hours - better to put up their prices by a few £/$100s and give them decent flights as standard. Yes, there are times when there is not a none-stop flight, but that's not we are talking about here. Indeed, we are talking about one of their advertised preferred partners providing a none-stop flight.

However, good news :D. Following one of your earlier posts about contacting Miami directly, I e-mailed them and have been informed that in this instance the charge for the none-stop flight with BA will be waved. While this is appreciated, I still feel that it should never have been charged. That said, I plan to enjoy the holiday and not let this issue spoil it.

Can I thank all those who have posted and/or read the thread. I have learnt a lot - thank you all.

You hit the nail on the head - when discussing deviation fees (which are surprisingly low in the U.K.) it is a matter of the cost of the cruise vs the minimal cost to get the flights that you want. Passengers pay much more than that for some excursions on Regent. If people are going to complain about flights, perhaps it is in Regent's best interest to do away with included flights and be like the other luxury cruise lines (except perhaps Crystal that I think includes Economy flights).

Sorry, Travelcat2 but I think you are missing the point of the initial post. First of all, it has nothing to do with Business Class flights, I knew that the price of the holiday only included Economy flights (with an option to upgrade) and was happy with that. Secondly, nether Regent or my TA bought up the subject of the need for "deviation" to get a direct flight. Indeed, as I booked over a year before the departure date there were no flight details available. The key point here is one of choice. If I had known before I booked of the none-direct flights I would be offered, I simply would not have booked the holiday - lets be honest, at this price point there are lots of options available.

But lets not forget that Regents promotional material (and prices) raises a certain expectation and, in relation to flights, in my opinion this means a none-stop flight (where possible) from one major city to another. In my case, Regent holds my 20% deposit and it is a case of these are the flights that we are going to put you on unless you pay us more money or cancel and lose your deposit - little choice there. Indeed, the choices being offered are made even worse, as the none-stop flights I am being charged for appear to be the standard offering for any new customer booking at this time. So its not a case of no seats available or cost, because this is the current standard offering. While I appreciate your loyalty to what I presume is your preferred cruise line, I cannot understand why you do not appear to see that at best this is Regent "nickel and diming" its customers and, at worse, booking customers on in-direct flights so that they will upgrade them to a direct flight for a fee.

In relation to Regent not offering flights as part of the price. I have no problem with this at all. But if they are going to attract customers by offering a "package", then they should offer better flights - hence the title of my initial post "Beware 5 Star Cruise - 1 Star Flights".

rallydave: Could not disagree with you more. Firstly, when you are paying $20K+ for a cruise, $350/couple is a drop in the bucket to most of us. And, apparently the expectations in the U.S. and Canada are not the same as in the U.K. or we would be reading more threads about being dissatisfied with Regent flights.

 

If you feel that there is an airline/flight where you can fly coach and have a luxury experience, please let all of us know about it as this is what is the TS is having difficulty with.

 

I'm not sure why you would think that deviating would only take a "few minutes". People/TA's contact Regent and want certain flights. Many of these flights are either not available or not under contract. This requires further searching and negotiation. This negotiation could take quite a long time. Not sure if you have ever deviated with Regent but it has become more difficult due to the airlines (not because of Regent).

 

 

Regent does not "nickel and dime". You can book a cruise with included air and hotel and not pay a cent more. OTOH, if you want special flights or a special hotel, you take a credit and pay for the air and hotel on your own. This is a personal choice.

 

"Holiday packages" booked in the U.K. and vacations U.S. are not the same as they are not regulated in the U.S. as they are in the U.K.

 

I did not know a lot of this stuff until I read posts from people in the U.K. In this case, I have learned that it helps to learn from people familiar with the differences than to make assumptions. IMO, you have made some assumptions!

Sorry, Topcat2 but there are complaints from US customers regarding this topic - please see the example below:

"Feb 21 0 comments

Not resolved

Wife and I booked a trip yesterday with Regency for 8/17.All suites came with business class airfare.

Related: Regent Seven Seas Cruises - Regent delivers memories, the kind you want to forget!

Then told we would have to pay $175 each to get non stop business flight. Then we were told all non stop business seats from JFK were booked. We were given the choose to leave and return from Newark airport and pay an extra $500 each for non stop. We leave 25 minutes from JFK.

When I looked online there were 12 seats available going and 12 seats available coming home in business class on Delta flight non stop to JFK I understand they book a certain number of seats, but that should have to stated prior to our down payment for the trip. There has been no help from the cruise line to get 2 seats from and to JFK.

Ask the right questions before booking.They are not forth coming.

Review about: Regent Seven Seas Cruises Customer Care.

Reason of review: Poor customer service."

https://regent-seven-seas-cruises.pissedconsumer.com/false-advertising-201702211011666.html?utm_expid=.DIzTMCLeQgGsJtQAtppOFQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fregent-seven-seas-cruises.pissedconsumer.com%2F

Your flights also sound typical, however, keep in mind that Regent negotiates flights with the airlines. The airlines are not going to "sell"/"contract" their easy to sell non-stop fights as reasonably as they sell flights with one stop. If Regent was paying the airlines top dollar for the non-stop flights, the cost would ultimately be coming out of the passengers pocket (and included Business Class air would likely cease to exist).

I understand your point. However, we must remember that Regent promotes themselves as providing "the most inclusive luxury experience". As flights form part of the holiday package, I would expect them to reflect this promise. If this means the price of the holiday is higher, so be it - at least the customer will have the choice to book or not, rather being disappointed after the deposit has been paid or even worse having to pay more money out to get the type of flight they were expecting.

Well my question is, how come anyone booking now is offered direct flights as standard? I also do not know what Regent pay for seats, the point of looking to see how much the BA flights were was to see if they were expensive compared to other options - it turns out, that buying them as an individual, they were the cheapest. I am not trying to start a "conspiracy theory" here, just pointing out that at best this is poor customer service from a luxury curise company.

First the good news, I spoke to Regent Southampton on Monday and it seems that there is no problem with direct flights from Heathrow to Miami and back with BA. However, despite Regent advertising that BA is their preferred partner, to fly with them will cost me an extra £99 each way (economy class). It appears that they fully understand that flying their customers to Newark, just to have them sit and wait hours for their next flight, is not a great start to what is sold as a luxury holiday - but they are still going to do it unless you pay them more money. This is despite the fact that they admit that the cost of the United flights are not much different to those of BA (in fact I believe they are more expensive) and that there are lots of seats available on the direct BA flight.

So why put me on the United flight? My only thought is that they know people will pay more money to avoid the initial poor flight offer? Indeed, this reminds me of the current issues being discussed in the UK regarding Ryanair, where it appears you will not be issued seats together unless you pay to chose your seat. It seems that the random allocation of seats will always put people travelling together in different sections of the aircraft unless you pay extra. While they say that this is not their company policy, it is what is currently happening.

So is this really Regent trying to extract more money from customers due to the fall in the value of the £ against the $ - particularly, where they have booked in advance. Well this is where the bad, or at least sad news comes in. After agreeing to pay the ransom (yes, I know I should have done it before phoning Regent, but in my defence I have been working away) I checked the price that I could buy the BA tickets for. The outbound flight was priced at £201 and the inbound flight £266 (as at 3/7/17). Yes, Regent are charging me £198 to up grade my flights when the flights to me would only cost £467. In addition, they offered me an upgrade to premium economy for the outbound flight for £449, yet I can buy this ticket direct from BA for £475.

Well this got me thinking, as others have said on the forum, are Regent really trying to recoup extra £ from UK customers who booked early and before the flight information was available? Well I asked my friend to call Regent Southampton and enquire regarding the cost and flight arrangements if he booked the same holiday. Well surprise, surprise, he was offered the same BA flight I am now booked on - no mention of sending him via Newark or any additional cost for the flight. Yes, the price has gone up since I booked, but the point is that Regent would not even consider telling new customers that they would not have direct flights - why, because they know they would not book with them. However, they are happy to "ransom" those who follow their advice and book early - well that's my personal take on it.

Well I hope Regent enjoys the "ransom" extracted from me. However, will it be worth it? Well all I can say is that at the time of writing this, over 3,000 people have viewed the thread, I have been telling the story to anyone who mentions holidays and, as for me, I will not be booking with them again.

Unfortunately, booking the cruise doesn't count ...... it is when you book the flights (starting at 270 days prior to the cruise). I was thinking Business Class seats - nor Economy. To my knowledge, Regent has never partnered with Virgin. It will be interesting to learn what Regent has to say about your flights. Have you thought about emailing Regent in Miami? You may get a better response (in fact, if you do it now, they may respond tomorrow morning - their time). They may give you options or may ask you to pay a deviation fee. Even with a deviation fee, contracted seats on the flights may be booked this close to your cruise.

 

Where is you sailing to? I'm just interested - know that the question is off topic.

Well I did my part and booked 14 months before the trip. If flights are such an issue, then Regent should do their part and book them at 270 days - or at least make me aware of the issue. I fully admit that I am not a travel expert, but do expect them to be. But I truly do not think that it is a case of a lack of available seats. As I have said before, I believe that it is Regent cutting costs at the expensive of their customers travel experience.

Indeed, the more I read the posts on this topic, the less I am impressed with Regent. From your comments, it seems that they have treated their USA customers very poorly for years and are now bringing this level of service to the UK market - well good luck with that. As I have said, I like Regent but it is not a case that I would book them at all costs. Especially when other cruise lines have always been so accommodating in the past.

If I do not have any success with the Southampton Office tomorrow, I do intend to contact the Miami office. However, as I have to work to pay for these trips, I am a bit restricted on time. Indeed, I book respected brands so I do not have to spend time messing about with these type of issues.

We are (possible) sailing to Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Florida Keys.

.........or, because of the limitation of Business Class seats on each flight combined with the number of people they are trying to accommodate and given the fact that many people booked their flights 270 days in advance, there are simply no "contracted" seats available on non-stop flights (note: there may be seats available on the flight but Regent is only permitted a certain number of seats on each contracted flight).

 

Not trying to be harsh - this is simply reality. There is a saying in the U.S. that I think will translate well..... "the early bird gets the worm". In this case, those that book the furthest in advance get the best flights. I am sorry that this has put you off Regent somewhat. I know that we have had some horrendous flights with delays, etc. (not Regent's fault but it is upsetting). Flights are always the most difficult part of our trips which is why we make a concerted effort to make the best of every minute. We have turned long layovers into a great time at Heathrow (except in terminal 3 where it was a nightmare). In the future (after our November Miami to Miami 25 night cruise), we will try to avoid Miami for future cruises - partly because of the flights - partly because of the weather in Miami and partly because of the itineraries that go to the Caribbean. For those of us on the west coast of the U.S. and Canada, it is easier to fly to Hawaii and Tahiti and at least they are non-stop:D

 

BA keeps coming up in posts because apparently Regent uses BA in their advertisements in the U.K.

Er ...... I booked 14 months in advanced - does that not count as "an early bird?" In addition, as I have said in previous posts, we in the UK are not booked into Business Class seats and there are plenty of seats available on BA or Virgin (both direct).