BajaBarry

On 3/27/2023 at 1:21 PM, RachelG said:

We embark today.  Really appreciate Portolan’s info.  I have yen in cash but this far have only used a credit card.

 

airport yesterday was crazy as lots of people, probably at least 25% , didn’t know about the required enter Japan and QR code.

Regarding the QR code, the site says it is for "Tax-free procedures". I could not get the site (on iPhone, iPad, or my Mac) to capture the photo. It kept saying "failed" and to try making it brighter. I tried several locations to no avail. I did input all the passport information manually, so I hope lack of a QR code does not impact our arrival. Anyone else have this probelm?

Other than requirements from Regent, this page is helpful regarding Japanese requirements: https://jp.usembassy.gov/services/welcomebacktojapan/

7 hours ago, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Our Tokyo-Tokyo cruise also included a free 3 day pre cruise package, we arrived a day early and made our own arrival transfer arrangements to the hotel.  Regent provided transfer to the ship and we paid for Regent bus transfers to the airport (~$100 each).  I'd still double check that you aren't paying for the transfer to the hotel.  Enjoy your trip.

 

 

The Day 1 description also includes the following explaining you must arrive on Day 1 to get the free airport to hotel transfer. We will need to provide our own transport from the ship to the airport or do as you did.

•Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.

•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.

On 11/24/2022 at 6:50 AM, RetiredandTravel said:

 

 

Hi, because we took the air credit and made our own flights.  When you take the air credit you also need to make your own transfers.    Notice below at the end of the room categories.  They did provide transfer from the hotel to the ship.

 

 

"A Savings of up to $5,500  per person is available when arranging your own flights and transfers."

 

 

https://www.rssc.com/cruises/EXP230314/summary?source=top results

 

 

We are doing the same for EXP230425. It includes the free 3 day pre-cruise. The pre-cruise page says

•Transfers

Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.

From <https://www.rssc.com/destinations/asia/land-hotel/TOK/land-programs#tabs>

20 minutes ago, Portolan said:

Not easy to find.  Here's the link: | All-Inclusive Asia Cruises | Asia Cruise Luxury Vacations | Regent Seven Seas Cruises (rssc.com)

Thanks. It says "or similar" (but only in unforeseen situations) so we won't know for sure until we receive the final cruise documents about 3 weeks before. We arranged our own flights. We had assumed that we would need to arrange our own transfer, but this document indicates we will met as long as we supply our flight info.

On 11/20/2022 at 1:02 PM, labonnevie said:

For our April Explorer Tokyo to Tokyo cruise the pre-cruise program hotel is shown as the Tokyo Hilton. 

Where is it shown? We are also on that cruise. Looking at my account there is preliminary info about the pre-cruise:

Hi, our first Regent cruise will be on Explorer in 744. Any comments appreciated. Our fourth Oceania cruise is coming up in a bit over 2 months.

On 12/23/2021 at 9:21 AM, Hawaiidan said:

Travel agent.... using a personal consultant ( sales person) is just adding one more  room for a problem in the chain 

 Your agent  will or should have a good relation with his O representative, who will be on a level above that of the O Personal consultant!.    Plus if the agent is a top producer or his agency is O may enable him  to  get additional , non listed perks.      Not to mention, many top producer agents offer " rebates"  to their clients.     In this case, my opinion is the less the number of people you involve in a reservation the  greater its results.     Merry christmas.

What are non listed perks? We do get refundable shipboard credit from our TA. 

On 12/23/2021 at 9:37 AM, Lundboat said:

Our O Personal Consultant has been nothing short of outstanding!

We always book our own air (using miles) and prefer to use O Hotels and transfers.  Yes, it does cost a bit more.  However, everything is perfectly set up well in advance with no issues.  We enjoy having it all under one roof so to speak, as we will not get left behind (unless the airline has significant delays).  We solve that issue by arriving a day or so early, which also gives us time to chill after traveling and therefore fresh for the cruise.  

 

We even use the O tours.  That way there is never any worry about getting back on time... (we have watched people run for the ship, but just a little late to make it on board).

 

All in all, we have a very relaxing time without any stress.  Our O Personal Consultant is fantastic!

 

We also prefer booking our own air, although our last experience was very annoying, but somewhat understandable due to covid. I used Orbitz, which I had been using without issues for the last few years, to book San Francisco to Rome roundtrip with United. The first leg was on United to Frankfurt and then on to Rome with Lufthansa. The return was originally Lufthansa from Rome to Munich, then back to SFO. Sometime before the trip Lufthansa changed the return flight to the previous day, while we'd still be on the ship. I contacted Orbitz and initially was told I had to contact United as it issued the tickets. I contacted United and was told I had to contact Lufthansa, and of course they said I had to talk to United. Fortunately I subsequently got a message from Orbitz, contacted them and got rebooked on AirCanada with close to the original schedule. 

I've just booked our flights for our Barcelona to Miami trip in November. We going to do our own pre in England and got a United SFO-LHR, a BA LHR to Barcelona and a nonstop AA MIA to SFO. The only one with an agent is the AA flight because I used CC points. 

How do you arrange to use O hotels and transfers? I assume your PC does that for you. I wonder if our TA can? I like that idea. We arrive the day before in Barcelona. I haven't looked for the hotel yet.

We mostly use O excursions - had too on last month's Med cruise but our reservations got revised several times due to the current environment. Our first one in 2019 we used a mix of O and others. We had a 2020 Alaska booking and had just made our excursion reservations when it got canceled. Got our money back from O and the one outside vendor.

On 12/23/2021 at 5:58 AM, HiFi43 said:

While the Oceania Personal Consultants are generally great, I highly recommend you use an experienced cruise TA (Travel Agent) as your representative. It cost you nothing extra and if they have a long term association with Oceania they usually have both the experience and leverage be helpful both in advice and getting “extra’s”. We’ve used ours since Oceania was formed and have had nothing but great experiences and advice. She is recognized as an Oceania Cruises’ Cruise Connoisseur Club Elite Member (Top 20 Partner in North America) for good reason and is very proactive on our part.

Our TA recently retired. We used the firm twenty years ago and then for a 2019 cruise and booking several others that either got canceled or have yet to sail. Our TA praised her replacement who also acts as the receptionist. It turns out that the firm is down to her, 2 managers, and the owner. We are a bit concerned about response time.

We're still newbies. On our second cruise last month (first mid-2019), we booked our second 2022 cruise, which will be our fourth O cruise. Subsequently I got a call from an Oceania Personal Consultant. While chatting she confirmed that we can get onboard booking benefits by calling her 45 days before embarkation and our TA will get credit too.

We're thinking about booking for 2023 before the end of this year, and I'm wondering if I should call the Personal Consultant rather than our TA. We asked some questions last week and she has replied that she's still waiting for the company to respond. Any advice/thoughts from veterans appreciated.

https://www.meenta.io/product/the-binaxnow-covid-19-ag-card-home-test/
 

In case not previously posted, the above link is another source of proctored antigen tests.

6 hours ago, llhillman said:

Thank you everyone for the welcomed advice. I recall reading that a PCR test was required, but it seems either tests are acceptable.

 

Helps us plan accordingly

This CDC page says 

• All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.

That is our understanding. We're on the Riviera Nov 7 from Marseille to Rome, flying home the same day we dock in Rome.

We're in the same boat (pun intended). Here's what the Sail-Safe documentation says "If a PCR test is required for any travel home, the Cruise Line will administer and pay for a PCR test"

We're on it for the Nov 7 Marseille (originally Monte Carlo) to Rome. For some reason the planned Barcelona stop was changed to Palma de Mallorca. The final payment had been moved back a month, due no later than tomorrow. 

Who has an AppleWatch? My wife and I do so we could use the Walkie-Talkie feature (app) but probably won't.