PhD-iva

I agree that boarding time is often ignored. I’m told that in some ports, you must show your boarding pass and can’t enter the port early. Not sure where this might be…. Many/most passengers are using the included transfers from airport or hotel to the ship. This could be a large coach bus, perhaps with many passengers traveling together to the ship. They board when Regent’s transfer gets them to the ship - no matter what their boarding time is. I’m trying to remember when my check in started. My calendar has an alert set for 8am, but check in might have been available earlier than that……

Don’t forget that laundry is included on Regent (dry cleaning is not included). Last month I gave my steward 17 wrinkled items out of the suitcase to have pressed. I LOVE the huge walk in closet in my lowest level suite. Onboard guest lecturers are excellent in their field. Our South American cruise had a team of Antartica experts. Multiple lectures on most days. My previous Regent cruise on Mariner out of Los Angeles had multiple producers/movie types associated with PBS and Secrets of the Dead (IIRC, memory is not what it used to be). Also professor emeritus from Cal State to lecture on culture/history relevant to our itinerary. No port shopping talks…… Specialty restaurants are included, easier to get extra ressy on longer cruises. Main dining room is so good, you might forget to ask for those extra visits to the specialties (although service in the main dining room can be quite slow). Food is much better on R than X. You already know that alcohol is included on Regent. We tired of not getting served at the bars on Reflection. This was in 2013, and there weren’t enough bartenders. Upgrading to the drinks package is a waste of money if you can’t get served. Specialty coffee drinks (cappuccino, expresso, more) all included. Tips, room service also. No class system on R. For the most part, all passengers are treated the same. Any special benefits to booking the top suites is not noticeable in the common/public areas - no front row seats reserved for the royalty….Others will chime in if I’m mistaken….. Number 1 BEST thing on Regent are the pax. Well-traveled, thoughtful and successful professionals for the most part. Is R perfect? No. But it is much better than X.

Agree with you on the LATAM!

I think the room stewards pull out suitcases that are stowed under the bed to facilitate guests’ packing. Many guests are older/elderly and this is helpful to them. I didn’t want you to think there was anything untoward about the room steward moving your suitcase. Best wishes!

I believe it is past FP date, so I don’t think this is possible….?

I did not include in my description any insurance coverage if the passenger would like to cancel. However, not being an expert on this topic, I will rely on our UK posters to educate us all.

Sorry, if I quote or reference the wrong person in my previous post. I’m starting to get lost in this thread. But very interesting information.

I hope that we will hear back from the stevesol6718 to respond to your post. When I read that post, I did not get the impression that the OP assumed there was a cabin available, and Oceania refused to give it to them. My reading of that post is that they paid for a quality Stateroom in good repair and fully functional, which was not what they experienced. Given these circumstances, it is incumbent upon Oceania to make good.

Everything I’ve read here tells me that UK residents have a legal right to a cash refund if and when an itinerary is changed significantly. So, it operates as a travel insurance policy for cancellations made by the cruise line.

I was surprised to see the itinerary still goes through the Suez Canal. Isn’t that a risky strategy?

I am thinking that a large part of the cost of going on this six month cruise would be for all the excursions that are not covered by the SM benefits.

I would say this is due to the bundled pricing that includes an insurance policy along with the cruise. The cruise still cost the same, but the passenger is required to also purchase a travel insurance policy to cover cancellations. I do see your point that it costs more to go on the cruise (UK residents), but I just think it is important for people to understand that nothing is free.

Thx for this. I’ve read enough posts about thin walls and noise bleeding through into the state room that I will not be booking any cruises on Vista (unless a very low fire sale price).

Read the first post by ak1004 and the second post. You will answer your own question.

Thank you!

I questioned the tone of your previous response. To me, it was quite argumentative. OTOH, your response I quote here asks the same question in a less confrontational, combative manner. No complaints from me for this composition.

Seriously???

Yes, the loss was better than forecast. Stock jumped abt 20% today.

I was on Voyager very recently, often dining with several titanium-level passengers. The general manager had a short conversation with the woman next to me about the upgrades planned for Voyager next year. Unfortunately, my bad memory means that I don’t remember any details, but he did emphasize that the changes would be extensive and significant.

The English language has a wealth of words and phrases and euphemisms to describe many shades of meaning. The F-word is an extreme, which only 1 person is inserting into this discussion.

Just a reminder……..

Just to point out, you are the only one suggesting fraud. No one else. Spin? Maybe. Virtue signaling? Perhaps. Am suspicious, that’s all.

It’s important to deviate well in advance. I forget the outer limit, but it’s worth deviating as early as possible in order to get the best flights and options and seat assignments. If you wait to see what Regent assigns you without going through the deviation process, by then it’s probably too late to be able to find a better itinerary. JMO

I think the savings comes from fuel savings by reducing cruising speed. Also increases “virtue signaling “. Also, a rumor spread onboard that by giving 3 days notice, Regent received refunds of tours cancelled…..

Two questions: Are you saying the “reduce cruising speed” policy only applies to O & NCL cruiselines? If so, please explain your sources or your reasons… Which high end tour companies have you booked with? This shouldn’t violate any CC policies if you don’t include TA names…. Thx!