flossie009

Is that why the tipping culture in the USA prevails and is supported by businesses and their employees?

I was interested to see a thread on another CC Board regarding someone from North America seeking advice on the level of tips in Europe; London in particular It is good to see travellers seeking to abide by the norms in other countries and cultures. Having just returned from Japan, it is evident that tipping is not a necessary prerequisite to excellent service Tipping in Japan

I think the timing of that offer was designed to attract solo ex Crystal cruisers before they decided to book with the new unproven company that has purchased the Crystal name & old ships.

It is impossible for Regent to put this right. The damage is done. All senior management can do is meet with Sheila, acknowledge her complaint, issue a fulsome apology and take the necessary action to ensure this type of incident does not happen again in the future. Regent have been including excursions in the price for 15 years. In that time we have had many truly excellent tours and have met some very hard working, friendly & efficient members of the Destinations team. Damning all members of a Regent department because of the shortcomings of some is grossly unfair. I also disagree with those who choose to name individuals on social media. IMO the correct course of action is to discuss issues with their manager so that corrective action can be taken; if necessary escalating up the chain of command.

I understand that government regulations changed yesterday March 13, such that the wearing of masks is no longer mandatory only advisory. That is correct. Noticeable reduction in the number of Japanese we saw indoors and out yesterday wearing masks. No doubt there will still be many who continue to wear masks since that was the norm prior to COVID. We are at the Hilton in Odawara (fabulous resort hotel). All hotel staff are still wearing masks together with the majority of Japanese guests …………….. except in the hot springs, where a ‘birthday suit’ was the order of the day 😉

I understand that government regulations changed yesterday March 13, such that the wearing of masks is no longer mandatory only advisory.

Thanks for that useful tip, Gilly, which may be of use during our post-cruise, starting tomorrow. Very sad that this cruise is coming to an end 🙁, with a cloudy/rainy day in Shimizu today ☔. We leave Explorer when she arrives in Tokyo tomorrow morning. For our 3 day post cruise we opted to upgrade to the “Tokyo & Hakone” itinerary, which seems to be more interesting & includes lunch & dinner on 2 out of the 3 days. For us it seemed to offer a better experience & better value than the included “Vibrant Tokyo”. Will try to report back after we have completed the tour.

We have only ever sailed with Regent since tours were included, and mostly the transport has not been filled to capacity. It may depend on location & the local availability of buses rather than cost cutting.

In Japan masks are required in the Cruise Terminal, other enclosed spaces and on buses. Most of the locals are still to be seen wearing masks. Masks are not required on board; a few crew and passengers do wear them.

It is such a shame that Regent(UK) opted to abandon this little touch of pre cruise luxury, that set them apart from other cruise lines 🙁

A sunny Spring morning for our arrival in Kochi, Japan today. An extensive welcoming party for Explorer’s arrival; all happy to see the first cruise ship in Kochi for three years.

Why would they make that assumption? Regent has been very clear that it only issues specific requirements for each cruise just a few weeks before boarding. There have been plenty of press reports about Japan’s nervousness in opening up to tourism, with international cruise ships only being finally sanctioned very recently. It is the guest’s responsibility to arrange appropriate insurance. It is not a significant change. Regent at no time stated that no testing would be required prior to boarding this cruise I can totally understand the point of view but IMO the demand that Regent accept liability for a passenger who chooses to cancel at a late date or is denied boarding because of illness or reporting a positive covid test is unreasonable. The passenger should have adequate travel insurance or accept the possible financial risk of not being properly covered.

What was Regent’s response to your query about this anomaly?

Explorer arrived today at its first port of call in Japan, Kagoshima. We successfully negotiated the temperature checks, immigration, customs & security. All reasonably fast & efficient as the Japanese authorities had deployed a large contingent of immigration staff to deal with our arrival. Unfortunately today in in Kagoshima is rainy & cool so not very conducive to sightseeing ☔ ⛈️ The welcoming party was not extensive …………. three senior citizens waving flags; one wearing a flowery wig 😉

Not sure that I am understanding the query. In one post you are referencing an offer made prior to final payment; in the other you refer to an offer being made after final payment. In general Regent appear to be willing to honour the new offer but only if there is still availability in the relevant suite grade(s) and you would have to pay the latest price if there had been a price increase since the original booking. As @Bellaggio Cruisers says, these two criteria often mean that you will not gain by trying to apply the new offer. Best way for you to find out about your specific booking is to contact Regent; either direct or via your TA. Always worth asking …………….. don’t ask, don’t get!

I maybe wrong but I believe that all the Horizon suites are the same size & layout on Mariner. As others have advised those on decks 8 or 9 are preferable, avoiding 990 (tub/shower combo) - unless you specifically like to have a bath. Horizon or PH are excellent choices for a long cruise on Mariner; one of our favourite ships.

What about SSS benefits for Gold & above members: “FREE unlimited WiFi with four log-ins, for up to four devices” Is that benefit per member or per suite? The SSS Ts&Cs state: “Gold members and above receive FREE Unlimited Wifi with four log-ins for up to four devices, that may be used concurrently” The phone time SSS benefits are clearly stated as being per suite; but the Wi-Fi is not, so we are arguing that the Wi-Fi benefit is per member. The internet manager on Explorer disagrees🤨 Between us we have five devices, which has caused some log-in issues that we do not recall having on previous cruises.

@pingpong1, I do not disagree that if a “significant change” is made by the cruise line then the guest should be able to cancel the cruise; whether that be before or after final payment. When St. Petersburg was dropped from our August cruise last year, Regent agreed to give us a full refund, even though the reason for the change in itinerary was not within their control. That itinerary change was significant in the context of our booking. All travel, including cruising, has always included the risk of alterations to arrangements and I do not see that the administrative and testing requirements being discussed in this thread can be considered as significant changes that warrant a guest cancelling without penalty. Agreed

Chiang Kai‐shek Memorial Park The CSK Memorial - The 89 steps on each side denote his age when he died in 1975 The huge statue on the fourth floor, always guarded by two soldiers We were fortunate to witness the precision drill during changing of the guard at 1pm

Photos from Keelung and Taipei: A warm welcome at Keelung Port - some strange costumes and an “ear-worm” welcome song Dragon on the roof of Longshan Temple Definitely the Year of the Rabbit Incense Burner Beautiful orchids and other flowers throughout the temple

Not sure what point you are trying to make 🤔 Are you affected by these Japanese requirements? If you are booked on one of the cruises affected do you really wish to cancel just because of some extra administrative hassle and simple self testing? If you trip over one of the ‘hurdles’ (test positive) then your Travel Insurance should cover your losses. We just received further paperwork (customs declaration & disembarkation cards) for completion before we arrive in Japan on Explorer tomorrow. There will be a mandatory face-to-face customs & immigration inspection on arrival at our first port, Kagoshima. We are looking forward to our time in Japan despite the extra administration and form filling required. Yes it has been mildly frustrating but hopefully well worth it.

Another good photo of Explorer next to the new Cruise Terminal: Focus Taiwan Explorer’s Captain, GM, CD and F&B Director attended the opening ceremony - 75minutes, all in Mandarin 😯 Today we are in Keelung (the port for Taipei). An excellent tour: KEE-009 Taipei City Drive & Foot Massage Weather is now very pleasant; less humidity but still sunny & warm. Expect it will become cooler as we approach Japan.

Taiwan News Who knew? The new terminal is symbolic of a whale!

We also saw other interesting architecture in Kaohsiung today: Formosa Boulevard MRT Station The other ship in town (Holland America) had to make do with the old terminal

The new cruise terminal which took 10 years to build is an iconic building, but it is difficult to show in one photo Commemorative stamps were on sale: