penfriend

On 11/19/2020 at 8:30 PM, taxatty said:

Curious to see how the votes would go if getting a vaccine becomes a prerequisite to cruising.

I want it to be mandatory for everyone who wants to come aboard. No exceptions. If you are nervous, have a health issue, some idiosyncratic belief system, or just simply neurotic, then don't cruise, or fly either for that matter. Ships, planes, buses and hotels are closed environments: stay home.

Thanks to all for your comments. We will be on the Moon which I now understand is a Muse class vessel. I am disappointed to learn that the surcharge to dine there would be $60 x 2 , but I did not realise La Dame was so small from the pictures I had seen. Not enough to ruin our cruise but I can think of better ways to waste $120. I am sure we wont starve on board.

I have done a forum search on this without success and find nothing about it on the Silversea website. Regency doesn't do this and we have never had difficulty in getting reservations at any restaurant once on board ,so a capacity control justification doesn't cut it. It seems cheap and unnecessary to me. Anyway, which restaurants have surcharges and how much is the charge?

An unrelated question: I see from the deck plan that there are self-serve laundromats on each floor. Is soap supplied? How is the laundry/dry cleaning service?

Thanks in advance.

We have done three cruises on the mariner and were booked to do the Splendor in 2021 which was cancelled. You will not go wrong with Regent and the Mariner. Concierge is not worth the extra cost. We have had suites 811 and 893, the same size and with plenty of space. I don't think a pre-cruise hotel night is included in the standard fare. In place of the Splendor, we have booked for the first time with Silversea because of the cruise date and itinerary which was  not available from Regent; otherwise we would have gone again with Regent. We are looking forward to seeing how the two lines stack up against each other.

This is a rather unique question. While Regent will likely go for this, it always depends upon the airline. If it costs extra money to depart from a different airport, you likely will have to pay it.

 

You don't have to wait until the 270 day mark (which you can calculate by going to this site https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html ) - simply call your TA or Regent Air and speak with them. Let us know what they say. This way you can plan your trip and will be ready to deviate at the 270 day mark.

 

Assume that you will be on the beautiful Explorer? We have done two Explorer transatlantic cruises with another booked next year. We are rather addicted to that ship:D

TC

We will be on the Explorer to Lisbon and very much looking forward to it. We now have our post cruise European holiday organised and Regent air booking with deviation in hand. The issue for us was how long after the ships arrival could we stay in Europe and remain covered by Regent for our return. Regent will allow return if it is within 30 days of disembarkation with payment of the deviation fee. We were also able to change the departure city from Lisbon to Vienna without any additional charges. Departure from Frankfurt on Lufthansa would have costed us an additional US$960 each.

Hi! Actually, the difference between the F1/F2 suites and concierge suites on Explorer is only in the balcony size. The suites are identical. And, although the balcony size is slightly smaller in the F1/F2 suites, they are still larger than the balcony we had in our Seven Seas suite on Voyager earlier this month. So, if you do not need the overnight at the hotel and the few other amenities offered in the concierge suites, I'd go with the F1/F2.

Thanks Travelcat. I will take your advice and stick with the F2 unless they make the Concierge upgrade more attractive.

I also want to welcome you to the Regent board! We have not been on deck 14 (which we all know is secretly deck 13) but have been on deck 12 forward on Explorer and you definitely feel the motion of the ocean dramatically more than on lower decks. While no one can predict how the seas will be, there are some itineraries where the seas tend to be calmer than others. So, if a bit of motion doesn't bother you - go for it. The concierge suite are wonderful!

Hi TravelCat

"The concierge suite are wonderful!" Apart from the few perks, how do the concierge suites on the Explorer differ in size, layout, and/or furnishings. As you know there are no such differences on the other ships making the additional cost questionable. Thanks.

What an interesting discussion! We’re on our first Regent cruise next week and looking forward to some warmth - the weather in the UK at the moment is foul.

 

I’m interested to see that you can request a particular cuisine in advance in CR. We so often find cruise ship food to be bland, and we love spicy food. I’ve been wondering if the green Thai curry, for example, is a real curry or a cruise ship version with narry a chilli to be seen....

The regular serving will probably be rather bland, but as with any other food preference you might have, just tell the waiter that you like spicy food and chillis and if its doable, they will do it. Regent is renowned for this.

This is a rather unique question. While Regent will likely go for this, it always depends upon the airline. If it costs extra money to depart from a different airport, you likely will have to pay it.

 

You don't have to wait until the 270 day mark (which you can calculate by going to this site https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html ) - simply call your TA or Regent Air and speak with them. Let us know what they say. This way you can plan your trip and will be ready to deviate at the 270 day mark.

 

Assume that you will be on the beautiful Explorer? We have done two Explorer transatlantic cruises with another booked next year. We are rather addicted to that ship:D

Thanks TC. Yes, the Explorer it is. Just to clarify: The deviation we want is for time (return date) only. The in-country flights we will cover ourselves using points with no Regent involvement. I will talk to our Agent.

 

This may a new deviation question for you, TC. We will be doing a transatlantic cruise to Lisbon early next year. We want to spend a couple of weeks or so in Europe before returning to Lisbon for the return flight. Will Regent go for this under its deviation policies? Thanks

Be cautious, be careful, be aware, but do not be afraid. Enjoy your visit to Rio. Bad things can happen anywhere. Do not let your imagination and fears spoil your vacation.

Another Explorer tv question: do the sets have headphone sockets: RCA or mini jacks? Thanks

My wife and I were on the Mariner last April in Suite 892. Our third cruise on Mariner. We were a little disappointed that the refurb had been postponed (were curiouse about any major changes) but had absolutely no complaints about the appearance or condition of the suite nor of the ship overall. You will not be disappointed whatever suite you chose. I will say that we did not find the Concierge upgrade, which we chose on our second cruise, to be worth the money.

That would be a great incentive for me too.

 

Instead of calling it "Adults Only" they could take a cue from the smoking issue and call it a "Child Free" environment.

Maybe "children would be bored" would do it. After two cruises I consider Regent to be an obviously adults only cruise line but we don't cruise in the summer: why waste the best season Canada has to offer?

I love sweet wine, particularly sweet red wines, which are pretty hard to find. My favorites are Lambrusco and Roscato. Just curious if there are any sweeter red wines to be found on Regent?

Sweet red wine doesn't do it for me, but you might like to try a sherry (not dry), madeira or port. You may be better off with whites such as a French sauterne, German riesling (ask your sommelier), Hungarian Tokay, or Canadian icewine. These are generally considered dessert wines (except for the riesling), but heck, drink what you like when you like.

"Our" cruise was very unusual and I'm trying to remember whether we received the letter in our suite or when we asked about booking at Reception. I think that purchasing a voucher is a great idea - we have done it in the past (when the cost was lower than it is now).

 

Aren't the on board benefits the same whether you book onboard or purchase a voucher (meaning prior to the "new" price guarantee that went into effect this year)?

That was my impression i.e. a lower deposit plus a small discount on the cruise price when buying a voucher on-board. A thirty-day limit was never mentioned to me. I have contacted Regent and the question of a discount is being considered. There is not a lot of money involved but as they say, it is not about the principle of the thing but about the money.

We were on that cruise. As per the letter that we received onboard, we were able to not only book a cruise with the benefits when we got home but received $200 OBC for the inconvenience. There was no "price guarantee".

 

Gilly, we have booked cruises within 30 days of the end of our cruise in the past but it is my understanding that this has changed. Perhaps it has not changed in the U.K.? From what I've read, you need to book your cruise onboard in order to quality for the "price guarantee" but not necessarily to receive the onboard booking discount.

 

On our last cruise, our TA was able to retroactively apply the onboard credit to a previously booked cruise because the price had not gone up and there was still availability in the category we booked. I don't think that this has changed - just the "price guarantee" (and perhaps the 30 days).

We never received a letter while on-board or any explanation at all. I was under the impression that the on-board booking discount also applied to the purchase on-board of the cruise voucher which we did soon after returning h0me. We were not aware of a thirty-day time limit to book a cruise and would not have bought the voucher if this had been made clear. Comments?

The last cruise we were on from Cape Town to Rio December 2015 had no Cruise Consultant on-board so we unable to take advantage of this scheme. Has anyone had a similar experience and received the on-board booking perks from Regent for a booking made post cruise?

QUOTE"I totaly appreciate your review... It is the same feeling we first got back in 2006 when we first discovered Oceania after sailing Regent for 5 years.

After some 30 years of travel and cruising, we found that the atmosphere, the ambiance, the fellow passengers and the cuisine just clicked for us. All of the good with none of what we considered the not good ( crowds, nickel dime, rude passengers, kids, blaring bands and a class system questionable merit..)"UNQUOTE

I was very interested in reading your post and your reference to Regent. We are strong Regent fans but are taking a look at what Oceania has to offer after encouragement from some friends. I wouldn't want this thread to evoke a slagging contest against either line, but I would sincerely appreciate your further comments on the areas in which you think Oceania (Nautica) is superior to Regent. I certainly didn't recognise Regent from your list of the "not goods". Many thanks

In colonial days, British civil servants voyaging to India went by the advice "port out, starboard home". Assuming your WC travels across the Pacific first, following that advice would put you on the starboard side, to avoid the hot afternoon sun.

For medical reasons, my Dad also wore a hat 98% of the time, including at evening meals. All he did, the first time he cruised, which at that time was Radisson, was let it be known that he needs to wear a hat and it was never discussed again. The staff was told and he never had any problems whatsoever. In my Mom's bedroom are three pictures of my parents on various Regent cruises, all taken in Compass Rose and in each one my Dad is wearing a hat.

 

Mind you, he wouldn't be caught dead in a baseball hat. He had purchased his hats in the UK, different ones for different seasons and always looked presentable and gentlemanly.

 

gnomie :)

Agree, explain the issue quietltmto the maitre D. And find something with a bit more class than a base ball cap.

Does anyone know what airlines and routings Regent uses to fly passengers from Toronto/Montreal to Cape Town? I have just noticed that the journey can take three calendar days from start to finish with long stop-overs in Europe. This appears to be the case with AC, BA and Lufthansa.Flying out of New York may change the picture. Anyone?

penfriend

Can anyone tell me if the (ghastly) "chicken wire man" still hangs in the elevator shaft? As a former art teacher, I appreciate most art in one way or another. The CWM somehow falls into another category!

The only ghastly art that I recall on the Mariner last year were appalling works strung out along one corridor for auction. For the most part over-priced, over-hyped, tasteless, junk. Regency should show more class than to host these tacky "art" auctions.

We are doing a deviation to fly Air New Zealand and to go early and stay longer at the end of our cruise from Auckland to Sydney in January. More importantly, we avoid the dreaded United Airlines - never again! $150 pp is very reasonable.

Is my understanding correct that paying the deviation surcharge only allows you to pick you own travel dates, not pick your airline?

Greetings all,

 

We are seriously considering taking the Cape Town to Rio cruse leaving Cape Town on 9th Dec 2015 and before I book I am "doing my homework" - all part of the fun!

 

Our thought was to stay in Rio and take the RSSC Ultimate Rio package before flying home to the UK.

 

However this would mean we would be in Rio Xmas Eve and Xmas Day.

Having looked up on the net the places one would visit as part of this package ( can only look at 2014 at present) when doing a mock booking the calendar shows them not to be open on 24th Dec and 25th Dec eg Trip to Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado.

 

Any thoughts would be welcomed, I am now wondering whether in fact it is worth staying in Rio for 3 further nights??

Perhaps may be worth just one night??ie disembark, have a day/night in Rio and then fly home??

Perhaps if anyone has been to Rio before at a similar time you may be able to advise.

 

I have already posted this on the roll call but only one reply.

 

Probably those of you who have already done a similar trip may be able to give me some advice.

 

All thoughts/ ideas will greatly welcomed.

 

Many thanks

 

Swabs.

I would suggest you post your question in the Brazil forum on TripAdviser. Lots of local knowledge available from that forum.