seasickphil

It is a bit of a faff for Saga i know but there must be a reason why they are prepared to carry on doing it. As you say there are ways in which other cruise lines do promotions but they don’t receive any money upfront for those, last year i pre registered for summer 25/26/27 at a cost of £540 (totally refundable at any time i know) maybe receiving that money might have something to do with them carrying on with their pre registering system, only Saga would really know the reasons behind that though wouldn’t they.

I’m sure you can, years ago it had to be through an agent but I don’t know if this is still the case. I don’t think you will get the included travel insurance and as you don’t live in the UK then you would obviously not get the included chauffeur transfer to and from your home either.

 

There are several excellent hotels in Reykjavik to choose from which you may review and reserve online or by contacting your travel professional.

 

As Regent is not providing you with what was initially booked and sold by them, then how can they say it is down to you or your TA to sort out. Surely it must be down to them to be proactive and rectify this situation and certainly with no cost to you (even if it means putting people into many different hotels) after all this is not the fault of you nor your TA and you have already paid for this anyway. 

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

Thanks for this seasickphil . Extremely interesting. My slight seafood intolerance is rearing up to 'the itch' just reading this.😄

 

To be fair though, my interest in other cruise lines is more for the cabins than menus and for a couple or reasons, an all inclusive holiday would be our last resort and expensive which is one of the reasons we stick with Cunard, that and the wonderful staff and service we receive. It's a sort of PAYG system which suits us.🙂

The next couple of years will be the deal breaker as we have to switch from QV to QA so we will see if staff and service remain top notch.

 

Thanks again though for taking the time to write all that for me [and others]. I appreciate it.

 

No problem, unlike you we don't spend much time in our cabins/rooms and it's very rare we dine in them. With my profile name you might guess that position of the cabin is more important to me when cruising.

We are all different and some peoples needs/requirements in what they look for in cruises/holidays are different to others. We still fly regularly although as we get older long haul is becoming much more of a chore. We should actually have been flying out to Rio in just over 2 weeks for a cruise on Regent but my wife's mum is very poorly so we cancelled, families always come first with us and indeed for most people, therefore holidays at the moment will be on hold for us. 

On 2/20/2024 at 10:03 AM, Victoria2 said:

Your take on Regent is interesting as it's a line, along with Crystal and Silversea we would consider should we fall out of loved with Cunard.

At the moment Cunard suits us. Itineraries are repeated but as has been said, the world is shrinking a bit as far as cruise ship [and ones of a certain size] visits are concerned.

I suppose we're lucky as we have visited the major part of the world in past decades and now the ship is our destination most of the time.

 

I would be very interested in any review you have written, or might write of Regent.

 

@Victoria2

 

I can give you my take on Cunard not PG but QG [your preferred i know] versus Regent, whether it helps i'm not sure because most things on cruises are very subjective, as you know.

My wife and i are not loyal to any cruise line but have sailed on both Regent and in QG Cunard a few times, both pre and post Covid. We were on both last year, 12 nights in July on Regent Splendor and 14 nights on QE in October Cunard QG. 

@OzKiwiJJ view of Compass Rose is different to ours, we have sailed on 10+ cruise lines and CR is without doubt the best main dining restaurant we have frequented, apart from the daily al a carte menu, this is the always available menu without having to to preorder, although if there is anything you wish not on that you can preorder as well.

 

Fish & Seafood

Traditional Shrimp Cocktail

American Cocktail Sauce

 

Alaskan Crab & Avocado

Bloody Mary Sauce

*Norwegian Style Gravlax

Honey-Mustard Dill Sauce

 

Lobster Bisque

Cognac Cream

MEAT

Iberico Ham

baby Artichokes, Piquillo Peppers

 

*Black Angus Beef Carpaccio

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan

Gratinated Escargots

Garlic Butter, Toasted Baguette

 

*Pan-Seared Foie Gras

Figs & Port Wine Reduction, Toast d’Epices

*Soft Poached Egg & Black Truffle

Croutons, Asparagus Coulis

SOUP & SALAD

Seasonal Fresh Fruit Cup

 

Mixed Garden Greens

Choice of Salad Dressing

Classic Caesar Salad

Romaine Lettuce, Anchovies, Croutons, Parmesan Shavings

 

San Marzano Tomato Soup

Pesto, Bread Croutons

Design Your Entrée

Select the meat, fish or seafood with your favorite sauce & sides

FISH & SEAFOOD

*Jumbo Shrimp

 

*Lobster Tail

*King Sea Scallops

 

*Salmon Fillet

Whole Dover Sole

 

Branzino or Fresh Fish of the Day

SUGGESTED SAUCES

Garlic-Herb Butter

 

Hollandaise

Lemon Cream

 

Beurre Blanc

Caper Butter

 

Creamy Herb

MEAT

*Black Angus New York Strip Steak

 

*Black Angus Rib Eye Steak

*Black Angus Filet Mignon

 

*New Zealand Lamb Chops

*Marcho Farms Veal Medallions

 

Roasted Half Chicken

Smithfield Pork Chop

SUGGESTED SAUCES

Green Peppercorn

 

Béarnaise or Chimichurri

Madeira-Truffle

 

Mint Sauce or Mint Jelly

Demi-Glace or Mushroom Sauce

 

Cranberry Relish or Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Hickory Barbecue or Apple Sauce

SIDES

Lyonnaise Potatoes ~ Mashed Potatoes ~ Baked Potato ~ Sweet Potato Fries

 

French Fries ~ Potato Gratin ~ Steamed Rice ~ Vegetable Fried Rice

Buttered Vegetables ~ Steamed Vegetables ~ Sautéed Spinach ~ Green Asparagus

 

Sautéed Mushrooms ~ String Beans ~ Cauliflower Rice

PASTA

Freshly Cooked Pasta of the Day:

Choice of Pomodoro ~ Pesto ~ Bolognese Sauce

 

Now after saying that we still consider QG to be the best dining experience at sea, for us the food is no better nor worse but on Regent if you don't have a speciality restaurant reservation then if you like to eat, at peak times like us at 8.00pm then there is very often a slight wait, up to 15 mins [they do come and get you in the bar if you decide to take in an extra drink] whereas you know whatever time you enter QG your table and dining staff will be waiting for you.

The suites are different, Cunard more traditional, Regent are very modern, everyone will have their own take on which they prefer. [ we have not been in the top end suites you travel in though ] 

Everything is included on Regent flights[ if needed ] excursions and drinks which i'm sure you know. at the end of the day everyone have to make their minds up on what suits them best. Us, we would go on either in a heartbeat, in saying that, we take more land holidays than we do cruises. 

 

4 hours ago, cruisevirgin24 said:

Splendor sailed 2 cruises before September 2021. My parents were definitely on Splendor in Feb/March 2020. I think it was the second cruise, following the TA from Italy. They embarked Miami, transited the Panama Canal, disembarking in San Diego in March 2020, straight into the first Covid lockdown. I managed to rearrange their flight onto the last one from San Diego back to the UK.

Apologies, i meant it was the first sailing after Covid.

23 hours ago, DatawCruiser said:

Followed that up with the Splendor in February 2021

I don't think Splendor's first public sailing was until September 2021 out of Southampton.

On 2/17/2024 at 8:28 PM, CardowMD said:

I would take a taxi. It’s very close to airport and about 20E. You can depart when you want.

The price has gone up a bit since you last went, when we went in October last year it was €40 before tip.

On 2/15/2024 at 5:48 PM, Bloodaxe said:

 

Anyone know how close the dock is to the Railway station and is it walkable or is transport required.

We can walk a good way but not has mobile has we used to be.

Thanks to everyone for your information.

We were there last August aboard SoA and whether you go on the paid excursion with Saga or book independently, on either you will still have to walk the 200/300 metres [all on the flat] from the ship to the train station. That is of course if your ship docks in the same place.

2 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

 

All other reasons aside, they don't have proper martini glasses in the cabin!   

If you asked your butler he would provide you with them, if not then just ask at any bar for two martini glasses or any other type of glass come to that.

8 hours ago, astronomy55 said:

Hi, Just been upgraded to QG on QE2. Regarding the two bottles of booze in the minibar, are they replenished throughout the voyage? If so, do they charge to replenish or is it included in the the fare? We are on an 18 night voyage and although we are not big drinkers I don't think two bottles of wine would last us two and a half weeks!

Thanks

Last October on QE our butler left us another drinks form when our bottles were about 2/3rds empty, this was handy for us as we did chop and change our choices. Don’t forget if you can’t see your desired choice of drink on the form then write what you would like and if they can they will willingly oblige, ours did anyway.

I had it, not on Cunard but on Regent, I reported it after not feeling very well and cancelling our excursion, Monday afternoon the medical staff came and left dehydration drinks along with some type of Imodium. I was told not leave the cabin and while my wife was allowed out she had to have room service for all her meals. Tuesday morning the nurse came to see me, i was still in bed feeling lousy, she took my temperature and it was 102 degrees she said that she would make arrangements to get me into the ships hospital, i asked if I could stay where I was,with a loo near and handy, she agreed but told me that she would return later that evening and if my temperature was still as high would really urge me to let the hospital team take over. I could not have left the cabin if I had wanted too, getting out of bed was difficult let alone walking around the ship. Anyway when the nurse returned in the evening, my temperature had dropped to 101 degrees, so i was allowed to stay in our cabin. Next day after feeling much better I was told that I would be allowed to leave the cabin 24 hours after my last you know what, (sorry this is far too much information I know) so a full 3 days after reporting it we, yes my wife stayed with me the whole time until we were allowed out. Unfortunately we disembarked the next day Good Friday and flew home, on Easter Sunday i tested positive for Covid. Not one of our better cruises and one which we will not look back with too many fond memories.

4 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Well, my food preferences never interfered with a Regent cruise. On some lines (that I define as lesser) the MDR is an overcrowded “wait in line” thing to be avoided. But on Regent, we have always liked the Compass Rose. Go in anytime (when it is open) and be seated. A bunch if dining options there. For our cruise next month, we decided to select the Prime 7 twice. It’s only a 7 nighter, and I think we’ll be fine. 

We are not so fortunate, as on Splendor last year (it was full) we had a short wait most evenings to be seated in both Compass Rose and Sette Mari, we do tend to eat between 7.45 & 8.15 though, so at peak times, which is probably the reason. There is a plus side to that though, as we can then have another G&T before dinner.🙂

16 hours ago, charltonkerry said:

They tend you use different fish sauces even on the non fish food, which you only find out when they check with the chef

That is very interesting, i don't have any allergies but know someone who sails on Regent that do have an allergy to some shellfish, so are you saying that the suggested sauces which accompany the always available meat dishes in Compass Rose actually contain fish? or are you just saying some unspecified sauces accompanying other dishes contain fishy things.

ie

• Green Peppercorn
•  
• Béarnaise or Chimichurri
• Madeira-Truffle
•  
• Mint Sauce or Mint Jelly
• Demi-Glace or Mushroom Sauce
•  
• Cranberry Relish or Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• Hickory Barbecue or Apple Sauce

 

 

2 hours ago, Zeg said:

Not to mention the farmers, delivery drivers, dock workers, check in staff, port security officers…….🤷🏼‍♂️

What do paying our Cunard gratuities have any bearing on their wages?

10 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Then that is a problem Cunard will have to sort out by giving them a decent wage instead of relying on customers as it is not our problem.

It could become a problem, the reason being is if more people remove gratuities then the backroom staff would presumably move on to cruise lines that pay more. While this would be Cunard's problem it could also have a detrimental effect on services provided to us, giving us passengers a worse product. So in reality we all miss out.

3 minutes ago, corporate services said:

Take the charges off if you don't agree with them.  I will be taking them off and tipping as I see fit

If you do that then the non frontline staff ( cleaners, chefs/kitchen staff etc ) have to survive on the poor basic pay.

59 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

If they do.

Are you saying cruise lines don't pass on prepaid gratuities to their crew?

3 minutes ago, Solent Richard said:

Well on those cruise lines that have adopted this policy it certainly has reduced the queues (Lines for those who prefer) at reception on day one to have them removed.

 

 

Also like that the crew then get properly rewarded.

I do believe that for most people , the best scenario is like most other cruise lines do presently and that is factor the gratuities into the headline price, that way it takes away much of what is being said now on here, then all of the crew get their tips and us passengers are still paying for them but without all this hoo-ha.

10 hours ago, Denarius said:

We have! Weather quite pleasant, about 15c, mainly sunny, light winds, no rain forecast. Then back to Britain’s cloud and rain 😕

You might be ok, Britain over the weekend is forecast to be mild and temperatures in the teens, you will of course have to make your own tea though.

37 minutes ago, david63 said:

Bear in mind that the rules about cancelling/rebooking are not the same in all countries. In the UK, for example, you cannot cancel without loosing your deposit.

True but we can transfer a booking to another cruise of the same value or greater, without losing your deposit.

21 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

You’ll find the Cape of Good Hope weather in their Autumn quite moderate. Whilst I’m not a weather forecaster I have spent a lot of time in Southern Africa and it’s a pleasant time of year. Even further south, but not far, is Cape Agulhas and it’s still nice.

There’s more chance of the QM2 being in worse weather in the Bay of Biscay. Needless to say, she’s built for it.

 

The one place I wouldn’t trust in April is Cape Horn off South America!

The weather may well be pleasant but the sea conditions for most parts of the year are certainly not and as you might guess from username those conditions don't float my boat.🤣

14 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

Whilst I sympathise with a lot of the above, rather than be negative, take the opportunity to have time in Cape Town which was voted the World’s Best City recently!

The Suez Canal is on my bucket list but the opportunity to cruise round the most southern tip of Africa is an opportunity not to be missed.

The wine region, especially Franschhoek is one of the most beautiful areas I have ever had the privilege of visiting. Much better than Dubai and much less expensive as well!

A few years ago, during covid, I’d have given a vital organ to go on a cruise. Occasionally we need to make the best out of bad situations. It’s also worth checking your travel insurance. Missed ports often get a payout.

Yes for some this would be true but not everyone me included would relish going round Cape of good Hope even on QM2 but it is what it is and there is no other safe way of getting home.

10 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

Thanks for confirming, that sounds reasonable in the circumstances. 

That does but if what @Fairplay & @KJR999 is correct then not everyone are being treated the same, which then becomes not reasonable.