seasickphil

Just checked the shipping forecast, winds of gale force 8 are predicted later this evening and with looking at my profile name you might guess I’m not exactly looking forward to this greatly. Could be in for an early night.🤣🤣

19 hours ago, rotoal said:

I have a question for anyone on the Splendor now.   How is the Internet?   We will be on the ship later this month and I may have to attend some virtual work meetings while on the cruise.   Is the included Internet access enough?

I would say very unlikely, at the moment we are anchored in Dun Loaghaire (Dublin) and a speed check has come up with a reading of  1.1 download & upload speed of  0.7.

I couldn’t agree more with what Gilly has said. The weather forecast before we came did not augur well but in actual fact has been very pleasant, Oslo especially.

I don’t think that I have been on any cruise that has so many young people on, it make’s one feel positively old,🙂🙂 though it does make for a very nice ambience on board, although not so sure about their singing on karaoke night.😂😂 It also caused the staff one or two tiny issue’s in Prime 7 last night, when 19 of them were helping to celebrate a young lady’s birthday.

6 hours ago, welshfamily said:

Really enjoyed reading your blog. Should have been packing ( or at least sorting out what to take) as we leave in 4 days for our pre cruise trip in Lisbon. We are wondering if we should mix clothes in cases. Again this is not something we normally do.

May I ask why you had to have official COVID tests?

We have had an email saying advice only. Only sensible. We will self test at home and take self testing lateral flow tests to test at the hotel before we board. Only for the protection of fellow guests. Two of us have had the 4th boaster and all are feeling fit.

We arrived at the port today by taxi at 12.15pm, onboard Splendor by 12.30, no Covid tests just the welcome aboard glass of bubbly, that was the only requirement needed by us. Already unpacked and now relaxing on our balcony in the sun, just polishing off the bubbly left in our suite, what more could one ask for.

The bottom line is that Regent allow children onboard their ships and if the parents or grandparents can afford to pay the fare, then it is not for me or anyone else on this thread to tell them how or what they should spend their money on. I would assume that they, like anyone else, would research Regent's product before deciding if it would be right for their family. They certainly would know their own children better than any of us on here do, therefore should be more than capable of deciding what cruise line would suit them best, after all it is their holiday as well.

There is no necessity for you too check-in online to be fair.

10 minutes ago, NE John said:

Ha…unfortunately there are many Hyacinth Buckets in the world!

I never knew Keeping up Appearances was screened in the States.

NE John

I believe (and act) that a proper Grills pax is to be part of the ship and not onboard to isolate and show off one’s status - just enjoy your perks and good fortune to yourself. Showing off is classless and tacky. 
 

Not everyone in grills feel the same. 

A number of years ago when getting into a rather full lift, i inserted the card to get to the grills restaurant, a posh voice from the other side of the lift said, oh you are in the Grills as well are you, Queens or Princess? i ignored the remark [to be fair i did not know what person actually spoke] but she continued speaking regardless, telling my wife and i that she would not cruise at all if her husband didn't book them into a Queens suite. We felt that uncomfortable, so much so that we got out of the lift at the next floor it stopped at and had a bit of a walk around and a much needed drink in the Commodore lounge before going to the restaurant for some food. Luckily our paths never crossed again.

Does anyone know if you keep your obc from original booking if you bid for an upgrade please.

8 hours ago, welshfamily said:

Thank you.

That is our ship and sail date. We have already goggled this information which is for the 1st of August.
However the cruise before has an overnight  in Lisbon and the private transfer company says the ship will not overnight at the passenger terminal because of capacity issues and if this is not the case you would think Regent would know this ( or the other way around) …. If you follow me.
 Lisbon seems to be a popular embarkation port this year.  Hence our need for more information. Regent Uk do not know why the details are not yet known. Our hotel is close to Santa Apolonia and we can stroll and see if the ship is there. 
We may be better getting a taxi instead of a booked car and then it will not matter where the ship is as the concierge in the hotel will probably be able to find out. 
 

Just curious as to why this information is not known. 

 

 

 

Last year on Voyager we docked in Lisbon Cruise Port - Jardim do Tabaco Quay which was only a 10/15 min easy walk from Praça do Comércio Square all on the flat, Santa Apolonia Terminal is right next door only about 5/10 mins walk further along. We also overnighted before disembarking and we certainly were not moved, 2 other ships were in port as well, that day.

I believe only Ventura along with Mariner arrive on the 1st therefore leaving Mariner the only ship in port on the 2nd, so i would not expect capacity to be an issue. 

We board Splender on the 26th, our TA emailed us the final summary just over a week ago, this included our embarkation port and ocean terminal. You would think Regent would have that information to hand this close to departure. You could give the UK office a call to see if they can help.  

The last time we received 2 amounts of internet credit was when we were doing 2 segments of a world cruise, i thought that world cruises was the only time you received more than 1 amount, that was until i read this. 

We are on QE for 2 weeks Q331C but this is actually 2 cruises Q331/Q332A so would we receive 2 amounts of credit instead of 1, or am i just wishful thinking.

We have never taken a drinks package [don't think its good value, not for us anyway] on our Cunard cruises but have always had either the Captain's or Commodore's wine collection, that is until our last cruise aboard Elizabeth. The reason for this was when we were aboard Mary the head sommelier, who got to know our tastes recommended us some really good bin end wines at a much reduced price that he had tasted earlier. So last time we had no package but just picked any wine we wanted off the main list with quite a few of the recommended bin ends thrown in, that suited us very well and we intend on doing this again in October aboard Elizabeth. 

32 minutes ago, D&N said:

They're effectively wines that are sold here as non vintage. We buy similar in 3L & 5L boxes. They are surprisingly robust and will be drinkable for many years provided they are stored properly. We certainly had all the Cunard wines last year but I can't remember the vintages that were served. I don't think they were particularly recent.

 

The one I can confirm is the Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre; a friend had arranged a cabin gift of one, which we brought home since we were on drinks package. It was the 2017 vintage in June 2022 and shows 2018 in that list.

 

They are all effectively glugging wines, fine for refreshment.

 

Edit: You can't copy/paste because the PDF is secured.

You can't copy/paste because the PDF is secured.

I did not know that, thanks.

The   La Croix Vermentino Sauvignon Blanc Vin de Pays d'Oc listed just above Cunard Private label certainly needs to be drunk when young and fresh. I definitely would not be wanting to drink either a 2017/18 in 2023 as listed in the PDF.

7 hours ago, D&N said:

Do you have some examples of what you mean?

If you look at the Cunard own label wines i would hope that they are not selling these vintages onboard now. Making me think that this is not an up to date list.

I'm afraid for some reason i can't copy and paste but if you look at the list they have their Cunard Private Label White Wine @ $34 but the vintage is 2018 way too old to be drinkable i would think.  

48 minutes ago, D&N said:

Not sure the latest one is there or not. There was an update last August to the one I photographed:

https://www.cunard.com/content/dam/cunard/my-voyage/pdfs/qm/qm_wine_list_aug_2022a.pdf

Looking at the vintages of the white wines, i would think/hope that the list is not the present one.

22 hours ago, welshfamily said:

Just had email from Regent. We sail in 25 days.

On one hand it says no need to prove vaccination status and on the other hand advises to have a PCR test or antigen test within 3 days of travel. Hope this helps answer your question.

The Regent Family looks forward to welcoming you aboard soon.   As you prepare for your journey, we would like to advise that this sailing welcomes all guests on board regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status and without the requirement of proof of a COVID-19 test prior to embarkation. In addition, there are a number of important considerations we would like to advise you of before traveling to join the cruise.   SailSAFE Health & Safety Program   Routinely evaluated using the latest science and technology, SailSAFE™, our Health & Safety Program, creates multiple layers of protection against COVID-19 for our guests, crew and the communities we visit. You can learn more about our cleaning, sanitation and air filtration technologies used across our fleet and more at RSSC.com/HealthSafetyProtocols. Pre-Cruise Testing & Embarkation Arrival Time   Though not required to embark the ship, for the comfort and safety of all guests and crew, Regent strongly encourages all guests to take a COVID-19 PCR or Antigen test within 3 days of embarkation date. Should guests require assistance finding a COVID-19 testing location prior to departing home or while traveling, please click here to visit the Test for Travel website. Additionally, we have partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide hassle-free, online testing for our guests. Please click here for more information. Prior to embarkation, all guests will be required to complete a health and safety questionnaire. As a reminder, to help ensure a smooth and comfortable embarkation experience, we ask that all guests adhere to their port arrival time selected during the Online Check-In process. Guests arriving outside of the designated arrival time may be requested to return during their port arrival time.   COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Local Regulations   At this time, we are not aware of any specific COVID-19 related health and safety protocols and regulations in the destinations which your cruise sails to which require action.    Please note that travel restrictions for certain nationalities or countries may arise based on the quickly evolving public health environment and it is ultimately the responsibility of the guest to ensure they meet the entry requirements for each destination.    If traveling internationally, the countries you are flying to and/or connecting through may have different testing and vaccination/booster stipulations, and we encourage all travelers to visit the government and airport websites of every country they will be traveling to throughout their journey to familiarize themselves with their requirements. Travelers may be denied entry to a country or denied boarding of the ship if all country-specific requirements are not met.   We also strongly urge all guests to travel with a latest generation smart phone or tablet with international calling and data turned on in the event that regulations change while you are traveling. Face Coverings At this time, face coverings are recommended but not required for guests on this cruise. We will continue to update our face covering policy as protocols evolve and change as policies are subject to local oversight of authorities in the jurisdiction(s) in which the ships are sailing. Should local regulations change, guests may be required to wear face coverings with short notice. Please note, certain airlines and in-destination venues and public transport services may implement their own policies, independent to the local jurisdiction, and we therefore recommend guests to travel with a supply of face-coverings.   Travel Insurance and On-board Medical Facilities   All guests are strongly urged to travel with comprehensive travel insurance with specific COVID-19 coverage.  While our ships are staffed with professional medical teams and common prescription medications, anti-viralsand therapeutics, our ships do not accept medical insurance and guests must provide payment for all services, including any testing requirements for country entry or ship embarkation, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.   Isolation and Quarantine Protocols   Guests will only be tested while on board if they report symptoms consistent with COVID-19, and it is deemed a medical necessity by the ship’s doctor, unless required due to local public health requirements. In the event thata guest tests positive for COVID-19 while on board, mandatory isolation protocols must be followed per the current local health and safety regulations. Guests who are deemed to have come into close contact with another guest who has tested positive for COVID-19 while on board, may also be subject to local isolation protocols. All guests are strongly urged to travel with comprehensive travel insurance.   Post-Cruise Testing   For guests whose onward travel requires a COVID-19 test to return home, COVID-19 tests are the guest’s responsibility to arrange and pay for.   If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the numbers below. Our commitment is to offer you the safest and most enjoyable cruise possible — we are here to help.    Sincerely,       Regent Seven Seas Cruises   Regent Seven Seas Cruises Reservations Phone Numbers:   • United States / Canada: 1.844.4REGENT (1.844.473.4368) or (954) 776-6123 • United Kingdom: 023 8082 1390 • Rest of Europe: +44 23 8082 1350 • Australia / New Zealand / Asia Pacific: 1.300.455.200 • Latin America / Brazil: 0800 400-3132 or +1 (954) 940-7486     Please note that this email address does not accept replies.   This email was sent by: Regent Seven Seas Cruises 7665 Corporate Center Drive ~ Miami, FL, 33126, USA

We also received this email regarding our upcoming cruise on Splendor later this month, it appears they are covering every angle. On one hand they say.

 As you prepare for your journey, we would like to advise that this sailing welcomes all guests on board regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status and without the requirement of proof of a COVID-19 test prior to embarkation.

Then go on to urge everyone to take a Covid test within 3 days of embarking and recommend them to wear face coverings.

So can anyone who has sailed recently give any insight into how many people actually do still wear face coverings and take Covid tests after boarding. Also how long have we been given port arrival times, [ can not remember being given one last year, memory not what it was ] but this is irrelevant for a lot of us who have Regent transfers too the ship either from the hotel or from the airport and therefore are totally reliant on them getting us to the port at the correct/given time anyway.

Can i jump in and just ask if anyone has requested wagyu steak in QG, they have it onboard as it is on the Verandah menu but with a $30 supplement. I wonder with the current finances of cruise lines at the moment if this would be a request to far.   

20 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

Just like any comment boards, including the likes of Amazon, etc., you need to look at the totality of the comments and come to your own conclusions, the best you can. If you are a frequent visitor to these Regent boards you will get the feel for the cheerleaders and the “Debbie Downers”. Generally, people are more apt to register a complaint than to offer glowing praise. I have my concerns about the post COVID Regent, and all cruise lines for that matter, but it won’t stop me from going on another Regent cruise. That way, I can judge for myself and lessen the impact of the opinions of others. It’s clear that things have changed post COVID. That’s true for most industries and we have to adapt. Cruise lines are struggling with large debt and they have to change and reduce cost and/or increase revenue via price increases. It’s taken me a while to accept that cruising won’t be what it used to be prior to COVID. That’s true of Regent, all cruise lines, and most industries as well.

I agree with everything you say, all industries have faced spiralling costs, not excluding us people. Where I stand is that prices in the cruise industry are increasing across the board but the product we are receiving is going in the opposite direction. Last time my wife and I sailed on Regent (post Covid) our experience was not as good as pre Covid but hopefully things next month on Splendor will be better, i really hope so.(because after having one bad experience don’t mean the next one will be the same)I know many loyal customers may not have seen any decline on Regent post Covid but reading on here that is not the case for everyone Will Regent customers who pay a high price in return for premium product continue to do so if, according to some on cc are not receiving an experience that they have become accustomed to getting.

I have my hard hat near me if needed.😉😉

10 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

Ok.  Still sounds like you believe that Regent is being purposefully dishonest and deceiving to you.  But if that's how you feel, fair enough.

You should try to push it "upstairs" until you get a reason that will satisfy you. 

papaflamingo

I believe you might be mixing me up with pappy 1022, nowhere in my reply to you did i mention Regent being dishonest.

Reading back, Parapara (post 31) got exactly the same answer word for word as i did, so therefore it makes out that all port cancellations are for the same reason. Or could it be something else?, i wonder.

2 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

17 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

Dinner reservations 3 months before sailing, at least for concierge level,  is what we normally book. Otherwise it's 75 days out.

Tours could already be wait listed 3 months out. We're gold members, and normally book concierge or penthouse, and we book our excursions year in advance. We missed out on an excursion to Pompei a year in advance, when I didn't try to book it until 6 hours after it became available with a concierge level cabin back in 2019.

So i don't think dining reservations will be available to book yet as September cruises are more than 90 days away.

3 minutes ago, SWFLAOK said:

We are make our

Sorry, i thought it was 90 & 75 days out reservations open.

1 hour ago, casperthecat said:

Hi, we’ve sailed Seabourn several times but first time on Regent. From some research today people are waiting up till 1am to book dining and tours a year in advance. That sounds crazy to me but it is what it is. So is it likely that we won’t get decent dining times in specialty restaurants and tours will be full? We plan to book tomorrow for a Med cruise in September. Thanks for your wisdom.

You will not be able to make speciality restaurant reservations quite yet anyway, not for cruises leaving in September.

On 5/8/2023 at 12:17 PM, papaflamingo said:

You said "Why can’t they tell you the truth if there is a different reason?"  Sort of means you think they are being dishonest. 😏

I bet if you call Regent they'll tell you the reason they cancelled.

papaflamingo, 

I'm not so sure about that.

We were informed last week that Stavanger has been dropped for a sea day on our Splendor cruise this July. Now we can live without going to Stavanger but i thought i would phone Regents UK office to see what the reason they would give for this, guess what, the young lady said that all the information she was given is that it was operational needs, i asked what this actually meant by this, i was told that if i wanted any more information regarding this then i would need to email Regents reservations department, i did this and this was their reply.

Please note that due to the far-out publication of our planned cruises, various operational factors sometimes result in the review and revision of itineraries as we get closer to sailing. Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused regarding this.

Please let me know if you have any other queries regarding this and I will be more than happy to assist you.

Many thanks.

Kind Regards,

No further explanation was given, just operational needs changed to operational factors so yesterday i decided to send a follow up email to see if they can/will shed any light regarding the required change.

This was what i sent.

Operational factors can mean anything and everything, that does not give your paying customers (us) a reason for cancelling Stavanger. This far out why can’t a replacement port be found. We have cruised for many years and on many cruise lines so therefore have had ports cancelled before but we have been given either a reason (not just operational needs) or a different port substituted. Why can a proper reason not be given, do you not think we deserve one, it seems to me that Regent could treat us as adults and not what seems to be hiding behind such a general statement of operational needs as to why we must miss Stavanger. My wife and i can live with not going there but just can't see why Regent can not be upfront with the need to cancel it. What next, will further ports on this cruise be cancelled for operational needs, because Stavanger is not the only port cancelled recently by Regent recently is it.

As i have said, i fully understand that sometimes things happen that are out of control of the operator and that changes have to be made to the itinerary but surely treating us with openness and giving out a little more information which would keep us in the picture (or would you rather us not) and not kept in the dark,  or is it that Regent don’t really care about us or what we think.

I have not heard anything from them as yet but will update you if i do receive any further information.

3 hours ago, cwn said:

At least in the past in the US, when we sign up for a tour online, it list the retail value as “x”….$99, $124 or maybe even $169, then your cost “free”. Then if there is a charge they list the retail cost and the your cost what ever that is. This had not changed when we picked our tours for the Dec cruises. But things are handled differently in the UK sometimes. This causes sone confusion at times.

sorry noro messed up you cruise. That is no fun.

At least in the past in the US, when we sign up for a tour online, it list the retail value as “x”….$99, $124 or maybe even $169, then your cost “free”. Then if there is a charge they list the retail cost and the your cost what ever that is

It is the same in the UK, different prices displayed for for each of the tours available in each port. l suppose they just round that figure up to the $150 if a claim has to be made on travel insurance.