rblevow

33 minutes ago, doowopbob said:

Are they requiring a mask when you are having cocktails at the bar ?

Masks are required in public spaces inside unless you are eating, drinking, or doing strenuous exercise in gym.  Thus, no masks having cocktails at bar.

--rb

The questionnaires are so important to each and every crew member.

Absolutely! We always commend anyone who has provided exceptional service. On a "Behinds the Scenes" tour on the Voyager we saw that favorable comments were extracted and posted along I-95, the main work corridor, for all to see. Clearly the forms are read in a meaningful way. On the flip side we have been told by crew that less than "excellent" ratings can have an adverse impact on their assignments. This happens often on other lines where crew seem to be intimidated with their ratings, but occasionally on Regent as well. Use of the ratings in this way has been confirmed by the Human Relations Manager on a Regent cruise.

-- roy --

rblevow, what about the mid-cruise questionnaires? Are you still getting them?

Yes, we got the mid-cruise questionnaires. Returned the one for the second segment today. However, the two questionnaires serve slightly different purposes. Mid-cruise focuses on problems though we often offer accolades for special service. We've been told that the end of cruise questionnaires are also used in evaluation and that favorable comments on them, which are seen by the home office are a factor in crew ratings.

For ourselves, we have no problem with writing our own review and mailing it to Regent as indicated on the feedback forms. However, it is easier to use the form for all but really exceptional situations and we know from experience that they are read by a number of department heads as we received personal feedback from several during a Grand Voyage. You don't get that when the info is mailed to corporate.

-- roy --

Two suggestions:

 

1. Go into the General Manager's office and ask for one...... or,

 

2. Do a write-up and give it to the G.M.

 

When I am on a cruise of any length, if there is something that I need to say, I say it and do not wait for the Questionnaire. If anything you have to say is less than positive and is not corrected by the end of the cruise, I would repeat it on the end of cruise Questionnaire (a copy of which goes to corporate).

 

It is really important to let the G.M. know your feelings so that they can correct it while you are still on the cruise. So, IMO, you need to provide them the information in any way possible.

I completely agree with you on the need to raise issues promptly during a cruise with the appropriate person. Often that's the GM but sometimes the issue can be resolved at a lower level. Generally, I have found Regent to be very responsive but sometimes it takes more than one round for them to recognize the importance my DW or I attribute to a particular item.

More broadly, I'm still trying to find out whether this is a new corporate policy or something done by our GM. I was hoping to find out if anyone else has seen the situation. No response to that question yet. Guess I'll have to talk to the GM to find out.

-- roy --

We are currently sailing on the RSS Voyager and just finished the first of three consecutive segments. We did not receive a Feedback Questionnaire at the end of the segment. That was a first for us. When we inquired, we were told that feedback forms were no longer being given to B2B cruisers at the end of each segment but only at the end of the entire cruise. This was confirmed by Guest Relations.

We expressed our displeasure with this new arrangement. In spite of the fact that completing the forms can be a nuisance, we think completing them each segment provides a much better opportunity to provide feedback that helps maintain the quality of our cruise experience. Beyond the general reduction on opportunities to express ourselves, most often favorably but sometimes otherwise, there is the issue of interpretation when staff changes during a cruise. We just changed captains. When we rate the captain at the end of the cruise, there will be no way to distinguish which one our comments apply to. On very long cruises we have seen most of our service crew change during the cruise. In a similar vein, the questionnaire for each segment lists guest entertainers and speakers for that segment. How are we supposed to respond concerning those who are not on the last segment?

I am very curious if anyone else has gotten only one feedback questionnaire at the end of a multi-segment cruise. If so, did you feel you had an adequate opportunity to provide feedback under those circumstances.

I think all of us who sail with Regent are very sensitive to quality issues. It seems to me that this reduction in the opportunity to provide complete and timely feedback can only reduce the effectiveness of that feedback I'm not happy about the change.

-- Roy --

Looking at an Asia cruise down the road.

 

Has anyone done the mid-cruise land tour to the Taj Mahal?

 

Looks like you jump ship in Kochi, fly to Delhi for 2 days...then re-join the ship in Goa.

 

Interested in hearing from anyone who has done this.. re: logistics, accommodations, overall quality of the tour, etc.

Hi, Travelcat2,

We are booked on the RSS Explorer with you for the Atlantic Retreat in November 2016.

We did a land extension to Agra with Regent this past spring on a Grand Voyage from Tokyo to London. Could not pass up the Taj. They did a great job. (We also did extensions to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar.)

It was a three-day extension and one I would highly recommend.

It's a very intense tour as we were out between 5:15 am and 6:00 am every day. Air arrangements were coach class but quite adequate for the relatively short flights. Clean, new equipment both ways. The down-side was missing Cochin, Mangalor, and Goa; but the Taj wins hands down.

-- roy --

She looks beautiful.

Yes she does. But have you noticed how much this new rendering differs from the drawing on the RSSC Explorer web page.

Wonder what she really looks like and what the deck plans are. Hope for more detail in the brochure due out next month. Looks like we will get Summer 2015 itineraries in the brochure. I understand they have been deluged with calls requesting the brochures and the agents don't know any more than we do.

My Dh and I are going to be in room 954. How is that room? We are taking the ship from Toyko to Hong Kong in March for 16 days. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Missed this post until now. Are you still booked for 954? If so, we will be neighbors on the cruise as we are in 956. More to the point of your question, we were in 954 on one Baltic 10-day segment of our 48 day cruise this spring. (We had a different stateroom for each of the 4 segments, but that's another story. It's a great stateroom. Only minor issue is that you can faintly hear the elevator tone whenever the one on that side stops on the deck. Never was an issue for us.

-- roy --

Heard today from Viking Cruises, they are moving towards adopting an official Cruise Critic meet & Mingle program

That's great news.:) The increased opportunity to get to know fellow cruisers should be particularly beneficial when we are all new to the ship and the line.

... yes, we have booked the Star for 2015.

Curious which cruise you are booked for.

Will definitely call. If you don't mind my asking, was it a paper doc or electronic? What else is in it?

I called Viking today for information about the "At a Glance" brochure. Soli was very helpful. I gave my booking number and he immediately emailed me the documents for the two cruises that make up my Scandinavia to Spain cruise. Each brochure has the following sections.

1. Nice map of the cruise route
   
2. Itinerary including arrival and departure times and included shorex with duration for each port
   
3. "Key selling points" and average temperatures for ports
   
4. Detailed itinerary with major features of each port
   

It is a nice supplement. Give them a call to get your copy.

I'm not sure how old I was when I was on the SS America (first) and then some time later (within 4 years) on the United States. However, attached is a picture of my family on the SS America in 1959. Cruising has changed a bit since 1959, and I bet Viking is not going to provide party hats - or at least I hope not! I may have looked cute in my polka dots at age 8 or whatever, but I seldom wear a dress any more, and avoid cruise lines that have formal nights.

 

I still have 3 plastic swizzle sticks that say, "United States Lines."

Nice picture. My wife has several menus from the first class dining room from 1958 or 1959. I'd post copies but they are in storage now as we are starting a major renovation on our house. On the eastbound crossing in December they had very rough weather, described as the worst in 15 years. Waves up to the promenade deck. She and her family were the only ones to take dinner in the main dining room throughout the cruise. In the dining room, chairs were strapped to the tables, table edges were turned up and table clothes dampened to prevent things from sliding off. Velvet ropes in the corridors and public rooms to hold onto. She has fond memories of the adventure. Modern stabilizers would have ruined it all.

Added 6 new cruisers: JJean, Emmasoma, sitraveler, svnseas, Ottawa traveler, kathy9. A couple of them are from the roll calls under other lines. This brings the total to 32.

VS Roll Call.pdf

Viking just sent me a 5 page doc called oceans at a Glance for the Viking Homelands cruise and included the port times. Call them and ask for one for your cruise.

Will definitely call. If you don't mind my asking, was it a paper doc or electronic? What else is in it?

Curious whether you are booked on Viking Homelands or got the doc for interest.

-- roy --

I also sailed on SS United States and SS America on trans-Atlantic runs.

My wife also sailed on the SS United States and SS America. That was in the 50's. First time we have come across anyone else who was on either of them.

Celebrity, on which we have Elite status, has been our line of choice for the past 5 years but we have booked a variety of other lines for distinctive itineraries.

-- roy --

There is an error...probably my mistake. We are booked on September 27 (not October 6), Empires of the Mediterranean.

Correction made.

VS Roll Call.pdf

June 3, 2013 update. (My birthday and anniversary!) -- roy --

VS Roll Call.pdf

Wes, Thanks for the updates. Here's a new version with those bookings. Also added cruiser names where I have them. Count is now 22. -- roy --

VS Roll Call.pdf

I mined the postings as best I could and came up with a list of cruisers posting to CC who are booked on the Viking Star. The list is contained in the attached pdf file. I'll try to update the list periodically until it either gets too large to be manageable or we get separate roll calls for each of the cruises. Please respond to this thread with any additions or corrections.

-- roy --

VS Roll Call.pdf

What do you think the average age will be on the ship?

Viking is targeting the same demographic for Oceans as for their River Cruises so it seems likely the age distribution will be similar. But who knows until the tickets are sold.

In their FAQ on the web site, the information for passengers with disabilities does not seem encouraging. Here's what they say.

If I had mobility issues and read this, I'd be looking for another line for my cruising.

-- roy --

Welcome to the Viking Oceans Forum. I'm pleased to have the honor of the first post !

 

Host Faith & I will be moderating this forum. We look forward to discussing all things Viking Oceans, as they prepare for the launch of Viking Star in May 2015. I'd like to wish everyone at Viking Oceans all the very best of success in their new venture.

Andy and Faith,

Thank you so much for initiating this new forum. I know it will be particularly helpful for those of us who are "early adopters" of cruising on the Viking Star.

Is seems to me that the cruise line boards are typically for discussion of the cruise line and that the Roll Calls are for discussion of issues related to specific cruises and particularly for meeting others on the same cruise. Most of the other lines have corresponding Roll Calls but not Viking Oceans. Could you clarify the intended organization. Obviously at this point participation in any specific cruise roll call would be very limited. Even so, cruisers may want to identify others who are sharing a cruise with them. How do you envision that being done with the current organization?

Thanks again for organizing this.

-- roy --

Would anyone know the closest Target to Embassy Suites on SE 17th St and can we get to it by trolley, water taxi or walking??? Any help really appreciated. :)

Wendy and Dave,

No Target close to the ES on 17th St. The nearest one is at 3200 N. Federal Highway (US-1), 6.4 miles north of you. You could bet there by bus up Federal Highway or taxi. No trolley or water taxi and quite a walk. You can see the details if you Google "target store ft lauderdale fl".

See you on the Millennium TA.

-- roy --