DaveA

17 hours ago, Grandma Gilly said:

I think Regent has behaved very badly. £200pp compensation is derisory-transfers alone will cost about £150 which leaves £250 for a hotel.

The compensation we were offered was only £150pp, not £200, leaving £150 for a hotel. Did you get a better deal?

Regent have now removed the pre-cruise hotel for Concierge suites on their website for the two July 2024 Reykjavik cruises.

51 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

Looking forward to the results of this undertaking...

I will report back, but don’t hold your breath. I know my chances of achieving anything are slim but I’ll feel better for trying and will probably learn a few things along the way.

6 hours ago, Pcardad said:

…There is no other "fight".
…
Now...in the UK, the situation might be different. You have different consumer protection laws. I am pretty certain your TA can apply this leverage to secure you a couple of hundred pounds...and I hope you get it as I feel you deserve it.

22 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

I just noticed that Regent is still advertising Reykjavik departing cruises (concierge and above) on it web site as including transfers and hotel. What!?

We do indeed have different laws, and arguably better protections. MyTA has been unable to get Regent to improve their offer. Regent are unquestionably contravening the UK Package Travel and Linked Arrangements regulations, so that is one avenue I am exploring. Complaining to the UK Advertising Standards Authority about knowingly false advertising is another.

Litigation is certainly unrealistic, but leveraging UK agencies to advise Regent of the errors of their ways, with the associated possibility of adverse publicity is not.

17 minutes ago, GMIAC said:

Not quite: "Most hotels have a convenient city bus stop mere footsteps from their entrance. The Flybus can drop you off at a number of these bus stops, or directly at some of the major hotels across the city.."

From the Flybus site FAQs:

Where does the Flybus stop?

The main stop is BSÍ Bus Terminal, in the centre of Reykjavik. Onward transfers are available for Flybus+ passengers from BSÍ Bus Terminal to selected hotels, guesthouses and designated bus stops. The Flybus driver will ask you to board a smaller bus for these hotel transfers.

Just now, GMIAC said:

The Flybus service includes drop-offs at many of the major hotels in town. 

Sort of. Wait at airport for Flybus to Reykjavik bus station, then take off luggage and wait for a minibus to a bus stop close to hotel.

8 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

What's the difference in this case? I agree they should have given more. 

The difference seems to be that you, and most others, accept the injustice whereas I am trying to fight back, however slim my chance of success.

5 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I agree Regent should have done more.

Having said that, the difference between a shuttle bus and a taxi is about $100. No matter what, your vacation and your health and not worth impacting over that small amount given the amount you spent on the cruise. Yes, Regent should have done more. Yes, if I were the TA I would pay it myself. But at the end of the day, you don't let $100 raise your BP or ruin your trip. 

Yes, it’s a small amount and I certainly won’t let it affect my health or enjoyment of the cruise. I guess where we differ is in how we respond to large companies treating customers badly.

52 minutes ago, GMIAC said:

 

Whether it's a Flybus or a Regent-arranged bus, it's a bus. The luggage goes into the same storage area on the bus. If you need the "luxury" of a private car, there are plenty of options for that too, but you still have to schlep the bags to the car. 

I don’t care about the size of the vehicle. What matters is that it takes me directly from airport to my hotel. So to get an equivalent service to a Regent transfer I need to take a taxi or private car.

4 minutes ago, cwn said:

Just wondering, how do you that that is true?

Strictly speaking, all I know is that they accepted my booking in October and that they informed me they were not going to provide the hotel and transfers at the start of March. I think it is reasonable to conclude that Regent didn’t book a room at the time they contracted to provide me with one. However, I accept that Regent may have been unable to book a room at a suitable price last October but chose not to tell me until the time my final payment was due.

3 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Honestly, I think Regent does its best to book quality hotels and transfers.

That is simply not true. I booked in October 2023. They could and should have secured the necessary arrangements at that time. Instead they waited until the beginning of March and discovered that suitable rooms were no longer available at a price that suited them.

So, essentially, we have to choose between spending more or accepting a less satisfactory transfer and hotel. All because Regent chose not to secure hotel bookings when it accepted our bookings.

It is outrageous that you should be out of pocket because Regent are choosing to opt out of part of their contract obligations.

I am still not accepting any offer and am exploring other options. I will post an update as and when matters are concluded.

I have had the following response from my (UK based) TA. Needless to say I’m not at all happy!
 

“I have had a call from Regent this afternoon to advise that the US office have been in contact and they will unfortunately not able to offer any additional funds. They have given two options:

1. - they can look to offer a hotel which will be at the Courtyard by Marriott next to the airport. This is currently on a request basis at the moment.
2. - Regent can look to see if we can offer flights the day of the cruise.

These are both subject to availability and are on a request basis. If you choose the hotel you would no longer be entitled to the on board spend of credit for the hotel.”

My itinerary on the website also shows only the cruise, but I’m not sure it ever showed the flights or hotel there. Further down the page under Customize Your Voyage mine says flights are included.

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions. It is too late for us to cancel and re-book a non Concierge suite. We have flown to Costa Rica today for a tour here so I will wait and see what my TA can negotiate with Regent and meanwhile focus on enjoying Costa Rica.

Here's the entire communication from Regent:

No separate hotel credit has been offered. We have already paid for the cruise plus pre-cruise and transfers. Regent are now telling us we have to pay for the hotel and transfers ourselves and are offering to refund £150pp plus US$200pp OBC.

Note that £300 equates to US$380 not US$480, flossie009.

I see the OBC as a side issue. We should be fully compensated for the loss of hotel and transfers. I'm confident Regent will be persuaded to up their offer.

1 minute ago, Pcardad said:

Then you or your TA should call Regent ASAP  and insist that they fix this.

Already happening! I was particularly offended by them referring to the payment as a goodwill gesture.

Having booked a Concierge suite for our July Splendor cruise in part because of the pre-cruise hotel, this morning we received, via our TA, a letter from Regent:

We regret to inform you that we are unable to arrange your pre-cruise hotel and transfers in Reykjavik, Iceland. This is due to the limited availability of hotels that can accommodate the desired number of guests, while meeting the required standards that Regent is known for.

It goes on to offer us £150pp as a "gesture of goodwill" towards paying for our own hotel and transfers, plus some OBC. It then says:

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

which rather contradicts their earlier statement.

I find this astonishing. Has anyone else experienced this? It will be our first Regent cruise so not creating a good first impression.

Dave

Great, thanks. That is, for me, a big benefit of the package. I like to try different wines with different courses and wouldn’t want to be having to order each glass separately.

On 2/20/2024 at 10:37 AM, CDNPolar said:

 

There is not even any greater convenience with the SSBP as the server still has to come to your table, get your cabin number, enter your drink requested whether you are on the package or not.

How does it work in restaurants? Do they top up house wine glasses without being asked? Does the same happen if I order a different wine on the SSBP list?

I have just received the same email again but with the titles prefixed by “CORRECTION:”. Trouble is the content of the email seems unchanged and the link still goes to sold out cruises.

Thank you both for your helpful and reassuring replies.

I am happy with buffets for breakfast and lunch, but I do like to be served dinner.

My understanding of the options on Octantis and Polaris is that the Restaurant and Manfredi's require reservations and I cannot expect to eat there most evenings. That leaves the World Cafe which is a buffet, albeit with some dishes cooked to order.

Am I correct? It seems odd not being able to dinner eat in a 'proper' restaurant on a luxury cruise.

Thanks
Dave