CruisetheCs

I'm still curious if the survey includes nonsensical questions/answers that I mentioned in a prior post.   For example, one question on a prior survey was “How likely are you to cruise with Regent Seven Seas Cruises again?—the answers were “Excellent”, Very Good, etc.  

Maybe someone completing a current survey can let us know if those questions/answers still remain or if they have been corrected.

Ritz Carlton with lounge access (club level) was great some years ago (before Covid).  Would definitely go back.

14 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

I don’t understand why any business who really cares about customer feedback and continuous improvement wouldn’t want to make it easy and convenient to provide honest feedback  It would be a very easy process change to allow feedback once you are off the ship and have a chance to reflect. 

I agree!  Why not give guests a choice? 

My assessment is that either Regent doesn't care much about feedback or there is a high level of incompetence in parts of the organization (or both).  

At one time there were nonsensical answers to some questions on the survey.  For example, one question was “How likely are you to cruise with Regent Seven Seas Cruises again?—the answers were “Excellent”, Very Good, etc.  I wonder if those still exist? Maybe someone completing the survey can let us know if those questions/answers have ever been corrected.

I can only assume that Regent management is not all that interested in getting reliable feedback.  There are impediments to completing the survey onboard, e.g., internet problems, device issues, etc. When the internet isn't working well as is often the case, it can be very frustrating to try to complete a survey onboard.  On past surveys some of the rating descriptions made no sense with regard to the questions being asked.  I wouldn't be surprised if that is still the case. (Maybe someone can copy the current survey and post here.)  In addition, events may occur at the very end of the cruise that are missed by completing the survey a day or two earlier.

If Regent was truly interested in feedback, management would allow and seek more detailed responses after the cruise was ended.  This would give respondents a chance to go into detail about the good or not so good aspects of the cruise and avoid hassles of trying to complete the survey onboard.  

Here is guidance from Verizon's website https://www.verizon.com/support/wifi-calling-faqs/#cost 

I usually just opt to pay for Verizon's roaming charges (typically $10 a day in most countries per phone--you need to be sign up for the roaming plan).  That way the phone plan works in ports, on excursions or anytime spent off the ship.  Phone and internet service doesn't depend on Regent's sometimes unreliable wifi when near land or in ports (wifi may be better on Grandeur than other ships, I understand).  Given the cost of a Regent cruise the extra cell plan charge is a small portion of the total.

With cell plan coverage in countries, I found it very useful to use the maps app to track locations and to avoid getting lost when exploring places in ports or being able to make a call or retrieve email, etc., anytime I wished to do so. And for just using the internet, a cell connection (when available)  was more reliable and had faster speeds generally than Regent's wifi connection.  This was true on my last Splendor cruise in the Adriatic, Mediterranean area. This was a port-intensive cruise so land-based cell service was available almost all the time except on a sea day.

The potential downside of Verizon's roaming plan is that when the ship is away from land, it is possible to automatically connect to Regent's offered onboard cell service (Cellular at Sea, as I remember).  Using that service could run up charges not covered by the Verizon roaming plan.  So when sailing in the absence of a land-based cellular connection, cell service needs to be turned off on your phone so your phone will default to wifi roaming and not use cell data when out of range of land-based cellular signals.

On 12/18/2023 at 6:18 AM, NCCruzQueen said:

We tried to find a lounge before dinner on Splendor last fall and started out in the Meridian Lounge.  It was great with a soloist (guitar or piano).  Then things changed and a five piece band came in and we weren't able to have conversations anymore.  We moved to the Coffee Connection or the chairs right outside the Meridian with our drinks or would go to the Observation Lounge.   We talked with someone in management, but no help.

Same issues in October/November.  Music was so loud it was very uncomfortable in Meridian lounge.  Problems also with loud music in the theater.  Observation lounge pianist was not amplified so it was okay, but the pianist also sang and voice was amplified.  Would have been better without any amplification.

3 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

That's a standard administrative fee to cancel a cruise prior to final payment. 

From the Regent website: 

"For cancellations made from the date of deposit to 121 days prior to cruise sail date, an administrative fee of $100 per person for suite categories MS-H will apply."

It may be a standard fee, but it should be waived when there are significant changes to an itinerary.  I pity those who are stuck with changes closer to the sail date.

Regent seems to be behaving more like some problematic hotel chains and airline companies rather than a luxury cruise line.

57 minutes ago, bitob said:

The cruise line will never punish paying guests 

Regent punishes its paying guests by not enforcing lounger rules.  

9 hours ago, Jimmcdaniel said:

The ship is stunning. Compass Rose is very light and airy. The serving stations are around the perimeter so much less dish noise in the dining room. There are etched glass panels over the exterior walls so no real window views.

Are some tables by windows still available?  Do you mean that there are no views from any of the windows in Compass Rose?  My favorite tables are those by windows because they are out of the way of much of the traffic and it is nice to see the view outside. 

Also was on Splendor cruise with the two port stops, Bodrum and Kusadasi.  We only had to show our ship card to get on or off the ship for tours or shopping.  So no easy way for anyone to know nationality or other individual passenger characteristics in these ports.  Felt no different than other ports we stopped at in terms of safety.

On 10/12/2023 at 3:30 AM, Gilly said:

I read this article about Hotel des Artes yesterday just after I'd caught up with posts here!  You may find it interesting too.

Two stays at Hotel des Artes with access to the Club Lounge have been great.  The lounge has views of the sea, great selection of food items throughout the day, etc.  Comfortable, relaxing, and the staff were very pleasant and helpful.  Potential downside for some may be the walking distance to main tourist areas--or that may be a plus for others who prefer a less hectic location.  

Over many Regent cruises, I've never seen a strong push for people to use hand sanitizer stations.  There are ordinarily dispersers outside of restaurants and other locales on the ship.  I've noticed that they are often not used by guests.  I've never seen a staff member ask a guest to use one of the dispensers.  I don't recall dispensers being located outside of restrooms, but if they are not there, they should be (not just inside the restroom). 

Hand washing with soap and water is also good, but it needs to be done in a manner that is effective for infection control.  I doubt that is the way most of wash our hands.

Glad to hear that management is pushing use of hand sanitizer, but it should be done regularly on all cruises, not just when a crisis develops.

8 hours ago, John117 said:

One adaptor gives 4 UK sockets for low current devices such as phones, tablets, toothbrush

Did Regent tell you not to use this or was it actually confiscated?  I'm curious because I usually bring an extension cord with me when I travel anywhere.  Too often hotel rooms or other locations don't have enough outlets or the outlets are inconveniently located.

I appreciate Mike Moore stepping in to respond and clarify the issue.  

But his response raises another question:  Why is the app still available in the app store with no indication that it is no longer being used?  

This app has been a problem since it was first released.  It worked at fairly well about 80% of the time when it was used maybe 3 years ago or so on one of my cruises.  Last year on a cruise to Alaska, the app was never used.  

The app description says Regent is committed to providing a truly "unrivaled experience."  I think they accomplished that with the app, just not in the way they intended.  If the app worked properly and it was used, it would be great for guests on tours instead of trying to crowd around a tour guide to hear a spoken voice.  

Why Regent doesn't let guests know about what is going on with something such as this app is a mystery.  The communications division needs to get its act together about its communication to guests!  

2 hours ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

I do not mean to extend this discussion…however… this is what happened…

I met with Joanne the day before to review my remaining tours. I do not slow anyone down. 
St. Barts….. I was to board the catamaran..five steps. Which I can do..

stay on the boat until we return. Then, disembark same steps and board the tender, located directly next to the boat. 
easy..peasy. 
I was told to wait until everyone boarded the catamaran by Gersson from Shore Excursions. . I did. I was then told the captain rejected my boarding. Problem was… he couldn’t see me where I was sitting. He had no idea who I was or what my capacity was. There were some who boarded with canes. The woman who collected my ticket never told me there would be a problem. Gersson,from shore excursions, would not pay any attention to me or my issue. After, he just said to get back on the tender. I was left in tears and returned to the ship….

I know I should just let go,but, I have never been so insulted or hurt. Shame on the Regent folks. Time to seek other options….

sheila

  I wouldn't let this go.  Sounds like the destinations service staff messed this up badly and took no action at the time to fix things on the spot so you could board the excursion.  Also, I gather there was no apology.  I would expect a major apology from Regent and an effort from management to engage the destination services staff in some training so this kind of experience does't happen to others.  

I'm curious what the opinions are about sound levels in the theater and lounges on Splendor.  On most Regent cruises I find that the sound level has been uncomfortably loud.  In the lounges it was usually difficult to converse.  I haven't been on Splendor yet so wondering if the sound level is annoying loud as it can be on the other ships.

I would suggest taking your own masks that meet recommended quality guidelines rather than hoping that Regent will have an ample stock of high quality masks.

Masks take up very little room in luggage

9 hours ago, toolworker said:

If the user gets out of range and the connection to the guide drops, does the app reconnect automatically when back in range? Or does the user have to do something?

Reconnecting could be problematic when I last used the app (before Covid).  I did't have a problem initially connecting, but if a connection was lost during a tour, sometimes reconnecting could be difficult requiring fiddling with restarting network or app or both.  Glad to hear they are looking at a fix or new app according to Sailor Sam 407.

On my Alaska cruise in May of 2022, I don't think the app was used at all.  I never saw any mention of it among the tours.

In May on the Mariner, Regent had a printed program for the complimentary wine tasting that listed the wines.  I made some notes on the program of my thoughts about the wines I tasted.  I used the list often during the cruise to choose wines.  My preferred wines from the tasting were invariably available at all the restaurants for asking, though occasionally a waiter might have to get the wine from another venue.

 We often trie wines recommended on the menu or by the sommelier each evening, but regularly would revert to something we preferred from the list of the wine tasting.

18 hours ago, DDDDale said:

 

 

All I wanted was a list of available wines; preferably provided without asking but at least available after one casual request of a waiter.   You can make more of that if you wish but that’s all there is.  

 

Ddddale

Agree!  Getting a list of included wines should not be any more complicated than getting a dinner menu or a dessert menu (which change daily).  Imagine having no dinner menus and instead a "chef" must come to each table and offer suggestions: 

"Tonight we are featuring a crusted salmon cutlet sourced from Norway or pork cutlets sourced from the United States featuring a delicious mushroom sauce.  Would you like one of those choices?"

"What else do you have on the menu?"

"What are you looking for?  Do you prefer a red meat dish or a white fish dish?  We also have vegetarian dishes."

"I like beef, but I also like pork, and chicken.  My partner here likes seafood.  Do you have any kind of stewed beef?"

"Not this evening, I regret.  But we do have a wonderfully tender steak sourced from the pastures of New Zealand, pan seared.  Would you like to try that?'

Well, do you have any other kind of meat dishes?"----and the conversations goes on and on.....

Just give me a list of included wines and if I have questions about the various wines, I can ask about them, just as if I have questions about the desserts or appetizers. Wine lists, like all the menus, can be updated as needed. And for those who like asking questions, one can always ask, "Do you have any wines that are not on the wine list."  😋

4 hours ago, DDDDale said:

Regarding wine, I guess my expectation is that I shouldn’t have to work so hard to find out what wines are available.  “Luxury” means not having to work at it.  I shouldn’t need to know the tricks or the work arounds.  If I don’t like the offered red or white I’d rather see the totality of what’s available rather than just try another of their choosing, and then maybe another until they finally produce one I like.  Again, too much work.  Another night I asked “isn’t there an actual wine list?”  I was given a very nice and lengthy menu of “connoisseur wines.”  If they have that list I can’t imagine why they couldn’t produce a list of “included" wines.  There IS a reason of course.  It’s much more efficient to say “red or white?”  A certain percentage of patrons will just accept this limited choice and some won’t.  At the bar, where they do have a very limited “list”, I saw that they had Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio which I know and like so I just stuck with that for the entire cruise.  Again, to me that is somewhat lacking in “luxury”.  Just curious, do Seabourne and Silverseas provide wine lists?  It may seem like kind of minor and picky point but sometimes decisions are made on minor and picky points.

I agree that trying to get a list of included wines is a ridiculous endeavor for a so-called luxury experience. I don't understand why Regent doesn't just give guests a list of available wines. Instead guests have to go through questions to sommeliers who often appear overly busy or offer only a couple options.  Just give me a list and if I have questions about some of the wines, then I can ask the sommeliers or I can taste some of them myself.

Having sailed frequently with Regent, I know some of the ways of finding out what wines are available, but it shouldn't be so difficult to do so.  And guests shouldn't have to waste time trying to ferret out something that could be easily provided.

Did the San Francisco to Alaska cruise in May.  I thought it was a fairly typical Regent experience.  Overall, restaurant staff and housekeeping were excellent as I  would expect from Regent. Food in the restaurants was very good overall, sometimes excellent, sometimes just good or very good.  I went to the wine-tasting event early in the cruise and got a list of wines from the tasting, so I used that to try different types in the restaurants.  My experience on this cruise and in the past is that the sommeliers' descriptions are limited to 2 or 3 wines at any one time and don't necessarily help that much.  I've never been troubled by too many interruptions from sommeliers, but sometimes been troubled by getting someone's attention for wine, especially at lunch in La Veranda.

I agree with most of the comments on another CC thread about the ridiculousness of not having a readily available list of included wines.

I agree with OP about the the internet.  Perhaps the Internet Manager was just sick of listening to all the complaints and had to take a mental health break on the OP's cruise. 🙂   The internet service is simply unacceptable for a "luxury" cruise line--actually unacceptable most anywhere!.  The Internet Manager was available in May, but hours were very limited and lots of problems occurred when no one was available.  Complaints are mostly shrugged off by staff because no one seems to know what to do (and they hear the same thing over and over and report it to "Miami" and nothing changes).

There often appears to be a lot of luck associated with events on cruises from staffing issues, to food, or weather.  In May, we lucked out with great weather, for example.  

IMO, best to read what CDC is actually saying rather than relying on interpretations from social media or TV news reports.

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7133e1.htm

The CDC is not saying that interventions such as vaccines or appropriate masks do not "work" or are of no value as is suggested by some media reports.  The CDC is also not claiming that protective measures are completely effective.  No surprise given our history with other viral illnesses such as flu.  Vaccines are not perfect.  Ancillary measures such as hand-washing, masking, isolation, etc, may help but obviously are not 100% effective either.

2 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

To clarify something, after four vacs I got Covid last January. It was a breakthrough case as is expected after all those vacs.,it was like a moderate cold and soon gone. But I wasn’t locked up for five days (at least) as I was not on a cruise for which I had paid about $1000 per night. I am less afraid of getting the type of Covid that vaccinated people get, and more afraid of getting locked up in quarantine on an expensive vacation.

 

As far as Regent’s pricing goes, I recently posted that reduction of recent past fares wouldn’t make economic sense. Still true. But increasing fares makes even less sense. 

I agree that the main concern is getting Covid during a trip and dealing with the potential consequences, especially being quarantined or having to seek local medical care if Covid symptoms become too severe.

 It seems like there have been quite a few Covid cases just among the CC posters.  It would be interesting to know what percentage of passengers have been quarantined or have required medical care off the ship. Does anyone have any knowledge about incidence of Covid on Regent or on ships in general these days.  I realize that without mandatory testing and reporting requirements there is no way of getting statistically reliable information, but Regent and other lines would have info about quarantined cases onboard.