mrlevin

On website 17 July available for booking 24 July.

I just wait until I get onboard.  If you want something not usually carried (like Blanton’s) I would have your TA request at least 60 days in advance. 

Less than six weeks ago we disembarked Explorer where I reported the best service, food, and cruise that I have had on Regent.  Now, we are on Mariner and I have to say that the service, food, and ship are just as good.  Franck/Vlado as GM, Brandon as F&B, and all their teams are just fantastic.  Henry as Restaurant Manager has been fantastic as have all of his Maitre Ds.  Special kudos to the bar team that I first met on Navigator two years ago and then sailed with them on Mariner last Christmas/New Year's.  

Today we are in Sydney where Arlene had a tooth pulled while sailing this itinerary two years ago; today will be a better day.  And the weather looks good for Greenland so we should be able to make all three Greenlandic stops.  

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

I will try to post more along the way.

Marc

Susan, I noticed the lack of free excursions too when I booked last night.  On a positive note, I had all excursions booked by 8:05pm. 
 

The one locale that had plenty of free excursions was Lisbon and we don’t arrive there until 3:00pm on day before disembarking. 
 

Marc

21 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

(which I am sure will be baked into the Ultimate price).

Already is.  If you look at the two different columns of prices today and then get the "air credit" you will find that there is an additional $250 per person difference in price that is not in the credit.  And, if you price out concierge and above there is the credit for the hotel that you only get if you say no hotel.  In 35 cruises with Regent we have never used Regent air (until tomorrow with a deal we could not pass up).

Marc

37 minutes ago, Just2guys said:

Maybe I am over-thinking this....but it seems to me that this is creating more problems than currently exist with Regent's air policy.

 

Currently, I can see the base cruise fare without business class air and how much more the fare would be if choosing business class air, and then make a decision as to what I want. 

 

How is this going to work now if one can make choices between first, business, premium economy and coach?  How will cruise fares be structured on their website with so many choices on class of service available?

 

Also, will we still have to go through their air department to get our flights?  If so, seems a lot more work for them if people start making comparisons between four classes of service before making their choice.  I assume there will still be up-charges depending upon what flights are chosen and when.  Maybe there will be a search engine where we go to make our own air arrangements, and then the cost  -- based on what we chose  -- goes back to Regent and is added to our cruise fare.  That was not mentioned, so who knows?

 

Again, seems a lot of questions which were not discussed on the video.

 

 

 

 

Per the new policy you can use $250 per person for backlane and/or premium class on US segments.  There aren't multiple prices; just no air or business class air (on transoceanic or coach on domestic).  They are just matching Silveursea's P2P or D2D policy.  

Jim, awfully coincidental.  I just had TA reprice Grand Asia 2026 as air credit increased $500 per person but could not get the extra $250 per person which is exactly what website says new pricing credit will be - coincidental?  As for the split, you need to watch out.  With $4,800 credit for Cape Town to Lisbon I thought it would be $3,200 and $1,600 for air segments respectively; ends up Regent has split it down the middle (like the good old days) and wants to charge me $2,400 to add back in air Lisbon to USA.  The times they are a changing; we need to adjust to the new reality.

Marc

edited to add:  I hope they do something with regard to titanium transfers; maybe give us $250 per person shipboard credit liked they gave us $100 with laundry.

This already exists today (sort of); air credit on my 2026 cruise went from $6,600 to $7,350 (online) although my paperwork shows just $7,100 credit.  Even with new pricing you can get credit if you don't want/need Blacklane.  

Here is description on RSSC:

https://www.rssc.com/ultimate-all-inclusive-luxury

Dave, I don’t think the dry dock is reason for you to leave three days earlier; it was deletion of the loop. 
 

we were supposed to have same itinerary in 2025 that has now been changed to a circle Africa. 

26 minutes ago, DaveFr said:

We are booked on the 18 night March 23, 2026 Voyager cruise from Dubai to Athens. According to the email I received from Regent last week, Voyager will have a dry-dock sometime in the Spring of 2026. See:

 

Inbox - Dfcruise@san.rr.com.pdf 387.6 kB · 2 downloads

 

My guess is that the dry-dock will take place after Voyager arrives in Rome in the middle of April. Hopefully, we will know more shortly.

 

Dave

 

 

 

 

Dave, don’t you mean 20 March 2026, the three day loop has been removed. 

3 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

Grandeur cut steel, in same yard, on 11/02/2021.

So to be out in 2026 they would need to start cutting steel by later this year. thanks.

Anyone know how long it takes from laying of keel until commissioning?  How about from cutting of first steel until commissioning?  Any word on any work starting on Regent new build?

thanks,

Marc

I would choose P7 as better two tops.  Also, the bar is manned at P7 so you can have a pre-dinner cocktail before you get seated.  Don't know time of year or where you will be but another option is the balcony at Sette Mari.  Having dinner under the stars is just heavenly.  You don't have to partake of the buffets; you can have everything served to you and make the dinner as leisurely as you want.

papa, look closely at your updated invoice.  Regent tried to charge me current fare instead of fare when I actually booked; took a while for TA to get it fixed.

The three day Dubai-Abu Dhabi-Doha loop has been removed.  You can book 38 days straight from Cape Town to Athens except that the Dubai to Athens and full Grand Voyage are both waitlisted.  

We always use Prime 7 for our anniversaries.  One time Ray arranged for the trio Nature's Rhythm to serenade us during dinner.  We have never been disappointed having special dinners in Primer 7 on any of the ships.

Was just on Explorer.  Since first trip, it has been retrofitted to have a foot controlled stopper on closet door.  Definitely did need to engage the stopper on some nights.  Still had issue with whistling balcony door (twice out of 30 nights) but housekeeping and engineering checked frequently and fixed as soon as problem presented itself.  I was a very happy camper.

I, too, am surprised that the SuiteGuru does not have reports on forward SS suites on Splendor or Explorer.

I am definitely over thinking this.  😀

As for the ALPA "actions" or lack thereof, I lived it too; I was commuting via ATL (or occasionally CVG) every Monday and Thursday.  

Yes,  you are missing a lot.  One of the best titanium benefits is transportation to and from the ship.  Currently you can have 10 or 15 cars when disembarking; I guess we could have a lot more.  How about the check in lines for named suites or titanium or above; will they be longer?  What about special events for the higher tiers; will they get too crowded?  It was great seeing Hubbard Glacier from Regent Suite on last cruise.  

These are all minor first world problems and I will survive; just as I survived when Delta got rid of Platinum Coordinators and widgets to take you between planes on a tight connection and the ALPA work slowdown in 2000-2001.

1 minute ago, njhorseman said:

Sommer said "there may be news...".

The words "may be " don't convey certainty.  It leaves open the possibility that nothing will occur. 

We will see . . .

I hope you are right.

9 hours ago, njhorseman said:

How does "it's possible" get translated as "to be consolidated"?

 

It sounds like Sommer said they're considering it, not that it's a done deal.

Then what's going to be announced "in the back half of the year?"  I agree that consolidation is too strong a word as there are other levels of integration.

I just noticed that the cruise only fare of my 2025 and 2026 cruises is less than what I was told at booking although the fare including air is the same.  Regent has increased the air credit.  Since I took air credit for these cruises it is really noticeable.  You might want to check and contact your TA if needed.

edited to add:  Operator (me) error on 2025 cruise but change in air credit is there on my 2026 cruise.

Speaking only for myself; I will never sail Oceania or NCL so reciprocal or consolidated benefits will not be of any use to me; on the other hand, if Regent provides reciprocal benefits to NCL and Oceania cruisers those are benefits that impact what could be provided to existing Regent cruisers.

In the whole scheme of things probably a minor impact for or against.  

Airlines have sure found out that giving benefits to too many people sure impact what they can provide to their best customers.  

At NCLH Investor Day CEO Harry Sommer implied that the three programs will be consolidated:

"Loyalty programs like CruiseNext certificate sales on board — essentially, a nonrefundable deposit for a future cruise cruise — are up 60% since 2015. When an analyst asked if NCLH may be considering a loyalty program that encompasses all three of its brands, CEO Sommer indicated that's possible and there may be news in the back half of the year."

I cannot envision this as good news for Regent cruisers.

I hope you are not in as bad a shape as me.  In January of 2023 discount was $11,000 per person.  May 8 2024 when Regent rebooked my trip discount is $8,600 per person; i.e., prices have increased $2,400 per person through the various quarterly price increases over the last 16 months.  How can Regent charge me the higher price?  Finally excursions and shipboard credit got fixed.  I have paperwork for my deposits so I think insurance is fine.  I am just waiting for TA and Regent to get to the price I had on 7 May which included the additional $3K per person they promised us.