dabear

9 hours ago, giustot said:

I don't believe the rules allow you to sell one cruise and deliver a completely different one. If I were on the cruise, I would argue that when I booked and signed my contract with you, it was for a Holy Land cruise that would include Jerusalem and the Pyramids. You could not deliver it and I understand why. But since you can't offer me a comparable cruise, you must offer compensation. And you knew this well before the ship sailed, when I could have canceled and stayed home.

 

For a time after Israel was canceled, the Voyager was still going to Egypt, too close to the war zone for comfort. Passengers were being forced to take that cruise to Egypt, potentially putting them in harms way, and causing great emotional distress. No one does this to their customers, at least not the ones they want to keep.

 

The mark of a great company is not one that performs well when everything is going fine, A great company performs well when everything is going badly.

 

Some people want to give Regent the benefit of the doubt and say they just wanted to put stockholders first. Well, safety comes first. Personally, I think Regent just screwed up on this.

You're wrong. I am an attorney. Advertising does not create a contract. The words of an agreement create a contract. If one party reserves the right to change an itinerary & the other party agrees to it that's a binding contract. It may not be good marketing , but a contract is a contract.

This same thing happened to us a few years back when we signed up for a cruise on Celebrity that included 3 nights in Israel. We booked overnight excursions, tours etc. Right before our departure , an uprising occurred in Israel . We debated about cancelling but no word even from X. We proceeded & while on the ship Israel was cancelled & the Greek Islands were substituted. We had been there before & were not happy. A lot of negative posts were on CC. As previously said, the cruise line has the right to change itinerary. The bottom line, Celebrity is still in business. 

We also had a cruise once that departed from Istanbul. Fortunately we flew in 3 days earlier to tour . Low & behold, Turkey had an unrest & the ship left 2 days earlier, causing many passengers to scramble to embark at a different port. I don't recall any benefits etc provided for these changes.Really, it's just unfortunate situations that experienced cruisers should recognize can happen. If no bonus or compensation was given to unhappy pax, that's just the big cruise business today. 

We may not like it, but especially after covid, etc, that's the cruise business today

25 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

This just happened, less than a week out for Regent to figure out how to route hundreds of passengers in and out of a new port, Istanbul.  So I don't get your comment "they are trying to force us into a last minute flight from the U.S. to Istanbul."  Of course it's "last minute."  Have you looked at flights lately?  The airlines are booked up for weeks to months.  Suddenly hundreds need to get to Istanbul on the same day less than a week away, and you're surprised that it' s taking them some time? 

Totally agree. First this horrific event just happened a few days ago. Everyone is scrambling to make last minute changes as best they can for safety sake. All experienced cruisers know that all cruise lines have the right to make changes, including last minute ones, to an itinerary. Let's recognize the situation & have patience and a little sympathy for what's happening in Israel.

We did the Society Islands and Cook Islands on an R class ship & had a wonderful time. One of the most beautiful areas in the world.  In addition, we flew Air TAHITI  Nui and had a good flight from/to LA. 

31 minutes ago, GMIAC said:

The email feature here is disabled. 

mpinsky@comcastdotnet

1 hour ago, RELS said:

You will need names and (I think) suite number Or reservation number to add people to your reservation. Don’t remember which, but I needed those when I booked restaurants for 2 parties.

GMIAC: please email me & I will provide you with this information.

5 hours ago, GMIAC said:

My dining window opens tomorrow at 7PM CST, during which time we'll be at dinner with friends so I'll have to duck out for a few minutes to the rest room!  🤪

 

Any pro tips I need to know about RSSC dining booking? We prefer tables of 2, and know that they might already be taken because we're sailing steerage (F1 Superior Suite) on Grandeur and don't have a booking advantage. Does Compass Rose require reservations? I know Sette Mare doesn't take them. Any recommendations on when to do specialty (on sea days, after excursion-light port days, etc,) or do them just when we can fit them in? 

 

So many questions!

We're on the same cruise & also will be out for dinner & theater downtown tomorrow(so we also have a problem.) If you are interested in Prime 7 (or Chartreuse)the first night & can't get a 2 top, we would be pleased to join you . Hopefully between 6:15-8pm . If obtained, please email me at mpinsky@comcastdotnet so I don't duplicate reservations when we get a chance later that night. We will be silver on this cruise if that helps.

BTW Compass Rose don't take reservations.

 Judy & Michael 

1 hour ago, rmedistro said:

Someone that recently cruised virgin, thought the same thing going in, but mentioned although the show selection was more upbeat, the cruise vibe itself was very laid back, and the "Included" restaurants had great quality. Everything subjective of course, but for those evaluating options for Caribbean/Med itineraries, worth looking at. We're going to try one Dec '24

Glad to see you're trying another line. I look forward to seeing your comments.

4 hours ago, Lonedaddy said:

You might take a look at cole hahn zerogrand shoes - super comfy for a shoreex with jeans yet can wear with a jacket and tie at night.  

I got a pair this summer & really love them. I plan to take them on the upcoming cruise.

11 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

It is your opinion that it’s a mediocre and over-priced product.  And even new cruisers have life experience and are capable of making that judgement despite you thinking with your superiority complex we are naive. I don’t mind people who are of the same view as you, I do mind the derogatory tone of posts like yours. 

I think you initiated the derogatory tone. I was merely giving mho that a very good product has declined and has become overpriced. You can decide for yourself, but I suggest that you try other similar prices lines so that you can make an educated opinion.

43 minutes ago, rmedistro said:

There is no right or wrong, yes or no, experienced vs newbies/cheerleaders.

If you don't feel the reward is worth the invest go somewhere else where it is. But, for gosh sakes, stop whining because others don't see it your way, or agree.

Thanks for your very deep advice. I was not whining, merely stating my opinion with far more experience than you.

It's a shame that X is changing a previously very good product into a mediocre one that's overpriced. Experienced cruisers see this but newbies or cheerleaders do not.

4 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

YES ! It will. Consider staying in BsAs a couple of extra days, Terriffic weekend fairs near graveyard where Evita is entombed (Friday afternoon and all Saturday) and near Pink Palace on Sunday.

Igazu Fall is spectacular (easily done on one's own from domestic airport); stay on grounds.

we also did this cruise & flew in a few days earlier to BA . This permitted us to fly to Iguazu Falls for the day & returned to BA at night. We arranged for a private guide to pick us up at the airport, tour with us around the park (which he knew shortcuts to save time, etc. & we had a wonderful time). while we were satisfied doing it in one day & & saw only the Argentina side, some posters say you should stay overnight & see the Brazil side as well. Personal choice as we wanted to spend more time in BA.

We've been on Regent & it's way above X, even though we've cruised on X the most of the lines.. In fact, we've recently booked a cruise on Regent's new Grandeur & it was only $1000 more than X when you add all the comparable perks, but without the extra room in cabin & public spaces, better service & food.We are beginning to prefer smaller ships with real, not infinity balconies.

Oceangoer2, thanks

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

No problem with the underlines.   That happens to me sometimes using my iPhone and cant seem to turn it off. 

 

We are not totally turned off by Celebrity but now that we have had a taste of something new it only makes us more curious.    I think that in the future we may be more itinerary driven rather than Cruise Line driven.    

In general we also are first itinerary driven , then cruise line, but excluding the main mass market lines. We probably will do X again but not the E class as we like regular, not infinity balconies.

Sorry I missed the live reporting of your cruise, but we have not been following the Celebrity site for a while due to their recent changes (we've followed your posts many times). While we've taken many cruises  & tried a number of lines , We've cruised most on X ,but also have enjoyed smaller ships on RSSC, Oceania & Azamara. Our next cruise will be on the new Regent Grandeur, (our analysis was that it was not that much more expensive when we added some of the upgrades on X , but still not have as many benefits as on RSSC. We're disappointed that X has made so many changes, reduced  amenities, quality & choice of food & raised prices. 

Wishing you happy cruising. 

Michael

Sorry for the underlining but forgot how to remove.

I'm on the same cruise. I probably will not take a sport coat, but will take a light weight sweater as many venues are cold (at least for me). Also I will take 2 bathing suits, with the balance of clothing similar to you.

We enjoyed your description & pictures of the cruise , especially your ports and multiple desserts. A man after my own heart.

Unless the ship is delayed in port or customs problems , a 10:10am flight is easily doable. I also agree if you can change to the 11:10 DL flight to be safe , we would change. 

We did a RSSC precruise land tour for the triangle of cities that included Agra & the Taj for our India to Egypt cruise in 2014. Well worth & we had fine hotels. Don't miss the T M.

I'm looking at that 14 layer chocolate cake & now can't wait until our December voyage on the Grandeur. Was the cake as good tasting as it looks in the picture?

We've been on both RSSC & O, but most recently we've taken a number of cruises with Azamara & Celebrity. Our next cruise will be on O' new Grandeur which looks elegant. Agree that you probably would be happy with both (food, service, entertainment, etc) but R is mostly all-inclusive. O is more ala carte. R has larger cabins & is more luxurious than O, but at a higher price. 

Thanks to Wendy & cwn. Sounds as easy as the port in Ft Lauderdale where we also parked at a lot & just had to cross the street to get to our ship.

Do you recall the terminal number? We will be driving over to the port from Naples & hope to park near the terminal like we were able to at the port in Ft Lauderdale.