Negative Change to Platinum/Titanium Benefits

One of the great Platinum/Titanium benefits is discount on choice shore excursions and land programs; 10% for Platinum and 25% for Titanium. A new caveat has been added to website concerning this benefit; it does not apply to OVERLAND programs. These are the programs such as Taj Mahal and Temples of Bagan and many more. This is a new reduction as we did get discount on Bagan trip last year. I have no idea why this exception was carved out. That 25% discount was one of the big benefits I was looking forward to when I make Titanium; although it is still good for pre/post cruise programs and shore excursions, this exception is significant. BTW, they also exempt discount on private cars/vans; I don't know if this is new change or been around previously.

Marc

Eh, gotta find a way to pay for the free laundry on the Med cruises this year... ;)

Eh, gotta find a way to pay for the free laundry on the Med cruises this year... ;)

Glad that you said that and not me;p

Geeze Bill. Did you have to go there and stir the pot all over:)

Five years ago we did the Taj Mahal trip at no cost. With what they charge now you would think that there would be no need to further deteriorate the benefits of their most loyal customers to get more money. Is the next step going to be giving a discount for the overland excursions to passengers in the top suites?

Bill, thanks for stirring a pot that needs to be stirred!

P.S. Typically Marc and I agree only when there is a "blue moon". Interestingly, there was one last month and will be one next month:D

Marc,

Using the Wayback Machine (www.web.archive.org), I found the restricted discount language on the website on June 6, 2017. The restrictions were not present on January 31, 2017. I assume the restrictions started sometime between those two dates.

I'd guess you booked the Bagan trip before the restrictions began and the discount was grandfathered in.

Marc,

 

Using the Wayback Machine (www.web.archive.org), I found the restricted discount language on the website on June 6, 2017. The restrictions were not present on January 31, 2017. I assume the restrictions started sometime between those two dates.

 

I'd guess you booked the Bagan trip before the restrictions began and the discount was grandfathered in.

Dave - trying to remember if prices are grandfathered on excursions when the price increases. I seem to recall that the price of an excursion went up and we had to pay the extra -- even though we were already booked. Unfortunately, the archive portion of my brain doesn't always work as well as a computer (wish it did though).

Glad that you said that and not me;p

Geeze Bill. Did you have to go there and stir the pot all over:)

What am I here for if not to keep the flames fanned? :halo:

What am I here for if not to keep the flames fanned? :halo:

Good job :cool:

One of the great Platinum/Titanium benefits is discount on choice shore excursions and land programs; 10% for Platinum and 25% for Titanium. A new caveat has been added to website concerning this benefit; it does not apply to OVERLAND programs. These are the programs such as Taj Mahal and Temples of Bagan and many more. This is a new reduction as we did get discount on Bagan trip last year. I have no idea why this exception was carved out. That 25% discount was one of the big benefits I was looking forward to when I make Titanium; although it is still good for pre/post cruise programs and shore excursions, this exception is significant. BTW, they also exempt discount on private cars/vans; I don't know if this is new change or been around previously.

 

Marc

Greetings Marc,

I hope all is well on board.

I can confirm this adjustment was made in March last year due to the limited availability of our overland programs. The private car exclusion has always existed, however, it was not clearly articulated and we subsequently updated this detail when we adjusted the overland program exclusion.

Our original intent when we launched the loyalty savings benefit for Platinum & higher members was to incentivize towards our Regent Choice shore excursion tours and the pre/post hotel stays and land programs exclusively.

To take this one step further though, I will commit to discussing these two exceptions in the next review of our loyalty program benefits. It is worth us reviewing again to see if we might offer any additional flexibility on this in the future.

[deleted]

Jason,

 

 

Where (web-page) does it say private cars are excluded from the Platinum/Titanium tier discount? It is not in the on the Society Benefit page. (Link). And I picked out a description from a random port, Cochin (link), then clicked on Regent Choice and picked "Executive Collections Half Day Car". I do not see any restrictions on using discount there either.

 

 

Maybe I am missing something, where is this restriction set forth on the RSSC site? Jason or Anybody explain this to me.

 

J

J,

The restriction text is on the Society Benefit page in the text under the Commodore section. Hope this helps.

Jason, thank you!

Marc

This is a shame. For Regent's per diem, they should be increasing benefits for SSS levels.

This is a shame. For Regent's per diem, they should be increasing benefits for SSS levels.

You know, it's funny that we all complain about the fares, but just yesterday I dug through the Web Archives and found the fare page for our first Regent cruise back in 2009. I think it said that a Cat F on Navigator was going for somewhere around $5,700 per person for a 7-night cruise. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to around $6,500 today and didn't include BC air, which as I recall was about a $1,200 add-on each way (wasn't it?). So you're looking at $8,100 per person in 2009, or around $9,200 in today's dollars for roughly the same product. The Regent web site shows a number of 7-night Med cruises for around $8,200-8,600 in a similar category on either Explorer or Voyager, so if you factor in BC air it's actually a bit less expensive today.

Face it, just living is getting expensive. Living well is even more so.

You know, it's funny that we all complain about the fares, but just yesterday I dug through the Web Archives and found the fare page for our first Regent cruise back in 2009. I think it said that a Cat F on Navigator was going for somewhere around $5,700 per person for a 7-night cruise. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to around $6,500 today and didn't include BC air, which as I recall was about a $1,200 add-on each way (wasn't it?). So you're looking at $8,100 per person in 2009, or around $9,200 in today's dollars for roughly the same product. The Regent web site shows a number of 7-night Med cruises for around $8,200-8,600 in a similar category on either Explorer or Voyager, so if you factor in BC air it's actually a bit less expensive today.

 

Face it, just living is getting expensive. Living well is even more so.

Interesting way to look at it.

My number for comparison. In 2001 we did the inaugural season Mariner Circle South America. We had a "G". Our daily per-diem for 2 people was $375. That included domestic BC air. At that time there were no tours, internet and only wine and beer at meals were included. Calculation to 2018 present dollar value that cabin per diem would be $531. (Inflation rate of 2.08% and cumulative inflation of 41.68%.)

I think that today a "G" would run about $800-850 per day, minimum. So, is the included tours, liquor and internet worth $250-$300 per day extra? Or it the true price increase built in over the years over and above inflation?

Opinions?

J

612/42 (+54/4 - 2018)

You know, it's funny that we all complain about the fares, but just yesterday I dug through the Web Archives and found the fare page for our first Regent cruise back in 2009. I think it said that a Cat F on Navigator was going for somewhere around $5,700 per person for a 7-night cruise. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to around $6,500 today and didn't include BC air, which as I recall was about a $1,200 add-on each way (wasn't it?). So you're looking at $8,100 per person in 2009, or around $9,200 in today's dollars for roughly the same product. The Regent web site shows a number of 7-night Med cruises for around $8,200-8,600 in a similar category on either Explorer or Voyager, so if you factor in BC air it's actually a bit less expensive today.

 

Face it, just living is getting expensive. Living well is even more so.[/quote

 

 

Greetings from South Beach, UUNetBill, where we know all about expensive. I always enjoy your posts. You have a sharp wit. Today, sometimes it is even hard to find out if what looks like living well, is well, real.

 

For example, when we lived in Paris, a famous designer began to get complaints about the quality of its handbags. It turned out that the bags were constructed in China of inferior materials, and finished in Paris. Technically they were put together in Paris, so the Made in France label was partly true. This kind of stuff is not unusual. The travel business is not without its quality of life reducers, either. We get all kinds of luxury travel offers that are simply too good to be true. C'est la vie.

Mary

Interesting way to look at it.

 

 

My number for comparison. In 2001 we did the inaugural season Mariner Circle South America. We had a "G". Our daily per-diem for 2 people was $375. That included domestic BC air. At that time there were no tours, internet and only wine and beer at meals were included. Calculation to 2018 present dollar value that cabin per diem would be $531. (Inflation rate of 2.08% and cumulative inflation of 41.68%.)

 

I think that today a "G" would run about $800-850 per day, minimum. So, is the included tours, liquor and internet worth $250-$300 per day extra? Or it the true price increase built in over the years over and above inflation?

Opinions?

J

612/42 (+54/4 - 2018)

Included tours, internet and liquor could well come to $250-300 per day. We also cruise some on Oceania. By the time we add everything in that we are used to having being included on Regent, it is definitely that much, sometimes more.

Interesting way to look at it.

 

 

My number for comparison. In 2001 we did the inaugural season Mariner Circle South America. We had a "G". Our daily per-diem for 2 people was $375. That included domestic BC air. At that time there were no tours, internet and only wine and beer at meals were included. Calculation to 2018 present dollar value that cabin per diem would be $531. (Inflation rate of 2.08% and cumulative inflation of 41.68%.)

 

I think that today a "G" would run about $800-850 per day, minimum. So, is the included tours, liquor and internet worth $250-$300 per day extra? Or it the true price increase built in over the years over and above inflation?

Opinions?

J

612/42 (+54/4 - 2018)

J, that's what makes these comparisons so difficult, not only between lines but between different offerings on the same line (i.e. Regent 2001 vs. Regent 2018).

I would definitely say there's been a price increase since 2001, and probably since 2009 as well (our first year with Regent). But my take on it, at least since 2009, is that the prices have remained fairly constant when you factor in the included items and inflation. I'm sure since 2001 there have been increases as well, but until you factor in everything it's difficult to tell.

I think the bottom line is that unless or until Regent prices themselves out of the market, the prices are pretty much where they're gonna be. They haven't gotten to the point where we're ready to leave them, especially when I compare against other lines, but they've gotten to the point where I definitely say "Ouch" (and a few other choice words, usually) when it's time to make final payment - especially when we're bringing along parents!!

We're taking a Regent break in 2018, not so much from the fares but from a lack of vacation time and other summer commitments. We're booked on a Jan '19 TA but we're not sure if we'll have the time to take that one. Keeping our fingers crossed, but only time will tell.

bumped for swansong.

Jason, anything come from the discussions on these benefits?

Marc