Navigator Leaving Fleet? Truth in Advertising

[Observer]

There is a full-page Regent ad in the June "Travel and Leisure" starting that Regent has "Elegant Ships with All Ocean-View Suites, All with Private Balcony and no more than 700 Guests."

 

How can Regent make such a statement?

 

The Navigator (one of Regent's three ships) has at least two dozen suites without private balconies.

 

As far as I know, Navigator will be in the fleet for another 18 months -- at least.

 

I have spent many nights on Regent (beginning with the Diamond) and like the line I once knew. However, the "new" Regent with its aggressive marketing (included everything, whether one wants the inclusions or not) and -- now -- clearly deceptive advertising is not a line I care to frequent.

 

I understand that *nearly* all suites have private balconies. However, if they cut corners and exaggerate about this matter, can one really trust them?

 

Trust is precious. Easy to lose. Difficult to regain.

[TPAtravelfan]

"Elegant Ships with All Ocean-View Suites, All with Private Balcony and no more than 700 Guests."

 

Well, ALL Regent SHIPS are elegant and do have at least some suites with private balconies so I don't see the deception here. Unless you read it the way you did.

[mariners]

TPAtravelfan,

I've tried to understand how you've read the advertisement, but I obviously don't have the same reading skills. I do, however, understand why some people might think that the balcony must be huge if it could hold up to 700 guests (but no more than 700).

 

Observer, I would agree that Regent is definitely participating in aggressive marketing. Other cruise lines are also targeting the same market and seem to be taking the same approach. Embellishing a product beyond what one can expect will only lead to disappointment. Regent should be aware that they have a solid product that appeals to many people. There should be no need for deception. Hopefully, this is an error caused by poor proofreading rather than misrepresentation.

Regent, I am happy to proofread your advertising if you are looking for customer feedback. I'm sure that others would also be willing.

[NCCruzQueen]

I just copied the sentence below from the Regent website.

 

The Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet includes sister all-suite, all-balcony, 700-guest ships Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner; and the all-suite, 90% balcony Seven Seas Navigator.

 

Observer, do you think you might have missed the last part of that sentence? Just asking.

[Observer]

I just copied the sentence below from the Regent website.

 

The Regent Seven Seas Cruises fleet includes sister all-suite, all-balcony, 700-guest ships Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner; and the all-suite, 90% balcony Seven Seas Navigator.

 

Observer, do you think you might have missed the last part of that sentence? Just asking.

 

The statement I quoted (in full) was not from the Regent website. Rather, as I said, it appeared prominently in a full-page advertisement in the June "Travel and Leisure" magazine.

[NCCruzQueen]

The statement I quoted (in full) was not from the Regent website. Rather, as I said, it appeared prominently in a full-page advertisement in the June "Travel and Leisure" magazine.

 

Thanks, Observer, As I don't have a copy of T&L magazine, I couldn't see the ad.

[zqvol]

The statement I quoted (in full) was not from the Regent website. Rather, as I said, it appeared prominently in a full-page advertisement in the June "Travel and Leisure" magazine.

 

 

and he correctly quoted, it . . . but why bother anyway?

[hondorner]

"...Elegant Ships...": All the ships are elegant.

 

"...Ships with All Ocean-View Suites...": All the suites on all the ships have ocean views (no inside cabins).

 

"...All with Private Balcony...": All the ships have suites with private balconies.

 

No deception here, unless you are deliberately trying to read something negative into the statements, something I detect quite often on this forum.

[Roland4]

No more deceptive, really, than Oceania and almost all of the luxury lines adding "and FREE air included". But if you don't take the FREE air you get an air credit of $800/$900/$1000/$1100. How can FREE air have a dollar value??? :confused::rolleyes:

[Wendy The Wanderer]

...

"...All with Private Balcony...": All the ships have suites with private balconies.

 

Well, hate to split hairs, but let's face it, not all the suites have private balconies.

 

Somebody blew it. But pretty minor in the scheme of things, isn't it?

[Stevanb]

No more deceptive, really, than Oceania and almost all of the luxury lines adding "and FREE air included". But if you don't take the FREE air you get an air credit of $800/$900/$1000/$1100. How can FREE air have a dollar value??? :confused::rolleyes:

 

Looks better in the advertising . Instead of them having a air ad on like the mass market they have a air credit instead.

[tombo]

Perhaps they don't wish to advertise the cheapest suites, since those are the ones that sell out the fastest anyway.

[hondorner]

No more deceptive, really, than Oceania and almost all of the luxury lines adding "and FREE air included". But if you don't take the FREE air you get an air credit of $800/$900/$1000/$1100. How can FREE air have a dollar value??? :confused::rolleyes:

Well, as far as Oceania is concerned, there have been very popular cruises where the price has increased the closer one gets to the cruise, and finally there have been a few in which the free air option has been deleted. Compared to someone who booked late, paid more than 60% of the cruise price and didn't get the air option, those who booked early did indeed get free air. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Considering that it's the same management, I'd say that's the same case with Regent.

[Stevanb]

Oceania is giving 75% off with air We where going on a 12 day was $949 less the air credit came to 649.00 54.00 per day That is Carnival prices

 

But we gave up the cabin as We did it last Dec and feel it was not that good

[Roland4]

Well, as far as Oceania is concerned, there have been very popular cruises where the price has increased the closer one gets to the cruise, and finally there have been a few in which the free air option has been deleted. Compared to someone who booked late, paid more than 60% of the cruise price and didn't get the air option, those who booked early did indeed get free air. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Considering that it's the same management, I'd say that's the same case with Regent.

 

Actually the "2-for-1 pricing plus FREE Air" is Oceania's early booking program, and has been for several years. It has become somewhat obscured by all the promotions currently being offered, but the way it worked when it first came out (and still does to some extent) was when the itineraries were first released it was "2-for-1 etc", then as you got closer to the sailing the "free" air disappeared and then as you got closer again, the "2-for-1" disappearred. While the pricing never got (gets) to brochure price, the longer you waited, the higher the price. As I said, this has become obscured of late, but that is essentially how it works.

[hondorner]

Actually the "2-for-1 pricing plus FREE Air" is Oceania's early booking program, and has been for several years. It has become somewhat obscured by all the promotions currently being offered, but the way it worked when it first came out (and still does to some extent) was when the itineraries were first released it was "2-for-1 etc", then as you got closer to the sailing the "free" air disappeared and then as you got closer again, the "2-for-1" disappearred. While the pricing never got (gets) to brochure price, the longer you waited, the higher the price. As I said, this has become obscured of late, but that is essentially how it works.

Yep. It's sometimes the other way around. When we booked our very first Oceania cruise in 2006, we were very late by O standards, 6 months prior to the cruise, and we paid 60% of the brochure price rather than the "2 for 1" (50%). However, we still got the air option. Later reservations paid as much as 75% of the brochure price and did NOT get the air option.

 

As long as at least one person HAD to pay for their own air, that renders all other recipients of the air package as "free".

 

Since then, we have learned to make all Oceania and Regent reservations as soon as they are announced. If the prices are reduced before the cruise that reduction is always passed on, but increases are not retro. There is no downside to booking early.

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

The ad is a little deceptive, as they obviously don't all have private balconies but most likely a mistake on someone's part. It's certainly not completely clear, as this thread has proven.

[tallship]

I thinkthis thread has run its course

All ships have private balconies

No claims are made that All Suites Have Private Balconies

[Responder]

I thinkthis thread has run its course

All ships have private balconies

No claims are made that All Suites Have Private Balconies

 

As Shakespeare said Much Ado About Nothing

[jhp]

Tallship and Responder....EXACTLY! Mere typo.

[Hambagahle]

Very picky, if you ask me! So - some copy writer screwed up. But not badly. And would anyone in their right minds book a suite on a cruise without looking at a deck plan??