Seated next to ceo mark conroy

[2old4this]

Hi Jack. I would pick 1 and three and 10. For the most part, Regent delivers as promised and that's all anyone can expect. It seems to me that whenever stuff happens, they do their best to fix it.

 

I'd agree with 1, 3, and 10, as well, MICone. I wonder if the Regent loyalists were a younger 'Carnival Line' crowd we'd be into more of the wine and spirits than we claim to be on this thread? No one on this thread has placed much emphasis on alcohol being among their reasons for going with Regent? Have you ever seen anyone really tipsy while on board Regent? I have not! Jack Morris

[TahoeTraveler]

Oh, Jack, how I wish I could say I've never seen anyone really "tipsy" onboard a Regent ship, but unfortunately, we saw not only "tipsy," but downright drunk last January onboard the Mariner. It was just embarrassing how these people were carrying on in Compass Rose, at a table right next to us, and worse yet, the CD and several other officers of the ship were seated at a table next to them, and they did absolutely nothing about it. I have been on many cruise lines and can honestly say I've never seen a drunken display like the one I saw onboard the Mariner. The good thing is that Mike and I met some wonderful people because of it, as so many in Compass Rose that night were commenting that that type of behavior was so unlike most Regent passengers. We met some really great folks, thanks to the antics of some not so great ones.

 

It was so amusing (at least, we tried to make it out to be) that Mike took the attached photo, as a reminder of what NOT to do when onboard a Regent (or any other, as far as I'm concerned) ship.

 

I'm rather hoping our April cruise is less...entertaining.

[Swyre]

Well I won't say Sally and I don't like a few drinks and I won't say that one of the reasons I've chosen to try out cruising with Regent isn't that everything is included making it easy to calculate the total cost of the holiday but we won't be drinking one micro litre more on Mariner than if we had to pay for each drink separately and it wouldn't cross our minds to get drunk and behave inappropriately in a restaurant!

 

R

[2old4this]

Oh, Jack, how I wish I could say I've never seen anyone really "tipsy" onboard a Regent ship, but unfortunately, we saw not only "tipsy," but downright drunk last January onboard the Mariner. It was just embarrassing how these people were carrying on in Compass Rose, at a table right next to us, and worse yet, the CD and several other officers of the ship were seated at a table next to them, and they did absolutely nothing about it. I have been on many cruise lines and can honestly say I've never seen a drunken display like the one I saw onboard the Mariner. The good thing is that Mike and I met some wonderful people because of it, as so many in Compass Rose that night were commenting that that type of behavior was so unlike most Regent passengers. We met some really great folks, thanks to the antics of some not so great ones.

 

It was so amusing (at least, we tried to make it out to be) that Mike took the attached photo, as a reminder of what NOT to do when onboard a Regent (or any other, as far as I'm concerned) ship.

 

I'm rather hoping our April cruise is less...entertaining.

 

That little camera of Mike's really caught the moment when inhibitions had been set aside and the volume knob was set on high. It didn't help a bit having the musicians encouraging that 'sing-along' in the middle of Compass Rose. These antics as depicted in the covert snap can be occasionally forgiven in one of the ship's bars at 1 am where roaring drunk and open mouth laughter can be expected. Freda and I missed this event while foraging for asparagus tips and hard boiled eggs in the buffet line upstairs. No loud drunks where we were. No roaming guitarists, either. Jack Morris

[nana541]

Oh, Jack, how I wish I could say I've never seen anyone really "tipsy" onboard a Regent ship, but unfortunately, we saw not only "tipsy," but downright drunk last January onboard the Mariner. It was just embarrassing how these people were carrying on in Compass Rose, at a table right next to us, and worse yet, the CD and several other officers of the ship were seated at a table next to them, and they did absolutely nothing about it. I have been on many cruise lines and can honestly say I've never seen a drunken display like the one I saw onboard the Mariner. The good thing is that Mike and I met some wonderful people because of it, as so many in Compass Rose that night were commenting that that type of behavior was so unlike most Regent passengers. We met some really great folks, thanks to the antics of some not so great ones.

 

It was so amusing (at least, we tried to make it out to be) that Mike took the attached photo, as a reminder of what NOT to do when onboard a Regent (or any other, as far as I'm concerned) ship.

 

I'm rather hoping our April cruise is less...entertaining.

 

Yiks! I was really worried that was a picture of our table.... A group of us sang Christmas carols in the CR on Christmas Eve.... The Grumpiest Guy at Sea was seated nearby..... He (and DW) stormed out of CR... Not a happy camper!

BTW this spontanious display of holiday spirt lasted for 5ish minutes while waiting for desert :) and other tables joined in!

[TahoeTraveler]

Oh, no Nana, had it been Christmas time and Christmas carols, we'd have happily joined in as well. No, this cruise was the first week of January, and I'm not exactly sure what these "ladies" were singing, but it was more like screeching than singing! We found out later that people all the way in the back of Compass Rose could hear it and were quite disturbed by it. I don't even think the "singing" would have bothered me so much, if they hadn't been stumbling drunk around the restaurant as well (for some reason, they didn't feel compelled to stay at their table and just disturb those of us around them).

 

Honestly, this was not the only incidence of drunkeness I saw on that cruise. I was at the pool bar later in the cruise and a woman was passed out on the bar...the bartender had to rouse her and make her leave. It was not a medical issue...she was clearly passed out drunk.

 

I can only guess that it was an odd group of passengers on this particular cruise. We had a great time, regardless, and truthfully, all the antics gave us something to laugh about. I was just a bit surprised, as it was my first Regent cruise, and I hadn't expected that kind of behavior!!

[Travel2Learn]

If Icould chat with Mark Conroy, I would blast whomever does pricing. 3 times I have asked politely for onboard pricing to be honored and sent faxes of the paperwork. 3 times I received pricing that nearly DOUBLED the single supplements. (The cruise consultant was too busy during the cruise to followup, so the paperwork arrived several days after the cruise. I had booked 2 future cruises, B2B.) To add to the foul up, my credit card was charged 15% instead of the special 10% as stated onboard. That was rectified, but not the over charge for a single. The 41 days I spent on Regent in 2011 may be the last if that is how they do business. They also gouged for the first 20 days, but that is a different gripe. Onboard, Regent is excellent, but booking and pricing are nightmares. ...Booked 3 future cruises (45 nights) with Crystal instead.

[2old4this]

Oh, no Nana, had it been Christmas time and Christmas carols, we'd have happily joined in as well. No, this cruise was the first week of January, and I'm not exactly sure what these "ladies" were singing, but it was more like screeching than singing! We found out later that people all the way in the back of Compass Rose could hear it and were quite disturbed by it. I don't even think the "singing" would have bothered me so much, if they hadn't been stumbling drunk around the restaurant as well (for some reason, they didn't feel compelled to stay at their table and just disturb those of us around them).

 

Honestly, this was not the only incidence of drunkeness I saw on that cruise. I was at the pool bar later in the cruise and a woman was passed out on the bar...the bartender had to rouse her and make her leave. It was not a medical issue...she was clearly passed out drunk.

 

I can only guess that it was an odd group of passengers on this particular cruise. We had a great time, regardless, and truthfully, all the antics gave us something to laugh about. I was just a bit surprised, as it was my first Regent cruise, and I hadn't expected that kind of behavior!!

 

On our cruise this coming April I'm going to keep a sharp eye out for the drunks I missed on my last Regent cruise a year ago. Being members of the 'older set' we probably are in bed and asleep when the drunks come out. I will pay special attention to such activities in Compass Rose and at the pool bar, that is, up to and not a minute after 9:30 PM. Jack Morris

[2old4this]

If Icould chat with Mark Conroy, I would blast whomever does pricing. 3 times I have asked politely for onboard pricing to be honored and sent faxes of the paperwork. 3 times I received pricing that nearly DOUBLED the single supplements. (The cruise consultant was too busy during the cruise to followup, so the paperwork arrived several days after the cruise. I had booked 2 future cruises, B2B.) To add to the foul up, my credit card was charged 15% instead of the special 10% as stated onboard. That was rectified, but not the over charge for a single. The 41 days I spent on Regent in 2011 may be the last if that is how they do business. They also gouged for the first 20 days, but that is a different gripe. Onboard, Regent is excellent, but booking and pricing are nightmares. ...Booked 3 future cruises (45 nights) with Crystal instead.

 

I hope that Mark is indeed reading this thread. I am sure anyone booking 45 nights with Crystal instead of with Regent is someone he would want to bring back to his line. Your complaints seem valid to me and ought not to have happened. Anyone who has chalked up 41 days with Regent is someone who takes cruising seriously - much more so than me - and whatever the on board pricing was given you, should have been the final word. Did you go straight to Mark with your argument? Jack Morris

[nana541]

Hmmm I must confess to being among the "in bed before 9:30" myself.... Isn't that when pooped cruisers all go to bed??

But drunk on the bar :0 wow can't do much singing that way.

I must say I have never witnessed a real drunk on Regent.....all my fellow passengers were great people and the crew was awesome.

It's tooo bad the Corp office and shore folks don't have that same "great service" ethic.

And with luck the "Grumpiest" guy at sea has moved to Carnival :) we are likely never to run into him

[nanook21]

Just catching up on my CC reading, and ran across this interesting thread. We were on Mariner last Jan/11 also, but not the first week (we did the first leg of the S.A. to Lima), so missed those shenanigans in CR. :p

 

What we love about Regent is the fact that we don't have to sign for everything on board, making the social gatherings so much easier to navigate - no need to worry about who's turn to pick up the tab, who ordered what drinks, etc. We also loved having a bar setup in our suite to enjoy moments on our verandah.

 

We did appreciate the "included" excursions, even though we were annoyed that a couple of those we booked were cancelled at the last minute, which left us with nothing to do in port except explore on our own, which we weren't really comfortable with. As a side note, we discovered that its actually impossible to book more than one excursion in one day, as they all seemed to leave at the same time, or overlapped in some way. And there were very few no-shows, it seemed. At least for the S.America ports, it seemed, the 'included' excursions were of a questionable quality - only the ones we paid an upcharge for were memorable for us. But we did really like the fact that we could book everything in advance, then just sit back and enjoy the cruise. And we DID!

 

Our third reason - no mandatory Formal Nights! Love that we can dress up more in the style of our Golf Country Club without having to tote along the gowns.

 

Next up: January 2013 in Aussie Land on Voyager! Can't wait.

[2old4this]

Just catching up on my CC reading, and ran across this interesting thread. We were on Mariner last Jan/11 also, but not the first week (we did the first leg of the S.A. to Lima), so missed those shenanigans in CR. :p

 

What we love about Regent is the fact that we don't have to sign for everything on board, making the social gatherings so much easier to navigate - no need to worry about who's turn to pick up the tab, who ordered what drinks, etc. We also loved having a bar setup in our suite to enjoy moments on our verandah.

 

We did appreciate the "included" excursions, even though we were annoyed that a couple of those we booked were cancelled at the last minute, which left us with nothing to do in port except explore on our own, which we weren't really comfortable with. As a side note, we discovered that its actually impossible to book more than one excursion in one day, as they all seemed to leave at the same time, or overlapped in some way. And there were very few no-shows, it seemed. At least for the S.America ports, it seemed, the 'included' excursions were of a questionable quality - only the ones we paid an upcharge for were memorable for us. But we did really like the fact that we could book everything in advance, then just sit back and enjoy the cruise. And we DID!

 

Our third reason - no mandatory Formal Nights! Love that we can dress up more in the style of our Golf Country Club without having to tote along the gowns.

 

Next up: January 2013 in Aussie Land on Voyager! Can't wait.

 

What an upbeat response, nanook21, from start to finish. We missed the Compass Rose rudeness, as well, and we were on that cruise and on those dates. What a difference an hour or so makes.

 

Paying for all the spirits up front as we do with Regent equates to paying somewhat more before you leave home then most of us would be paying had we bought the drinks each evening during the cruise. As I have said in earlier writings many of us are not into hitting the bars much anyway and so we pay heavily despite the fact we are tucked in for the night at 9:30 pm. I find no fault at all with folks who enjoy the evening more as the midnight hour is reached and passed. That's what cruising is all about; each of us doing exactly what we want to do for the few days of casual freedom.

 

As for casual vs formal, makes no difference to me, since I thoroughly enjoy it both ways. I ride Cunard for the tuxedo and black suit dinners which occur most of the time. To walk into the Queen Mary 2 restaurant and see every man in black and white, including the staff, is to feel you are eating special food in a very special restaurant. I love Regent vessels because I know the country club sport coats and slacks and colorful dresses will be everywhere. The contrast between the attire in the dinner houses at sea makes for memorable dining. See my September 2011 'crossing' with Cunard web site here:

 

http://awesome.webplus.net/theqm2/

 

Our excursions in Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Keys were fantastic while on Mariner last January. We thought we got our money's worth each time. I feel for you regarding your own negative experiences. We even had a few last minute 'no shows' with the parasailing and no one else came forward to fill the voids. Jack Morris

[Travel2Learn]

If Icould chat with Mark Conroy, I would blast whomever does pricing. 3 times I have asked politely for onboard pricing to be honored and sent faxes of the paperwork. 3 times I received pricing that nearly DOUBLED the single supplements. (The cruise consultant was too busy during the cruise to followup, so the paperwork arrived several days after the cruise. I had booked 2 future cruises, B2B.) To add to the foul up, my credit card was charged 15% instead of the special 10% as stated onboard. That was rectified, but not the over charge for a single. The 41 days I spent on Regent in 2011 may be the last if that is how they do business. They also gouged for the first 20 days, but that is a different gripe. Onboard, Regent is excellent, but booking and pricing are nightmares. ...Booked 3 future cruises (45 nights) with Crystal instead.

 

Sorry to back track on this thread, but thought I should give Regent its due. After finally reaching the right "ears," I received a very fair new invoice.

[jhp]

Travel2Learn, nice to hear you came back for an update. So what are you planning, Crystal for 45 days, or Regent, or both? I am glad you got this straight, and let us know, as you were pretty upset before. Reports like yours are always disturbing, a lot of trouble to sort out, even though they always do in the end with a reputable line like Regent, or any of them for that matter.

[Travel2Learn]

jhp,

 

I'm now booked on Regent for 14 days in fall 2012 (Mediterranean,) Crystal for 24 days in February 2013 (S. America,) and HAL in February 2012 (Caribbean.) I am happy with the new paper work from Regent without air, and may still take the other B2B in the Mediterranean with Crystal in fall 2013, or add to the 24 day cruise. The excellent early booking bonuses are too good to ignore.

 

F.Y.I. The difference between Regent and Crystal for the 24 day Lima-Buenos Aires cruise, after excursions are factored in, is enough for an additional 2 weeks on Crystal. It's all due to the single supplements. Regent also charges 50% to 100% extra for the airfare for a single. I hope Regent offers more cruises in the future with lower supplements.