Ebola Threat

[gnomie1]

It is not a matter of being harsh and untrue, it is a matter of not wanting to feed the mass hysteria that is going on in this thread. If you have public health experience you've should have recognized the symptoms: People panicking over nothing, more people feeding the panic, dismissal of fact if unsupportive of the panic, unreasonable demands. The symptoms are all there: this is mass hysteria, noting more, nothing less.

 

 

Would you care to share your knowledge and/or experience either in public health or infectious diseases? Not only have I spent a great deal of time working on situations such as the current ebola threat, I know a number of health professionals who are either currently in western Africa or about to depart for that part of the world to participate in the U.S. effort to contain this virus. I have been following this epidemic through the professional journals, blogs and emails from those in the field, not the mass media and it is quite obvious to me, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and have never studied epidemiology.

 

gnomie :)

[Travelcat2]

gnomie1: Would you share what information you have specifically about Senegal?

[Responder]

I will be on the cruise before the one discussed in this thread and will be speaking with crew members as well as officers. If there is not a major crew change in Lisbon, they will be on your cruise. As has been said -- Regent would not put their crew or passengers at risk.

 

Wow!....that's mighty generous of you. I can't wait for your answer.

[Travelcat2]

Senegal news (map at bottom shows where the majority of cases are).

 

https://news.yahoo.com/ebola-toll-passes-2-800-contained-senegal-nigeria-183508081--finance.html

[Salacia]

This report, published 14 September, regarding the status of Ebola in Senegal might be of interest: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=325749

 

Partial quote: "...It [The World Health Organization] said starting from August 29; 42 days twice the maximum incubation period must pass with good surveillance in place and no additional cases reported before WHO can declare Senegal as transmission-free.

 

“However, intense virus transmission in other countries within the sub-region creates a high risk that Senegal will experience additional introduction of Ebola cases,” the statement warned..."

 

"...The statement said the history of Senegal’s initial case, who arrived in Dakar by road on August 20, reveals multiple opportunities for high-risk exposure.

 

It said continued high-level vigilance was essential; the risk of similar imported cases remained high..."

Edited September 23, 2014 by Salacia

[Travelcat2]

This report, published 14 September, regarding the status of Ebola in Senegal might be of interest: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=325749

 

Partial quote: "...It [The World Health Organization] said starting from August 29; 42 days twice the maximum incubation period must pass with good surveillance in place and no additional cases reported before WHO can declare Senegal as transmission-free.

 

“However, intense virus transmission in other countries within the sub-region creates a high risk that Senegal will experience additional introduction of Ebola cases,” the statement warned..."

 

"...The statement said the history of Senegal’s initial case, who arrived in Dakar by road on August 20, reveals multiple opportunities for high-risk exposure.

 

It said continued high-level vigilance was essential; the risk of similar imported cases remained high..."

 

Welcome to the Regent board from the Cunard board:). It is always nice to have visitors from other boards! I definitely agree that surveillance is extremely important in Senegal. It is good that the cruise in question with be past the 42 day mark when it arrives in Senegal. Hopefully Senegal will be declared "transmission-free". Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port. As of today, Senegal has not had transmission of Ebola from the one person that crossed the border. This is an excellent sign and may put some concerns of passengers to rest - at least for now:-)!

 

P.S. Hope that Gnomie1 is still monitoring this thread. She seems to have information that the rest of do not have regarding this situation.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Travelcat2

[freddie]

TC2 - As someone who as of today is booked on this cruise, I would respectfully (not really) add my voice to the many others who would suggest that your pronouncements of what Regent will or will not do (i.e. "Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port.") are both presumptuous and useless. As you emphatically do not speak for Regent, such declarations provide nothing of value.

 

As for me and my partner, we are somewhat of two minds regarding a possible stop in Dakar, somewhat preferring that we avoid the port altogether and continue on to Cape Verde. As we already have yellow fever shots from previous cruises, that is not a factor for us one way or the other. However, the ebola issue is not a trivial matter by any means and seems to throw the weight of the decision rather firmly in the direction of cancelling the stop (despite the inclination of some posters on this thread to wish to go ashore and embrace anyone in range).

[Responder]

TC2 - As someone who as of today is booked on this cruise, I would respectfully (not really) add my voice to the many others who would suggest that your pronouncements of what Regent will or will not do (i.e. "Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port.") are both presumptuous and useless. As you emphatically do not speak for Regent, such declarations provide nothing of value.

 

As for me and my partner, we are somewhat of two minds regarding a possible stop in Dakar, somewhat preferring that we avoid the port altogether and continue on to Cape Verde. As we already have yellow fever shots from previous cruises, that is not a factor for us one way or the other. However, the ebola issue is not a trivial matter by any means and seems to throw the weight of the decision rather firmly in the direction of cancelling the stop (despite the inclination of some posters on this thread to wish to go ashore and embrace anyone in range).

 

Good work, freddie....a classic post..

[Salacia]

Welcome to the Regent board from the Cunard board:). It is always nice to have visitors from other boards! I definitely agree that surveillance is extremely important in Senegal. It is good that the cruise in question with be past the 42 day mark when it arrives in Senegal. Hopefully Senegal will be declared "transmission-free". Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port. As of today, Senegal has not had transmission of Ebola from the one person that crossed the border. This is an excellent sign and may put some concerns of passengers to rest - at least for now:-)!

 

P.S. Hope that Gnomie1 is still monitoring this thread. She seems to have information that the rest of do not have regarding this situation.

 

Travelcat, thanks for the welcome. I have sailed on a few cruise lines (mostly Cunard), but have yet to try Regent. Anyway, please don't think of me as 'a visitor', rather a fellow Cruise Critic Member who has been following this thread with interest.

 

I share your hope that Gnomie1 and others with factual information to impart continue to share that information - and that those passengers with concerns are able to have those concerns addressed sooner rather than later. Regards, -S

Edited September 24, 2014 by Salacia

[Travelcat2]

TC2 - As someone who as of today is booked on this cruise, I would respectfully (not really) add my voice to the many others who would suggest that your pronouncements of what Regent will or will not do (i.e. "Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port.") are both presumptuous and useless. As you emphatically do not speak for Regent, such declarations provide nothing of value.

 

As for me and my partner, we are somewhat of two minds regarding a possible stop in Dakar, somewhat preferring that we avoid the port altogether and continue on to Cape Verde. As we already have yellow fever shots from previous cruises, that is not a factor for us one way or the other. However, the ebola issue is not a trivial matter by any means and seems to throw the weight of the decision rather firmly in the direction of cancelling the stop (despite the inclination of some posters on this thread to wish to go ashore and embrace anyone in range).

 

Good to hear that you are sailing on Regent. It is most interesting but not surprising that you and your partner are somewhat of two minds regarding a possible stop in Dakar. My DH and I are as well. We have had some interesting but calm debates on the issue.

 

You state that you find my comment about Regent cancelling the cruise to be "both presumptuous and useless". My statement was based on logic -- maybe not your logic but my logic. At the moment there is little to no chance of catching Ebola from visiting Dakar. Regent has stated to some passengers and TA's that they plan to continue the itinerary as scheduled. If the situation in Senegal changes, either Regent will continue with current plans or will cancel. My bet is that they would cancel.

 

There are a lot of emotional posts on this thread. A couple of us are simply not seeing facts that support the belief that there is a significant risk. As an attorney, have you been able to find the facts in this thread to support the claim that passengers could go ashore and catch Ebola (and it has also been suggested that when these passengers return to the ship and play bridge, the cards can transmit it!?) Should Regent cancel this port due to the emotions of some passengers? Some posters think it should. I'm just waiting to read evidence that supports the fear. It has yet to come.

 

I truly believe that on October 10, 2014 (42 days since the only case of Ebola was seen in Senegal -- twice the incubation period) Senegal will be declared "Transmission Free"!

Edited September 24, 2014 by Travelcat2

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha all,

 

TC writes: Regent has stated to some passengers and TA's that they plan to continue the itinerary as scheduled.

 

Why has Regent stated to SOME passengers and TAs that they plan to continue the itinerary as scheduled?

 

This is the question: Why hasn't the company communicated clearly to ALL passengers on this cruise exactly what their plans are for this itinerary? Clearly, Regent has received a good number of phone calls from passengers and TAs who are concerned.

 

I am in the Tourism & Hospitality business (almost everyone in Hawaii is in it in one form or another), and we serve some 6-800 guests every day, and many of these guests are in Regent's demographic. Knowing a little bit about this customer base, I have been wracking my brain to try to figure out why Regent management has not communicated directly with their customers. Even if the itinerary is exactly the same as booked, Regent owes the passengers on this cruise an explanation of how they are getting around the reported travel limitations put in place by Cape Verde.

 

I apologize to those who have read this entire thread as I have repeated my criticism of Regent's non-communication with these passengers any number of times, but every time I think about this situation, I am simply flabbergasted. I can see absolutely no upside for Regent in NOT sending the same accurate, updated information to everyone on this cruise.

 

The down side of this lack of communication is obvious to me as a person who deals with similar guests from all over the world every day. Regent markets to a very narrow niche of people who have the time, money and an interest in cruising. A site like Cruise Critic is not viewed by a lot of people, but the Regent threads are most likely viewed by ONLY people in Regent's target demographic, and to have nearly 30,000 thread views of a thread in which about 99 percent of the posters have very negative things to say about the company is a public relations disaster. Just imagine the number of TAs who might have read this thread but because of their position do not post. How are they feeling about Regent right now?

 

I do not know if Regent should cancel the port call in Senegal. From a public relations standpoint, they probably should. However, if I were on the cruise, I would most likely get off the ship in Dakar if there were no new warnings about the spread of the disease between now and then. But if I were on this cruise, I would sure have expected to hear directly from Regent way before now. I would probably be really upset to not know at least what was going to happen with the Cape Verde port and how Regent was getting around the travel restrictions put in place there.

 

I would love for this thread to end and for every passenger on this itinerary to feel safe and appreciated by Regent. At this point it may be too late for Regent to regain the trust of some passengers, but still I think that a direct message from Regent to every passenger detailing the current plans and explaining the situation with Cape Verde would go an extremely long way in alleviating the concerns of many passengers, and it might have the additional positive effect of bringing this thread to a merciful conclusion.

 

Aloha from Hanalei,

 

Mark

[freddie]

TC2 - As is so sadly often the case, your response exhibits either a deliberate or careless misinterpretation of the message that I posted. When I suggested that your declaration that, "Should this not be the case, Regent would obviously cancel the port.", was both presumptuous and useless, the point was that you were making a statement regarding Regent's plan of conduct, about which you have no direct knowledge. For you now to attempt to recharacterize your declaration as some sort of personal opinion is quite preposterous. On the one hand you claim (correctly) to not be speaking on behalf of Regent (one assumes that they would not wish to have that be the case in any remote event), while on the other hand you make declaratory statements regarding what Regent would do in any particular circumstance. Has it occurred to you that it might be useful for you to distance yourself from any statements regarding what Regent will or won't do?

 

You are quite correct that there are a lot of emotional posts on this thread, many engendered by your own posts. One of the most serious epidemics in our lifetime is quite reasonably the subject of high emotion. Therefore, it is entirely understandable that passengers on this cruise (as opposed to someone who has no connection with this cruise whatever, other than her apparent obsession with dominating this thread) will make a variety of posts, some of which are reasoned to a high degree, some of which are reasoned to a moderate degree, and some of which (such as mine) are simply bat-nuts cuckoo.

 

It really doesn't much matter what I consider as an attorney. What perhaps matters more is the opportunity to have Regent give some consideration and respect to the concerns of the passengers on this cruise, as well as to have CC members do the same. Much of the discussion on this thread has been regarding the lack of clear communication from Regent. Regent does not require an apologist as respects this matter, certainly not the self-appointed one on this thread.

 

Is it remotely possible that certain posters would consider simply backing away from the keyboard on this thread? Is there an opening or two at Betty Ford for CC addicts? Does Betty Ford even treat that addiction?

[Salacia]

Good to hear that you are sailing on Regent. It is most interesting but not surprising that you and your partner are somewhat of two minds regarding a possible stop in Dakar. My DH and I are as well. We have had some interesting but calm debates on the issue.

 

You state that you find my comment about Regent cancelling the cruise to be "both presumptuous and useless". My statement was based on logic -- maybe not your logic but my logic. At the moment there is little to no chance of catching Ebola from visiting Dakar. Regent has stated to some passengers and TA's that they plan to continue the itinerary as scheduled. If the situation in Senegal changes, either Regent will continue with current plans or will cancel. My bet is that they would cancel.

 

There are a lot of emotional posts on this thread. A couple of us are simply not seeing facts that support the belief that there is a significant risk. As an attorney, have you been able to find the facts in this thread to support the claim that passengers could go ashore and catch Ebola (and it has also been suggested that when these passengers return to the ship and play bridge, the cards can transmit it!?) Should Regent cancel this port due to the emotions of some passengers? Some posters think it should. I'm just waiting to read evidence that supports the fear. It has yet to come.

 

I truly believe that on October 10, 2014 (42 days since the only case of Ebola was seen in Senegal -- twice the incubation period) Senegal will be declared "Transmission Free"!

 

The statement that "At the moment there is little to no chance of catching Ebola from visiting Dakar" is in conflict with the World Health Organization Situation Assessment, which states "...intense virus transmission in other countries within the sub-region creates a high risk that Senegal will experience additional introductions of Ebola cases....The history of Senegal’s initial case, who arrived in Dakar by road on 20 August, reveals multiple opportunities for high-risk exposure...the risk of similar imported cases remains high." I count three times the risk is cited as 'high'. Read the full WHO situation assessment on their official website here http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebola/12-september-2014/en/

[Travelcat2]

The statement that "At the moment there is little to no chance of catching Ebola from visiting Dakar" is in conflict with the World Health Organization Situation Assessment, which states "...intense virus transmission in other countries within the sub-region creates a high risk that Senegal will experience additional introductions of Ebola cases....The history of Senegal’s initial case, who arrived in Dakar by road on 20 August, reveals multiple opportunities for high-risk exposure...the risk of similar imported cases remains high." I count three times the risk is cited as 'high'. Read the full WHO situation assessment on their official website here http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ebola/12-september-2014/en/

 

You also cited from the same article that 42 days after August 29th, if there are no further cases, Senegal will be considered Transmission Free. It is positive that 10 days after your article, September 22nd, WHO declared Ebola in Senegal "contained" (not as good as transmission free but going in the right direction).

 

"Freddie", if I misinterpreted your thread, welcome to the club....... posters not only misinterpret what I say on a daily basis, they pick apart every word looking for hidden meaning. If someone else made the comment that I did (that was apparently meaningless), no one would have blinked an eye. BTW, I take the Ebola situation extremely seriously. I may only link articles that support my position but am very aware of what is going on in other countries and what the U.S. is be doing to help.

 

HanaleiSailor: Passengers that have contacted Regent have been given information (probably not what they want to hear but information nevertheless). There are people that have not called for whatever reason. Then there are people on the cruise that either hope the port will visited or do not care one way or the other. I suppose our disagreement is whether Regent needs to contact 700 passengers to let them know that nothing has changed. Generally Regent contacts passengers quite promptly when there has been a change.

 

I agree with you that it will be nice for this to end and for the passengers to have a good cruise. However, if the words of one poster are true, it isn't likely to happen. ("One thought for sure....this cruise will have a lot of unhappy people and as a result, will post their thoughts after it's over. It will be difficult to post positively then." ) How can anyone predict that they will not only be unhappy on the cruise but when they get home as well?

Edited September 24, 2014 by Travelcat2

[HanaleiSailor]

TC, It is my understanding that there is a travel restriction in place in Cape Verde, put in place by the government there. This official travel restriction places entry restrictions on those who have visited Senegal. This restriction was put in place and reported in the media some time ago, so if Regent is going to sail the original itinerary, they are either planning to ignore/violate this travel restriction, or they have some type of waiver, or the restriction has been lifted. In any case, Regent has the responsibility to directly contact every one on that is on this sailing and inform them exactly what will happen in reference to this official travel restriction. If you were sailing into a port with a government ordered travel restriction, would you not want to know how this was going to occur?

 

Regent manages to email invoices to passengers in all 350 cabins before the due dates for every sailing, so I imagine it would take about three minutes to replicate this process to inform passengers what they are doing in relation to an official government travel restriction. I do not understand how you can not see Regent's responsibility to passengers in this case.

[fizzy]

Would it not have made sense, hundreds and hundreds of posts ago......not to mention all the posts that have been deleted, for DelRio or Kamlani to have stepped in and acknowledge the concerns of past, current and future customers regarding this matter? They appear to be hiding from a big internet audience. Even if they had no specific answers to give and privately thought that everyone but travelcat2 were annoying idiots, from a PR standpoint, it would have been the smart thing to do. To do so at this point would be even worse. That is partially what people are so mad about. I wonder how this is playing out behind the scenes. If they had kept in touch with the travel agents and passengers on this particular cruise, it is doubtful that the problem would have made the leap over from the roll call thread.

For the customers involved, it seems as though the only information that is going to be available to these people is the assurance that a passenger on the cruise prior to the cruise in question is going to talk to crew and report back. We have been thrilled with every Radisson/ Regent cruise we have taken, No complaints on board...ever. We never hang out and try to schmooze up the crew because they are trying to do the job we pay them to do without infringing on their time. This includes officers. What could the reason be that has allowed this subject to fester?

[Nigella]

 

If they had kept in touch with the travel agents and passengers on this particular cruise, it is doubtful that the problem would have made the leap over from the roll call thread.

 

 

As a potential future Regent guest, I absolutely agree with this.

 

Fortunately I'm not on this cruise, so I don't share the specific concerns that those posters who *are* booked on it have. They have my sympathy whichever way this turns out.

However, I do have a strong interest in Regent, and from my position, this doesn't appear to have been handled well.

[Responder]

Would it not have made sense, hundreds and hundreds of posts ago......not to mention all the posts that have been deleted, for DelRio or Kamlani to have stepped in and acknowledge the concerns of past, current and future customers regarding this matter? They appear to be hiding from a big internet audience. Even if they had no specific answers to give and privately thought that everyone but travelcat2 were annoying idiots, from a PR standpoint, it would have been the smart thing to do. To do so at this point would be even worse. That is partially what people are so mad about. I wonder how this is playing out behind the scenes. If they had kept in touch with the travel agents and passengers on this particular cruise, it is doubtful that the problem would have made the leap over from the roll call thread.

For the customers involved, it seems as though the only information that is going to be available to these people is the assurance that a passenger on the cruise prior to the cruise in question is going to talk to crew and report back. We have been thrilled with every Radisson/ Regent cruise we have taken, No complaints on board...ever. We never hang out and try to schmooze up the crew because they are trying to do the job we pay them to do without infringing on their time. This includes officers. What could the reason be that has allowed this subject to fester?

 

You are so correct in your assessment.

 

I'm sure you are aware from years of reading the posts on CC, that there's not much we can do to control it. If we utter a criticism, the post seems to get deleted, perhaps as this one will.

 

The poster in reference does not realize the harm she has done to the Regent reputation by fueling this thread with her "facts." We too, have sailed with Regent for over 10 years and are obviously happy with the ships and the fellow passengers they attract.

 

This debacle was totally unnecessary as the powers should have been awake enough to react. The suggestion that nothing changed and therefore does not require a continuing dialogue is sheer nonsense. The fact that I have called my TA as well as Regent about 6 times and we have all received the scripted answer is crazy.

In the beginning we were only asking to be kept up to date with their thoughts. Now, personally, I'm no longer interested in their thoughts as they have ignored all 700 passengers that help keep Regent afloat.

 

Although we hope to have a nice time on this cruise, the negative vibes will prevail.

[cruisr]

You are so correct in your assessment.

 

I'm sure you are aware from years of reading the posts on CC, that there's not much we can do to control it. If we utter a criticism, the post seems to get deleted, perhaps as this one will.

 

The poster in reference does not realize the harm she has done to the Regent reputation by fueling this thread with her "facts." We too, have sailed with Regent for over 10 years and are obviously happy with the ships and the fellow passengers they attract.

 

This debacle was totally unnecessary as the powers should have been awake enough to react. The suggestion that nothing changed and therefore does not require a continuing dialogue is sheer nonsense. The fact that I have called my TA as well as Regent about 6 times and we have all received the scripted answer is crazy.

In the beginning we were only asking to be kept up to date with their thoughts. Now, personally, I'm no longer interested in their thoughts as they have ignored all 700 passengers that help keep Regent afloat.

 

Although we hope to have a nice time on this cruise, the negative vibes will prevail.

 

I am going on my third Crystal Cruise in 13 months. I am Regent's target demographic. I came to this board to read opinions and get a vibe for the Regent guests. Based on this thread and the thread on "Air booked thru Regent" I will not be choosing them as a company to spend my money on. Part is due to reading this and the other thread and seeing the way certain areas of the cruise experience are handled. I am also stunned that Regent executives, who I gather monitor this and the Oceania board have not reached out to posters that do more harm then good to the Regent brand with their posts.

 

I do hope this post does not get deleted. Regent needs to see it.

[TrulyBlonde]

Ditto....I fit the perfect profile for a luxury cruise and this is why I am also reading about Regent. I guess that is why I am now booked on Oceania and Silversea.

[Sunviking]

I have looked at Regent's itineraries since our one voyage with them and considered taking another Regent cruise. To this point something else has appealed to us more. After reading of this communication debacle Regent has fallen greatly in our estimation and we would be quite unlikely to book something with them. It's so ironic that a company from whom hardly a day passes that we don't get a glossy brochure and several e-mails touting their cruises cannot or will not communicate with their booked customers.

[Travelcat2]

TC, It is my understanding that there is a travel restriction in place in Cape Verde, put in place by the government there. This official travel restriction places entry restrictions on those who have visited Senegal. This restriction was put in place and reported in the media some time ago, so if Regent is going to sail the original itinerary, they are either planning to ignore/violate this travel restriction, or they have some type of waiver, or the restriction has been lifted. In any case, Regent has the responsibility to directly contact every one on that is on this sailing and inform them exactly what will happen in reference to this official travel restriction. If you were sailing into a port with a government ordered travel restriction, would you not want to know how this was going to occur?

 

.

 

Based on what I have read, I also understand that there is a travel restriction in place in Cape Verde. However, I doubt if Regent would have contacted passengers to make sure they have their Yellow Fever vaccination if they were not planning on going there (and I doubt if they would or could violate this travel restriction). They no doubt know more about this than has been reported in the media.

 

portofinoitaly: Silversea is a very good cruise line -- we have sailed them three times. Oceania (owned and managed as the same company as Regent) is also good (although we prefer Regent due to the all-inclusivity and larger cabins). Regarding Silversea, we prefer the Whisper and Shadow to the smaller ships and the new ship.

 

Responder and a couple of other posters have brought up a good point. They have sailed on Regent and have not any problems while onboard. In our 18+ cruises, we have had only one that was quite unpleasant.

 

When posters say that I am speaking for Regent, say that I've lost credibility, etc., it is their opinion and they have every right to feel the way that they do. When I sound like I'm speaking for Regent, I am basing my opinions based on what we have seen over the years - how they react to problems/emergencies, etc. While I certainly do not know what they will do, we probably have a better idea than people that have not sailed on or followed Radisson/Regent over the years.

 

There are many people reading this thread (and not posting -- can't say that I blame them) that remember the following very well:

 

1. The Mariner's losing a pod (or most of the pod's function) in the ocean off of Alaska (believe that "Freddie" was on that cruise). They/he knows how Regent handled the situation and what they did for their guests. The Mariner ended up limping (for lack of a better word) at slower speeds than normal for over a year before the new pod was built. Itineraries were changed, etc.

 

2. When the Voyager's pod was entangled in a fishing net. The Captain and another officer went down to see what the issue was. They brought people in -- it was determined that the cruise had to end. This was suppose to be a world cruise. Again, they took care of their passengers.

 

3. Another time, several CC members were on the Voyager -- embarked -- went through muster and were called into the theater. The cruise had to be cancelled. As I recall, passengers were allowed to stay onboard a night or two -- some were put into hotels -- flights were arranged to get them home or to other destinations.

 

There have been many other issues that Regent has had to deal with...... from the volcano eruption in Iceland that stopped flights, the missile landing in the waters off the port where the Voyager was going to dock in 4 days (Israel) and the latest issue of having to cancel Israel. Headquarters is involved in everything. Everyone from the CEO down man the telephones during each crisis. When someone is being air-lifted off of one of the ships for a medical emergency, headquarters is right on top of it.

 

A lot of my knowledge of Regent comes from our experiences on the ship but quite a bit comes from reports from passengers posting from the ships when these things have occurred. In the case of Ebola, I have guessed what Regent would do based on what they have done in the past. We find Regent's communication different than what we are used to. Since this thread began, we received communication from Regent through our TA about a cruise in November 2015 and two emails from Oceania through our TA regarding an Oceania cruise in November 2014. However, I really haven't seen them do the type of communication that is being asked for on this thread.

 

When it is said that I am hurting Regent by defending them....... how much are they hurt from being called a cheater (another active thread) and all of the very negative comments that have been made repeatedly about them. I guess it is up to the reader...... which causes more harm, defending them or bashing them? A case can be made either way.

 

I do not believe that I have posted that I think that Regent should not contact their passengers (did say they had no responsibility to post on CC). Based on what they have done in the past, I am guessing that they will not contact passengers unless there is a change in the itinerary. I have defended the position regarding going to Dakar (based on my interpretation of the news that is currently available).

 

It is probably a good thing for posters and myself that we will be more and more involved in our upcoming cruise. At this point, I do not plan on posting much from the ship - other than responding to a question regarding PH suites. Of course, that could change - depending upon what, if anything I learn that could benefits passengers on this cruise. Then I may share it even though it will be discounted.

Edited September 24, 2014 by Travelcat2

[HanaleiSailor]

My goodness, TC, I've written before that I believe you to be the most loyal customer that a company could ever ask for; however, I concur with others that you are now hurting the company that you love.

 

In regards to Regent not announcing a change to their itinerary and making the port call at Cape Verde despite an official government travel restriction, you write: They (Regent) no doubt know more about this than has been reported in the media. If this is the case, they have a responsibility to communicate this information with passengers on this cruise. Do they not?

 

Potential, past and current Regent customers on this thread are now posting that they will not book Regent because of the way that the company has handled this situation. Hundreds of posts ago, I wrote a plea for anyone who had contacts with Regent management to ask them to please communicate directly with passengers on this cruise. Had that occurred, this thread would have ended hundreds of posts ago and CC readers would not have been exposed to 30,000 thread views of negative comments about Regent. This is such a shame because it was absolutely unnecessary.

 

I am no big-league businessman. I am probably not as bright as anyone on Regent's management team, but I saw this one coming weeks ago, and I wish Regent management would have handled this as gracefully as their crew handle the on board experience.

 

Hope you have a good cruise TC.

 

Mark

[Travelcat2]

Thanks Mark..... sorry that we do not seem to understand each other's reasoning. I suspect that if we were discussing this in person, it would be different.

[Responder]

Based on what I have read, I also understand that there is a travel restriction in place in Cape Verde. However, I doubt if Regent would have contacted passengers to make sure they have their Yellow Fever vaccination if they were not planning on going there (and I doubt if they would or could violate this travel restriction). They no doubt know more about this than has been reported in the media.

 

portofinoitaly: Silversea is a very good cruise line -- we have sailed them three times. Oceania (owned and managed as the same company as Regent) is also good (although we prefer Regent due to the all-inclusivity and larger cabins). Regarding Silversea, we prefer the Whisper and Shadow to the smaller ships and the new ship.

 

Responder and a couple of other posters have brought up a good point. They have sailed on Regent and have not any problems while onboard. In our 18+ cruises, we have had only one that was quite unpleasant.

 

When posters say that I am speaking for Regent, say that I've lost credibility, etc., it is their opinion and they have every right to feel the way that they do. When I sound like I'm speaking for Regent, I am basing my opinions based on what we have seen over the years - how they react to problems/emergencies, etc. While I certainly do not know what they will do, we probably have a better idea than people that have not sailed on or followed Radisson/Regent over the years.

 

There are many people reading this thread (and not posting -- can't say that I blame them) that remember the following very well:

 

1. The Mariner's losing a pod (or most of the pod's function) in the ocean off of Alaska (believe that "Freddie" was on that cruise). They/he knows how Regent handled the situation and what they did for their guests. The Mariner ended up limping (for lack of a better word) at slower speeds than normal for over a year before the new pod was built. Itineraries were changed, etc.

 

2. When the Voyager's pod was entangled in a fishing net. The Captain and another officer went down to see what the issue was. They brought people in -- it was determined that the cruise had to end. This was suppose to be a world cruise. Again, they took care of their passengers.

 

3. Another time, several CC members were on the Voyager -- embarked -- went through muster and were called into the theater. The cruise had to be cancelled. As I recall, passengers were allowed to stay onboard a night or two -- some were put into hotels -- flights were arranged to get them home or to other destinations.

 

There have been many other issues that Regent has had to deal with...... from the volcano eruption in Iceland that stopped flights, the missile landing in the waters off the port where the Voyager was going to dock in 4 days (Israel) and the latest issue of having to cancel Israel. Headquarters is involved in everything. Everyone from the CEO down man the telephones during each crisis. When someone is being air-lifted off of one of the ships for a medical emergency, headquarters is right on top of it.

 

A lot of my knowledge of Regent comes from our experiences on the ship but quite a bit comes from reports from passengers posting from the ships when these things have occurred. In the case of Ebola, I have guessed what Regent would do based on what they have done in the past. We find Regent's communication different than what we are used to. Since this thread began, we received communication from Regent through our TA about a cruise in November 2015 and two emails from Oceania through our TA regarding an Oceania cruise in November 2014. However, I really haven't seen them do the type of communication that is being asked for on this thread.

 

When it is said that I am hurting Regent by defending them....... how much are they hurt from being called a cheater (another active thread) and all of the very negative comments that have been made repeatedly about them. I guess it is up to the reader...... which causes more harm, defending them or bashing them? A case can be made either way.

 

I do not believe that I have posted that I think that Regent should not contact their passengers (did say they had no responsibility to post on CC). Based on what they have done in the past, I am guessing that they will not contact passengers unless there is a change in the itinerary. I have defended the position regarding going to Dakar (based on my interpretation of the news that is currently available).

 

It is probably a good thing for posters and myself that we will be more and more involved in our upcoming cruise. At this point, I do not plan on posting much from the ship - other than responding to a question regarding PH suites. Of course, that could change - depending upon what, if anything I learn that could benefits passengers on this cruise. Then I may share it even though it will be discounted.

 

Thank you for your kind interest in our cruise, but your post had virtually nothing to do with the thread.

 

Believe it or not, you cannot be the only one right and everyone else is wrong.

 

Each time you come up with your rhetoric, you simply command more replies and therefore more attention to the failings of Regent in the communication department. Perhaps other forum spectators are not as interested in racking up a higher post count...

 

My advice would be to give it a rest, because if you read the voluminous replies, you will see that everyone requests you to rest..

I suppose that's just a kind way of saying that no matter what your logic tells you, you have hurt Regent in a major way, and no post that you can possibly conjure up will make it whole again.

 

That thought also extends to the fact that no matter if or when Regent ever speaks, no matter what they say will not carry much credence going forward.