Regent irritates loyal customers once more

[forevertravel]

Regent is offering ship board credits from $300 to $600 for new bookings, but, completely ignoring those of us who booked earlier. We are booked on the Explorer from Rome to Miami next November. They are offering $300 credit for new bookings but ignoring those of us who booked as soon as Explorer schedule was announced. Seems to me that if an offering is made it should cover "all bookings". Many cruise lines do this and they do not generate ill will as Regent is doing by lowering upgrades to business class (or offering free), lowering rates, and offering enticements such as OBCs. We, the loyal passengers, are the ones who have taken Regent where it is and the ones who come back year after year. Keep your loyal passengers happy, Regent. If you're offering on board credits make sure we receive it too.

[Travelcat2]

Maybe you could cancel and rebook? I agree that it is annoying but it happens constantly in our everyday life. Had we purchased our cars one day later we would have missed out on a substantial savings (we didn't even know there was a promotion until we were paying for the cars).

 

I wonder if the new policy whereby you book onboard the ship and are guaranteed that they will return your money (or give you a credit) if the price of the cruise goes down, would work for OBC's that are added later or flight upgrades that come down in price?

[purpleally]

Maybe you could cancel and rebook? I agree that it is annoying but it happens constantly in our everyday life. Had we purchased our cars one day later we would have missed out on a substantial savings (we didn't even know there was a promotion until we were paying for the cars).

 

I wonder if the new policy whereby you book onboard the ship and are guaranteed that they will return your money (or give you a credit) if the price of the cruise goes down, would work for OBC's that are added later or flight upgrades that come down in price?

 

I'm pretty sure I've read a couple of times in your posts that cancellation fees for Explorer are extremely high?

[wripro]

It's probably because your cruise originates in Rome. All cruise lines are offering incentives for anyone willing to book anything in the Med now.

[Snackdaddy]

Check with your TA. Before our last cruise, our TA was able to get us the "For New Bookings Only" promotions well after we had originally booked.

[gnomie1]

Maybe you could cancel and rebook? I agree that it is annoying but it happens constantly in our everyday life. Had we purchased our cars one day later we would have missed out on a substantial savings (we didn't even know there was a promotion until we were paying for the cars).

 

That analogy really doesn't work because you have had the opportunity to use and enjoy the car - right now substantial monies have been paid without any substantial use of the money and everyone was encouraged to book early - we have learned our lesson - we will no longer book early for a number of reasons - we book because of the ports visited and when ports are canceled, for whatever reason, it is a disappointment. We were very interested in one of the cruises for this summer and we are so happy we did not book because the itinerary has changed substantially and the price and promotions have also changed.

 

I really question the wisdom of some of the C-suite members - by rewarding late bookers and penalizing those that book early and not providing them with the same benefits that are offered to all bookers, it creates a culture where people will wait to book, the cruise line continues to reduce prices to encourage new bookings and that is the start of a vicious cycle. If people who booked early (and not just when they book while on board) are guaranteed later booking promotions, the incentive to wait would be removed from the equation.

 

gnomie :)

Edited March 2, 2016 by gnomie1

[Travelcat2]

I'm pretty sure I've read a couple of times in your posts that cancellation fees for Explorer are extremely high?

 

You are 100% correct - thank you for reminding me. It ends up that the cruise the OP is talking about is one that we are on and booked ages ago. It has been almost 100% booked for months but, like many cruises, there are cancellations prior to final payment. So, we are also missing out on the OBC's but, unless I am wrong, the price for this cruise has increased since we first booked it so people booking and getting the OBC's will have paid more for the cruise.

 

Gnomie - not sure what you mean about our having the ability to use and enjoy our car. The OP will be able to take and hopefully enjoy the cruise (this cruise has extremely nice CC'ers on board - the best Roll Call I've ever been a part of). In terms of the cars, they were also promoted and I would not have been happy if we missed out on the savings. My point of bringing up a car - certainly not related to cruising -- is that we all miss out on "sales" and/or "promotions" all of the time.

 

P.S. Just checked our invoices from when we booked the cruise. The price has increased $750/person.

Edited March 2, 2016 by Travelcat2

[piscean]

I'm due to sail on my second Oceania cruise. New bookings with a couple of UK agents are being offered more enhanced deals than mine.

Oceania won't allow these benefits to my booking.

I am gold with Regent and take at least 2 cruises a year ........

I'm very cross.

Hardly encourages customer loyalty.

[forgap]

We made a spontaneous decision to book Dubai to Barcelona on May 2nd. This is the first time we have booked a cruise less than a year away. The perks even got our TA excited - business air, OBC, category upgrades, Internet (although we already get that perk!). I think all the Middle East trips are tanking this year but this seemed like a once in a a lifetime opportunity - Petra, Luxor, Suez transit, Jerusalem. 21 days in all with plenty of sea days to rest. The only down side is paying all at once. I could almost hear my credit card scream!

 

In the past I have watched for perks after we have booked and our TA has always gotten them for us. The only thing Regent balks at is giving the pre cruise hotel when they have a category promotion. No big deal.

[cruiseluv]

Yes Jackie, you're right. The price of the cruise has increased since we booked, so the $300 OBC is not worth canceling and rebooking at this point ( I assume they would want you to pay new price)

[forevertravel]

Nobody should have to cancel and rebook again to get perks offered to late bookings. Regent should simply offer it to everyone. Let's face it, us, loyal cruisers keep Regent in business. It's only good business practice to keep your customers happy so they will comeback. It has nothing to do with the OBC. It has to do with the policy and disregard for those of us who book early.

[Gray Eagle02]

We are booked on an Explorer cruise Tel Aviv to Rome included in the new OBC promotion. We booked this one year ago because we were told the suites were selling out quickly. Well, according to the web sight there are many, many suites left. We were on a Med cruise in November that offered a two category upgrade for new bookings shortly after we booked. Our TA was able to aquire the upgrade for us. We have a cruise booked next month that had a $1000pp price drop after our final payment. After our TA called Regent we were able to apply this discount to our Nov cruise. I will be watching the prices on the upcoming Explorer cruise very carefully as I fully expect the price to drop. However, if it does I'm sure the best we'll get is future cruise credit. And I'm also sure if I were not deligent in checking the web sight I would get nothing. I have no intention of ever booking early again. I have sent my TA an email asking her to pass on my unhappiness to RSSC.

[Gray Eagle02]

We are booked on an Explorer cruise Tel Aviv to Rome included in the new OBC promotion. We booked this one year ago because we were told the suites were selling out quickly. Well, according to the web sight there are many many suites left. We were on a Med cruise in November that offered a two category upgrade for new bookings shortly after we booked. Our TA was able to aquire the upgrade for us. We have a cruise booked next month that had a $1000pp price drop after our final payment. We were able to apply this discount to our Nov cruise. I will be watching the prices on the upcoming Explorer cruise very carefully as I fully expect the price to drop. However, if it does I'm sure the best we'll get is future cruise credit. I have no intention of ever booking early again. I have sent my TA an email asking her to pass on my unhappiness to RSSC

Edited March 3, 2016 by Gray Eagle02

[mrlevin]

Put me in the group of disappointed loyal customers. $300 shipboard credit for a cruise just a month away. Not a bit deal as we probably would have a hard time using our current shipboard credit but now shop will be decimated and it will be hard to get spa appointments.

 

If Regent would just offer me a reasonable price to upgrade to Penthouse Suite I would be happy.

 

Marc

Edited March 3, 2016 by Marq

[JMARINER]

How is what Regent is doing any different that what the Airlines do?

 

j

[Travelcat2]

How is what Regent is doing any different that what the Airlines do?

 

j

 

It isn't any different!!!

 

What astounds me is the outrage over a few hundred dollars on board credit while very few passengers show the same emotion over U.K. residents paying 25% less than U.S. and Canadian residents. This is thousands - not hundreds of dollars:confused:

 

P.S. Not really upset about people in the smallest suites getting the OBC's. Regent is simply trying to sell what seems to be the unpopular cabins. It really isn't going to cost them much $$$ since these are likely in areas that people don't want to book.

[mrlevin]

It isn't any different!!!

 

What astounds me is the outrage over a few hundred dollars on board credit while very few passengers show the same emotion over U.K. residents paying 25% less than U.S. and Canadian residents. This is thousands - not hundreds of dollars:confused:

 

P.S. Not really upset about people in the smallest suites getting the OBC's. Regent is simply trying to sell what seems to be the unpopular cabins. It really isn't going to cost them much $$$ since these are likely in areas that people don't want to book.

 

What unpopular cabins? Cat H are great on all Regent's ships?

Edited March 3, 2016 by Marq

[Travelcat2]

What unpopular cabins? Cat H are great on all Regent's ships?

 

What you say is true about the Mariner, Navigator and Voyager. The Cat H suites are the first to fill up. However, have you looked at the sizes of the lower category suites on the Explorer? Considerably smaller than the other ships. Since the Explorer is full in all categories except the smallest/lowest categories, I made the assumption that they were less popular than the rest of the suites.

[Jim B]

TA would not allow us to book a "H" cabin on Explorer.

Said we would be very disappointed if we did.

Probably ok for a mass market cruise line but not what we expect.

"H" cabin would be fantastic for single cruisers just a little small

for double.

 

I question "H" cabins on the Navigator. Windows only if I recall

and TA would not allow us to book "F" cabin because of vibrations.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Jim B

[cruiseluv]

Nobody should have to cancel and rebook again to get perks offered to late bookings. Regent should simply offer it to everyone. Let's face it, us, loyal cruisers keep Regent in business. It's only good business practice to keep your customers happy so they will comeback. It has nothing to do with the OBC. It has to do with the policy and disregard for those of us who book early.

 

I agree if prices are the same as when you booked , and they're now offering a promotion in the way as OBC. But prices have gone up. So now they're offering this meager "promotion" to sell the cabins they have left. I don't think you should look just at the fact that they're offering a $300 OBC that was not available when you booked. The prices they're offering now are higher, so net net you were better off to book early.

[fizzy]

We have often thought that it would be a very easy little nicety for a cruise line to let their passengers "bank" the unused OBC for the next cruise. It would likely be a no loss situation for Regent. Not everyone chooses to take another cruise but many times, between promotions, travel agent gifts and the AMEX stuff, we find ourselves trying to just use it up on things that really were of no interest. I could see it being dropped after a couple of years if a customer did not come back to claim it but with the amount of repeat business that Regent has, it would be a great little loyalty benefit.

[Gray Eagle02]

Actually the prices on Concierge suites on our Explorer cruise have not increased and are exactly what we paid a year ago. And I agree OBC is no big deal. However, if recent past experience holds true, suite prices or business class upgrades will drop as the cruise date approaches if the bookings don't increase. And that's unfair to those of us who booked early with promises of savings. This is especially true given the hefty cancellation penalties on the Explorer. Frankly, I'm getting tired of their bait and switch tactics. And I don't really think RSSC wants to be compared to the airline industry.

[UUNetBill]

That's just one more drawback to living in the internet age. Any vendor selling services now has almost instant access to inventory, related costs, projections, etc. - and the flip side is that most of this data is also available to the consumers.

 

Look at the prices of anything - airlines, new cars, fuel, hotels, or really any goods and services - twenty years ago, we would have called our TA, gotten a price quote, paid it, and sailed. Today, we constantly monitor any change in price, even a few hundred bucks on a multi-thousand dollar cruise - and if we're unhappy, we share our unhappiness with thousands of other people at the speed of light.

 

Let's try and keep this in perspective - Regent, and any other company, really - has to juggle changes in costs of fuel, food, lodging, transportation, booze, labor, port charges, maintenance, etc. all while being at the mercy of the weather, terrorism, volcanoes, diseases, and God knows what else.

 

I'm not preaching (too much). I've done the same thing. I had my TA contact RSSC when the Bus Class Air dropped from $1,299 pp to $499. Saved me $3,200 with one phone call, so of course I'm happy. Now they've dropped it to $199 pp. Even though RSSC says it's for new bookings only, my TA got it dropped again. And on top of that, the cruise fare has dropped, too. Would I have been aware of these changes without the internet? Probably not.

 

Fact is, pricing of a global commodity is a huge balancing act, and if I can take advantage of it, great. If not, well, I had already paid my money so obviously I felt it was worth the cost before. I'm not gonna let a few hundred in OBC, which is very tough for me to use anyhow, sour my vacation one iota.

 

But that's just me...

[gnomie1]

How is what Regent is doing any different that what the Airlines do?

 

j

 

Too this day, it still amazes me when someone compares a negative situation with another type of negative situation as if two wrongs make a right. Actually, there is a great deal of difference, starting with the amount of money being paid and the end product being a completely different situation.

 

 

gnomie :)

[gnomie1]

It isn't any different!!!

 

What astounds me is the outrage over a few hundred dollars on board credit while very few passengers show the same emotion over U.K. residents paying 25% less than U.S. and Canadian residents. This is thousands - not hundreds of dollars:confused:

P.S. Not really upset about people in the smallest suites getting the OBC's. Regent is simply trying to sell what seems to be the unpopular cabins. It really isn't going to cost them much $$$ since these are likely in areas that people don't want to book.

 

If you go back to the threads of last year, there was major discussions regarding the difference in cruise fares offered to our friends across the pond.

 

gnomie :)

Edited March 3, 2016 by gnomie1