New Voyages for 2017/18

[forevertravel]

In looking at itineraries for 2017 and first quarter of 2018 I noticed some read "limited availability" at the top instead of new voyages. I also noted these "limited availability" cruises do not show "free business air". Does anyone know what this means? They are new itineraries but with limited availability listed. Somehow it does not sound fair not to offer free business air on these voyages. Is Regent only going to offer free business airs on certain cruises instead of all new for 2017/18? I hope this is not a case of enticing passengers with certain offers but not others. Bad marketing.

[DaveFr]

While Regent was loading new itineraries yesterday, each itinerary started off saying "Limited Availability" until it was fully loaded. The description then changed to "New Voyages." The same thing is probably happening now.

 

"Free" business class air is included on 85 of 130 new cruises. All 85 cruises with included business class air have intercontinental flights from the US or Canada. If included domestic flights were business class or first class, the cruise fares would be raised as they have been on international itineraries.

[forevertravel]

I hope you're right but as of today it still reads "limited availability" for a few cruises. Nor does it indicate free business air as other "new voyages" do. Thanks for your comments. I'll wait and see. Booking does not start until Wednesday.

[UUNetBill]

Gotta say, I'm not a huge fan of the 'free' business class, as the fares seem to have risen about $3,000 or so across the board. A lot of the current itineraries had Business Class air dropped to between $199-$499 per person - I, for one, liked having the choice whether to upgrade or not. We almost always did, but it was nice to have the option.

[WesW]

Bill, absolutely concur. Methinks this new pricing strategy continues Regent's opaque strategy of obscuring the real cost of the cruise. Have never used air on any cruise line and would not use Regent's, yet we fly premium over and back for pennies.

[DaveFr]

Gotta say, I'm not a huge fan of the 'free' business class, as the fares seem to have risen about $3,000 or so across the board. A lot of the current itineraries had Business Class air dropped to between $199-$499 per person - I, for one, liked having the choice whether to upgrade or not. We almost always did, but it was nice to have the option.

You can book one of the new cruises without the airfare. Take a look at the ebrochure for the new cruises (http://www.rssc.com/ebrochures/201718Voyage_Collection/index.html#/26/) which shows the cruise fares without air. The supplemental airfare for business class varies widely, up to $8500 for cruises leaving from Sydney, Australia.

 

You can then check the cost of coach or business class airfare. Depending on your itinerary, booking business class independent of Regent may end up saving some money, particularly if you are doing a back-to-back cruise.

[forevertravel]

I would love to know how you fly business for pennies. We always upgrade (unless we have enough miles for business tickets) because it's usually a good deal. We went to S Africa on a safari two years ago and paid $12,000 for the two business class tickets. Last November we did Regent's cruise of S Africa and we paid $6,000 for the upgrade. That was good IMO. So again, if anyone knows how to book business air for less than what the upgrades used to be, please share. In looking at online brochure I find they have raised prices regardless but when including air is same as with upgrades. Yes, they have been offering good deals on upgrades but those were cruises that were not selling well. Let's face Regent runs a business and they will never lose money.

[WesW]

forevertravel (pls excuse this off topic post but want to help answer your wish)

 

Since I retired six years ago, an another hobby besides cruising & cruise critic :) has been to collect miles/points. Pls see these links below (suggest you read and follow

advice daily)..if u want to learn more pls send me an email below.

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/

 

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/

 

http://millionmilesecrets.com/

 

Forever travel, just as an example (we did this for our last 15 cruises in the last 10 years) For our next Voyager cruise (Auckland to Hong kong, Jan 2017) we are flying American Airlines Business Class from Atlanta to Auckland (175,000miles pp, earned with credit card spending. For our return from Hong Kong we are flying Singapore Air First Class (70,000 Krisflyer milespp) to SF. Then using Delta First Class from SF to Atlanta for 32, 500 miles and $6 tax (again earned Delta miles via Delta AMX credit card spend and American Experess membership reward transfer)

Edited April 11, 2016 by WesW

[UUNetBill]

You can book one of the new cruises without the airfare....You can then check the cost of coach or business class airfare. Depending on your itinerary, booking business class independent of Regent may end up saving some money, particularly if you are doing a back-to-back cruise.

 

Dave, I agree that the 'no air' fares are favorable, but then you lose the advantage of using Regent Air, which is a nice security blanket for people who don't have a ton of miles to upgrade or are looking to bring people along with them.

 

Case in point - I had told my mother that I'd take her and her husband on a cruise with us in 2017. I figured that I'd book the cruise with Regent Air included and if she wanted to upgrade to Business Class, she could. But now it appears that I have the choice to book the cruise with Business Class air, or with no air and arrange her flights independently. By doing that, I lose the transfers and the 'peace-of-mind' that came with booking through Regent in case of delays or luggage issues. My mother is nearing 80 and is not an experienced traveler, especially internationally. Knowing that she'd be taken care of on arrival would have given me the freedom to book her from her home city through Regent and know she'd be in good hands. Now I either need to cough up the Business Class fare or rearrange my travel plans to fly with her out of her home airport to help her through a European arrival.

 

I would love to see them offer their "Brochure Price with included Business Class Air" and then they could offer the 'no-air' or 'coach air' in the fine print. But I guess we can't have everything, huh?

[Longhorn1]

Thanks Wes!

[gnomie1]

forevertravel (pls excuse this off topic post but want to help answer your wish)

 

Since I retired six years ago, an another hobby besides cruising & cruise critic :) has been to collect miles/points. Pls see these links below (suggest you read and follow

advice daily)..if u want to learn more pls send me an email below.

 

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/

 

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/

 

http://millionmilesecrets.com/

 

Forever travel, just as an example (we did this for our last 15 cruises in the last 10 years) For our next Voyager cruise (Auckland to Hong kong, Jan 2017) we are flying American Airlines Business Class from Atlanta to Auckland (175,000miles pp, earned with credit card spending. For our return from Hong Kong we are flying Singapore Air First Class (70,000 Krisflyer milespp) to SF. Then using Delta First Class from SF to Atlanta for 32, 500 miles and $6 tax (again earned Delta miles via Delta AMX credit card spend and American Experess membership reward transfer)

 

I am also a huge "miles junkie" and look for every opportunity to earn miles, the more, the better.

 

Since we are sharing web sites, and the information that Wes provided has not been removed (I waited to see before posting), I would also like to recommend the following website for learning new tricks to earning more miles, using miles effectively and other travel hints that have helped me tremendously over the past few years:

 

http://www.flyertalk.com

 

gnomie :)

[RachelG]

I also am a miles junkie, and use all the websites previously mentioned. We never ever fly in coach, unless that is all that is offered on that particular plane. It takes some research and work, but we flew on AA in F round trip to Shanghai and back for $65 pp.

[Mjflowers]

Do you not have to spend money to acquire these miles, or am I missing something?

[WesW]

Mjflowers, yes you have to spend money but by using the sponsored credit card (e.g. American express) instead of cash/writing a check you earn miles. For example, today applied/was apvd for the Charles Schwab American Express platinum card, will get 40,000 points after spending $3K in 3 months. Since I have a termite bill, Homeowners bill, annual auto service bill due this month--will charge on this card towards the $3k spend. Also, this card can be used to get $300SBC on any Regent cruise you deposit. There are other benefits to this card (e.g., global entry fee paid) This is just one example of the bonuses different credit cards give you.

 

So, like most folks do, you can continue to write checks for your bills or like some of us miles junkies do, we prefer to use our good credit to get cards that earn miles for spending, then use those miles to get premium air for our cruises.

Edited April 12, 2016 by WesW

[rallydave]

Mjflowers, yes you have to spend money but by using the sponsored credit card (e.g. American express) instead of cash/writing a check you earn miles. For example, today applied/was apvd for the Charles Schwab American Express platinum card, will get 40,000 points after spending $3K in 3 months. Since I have a termite bill, Homeowners bill, annual auto service bill due this month--will charge on this card towards the $3k spend. Also, this card can be used to get $300SBC on any Regent cruise you deposit. There are other benefits to this card (e.g., global entry fee paid) This is just one example of the bonuses different credit cards give you.

 

So, like most folks do, you can continue to write checks for your bills or like some of us miles junkies do, we prefer to use our good credit to get cards that earn miles for spending, then use those miles to get premium air for our cruises.

 

While the $300 OBC is nice to get, Chase Sapphire Preferred provides double points for booking travel including cruises so anything over $15K for the cruise makes Sapphire Preferred a better bang for the buck plus on some cruise lines, you can't combine multiple OBC offers with the Platinum benefit so may be leaving more dollars on the table. Plus, free insurance up to $10K per person when using the Sapphire Preferred.

 

Just like there are multiple calculations required to determine the best way to get your air, use of credit cards also needs some thought especially for the high dollar purchases.

 

Credit cards are great, checks are a poor way to pay!!!!

[Zqueeze1]

I need to jump on the miles junkie bandwagon since we are also practitioners of using credit cards to acquire miles. In fact, we have used miles to Europe four times since 2008 and flew in either business or first class. However, it is getting harder to acquire preferred itineraries and costing more miles, but with a little perseverance, we have always been very happy with our choices.

 

Z and TB

[forevertravel]

Thank you everyone, particularly you Wes. I do like to accumulate miles but it takes me a while. I need to research those other websites. We have United credit card but even though I charge everything to get miles it takes a couple of years to accumulate enough (unlike when I was working and traveling and we had enough miles every year for two first class tickets to Europe). I got business class air for our cruise to Asia, Alaska, and Med last year. Now I have enough for one ticket. I also find that is harder to get the flights you want (at least with United and Star Alliance). I'll check and try to get on the bandwagon. Thank you again.

Forever travel:o

[Gilly]

I agree, forevertravel, we have a huge bundle of miles but it's getting harder to spend them, especially when we can't be quite so flexible with dates and times. We have found that occasionally, it helps to book our flights over the phone with an airline rep rather than online. Whilst booking flights for our summer US road trip this year, we were staggered that the flight home from Austin TX was 5x the cost of the outbound flight to JFK (both business class). Whilst it was hardly surprising that the JFK flight would be a relative bargain, the Austin-LHR flight was so eyewateringly expensive we were beginning to think we should reschedule. However, the BA rep at the end of the phone came up with a marvellous alternative using miles and money and saved us a small fortune! My message here is, it's worth persevering!!

 

Wes, I admire your skills with those air miles and can't help but feel totally inadequate in such things. Bravo!

[forevertravel]

Uunet Bill, why don't you book the cruise for your parents with the "new business air"? I checked several cruises and in most cases is the same as what we pay for upgrades now. I'm not counting the specials they have been having of $199, $499 or free business air. The only big differences I saw in price between cost with business air and without air was for Australia. However, flights to Australia are pretty pricey. By booking the cruise with air you'll have peace of mind knowing they will be picked up then taken to airport at end of cruise.

 

Yes, I always call (even though they charge you a fee) and talk to a rep when booking flights using miles. They can find flights that I can't online.

[WesW]

forevertravel, you're very welcome--really enjoy helping folks learn about the miles/points hobby. Your situation (with your United card, United miles) speaks to one fundamental lesson of this hobby. Try to expand the cards you use besides your city's hub airline (e.g.United for you, Delta for us here in Atlanta). Some of the best cards to use are American Express, Chase, or Starwood. Why? The points you earn transfer to multiple airlines (United, Delta, BA, Cathay Pacific, Singapore, et. al.) giving you much more flexibility with your travel plans.

 

Also, one more tip to help you find award seats that are extra difficult to find/book. Consider using an award service (charges vary but are about $125 to $150pp for an award ticket). These masters of this miles/points hobby very often can find you award seats where your efforts have not worked.

 

Gilly, thank you for your very kind words--rewind six years ago and I did not know very much about earning miles or points. However, a daily habit is to read the websites I linked above and slowly (very slowly) learned more and more each day.

Edited April 12, 2016 by WesW

[UUNetBill]

Uunet Bill, why don't you book the cruise for your parents with the "new business air"? I checked several cruises and in most cases is the same as what we pay for upgrades now. I'm not counting the specials they have been having of $199, $499 or free business air.

 

Forever, that's probably what I'll end up doing, but taking four of us on a cruise next year, after marrying off one daughter this summer and with another still in college, I was trying to minimize vacation costs. As terrible as it sounds, I was thinking coach would be okay for people who don't travel often (and will probably be zonked on a Valium or two to get airborne) and I miss having the choice of no air, coach included, or a business-class upgrade. I just kind of feel forced into an upgrade, and, well, I don't like that.

 

True luxury = freedom of choice.

[DaveFr]

Forever, that's probably what I'll end up doing, but taking four of us on a cruise next year, after marrying off one daughter this summer and with another still in college, I was trying to minimize vacation costs. As terrible as it sounds, I was thinking coach would be okay for people who don't travel often (and will probably be zonked on a Valium or two to get airborne) and I miss having the choice of no air, coach included, or a business-class upgrade. I just kind of feel forced into an upgrade, and, well, I don't like that.

 

True luxury = freedom of choice.

Bill,

 

You may be in luck. I just called the air desk and asked them if you will be restricted to business class air or no air. The lady I spoke with said that the air package will include the option of economy air as well as business class or no air. I guess we'll see tomorrow if she is correct.

[UUNetBill]

Bill,

 

You may be in luck. I just called the air desk and asked them if you will be restricted to business class air or no air. The lady I spoke with said that the air package will include the option of economy air as well as business class or no air. I guess we'll see tomorrow if she is correct.

 

Dave, great to hear! Thanks for calling and sharing!