Hong Kong to Beijing March 2017

[forevertravel]

I assume anyone who's booked on this cruise have received the email from Regent indicating they are including business air for Asia and S America. However, the Beijing to Bangkok cruise (starts same day we arrive in Beijing) does include business air while Hong Kong to Beijing has upgrade of $999/per person per flight. I should add the cabin prices are the same on both cruises, and, they are both 16 days.

To me, that's a slap on the face to those who booked Hong Kong to Beijing early. Oh yes, the Hong Kong to Beijing includes a three day pre-cruise tour in Hong Kong. That's what they used to entice people to book. Frankly, I'm getting tired of the games the marketing department keeps on playing when cruises are not selling well. If you're going to offer free business air to cruise following, do yourself a favor and offer it to those who booked earlier cruise and keep royal Regent cruisers happy. It won't hurt Regent to offer the free business air and will generate lots of good will.

[Gray Eagle02]

We booked this cruise while on the Mariner in April. The business class upgrade had dropped from $1299 to $999 so we thought we got a deal. I booked on board to get the "guaranteed lowest price" available only if booked on board. . However, I was told this only applies if prices drop prior to final payment. My last cruise the price dropped $1000/pp after the final payment. The best we could do was future cruise credit. I expressed my unhappiness with booking early with promises of saving when, in fact, the prices drop or incentives increase when the cruise does not attract enough customers. Now I watch the prices of all booked cruises. Unfortunately, the best you can do is future credit and it's up to you or your TA to ask for it.

[Travelcat2]

forevertravel, just curious as to whether Regent selected the flights that have the additional cost or if you deviated. We always fly Business Class and only have had to pay additional $$$ when the flight we want no longer has "contracted prices" available or the carrier is not contracted.

 

Thanks for clarifying this for me.

[forevertravel]

"forevertravel, just curious as to whether Regent selected the flights that have the additional cost or if you deviated. We always fly Business Class and only have had to pay additional $$$ when the flight we want no longer has "contracted prices" available or the carrier is not contracted".

 

Jackie, Regent just opened the flights for those of us who want to deviate. The $1998/pp business air if the upgrade if you decide to fly business (which we always do).I had told our TA we were deviating so it makes no difference whether you deviate or let Regent choose the flights. Sending email to everyone on mailing list is not a good marketing strategy. I probably would had not known about it. Now is a matter of principle and it irritates me. If our cruise was cheaper, Ok, I understand.

[Eager2Travel]

I agree with you, Forevertravel. The randomness of Regent's pricing is distressing. We all eventually learn about the difference in pricing whether it is onboard or with a mailing that won't apply to us. It makes me very reluctant to book ahead of time. With their current onboard booking price guarantee they have gone to other ways to reduce price such as biz air or Onboard booking credit. Those are not matched in my experience.

[WesW]

Ann, we agree. For our Voyager Auckland to Hong Kong voyage in January (we use our own air not Regents) the BC air upgrade from HK to USA is $1999 pp. However on the Singapore to HK seggie the fare was $999 pp from HK to USA. Using our roll call we shared this information with other guests on our voyage and they got the new $1000 cheaper fare.

 

Silversea markets with similar non transparency. They have a silver fare guarantee meaning they promise to give you the lower fare if they ever lower your cruise's fare.

We booked a Silversea crossing three weeks ago (friends invited us that we had not cruised with in almost 4 years). On June 1st, Silversea initiated a new promotion "Silver Select" meaning 43 voyages (including our November crossing) would get a $1500 SBC or upgrade up two suites if you booked between June 1st and end of July. We asked our TA to ask SS if they would honor this new promotion to our booking. Silversea's answer, No. Fortunately, our TA stepped up and is giving us a healthy SBC.

Edited June 10, 2016 by WesW

[Travelcat2]

This is obviously a change of policy. In the past there has always been an option where the flights do not have an upcharge (but were not necessarily the flights that we wanted). These new rules make it difficult to give advice to people asking questions on CC. Not a good thing IMO.

[Eager2Travel]

Wes, am sorry to hear that Silverseas pulled a stunt like that. I find it very annoying. Good for your TA. They are a class act.

[freddie]

This thread is quite relevant to us, as our Voyager cruise from Dubai to Singapore in December became "FREE Business Air" this week. This thread prompted me to check the cruise on the Regent website. I notified our TA earlier this evening about the change and just received back the reply that they had already processed the changes with Regent yesterday and will be sending out new invoices tomorrow, as soon as Regent can get the changes into its system. We'd booked the Biz upgrade and will now get the credit of $999 pp each way. Yippee!

 

Ah, the wonders of having a really good TA, no?? It is comforting to see that our TA was on the case well before I contacted them.

 

As was suggested earlier on the thread, I posted this information a few minutes ago on our (very small) roll call to remind our fellow cruisers to be sure that their TA's get on this matter before final payment is due in a few weeks.

Edited June 11, 2016 by freddie