Another RSSC cruise on the books ...

[ArtsyCraftsy]

Just booked a back-to-back cruise for the summer of 2020 -- a shorter one, a total of 15 days / 14 nights, Vancouver, BC to Seward, AK and Seward to Vancouver in early July.  I've decided I want to try to do an Alaska cruise every summer -- there's so much to see there that multiple trips are warranted, and I can think of no better way to celebrate my birthday than being on a ship in gorgeous surroundings.

 

This fits nicely between my two other RSSC cruises already booked for 2020:  the World Cruise (Jan 24 - Jun 4), and the Grand Cape Horn Adventure (Oct 29 - Jan 5, 2021).  Coincidentally, ALL three cruises are on the Mariner, as was my first RSSC cruise last fall.  I honestly didn't plan it that way intentionally -- all of these are itinerary-driven.  It just turned out that the Mariner is going where I want to go in 2020.  Someday I'll sail on another RSSC ship, but I'm perfectly fine with the Mariner.  I had such a wonderful time last fall, so this is perfectly fine.  

 

This means I'll be spending over 200 days on the Mariner in 2020.  Bliss!  😄

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA 

[Travelcat2]

So glad that you enjoy Regent so much that you book yet another cruise.  Hope that your birthday onboard Regent will be wonderful!

[Hambagahle]

Looks as though you are moving to the Mariner!!  Not much time off it in 2020.  And nothing wrong with that!  Have fun...

[boblerm]

Enjoy every minute!

Bob

[ArtsyCraftsy]

I had originally scheduled a Viking Ocean cruise to Alaska for summer 2020, but I got rather fed up with their lack of customer service and their policy of requiring full fare payment 1 yr in advance.  They initially demanded full payment in December 2018 (20 months in advance) and when I refused, the Viking cruise consultant consulted his supervisor and got it advanced to July 2019, which is still over a year out from embarkation day.  

 

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that my curiosity about the Viking product wasn't sufficient to put up with that poor customer service and having to relinquish a load of cash for a friggin' 21 day Alaska cruise over a year in advance.  Heck, RSSC requires full payment only 6 months in advance for the 131-day WORLD CRUISE, which is totally understandable!  Most shorter cruises have a lead time of 3-4 months.  One has to wonder if Viking's ambitious shipbuilding schedule has something to do with needing maximum cash up front.  

 

Whatever -- I KNOW I like RSSC, and I know what I'm getting for my cruise $$.  That's good enough for me.  As the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[cruiseluv]

Wow, one whole year in advance!! I had never heard of a cruise line with that policy. With regards to Regent, it does irritate me that cruises over 14 days have to make final payment 5 months in advance, including run of the mill Caribbean cruises like the 15 days Navigator I'll be doing in November. No way would I pay anybody one year in advance.

[gnomie1]

Payment more than five months in advance would be a deal breaker for me - reading the threads on the Viking boards, people have reported having their travel agent negotiate payment six months in advance, but I do not like having to ask for special favors for rules that I believe are ridiculous in the first place.

 

gnomie

[DocJames]

1 minute ago, gnomie1 said:

Payment more than five months in advance would be a deal breaker for me - reading the threads on the Viking boards, people have reported having their travel agent negotiate payment six months in advance, but I do not like having to ask for special favors for rules that I believe are ridiculous in the first place.

 

gnomie

We wanted to try Viking and booked a cruise well over a year ago through our T/A.  He told us that Viking would ask for full payment immediately but said he thought it was an absurd policy.   Since his agency is one of Viking's top bookers, he was able to move it to six months out from sailing otherwise we were not going to book it.  I agree that it is ridiculous policy but they seem to be getting away with it given many of their cruises are full and sell out quickly and well in advance.  Our cruise departs from Auckland in less than two weeks so we will see how it compares to Regent (and also find out why Viking loyalists are willing to part with their monies so far out from a cruise).   

[commodore2010]

On 2/6/2019 at 12:43 PM, cruiseluv said:

Wow, one whole year in advance!! I had never heard of a cruise line with that policy. With regards to Regent, it does irritate me that cruises over 14 days have to make final payment 5 months in advance, including run of the mill Caribbean cruises like the 15 days Navigator I'll be doing in November. No way would I pay anybody one year in advance.

 

They do this to help finance the building of all their new ships.   As long as the money keeps coming in they can continue.