Transfer questions

[lesliebe]

Please help understanding CURRENT Regent policy regarding 'free transfers'..

 

If I arrive at airport the day of cruise;  with my 'free transfer' Regent gets me to boat....

If I use my 'free night' at their hotel with 'free transfers' Regent gets me to boat on BUSSES?

 

If I arrive early, stay at my own hotel and then move to their hotel, do I get anything 'other than from their hotel to boat".  

Friends are saying that Regent would still pick me up at airport......is that correct under any scenario?

 

Secondly, can you clarify how Regent gets me from dock in Southhampton to Heathrow (bus or private transfer) and how much time is needed before flight.

 

I am a newbie, and I appreciate all your answers!

[Anchorbuoy]

1 hour ago, lesliebe said:

Please help understanding CURRENT Regent policy regarding 'free transfers'..

 

If I arrive at airport the day of cruise;  with my 'free transfer' Regent gets me to boat....

 

 

Yes, if you use the included Regent air program.  If you take the air credit and buy an airline ticket on your own, then the transfer is not included.  However, you can purchase a transfer in advance.  Transfer is usually via a bus.

[Anchorbuoy]

1 hour ago, lesliebe said:

If I use my 'free night' at their hotel with 'free transfers' Regent gets me to boat on BUSSES?

 

Yes. 

If you fly with Regent included air, and use the included hotel, you will have 2 transfers.  Both are usually on buses.

[Anchorbuoy]

2 hours ago, lesliebe said:

If I arrive early, stay at my own hotel and then move to their hotel, do I get anything 'other than from their hotel to boat".  

Friends are saying that Regent would still pick me up at airport......is that correct under any scenario?

 

The only way to arrive early and get the transfers would be to use Air Deviation via Regent, and purchase the pre-cruise hotels via Regent.  In that case, you would get the transfers. 

 

If you fly independently, you will not get a transfer to the hotel.

 

If you take the included hotel via Regent, a transfer to the ship would be included.

[Travelcat2]

If you use Regent Air and are in a concierge or above suite, you get included transfers from the airport to Regent's hotel and, the next day, from the hotel to the ship.  Yes - there are buses and you are assigned one (which is one reasons that you stay in the Regent hotel - they give you information upon arrival, pick up your luggage from outside your room and you do not see the luggage again until it is delivered to your suite.

 

If you are not in a concierge or above suite, Regent expects you to arrive the day of embarkation.  They will pick you up from the airport and take you to the ship.

 

It sounds as if you want to arrive a few days early.  This requires Custom Air (aka deviation).  While this costs $175/person, you can select your own flights and times (for airlines that Regent is contracted with - which is most of them) 270 days prior to the cruise which gives you more flight options than when you are assigned flights 75 days prior to the cruise.  I highly recommend deviating flights.

 

Prior to the end of your cruise, you will receive disembarkation paperwork in your suite.  You fill in your flight time and flight number.  Based on this information, Regent will put departure luggage tags in your suite.  Accompanying the luggage tags will be information on departure which includes the approximate time that you will debark the ship.  They leave plenty of time to get to the airport to make your flight.

 

When you book your own hotel, you typically do not get transfers.  I do not want to say this definitively because some passengers have gone to the hotel and somehow managed to get to the ship.  I would not assume that this would happen and would plan my own transfer.  After all, you receive a hotel credit for booking your own hotel and that typically covers the cost of the transfer as well.

 

This is the current policy (and has not changed in a heck of a long time).  

 

Hopefully you have a TA that regularly books Regent cruises and they can assist you with understanding the rather complex policy (plus, luxury TA's give a percentage back on your cruise and sometimes give considerable OBC's).

 

P.S.  In my opinion, transfer to the ship are not a big deal (although they are a bit more expensive in London).  Even when we stayed at Regent hotels, we had our luggage go to the ship while we took a cab.  We did not want to go via bus because when buses arrive, there could be longer lines and you get to the ship later than if you simply took a cab.  

 

 

Edited July 7, 2019 by Travelcat2

[Anchorbuoy]

2 hours ago, lesliebe said:

Secondly, can you clarify how Regent gets me from dock in Southhampton to Heathrow (bus or private transfer) and how much time is needed before flight.

 

Same as any other city.  Regent will provide transfers via bus.  Private transfers (limo or van) can be purchased via Regent.

Each airport has its own requirements for ticketing and security times.  Typically 2-3 hours for international flights is recommended.

[Anchorbuoy]

5 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

If you are not in a concierge or above suite, Regent expects you to arrive the day of embarkation.  They will pick you up from the hotel and take you to the ship.

 

They will pick you up from the airport, since you are not in a hotel.

[Travelcat2]

3 minutes ago, Anchorbuoy said:

 

They will pick you up from the airport, since you are not in a hotel.

 

Thanks - I was able to correct the statement before my "editing" time ran out!

[taxare]

Through Regent Air, I had wanted to book a 12:30pm flight from LHR to the US and Regent did not want to book it that early and therefore we are on a 1:45pm. We have twice booked at the same hotel that Regent used due to a significant cost savings and high likelihood of a suite upgrade due to my status with that hotel company. We did inquire with the Regent representatives at the hotel about purchasing transfers. The first time the price for the transfer was too high, and we did our own, the second they said they could not offer us a transfer but as long as we had the Regent tags with the cabin number they were willing to take our bags to the ship. Since we are not a high enough level with Regent, we have always transferred via bus or large van.