Regent Letdown

[Robyn2]

Naturally very disappointed today to hear our March cruise on Voyager has been cancelled.

But also disillusioned to hear that Regent are not offering any compensation whatsoever for this cancellation.

Regent changed out final payment date from October to January and as a result we have not made our final payment.

Had they not extended the final payment date, we would have paid in full and qualified for the 25% future cruise credit. Now we have just been offered a refund of our deposit!

As regular Regent cruisers at Gold Level, we feel let down.

 

[mj_holiday]

Really...From what I have read on this board, the 125% FCC doesn't get you as much as the 100% cash does in booking future cruises.  I was glad that our final payment date was delayed and when cancelled I got our deposit quickly on another cruise with some discounts, not to mention that we didn't have alot of money tied up for a year or so.  I got the money we had paid for Regent Choice Excursions within a couple days.

[flossie009]

Not sure whether this topic was started “tongue-in-cheek”. If not then it certainly proves the old adage that you can’t please everyone 🙄

 

2 hours ago, Robyn2 said:

Had they not extended the final payment date, we would have paid in full and qualified for the 25% future cruise credit. Now we have just been offered a refund of our deposit!

Sorry that you are disappointed in Regent’s cancellation terms, which IMO are fair & reasonable given the circumstances.
There was nothing stopping you making your final payment earlier  had you so wished.

Edited December 4, 2020 by flossie009

[Shippy]

   OK, figure this one out.....

Our Alaska cruise was cancelled this year. We had paid in full and got the 125% credit

  We rebooked an Alaska cruise for May of next year. I am assuming it will be cancelled..

  Will we get 125% future cruise credit on our already used future cruise credit ?

I would prefer at this point to get our cash back but I assume the odds of that are slim to none !

 

[tert333]

I rolled the dice and paid my final payment on my February cruise early.  I was hoping to have a "lift and shift" option, but they did not give me any.   At this point, not sure what I am going to do, as the only deals are some cruises mid-2021.  I might just end up taking the refund...

[tert333]

2 minutes ago, Shippy said:

   OK, figure this one out.....

Our Alaska cruise was cancelled this year. We had paid in full and got the 125% credit

  We rebooked an Alaska cruise for May of next year. I am assuming it will be cancelled..

  Will we get 125% future cruise credit on our already used future cruise credit ?

I would prefer at this point to get our cash back but I assume the odds of that are slim to none !

 

Here is what they say in the FAQ:

 

Q) If guests already received an FCC from a suspended voyage and applied it towards another voyage that has now been suspended, can they receive a refund?

A) No; once FCC’s are chosen, that path will continue. Any additional payments on the booking will be refunded

 

That does not seem fair, as the window for choosing other cruises is now reduced.   Maybe they would give you more time to book another cruise.  They do not discuss that.

[Shippy]

7 minutes ago, tert333 said:

Here is what they say in the FAQ:

 

Q) If guests already received an FCC from a suspended voyage and applied it towards another voyage that has now been suspended, can they receive a refund?

A) No; once FCC’s are chosen, that path will continue. Any additional payments on the booking will be refunded

 

That does not seem fair, as the window for choosing other cruises is now reduced.   Maybe they would give you more time to book another cruise.  They do not discuss that.

 

  Are you saying we will lose EVERYTHING if they cancel this cruise ????

[tert333]

Just now, Shippy said:

 

  Are you saying we will lose EVERYTHING if they cancel this cruise ????

No, you will be able to use the FCC on another cruise. 

[cuddles115]

In NCLH's mind....YES.  It's stupid and not good for NCLH (Regent)  PR. I wish they would get off the crazy train and realize they are in the business of customer comfort and enjoyment and NOT primarily in the

money-making business. When will they realize and understand that good PR leads to money. We have a choice amongst many lines and CC  forums are our voice.

 

 

[JMARINER]

4 hours ago, Robyn2 said:

But also disillusioned to hear that Regent are not offering any compensation whatsoever for this cancellation.

Really? You think  Regent should compensate you for an "Act of God" that they have absolutely no control over.  Why should they? What am I missing here?

 

J

[cuddles115]

12 minutes ago, JMARINER said:

Really? You think  Regent should compensate you for an "Act of God" that they have absolutely no control over.  Why should they? What am I missing here?

 

J

IMHO your'e missing public relations.  How many "sailors'(including me) have a sour taste in our mouths 

 

because of Regent's poor handling of an "Act of God" and will look for other  cruise lines because of this

 

fiasco. I hope I'm wrong....but, Regent will regret this misstep.

 

 

 

 

[Pcardad]

They have done a better job than other cruise lines....and they do have a primary responsibility to their shareholders, not to their passengers....and that is as it should be. As a client with over 400 nights, I would love to know everything that's going on and get some free stuff but I deserve neither. I will be both happy and grateful if people are safe and healthy and we all get to return to the ship soon.

[ronrick1943]

Well we booked a cruise from Tahiti to Los Angeles , Regent change the cruise to Tahiti to Lima and gave us a $1000.00 SBC to say with them.  Now they canceled the cruise for March 1--we booked another cruise and they took away the credit and said no to moving the credit.  I also don't see why the FCC doesn't get the 25% when canceled as cash---you were just as inconvenient as any customer of Regent.  After all you have to cancel all your other plans that deal with the trip.  A customer is a customer, each should be treated the same.

[Pcardad]

Each customer is given the same two options to choose from...yes? Should there only be one choice?

[SusieQft]

3 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

I also don't see why the FCC doesn't get the 25% when canceled as cash

Because many of the people with FCCs already got the 25% bonus.  Regent has enough challenges right now without letting passengers game the system by rolling over their FCCs multiple times and getting 25% return on it each time.  I think their current terms are very reasonable.  And comparable to what most other lines are doing, but with faster than average refunds when that option is chosen.

[flossie009]

5 hours ago, cuddles115 said:

It's stupid and not good for NCLH (Regent)  PR. I wish they would get off the crazy train and realize they are in the business of customer comfort and enjoyment and NOT primarily in the
money-making business.

NCLH, as with all cruise lines, is at present focussed on survival.
Not sure how they can provide customer comfort & enjoyment until their ships start operating again.

 

4 hours ago, cuddles115 said:

How many "sailors'(including me) have a sour taste in our mouths 

because of Regent's poor handling of an "Act of God" and will look for other  cruise lines because of this

Out of interest how would you have handled the developing crisis over the past year? Which cruise line(s), in your experience, have handled the challenges better and in what way?

 

 

The only criticism we have of NCLH/Regent is their lack of communication; particularly poor in the early months of the crisis. 
Speed of refunds was initially poor but has improved dramatically, in our experience.

Edited December 4, 2020 by flossie009

[Rivercruisevirgin]

My February Splendor Caribbean cruise was cancelled on Wednesday.

This was a rebooked cruise from July, which after rebooking the Caribbean (cheaper cruise) gave us a large FCC.

I have been told that i can have a refund of my original booking amount, which i shall now take and bank.

When cruising gets back to some normality (maybe next summer) i might consider looking to book in the future, but my overriding concern is the financial viability of these companies and indeed the industry. 

[Pcardad]

4 hours ago, Rivercruisevirgin said:

My February Splendor Caribbean cruise was cancelled on Wednesday.

This was a rebooked cruise from July, which after rebooking the Caribbean (cheaper cruise) gave us a large FCC.

I have been told that i can have a refund of my original booking amount, which i shall now take and bank.

When cruising gets back to some normality (maybe next summer) i might consider looking to book in the future, but my overriding concern is the financial viability of these companies and indeed the industry. 

 

If you opted for a FCC at any time in the past those dollars will always remain as a FCC and cannot be refunded. However, any portion you paid in cash can come back as cash.

[Rivercruisevirgin]

Absolutely Pcardad....i have an email confirming that.

Basically the Caribbean cruise was much cheaper than the Med cruise and i had also booked my flights independently.

My email states that i will be refunded the amount paid for the original cruise.

[Robyn2]

I am not looking for compensation for an act of God. Thank God I am lucky to be alive and healthy and am counting my blessings! 🙏

Let me try and explain myself more clearly.

I am just discussing this matter as it affects me and my plans for future cruises with my favorite company Regent, and I suspect there may be others who are similarly affected.

I would not have availed of the final payment date extension had the implications been made clear i.e. I would not be eligible for the 25% credit should my cruise be cancelled.

The position now is that I am competing for bookings on cruises that seem to have inflated prices compared with previous years.  Perhaps these new prices may be inflated to make up for the extra 25% credit given to so many cruisers.

If I want to book a similar 18-day cruise for next year I find that it will cost me at least 25% more that this year. This makes planning for a future cruise a lot more expensive.

 

[Pcardad]

1 hour ago, Rivercruisevirgin said:

Absolutely Pcardad....i have an email confirming that.

Basically the Caribbean cruise was much cheaper than the Med cruise and i had also booked my flights independently.

My email states that i will be refunded the amount paid for the original cruise.

 

Just to clarify for others - once you take a FCC, it will ALWAYS remains a FCC and will NOT be refunded as cash. A 100% FCC may be split ONCE. A 25% bonus FCC may NOT be split. A FCC may be commissioned ONCE.

[howiefrommd]

Just one thing I would like to mention for those who might have to decide between a refund and a FCC.  Our B2B cruises in April and May were obviously cancelled.  I opted to take a FCC.  It was only after I took the FCC  that I researched if there was any protection for me in case of cruise line insolvency.  I contacted the travel insurance (Allianz) and my credit card (Chase Sapphire Reserve)  and it appears that I forfeited any and all rights to reimbursement as the FCC is not covered.  Obviously I should have done that research before making that decision, but I think it is important to share this.  Before taking a FCC you might want to explore and see if your insurance or credit card would cover a loss for a FCC.  

[rallydave]

9 minutes ago, howiefrommd said:

Before taking a FCC you might want to explore and see if your insurance or credit card would cover a loss for a FCC. 

Believe this would apply to all insurances and credit cards as since there is no dollar cost for your replacement cruise sincerely believe that there is no way to get reimbursement for an unspecified value.  Also doubt you can purchase new coverage since you have to tell the insurance company the dollars you paid and you only paid FCC's.

 

Excellent post and reminder howiefrommd.

[SusieQft]

I was told by Travelex that I can insure the FCCs that represent money I initially paid to Regent, but not the 25% bonus FCCs that I did not pay for.  They assured me that if I cancel for a covered reason, that my insurance will reimburse me for the 100% FCCs as well as my new cash payments, as long as I have purchased sufficient insurance to cover that amount. 

 

Financial default of my travel provider is also covered for the full insured amount (100% FCCs plus cash), as long as the travel provider did not solicit my travel arrangements to me.  This last proviso is confusing to me since I do not speak "insurance."  They tell me that it means they will not cover me for the financial default of my travel agent, or Regent if I purchased directly from Regent instead of through a TA.  Hopefully I will not ever have to put this provision to the test.

Edited December 6, 2020 by SusieQft

[rallydave]

Glad to hear at least one insurance company will insure FCCs. Earlier reports were that none would insure thus my previous response.