WHAT GOOD ARE FFC IF YOU CAN’T BOOK THE SUITE YOU WANT?

[ronrick1943]

Regent needs to step up their game.  You get canceled, then canceled again and again.  You try to book a cruise and all good suites are booked or on hold for someone.  I realize the problems Regent has with Covid19, but if they can’t provide the service they offer with people that have FFC—I just don’t want to take any cruise—but I do want to cruise-but Regent can’t provide the suite I cruise in—I’m beginning to wonder about Regents INTEGRITY.

Let’s be honest we’ve all booked hotels, air, tours and car service.  Sometimes you loss cash because of the canceled cruise.  Any special Bonus in SBC you got for booking a cruise - you lost that also—Regent isn’t giving up much—but I beginning to wonder if Regent cares about their customers.

Edited May 26, 2021 by ronrick1943

[daetchief]

Aloha Ronrick,

 

I feel ya!  The only preferred cabins I've been able to secure were on 2020 cruises - in 2018!  And I don't have to tell you how those turned out.   

Your post refreshes a thought I had when I saw Regent's European Upgrade offer recently.  Free "Two Category Upgrade".   The problem is, it only applies to specific cruises - most of which only have 1-2 G or H cabins available.  I quipped, "A Two Cabin category upgrade is only useful on late season TA cruises when the ship is half empty, or just before a Global Pandemic"  

Keep smiling.  This too shall pass.  I think you need a butler and some sumptuous caviar...

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, daetchief said:

Aloha Ronrick,

 

I feel ya!  The only preferred cabins I've been able to secure were on 2020 cruises - in 2018!  And I don't have to tell you how those turned out.   

Your post refreshes a thought I had when I saw Regent's European Upgrade offer recently.  Free "Two Category Upgrade".   The problem is, it only applies to specific cruises - most of which only have 1-2 G or H cabins available.  I quipped, "A Two Cabin category upgrade is only useful on late season TA cruises when the ship is half empty, or just before a Global Pandemic"  

Keep smiling.  This too shall pass.  I think you need a butler and some sumptuous caviar...

Your right, changes only benefit Regent, not the paying customer.  Plus the 2 cabin upgrade is for anyone that wants to book--doing nothing for the current customer.

Edited May 27, 2021 by ronrick1943
spelling

[labonnevie]

It's not only that you can't get the suite you want, with all of today's cancellations, you won't be able to get a cruise you want to take. Regent really needs to extend the usage of FCC's to the end of 2023 at a minimum.

[ronrick1943]

2 hours ago, labonnevie said:

It's not only that you can't get the suite you want, with all of today's cancellations, you won't be able to get a cruise you want to take. Regent really needs to extend the usage of FCC's to the end of 2023 at a minimum.

Or give refunds until they can have the ships, Itineraries people (customers) want.  If Regent doesn't care about their customers, it's going to be Regents lost (big time).  I realize the problems, but now is the time to step up.

[flossie009]

A previous topic in April predicted that Regent would follow NCL in offering refunds for unused FCCs:

....... but nothing ever developed in that regard 🤨

 

[Pcardad]

3 hours ago, flossie009 said:

A previous topic in April predicted that Regent would follow NCL in offering refunds for unused FCCs:

....... but nothing ever developed in that regard 🤨

 

Or did it? Has anyone actually tried?

 

Edited May 27, 2021 by Pcardad

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

Or did it? Has anyone actually tried?

 

From yesterday's cancellation notices from RSSC:

"** If any portion of the booking has previously applied Future Cruise Credits, those Future Cruise Credits will be reinstated to the guest’s account and are non-refundable"

[Pcardad]

Yep, I am aware of that.

 

[ronrick1943]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

 

From yesterday's cancellation notices from RSSC:

"** If any portion of the booking has previously applied Future Cruise Credits, those Future Cruise Credits will be reinstated to the guest’s account and are non-refundable"

But it also states in bold ALL CUSTOMERS ACTIVE BOOKING.  What you saw in in small print way below.  They should have that up front in bold print.

For All Reservations: 

 

For all active reservations, Regent will provide a 100% Refund on the amounts paid** as of May 26, 2021. Refunds will be processed automatically within 60 days — no action is required by guests or travel advisors to request refunds. 

 

Just really POOR management skills by Regent-and poor customer service.  

Edited May 27, 2021 by ronrick1943

[labonnevie]

For the cruise that was cancelled yesterday (our 3rd Regent cancel) we had:

Early Booking Savings

Bonus Discount Savings

Onboard Booking Savings

Future Cruise Credits

Regent Reassurance Cruise Credits

It is really hard to keep track of all of this and know if you are getting everything back that you are owed. 

Can anyone help clarify what we should expect? I am sure our TA will help us but would appreciate comments here.

20 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

Or give refunds until they can have the ships, Itineraries people (customers) want.  If Regent doesn't care about their customers, it's going to be Regents lost (big time).

Agree with ronrick completely.

[Pcardad]

I can't speak for anyone other than myself but I have a ton of FCC and I am not having trouble finding cruises to put them on....they are good until the end of 2022. Now that I know what is sailing it makes it a bit easier.

[ronrick1943]

35 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I can't speak for anyone other than myself but I have a ton of FCC and I am not having trouble finding cruises to put them on....they are good until the end of 2022. Now that I know what is sailing it makes it a bit easier.

True, the FFC aren't a problem.  It's the:

Onboard Booking Savings

Regent Reassurance Cruise Credits. with this you got a $1000.00 SBC-now it's gone

that should stay with you but don't.  After all if you cancel you get penalized, however if Regent cancels you are told to fine another cruise and who cares if it's not exactly what you want in area of cruising or the suite you want.

[BogeyMom]

Back in 2020 , we took cash refund  for cancellation ( received it all) lost OBC and started fresh with June. 2022 cruise.

[labonnevie]

On 5/27/2021 at 6:34 PM, Pcardad said:

I am not having trouble finding cruises to put them on....they are good until the end of 2022.

In our case, we have been cancelled three times (once a waitlist) for essentially the same cruise: Dubai to Rome/Istanbul or reverse. We had everything perfectly set up for our October, 2021 version, small group tours, overnight to Luxor/Cairo, pre and post packages or hotels, return on Emirates, etc.

Now we are waitlisted (along with probably hundreds of others) for October 31, 2022 version of this cruise. Even if we get it, which is VERY doubtful, we will not be able to match what we had. There are no other versions of this cruise through April 2023. We have done enough Med and Caribbean cruises, don't want to do South America or China/Viet Nam again. So it isn't that easy for us to find where to use the FCC's. Extending them through 2023 would have to help.

[ronrick1943]

Like I said, you cancel you pay a penalty- Regent cancels you, you get nothing, not even service.  Sad when na Company can hold you and your money hostage for over a year.

[Pcardad]

I've yet to see a single client treated unfairly or poorly. Do they always get what they want? Nope. Should they? Nope. But they always get their money if they opted for cash. The only complaints I have seen are people who wanted FCC's and then wanted cash. Did you try charging it back?

[ronrick1943]

6 hours ago, Pcardad said:

I've yet to see a single client treated unfairly or poorly. Do they always get what they want? Nope. Should they? Nope. But they always get their money if they opted for cash. The only complaints I have seen are people who wanted FCC's and then wanted cash. Did you try charging it back?

No I'm not asking for money back, I'd just like to book a cruise I want in the suite I want.  It's really hard right now---like management stated demand is high and supply is low.  Regent really needs to take care of current customers, and see they have the cruise they want before booking others.  I choose a cruise I really like, but not love in a suite that I never book because of Regents policy.  So when supply finally catches up and Regent is looking for Regent Cruisers-some maybe switching to other lines.  I've cruise both "O" and Regent for many, many years.  Now I'm looking a Ritz-Carlton Cruises, my TA is looking for the right cruise for us.

[Grandmaanne7]

31 minutes ago, ronrick1943 said:

No I'm not asking for money back, I'd just like to book a cruise I want in the suite I want.  It's really hard right now---like management stated demand is high and supply is low.  Regent really needs to take care of current customers, and see they have the cruise they want before booking others.  I choose a cruise I really like, but not love in a suite that I never book because of Regents policy.  So when supply finally catches up and Regent is looking for Regent Cruisers-some maybe switching to other lines.  I've cruise both "O" and Regent for many, many years.  Now I'm looking a Ritz-Carlton Cruises, my TA is looking for the right cruise for us.

Ronrick1943, I hope that you can find some satisfaction.  You obviously feel that you are being treated unfairly and that is never good (not for the business and certainly not for the consumer).  Hopefully, after the dust settles on June 2nd, you will find some clarity and be able to book the cruise you want in the suite you want.  We are all anxious to get back to pre pandemic life, which includes far less stress.  Good luck.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 5/30/2021 at 12:23 AM, ronrick1943 said:

Like I said, you cancel you pay a penalty- Regent cancels you, you get nothing, not even service.  Sad when na Company can hold you and your money hostage for over a year.

I really feel for you, and I think you're right.  We cancelled our 2021 WC back in May or June or 2020, took the C$1300 hit for cancellation because we didn't want to have to make full payment and then have this huge amount of money sitting there until Regent cancelled the cruise.  

 

Luckily for us, we decided back in February that now was the time to book our first post-covid cruise. And we did so, on Splendor in July of 2022.  So glad we did, because now there is nothing, nowhere.  I've checked other cruiselines (Azamara, Seabourn ) and it's the same--"oh yes, we have availability", but mostly the accessible cabins only, i.e., one or two cabins per cruise. So despite the huge price we're going to pay for this upcoming cruise, I feel lucky that we booked when we did.

 

Regent, I feel, must step up to the plate and extend the FCC's through 2023.  Perhaps they'll do this after the dust settles on the new itineraries booking in June.

[ronrick1943]

We all know that in good times things are OK, unfortunately Covid hit and things went bad.  Any Company is pretty good in good times, however in bad times that's not always the case.  Regent should shine right now proving they are the Company they say the are, that's not the case in my opinion. You get to know a Company standards when the going gets rough---and again my opinion Regent isn't anywhere near the Company I thought it was..........again my opinion.

 

Remember "Regent Reassurance Program", stay with us, book another cruise and get a $1000.00 SBC, so you did and they cancel again-did they move the $1000.00 SBC to your next cruise.  No, they took it away and pretty much said no bad.  So tell me what was reassuring about that program.

[Dolebludger]

This is just my theory, OK? It seems that the shut-down lasted longer than anybody originally predicted. Thus a huge number of FCCs are out there, and holders are eager to use them. Thus, a current shortage of    suites and rooms on all lines as FCC holders rush to book cruises before the FCCs expire. Had booked guests known how many FCCs would be out there competing for cruises on resumption of cruises (and a reduced number of sailings) they would have opted for refunds, and the lines would have been forced into a longer period of validity. And they should provide that now! 
 

As we have no FCCs and would be cash customers, we need to wait until most FCCs are used up before even thinking about a cruise. That could be a long time, darn it!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

As we have no FCCs and would be cash customers, we need to wait until most FCCs are used up before even thinking about a cruise. That could be a long time, darn it!

Yes Richard, I think you're absolutely right. Glad we took the plunge to book 2022 when we did.  I wish I knew the viability of the PG as well, and I'd try to book there too, but not until I know how Ponant is going to run our dear ship.

[pingpong1]

If the original premise or "motivation" (by customers) of accepting FCC's vs. taking the 100% cash refunds was the expectation of receiving 125% of "future value" for their original cash payment...then that goal would be (is) later negated if the price of subsequent cruises (after restart) were to increase by at least 125%.  A scarcity of comparable cruises and itineraries (at the near-original price) that the issued FCC's could be used for later on (before expiring), magnifies the problem (for the customer).  But many customers holding many FCC's will produce an immediate clamor for cruising and will "fill up every ship" upon resumption of service - which greatly benefits the company.  To keep things in perspective, we have to always remember what the overriding goal of any company is.

 

The issuance of FCC's was obviously a wise marketing and financial tool (along with an inducement to customers) on the part of the company.  It allowed the company to keep those already-received and booked revenues and mitigated some of the sizable financial "downside" they were going to suffer from the loss of additional new revenue anyway.  They were making some lemonade out of lemons.  Regent was able to offset some of their significant and unavoidable revenue losses by offering the FCC's, which really didn't represent any financial loss to them at all, in the big scheme of things.  Furthermore, the issuance of FCC's helped them retain future business and customers (at least for a little while), who will certainly have to "stick around" for at least one or more future cruises, if for no other reason but to "use up" whatever value is still "stored" in those FCC's.

[ronrick1943]

1 hour ago, pingpong1 said:

If the original premise or "motivation" (by customers) of accepting FCC's vs. taking the 100% cash refunds was the expectation of receiving 125% of "future value" for their original cash payment...then that goal would be (is) later negated if the price of subsequent cruises (after restart) were to increase by at least 125%.  A scarcity of comparable cruises and itineraries (at the near-original price) that the issued FCC's could be used for later on (before expiring), magnifies the problem (for the customer).  But many customers holding many FCC's will produce an immediate clamor for cruising and will "fill up every ship" upon resumption of service - which greatly benefits the company.  To keep things in perspective, we have to always remember what the overriding goal of any company is.

 

The issuance of FCC's was obviously a wise marketing and financial tool (along with an inducement to customers) on the part of the company.  It allowed the company to keep those already-received and booked revenues and mitigated some of the sizable financial "downside" they were going to suffer from the loss of additional new revenue anyway.  They were making some lemonade out of lemons.  Regent was able to offset some of their significant and unavoidable revenue losses by offering the FCC's, which really didn't represent any financial loss to them at all, in the big scheme of things.  Furthermore, the issuance of FCC's helped them retain future business and customers (at least for a little while), who will certainly have to "stick around" for at least one or more future cruises, if for no other reason but to "use up" whatever value is still "stored" in those FCC's.

I agree with what you said, a great promotion offer for Regent--at first it did look good for the consumer, but in the end it was a will thought out scheme for Regent.