On board Solendor!

[artlee]

Last night on board. Excellent cruise. I can’t think of any aspect I would rate less than a very good with many excellent. We liked all the specialty restaurants and after a couple early hiccups we also liked compass rose. The staff on board are uniformly professional,helpful, and friendly. Our Superior cabin was perfect for us with tremendous amount of storage space. Lots of places to sit on deck and read in quietness. Snacks never too far away. 

We booked a future undetermined cruise and left a $2000 deposit to be used on a booking with in a year — does not have to actually be taken within a year. And a full refund available within that year. Can’t wait to do it again.

art

 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Enjoyed reading about your impressions of Regent.  Thanks for taking the time to post.

 

Joanie

[desibee]

Heard that Regent is kicking a lot of passengers with covid off the ship in Barcelona.  Would hope that they take care of their patrons who were infected on THEIR SHIP instead of abandoning them.

[Gpilon]

43 minutes ago, desibee said:

Heard that Regent is kicking a lot of passengers with covid off the ship in Barcelona.  Would hope that they take care of their patrons who were infected on THEIR SHIP instead of abandoning them.

Can you kindly provide info from where you heard this?

[flossie009]

48 minutes ago, desibee said:

Heard that Regent is kicking a lot of passengers with covid off the ship in Barcelona.

Were these passengers due to disembark in Barcelona? ....... or are you saying that Regent is curtailing their cruise early?

When you say "a lot", how many?

Are you on board and one of those affected?

 

Regent's policy and procedure for the care of passengers disembarking having tested positive are covered in the FAQs on the SailSafe page of the RSSC website.

[desibee]

Not on board or affected, just heard from friends who are on board who are.  Passengers were not due to disembark in Barcelona, they were continuing on to Trieste but are being made to disembark early following a positive test.

 

As for how many is "a lot", the Regent Splendor is currently under investigation by the CDC and all passengers are being tested for covid regardless of vaccination status and whether they are joining or leaving the cruise if that tells you anything.

[cwn]

Since I don’t think the Splendor is listed as red by the CDC, and if she is orange that means no more than a couple passengers/crew are sick based on passenger load. Several people area posting currently from the Splendor that is due to dock in Barcelona on the 19 th after a TA from Miami.  This a end of a segment, apparently Spain required Regent to test. Is the Splendor still under CDC rules or since she is in European waters is she controlled by other rules?

Edited April 18, 2022 by cwn

[desibee]

3 minutes ago, cwn said:

Since I don’t think the Splendor is listed as red by the CDC, and if she is orange that means no more than a couple passengers/crew are sick based on passenger load. Someone is stirring the pot.

Yes, Regent has clearly written Covid protocols for handling Covid cases. The passengers could have read them before they joined the ship

Orange means that 0.3% or more of passengers are sick.  Current pax on board is what?  What is .3% of that number?

 

And I read the "clearly written covid protocols" thanks ever so, darling.  They aren't so clear on what happens when you test positive mid-cruise.  For example, Regent says:

 

"If the guest(s) is symptomatic, they will receive complimentary treatment by our onboard medical team and will then be quarantined in the designated isolation suites onboard."

 

This did not happen.  Guest was symptomatic but cabin mate tested negative.  Guest was not moved to a designated isolation suite.  They were made to stay in their cabin so of course their cabin mate eventually tested positive as well after being made to stay in close quarters with a symptomatic guest.

 

Regent also says this,

 

 

"If the guest(s) is asymptomatic, they will be quarantined in the designated isolation suites onboard. The length of their quarantine will depend on the severity of the case, the number of days left if the voyage and whether the guest remains asymptomatic or becomes symptomatic. Upon cruise completion, MedCon will arrange for the guest(s) and their travel party to be transferred to a local hotel for quarantining, in accordance with local health authority regulations, if quarantine was not completed while on board. If quarantine was completed on board, guest will follow standard disembarkation protocols. MedCon/Port Agent will manage arrangements for travel/transportation, once the Port Agent advises the guest(s) is cleared to travel home. MedCon/Port Agent are to settle all upfront payments with guest(s)."

 

Again, the asymptomatic guest is not removed from their cabin and quarantined in a designated isolation suite.  Cruise is not completed, as they paid for back-to-back cruise, and yet they are being made to disembark in Barcelona.  Quarantine will not be completed within the time to sail to Barcelona.  No word yet on what is being done in terms of hotel quarantine in Barcelona as passengers cannot fly with a positive test.

 

Not very clear at all imo.  Especially for what is meant to be a six star line.

[Pudgesmom]

5 hours ago, cwn said:

Since I don’t think the Splendor is listed as red by the CDC, and if she is orange that means no more than a couple passengers/crew are sick based on passenger load. Several people area posting currently from the Splendor that is due to dock in Barcelona on the 19 th after a TA from Miami.  This a end of a segment, apparently Spain required Regent to test. Is the Splendor still under CDC rules or since she is in European waters is she controlled by other rules?

We are on this ship. Most of your post I cannot speak to, particularly the number of cases or forced disembarkations.  I did see a meal being delivered to a cabin. The crew member was wearing some additional protection in the form of a clear plastic face mask and gloves.

 

A Covid test is not required to disembark. Tests were offered on this last day before Barcelona to those who needed it to travel home.

 

The Spanish 48 hour online travel form initially required to disembark was reported as a non requirement earlier in the cruise. This form did not require a test, although Spain required a Covid vaccination within 270 days or a booster if longer since vaccination.

 

We are leaving the ship, but not the country, and have not needed to take a test to get off. I hope this was clear as I’m enjoying my last glass of wine on a really great cruise. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Pudgesmom

[desibee]

My contacts have said that testing was given to everyone, not just those needing it to travel home.  After all, they were not travelling home but were tested anyway.

[flossie009]

11 minutes ago, desibee said:

Orange means that 0.3% or more of passengers are sick.  Current pax on board is what?  What is .3% of that number?

Maximum capacity of Splendor is 732 guests plus 567 crew.

Let's assume that she is sailing at present with 600 guests plus 500 crew; total 1100 persons.

0.3% of 1100 totals just over 3

[cwn]

6 minutes ago, desibee said:

Orange means that 0.3% or more of passengers are sick.  Current pax on board is what?  What is .3% of that number?

 

And I read the "clearly written covid protocols" thanks ever so, darling.  They aren't so clear on what happens when you test positive mid-cruise.  For example, Regent says:

According to reports (from other people) there are 450 to 500 passengers on board so .3% of 500 is ~1.5 people. So it does not take many more to trigger the CDC.

 

[desibee]

At this point the number is definitely more than that.  At least 4 and I doubt the ones I know are the only ones.

[cwn]

14 minutes ago, Pudgesmom said:

We are on this ship. Most of your post I cannot speak to, particularly the number of cases or forced disembarkations.  I did see a meal being delivered to a cabin. The crew member was wearing some additional protection in the form of a clear plastic face mask and gloves.

 

A Covid test is not required to disembark. Tests were offered on this last day before Barcelona to those who needed it to travel home.

 

The Spanish 48 hour online travel form initially required to disembark was reported as a non requirement earlier in the cruise. This form did not require a test, although Spain required a Covid vaccination within 270 days or a booster if longer since vaccination.

 

We are leaving the ship, but not the country, and have not needed to take a test to get off. I hope this was clear as I’m enjoying my last glass of wine on a really great cruise. 

Thanks for chiming in here with a first hand report. 
On another note I have really enjoying your reports on the cruise. Have a good time on the rest of your vacation.

[amusea]

 

 

My 73 day cruise starting in Istanbul in October offers hardly any protection if I test positive at the pier.  Basically I am denied boarding and I have to quarantine and return home without any compensation or any refund or FCC for this cruise.  Compare this to the current Silversea guarantee which covers everything.

 

Denial of Embarkation or Reboarding; Quarantine and/or Disembarkation

• If you, your family members, travelling companions or other close contacts are denied embarkation or reboarding, or quarantined or disembarked during the voyage, due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, you and they are entitled to a refund, or an optional FCC, for the cruise fare paid to Silversea in the event of denial at embarkation, or a pro-rated refund or pro-rated FCC for the unused portion of your cruise fare in all other cases.
   
• If you test positive for COVID-19 or get identified as Close Contact during the cruise, Silversea will:
  • cover the cost of necessary COVID-19 related medical treatment onboard the ship;
  • coordinate and cover the costs of any required land-based quarantine for you and members of your Travelling Party; and
  • coordinate and cover the costs of travel arrangements to get you and members of your Travelling Party back home.
     
• If a guest who purchased flights through Silversea is denied boarding at embarkation or reboarding, or is disembarked during the voyage due to a positive COVID-19 test or being suspected of having COVID-19, Silversea will coordinate the travel arrangements, and cover the airline change fees and any difference in the airfare for the same class of service, necessary to fly the guest back to the city of their original flight departure point. If such a guest did not purchase flights through Silversea, the cruise line will assist with coordinating travel arrangements necessary to get the guest back home but will not be responsible for any associated costs.

[cwn]

5 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

Maximum capacity of Splendor is 732 guests plus 567 crew.

Let's assume that she is sailing at present with 600 guests plus 500 crew; total 1100 persons.

0.3% of 1100 totals just over 3

Thanks for the correction. I forgot about the crew. People forget that it doesn’t take many people on Regent ships to trigger the CDC.

[flossie009]

6 minutes ago, amusea said:

My 73 day cruise starting in Istanbul in October offers hardly any protection if I test positive at the pier.  Basically I am denied boarding and I have to quarantine and return home without any compensation or any refund or FCC for this cruise.  Compare this to the current Silversea guarantee which covers everything.

The RSSC protection (see FAQ General - Health & Safety) seems to be very similar to that offered by Silversea, but RSSC requires that guests pursue the costs with their travel insurer first, which does not seem unreasonable.

[islabahia]

26 minutes ago, desibee said:

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by islabahia

[desibee]

1 minute ago, flossie009 said:

The RSSC protection (see FAQ General - Health & Safety) seems to be very similar to that offered by Silversea, but RSSC requires that guests pursue the costs with their travel insurer first, which does not seem unreasonable.

Regent will only offer any of that if you are denied coverage by your travel insurance.  They will give nothing if your travel insurance will only cover, say, a couple hundred dollars a day for quarantine and a hundred bucks for a flight.    Regent will not cover the remainder of what you should need if you test positive mid-cruise.

[Travelingwithstyle]

27 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

The RSSC protection (see FAQ General - Health & Safety) seems to be very similar to that offered by Silversea, but RSSC requires that guests pursue the costs with their travel insurer first, which does not seem unreasonable.

Curious...does anyone know what happens if a person didnt choose to buy insurance and they test positive on Regent.  What will Regent do?   No need to post why everyone should have travel insurance,  etc. 

Just a question....curious if anyone knows.

  Silverseas and Azamara ( Azamara at least as of January when we disembarked after being on Nov 4- Dec 10th and Dec 23-Jan 7th) have very similar coverage so you dont have to go through your insurance.  They take care of you if you tested positive for covid.   

[cwn]

25 minutes ago, flossie009 said:

The RSSC protection (see FAQ General - Health & Safety) seems to be very similar to that offered by Silversea, but RSSC requires that guests pursue the costs with their travel insurer first, which does not seem unreasonable.

 

22 minutes ago, desibee said:

Regent will only offer any of that if you are denied coverage by your travel insurance.  They will give nothing if your travel insurance will only cover, say, a couple hundred dollars a day for quarantine and a hundred bucks for a flight.    Regent will not cover the remainder of what you should need if you test positive mid-cruise.

Agree with Flossie….. in Covid times you really need to read and understand what travel insurance will and won’t do…. Also Regent. Travel is always a gamble but more so right now. Even in the past time travel insurance did not always make you whole when something happened.

 

Do you know for a fact that Regent will cover nothing if the travel insurance will not cover all costs. Your friends don’t dock until tomorrow….. how do they know what Regent will do, they have yet to know what their insurance will cover or to contact Regent with the uncovered expenses for cost yet to be encountered.

 

[RetiredandTravel]

US travel insurance "trip delay" covers a maximum of $4k for a couple.   I would guess any quarantine would cost more.  Does "Sailsafe" cover the differential?

 

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[pnsnkr]

8 hours ago, desibee said:

My contacts have said that testing was given to everyone, not just those needing it to travel home.  After all, they were not travelling home but were tested anyway.

 

We are getting off the ship at Barcelona and we aren't required to take a test.

 

We will be required to take a test to get on a plane to the US but that isn't until a few more days.

 

[desibee]

1 hour ago, cwn said:

 

Agree with Flossie….. in Covid times you really need to read and understand what travel insurance will and won’t do…. Also Regent. Travel is always a gamble but more so right now. Even in the past time travel insurance did not always make you whole when something happened.

 

Do you know for a fact that Regent will cover nothing if the travel insurance will not cover all costs. Your friends don’t dock until tomorrow….. how do they know what Regent will do, they have yet to know what their insurance will cover or to contact Regent with the uncovered expenses for cost yet to be encountered.

 

I know what Regent's policy said regarding only stepping in when there is a denial of coverage from trip insurance.  If they will do more than their policy states then great, but somehow I doubt it.

[desibee]

27 minutes ago, pnsnkr said:

 

We are getting off the ship at Barcelona and we aren't required to take a test.

 

We will be required to take a test to get on a plane to the US but that isn't until a few more days.

 

Strange.  Why, I wonder, were some targeted for testing despite also getting off the ship at Barcelona but not leaving the cruise and some not?