About to book...what would you do?

[flyboyswife]

Greetings all! New to Regent and wow, this page has been a tremendous resource.  My mom is treating my family to an amazing Regent cruise and has asked me to handle the booking.  I’m trying to be a good steward of her finances....  We are about to book 2 concierge level (possibly higher) cabins on the Voyager for the April 2023 TA from Miami to Barcelona. Here’s the dilemma du jour: this cruise encompasses my teen’s spring break but she’s still going to miss 4 days of school. I’m really not comfortable with her missing more than that. So, I want her to fly to the embarkation city after the school day ends on the day before the ship leaves.

 

Questions:

Based on what I understand re Regent Air, I need a deviation for (at least) my daughter and one adult (to cut costs, the other 2 adults may just take what Regent assigns). If I do this - i.e. for only 2 of the 4 travelers, I believe I will need to book the cabins in such a way that the two with deviations are in the same cabin.  Let me know if you disagree - i.e. can only one person in the cabin have a deviation?

 

If I’m correct and both passengers in the cabin have to get deviations, I’m inclined to book my husband and daughter in the same cabin with both of them getting the deviation.  I can book my mom and I in the second cabin, flying on whatever Regent provides. Once on the ship, we get the rooms sorted out so that my husband and I are in one cabin and my mom and daughter in the other. Any problems with this approach?

 

Alternatively, I buy my husband and daughter’s flights independently - i.e. pass on using Regent Air for this route.  They would still need Regent Air for the return. We also still need the hotel room for the night before we sail.  I’m considering this option because the current price of their desired outbound air tickets is less than the $175 deviation.  Is there a benefit to paying for a deviation even though the deviation costs more than the specific flight?  I wonder if by going the deviation route, Regent is responsible for the flight and any issues that arise - vice my buying separately and if something happens, my husband and daughter would be on their own. If this is the case, and in order to avoid additional deviation charges, should my requested deviation be a generic “non-stop after 5pm local time from DCA” instead of a specific flight number (which could later be cancelled)?
 

Sorry this is so long. I’m looking at a booking that requires full payment immediately, so I want to have all my ducks in a row. Thank you!

 

[PaulMCO]

If you are doing a deviation, I would specify my specific flights.  (there is no difference in specifying generic or specific -- you could ask for a specific and alternatives, as Regent does not control whether a flight is cancelled or schedule changes)

 

Since you are doing a Transatlantic, I would hesitate on an evening flight from DCA the day before.

You could have weather that could cancel the flight and the next available flight could be the following evening.

 

Yes Regent could help in an air issue but it is up to the airline to sort these issues out.

[sita]

Strongly recommend booking thru a TA that works a lot with Regent. In addition to managing all the particulars in your booking, you could expect a sizable rebate in your cruise fare and an on board credit. And yes, they will assist if something goes wrong with your Regent flight. As far as you deviation request, research the flights and tell them exactly your preference.. I usually give my agent my top three options. 

[Lonedaddy]

Miss the day at school your teen will gain much more wisdom if she engages in conversation with many of the wonderful regent passengers.  I’m 60 and on our last(and first of many) regent cruise learned so much and enjoyed so many conversations and I think many of us older folks will agree we love conversing with the younger generation and sharing our life experiences with them.  I found when I had the opportunity to take my children traveling they learned so much!

[Techno123]

11 hours ago, flyboyswife said:

Here’s the dilemma du jour: this cruise encompasses my teen’s spring break but she’s still going to miss 4 days of school. I’m really not comfortable with her missing more than that. So, I want her to fly to the embarkation city after the school day ends on the day before the ship leaves.

 

As a teacher, I am with you re missing school, however, I am sure if you chat with her form tutor that it will be possible for her to have all the work she is missing and then you can allocate some time for her each day to work on it. It might even be possible for her to zoom into school on the days when you are still in the US (the Wi-Fi probably won't be good enough at sea). It will be a lot less stressful for you as a family.

[papaflamingo]

I may have missed this... where are you flying from and to?    If the flight cost is less than $175 then by all means simply make your own arrangements.  If they fly the night before, then you still have the ability, if something happens, to get out early the next day and to the ship on time.  Are you taking out cruise insurance?  

Your screen name "flyboyswife" makes me wonder.... I am a retired airline pilot.  Is your husband a commercial pilot?  If so, then you are very likely aware of the workings of the airlines.  That will certainly help in your decisions.  

Anyway, if your city pairs are U.S. domestic, and not transcontinental, then you may not have much to worry about.  

[flyboyswife]

Papaflamingo - Thank you. Very aware of how the airlines work as you suspected; my husband is an international freight carrier. We’re flying DCA-MIA. So in your opinion, no benefit to having Regent do the deviation? Would we get a credit of any kind for passing up this one way route (included in cruise fare)?

 

We were thinking of requesting IAD for the return - but it doesn’t look like there are any nonstops from Barcelona. So we’ll likely keep DCA. 
 

Thank you again for responding!

[papaflamingo]

40 minutes ago, flyboyswife said:

Papaflamingo - Thank you. Very aware of how the airlines work as you suspected; my husband is an international freight carrier. We’re flying DCA-MIA. So in your opinion, no benefit to having Regent do the deviation? Would we get a credit of any kind for passing up this one way route (included in cruise fare)?

 

We were thinking of requesting IAD for the return - but it doesn’t look like there are any nonstops from Barcelona. So we’ll likely keep DCA. 
 

Thank you again for responding!

Who does your husband fly for? My son is a FedEx pilot. I was Delta.😎

DCA to MIA, I'd book my own ticket.  Yes, you do get a rebate of around $150 or so from Regent for not using their flights.  You can still use their return.  In fact it should tell you on the website what the airfare credit is. The majority of the airfare will be the International portion.  I'm fairly sure the Domestic is $150.    You shouldn't have much problem getting from DCA to MIA.  Of course time of year is a factor for weather, but if you have a couple backups you SHOULD be ok.  I really don't think that once you deviate, you get any real benefit from Regent other than their airfare.  For international Business Class, they can't be beat.  But domestically you go Coach so it isn't always a savings.  

I purchase my domestic flights with my Delta discount.  Between the $175 deviation fee and the $150 cost of one way domestic, I can get First Class for close to the same.  I've done this on both cruises I've taken, paid for my flight to the cruise, but used Regent for the International return.   In fact, I'd suggest you look at Deviating home from Barcelona.  For the $175 you can select a flight that may be way more convenient for you and you'll be able to secure it up to 270 days out.  Even if you are coming home the same day the cruise gets in. For me, it's worth $175 to pick my airlines and flights ahead of time.  If they can't offer you something you want, you simply don't deviate and let them figure it out.  

[flyboyswife]

Papa - thanks! He’s with Kalitta. I’m not understanding your comment:  If they can't offer you something you want, you simply don't deviate and let them figure it out.  
 

I thought the whole point of the deviation is they give you what you ask for. Appreciate your help!

[cwn]

24 minutes ago, flyboyswife said:

Papa - thanks! He’s with Kalitta. I’m not understanding your comment:  If they can't offer you something you want, you simply don't deviate and let them figure it out.  
 

I thought the whole point of the deviation is they give you what you ask for. Appreciate your help!

As I understand it, Regent will  get what you want if it is part of the existing contracts for seats they have with the various airlines. If you don’t like what they can do you don’t have to except. They may have a airline contract that covers seats on  the flights you want.

Edited October 31, 2022 by cwn

[wcsdkqh]

In other words, no guarantee you will get what you are requesting. You don't pay the 175 unless there is mutual agreement on the flights.

[flyboyswife]

4 hours ago, cwn said:

“Regent will  get what you want if it is part of the existing contracts for seats they have with the various airlines.”

But only if you pay for the deviation, right? They’re not going to get me what I want unless I ask them for a deviation…and pay. This is my understanding. 
 

Please, if I’m wrong, let me know. To me it sounds like I get what Regent gives me - unless I’m requesting/paying for the deviation.

[wcsdkqh]

49 minutes ago, flyboyswife said:

But only if you pay for the deviation, right? They’re not going to get me what I want unless I ask them for a deviation…and pay. This is my understanding. 
 

Please, if I’m wrong, let me know. To me it sounds like I get what Regent gives me - unless I’m requesting/paying for the deviation.

Correct.

[red1head]

You only have to pay the deviation fee if you accept the proposed flights and have Regent proceed with booking the flights. Depending on the flights there could also be an additional fee (above what Regent has budgeted for cost).
 

We just booked flights from TPA-BCN and LHR-TPA on the return for our June 2023 cruise. Through our TA, we provided several flights outbound and on the return that would work for us. The outbound itinerary they proposed was a variation on our request and had a too short layover in EWR. The outbound flights we had requested were available but for a considerable up charge. Our TA saved the day proposing yet another outbound itinerary that worked for us and we got our original non-stop home-bound flight. First class domestic, business on the international legs with seats selected to our satisfaction. We paid the deviation fee once we booked the flights.

[papaflamingo]

On 10/31/2022 at 8:58 PM, flyboyswife said:

But only if you pay for the deviation, right? They’re not going to get me what I want unless I ask them for a deviation…and pay. This is my understanding. 
 

Please, if I’m wrong, let me know. To me it sounds like I get what Regent gives me - unless I’m requesting/paying for the deviation.

As others have said, correct, you only pay the deviation fee if you accept their offer.  It's changed since the last time we deviated.  Now, it seems, you have to get your T/A to contact them with your request, then you'll get their routing offer and you have a few days to review it and decide if want to accept it or not.  We were doing this last May for a cruise in Jan. that we ended up canceling. The counting offers were not what we wanted so we proposed alternate routes, but canceled before we got a new offer.  

So what is best is if Regent will talk to you on the phone directly.  Not sure if they've started taking calls again or not.  If so, have all your "ducks in a row."  Know what flights you want.  If they have contract seats on those flights, then they'll get them for you.  If no contract seats they may offer an upgrade cost to book them.  I simply look at 2 or 3 alternatives and see what I can do. They don't charge the deviation fee until you accept the flights they offer you.  So it's free to do a deviation request.  

If you choose not to deviate, then yes, you agree to accept what Regent gives you or book your own flights and take the air credit.  But Regent won't assign flights until around 75 days or less before sail date. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by papaflamingo

[sita]

Just noticed you intend to buy concierge or higher, if your prime reason to deviate for two of you was to get in the day before embarkation, concierge and higher typically includes arriving a day early and a hotel room… unless something has changed.

[GOARMY]

sita:  

 

No change as to Concierge hotel when arriving a day earlier.  Which, no matter what--unless one lives within walking (or easy commute from residence to Port) distance--always plan arrival at said Port at-least one day before Embarkation.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

Edited November 3, 2022 by GOARMY
Context

[PinkMEB]

Sounds to me like you need an experienced travel agent. Working out issues like this is what they do. Good luck. I’m inclined to agree with those who suggest you talk to your child’s teachers and let her miss four days of school.