Regent should now include drinks on board

[ethical]

Now that Radisson has "upgraded" to Regent, I feel it is imperative for the cruise line to get on par with the other "top" lines, like Seabourn, and not charge for drinks. It is petty and annoying to have to always sign a chit for a drink. We just were on a Seabourn cruise for two weeks and it was such a pleasure not to have to have chits to review once we were presented with our bill. Let's hope this policy will be established asap.

[Jim B]

On some selected 2006 and beginning 2007 Regent Seven Seas Cruises will be all inclusive.

They have been listening to their clients after all.

Also understand that cabins will be upgraded some with new beds, sheets, bedspreads etc.

[Leonid]

Does anyone know which selected 2006 cruises will be "all inclusive?" We're booked on the 11/30 sailing out of Auckland, NZ.

[Leejnd4]

Yes, we're on that too, wouldn't that be GREAT if they do all-inclusive for us? We just got back from our Windstar cruise, and that darn bar bill was eye-popping. As much as I loved that cruise, I absolutely hated signing all those stupid chits.

 

LeeAnne

[Leonid]

Until RSSC goes all inclusive, I would be interested in knowing what they add on to an alcoholic beverage for a gratuity ( for your convienence, of course). The most I've experienced was 18% on Oceania.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

The price is all inclusive. This is a no tipping required cruiseline, except, for in the spa.

[Leejnd4]

Wow -- I've never seen a gratuity added to a drink price on a cruise. They didn't do it on Windstar, and they are NOT all-inclusive regarding tips. Do the mass market lines do this?

 

LeeAnne

[jhp]

For 2006, I think only the World Cruise and cruise that went around South America was all-inclusive. Don't know of any others, but starting in 2007, Regent/Radisson is all-inclusive, drinks, tips, everything.

[Leonid]

ChatKat: Thanks for reminding me. I forgot that the "no tipping " policy applies to drinks.

 

LeeAnne: Other than RSSC, Seabourn & SS are "no tipping." Just about all the other lines do, including Crystal, Oceania, HAL & Princess.

[Leejnd4]

I guess I didn't realize they actually add tips to the drink prices. Sheesh! I mean, they already automatically charge you big ol' tip charges...AND they add them to the drinks? Wow.

[blackbird71]

The price is all inclusive. This is a no tipping required cruiseline, except, for in the spa.

 

Not true. There is a tip in drink prices. Watch the waiters, at say the pool bar each waiter has a glass behind the bar in which he places all his signed chits.

 

IMHO the only reason they would have signed chits grouped by each waiter is so the waiter can get his "commission" on the drinks.

[Portolan]

Not true. There is a tip in drink prices. Watch the waiters, at say the pool bar each waiter has a glass behind the bar in which he places all his signed chits.

 

IMHO the only reason they would have signed chits grouped by each waiter is so the waiter can get his "commission" on the drinks.

 

This rationale applies to everything. Any operation that is "no tipping" has adjusted their overall prices accordingly. They don't hire personnel at the same rates as lines that tip and tell them, "tough, no tips". There may be mechanisms behind the scene that reward more productive employees (accumulate the slips) or that may be simply an accountability mechanism. The attraction of "all-inclusive" and "no tipping" is that you've paid once, up front (and, for me at least, sort of forget about it so you can enjoy the benefits thereafter) and then don't feel continuously nickle and dimed. You certainly still pay for it.

[Jim B]

Regent Seven Seas Cruises. There is no tipping while on board. There is no tip added to your drink when you do have to pay for it. Can't tell you about spa and salon. Since they are independent contractors and I have not been to them.

 

I was on NCL and they added 15% to every drink I ordered. Then they added a tip on our bill at the end of the cruise.

[Leejnd4]

The way I see it, if the price stated is the price you are charged, there is no tip. On the other hand, if the menu lists the drink price as $5.00, and the chit comes with a price of $5.30, they added a 15% tip. If the cruise fare is $3,000, and when the bill comes it's $3,000 (other than things you actually bought), then it's no tipping. If they bill comes and there's an additional charge of a couple hundred bucks on there that doesn't apply to anything you bought, that's a tip.

 

So RSSC is, in fact, a no-tipping cruise line. How they disburse the money they get from you for the things you buy is a payroll issue, not a tip issue. Commissions are not tips. That's how I see it, anyway. :)

 

I much prefer a no-tipping policy. I just like knowing what I'm going to pay upfront, rather than having something added that wasn't included in the price quoted.

 

LeeAnne

[blackbird71]

 

I much prefer a no-tipping policy. I just like knowing what I'm going to pay upfront, rather than having something added that wasn't included in the price quoted.

 

LeeAnne

 

The worst was the Old HAL, they had no tips required, and there was NO place on your bar chit to add a tip, you had to tip in cash.. It was a real pain in the butt.

[merryecho]

Excuse me Leeanne, but I think a 15% tip added to a 5$ bill would total $5.75, not $5.30 (which would be a 6% tip).

[Leejnd4]

Yeah well I never did well in math. My t-shirt slogan reads, "I can't be overdrawn -- I still have some checks left!"

 

LeeAnne <----(feeling sheepish!)

[gdlamberth]

LeeAnne,

Don't be concerned you said in your Windstar review you were a free lance writer not a free lance accountant.

[Leonid]

Still like the way Seabourn & SS handle the drinks...you don't sign for anything. On Seabourn, the SPA was another matter; although one did not have to leave a gratuity for, say a message, my wife & I always did...and it was appreciated. I asked if they got the gratuity, and I was told YES!

On Oceania the drink gratuity was 18%. It alledgedly went into a pool to be divided up between the wait staff & bartenders. The way Oceania plays the "nickel & dime" game, I wondered if the troops got the full 18%. I asked and did not get a straight answer, which led me to believe that they did not.

Although my wife & I do not embibe excessively, we like the "all inclusive" philosophy...hate to sign chits!

[Portolan]

Although my wife & I do not embibe excessively, we like the "all inclusive" philosophy...hate to sign chits!

 

Neither do we, but I'm glad Regent (argh!, hate the name change!) is going all inclusive. We like to pay upfront, and then feel pampered. Our RSSC drink bill for past cruises has probable averaged less than $15 per day so we probably lose in the big picture against how much the fares have gone up for 2007, but that's OK. We want a luxury experience and don't want to be reminded at every drink that there are extras! Bring on the Aquavit!

[Jim B]

Yes RSSC fares have or will go up but don't forget

that the price includes all inclusive, and extra charge for fuel which they currently are charging you something like $5.00 per day per person.

I think that makes the 2007 increase not as bad as it appears.

[petlover]

The free internet that many of us will get onboard starting next month will also help ease the $$ pain!

[MarilynK]

I oppose including all drinks in the fare. Why should I, when I seldom if ever have hard liquor, have to pay for the cost of those passengers who drink from crack of dawn to the end of the day. I think including dinner wine as RSSC has done is a sensible compromise policy.

[Leejnd4]

Marilyn, this topic has been discussed quite a bit on this board -- I bet you'd find the discussions very interesting. If you do a search on this forum for the term "all inclusive" you'd see quite a few detailed threads pop up, where you can read all the varying opinions on this.

 

I understand your perspective. But from my perspective (and others in here), it's the right way to go. First of all, Regent is trying to position itself with the other luxury lines such as Seabourn and Silverseas, who are already all-inclusive and have been for some time. Second, at least one person on this board actually had a conversation with Mark Conroy about it, and he told him that the actual increase in cost to go from their current state of dinner-inclusive to all-inclusive was estimated to only be about $15 per passenger (can't remember if that's per day -- Richard?). Their 2007 prices bear this out -- despite going all-inclusive starting in 2007, the prices did not go up markedly...they went up some, and at different levels for different itineraries, but much of the price increases can be attributed to adding the fuel surcharge into the price rather than charging it separately, as they are doing now.

 

Third, I think that it's just not that common to find passengers on the luxury lines who sit around sucking down booze from morning to night. These are not the "party ships" you see in the mass-market lines. Those who've cruised Silversea and Seabourn can bear witness to this -- it's just not a common problem on these lines due to the passenger demographics, I guess. I'm sure there are the occasional problem drinkers, but you just don't see it like you do on the big party ships.

 

Now if Carnival or Royal Caribbean ever went all-inclusive, at least on some of their ships methinks they'd have to have a separate medical clinic for end-of-cruise detox! LOL!

 

LeeAnne

[petlover]

MarilynK, I understand your take on all this but you truly are in the minority. Most of us (and I certainly don't drink off and on all day!!) would rather pay one price up front and be done with it. Even those that rarely drink hate to sign chits while on a cruise. I think RSSC going completely "all inclusive" is long over due. LeeAnne said it perfect!

 

Luckily for you, there are other luxury cruiseships (such as Crystal) for you to choose from.