Regent should now include drinks on board

[LHT28]

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

 

most cruiselines add a 15% gratuity to the bar drinks.

Maybe not the really upscale one but Princess, Oceania, Orient, Carnival & NCL all do

[LHT28]

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.

 

But I bet the price of the NCL cruise was a LOT less than RSSC.;)

[Leonid]

Crystal adds 15% to a drink and Oceania adds 18%! At least Oceania did the last time we sailed the line (01/2005).

Hvae sailed on Seabourn 5 times and have never, ever seen an inebriated passenger. Granted, some start right when any bar opens. Doesn't mean that they can't hold their alcohol.

[vaitape]

Very well said, LeeAnne. We are paying nice money for a very nice 14-day cruise in Sept and would so appreciate not having to sign chits for that after-dinner drink at Le Palette (never can spell that correctly) or the odd beer when having an at-sea day.

[Dolebludger]

There is always that argument of "I don't drink so why should I have to pay for drinks for others in my fare?" It comes up everytime "open bar" ships are discussed. Well, I almost never go to the shows, that are free on all lines. Yet, the cost of them is included in my fare. A true lux line should include in the fare a whole assortment of included things and activities so that there is something for everyone, with no "nickel and diming" for any of it.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Leejnd4]

Excellent way to state it, Richard!

 

LeeAnne

[joannapvb]

Agree Richard - I never go to any shows BUT if you told people they'd be charged for them maybe they'd understand why we like inclusive across the board - I have never seen anyone on Radisson drinking from morning to night - the passengers on my cruises have been cordial social drinkers - never saw any abuse -

[dave415]

We're on Mariner South Pacific 26 nt from San Francisco. It's listed in RSSC brochures as being one of their "Grand Voyages" (World, Circle South America, Circle Asia/Pacific, please correct me if I'm wrong) apparently the other "Grand Voyages" were already scheduled to be all inclusive, but not South Pacific. Maybe now we'll luck out on being one of the "select" sailings being upgraded to all-inclusive mentioned previously in this forum. It's certainly not a make or break thing, but it is a nice touch not being nickeled and dimed.

 

That being said, does anyone know how much the normal charge is for additional en suite "liters of spirits". ;) Our two liters sure won't last for a month....I mean 15 sea days is 15 sea days. :D

 

Thanks

[English Voyager]

It is worth repeating that a positive attribute of an all inclusive drinks policy is the lively pre dinner atmosphere in the bar(s),thus providing an opportunity to socialise.

On our previous Radisson cruises,the bars,pre dinner,have generally been dead.People generally order their pre dinner drinks at the table.

[Jim B]

LHT28

That is what everyone thinks. They look at the price of RSSC and automatically just throw it out "Because it is to expensive"

Well even before RSSC goes all inclusive when we would get our final bill it is around $150 to $200, and that may include a spa was well as excursions.

On NCL our bill including the tips was somewhere around $1,200.00!!

AND we were in a outside 150 sq. ft. cabin, had to stand in line for everything compared to RSSC 300 sq. ft. cabin with balcony. Mini frig with beer water and soda in it, and a liter bottle of Grey Goose, Crown Royal, and Chamagne included in the price. Bottom line the price was within a couple hundred dollars and RSSC is so much superior.

 

03/22/80 Commodore MS Caribe

02/15/03 Regent Paul Gauguin

02/22/04 Norwegian Dream (ick)

11/12/04 Regent Seven Seas Mariner

02/15/05 Regents Seven Seas Diamond

12/27/05 Regents Seven Seas Voyager

01/09/07 Regents Seven Seas Mariner

[jhp]

You can order additional bottles through room service. I think charge is $20 or so, depending on what you order. The liquor sold in the shop is held for you until debarkation, and is actually more costly than purchasing through room service.

[AtA]

There is always that argument of "I don't drink so why should I have to pay for drinks for others in my fare?" It comes up everytime "open bar" ships are discussed. Well, I almost never go to the shows, that are free on all lines. Yet, the cost of them is included in my fare. A true lux line should include in the fare a whole assortment of included things and activities so that there is something for everyone, with no "nickel and diming" for any of it.

 

Thanks,

Richard

I'm an almost non-drinker (I'll maybe drink 1/2 a glass of wine with dinner and then not every night). I think Richard you said it best.

[LHT28]

LHT28

That is what everyone thinks. They look at the price of RSSC and automatically just throw it out "Because it is to expensive"

Well even before RSSC goes all inclusive when we would get our final bill it is around $150 to $200, and that may include a spa was well as excursions.

On NCL our bill including the tips was somewhere around $1,200.00!!

I am not saying that RSSC is not worth the extra $$

but you cannot compare RSSC with NCL or Princess.

 

We just did a cruise on the Norweigian Dream for $1800. plus $300 for tips etc it was not the best cruise but price was much less that 1 fare with RSSC.

 

I would not go NCL again but we were in Houston so we thought we would try it. I agree with your comment on NCL !! ;)

[Jim B]

Our cruise on NCL Dream was a "fact finding" cruise.

We have a group of 8 couples, (not all go at the same time), who cruise together and commented that RSSC just seemed to be getting to expensive.

Wife and I were in NOLA and decided to give NCL Dream a try just to see if maybe they would work for our group. What a terrible experience it was. Only thing positive was we had met someone on CC and planned to meet while on board. They had decided to upgrade to a owners suite with Butler service and wanted us to go to their cabin and use the benifits they received from that. That part was lots of fun, but the rest. UGH.

I alwasy use this comparison.

NCL Dream 50,000 tons 1,880 passengers on board.

RSSC Mariner 50,000 tons 700 passengers on board.

[Dolebludger]

Jim's post brings out an interesting point, and one of the reasons "lux lines" are higher than budget lines like NCL. The Dream (which I laughlingly call the "Nightmare" has one of the worst passenger/space ratios on the sea (unless one counts Windjammer). The ratio is a little over 26. The Voyager is a little over 71. This means that in the public rooms, areas, halls, and cabins, the Voyager has 2.7X more space per guest than the Dream. When traveling, space is costly. Just compare coach air with first class air to see what I mean. We were on the Dream (once) and I was claustrophobic the whole time. It made me want to yell "skunk" just to get some privacy.

 

Not all mass market ships (or NCL ships) are as crowded as the Dream or its sister ship the Wind. Some NCL ships have passenger/space ratios as high as 35, and some RCL ships approach 40.

 

I agree that RSSC prices have become much higher since Jim and I started cruising in earnest about three or four years ago. RSSC is right up there with Silversea and Seabourn in many cases, whereas RSSC used to under-cut those lines a bunch.

 

I think Jim will agree with me that, rather than go back to those crowded mass market ships, we'll just cruise less. And get nickeled and dimed less too.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[Jim B]

Amen Richard.

[jhp]

I go with JimB and Richard on this, but take your pick. Just depends on what you want for a cruise....less dollars spent or a wonderful experience with no hassles, no nickle-diming, and wonderful cabins, even at the lowest level (still balcony on most RSSC ships)

[joannapvb]

think Jim will agree with me that, rather than go back to those crowded mass market ships, we'll just cruise less. And get nickeled and dimed less too.

 

I will too!!! Even if I have to cruise Radisson once a yr vs twice, as I am now doing, so be it - it is topnotch line and inclusive makes it perfect - Joanna

[Jim B]

Yes that is what we will do.

The only other thing will be to see if RSSC changes any of their itineraries.

With only four ships we are afraid that eventually we will have to repeat ports of calls to cruise with them.(Big problem to have huh?).LOL

[jhp]

Hey, JimB , just keep in touch with Silversea. They are really the closest thing to RSSC now. All inclusive, and all balcony. They come up with good deals near the sailing date, rather than what RSSC does with good deals way out.

[Winner]

Silverseas suites are NOT all balconies; suites are either Vista or Veranda and only the verandas have balconies. (Yes, I know some of the Vistas have a "shared balcony" but those are not really the same.)

[Hoyaheel]

Silverseas suites are NOT all balconies;

You're right of course. Silversea is 80% balcony. The rest are Vista suites (same size as the veranda but with picture windows instead of balconies). Still not a bad ratio:D

[TheRegentExp.RESAgent]

I'm a Regent Res agent and i just want to state how pleased and happy most of our repeat guest know our product.

As most of previous post in 2007 we will be including in all a complimentary liquor package, on all 2007 sailings. Similar to what we have been doing on the 2005 and 2006 World Cruises, guests will receive complimentary beverages including fine wines, beer and spirits throughout the ship. Certain premium and top quality brands will continue to be available on a charged basis.

In regards to the upgrades to the ship now that we have become Regent that will be done over the next 12 months, In the meantime, one of the most visible physical changes in the

upcoming two months will be changing the logo on smokestacks

(the actual names of the ships will remain the same).

Another great thing will be we're getting into the bed game, signing an

agreement with Anichini, the sheet/duvet maker for Four

Seasons Resorts, to be doing special linen, bedding, and towels

for us."

 

These Egyptian cotton linens and eight different beds were

tested in cabins, with passengers rating which ones they found

the most comfortable. The ones with the highest ratings are

being placed on the ships. "We can't do this all at once, but it all

will be done in drydocks over the next 12 months,"

Onboard changes will be more extensive on the earlier ships

than on the most recent. "Voyager (delivered in 2003) will

probably be the last to get everything because it's so new...

We're doing a lot of changes on the Navigator

[delivered in '99], particularly in some of the suite layouts: things

like removing big cabinets built to hold the TVs, replacing them

with flat screens, which allows for more rooms in the suites.

We're also looking at a major redo of the Navigator spa, though

plans have not been finalized

I hope that gives you all a good idea of what some of the changes will be on our ships any more questions feel free to ask and ill do my best to get you an answer!

[larry1365]

For RESAgent:

 

Do you know if Voyager will have flat screen TVs and WiFi throughout the ship prior to 2007 WC? I seem to have read someplace that it is due for drydock in Nov/Dec this year. Can you confirm? Thanks.

[DocDesdin]

I'm a little suspicious of this person and wonder if it's just a travel agent masquerading as a res agent. No name or contact information is given.