Has Regent changed to all "paper" for luggage tags and boarding documentation in a paper envelope?

[seasickphil]

There is no necessity for you too check-in online to be fair.

[sabrefan]

You have got to be kidding after paying a lot of money for a cruise? I will be going on my first Regent cruise around Japan in April 2024. I thought this was a top luxury cruise line. I just got off my 3rd Viking cruise and they send us leather luggage tags for every cruise. Maybe I should have cruised out of Japan on Viking? I would have saved money to put toward another cruise. Now luggage tags and leather bound documents are not everything but I agree with previous posters, reduce the color brochures in the U.S. mail.

[cruiseej]

25 minutes ago, sabrefan said:

reduce the color brochures in the U.S. mail.

 

The brochures, although we almost all think are too much, drives increased sales and revenue. It wouldn't make sense to cut them unless/until their market research shows that they can cut without impacting sales.

The fake leather document holder and luggage tag holders drives increased costs.

 

33 minutes ago, sabrefan said:

I just got off my 3rd Viking cruise and they send us leather luggage tags for every cruise. Maybe I should have cruised out of Japan on Viking?

 

You would actually even think about switching cruise line based on whether they send pre-cruise documents in fake leather holder? Are you just being facetious, or serious? We all choose our cruise lines based on those which resonate the most with us, so if that's a criterion that would lead you to choose who to cruise with, I guess you have your answer. 

 

Understanding that every cruise line needs to increase profits to pay back the enormous debts they accumulated during the Covid shutdown, this seems to me like an easy choice. I'd rather they save the money here than cutting back somewhere on staff or food or drink that I'd care about much more. (Nor would I want them to charge me more for them.) 

 

55 minutes ago, sabrefan said:

I thought this was a top luxury cruise line.

 

I'd note that both Silversea and Seabourn, Regent's two biggest competitors in the luxury cruise market, have eliminated fancy pre-cruise document packages as well. I would still label all three as top luxury cruise lines, even without the plastic document pouch or luggage tag holder. 😀

[sabrefan]

As I originally stated this Japan cruise will be my first Regent cruise. As a result I wouldn’t switch cruise lines based on a luggage tag. Having worked for a public company for 34 years I understand making a profit. I have sometimes received numerous multi color brochures from Regent in one week. It seems that a reduction in this marketing strategy should be able to save themselves money without affecting their customer base.

[papaflamingo]

43 minutes ago, sabrefan said:

As I originally stated this Japan cruise will be my first Regent cruise. As a result I wouldn’t switch cruise lines based on a luggage tag. Having worked for a public company for 34 years I understand making a profit. I have sometimes received numerous multi color brochures from Regent in one week. It seems that a reduction in this marketing strategy should be able to save themselves money without affecting their customer base.

Not being in on the decision making process I can't really address this point accurately other than to say that it appears Regent believes that the cost of mailing brochures is worth the money due to the business it brings in.  And they surely believe that it expands their customer base, so, I assume, their research shows that the brochures actually DO affect their customer base.  

Then again, I repeat, I am not a Regent employee and have no knowledge of their marketing decisions other than simple deduction. 

[pappy1022]

I get plenty of these marketing brochures from several cruise lines and I admit, I do take a peak before tossing them in the garbage. For me, it doesn’t impact my cruise destination or cruise line selections because I have been on multiple cruises and I know where I want to explore next and I know what cruise lines I will travel on. I just go to the internet for my research and selection. The only time a brochure is worth it, is to communicate changes in the services provided, special offerings or the new options offered by the cruise provider. For example, Regent’s recent change in their cruise only option would be interesting to know about and I think brochures would be an effective way of communicating to the masses. I could do without the big and expensive color brochures because those get tossed quickly without much of a peak. Maybe they could coordinate their marketing campaigns and for existing customers where they have a valid email address, communicate changes and special offers that method. They could also allow the customer to select their preferred method of communications. Many customer facing companies do this. They do this but then they also send out mini brochures to say the same thing. It would be interesting to know how many people  on this cruise board (a) like getting all of these brochures and (b) are influenced by these brochures to cruise on Regent. Maybe someone could set up a method on these boards to take a poll. My vote for (a) would be no and for (b) no.

[fudge]

We receive loads, and I mean loads from SS, Regent and Seabourn. We dont even open them, over the past 6 months we have returned them saying "no longer at this address" most have finally come to a halt. Its a holiday home so when we visit there were at least 25 sitting there, what a waste.

[pappy1022]

Regent has a very good product and the onboard experience is a big reason we all choose them to cruise. However, it is painfully obvious that they dont put a lot of resources into technology. So instead of providing modern day marketing powered by technology, they fall back on the old paper/brochure mailing process. This may be what some of their customers prefer but if they are going to market to a diverse clientele, they need to look at different marketing channels. In todays environment people want choices in how they get their information and Regent needs to adapt. It’s obvious that cost cutting is a big priority for all cruise lines that are now hamstrung with paying off loans from the COVID years. Technology can bring huge cost savings opportunities. 

[cwn]

If you don’t want the mailings just go to the website and request no mailings. There is a place on Regents website just like most other company websites. 
 

You may have to make the request more than once, but the mailings will stop. I did it a couple of years ago before Covid and haven’t received one since. This has been suggested many times on this board and it does work. Complaining about it is wasted effort. But to Regents credit the mailings we got before ever sailing with them got us to book a first cruise. We had been sailing with Sesboune and SS with many mailings from all three!

 

Bulk mailing of flyers is cheaper and does bring in new and repeat customers more than mailing the box of worthless miscellaneous fake leather stuff to a current passengers will. Passengers will get nice luggage tags when packing to come home as they move up the SS loyalty ladder.

 

Good service by an attentive staff, food and the ship are what make the luxury experience for us. The luxury cruise starts for us when we hear the “Welcome Aboard” and know we are in the good hands of the wonderful staff.

[DaveFr]

1 hour ago, cwn said:

If you don’t want the mailings just go to the website and request no mailings. There is a place on Regents website just like most other company websites. 
 

You may have to make the request more than once, but the mailings will stop. I did it a couple of years ago before Covid and haven’t received one since. This has been suggested many times on this board and it does work. Complaining about it is wasted effort. But to Regents credit the mailings we got before ever sailing with them got us to book a first cruise. We had been sailing with Sesboune and SS with many mailings from all three!

 

Bulk mailing of flyers is cheaper and does bring in new and repeat customers more than mailing the box of worthless miscellaneous fake leather stuff to a current passengers will. Passengers will get nice luggage tags when packing to come home as they move up the SS loyalty ladder.

 

Good service by an attentive staff, food and the ship are what make the luxury experience for us. The luxury cruise starts for us when we hear the “Welcome Aboard” and know we are in the good hands of the wonderful staff.

+1

 

Just go to the Regent website and scroll down to the bottom of the screen. There is a link called “UPDATE MARKETING PREFERENCES” under the Resources heading. When you click that link, you may opt out of some or all of Regent marketing. 
 

Dave

Edited July 25, 2023 by DaveFr

[Pcardad]

https://privacyportal.onetrust.com/webform/3b29983e-65ce-4479-a104-3fcc5cc101d0/0cfb95e2-b866-4ec4-b8ea-47e429cf1ff3

[pappy1022]

Found it and thank you for letting us know where we can find those settings.

[cwn]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

https://privacyportal.onetrust.com/webform/3b29983e-65ce-4479-a104-3fcc5cc101d0/0cfb95e2-b866-4ec4-b8ea-47e429cf1ff3

 

2 hours ago, DaveFr said:

+1

 

Just go to the Regent website and scroll down to the bottom of the screen. There is a link called “UPDATE MARKETING PREFERENCES” under the Resources heading. When you click that link, you may opt out of some or all of Regent marketing. 
 

Dave

Thank you for posting the location to cancel the mailings. I just poked around the website until I found it. It does work though with some of the sites I have had to do it twice. It does work. I have done this with many companies to cut down in their mailers.

[papaflamingo]

20 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

Regent has a very good product and the onboard experience is a big reason we all choose them to cruise. However, it is painfully obvious that they dont put a lot of resources into technology. So instead of providing modern day marketing powered by technology, they fall back on the old paper/brochure mailing process. This may be what some of their customers prefer but if they are going to market to a diverse clientele, they need to look at different marketing channels. In todays environment people want choices in how they get their information and Regent needs to adapt. It’s obvious that cost cutting is a big priority for all cruise lines that are now hamstrung with paying off loans from the COVID years. Technology can bring huge cost savings opportunities. 

I don't really need the brochures, but in all honesty I do read them, for all cruise lines that I get them from, including some of the Major lines like Holland America.  I do it to see what's being offered.  If anything piques my interest I go on line and check it out.  I also get emails with any special offers.  If anything piques my interest I go on line and check it out.  

Regent DOES offer different marketing channels.  They have mailings, emails, Facebook ads, etc.  What other "marketing channels" do you suggest? 

[Chateaunole-du-pape]

We received our first ever promotional mailing from Regent the other day, the most recent "magazine" focused on Europe. We really enjoyed browsing through it.

 

We travel almost exclusively carry-on, so deck luggage tags aren't a concern to us, and I see no need for pleather bag tag holders. I have plenty of those from years of business travel and conferences.