Wow, Just got a crazy offer from Regent

[tubeamps]

This is about 25 days until flyout.

About a week ago received an email from Regent asking if we would give up our current reservation and in return we would get a cash back bonus and they would transfer our reservation to a similar, not identical itinerary for Feb 24.

We didn’t take the offer.

 

Today received an voicemail from a Regent rep saying the ship was overbooked and would we willing to cancel and receive full refund plus 10% of whatever we paid or,

Similar itinerary 50% off next Oct with full refund now.

 

Anyone care to guess what is driving this? Tempted

[wcsdkqh]

Would have been useful information if you had shared the ship and the specific itinerary.

[flossie009]

If you are happy with the offer and do not mind missing your upcoming cruise then do not delay in accepting; they will be making similar offers to others and as soon as they have secured the suites required then that will be it.

I assume the cruise is waitlisted.

[tubeamps]

It’s Japan and is waitlisted.

What I don’t understand is why they would go to the additional expense of compensation when they would just fill the room with a similar passenger.

I assume the new booking would be at a higher rate, but that higher revenue would be offset by additional compensation to me.

 

what am I missing here?

[Techno123]

@tubeamps - be careful though as our Japan/SE Asia cruise for next month was cancelled as no stops allowed  in China. Offered an alternative at 25% off which, when booked onboard (so should be best price) ended up being £2000 more expensive.

[flossie009]

17 minutes ago, tubeamps said:

Anyone care to guess what is driving this?

 

3 minutes ago, tubeamps said:

what am I missing here?

 

The likelihood is that Regent have oversold "Guarantee" reservations, and therefore need to free up some suites.

[flossie009]

28 minutes ago, tubeamps said:

Similar itinerary 50% off next Oct

As @Techno123 advises check carefully the price of the alternative cruise being offered for next year .......... and whether you can secure the suite that you want.

[pingpong1]

So If I'm understanding correctly, your 2 choices would be between...1. Getting a full refund of your paid fare plus an additional 10% bonus added to that refund ...Or...2. getting a full refund of your original paid fare and being able book a "similar" future itinerary sailing next year for a 50% discount off that new fare.  Correct?

 

And I guess the 3rd choice would be to "do nothing" and see if they get enough other "takers" who accept the deal to free up the number of suites they need.  How "badly" do you want to go on this particular originally booked cruise?

 

Not sure what I would do.  My first inclination (assuming that I wasn't hell-bent on keeping the original booked cruise) would be to see if I could just leave the money (that I had paid already) with Regent, ask for a similar itinerary next year...ask for no additional money or "bonus" back from them, and instead ask for a "substantial" complimentary suite upgrade on that new (replacement) itinerary next year (maybe to a "named suite").  Regards

[tubeamps]

12 minutes ago, pingpong1 said:

So If I'm understanding correctly, your 2 choices would be between...1. Getting a full refund of your paid fare plus an additional 10% bonus added to that refund ...Or...2. getting a full refund of your original paid fare and being able book a "similar" future itinerary sailing next year for a 50% discount off that new fare.  Correct?

 

And I guess the 3rd choice would be to "do nothing" and see if they get enough other "takers" who accept the deal to free up the number of suites they need.  How "badly" do you want to go on this particular originally booked cruise?

 

Not sure what I would do.  My first inclination (assuming that I wasn't hell-bent on keeping the original booked cruise) would be to see if I could just leave the money (that I had paid already) with Regent, ask for a similar itinerary next year...ask for no additional money or "bonus" back from them, and instead ask for a "substantial" complimentary suite upgrade on that new (replacement) itinerary next year (maybe to a "named suite").  Regards

That’s basically it. As for wanting to go “badly” now, I wouldn’t characterize as that. 
However, its 25 days until departure and I’m pretty much set in pre travel mode and want to conclude the journey.

And I agree that if they offered a substantial suite upgrade I would be more inclined to accept the offer, but I’m already in penthouse B and I would need a named suite to get my attention.

that’s not going to happen.

 

Pretty much have decided to take our planned trip. 
 

thanks for the responses.

[mj_holiday]

Let us know what happens in the end.

[Gilly]

13 hours ago, tubeamps said:

Pretty much have decided to take our planned trip.

Personally, I think we would have done the same.  A bird in the hand is worth...quite a lot!!

[Pcardad]

They are doing it to convert a potential sale (waitlist) to a definite sale while retaining the current sale on a different cruise. They are trying to get their occupancy numbers up as this is a big number, as is future sales %, that they report to Wall Street every quarter.

[papaflamingo]

This isn' t all that new.  We had Navigator booked last March for 10 nights in the Caribbean in a Deluxe Verandah.  We were on an airline rate (very unusual for Regent), so deeply discounted.  Four days before the cruise we got a similar email offer.  If we pushed to Nov. or Dec. they would switch us to Mariner, upgrade us to a Penthouse (HUGE upgrade considering it's Navigator to Mariner and Verandah to Penthouse), and give us 20% refund.  We had a pipe freeze at Christmas and were in the middle of our re-construction so this was a major "win" for us!  

As Pcadad says it's all about the money.  They have our money for over a year as it turns out, because part of this is the "final payment" date is the ORIGINAL cruise, not the upcoming one.  So we can't just cancel.  PLUS they get the cost from whomever takes the cruise.  Like everything in any business, if you really want to know why....follow the money.  

[NYC-London]

The next earnings call is scheduled for November 14th and after the last one,  NCL is under a great deal of pressure.

 

I follow a number of websites where "last minute" cruises are highly discounted and it appears that NCL is doing whatever necessary to fill empty cabins with fire sale prices, and unlike Regent where most everything is prepaid, hoping that once the passengers get on board and got such a good deal on their cruise, will spend lots of money while on board.

[Fairgarth]

On 10/2/2023 at 11:56 AM, tubeamps said:

About a week ago received an email from Regent asking if we would give up our current reservation and in return we would get a cash back bonus and they would transfer our reservation to a similar, not identical itinerary for Feb 24.

We didn’t take the offer.

 

 

A further complication, of course, would be if you had booked prepaid, non-refundable flights/hotels, VRBO/limo etc.

[papaflamingo]

1 hour ago, Fairgarth said:

 

A further complication, of course, would be if you had booked prepaid, non-refundable flights/hotels, VRBO/limo etc.

The amount that Regent offers off a future cruise can often more than cover any cancellation fees.  When we changed our cruise, we were driving, so no problem there and the hotel was cancellable.  Of course I NEVER prepay anything I don't have to just for some "odd" circumstance like this.  The one thing was my Insurance.  I was able to call the company and even though only 4 days before the cruise, the company allowed me, for a few hundred dollars, to switch the dates of the cruise and continue the coverage.  So I still came out WAY ahead cash wise.  

One more comment about air fare.  We alway book as far out as possible.  So almost every flight we've had for the last couple of years have had some minor schedule change after booking.  Because of that it always gives us the option of changing or cancelling the flight.  That seems to be happening more and more and really is good deal for passengers as it gives a sort of "automatic out" if there is a change in the cruise or vacation. 

Edited October 3, 2023 by papaflamingo

[islandhalls]

Tubeamps - I quickly realized we were on your cruise; we got the first offer but the replacement cruise was of no interest. We have a sweet 🐕 who recently got diabetes and we’re still working with the vet to stabilize his glucose levels. When I saw your second offer, I called our TA and was offered the same full refund plus 10%. My DH and I agreed that we just can’t leave him. Done. Thank you for your post. Someone just got a nice penthouse on the Explorer. We will sail another time. Enjoy Japan! 

[zalusky]

Viking gave us a move over offer on a 14 day Italian cruise this last May.  Complete refund of all monies paid including business air.

 

Allowed us to pick another sailing equivalent up to 24 months in the future with business class air for free.  

 

Upgraded room one level in our cases to Junior Suite.  They threw in the drink package.  They also reduced the trip insurance increasing our refund since our cost is essentially zero except for Medical.

 

We could not turn that down.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

This happened to us many years ago. 100% refund and 50% of fare credit for another cruise.

The same itinerary was not offered on the same ship and the fare was more than doubled for the next sailing.  We used our credit for a Med Cruise in an Aft Suite on Mariner.  Research the next sailing carefully.  Not all cruises are equal.

[GOARMY]

Just returned from our Explorer cruise to Tokyo, and add-on stay.  

 

Regent will do whatever it needs to do if placed in the uncomfortable situation of "overbooking" a cruise.  

 

2014.  Voyager Sydney to Beijing segment.  We booked the previous year--together with my brother and his wife; and mutual friends.  So, six of us.  

 

Two weeks before our flight to San Francisco--to catch the flight to Sydney:  Offers began.  Initially, full cash credit for a future cruise and some FCCs (can't recall specifics).  No.  Every other day came an incentive to cancel and reschedule.  Full future credit plus $5,000 cash; then, upped to $10,000.  Stayed in touch with our TA, who advised the pot would be sweetened. 

 

It was.  Full cash refund plus $15,000.  

 

The final offer received two days before our fly-away from Seattle was cash refund for current cruise PLUS $24,000 cash.  Of course, we were tempted.  But--considering the long planning, and that we would be with family and friends--did not "bite".  

 

And, as determined early on that cruise, Voyager sailed out of Sydney Harbor with the six of us contributing to ship's full capacity.  Assume Regent got others to take the bait; and/or had to deal with unhappy folks who did not clear Waitlist.  

 

In the interim, have received one or two other offers to reschedule similar to those described above. This is in-line with current (Post COVID) cruise realities and corporate financial considerations.  We have not accepted any.   

 

Happy travels.  See some of you in a few months when aboard Mariner. Unless we get an offer we "can't refuse".  (Apologies to Godfather I.)

 

GOARMY!

 

 

  

 

[TheShag]

On 10/18/2023 at 4:46 PM, GOARMY said:

Just returned from our Explorer cruise to Tokyo, and add-on stay.  

 

Regent will do whatever it needs to do if placed in the uncomfortable situation of "overbooking" a cruise.  

 

2014.  Voyager Sydney to Beijing segment.  We booked the previous year--together with my brother and his wife; and mutual friends.  So, six of us.  

 

Two weeks before our flight to San Francisco--to catch the flight to Sydney:  Offers began.  Initially, full cash credit for a future cruise and some FCCs (can't recall specifics).  No.  Every other day came an incentive to cancel and reschedule.  Full future credit plus $5,000 cash; then, upped to $10,000.  Stayed in touch with our TA, who advised the pot would be sweetened. 

 

It was.  Full cash refund plus $15,000.  

 

The final offer received two days before our fly-away from Seattle was cash refund for current cruise PLUS $24,000 cash.  Of course, we were tempted.  But--considering the long planning, and that we would be with family and friends--did not "bite".  

 

And, as determined early on that cruise, Voyager sailed out of Sydney Harbor with the six of us contributing to ship's full capacity.  Assume Regent got others to take the bait; and/or had to deal with unhappy folks who did not clear Waitlist.  

 

In the interim, have received one or two other offers to reschedule similar to those described above. This is in-line with current (Post COVID) cruise realities and corporate financial considerations.  We have not accepted any.   

 

Happy travels.  See some of you in a few months when aboard Mariner. Unless we get an offer we "can't refuse".  (Apologies to Godfather I.)

 

GOARMY!

 

 

  

 

You are a 'Man of Steel' for not biting on that offer. I wonder what would have been the case if they had offered it to all of your travelling companions.

[RachelG]

I have been given many of these offers in the past,  none recently.  But I did take on because it was so generous, really couldn’t say no. 

[zak477]

Back in 2017 we were doing a Hong Kong to Beijing cruise on the Voyager. My TA got a call from Regent offering us an upgrade, abc and and our suite would be the same for both segments,  if we would continue on the next segment, Beijing to Bangkok at a cost of $2500 each. Beyond cheap !! And we were upgraded to concierge. Oh and an additional $500 ship board credit. We never got to Xi'an to see the clay warriors or the river cruise we had planned but boy did we enjoy the second segment. As it ended in Bangkok, the Regent post overland was to Angkor Wat.  A wow of a cruise and so many places from our bucket list. 

Sadly, we have not been offered anything since so if offered take it.

[1cruiselvr]

I wonder if they are doing these kind of offers anymore. 

[Pcardad]

8 hours ago, 1cruiselvr said:

I wonder if they are doing these kind of offers anymore. 

If they can earn additional money and not sail with an empty cabin, they will make the offers.