Oh no...what IS the deal with the Mariner?

[Leejnd4]

I haven't been on Cruise Critic in ages, because I've been really focused on a different pursuit -- learning SCUBA diving in preparation for my 18-day Auckland-Los Angeles cruise on the Mariner. Last I checked, we were scheduled to hit 7 port stops over this 18 day cruise, all of which have fantastic diving. Well, I popped onto the RSSC website tonight and noticed that TWO of our seven port stops have been dropped -- two of the best dive spots! And now I'm reading that the Mariner isn't really fixed?? Does anyone know what's really going on?

 

I've been attending classes and going on dives for weeks and weeks now in preparation for this cruise. I've passed my Open Water certification and am more than half-way onto my Advanced Open Water cert. If we miss these two sites, that cuts in half my entire reason for taking this cruise...which is mainly to pursue my new passion of diving, not to spend three weeks bobbing around the Pacific ocean on a cruise ship.

 

Hey, I've been a passionate supporter of RSSC, but if I will not be happy if this is true.

[xplrcrzn]

Yes, the Mariner is limping around the Pacific, a fact that has been well-known for awhile. Your TA should have notified you and discussed options with you and Regent. Call your TA NOW.

[Leejnd4]

I knew about the problems in Alaska, but I was under the impression that it was all fixed. I've been checking the board every now and then, and all I saw was that she was back to normal. I didn't see the posts until today that said that there were still problems and that ports were being dropped. I'm just devastated. I called my TA, they are looking into it. The only thing I can hope right now is that I can get onto the PG at the same time -- I'm on hold right now trying to do that. If not, well, we're sure as hell not going to pay well over 10 grand just to bob around in the Pacific. If we wanted to spend weeks on a ship, we'd have booked a transatlantic for less than half the price.

[skitravel]

I've been following all of the posts regarding the Mariner not being 100%, since we're on the 11/15 Sydney-Auckland cruise. I asked my TA to call Regent last week and they said the ship was repaired, which we now know is not true.

 

I just compared my original itinerary to the revised on their web-site and we'll be visiting all ports with some slight time adjustments.

 

I'm concerned about crossing the Tasman Sea, which I hear can be rough, with the ship not being tip-top. I know I tend to worry about things I shouldn't worry about, but I don't like it when Regent doesn't give us the whole story.

 

Leejnd4: I feel badly for you and your change in itinerary......you should have been informed.

 

I'm assuming this problem cannot be fixed until dry dock? Can it get worse?

[Leejnd4]

I'm still trying to gather information, but what I do know is that the problem is with the pods, and as far as I can tell the only remaining problem is that it can't get up to top speed. This should have no impact on its ability to cross the Tasman Sea, other than it's going a bit slower. Other than being a bit slower than normal, the ship is apparently fine.

 

Lucky you -- you still get to visit all your port. On our cruise there were only 7 ports to begin with, on a 19-day cruise, and to drop two of them means that we're basically paying 12 grand to sit on a ship. Not the vacation we wanted.

 

I just got off the phone with Regent. My TA is out of the office right now and will call me back when she gets in, but I didn't want to sit around and stew, knowing that others might be snapping up what PG cabins are left, so I called Regent directly. They are being really nice -- they seem very concerned with helping me, and are being very caring. They are working on getting a cabin to hold for me. As for the money I already spent on our plane ticket to New Zealand...well, we'll have to see what we can do about that. My poor Mom -- I'm doing this cruise with her, and she's just devastated. We both are.

 

LeeAnne

[skitravel]

I'm happy to hear Regent is trying to help you......please keep us posted (no pun intended).

 

We are very fortunate that our itinerary has not changed.....

 

Good Luck!

[Leejnd4]

It appears that everything's going to work out. Not perfectly -- the cost for the flight change is astronomical -- but we ARE getting on the PG! YAY!!! My TA is just a gem, she has been scrambling tirelessly for me, and pulling all kinds of rabbits out of her hat.

 

So here's the deal. Since we'd already purchased our flight from Air New Zealand, what we're doing is keeping our original flight from LA to Auckland, spending several days there, then flying Auckland to Papeete. We'll then board the ship for the Dec. 2 PG cruise, 11 days that include the Marquesas. The best part is that it includes Rangiroa, which is the one dive spot that I REALLY want to do! It's the main reason I've been killin' myself trying to get my Advanced Open Water certificate before we go, because it's the only port stop that has those advanced dives that are supposed to be some of the best dives on the planet.

 

The costs are going to end up being similar to what we were paying. Naturally the lower categories on the PG are sold out, but we managed to get a D. The only other issue is that the cabin doesn't have twin beds, and I'm taking this cruise with my Mom. But they managed to get us a cabin with a pull-out love seat, so we'll have two beds after all!

 

There are down sides to all of this...the cost, for one. If I'd booked this trip to begin with, it would be costing us at least a couple thousand less. First of all, since we booked this soooo long ago, we surely could have gotten a lower category cabin for much less. Second, we wouldn't have had to go to NZ at all...we would have just gotten flights to Tahiti. I don't even want to say how much the additional airfare is costing! It's insane...but it was either spend that and go to NZ, or throw away all the money I already spent on non-refundable tickets. I'll spend the extra and take the trip to NZ.

 

The other downside is just that we have to actually fly home -- we won't have those lovely 8 extra sea days on the ship to cruise to LA. The upside is that we'll get home earlier...not a bad thing since it's right before Christmas.

 

So my TA has really come through for me here, on really short notice. And I can't complain about Regent -- they were wonderful to me on the phone, immediately contacted my TA, and very quickly found a solution, apparently putting me AHEAD of the waitlist to get us a confirmed cabin, and waived the cancellation fees involved in dropping the Mariner and switching the funds to the PG.

 

Now I've got to get back to the drawing board in terms of trip planning. We're going to be in NZ a few more days than originally planned, and we're going to have to re-do our shore excursion plans. Not that this is a bad thing...hey, I'm back in trip planning, which I haven't been in for several months. See...lemonade!

[BILLP1]

I wonder if anyone has heard when and where Regent expects to fix the Pod.

before they have more problems with IT?

[sttrost]

LeeAnne - I am sorry to hear about the turmoil with your trip. Glad to hear that you were able to scramble to another boat. It sounds like you and your mom will have a wonderful time. I wish I was on the same cruise.

 

I just returned from Voyager trip, Athens to Rome. Went with my mom and brother. Santorini is still my most favorite place in the world.

 

Scott

[Leejnd4]

Hi Scott! Long time no see! Hope you had a wonderful time on your cruise with your Mom and brother. Were you escorting another big group? Was it as good as last year's cruise?

 

Yes, I'm really relieved that I was able to rework this trip. I'm disappointed on several fronts -- there were a lot of things about the Mariner trip I was looking forward do, one of them being the Cordon Bleu class, others being the "Focus on Hollywood" theme, and the Cousteau Society activities. But I've been working so hard to get my advanced diving training and certification just so I could dive in these islands, and I wasn't willing to have done all that work and not get to do the dives. I'm also unhappy about the additional money it's costing me. But I know my mom and I will have a great vacation.

 

Yeah, I wish you were going to be on the same cruise as well! :) Hey, have you published any more books lately? I just got my first short story published! Remember talking about that? I actually did it.

 

Anyway, nice to hear from you. :)

 

LeeAnne

[sttrost]

LeeAnn - The cruise I just returned from was just with my mom and brother - no group, no responsibilities. It was heaven.

 

My mom and I went with a group last spring to the Baltic. Russia, St. Petersburg and Moscow, was an incredible surprise. We loved it.

 

My brother went through a suba certification and was on the PG last spring. I've never gotten the full skinny on the results. I'll find out and let you know.

 

No book publishing this year. But we should talk. I have some thoughts you may be interested in. Congratulations on the short story. I assume it was fiction and would love to read it.

 

Scott

[Leejnd4]

Scott -- email me at leeannewrites at yahoo dot com