Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    The Regency cruise line ships are rather old and small, remember
    when booking a cruise you get what you pay for.

    Hi,
    
    I went in June with the same deal (one person free).  The food was
    superb, however the ship itself was old and shabby.  People who had
    never been on a cruise before loved it.  I felt we got what we paid
    for.  It was a good deal, got to see six ports, entertainment was ok
    but all in all in couldn't compare to RCCL's ships.  I had a good time,
    but don't think I would try that line again (unless it was an offer I
    couldn't refuse!).
    
    Ro
    

    My wife and I had an opportunity to take our first cruise in October
    and didn't want to do major damage to our vacation funds on something
    we were both inexpereinced with.  After much comparison shopping and
    note reading we selected a 7day cruise on the Regent Sun.  Made stops
    at Granada, Barbados, Martineque, Marie Galante, St. Thomas & San Juan
    - also from where it sailed.
    
    I thing we got MORE than we paid for on the "Sun". The service was
    comparable to that we've received at better hotels, the food was
    excellent & plentiful (as I have gathered is the case 85% of the time),
    the ship was clean and rooms were exactly as I would have expected -
    small but efficient.  We opted for an inside cabin in mid-ship and as I
    suspected didn't spend a lot of time there.  
    
    The Sun is a recent acquisition by Regent lines but I learned that it
    was originally built for Israel (named Shalom) and is TURBINE powered.
    On at least three occassions we had left port as we were in the middle
    of desert at dinner & I DIDN"T KNOW IT !! (no wise cracks about the
    amount of wine we had or anything about that !)  
    
    Entertainment on board was just ok, well maybe a little better than
    just ok - two shows, etc.  Actually most of the time we enjoyed the new
    friends we made and that I believe was the key to our good time. Some
    people who seemed to stay off to themselves seemed miserably bored (to
    me).  We met other people, on the various islands, traveling on other
    cruise lines (including Princess & Norwegan) who were not as happy with
    their experience.
    
    Now, before you lay this glowing report off to inexperience, we met a
    real nice couple (DINKS  -  dual income/no kids) who had taken at least
    8 previous cruises on RCCL/Norwegian/Carnival and they expressed that
    service and accommodations were at least equal to the best of the best
    that those lines had to offer and couldn't come close to comparing with
    the value per  $$.
    
    Enjoy !  

    Note 230.3 prompted me to write this note.  (Just trying to keep the 
    Regency stuff in one notesfile.)
    
    Despite some of the less than encouraging things we have heard about
    the Regency line, both here in Notes and from some travel agents,
    my husband and I decided to give it a try.  We have done a number of
    cruises and are always looking for new ports.  Last year we did the
    Orinoco River in Venezuela with Ocean Cruise Lines (it was the best
    cruise we have ever taken but they aren't doing it anymore -- too bad). 
    This year we're taking a cruise that includes the Panama Canal.
    
    We did a LOT of shopping around for the best price.  We ended up back
    at Garber Travel in Nashua.  They offered us the same discount the best
    of the discount places offered us.
    
    The basic way most of the agents figured price was to take the early
    booking price (assuming you book early!) and take 20% off that price. 
    (Prices for the different categories are listed in the brochure.)
    
    We're sailing on the Regent Star the last week in February.  I will post 
    a report when we get back and let you know whether Regency has improved
    at all or whether we get stranded on some beach somewhere (as happened
    to one of their ships one year!!!) or get carted off to jail in
    Panama.  The way I look at it, everyone is in the Middle East now so
    Panama should be relatively safe.  :^)
    
    
     

    I (we) are anxious to hear of your Regency Panama cruise on the STAR. 
    We are booking another 6 island trip on that ship in May '91 .  So far
    we have 2 couples from our Regent Sun Fall trip going along.  
    
    Enjoy the Canal Zone - Hope the trip is pleasant.
    
    Capt. Lou 

    My wife and I are booked to sail on the Regent Sun on 12/16, next
    month (San Juan and the eastern Carib islands).  It was about the least
    expensive cruise we could find.  I'll write a report when we get back.
    
    Jon

    We returned last week from our cruise on the Regent Star and I have to
    say we were not the least disappointed in the ship or the service.  The
    ship is not shabby.  Neither is it real fancy with glass elevators,
    sixteen stories high, or that other real modern stuff you get on the 
    newer larger ships, but we prefer the smaller ships with less than 700 
    passengers.  In any case, it was clean and attractive.
    
    The food was very good and certainly plentiful and the help was wonderful.
    There were 43 different nationalities among the crew; this was the first
    first ship we've taken that did not limit the room stewards or the dining 
    room staff to one nationality.
    
    There was an outdoor pool and outdoor jacuzi, and an indoor pool, a gym
    (with all kinds of torture exercise equipment), and a sauna.  There was
    a movie theater, a casino, two duty-free shops, and numerous bars tucked 
    away here and there.
    
    The entertainment was not the greatest except for "Matilda."  Matilda
    lived in the suitcase of the ship's cruise director, Patrick, who was a
    ventriloquist.  She appeared in two shows and, with Patrick, ran the 
    bingo games.  Matilda had some great shipboard jokes.  When she got out 
    of hand she just blamed it on Patrick!  Matilda claimed to be from Jamaica 
    where, she said, the last time they had a hurricane it did two million 
    dollars worth of improvements!  At one point Patrick and Matilda even 
    sang a duet. (We were able to buy a tape of her first show, which I 
    treasure.)
    
    The ship's itinerary was interesting, with the highlight being the
    Panama Canal.  We sailed from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios (11 hours on the
    ship for what is approximately a 2-hour car ride!).  Spent the first day 
    at Ocho Rios (white water rafting and visiting Dunn's River Falls). 
    Next day was at sea and then into the Panama Canal.  That was a very 
    exciting day.  We went through three locks to be raised 85 feet into the 
    lake where we turned around and then were lowered back out.  This took 
    six hours and was absolutely fascinating.  I was glued to the rail (and 
    shot three rolls of film!).  I'd love to go all the way through to the 
    Pacific sometime.  (The ship ran a NOVA program on the building of the 
    canal all week -- very interesting.)
    
    Next came Costa Rica (saw real sloths hanging around in the trees),
    another day at sea, and then to Grand Cayman where we visted Hell (!)
    and the world's largest turtle farm.  If you're into snorkeling or
    diving, this is supposed to be the best place in the world.
    
    In any case, I just wanted to let you know I'm glad we didn't listen to
    the badmouthing we had heard about the Regency ships.  (One cruise
    agency refused to book the trip for us!)  In fact, Davey Maynard, a 
    well-known radio personality in Boston, is taking a group on the Regent 
    Sun in April. 
                                                          

    hmmm, I'm a little confused about the itenary....
    
    did you go through the canal and back out on the same side?
    or maybe my geography is mixed up....
    
    jan
    

    .8  
    
    Yes -- we entered the Panama Canal from the Atlantic Ocean -- at the
    Gatun Locks.  We went through three locks, which took us into the big
    manmade lake.  We turned around in the lake and came back out the same
    three locks.  If you were to go through to the Pacific Ocean, you would
    continue across the lake and down a narrow passage to some more locks
    that take you out into the Pacific.
    
    Two interesting tidbits:  it costs the ship $42,000 each week to go 
    through the locks and back (it's based on tonnage); and passenger ships
    have the right of way so all the freighters have to wait for the cruise
    ships to complete their passage (in our case, 6 hours).  Another large
    cruise ship (that had come in from the Pacific) entered the locks just
    after us, so you can imagine how long some of the freighters have to
    wait.  The locks are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week all year. 

   
       GRAND CIRCLE TRAVEL RESPONDS TO REGENCY CRUISE CRISIS 
  Stranded seniors get refunds, travel discounts, and vacation alternatives
   
   Source: PR Newswire
   
   BOSTON, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ via NewsPage -- Grand Circle Travel,
   serving Americans aged 50 and older, took steps last week to protect
   its 345 customers booked on Regency Cruise Lines, which ceased
   operations last week. Grand Circle Travel will make a full refund to
   300 customers scheduled to depart on a Regency cruise this month
   through 1996, and will offer a $150 certificate toward any Grand
   Circle Travel land trip or cruise.
   
   In addition, Grand Circle Travel late last week filed a petition with
   Regency Cruise Line's insurer in order to get refunds for the 45
   customers who were aboard Regency's Regent Sea when the ship announced
   it had ceased operations mid-cruise. Grand Circle Travel was one of
   the first tour operators to do so.
   
   "When we heard the news last week, our first considerations were to
   get our customers home quickly and comfortably and to file a petition
   to protect their investments," said Grand Circle Travel Chairman Alan
   E. Lewis. "Once those plans were underway, we contacted our 300
   customers still booked with Regency to assure them of a full refund,
   provide information on alternative trips, and begin re-booking and
   refunding."
   
   A Grand Circle Travel program escort was aboard the Regent Sea when
   the ship halted operations and was able to offer logistical support to
   customers. Hotel accommodations, meals, flights home, and information
   on refunds were provided by a Grand Circle Travel program supervisor
   who traveled to Nassau and Miami last week to greet stranded customers
   and coordinate logistics.
   
   Established in 1948, Grand Circle Travel (GCT) is the leading direct
   marketing company providing unique vacation packages each year to more
   than 40,000 active Americans aged 50 and older. Based in Boston,
   Massachusetts, GCT is the principal company of privately-held Grand
   Circle Corporation. This year, the company will donate $400K to its
   non- profit foundation to support environmental and humanitarian
   projects in countries where Grand Circle travels.
   
   /CONTACT: Priscilla O'Reilly of Grand Circle Travel, 617-346-6841, or
   800-866-3297/
   
     _________________________________________________________________
   
  Saga Holidays assists Regency Cruise passengers
   
   Source: Business Wire
   
   BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsPage -- Saga Holidays learned Regency
   Cruises, Inc., one of the cruiseline providers for its mature traveler
   tours, had ceased operations as of Oct. 28, and immediately arranged
   to meet Saga's 135 passengers who were on board Regency's "Regent
   Star" which was in the middle of its "Transatlantic: Fort Lauderdale
   to Athens" itinerary when it arrived in Athens on Wednesday, Nov. 1,
   1995.
   
   Upon arrival, all Saga passengers were personally met and offered
   complimentary accommodations in a Athens hotel, meals, excursions and
   confirmed return airline arrangements, according to Saga Holidays
   President Linda LeCain.
   
   "Upon hearing about Regency Cruises' decision to cease operations, we
   immediately sent Saga's Vice President, JoAnn Bell, to Athens to meet
   our 135 customers and three Saga tour directors, as they arrived. We
   took our passengers off the `Regent Star' and moved them to a hotel.
   The passengers are due to return to the U.S. on Nov. 5 and we have
   re-confirmed their airline arrangements," said LeCain.
   
   "All were taken to a local Athens hotel and assured we would continue
   to make their trip both comfortable and enjoyable with meals,
   excursions and other activities during their stay in Athens," she
   continued.
   
   Saga Holidays is a leading direct-mail tour operator specializing in
   serving the mature traveler, and offers land tours, cruises and other
   holidays. Regency is one of more than a dozen cruise companies used by
   Saga. All future Saga customers booked on upcoming Regency cruises are
   being notified by a personal letter from LeCain about the change of
   status of Regency.
   
   Every Saga Holidays cruise passenger who is holding a confirmed
   reservation on Regency is being offered a full refund or a booking on
   an alternative cruise.
   
   For further information on rescheduled cruise holidays, travelers can
   call the Saga Holidays Cruise Specialists at 800-952-9590.