Why You Need A Knowledgeable Travel Agent - Regent Seven Seas, Using "Fuzzy Math", Goes After the Premium, Not Luxury, Market

Read this article and you may save over $4,000 on your next cruise vacation!

For the past year I have urged you to consider Regent Seven Seas cruises as Premium, not Luxury, cruises.  I based this on a number of factors including a significant, and often noted by many, slippage of service quality, decent though not outstanding cuisine/food, and the focus on ":free", "free", "free" rather than value, quality or experience.  Noting that same is not a criticism, but rather a change in marketing and focus, I think a further analysis based upon the most recent Consumer flyer is worthy.  But, possibly, not exactly the way Regent intended. 

First, the flyer:

Now, comparing the Regent Seven Seas Mariner Cruise to the Celebrity Equinox is probably the most appropriate for my purpose because it has the greatest price difference, compares a true suite vs. a true suite and, as you know, I do not believe Princess is even marginally in the same class nor can Holland America provide the same quality (not that it is a bad product...just too different...and the SY is large, but doesn't come with suite amenities).

The first thing I noticed was that Regent decided to compare its 7 day August 19, 2010 sailing at $5,550 per person ($793 per day) to Celebrity's 7 day September 2, 2010 sailing and thought that was curious because not only is the month different, literally ever port is different.  So, I looked to see what Celebrity's other September cruises were and saw that it was offering two 13 night cruises as low as $2,819 per person in a suite...over 33% less on a daily basis.  Regent didn't point that out.  (BTW, that is the same cruise I took last year and the prices are pretty consistent, so I did not selectively pick a better priced Celebrity cruise.)

Then I said, I probably should look for a Celebrity cruise with a similar itinerary at a more comparable time...say in August!  And there is was:  A 10 night cruise on August 6, 2010 with 4 identical ports + Dubrovnik vs. Split, Croatia + others for a base price of $2,979 per person + $78 in port charges = $3,057 per person vs. Regent's $5,550 per person...and the Celebrity cruise is 30% longer.  This leaves me with a starting base per day cost of Celebrity - $306 vs. Regent - $793. 

According to Regent, gratuities, drinks and liquor will add another $52 per day.  Gratuities are $15 per day for suite guests, so that leaves me $37 per day for beverages; a fair figure for most people.  Regent then claims I will dine in the Alternative Restaurants (there are four upscale options on Celebrity vs. two on Regent) three times in seven nights...which I will make four times since the cruise is longer, averaging $30 per meal (though that is on the high side in usage and pricing), or $120 per person, or $12 per day.  So that brings my Celebrity daily cost up to $370 per day vs. Regent's $793 per day.

Now all I have left to deal with, according to Regent is tours and air fare.  Regent claims the tours (included on Regent) will run me $556 on Celebrity for a seven day cruise, so on my ten day cruise, the cost would be $790 total, or $79 per day. 

This now brings my total daily cost on Celebrity to $449 per day vs. Regent's $793 per day.  So before dealing with airfare let's look at the hard numbers:  Celebrity will cost me $4,490 for a 10 day cruise and Regent will cost me $7,930 for an equivalent 10 day cruise.  Am I making this up or speculating?  Nope!  Regent has a 12 day cruise on the Seven Seas Mariner on August 6, 2010 which prices a Category H Suite at $8,760.

Now, Celebrity's airfare of $1,329, which includes transfers, is actually pretty close to the available individual pricing, so let's go with that to keep things simple.  That brings my total cost for the Celebrity cruise up to $5,819 vs. $7,930 for an equivalent Regent cruise.

So I am struggling here to find the parity.  I am going to spend $2,000 more per person ($4,000+ total!)for the Regent  cruise; nothing close to what Regent claims in its flyer.  

But there is more.  A cruise is not just about the money.  It is about the experience.  I have provided some detailed information on my recent cruise on the Celebrity Equinox on the Goldring Travel website and the rest on this blog (just search Celebrity Equinox). 

Suffice it to say, for this article, each ship has its benefits.  I have found the cuisine (especially in the alternative dining venues) and the service on Celebrity to be consistently better than on Regent.  The suites are, for the most part, comparable enough that the differences wouldn't make the decision for you.  On Celebrity you are dealing with a large ship with many more guests, but other than if you want to lay out by the pool (and chair hogs have found their way onto Regent) there are many public spaces on the Celebrity Equinox that are equal to or superior to the Mariner's. Size may be a deal-breaker, but at least you know that the size difference will save you thousands of dollars. Children:  Regent has a program, but Celebrity has an excellent one and many more options to keep the children happy.  (We are comparing cruises during summer vacation aren't we?!) 
The point is that an experienced travel agent that has your best interests at heart isn't going to plunk down a Regent...or any other cruise line's...brochure and let you make a decision. 

I bet for some of you I just saved you over $2,000 per person...That is over $4,000 total...on your next cruise vacation. 

Imagine what I can do for you if you are my client!

Azamara Club Cruises- Changes Are Coming...And I Like It Alot!

I have always struggled with Azamara Cruises because it had a pretty solid product, but no direction and nothing that made it distinguishable.  Honestly, I have said to its parent, Celebrity Cruises, that with Oceania Cruises having such a solid product with consistently excellent delivery of cuisine, service and itineraries, there was little motivation to select the lesser marketed and unknown Azamara.

That has all changed...and I preface it by stating that Larry Pimental and his staff have picked over Oceania, Regent, Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal and SeaDream and pulled elements from each, tweaking their selected concepts in ways that they believe will provide a far improved cruise experience which touches upon, but does not pretend to be, luxury.

First Azamara is now Azamara Club Cruises.  This is obviously a play off of the "country club" marketing of Oceania and the recent emphasis on "country club casual" by many lines.

Second, they have taken the approach of making the product more inclusive....something I have said was essential to distinguish it from Oceania - who operates identical ships.  So now

1.  Gratuities are included. 
2.  Wines with meals complimentary.
3.  Bottled water, specialty coffees and teas are included.
4.  Shuttle buses will be provided (where available) between the port and town at no charge. 5.  Self-service laundries are complimentary.
6.  Specialty restaurant dining will be complimentary for suite passengers.

These are pretty much the things that Oceania makes money on and (as you know I have told you) can make an Oceania cruise more expensive than a Seabourn cruise if you are traveling in an sort of suite accommodation.

Third, while Azamara has always had solid cuisine, it is, ala SeaDream, incorporating more of the cuisine of where the ship is visiting in its dining menus.  Complimenting that is its emphasis on local wines - some of which are not readily available elsewhere because the vinters either do not have sufficient qualities or simply do not market for foreign distribution.  (The other night I enjoyed a bottle of Slovenian wine I purchased on my last cruise.  It was bittersweet because I know I cannot purchase it here in the U.S. and I want more of it...and it has great memories associated with it.)

Fourth, there will be many more overnight stays.  This, to me, is a tricky one.  For me, other than say Barcelona, Venice or Istanbul, there are not many ports that I - as a seasoned traveler - want to overnight in when embarking or disembarking.  I may be in the overall minority, but there is great value for many knowing that if their flight is late they can still make the ship...and the need to purchase a pre- or post-cruise hotel or a very early private car to the airport on disembarkation becomes a real cost savings.  Also, there will be a beefing up of shore excursions as the additional time will permit more unique and in depth experiences.  (These will be at extra cost, however.)

What is refreshing is the Fifth point:  Prices are going to be higher.  All of this luxury comes at a cost.  While higher prices may make Azamara Club unaffordable to many, the average target passengers are  aged 45 to 60 with a household income of approximately $300,000 per year.  One thing to keep in mind is that the vast majority of the accommodations are cabins with very small bathrooms (and tiny showers).  As with SeaDream (Pimental's former baby), I am sure the focus is on making the rest of the onboard experience at a sufficiently high level as to reduce the impact of this shortcoming.  Note:  I firmly believe that being honest with the market and saying you are raising the prices to make this a more inclusive product is the way to go.  The concept of "free, free, free" added to high prices, ala Regent Seven Seas Cruises, is to many offensive; especially the astute.

There is, alas, a Sixth point:  Children.  As with Oceania, Azamara Club specifically does not encourage children and touts that it has no facilities for children.  However, children are welcome to book and, in a very significant difference, if there are a sufficient number of children on board, Azamara Club will provide youth counselors.  This, to me is huge.  Not only does this open up Azamara Club to many of the demographically targeted folks who have children, it provides a bit of protection for those who do not want to have children onboard with nothing to do disturbing their cruise.

Here is something to think about:  December 14th is the day prices are going to increase.  If you act quickly, you can lock in some really spectacular cruises in 2010 and 2011 that will have all these added amenities...and you can do so at the present lower prices.  It is like receiving a very significant discount for doing today that which you might well do later.