Regent Voyager World Cruise - Pod Problems Update No. 3

I had a long conversation with Prestige Cruise Holdings today and, before I give the details, I would like to say that I am quite impressed with how Regent Seven Seas is now responding to the situation.  It is, it would seem, a refreshing return to the former Radisson levels of customer service, or quite possibly, just a new and long awaited approach consistent with that which is expected of a luxury cruise line.  Yeah!

Now for the details:

First, I have been told that Mark Conroy is going to be meeting the ship upon its arrival to address the passengers' concerns.  That is a very welcome acknowledgement of Regent's guests' importance.  (It is not known if he will sail with the ship from Dubai for one or more ports.)

Second, Regent is going to be refunding the full cruise fare for all guests for the Singapore to Dubai segment.  In addition, World Cruise passengers are going to be given the option of transferring from the Voyager's World Cruise to the Mariner's World Cruise at no cost or expense.

Third, for the guests planning on embarking in Dubai they will have a number of options.  They can cancel without penalty; or, They can stay with the sailing and if there is a problem either delaying the Dubai departure or after departing (more below on that) they will receive a 25% refund and a 25% future cruise credit; or, they can transfer to the Mariner World Cruise for its next 14 or 28 day segment (their choice as the next Voyager segment, I believe 17 days) at no additional cost.

Regent will be taking care of all flight changes and assoicated arrangements.

Now, here is the news on the pod repairs.  Regent is planning on constructing a watertight cocoon around the pod so work can be completed in the necessary dry environment.  (I am told a similar arrangement was used when the Oceania Nautica had a propeller issue in Livorno, Italy last year.)  The technicians are all scheduled to arrive on March 30th and the ship will be arriving either late on the 30th or very early in the morning on the 31st. 

Work will start quickly as it will, regardless, be dark under the ship so underwater floodlighting will be used. The key is to get the seals appropriately seated so that there is no water infiltration into the pod.  The problem...if it is a problem...is that the repairs cannot really be tested at the dock.  The seals can be tested with the pod motor at idle speed and the main engines running at the dock, but until a load is put on the pod motor the new seals cannot be tested.  So Voyager will have to sail away from Dubai to test the repairs.  The plan is to keep sailing with all being well.  The alternative is to return to Dubai for further repairs...which nobody wants.

So keep your fingers and toes crossed.  When I have more info I will pass it along.

Regent Seven Seas Voyager World Cruise Problem - Oh Nets!

It seems the Regent Seven Seas Voyager, the flagship of the cruise line, cannot avoid problems. It hit the dock in Rhodes, it snagged a fishing net on its transatlantic voyage about four months ago and now has another fishing net apparently wrapped around one of its pods. (I also heard the Crystal Serenity presently has a pod issue, but it is electrical.)

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As I understand it the pod was disabled by the net outside of Singapore during a 14 day segment of its World Cruise. It is not known what damage has been done to the pod itself, if any, but the fact that manufacturer's representatives/technicians have been flown to the ship leads one to believe that there is going to be far more done than merely cutting away the entangled net.

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This is supported by the comments by some that the ship may be going into drydock in Dubai. This has not been confirmed anywhere that I can see. Frankly, I am not sure why the ship will need to be drydocked unless there has been serious damage to the pod. Many repairs can be made without having to haul a ship. I could speculate on damaged bearings or propellers, but I really don't have a clue. One thing is for certain, there are very limited parts worldwide for pods (and each is essentially a custom made item) so it is not like you just take out the old and put in the new.

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Obviously the World Cruise itinerary is being severely modified - on this segment only so far - as Regent has to consider the long term effect on the its itineraries rather than simply this one short 14 day segment. As this is a case where most of the passengers (especially those that booked just this segment) have placed the itinerary over the ship as the reason for this cruise, there is going to be lots of frustration and disappointment...and little sympathy for Regent's need to minimize the same feelings for those booked on subsequent segments. (It is their cruise, after all.)

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From what I understand the port calls in Penang and Phuket, Thailand were late and shortened and will be a day late in Cochin, India; thereafter omitting Mumbai, India and Abu Dhabi, heading straight for Dubai. With Sri Lanka omitted just prior to this segment due to the ever-continuing conflicts, port calls in Penang, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand but a few hours, the longer overland excursions in India probably (but not confirmed) to be cancelled, things cannot be good. If there is a bit of good news, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are about 1 1/2 hours apart by bus or car, so there is literally nothing that the guests will not be able to do if the ship arrives in Dubai on or about on schedule.

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The tricky thing is that Regent is trying to reschedule ports, arrange for dock space, figure out what parts are possibly needed, get the parts and technicians there on time (for dock space with no parts is very expensive in time, money and guest relations!)...and make arrangements for its guests. I am not onboard so I cannot comment on the quality of what is being told to the passengers and informations seems to be coming from both "upset" and "go with the flow" type passengers (possible with Segment versus World Cruise perspectives).

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While this is an unfortunate example of the complexity of the cruise industry and the competing needs and desires of the passengers, it does highlight the delicate balance which the cruise lines must deal with on a minute by minute basis. It isn't easy and it isn't necessarily someone's fault. But in the end, the customer is always right and here the customers clearly were not interested in a boat ride, but rather an elegant journey to visit some exotic locales. Instant results are not going to be happening, but with a little patience and understanding of the complexity of the situation, the time those passengers have on the Regent Seven Seas Voyager are still going to be on a really nice ship with some wonderful things available for them.

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As a final, for now, comment: We need to understand that as the populations around the world grow the resource we know as the Ocean is being exploited with greater and greater intensity. Whether it be local fisherman or mega-fishing fleets trying to increase their catch, there are going to be increased conflicts with cruise and other ships that ply the same waters. There are some technologies available to reduce these conflicts, but they are not perfect or omnipresent. Do not be surprised if these type of events increase in frequency.

2010 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise on the Seabourn Legend

Even though it is still months from the 2009 Goldring Travel Food & Wine Cruise (http://goldringtravel.blogspot.com/2008/10/2009-golding-travel-food-wine-cruise-on.html with limited space still available), I am already working on the 2010 Food & Wine Cruise. (Hint: You won't believe the price!)

With Seabourn expanding into the Middle East, I have chosen a seven day roundtrip Dubai, U.A.E. cruise departing on November 28, 2010. It will visit Dubai, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, and Oman.

Late November is a great time to visit this area as the daytime temperatures are comfortable and the evenings can even be a bit cool. I am planning on arranging for a pre-cruise Desert Safari outside of Dubai, including an exotic dinner under the stars (extra cost). As always there will be the complimentary Goldring Travel Food & Wine Tasting and a suprise or two along the way.

While there are some restrictions on the consumption of wine in some of the ports, the fact is that the Middle East is not exactly a hot bed of wine production. However, the paring of wines with a rather diverse and very interesting palate of Middle Eastern cuisines will be a lot of fun. And if you are a vegetarian (or would like to focus on vegetarian dishes) this is actually the ideal cruise experience.

I am sure many of you are saying, "OK. I have heard of most of these places, but where the heck is Sir Bani Yas?!" It is an island off the coast of Abu Dhabi which has many unique features. This is a new venture on a very old island. Opened only recently to tourists, it holds itself out as a "nature tourism" spot; not an eco-tourism one. What does this mean? It means that this island is largely "reclaimed" from the sea and has been involved in creating a lush environment with mangroves, trees and grasses where only sand once existed. It is said that one mangrove tree will be planted for every visitor (but they started by planting over 3,000,000 of them!) Virtually everything has/is being brought to the island, including 40 giraffe, 400 Arabian oryx (extinct in the wild), stripped hyena, various deer and blackbucks (and, possibly soon, cheetah) among other wildlife. All of the irrigation is run by the largest wind turbine in the Middle East. So whether you want to trek, bicycle, drive or kayak the focus here is on nature and wildlife in a man-made ecology.

So with so many wanting to experience the "Glitz and Glamour" of Dubai, wondering what Oman, Bahrain and Qatar are really like (I will write more on this later!), and now pondering "What's up with Sir Bani Yas?) now is a great opportunity to book this cruise at an incredible starting price of less than $3,500 per person.

Seabourn 2010-2011: Sojourn and Exotic and Exciting New Itineraries

Hot off the Press!

Seabourn announces that 2010-2011 is highlighted by the debut of Seabourn Sojourn, 44 new ports including Zanzibar and Madagascar, and a year-round presence in Asia highlight 2010-2011. I have "highlighted" some of the most interesting points.

MIAMI, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Spin the globe and stop it with your finger - chances are The Yachts of Seabourn go where it lands. The ultra-luxury cruise line unveils new itineraries and exotic ports of call for 2010-2011. With two new Seabourn yachts and a host of new destinations, the line's well-traveled guests can look forward to its most extensive and diverse year yet. Cruises are now available for sale, and can be viewed at www.seabourn.com. A cruise catalogue will be published in April.

With its fleet of intimate, all-suite ships, Seabourn is able to access less-traveled destinations that larger ships can't. With the addition of Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009 and Seabourn Sojourn in June 2010, the expanded fleet allows Seabourn to explore more far-flung, exotic ports of call, such as Palopo on Sulawesi; Zanzibar, Tanzania; and Antseranana, Madagascar.
Starting in 2010-2011, Seabourn will operate year-round in Asia - a first for the fleet as well as its first return to Indonesia in years. New Asian ports of call include Dalian, China; Busan and Inchon, Korea; Nagasaki and Kagoshima, Japan; and numerous Indonesian destinations, including Bali, Borneo, Komodo Island and the Karimoenjawa archipelago.

Exotic New Ports of Call

With a deployment of five vessels to the far reaches of the world, Seabourn will call at a record number of ports throughout 2010-2011, including 44 destinations that are either brand new for the cruise line or where they have not called for years. These destinations include: Jeju Island, Yeosu and Mokpo, South Korea; Djupivogur, Iceland; Doha, Qatar; Kuching, Malaysia; Fremantle, Australia; Mayotte, Comoros; Sir Bani Yas, UAE; Manama, Bahrain; Mangalore, India; Muara Port, Brunei; Port Stanley, Falkland Islands; Sibenik, Croatia; Sihanoukville, Cambodia and Szczencin, Poland.

New Itineraries

Seabourn will return to Indonesia for the first time in years as Seabourn Spirit offers Gems of the Java Sea with stops in Singapore, Kuching, and Kota Kinabalu , Java, Bali & the Barrier Reef, a winter cruise from Singapore to Darwin, and a Spice Islands Holiday round trip from Singapore.. Seabourn Pride's China Journey operates between the People's Republic and Taiwan for the first time.. Other new Seabourn itineraries include China/Korea/Japan Journey from Xingang (Beijing) to Kobe; Indian Ocean Edens from Dubai to Mahe, Seychelles; and Pearls of Arabia round trip from Dubai.

Expanded Destination Services

A newly-expanded destination services department offers guests a variety of land-based activities, including escorted Seabourn Journeys extensions to Bhutan, Kyoto and Tokyo, and an African safari in Kenya. Other new offerings include a four-night Florence and Venice Journey, and a five-night Laos and Cambodia Journey.

Crystal Cruises Announces 2010 Port Calls to Iran and Other Unique Middle East Ports

A few weeks ago I posted about how being uninformed can lead to misperceptions and result in comments like, "I am not going to THAT part of the world.  It just isn't safe."...lumping the entire Middle East into a truly undeserved "No Go" area.  Frankly, many Americans have difficulty in understanding the geography, no less politics, of the Middle East, so it is no wonder.

When a place like Dubai is actually very safe (and thanks to huge marketing efforts many Americans believe that) it is, by some, lumped into areas like Yemen as the "Middle East - No Go" area.  Mention Kuwait and probably nothing other than Iraq's invasion quickly comes to mind...so it is unsafe.  Again, not a true or fair statement. 
Sorry, I am not trying to insult, but rather present what is - on the world stage - a perceived undeniable fact. And, to be honest, until I was invited to speak at a superyacht conference in Dubai, U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates), I had a pitiful lacking understanding of not only the geography of the area, but even the basic differences in cultures generally between Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, etc.  The broad differences then break down into many interesting facets that both fascinate and help explain the basis for many of the political and religious issues in the area.  (Just the differences between U.A.E. emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi are as interesting as the existence of a "secret" island where Kuwaitis go to party.

And while there are, respectfully, many with deep convictions on political, religious and moral grounds not to support the economies of certain countries or rulers, I am one of those that thinks it just might be worth dipping my toe into those foreign (and possibly "scary") waters so that I can better understand what things are really like rather than just what is marketed to me by the media or politically motivated sources.

Crystal Cruises has decided to shake things up a bit and provide an incredible opportunity for those interested in dipping their toes into, and learning a bit more about, this area of the world.  Crystal's 2010  108 day "Exploration of Ancient Empires" World Cruise includes maiden calls in:

      - Manama, Bahrain;
      - Bandar Abbas, Iran;
      - Kuwait City, Kuwait;
      - Fujairah, UAE;
      - Khasab, Oman; and,
      -  Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

If you are not inclined to take the entire Wold Cruise, you can book World Voyage IV: Middle East Mystique (#0305) which starts in Mumbai and ends in Dubai and/or World Voyage V: Modern & Ancient Marvels (#0306) which starts in Dubai and ends in Athens (visiting Egypt, Israel and Jordan as well as some of the above ports). 

With some of the great pricing now available reserving your chance to experience this part of the world in the comfort and security of Crystal Cruises could just be the great opportunity you are looking for.