How far ahead can you book tours on the PG?

Well, according to the Regent website you can book now 180 days out - but there are big disclaimers saying that it is only a request and not confirmed.

I think your best bet is to tell your TA which tours you are interested in and let them book on your behalf.

For excursions, you book them with RSSC directly on the website under the My Cruises feature or in your ticket package their is a form to send by fax or when you board you can book with the Shore Excursion Desk or Concierge Desk.

You cannot book them with your Travel Agent.

Oh, really? I had (obviously) no idea! Thanks for the 411 Kathy!!

Guess that makes you human Robert - and you owned up to your error pronto - way to go!!!! You're still at top of my list -

R, I originally thought the same thing. Live and learn like all the rest of us! Oh yes, you're always at the top of my list too!

I have pre-requested three for our British Isles cruise, and have confirmation emails. I do know that it's not carved in stone until we see the tickets in our suite, but I wanted those three BADLY, assuming they actually go. And I didn't want to run the chance of them selling out before I could speak for our space.

(R, it's so easy to get conused, isn't it? Kudos for jumping back in and admitting to your error)

I'm still wondering why the only Tracy Arm excursion was yanked from the pre-booking. Did anyone get a request in before it was done? I keep meaning to call Regent about this, but then the day gets away from me.

Since we are talking about booking - when can you book restaurant reservations for Mush???

Under the "My cruises" sections, it says 30 days out from the cruise.

Thank you - will mark my calendar - I care so so about Signatures but think my group should experience it - travel agent "talk"

Olivia, I really want to do the Tracy Arm excursion and had the same question ... after not getting any definitive answer from a Radisson reservation agent about whether that excursion would be offered, I tracked down the operator. A very nice employee of the operator e-mailed me back and said that unfortunately they are not yet able to offer the Tracy Arm tour on 9/2/06 (no reason given). He said there is a chance it will be offered but they won't know for sure until late July. He asked me to check back then, and said he would notify me if it is confirmed sooner. If I hear I will be glad to post here. I wonder if there is a conflict with the boat that they use, or something like that.

I have to say, the people I've contacted in Alaska for tours, rental cars, etc. have all been extremely nice and helpful.

Joanna, I want to try Signatures (will be our first time) but I dread the discussion with my husband about him packing and wearing a jacket. He is definitely a country club casual kind of guy. Wish me luck! Or I could always hook up with some fellow LCT'ers and leave him with room service pizza. Which might actually make him pretty happy!

Dena

Joanna, I want to try Signatures (will be our first time) but I dread the discussion with my husband about him packing and wearing a jacket. He is definitely a country club casual kind of guy. Wish me luck! Or I could always hook up with some fellow LCT'ers and leave him with room service pizza. Which might actually make him pretty happy!

Just blazer needed for Sig right? Tell him to throw blazer in suitcase no big deal - no tie etc - tell him we'll be looking out for him - I went online to order my USC sweatshirt today - last one was 20 yrs old - actually I love room service for cabin!!! BUT you have to do Signatures ONCE

Joanna - I still have a USC sweatshirt that is 20+ years old! I have a few newer ones too, but I can't bring myself to throw away that "vintage" one. It has held up remarkably well!

I will give it my best shot on the blazer :) He only has a couple of suits (used for weddings/funerals only) but maybe I can find a sport coat he would tolerate between now and then. I like a shopping challenge!

Dena

LOL, Mine is only 12 years old...the new USC kid!

Dena, thanks for that information! What was the name/link for the tour operator? Maybe if we deluge them with interest, they will do the excursion. I am thinking that they maybe go "off season" after August. But we are so close that it might be worth their while to offer it so close if there is enough interest!

Olivia, you're right! Maybe we can convince them to do the excursion by popular demand! It's worth a try, in any case.

Tracy Arm Excursion Operator - Allen Marine Tours

Marcie, those USC sweatshirts are sure made to last! :D Yours should be good for at least 8 more years.

Dena

My guess is that there might be a clearance issue with securtiy since that one actually picks up passengers from the ship.

If I recall, for Signatures, you could go sans jacket on CCC night. I bet that you could borrow one....wear it through the door, remove it to eat and return it to it's owner post dinner.

Robert, your guess was a good one. I'd have thought that myself if I hadn't done it a whole bunch of times!

This is what RSSC told me about the Tracy Arm excursion and explains why you cannot book it at this time.

"The operation of the tour is dependent upon ice flow inside Tracy Arm Fjord. Last season, we were forced to close down the tour a little early due to the very warm weather in Alaska which created more rapid melting and calving of the glaciers. As the glaciers calf, the icebergs created make navigation inside the fjord much more hazardous for both our ship and the tour vessel.

If the ice flow situation improves over last season, our operator will make the tour available to us. This is a very popular tour option and we all are in hopes that Mother Nature will cooperate so Tracy Arm will remain navigable at least until mid September"

OH well we'll keep our fingers crossed it'll be a "go" Dena: correction my USC sweatshirt was 18 yrs old and someone borrowed it and it never was returned - I also has USC baggy wonderful sweat pants that I LOVED but finally had to give them up as all the stitching gave way - but again they were OLD!! Maybe all the SC folks can pose for a Kodak moment :ch: :ch: :ch: :ch:

Re: pre-booking Latitudes/Signatures on line

As promised, once your departure date is 30 days out, it shows up on your "my cruises" option. I went ahead and booked, will report back if it worked!! (bringing copy of the confirmation with me, of course!)

I booked for the Voyager/WAVE at Signatures. Very easy feature. You can go back into My Cruises and review your reservations, change them, add and delete other passengers.
I posted the info on the WAVE thread.

Ngaire, thanks for getting us the correct information. The folks at RSSC did a good job of responding to our query.

Thanks Ngaire, for the information about Tracy Arm. We will keep our fingers crossed. I guess we hope for a cold summer in Alaska, at least until August 30!

Joanna, I'll try and remember to pack a USC sweatshirt for that Kodak moment. Maybe we could get USC to publish it in their magazine! ;)

Dena

Good to know about Tracy Arm. Still hoping that I can do this and the whalewatching as well.

Masaki

After this thread mentioned shore excursion booking opening up 180 days out, I opened up our October cruise two days ago and, sure enough, all the shore excursion options were presented, with prices, for selection. I was fact-finding only and didn't book anything. Yesterday, when I went to "My Cruises", the October cruise wasn't listed. When I tried to add it using the booking number the site said it was already registered...it just wouldn't display. Today, the cruise was again listed with the "Book Shore Excursions" option, but when I clicked on that, no tours were listed. I called RSSC and they said the on-line bookings were only open 60 days out and that I must have been on the site while they were doing some maintenace that let me go where I shouldn't have been able to.

So the answer is?????

Under "my cruises", my August 30 cruise is open for bookings with pricing, and it is more than 60 days out.

For my future cruises, it gives a date when bookings will open up, all 180 days in advance. I think when you call RSSC, some of the people are stuck with the old information that used to be policy. All these changes are making it frustrating to deal with them directly, as the training has obviously not been completed for those answering the phone. That's why it is good to have our Ngaire, as she knows her way around the company, and gets her e-mails answered.

It gets stranger. I revisted the "My Cruises" listing and our October 14th, Monte Carlo to Piraeus (Athens) cruise is listed as Piraeus to Piraeus. Clicking on the itinerary yields an empty lisiting for Nice to Piraeus. The map shows Monte Carlo to Piraeus! Since we've planned for the latter, I hope they get this worked out. You get the same results under "Book a Voyage." It also no longer lists this cruise as an "Innagural" event with 3 Circles of Interest.

As jhp noted, our June 2007 cruise says excursions will open up in December 2006 (180 days).

From all this, I conclude that:
1) the intent is to open up tours 180 days out,
2) the RSSC agents aren't up to speed (I seem to recall that it used to be 90 days?), and
3) they need better IT support...this could be costing them business!

Scott, I absolutely agree (but think it used to be 60 days). Hopefully, in time with all the transition, this will happen. I would like to think that they are monitoring this board to get some feedback. None of us are out to pan them, just give suggestions about our difficulties.

Today, the tours are back with prices and every indication they can be booked. Since I'm out of town, I'll have to wait until I return to consult with my wife on what we want to do...and they may have disappeared again.

Oh yeah, the itinerary has been updated and now says the cruise starts from Nice instead of Monte Carlo. Of course that doesn't affect our flight plans into Nice, but I sure hope they settle down on this before I arrange transfers to the ship. Last year on the Voyager, we docked in Monte Carlo. Does anyone know of RSSC ever using Nice? I didn't even think it had docks for cruise ships. Or is RSSC just being geographically challenged?

Scott, I have gone out of Nice for three cruises. Stayed at the same place every time, not booked throught RSSC pre-cruise. Really close to port when you stay in Nice. It is not a big resort city. You will be fine. If you want to load up on liquore or wine pre-cruise in Nice, there are stores just up from the ship where you can get your stuff!

Nice is a bigger port than Monte Carlo and they just recently changed the embarkation port from Monte Carlo to Nice on several cruises. Most of the time a letter will come out from RSSC a few weeks after the change takes place explaining the reason for the change.

Thanks jhp and Ngaire for the info.

I know Nice well and because we spent time there post-cruise last September, we were going to by-pass it this time. Since the embarkation port was Monte Carlo, we booked a hotel in Eze. We'll probably stick with that choice because Eze is so beautiful, but this change will have us doubling back on ourselves.

Well, here's hoping that the WAVE Cruise does go out of Monte Carlo, since, that's where I've booked our pre-cruise night's stay. Truthfully, I don't care either way - as long as I have time and hte opportunity to change hotels. Nice would be better actually, because we are taking a cab from the airport to Monte Carlo.

Kathy from memory the cruises I saw were later in the year I think the first date was in September. I do not think it affected WAVE. Sorry I just cant remember for sure, it came in on Friday and Julie contacted everyone we had booked to let them know. So if you did not get an email you are not affected.

Our 2007 cruise (yes, I'm beginning to plan it all ready!) starts in Monte Carlo. I wonder if they are changing embarkation out of Nice rather than Monte Carlo permanent.

Denise, for 2008(?) plans you may want to start thinking South Africa (sounds like there could be a ROAR reunion in the works even if we weren't on ROAR)

Denise, I forget, what cruise have you chosen for 2007?

Denise - Aren't you doing Monte Carlo to Dover? I will have to take good notes for you!