I'm just wondering if booking a Regent one-night hotel package in FLL before our cruise would be cost effective, if you weigh it against not having to pay the deviation fee for going a day early (we will probably use their air, because it's cheaper), and the fact that we would get transfers included. That's worth about $250. They have the St. Regis and the Hyatt listed.

But it's probably still exorbitant, right?

I see online rates at the St. Regis from $139-159, by the way.

And RSSC charges per person, don't they? What is the cost of the package? Not too good of a deal considering what we were getting on Priceline for FLL last December. I think I got the Hyatt Pier 66 for around $90. I also think the 5 minute taxi ride to the dock was under $10 but I can't remember for sure.

Don't know the price, just wondering. I should have booked my own air last month when the price was right. Of course, they may go down again, but right now they're higher than Regent, but I really want to go the day before so I don't have to worry about weather so much.

Sometimes it works out. We have tracked package prices versus deviation. Down to FLL didn't pay in the past. However, we found that they did come out about the same coming home from Barcelona. It can work out. I have also seen cases where by taking Regent air, they throw in a free night when no plane is available.

I never book a hotel through Regent when I can get it for a lot less on my own. Most of the time, their prices border on the ridiculous compared to what you can book online, and yes, they are usually per person through. But then, I don't book air with them either for the most part. For one thing, I want the points which you can't get with them. Then it is the loss of control over the itinerary, although in the past I have gotten good schedules. I like to upgrade using miles, or get award travel, so deviation fee not a factor with me.

Taxi fare on TAP from Embassy Suites was minimal, not worth worrying about, since it is maybe 5-10 minutes to the port. But you did have to reserve a space on a shuttle for a certain time, and it was charged to the room, since I did not opt to pay the extra "cruise" fare that did not save money.

I collect points, but not in a big way, since I have never been much of a business traveller, nor is my husband. But I always have gotten my aeroplan points (Air Canada) when I have Regent do the air.

I'm guessing that the package will be not a good deal, but I'll ask Ngaire when the time comes.

I'm also musing about renting a car and driving up to Daytona for the day, which would mean transportation to the cruise port thrown in.

We don't book a Regent hotel package when going to FLL, because we always get a free forced overnight from PHX. However, everywhere else we go with Regent we do a pre-cruise package. When I have costed it out, it has always been a fair deal, all things considered; especially with the Concierge packages. We really like the idea of limo transport from the airport to the hotel and hotel to ship. No waiting around for everyone to show up from various flights. We also like the private tours include in the packages.

Doug, not all packages offer this. In Barcelona, we had a private limo to the airport, but were treated like cattle from ship to hotel and never got any private tour. So, I guess all Regent packages are not equal.

I have no problem taking a taxi to the ship if it will save hundreds of dollars. If Regent charged like hotels do instead of per person, the price would be right about where it would be if you were to book the hotel on your own.

Most time, we are traveling with LCT friends so if the port is far away, we can arrange transport for groups of us. We arranged our own limo service before MUSH and I am positive that our limo to the hotel and the cost of the hotel was much less than Regents package.

I think the only place where I would use a RSSC pre or post cruise hotel would be if I were sailing on the PG.

Generally speaking, we've found the RSSC packages to be distinctly more expensive than doing the stuff on your own. For example, before our Baltics cruise on Voyager, our two nights at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm (the best hotel in Scandinavia), our taxi ride (vs. a "limo") from the airport, and our taxi to the ship ending up costing us about $1,200 less than the couple in the room next to ours, who booked the RSSC package, paid in total. They were not pleased with the difference, to say the least.

On the other hand, when we went on the PG, the RSSC package was better than we could have booked on our own.

I agree Fred, the packages in FP are usually decent value, when you factor in the deviation fee for sure.

Ngaire just confirmed that the Hyatt is $600. Not worth it, in other words.

Here's another example - We were booked on Regent's PANDA Japan pre-cruise tour: Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka. We were fortunate to get Delta reward flights (business class!) to Narita-Tokyo and home from China. To insure we made the tour, we booked our flight to arrive the day before the tour started. Regent wanted $360. per person for the extra night in the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, where the 'rack' rate - the one anyone can get, even a walk-in if they have rooms - was $365 per room for 2 persons. At other sites (Asiarooms, for one) available rates were under $300, including breakfast. We planned to make our own hotel arrangements and asked to be transferred from Narita Airport to the hotel the day we arrived. That transfer is already included in the cost of the Regent pre-cruise tour.

Regent’s answer (twice): NO, not unless we booked the extra night in the hotel through them at their outrageous rates. So guess what - we've made our own arrangements for a private tour - just the two of us and a bi-lingual guide, or from Kyoto to Osaka on Sep 26, embarkation day, a car with driver plus the guide. We're spending the "extra night" at the Fujiya Hotel, an old traditional Japanese hotel in Hokido, the national park at the foot of Mt. Fuji, from where we will take the bullet train to Kyoto the next morning. The total cost, including the extra day, 4-5 star hotels with breakfast, dinner the first night and in Hikone, and the private tour guides in Tokyo, to and in Hikone, in Kyoto, and to Osaka by car with driver for both of us, is less than the per person cost for the Regent tour we had originally booked. Less than half Regent's cost for a longer, more tailored-to-our-preferences tour!

One critical element of being successful is in differentiating your enterprise from others offering similar goods or services. These days, their approach forces one to wonder just what type of different impression Regent wants to make.

Anyone interested in the details and my contacts in Japan can e-mail me - address in my LCT profile elsewhere on this site.

Fred, we are doing a Baltic's cruise starting in Stockholm next year. Initially I was going to do Crystal's pre-cruise package at the Grand but they increased the 08 pricing by almost 75%. Hence, I think we will do this on our own. Would you recommend the Grand? Also, how far is the airport from the hotel?

Thanks, Nancy

Nancy - There were a couple of good threads about hotels in Stockholm on LCT in 2006 & 2005. I don't know how to post the direct link to them; but you can find them simply by going to the Hotels forum and using the word Stockholm in the Search box. As you will read, I like the Grand, if (and unfortunately this is a big "if") you can get a decent rate there. Cheers, Fred

Hi Nancy,

If you are unable to swing the Grand, check out Hilton Stockholm Slussen. We stayed there, prior to our Baltics cruise, using HH points, as the hotel chain I work for does not have a property in Stockholm. We were pleased with the accommodations. Not as upscale as the Grand, but perfectly fine, clean and well located.

I don't recall the airport being terribly far from the center of the city where we stayed.

Fred/Denise,

thanks for your responses. I will find the hotel thread later.

Nancy

Wendy - grab the St Regis wherever you found it for $139-159 - that's an amazing rate.

Good advice, Peter, I thought so too. But I like the funky side of Florida--to me, Florida is like that (my mum wintered near Dayton for 15 years, and that area is definitely funky.) Little dockside seafood bars with picnic tables, that sort of thing.

So, I'm going to book a place like that, probably. The Tropi Rock Resort gets good reviews on tripadvisor. It's close to where we stayed last time, so we know at least one nice restaurant within walking distance. It's also cheap. Not deluxe, for sure, but they have a dog!