I Made a Big Mistake Today – I Read Cheerleading Posts and I Am Now Sickened…Again.

Folks, if you want to see how to (seemingly with clear intent) mislead people trying to get truthful information (and, of course, to respond to the specific references in my blog) read the posts on Luxury Cruise Talk about its present group cruise on the Regent Navigator. But before doing so, remember TravelCat2’s complaints…and the complaints of so many others…about poor food quality, poor food temperature, lacking buffets, spotty service, problems with the ship and, of course, my (and I am confident no one else’s) reference to the way things were when it was Radisson Seven Seas.

One cruise after an absolutely horrid report, the comments by LCT members on the cruise are, in part:

“So far, food quality and temperatures have been perfect…For those of you who are worried about your future Navigator cruses, I say there is no need to worry. I think Jackie’s [TC2’s] review might of made our cruise better as Jackie’s comments must of been read by someone with some power to fix the negatives!…The ship looks beautiful, the service is old school Radisson, just like it was in the good old days…perfect!”

“I agree with Karen the food and service have been exceptional…We spoke with the comedian and he said in over 100 cruises he has never seen such an incredible buffet… The boys have been spoiled by their room steward, Victor, and room service…We really feel lucky to have Engelbert as general manager. It is obvious he is on top of things. Franco certainly is a wonderful addition in the dining room.”

Please. Which is worse: Cruise Critic playing its games or Luxury Cruise Talk playing its?

Before going on I must pause and ask, “Do I really care or believe a comedian’s comment about a buffet? Heck, he is paid by the cruise line and may think Regent is heaven after two months on NCL”

Then I must ask, “Wasn’t Engelbert the general manager last cruise? Wasn’t Franco in charge of the dining room last cruise? Did the home office blast them or did they know the LCT group was coming and the easiest thing to do is suck up to them for one cruise and then go back to their lazy ways?” Folks, I can assure you there are meetings every single day reviewing the LCT experience the last day and organizing the plan to keep them happy this day. It is what all cruise lines do. (I can assure you wonderful Engelbert and Franco don’t want to get an earful from Ngaire or suffer the sure to be ensuing consequences.)

As I have said, cruise lines do go over and above for their top producers. Seabourn does a bit of extra for my groups. I would dare say that what Seabourn does for my Food & Wine Cruises is beyond what is done by any other cruise line. But…and it is a big “but…I also have the confidence that the exceptional service will be present on every Seabourn cruise; not just the ones I have a group on. And, to be sure, if a general (hotel) manager or maitre d’ had one cruise of the quality complained of on Regent that would be the end of their relationship with Seabourn. Why? What is that magic word: “Consistency”.

Finally, let’s try this: Even if everything posted about the Regent Navigator’s last two cruises are true, at best you have an unrelenting disaster and then nirvana. That is totally unacceptable. The reality is, however, there is no way that literally everything has become perfect; especially since there have been so many reviews asserting problem after problem with Navigator.

So with the service allegedly being wonderfully “old school Radisson” I must conclude that even the LCT cheerleaders have therefore admitted that the “New school Regent service ain’t very good”! Seriously, why any reference to Radisson if Regent is “perfect”? Don’t bother even trying to find a legitimate answer to that.

Yes, I want Regent to go back to the service levels when it was Radisson…and I want cruise message boards to go back to the quality they were then as well. At least I know that soon…every soon…at least one of those things will be happening.