Regent Cruise to Alaska: Betty Alice & Richard Harper

Linda and Flo,

You did an exceptional job in planning and booking our trip!

We spent a lot of money, spent 8 out of 10 days in the rain, and yet it was one of, if not, the best thing we have ever done in our life!

Although you both did a great job of saying how nice the trip would be, if anything, you undersold it. From what you had said, we thought the trip would be great but it turned out to be even better than great.

Without your planning, we would never have been placed with companies as exceptional as Regents and Land & Sea tours.

The trip was "PERFECT" in every way. Seldom does it happen that over a 10 day period everything that happens is done so well, there is not a reason for one single complaint.

During my professional career, we traveled throughout the nation and sometimes stayed at the finest hotels, dined at great restaurants, etc. In addition, we have dined at the finest Greenville has to offer including the Commerce Club, City Club, Poinsett Club, etc. However, even compared to all of these, the service provided by Regents was exceptional.

-The service provided by the hotel (Pan-Pacific) in Vancouver, is what I would expect from such a hotel having stayed in similar ones in years past. The service provided met expectations.

-The one day tour to Victoria, provided by Land & Sea tours, was exceptional. Our driver and guide, 'Amanda Lynn' did a wonderful job! For sure it has to be very difficult, when you have a bus full of people and have to spend over 12 hours driving and talking to them, to always do an exceptional job but Amanda Lynn did. Value and services received were worth every cent we spent and then some.

-I spent most of my professional career working for service companies and was directly responsible/accountable for most of those years for providing customer service. Neither professionally nor personally have we ever seen services equal to or better than those provided by Regents. From the time we picked up our luggage at the Vancouver airport to the time the luggage was placed on the bus to the Anchorage airport, Regent service was exceptional!

-As Betty Alice mentioned in her earlier email to you, we met a very nice couple from Winston-Salem. She is a travel agent and he travels the world for his firm. Even though they have already seen/traveled far more of the world than we ever will, they were truly surprised by the level of service provided by Regents. Especially the 'ballroom' size rooms Regents had at the Vancouver and Anchorage hotels for its passengers to obtain information, refreshments, store luggage, wait for ship/planes, etc. From what we saw, no other cruise line provided this level of service.

-The services provided by the 'regular dining room' on the ship were consistently outstanding. Always very courteous and helpful. Never had to ask for a thing because they anticipated everything. Food/drinks were not any better than the best I had already experienced prior to the cruise but the consistency of excellent service surpassed anything ever experienced in the past.

-The Butler service for our cabin was great!!!!!! It was great fun to be so pampered and spoiled like we were!

-The dining experience in the 'Signatures' dining room was even better than the regular one. How they made great even better I do not know but they did. Our butler knew it was the day of our 42nd anniversary and had already told the 'Signatures' staff this. They made it so exceptional (a cake, escorted BA to the table, etc.) as long as we live we will never forget what a wonderful experience it was. To think we were only 2 people out of 700 passengers and yet they could deliver such personal attention is absolutely outstanding service.

-At lunch, several times we went to the pool grill on the 11th deck and just ordered a hamburger or hotdog for lunch. Even here we were waited on hand and foot! So even eating in the most casual of places, the service was equal to that provided by the best of restaurants.

-Of the entire time spent during the week on the ship probably the single most exceptional thing, was that as we went by many crew members as we traveled from one end of the ship to the other on the various decks, each one of them made it a point to speak and to wish us a good day, etc. What a pleasant experience!

-The Horizon cabin you upgraded us to was unbelievable! Although the cabin was nice the large 'patio' we had was exceptional! The view from it was awesome! In case some may be of help to you in explaining to other customers what a 'Horizon Room's view is like, all the pictures we are sending to you were taken from our 'patio'. In addition none of the pictures have been altered in any way. We are camera novices for sure so you can image the pictures an intermediate or expert could have taken from our 'patio'.

We had a remarkable, outstanding, exceptional trip that will always be remembered and treasured!

The Good Lord Willing, we will be going to Alaska again in 2010. This time we will be going in May or June of 2010, starting from Anchorage and going South to Vancouver or Seattle. So please make a note of this and let us know as soon as you get the Regent catalogs for 2010. We again want to go on the Mariner, Horizon cabin 992.

Thanks again for doing such a great job!

Betty Alice and Richard Harper