OK reporting back
UK based, neither our TA or her company had had any communication from Explora about the changes. I emailed her on Friday 1 September to tell her what we had read on here.
1 September lunchtime got a call back from her she had phoned Explora UK office, they had confirmed the changes and told her the options we had. We said full refund, she called them back and told them to refund the full payment we had made split across two credit cards. Later that day she emailed to say Explora had confirmed the refund process had been started and would take 5/7 days.
This morning both CC statements show the refunds were received on 4 September.
Whenever we pay for a cruise the payment taken by our TA is to the cruise company not to the TA, as far as I was aware this was a change made some years ago after the collapse of a large UK travel agency who had been holding customers money and not passing it on. I thought it was now a legal requirement to pay the cruise operator direct, but it may be that it is only certain cruise operators who insist on this. Certainly that is what happened here my CC payment was to Explora not the TA.
We will keep an eye on Explora but very warily! Sticking to Oceania and looking at alternatives who may be a little more reliable. Good luck everyone whatever option you choose.
Edited to add that our TA did all this whilst driving to Southampton to join Sky princess for a holiday!