Explorer for New Year cruise

Yesterday's boarding (early for your comfort) reminded me of bygone days...many well uniformed staff greeting you, trays of welcoming champagne flutes. I haven't seen all of the ship yet but what I have seen is quite beautiful, including a magnificent, shimmering crystal chandelier. La Verandah, the Lido or Colonnade of other lines, soars in its gracious, well spaced tables, clothed in linens and w stemmed wine glasses. The food offerings were diverse and the smiling service personnel were attentive.

There are succulent orchid plants and bouquets of fresh flowers here and there. Lots of cozy areas for reading,etc.

More later.

Looking forward to further reports. Good to hear that, so far, you are enjoying the Explorer.

Sounds great, looking forward to reading your view about your cruise. Thanks again for taking the time.

Rick

Have a great cruise, look forward to your reports, Jean.

Have a wonderful trip

Oh, how will I ever last these next 100 days??? :D

Enjoy your cruise!

Happy New Year Paula and Fair Winds and Following Seas for y'alls NY cruise. Look forward to your reports.

We haven't sailed Regent for approx 10 years but wanted to try the Explorer. She is a gorgeous ship with suite details that carry the theme of luxury. Great linens, products, etc.

The food is great in all venues we have tried. No complaints except our verandah door isn't working properly, but they will get it fixed in time. TV programming is great except NO SPORTS which is tough during college bowl seasons.

You will love this ship. We are long time Seabourn fans but are truly enjoying the Encore.

You will love this ship. We are long time Seabourn fans but are truly enjoying the Encore.

This part of your post made me laugh. Assume that the "Encore" is a Seabourn ship? Glad to hear that you are enjoying the Explorer (even without sports).

This part of your post made me laugh. Assume that the "Encore" is a Seabourn ship? Glad to hear that you are enjoying the Explorer (even without sports).

Encore is Seabourn's newest luxury ship

Since Seabourn has changed their smoking policy, are you going to give them a try?

Encore is Seabourn's newest luxury ship

Since Seabourn has changed their smoking policy, are you going to give them a try?

No - I would have 5 years (or so) ago but not now that we are approaching Titanium level on Regent. After reaching Titanium, I'm not sure what we will do but will not be changing cruise lines. We were encouraged to try other lines and did try Silversea (liked it) and Oceania (less money - huge suites, lovely ship, good food but not my thing- signing for things - nickel and diming, etc.)

The new Seabourn ship looks beautiful (just looked her up) but we are very taken with the Explorer. Also, it took years to meet all of the crew members (many of whom still work for Regent) and they now feel like our extended family. The older I get the more I learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.:)

Whoops! That was a true mistake! We are truly taken by Explorer. We do have a cruise booked on the Encore in April--Dubai to Athens. Then we can do a true comparison of the two new ships.

A couple of observations we made tonight.

1. The waiters and waitresses are truly working hard. They run around, but there seems to be a shortage of staff in the Observations Lounge at pre-dinner cocktail hour. It's hard to get a second drink because there are only two bartenders and three servers for the entire Observation Lounge.

2. The lack of staff doesn't allow them to get to know you on an individual basis. Seabourn has perfected the art of making each guest feel at home and that their desire is paramount. On Seabourn, after three or four nights, we walk into their observation Lounge and by the time we have been seated, my daughter's champagne and my husband's Jack and Sprite have been mixed and are on their way to our table. Honestly. My choice of a Cosmo or French Martini throws them. We never have to search for a server to get a refill.

As we observed, this comes from being understaffed, not from lack of effort. But it also means staff doesn't have the time to visit and get to know you. At least at night. We found the same problem in Pacific Rim tonight. Great staff, but always having to run, run, run!

Still have many positive experiences, but just a difference between the two luxury cruise lines.

Whoops! That was a true mistake! We are truly taken by Explorer. We do have a cruise booked on the Encore in April--Dubai to Athens. Then we can do a true comparison of the two new ships.

 

A couple of observations we made tonight.

1. The waiters and waitresses are truly working hard. They run around, but there seems to be a shortage of staff in the Observations Lounge at pre-dinner cocktail hour. It's hard to get a second drink because there are only two bartenders and three servers for the entire Observation Lounge.

 

2. The lack of staff doesn't allow them to get to know you on an individual basis. Seabourn has perfected the art of making each guest feel at home and that their desire is paramount. On Seabourn, after three or four nights, we walk into their observation Lounge and by the time we have been seated, my daughter's champagne and my husband's Jack and Sprite have been mixed and are on their way to our table. Honestly. My choice of a Cosmo or French Martini throws them. We never have to search for a server to get a refill.

 

As we observed, this comes from being understaffed, not from lack of effort. But it also means staff doesn't have the time to visit and get to know you. At least at night. We found the same problem in Pacific Rim tonight. Great staff, but always having to run, run, run!

 

Still have many positive experiences, but just a difference between the two luxury cruise lines.

Please seek out Daniela - Food and Beverage Director. She will be happy that you let her know and she can re-assign crew members. If you can't find her, leave her a message at Reception.

No - I would have 5 years (or so) ago but not now that we are approaching Titanium level on Regent. After reaching Titanium, I'm not sure what we will do but will not be changing cruise lines. We were encouraged to try other lines and did try Silversea (liked it) and Oceania (less money - huge suites, lovely ship, good food but not my thing- signing for things - nickel and diming, etc.)

 

The new Seabourn ship looks beautiful (just looked her up) but we are very taken with the Explorer. Also, it took years to meet all of the crew members (many of whom still work for Regent) and they now feel like our extended family. The older I get the more I learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.:)

We're right there with you, TC2! We are also approaching Titanium and will be there for the 2018 WC on the Navigator. Yes, 'extended family' is exactly how we also describe it. Nothing like embarkation day and Rhea from Security greets us by name even before swiping our cards upon entry.

We are looking forward to tonight's New Years Eve events on the Navigator, and even though we disembark 1/5 we'll only have 10 weeks until our Explorer voyages begin.

TC2,

This is an honest question. Even though you are approaching Titanium level on Regent and receive all the benefits that come with that, don't you ever get bored with the same ships, the same routine, the same everything? Or maybe it's just me and that's why I now intersperse land trips with cruises because I got so bored with knowing what every minute of every day will hold. I know each cruise is unique but the cruise line stays the same. To quote Gertrude Stein, "A Regent is a Regent is a Regent." or "A Seabourn is a Seabourn is a Seabourn."

TC2,

 

This is an honest question. Even though you are approaching Titanium level on Regent and receive all the benefits that come with that, don't you ever get bored with the same ships, the same routine, the same everything? Or maybe it's just me and that's why I now intersperse land trips with cruises because I got so bored with knowing what every minute of every day will hold. I know each cruise is unique but the cruise line stays the same. To quote Gertrude Stein, "A Regent is a Regent is a Regent." or "A Seabourn is a Seabourn is a Seabourn."

wripro - I'll give you the most honest answer that I can. My DH and I tend do get bored with restaurants mostly and secondarily with some ports. We have had to "check" ourselves in terms of not taking the wonders of luxury cruising for granted. We did not grow up expecting or wishing to do luxury cruising or even to travel the world.

I find that whether we are cruising with Regent, Silversea or Oceania, the day to day sameness is there. I admire the fact that you are now interspersing land trips with cruising. We did things a bit differently. We did land trips (mostly international) for almost 20 years before we started cruising. We had become tired of the plane trips, packing and unpacking all the time, etc. So, for us, after almost 13 years of cruising, we are not tired of it yet (but do not intend to do this until we take our last breath).

The thing that has kept our interest up in the past couple of years is not doing excursions in most ports. We "do our own thing" - shopping in local stores (not tourist stores), having some wine and cheese (for example) in a local taverna or restaurant. The past six months have been exciting in terms of sailing on Regent's newest ship which is different than the other ships. Still, have to admit that it is a ship and the day to day activities are the same.

I definitely agree with your sentiment which is why I've said that I'm not sure what we will do once we reach Titanium level in a little over a year. We have cut back on cruises this year - only one in March and one in November. We're thinking of taking a land trip to England to meet relatives from Australia (don't ask:-) and if we do, I'll want to visit Dublin again.

PaulaJK and MomC - not trying to hijack this very quiet thread -- I just wanted to respond to an interesting question that many of us may have thought about.

It seems that, once passengers get onboard the Explorer, they suddenly become busy with things and don't post much -- very understandable. I'm hoping that eventually more passengers will post and give us their opinion of the ship (reports that are more in depth than just noting that the ship has dark wood and marble). IMO, it does take a few days to understand the Explorer. Looking forward to more reports and I won't stray from the topic:)

Paula,

Can't wait to hear more of your thoughts. As you know, I am currently on the Mariner for the holiday cruise. I am 90% smitten with the product. The only negative is the internet connectivity. In this modern age, things should be MUCH better then they are.

Plan to post about my personal experience when on land in 5 days :)

Enjoy and Happy New Year!!!

We are expected quite rough seas but Captain Serena spoke with Hdqrs. and we are departing early to skirt the low front. Last night was interesting and the rough seas are going to last through our sea day tomorrow.

No - I would have 5 years (or so) ago but not now that we are approaching Titanium level on Regent. After reaching Titanium, I'm not sure what we will do but will not be changing cruise lines. We were encouraged to try other lines and did try Silversea (liked it) and Oceania (less money - huge suites, lovely ship, good food but not my thing- signing for things - nickel and diming, etc.)

 

The new Seabourn ship looks beautiful (just looked her up) but we are very tasken with the Explorer. Also, it took years to meet all of the crew members (many of whom still work for Regent) and they now feel like our extended family. The older I get the more I learn that the grass isn't always greener on the other side.:)

If I were you, with your regent status, and all the people you've gotten to know, I wouldn't try another cruise line either. I am gold on both but am introducing regent to our cruising friends (who only know Seabourn) in two weeks! On the explorer! Ps please forgive the hijack

Whoops! That was a true mistake! We are truly taken by Explorer. We do have a cruise booked on the Encore in April--Dubai to Athens. Then we can do a true comparison of the two new ships.

 

A couple of observations we made tonight.

1. The waiters and waitresses are truly working hard. They run around, but there seems to be a shortage of staff in the Observations Lounge at pre-dinner cocktail hour. It's hard to get a second drink because there are only two bartenders and three servers for the entire Observation Lounge.

 

2. The lack of staff doesn't allow them to get to know you on an individual basis. Seabourn has perfected the art of making each guest feel at home and that their desire is paramount. On Seabourn, after three or four nights, we walk into their observation Lounge and by the time we have been seated, my daughter's champagne and my husband's Jack and Sprite have been mixed and are on their way to our table. Honestly. My choice of a Cosmo or French Martini throws them. We never have to search for a server to get a refill.

 

As we observed, this comes from being understaffed, not from lack of effort. But it also means staff doesn't have the time to visit and get to know you. At least at night. We found the same problem in Pacific Rim tonight. Great staff, but always having to run, run, run!

 

Still have many positive experiences, but just a difference between the two luxury cruise lines.

I surely hope you arent still having that problem in the observation lounge. The night that you posted there happened to be a lot of private parties going around the ship and the staff were really busy all over the ship. We find a little patience is a good thing. As we have been on since Rome we have been attended to very well 90% of the time. Captains parties etc take up a lot of the staff as there are so many people there, they need more stuff and perhaps the rest of the venues are spread a little thin but it doesn't last very long. I would agree with travel cat. A chat with Daniela is a good idea or page her at the time it is happening. She is like lightening and will be there in a jiffy. Today she was clearing tables and setting them up in the Veranda as so many tours came back at the same time and staff were run off there feet.

The infinity pool and surrounding covered deck make for a cool (pun intended) spot to watch the Explorer's initial Panama Canal transit. (And no attack by a huge swarm of bees, as I heard caused the main pool to be evacuated yesterday morning while we were docked in Cartagena...)

The infinity pool and surrounding covered deck make for a cool (pun intended) spot to watch the Explorer's initial Panama Canal transit. (And no attack by a huge swarm of bees, as I heard caused the main pool to be evacuated yesterday morning while we were docked in Cartagena...)

Good to see that you are posting. Any thoughts about the Explorer that you would like to share (food, service, suite)???

Looking forward to reading more posts from the Explorer.

Yes, there was an impressive swarm of bees yesterday morning in the pool area. It was handled promptly and efficiently after we were evacuated. Eventually a masked, well padded crew member was elated in the stairs going to 12 and appeared to be vacuuming them Interesting experience!

Explorer is a very pretty ship with many special touches e.g. Some glass works in the ceiling. There are major lobby areas mid ship on 4 & 5 ,rather like hotel lobbies. Compass Rose has an enormous shades of blue hanging glass ceiling that runs down its center. The menu is probably the most expansive I have encountered. The left hand side has a list of several always available appetizers ,soups and salads. Then there is a list of about 6 fish/shellfish and many meats ..all of which can be ordered with a vast choice of sauces. Ordering is by iPad and it sometimes is challenging to add/omit. The R side has a long list of today's specials. The meats have been prime and we have liked most of our other choices. The cheese choices are fewer than previously but in prime condition. The ship is full and,indeed, the servers are quite busy. No time and perhaps no plan for personal relatedness.

We find Chartreuse very pretty. The yellow calla lily along w the thick gold rimmed China is gorgeous. Kudos to whomever is in charge of dinner ware. Less pressured service but again, no personal touch. Food has been very good.

I love that 2 of the specialty restaurants are open on sea days (and busy) and 1

Open on port days. We were at Prime 7 today where my husband enjoyed a delicious steak. It must have been a signal for me to cut back because my Caesar salad was drenched w dressing and my pasta w veal meatballs neither hot nor tasty. A nod however to the lovely white rose at each table..perhaps by now you can conclude that I have grown tired of dying/drying white dendrobiums.

Our vote is out on Pacific Rim. To us it seemed to be a putrid green color...however, once again the China was stylish and unique. We started w a superb tuna tartare (too large), duck spring rolls (very dry)...my lobster tempura was a pretty dish w. Perhaps the tempura overwhelming a bit. My husband's pork ribs were too dry to bother with. With the servers so busy they don'check on this. Tangerine rose.

Sorry all of the odd caps,etc but I can't get this iPad to behave.

Paula - your posts came out just fine!

Agree with your observations - particularly about Pacific Rim. However, some people think that it is the best dining venue onboard the Explorer. I suppose that this once again speaks to how subjective food can be. We preferred Chartreuse to P7 for lunch - probably because of the chicken with mushroom sauce and the soup presentation.

I can't imagine the bee situation - we have not encountered that anywhere. It sounds as if "someone" on Regent handled it very well. I have to wonder what happens to the bees once they are vacuumed up:)

Paula - your posts came out just fine!

 

Agree with your observations - particularly about Pacific Rim. However, some people think that it is the best dining venue onboard the Explorer. I suppose that this once again speaks to how subjective food can be. We preferred Chartreuse to P7 for lunch - probably because of the chicken with mushroom sauce and the soup presentation.

 

I can't imagine the bee situation - we have not encountered that anywhere. It sounds as if "someone" on Regent handled it very well. I have to wonder what happens to the bees once they are vacuumed up:)

When I was on the Explorer last week, there was a gigantic swarm of bees just sitting in the pool on one of our finals days on the side where the drains are...might have been while we were anchored in the Dominican Republic. Someone in the pool called a waiter over to show him and he was shocked, but most of them were dead so I don't really think they did anything (at that time, I don't really think anyone cared but it was just weird)...I'm surprised they're still there or still having a problem at least but good to know they're taking care of it.