Regent Explorer Review Feb 4

The most luxurious ship in the world? The visual consideration is certainly a fit for this description, but the service cannot make the claim. We had very high expectations for this cruise, but cannot say that they were met. But first, we must address what was RIGHT and GOOD about this ship, especially for those who are looking forward to their cruise. The public spaces are beautiful and there is so much attention to detail that spells luxury, its as if you need an entire week just to explore and examine all the lovely accoutrements, artwork, lighting, ceiling & wall finishes and fabrics. The dishes for each restaurant are a journey in themselves. Even a lower end cabin provides the best shower experience we've enjoyed on any cruise ship. Housekeeping is discreet and thorough. The dining staff--particularly the experienced managers and servers are superb. And the food? Outstanding, sublime, delicious! I was so upset that I didn't discover the fresh juice bar on the pool deck until 3 days in.

Okay, here goes our disappointments: An aft cabin brought with it soot and a virtually unusable deck area. Service on the upper pool deck was spotty: empty glasses and dishes stayed out for hours, there was often no staff on the deck at all (don't know where they got the 1:3 guest to staff ratio from--certainly not here) and a pet peeve: when a guest got up from a chair, the pool staff did not strip the chair of its cover and provide a new one. Often just a rolled towel was placed on the chair. So you sat in someone else's sweat--ugh! One afternoon of the 10 days, we were offered a cold washcloth. One afternoon. That's it. And we have never been on a luxury ship (Silversea, Cunard, Windstar, Celebrity) with so many negative responses to requests for simple items including premium bottled water and premium bottled water in an ice bucket. These requests seemed foreign to the servers at first.

About halfway through the cruise, after sharing our concerns with the reception/concierge staff, these requests were finally met. It just seemed odd that we needed to bring it to the attention of the powers that be. Aft of the ship while at sea, there was always a loud wind whistling through the cabin--thankfully, when addressed after several sleepless nights, they sent a carpenter who affixed weather stripping along the bottom of the cabin door, so that we no longer had to listen to it. But you will hear that wind whistling, perhaps even in the other aft cabin...For you Pilates and Yoga and stretching advocates: the area in the gym for this activity is so small that only perhaps 3 people can engage in these activities--bad design, especially since most of the average age group for these cruises will want to do this. The ship is not particularly smooth: there is a lot of shuddering and rocking. Yes, it was a bit windy, but the noises and rocking exceed what should be for a ship with stabilizers. And finally, afternoon tea. On the most luxurious ship in the world, you have your selection of TWINNINGS tea bags to accompany your finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. TWINNINGS. TEA BAGS. In paper packets. Please REGENT, get some loose tea or even some silk bagged whole leaf tea. Tea Forte, perhaps? But not TWINNINGS. Not for this ship.We found the entertainment to be a little above average with a wonderful Broadway singer who did very well (except for the song about how to spell her name--a little self promoting). The shops were disappointing, we expected a better selection, but there were some surprises.

NOT TO BE MISSED: the trio who sing every evening and during the day---serenading people sitting on the pool deck.

Will we cruise REGENT again? Not sure--we really hope they take the time to train the newer staff who do not understand foreign cultures and will not take the initiative to fulfill a request that is not within their "normal" experience. Until that happens, we find that as lovely as this ship is and despite how outstanding the food is, what makes a cruise "luxurious" is also outstanding service. And the EXPLORER is just not there yet.

You mirror my impressions on a recent Panama Canal cruise especially about the sorry tea service. I gave feedback mid-cruise about it and told them to take a lesson from Silversea or Seabourn who do a great job with their tea services. I even received a call about it in my suite but they just didn't seem to "get it" that Twinnings is NOT a premium tea. Also, agree about pool deck service which was significantly lacking. (Also provided feedback mid-cruise but obviously things haven't improved. )----We loved the talented trio, as well.

Personally, I enjoy Twinings tea and find it perfectly acceptable to be served as teabags rather than loose-leaf

It is a good brand choice on-board as Twinings supply a wide range of blends and flavours to a consistent quality

So interesting suzeshoes! We had a generally more positive experience, but since it was a November cruise, we didn't use the sun deck much, but we too did not get a whole lot of love on the upper deck.

There was also a couple onboard who were experiencing terrible noise issues due to a sliding balcony door problem. Maintenance wound up sealing the door and covering all the edges with tape so that it could not be opened for the rest of the cruise. Apparently theirs wasn't the only cabin. You would think they would have solved this by now.

Overall though we loved the ship.

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Agree with the TS (thread starter) about everything in the first paragraph but have questions and disagreements about other portions of the review.

I find it interesting that a poster from the U.K. that knows good tea finds the tea on Regent "perfectly acceptable", yet the TS does not agree. While I have had loose tea on Silversea, I don't really see a big difference. BTW, the tea served in Pacific Rim has silk teabags but I don't really see a difference there either (except for the Pear/Ginger tea that is out of this world).

I think perhaps the TS made a typo when they said that they had not sailed on a luxury cruise line but names Silversea as a cruise line that they have cruised on . Silversea is definitely a luxury cruise line. Also, where was the soot? Was it aft? And, on what deck? Also, what deck was your suite on. We were forward on deck 12 which feels the "motion of the ocean" much more than lower, mid-ship suites. So, I'm curious - especially since we will be in an aft suite - deck 8 next month.

I am also confused that the TS stated that the Housekeeping staff was "discreet and thorough" and the servers were "superb"...... then, in the last paragraph stated "we really hope they take the time to train the newer staff who do not understand foreign cultures and will not take the initiative to fulfill a request that is not within their "normal" experience." This is extremely confusing:confused:

One more thing before I go back to agreeing with the TS, I have never heard or seen premium water served in a iced bucket - not in all of our Regent, Silversea and Oceania cruises. My DH orders premium sparking water at lunch and dinner - it is always provided and refilled as necessary. I guess I can't see a reason to have it in a bucket with ice. It doesn't surprise me that this request may have confused a crew member.

Okay - now returning to agreeing with the TS ...... the whistling and issues with doors. This is clearly something that I assume is under Regent's warranty with the manufacturer but I wonder if they will have to dry dock the ship to fix this issue. It would seem that it could be fixed if/when a contractor comes on board and fixes it. Keeping in mind that the ship is only a few months old, it was necessary to tape our bedroom sliding glass doors shut to avoid the whistling (the living room sliding glass doors did not have this issue). Also, the door into the master bathroom would not stay on the track and was held in place by a piece of word. While it kept the door on the track, I stubbed my toe several times - the last time fairly badly.

I do appreciate that the TS took the time to post a review and hope that they will also take a time to go into certain items a bit more in depth.

Thanks much!

P.S. Sorry for the apparent "double spacing" this is an issue with the new format that CC is working on.

Slightly off topic but I can't help smiling at the original poster's description of the tea service (incidentally, it's Twinings, not Twinnings, love. I'm British and I find Twinings quite acceptable):

"TWINNINGS tea bags to accompany your finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. TWINNINGS. TEA BAGS. In paper packets."

Reminds me of this TV sketch (warning: contains a sweary word):

Slightly off topic but I can't help smiling at the original poster's description of the tea service (incidentally, it's Twinings, not Twinnings, love. I'm British and I find Twinings quite acceptable):

 

"TWINNINGS tea bags to accompany your finger sandwiches, scones and pastries. TWINNINGS. TEA BAGS. In paper packets."

 

Reminds me of this TV sketch (warning: contains a sweary word):

That was hysterical ...... thanks for sharing :D

I think I would rather like that sandwitch - thank you for sharing. I agree - Tea forte would be a very excellent seiection and they look cute, too!

Ok, looks like I need to clarify as some things may have been misunderstood. First of all, the sentence reads: "we have never been on a luxury ship with so many negative responses to requests" and the lines we have cruised, among others, included Silversea, Cunard, etc.

Next, as a tea drinker and conossieur, I can say with complete confidence that there is a major difference between full leaf tea flavor and the bits in the bags of the Twinnings teas. It's like the difference between instant coffee and freshly ground beans.

FYI: our cabin was completely aft on the 9th deck.

As a bottled water drinker who easily drinks 3 liters a day especially when it's hot, as it was on this sailing, having a bottle on ice was not only convenient and refreshing, it was important since the deck 12 staff would often disappear for long periods of time so you would never know when your next drink would be available. It was explained to a fellow guest that they would pull these workers off that deck to fill in for the lunch crowd or other duties.

On other lines, luxury and mainstream, we have enjoyed champagne on ice during sail away, and often saw other couples with bottles of wine or beer or other libations, so we are not alone on this request. In any event, one mark of good service is accommodation of a guest's request, even if it is not something that is usually asked for.

As for the service being superb in the dining rooms and the housekeeping: the cabin deck was absolutely filthy the first day and the soot tracked in onto the carpet. Special cleaners were sent in wash the deck and shampoo the carpet. After that, the deck was washed each day, but would quickly accumulate soot by the end of the day. The cabin attendants kept the inside of the cabin spotless and were in and out quickly-- there was never a time when we came back to an unserviced cabin.

Dining Room: Our first lunch on board, when asked what brands of flat bottled water was served, the server gave us blank stares and then the reply: "generic, natural". Not a good way to start the cruise. When I requested Evian, I was told half the time that they didn't have it. ( they do).

There were many other disconnects in service, too numerous to mention. In speaking to other guests on board concerning this they agreed with the assessment. The reception staff even admitted that they needed work and additional training.

Prime seven, Chartreuse and Sette Mari were the best dining experiences simply because we had the "A" team at each restaurant: crew who had experience and were just very good with people, and remembering what they liked.

In the Compass Rose one evening, I asked for one entree and because the server didn't understand what I said, he brought something totally different...he was brand new and there was a language issue. This happens. On occasion. But on Explorer, this happened over and over again. Frustrating.

I hope this clarifies the earlier starting thread to some degree. Again, this is a lovely ship really it is, and the food is very very good both selection, taste and presentation. But it simply does not live up to the hype.

suzeshoes, first, thank you so much for taking the time to respond to my post. Some of your comments were truly shocking as we have spent 38 nights on the Explorer so far and did not experience many of the things that you did (not questioning what you experienced at all).

I am almost at a loss for words (emphasis on "almost":D) The soot issue makes me wonder if the Explorer has developed a problem as this definitely was not evident in either July or Nov./Dec. and has not been mentioned until your post. I have one more question on this issue (only because we will be as far aft as you can go on deck 8 next month). Where was the soot being tracked in from? Was this on deck 9 or somewhere else. Really a concerning issue.

I assume that the bottle of champagne on ice during the sail away on a mainstream cruise line was something that you special ordered. On Regent, as you know, you get a bottle of champagne upon embarkation but, other than that, champagne and wines are only available by the glass (unless you order a premium wine or champagne from the Connoisseur Wine List.) While it is a bit late to tell you this now but you could have taken the bottle of champagne to whichever bar you were near for the sail away (and they would have kept it on ice).

You may be the first tea connoisseur that I have met on Cruise Critic. Really wish that you had visited Cruise Critic prior to your cruise as you would have learned a lot and also would have had the opportunity to "meet" others on your cruise on Roll Call. You at least would have known that Regent has never had loose tea (not judging you or Regent - it just is what it is).

In terms of new servers, they really should have repeated your order to you to insure that this was what you wanted. I hope that you mentioned this issue to the Restaurant Manager. Usually we find a server that we like and stay in his/her section so that they learn our preferences. Most of the time, my husband's Perrier is poured immediately and the sommelier has our wine ready. Although your water on ice request is unusual, again, if you didn't receive what you wanted, either the Restaurant Manager or Food and Beverage Manager should have been contacted. Agree that these things should not occur on a luxury cruise line but I've learned that nothing is perfect and sometimes we need to kindly let the right people know what is not going right. Note: It is possible that Evian is not typically carried on Regent but they may have had some onboard due to a passenger's special request. We have had that issue with 7-up and have pre-ordered it for our next cruise.

It sounds as if Regent may not be the perfect match for you. We have sailed on Silversea and there are some definite pluses (I guess that loose tea would be one of them). However, for us, Regent is the "almost" perfect cruise line and the Explorer is the "princess" of the fleet (would have said "queen" but the ship was christened by a princess:) .

Suzeshoes thanks for your detailed and honest review. There has been the occasional poster who over the years has mentioned the lack of loose leaf tea, so you are not the only poster to mention this.It's good you have taken the time to write in your experiences.

Thanks, Jean.

Next, as a tea drinker and conossieur, I can say with complete confidence that there is a major difference between full leaf tea flavor and the bits in the bags of the Twinnings teas. It's like the difference between instant coffee and freshly ground beans..

It is a rare – in our experience at least - to find a US cruiser who pays such attention to the ‘hot tea’ they are served (and is a connoisseur);). You deserve full kudos for that in my opinion.

I also agree that (some !) loose tea is far superior to (some !) tea bags. It would certainly be right & proper to have a selection of loose teas for afternoon tea, although perhaps not for other times.

Where we have differing opinions is with regard to the tea on Silversea compared to that on Regent.

Like you, we have cruised with Silversea extensively. On the first morning of every cruise we ask staff to hunt high & low for some Twinings tea bags. We find the Ronnefeldt English Breakfast Tea is not too our taste ie it is truly foul ! (but then I’m no connoisseur).;)

We have even taken to bringing our own Twinings English Breakfast Tea with us, so we are delighted with your report that Regent serve Twinings as their ‘bag of choice’ ( more space in our suitcase).

One thing you haven’t mentioned which IMHO often has the greatest impact. BOIL a kettle of freshly drawn water rather than pour warm water from an urn. This skill/practise is a rarity on all cruise ships, and of course most places on your side of the Atlantic.:)

Anyway – thank you so much for cheering us up by announcing that Twinings will be available on our forthcoming Explorer cruise in two weeks time. :)

Thank you Suzeshoes,

Your comment about their not changing the terry cover on pool deck lounges brought back unpleasant memories. This was yuck! I developed the routine of feeling the lounger prior to sitting on it.

Very sorry to hear that suzeshoes suffered poor service with Regent and was therefore left with such a bad impression of some aspects of the cruise :(

It is interesting to see a debate about tea as previously on this forum the discussions have usually centred on the quality of Regent's coffee :rolleyes:

However, I just wanted to correct a comment in an earlier post

Although some of us are British this does not make us experts in tea; certainly we know what we like, and others may look at some of our tea adverts and think that we are eccentrically obsessive.................

..........but this obsession has been going on for a long time...........

I was so upset that I didn't discover the fresh juice bar on the pool deck until 3 days in.

 

Hi Suzeshoes, can you please advise the location of the Fresh Juice Bar. When I asked for directions at The Creamery I got blank looks and the response that there wasn't one onboard :confused:

Thanks

I was so upset that I didn't discover the fresh juice bar on the pool deck until 3 days in.

 

Hi Suzeshoes, can you please advise the location of the Fresh Juice Bar. When I asked for directions at The Creamery I got blank looks and the response that there wasn't one onboard :confused:

Thanks

They only do the fresh juices at breakfast. It is out on the pool deck where the grill is.

 

As far as tea, I am somewhat a connoisseur and agree that tea in bags does not speak "luxury". Silversea has very nice loose leaf tea at teatime, even on their expedition ships. If you are used to high quality tea, you can definitely tell the difference though I will drink twinings in a pinch.

I was so upset that I didn't discover the fresh juice bar on the pool deck until 3 days in.

 

Hi Suzeshoes, can you please advise the location of the Fresh Juice Bar. When I asked for directions at The Creamery I got blank looks and the response that there wasn't one onboard :confused:

Thanks

 

 

 

Okay, I give up....... what is "The Creamery":confused:

 

 

After over 350 nights onboard, if someone asked me where the Fresh Juice Bar was, I wouldn't know. Thanks Rachel for the response.

 

 

P.S. Rachel - hope that your heal quickly. Are you able to drink wine with the pain meds.?

P.S. Rachel - hope that your heal quickly. Are you able to drink wine with the pain meds.?

That's the best time to drink wine! :o :p ;)

 

 

 

Okay, I give up....... what is "The Creamery":confused:

 

 

After over 350 nights onboard, if someone asked me where the Fresh Juice Bar was, I wouldn't know. Thanks Rachel for the response.

 

 

P.S. Rachel - hope that your heal quickly. Are you able to drink wine with the pain meds.?

 

I will have to limit the wine drinking but can have a little.

 

 

I think the creamery is referring to the ice cream place out on the pool deck

Personally, I enjoy Twinings tea and find it perfectly acceptable to be served as teabags rather than loose-leaf

 

It is a good brand choice on-board as Twinings supply a wide range of blends and flavours to a consistent quality

Again, people see things differently. We were on the Explorer New Year's cruise and DW loved the afternoon tea. She heartily agrees with the above quote and added "be thankful they don't use Lipton's"

Again, people see things differently. We were on the Explorer New Year's cruise and DW loved the afternoon tea. She heartily agrees with the above quote and added "be thankful they don't use Lipton's"

I agree. Whilst not considering myself a connoisseur at all, I have my preferences regarding the tea I drink. I agree with Flossie about the need for boiling water, for example and know that any cup of tea served from a pot of merely hot (not boiling) water is unlikely to be of a very high standard. In my opinion, any fancy teas - loose leaf or silk bagged, whatever - would be wasted if brewed in the changeable circumstances one finds on board ship. I seldom drink tea abroad, mostly because I prefer plain, pasteurised milk in it rather than the UHT variety which is usually offered. However, at "tea time", I am generally ok with the Twinings Earl Grey which I drink hot and with only the merest drop of milk. Were Liptons the only tea on offer, I'd be drinking water, I'm afraid. As for the bags vs loose leaf, I'll take a good quality tea bag any day in preference to all the parlarver with a strainer and so on. I'm happy to be/live in the 21st century!

They only do the fresh juices at breakfast. It is out on the pool deck where the grill is.

 

 

Hi RachelG

Thank you for the quick reply, we haven't had breakfast there yet, I will look tomorrow.

Yes, The Creamery is the Ice Cream place - at last TravelCat, something that you didn't know about the Regent ships - there's hope for us mere mortals yet ;);)

 

I will have to limit the wine drinking but can have a little.

 

 

I think the creamery is referring to the ice cream place out on the pool deck

 

 

Thanks - again...... I would not have thought of that in a million years. I kind of thought of the "Café" (aka Coffee Connection) since people put cream in their coffee:D

 

Enjoy whatever wine you are able to have. And, enjoy the cruise!

Absolutely agree with Gilly about the need for boiling water to make a good cup of tea! The only good tea I have had on a ship was at afternoon tea on Cunard. If the water isn't boiling it doesn't matter how good or special the tea is, the result will be undrinkable.

[quote name=

Yes' date=' The Creamery is the Ice Cream place - at last TravelCat, something that you didn't know about the Regent ships - there's hope for us mere mortals yet ;);)[/quote]

 

Laughing:D Even though I'm been married to a Brit for a long time, there are a few references that I still don't understand (and he has the same issues with some U.S. slang). I truly do not know everything about Regent but I do try to learn as much as possible.

 

In terms of "tea" (it would be hard for me not to equate tea and the U.K. - after all, it seems that "tea" is a daily event every afternoon) I remember my mother-in-law always asking for her tea, coffee, soup, etc. to be "HOT" (not by U.S. standards but by U.K. standards). Most people in the U.S. don't "get" it. If kettles were not a fire hazard, Regent would likely make them available for their guests.

 

Unlike Silversea, Regent is a U.S. based company that seems to try to accommodate our U.K. and Australian cohorts. On the other hand, when they have passengers from Asia (except India), South America and many other countries, there is absolutely nothing (that I am aware of) that would give them the taste of their homeland.

 

Getting back to the "tea issue", I would suggest that people that feel strongly about the tea that they drink should either request it in advance from Regent (depending upon the ship's location, the request would need to be made 30-90 days prior to the date of the cruise), or pack your own since it weighs next to nothing.

 

I think that when we are onboard the Explorer next month, I'll ask where "The Creamery" is -- just to see their puzzled faces before I tell them that I was joking:D